The Best Day Ever

Summary
It's a beautiful afternoon and everyone is reminiscing about their best days. Everyone, that is, except Arthur. Is it possible he doesn't have one?

Plot
The episode begins with Arthur watching a clip from "The Lousy Week", then he shows the viewers his Top five Worst Days Ever, which include, for #5, the day he was fired by his piano teacher for not practicing ("Arthur Plays the Blues"), for #4, ripping his pants in school for EVERYONE to see ("Arthur's Underwear"), for #3, saying goodbye to his best friend, Buster, for his trip around the world ("Arthur's Faraway Friend"), for #2, the time D.W. accused him of stealing her snowball, and was all over him for a few days, and before he could show his #1 worst day ever, D.W. interrupts him by playing a video of Arthur as a baby, making her tease him about him being a baby. Arthur then says that he has found a brand-new worst day, before pressing a button on his remote control, and making D.W. disappear virtually.

The Best Day Ever

Its a beautiful afternoon in Elwood City, and at the park, Arthur, Binky, Buster, George, and Sue Ellen are laying down on the grass, relaxing and soaking in the sun, and Arthur thinks that this is one of the best days ever, with the others agreeing, yet Buster says that it might not make his Top 10 list, which makes Arthur question. Binky then says that he doesn't have a list, but his best day ever (George guessed it was when Binky joined the "Tough Customers" — which was instead his second best day) was the time that his family adopted Mei Lin, his little Chinese sister ("Big Brother Binky"). He remembers that he cured Mei Lin's crying by showing her his "Monkey-face", which stopped her from crying. He said he could've had his own show! But when she met Arthur, it wouldn't work anymore. Then when Arthur's family met Binky's family at a Chinese restaurant, Binky thought that Mei Lin would rather have Arthur, but he realized that Mei Lin was being taught by Binky, and that was the first time time he felt like a big brother.

When Arthur's next, he claims he is still thinking of one, and George is next instead. His best days started as one of the worst days ever, when at the poetry reading, organized by Fern, the unthinkable happened to him, as Wally began to fall apart! While trying to repair him, Wally said to go on without him, but George didn't have the courage, until Arthur talks to George and said that it will be okay, and when he reads his poem, as so it turns out, it turns out okay!

When he takes Wally out to tell jokes, Arthur thinks about what was his best day, when Sue Ellen interrupts him to say what was his best day, but he fakes an itchy throat, making Sue Ellen go next. Sue Ellen's best day ever was when Arthur found Sue Ellen's diary. He claims he didn't open it, which Sue Ellen believes. Yet Binky thinks Arthur took a little peek inside. From then on, Sue Ellen knew that she had trustworthy friends.

When Binky says to Arthur to go next, Buster pipes up and says his best day ever, when Buster couldn't get to sleep, but was counting puffins, when a light appears into his room, coming from a U-F-O in the shape of a donut; strawberry shaped people come out and proclaim Buster as their new king to rule "Fruitopia" forever, before realizing DREAMS don't count from Arthur. Buster then says his best day ever was when he came home from around the world to play checkers with Arthur ("Buster's Back"), making Buster say he missed Arthur, yet he still won the game!

When Arthur's turn has finally come, he says he doesn't have one. He states that he had really good days, but not one that tops the whole lot. Buster and Sue Ellen tell Arthur that having a best day isn't important, but he might have one someday, and Arthur turns down an offer from Binky if he wants to join the Tough Customers. George then realizes that Arthur was in all of their best days, and without him, none of them would have happened, so even though he doesn't have a best day, he still has a piece of theirs! Finally, Arthur finds his best day: Today, with his friends. He states that it’s "perfect."

Then, a thunderstorm arrives and it begins to rain. Even though Buster mentioned that it might have ruined his best day, it's still great. Arthur catches up with the others, asks if they want to come to his house, and the episode finishes.

Major

 * Arthur Read
 * Binky Barnes
 * Buster Baxter
 * George Lundgren
 * Sue Ellen Armstrong

Minor

 * D.W. Read
 * Wally

Flashback

 * Alex
 * Bitzi Baxter
 * The Brain
 * David Read
 * Frederique Fugue
 * Fern Walters
 * Francine Frensky
 * Muffy Crosswire
 * George Lundgren
 * Jenna Morgan
 * Kate Read
 * Luke
 * Maria Pappas
 * Mei Lin Barnes
 * Mr. Barnes
 * Mrs. Barnes
 * Debi
 * Nigel Ratburn
 * Otis
 * Paige Turner
 * Prunella Deegan
 * Puffins
 * Strawberry People
 * The Monkey King performers
 * Waiter

Mentioned

 * Tough Customers

Trivia

 * During the flashback sequences, most of the voices from the old seasons have been recorded with new voices of Season 16 with the exceptions of Michael Yarmush, Michael Caloz, Mitchell David Rothpan and Cameron Ansell.

Episode connections

 * Some of Arthur's worst days are "The Lousy Week," "Arthur Plays the Blues," "Arthur's Underwear," "Arthur's Faraway Friend," "D.W.'s Snow Mystery," and "Return of the Snowball."
 * Arthur also remembers the events of "The Return of the King." Part of this flashback included the re-made scene from "D.W., Queen of the Comeback."
 * Binky's best day was the Season 11 finale "Big Brother Binky."
 * George's best day was "Arthur's Dummy Disaster."
 * Sue Ellen's best day was "Sue Ellen's Lost Diary."
 * Sue Ellen also mentions publishing her diary, like Betsy Johnson in "Strangers on a Train." George said he was afraid she wrote about his nosebleeds from "Vomitrocious." Binky said he was afraid she wrote about when he couldn't stop rhyming in "Rhyme for Your Life." Buster was afraid she wrote about when he almost ate a bug in "Buster and the Daredevils."
 * Buster said his best day was when he played checkers with Arthur in the season 3 premiere "Buster's Back."
 * The home library in the opening was seen in "Pet Projects."
 * The characters also lay in a circle at the park in "The Contest."
 * D.W. once again mentions her snowball from "D.W.'s Snow Mystery."
 * This is the third time Arthur is offered to join the Tough Customers. The other times are in "Arthur, World's Greatest Gleeper" and "Arthur's Big Hit."

Errors

 * Ratburn didn't give the quiz at the fair, but when they returned to school.
 * Arthur says that Buster was gone for a whole year in this episode, but in "Arthur's Faraway Friend" Buster was only gone for a couple of months.
 * Right before George brings out Wally, part of Sue Ellen's dress is the same color as her vest.

Home Video
DVD:
 * Arthur Stands Up to Bullying