Phony Fern

Summary
Fern receives the latest phone for simple communication, but becomes addicted to the appliance.

Plot
The episode begins in the cinema. Muffy, Fern and others are watching a film when Chip, Muffy's brother, calls. Muffy answers the phone during the movie, which causes everyone else to leave. They are later seen eating in Chicken Lickin', where Muffy is texting Bailey (who is just outside the restaurant) which ends in Fern getting annoyed and leaving. Muffy shows Fern her new phone, the Portilex 360. Despite initially voicing contempt for the phone, the consumerism it generates and the fact that seemingly everyone has one, thus limiting social opportunities, Fern receives a Portilex from her parents, a happen-stance that she initially bemoans.

In light of this, Fern eventually becomes glued to the phone after being lulled by its extensive panoply of features. She uses the Portilex almost constantly, and even lands herself in trouble with Mr. Ratburn when she uses the phone in class.

When the battery begins to run low during a heated talk with Muffy, Fern frantically attempts to recharge it, but the phone is destroyed when she trips and loses it under the drum of a road roller. Fern's parents are disappointed that Fern did not stick to the phone's bare mandatory purpose, and so Fern decides upon a simple, no-frills model, deciding that she would be happier with that. The episode ends.

Songs

 * "Fern's Cell Phone Song"

Trivia

 * Arthur makes a cameo in this episode, but does not speak at all or interact with the main characters throughout the episode.
 * It is ratherly shocking that 3rd graders have phones and even a 4 year old had one.
 * The Portilex 360 could be a reference to an Xbox 360.
 * This is the first appearance of Mr. Walters.

Cultural references

 * In Fern's opening Fantasy sequence, She and George's alter egos: Detectives Watto and Vastings, are a parody of Hercule Poirot and Captain Hastings, respectively.
 * MasterPiece Theatre is a reference to the PSB Masterpeice Theatre. A parody of an old opening which was seen in "Binky Rules"

Errors

 * When the book cart is pushed out of the library in Fern's song, the background outside the doors is the school hallway.
 * When Fern goes to School, she has a backpack but after school when she is running home, she doesn't have it.

Home Video
DVD:
 * Arthur: Season 11
 * Big Brother Binky (DVD)
 * Germophobia (DVD)

Gallery
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Screenshots
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