Crushed

Summary
Arthur thinks he's too old to need a babysitter, but changes his mind when the sitter turns out to be a 16-year-old who loves ice cream and video games.

Plot
The intro begins with Buster singing about things that make you blue, but Arthur stopped him, saying "Stop! Cut, no more!" He annoyingly asks Buster if he was going to tell the viewers. Buster replies it makes a good song. Arthur then announces to the viewers that due to technical difficulties, the show will be cancelled, but Buster stops him, saying "Don't listen to him, he's just embarrassed. Roll the tape, Greg!" Then he tells Arthur it's a good story, to which Arthur groans.

After the title card, Arthur's dad has a catering job and they need a babysitter. Arthur doesn't want the babysitter to be Mrs. Grouse, because she makes Arthur and D.W. dance the jitterbug. D.W. says "The jitterbug is good for your arthur-itis, Arthur." Arthur angrily says he doesn't have arthritis and Jane Read states that the babysitter is Sally McGill. Arthur imagines that Sally will be a mean babysitter that makes them clean the whole house.

When Sally arrives, she is a bear with orange hair and a purple jacket. She is 16, twice Arthur's age and four times D.W.'s age. Sally is about to ask Arthur which ice cream he likes better when he gets annoyed and says "I know the drill." D.W. talks and plays with Sally while Arthur does his homework. When he comes downstairs, he sees Sally playing his Dark Bunny: Curse of the Mommies video game. D.W. gives Arthur the console and Arthur and Sally make it up to Level 12, where they try to defeat the Mommy of all Mommies, when Arthur's parents arrive. Arthur looks at Sally dreamily and develops a crush on Sally.

The next day, Arthur tries to persuade the parents to leave home so he and D.W. can have Sally watch them. After they do leave, for another catering job, Mrs. Grouse comes instead much to Arthur's annoyance.

The next day at the public library, he was drawing a comic about him saving Sally from a flying sheep zombie when Bionic Bunny can't much to Buster's suspicion.

On the third round in which the parents leave, they state that Sally and her friend are coming. When it's Arthur's turn to choose the activity, he chooses the Dark Bunny: Curse of the Moomies video game and they play until the doorbell rings. Sally introduces her boyfriend, Cory, to Arthur. Arthur is surprised that Sally has a boyfriend. Angry, he goes to bed.

The next day at the Sugar Bowl, he makes a comic about Sally and Cory being eaten by a flying sheep zombie. When Buster arrives, he tells him, who vows not to tell anyone. Buster says "She crushes you and walks all over you. Stay away from her." Unfortunately, Buster is actually talking about the Mommy of all Mommies, not Sally.

So when Arthur comes for a sleepover with Buster who invited him, Buster's babysitter is Sally much to Arthur's horror. Sally later explains to Arthur that she likes to play video games with him, but not with Cory, because Cory is bad at video games. The three of them play until it's time for their bed. Then, Buster states his advice again, and Arthur realizes that the advice was about the video game. Buster questions him, and then they go to bed.

Major characters

 * Arthur Read
 * Sally MacGill
 * Corey

Minor characters

 * D.W. Read
 * David Read
 * Jane Read
 * Mrs. Grouse

Background characters

 * Nigel Ratburn
 * Muffy Crosswire

Mentioned characters

 * Bitzi Baxter
 * Harry Mills

Trivia

 * Buster says "Roll the tape, Greg!" as a reference to the director of Arthur, Greg Bailey.
 * This episode is dedicated in loving memory of Pat Harris, friend and colleague.

Episode connections

 * Arthur has a flashback of when he had the chicken pox in "Arthur's Chicken Pox".
 * This is the first time Mrs. Read dresses like a princess the second time was D.W.'s Time Trouble.

Cultural references

 * D.W. says dancing is good for Arthur's "Arthur-itis", a reference to Arthritis.

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