Buster's Dino Dilemma (episode)

"Buster's Dino Dilemma" is the third episode of season 1 of Arthur. It was written by Matt Steinglass. The storyboards were done by Raymond Lebrun. It aired on September 16, 1996, along with it's linked episode D.W. All Wet.

Plot Outline
Arthur talks to the viewing audience about how people can get carried away with things sometimes. Like when D.W. played the Hippo Hunt video game for four days straight, when  Francine tried to score a hundred baskets in basketball in a row (which she probably failed at), and  Buster has grown a large liking for dinosaurs. Cut to Mr. Ratburn's class, as Ratburn announces that they will be taking a field trip to Rainbow Rock State Park where they will find different kinds of fossils. Buster is very excited and knocks over his chair.

{Title Card}

The class arrives at Rainbow Rock State Park. Buster and Arthur arrive with Arthur carrying a heavy load of supplies. The whole class begins playing around until Ratburn alerts everyone to follow him. They enter the exhibition area and meet up with Ranger Ruth, who will be their fossil hunting guide. She asks the class what a fossil is and Buster answers in a very scientific manner. The show begins, and Ranger Ruth explains about life many years ago. How there were different plants, bugs, and of course, dinosaurs. She further explains how the animals would die out. During this scene, the back person of the dinosaur costume accidentally falls backwards and runs away. Ratburn has the laughing class quiet down. Ruth continues and explains about how certain parts of the bodies such as bones would last during the rotting time, and how water covered the land and eventually become rock and dirt, thus covering the remains turning them into fossils. After the show, the class head out to hunt for fossils. On the way, Ruth talks to the children about how certain layers in the cliff date how old a certain fossil is depending on where it's found. Muffy asks how they are going to search in the cliffs, but Ruth says that they will be searching in the water. In excitement, Francine rushes into the water and begins searching. Later that day, all the kids are still searching. Buster searches through many rocks but has no luck. Ratburn notifies them that they will be leaving soon. Buster, in determination, wants to keep looking until they leave. Arthur protests at this, for the other students a having soda for a lunch break, and accidentally picks up a rock, which turns out to be a fossil. Buster notices and goes through a daze. Nervously, Arthur drops the fossil into the water, but Buster jumps after it and begins digging through the rocks rapidly until he finds it. Arthur thinks it's a leaf fossil, but Buster rebukes this and sees that it is a footprint. When the kids are gathered together, Brain shows Ruth a shell fossil and she places it into a sack. Buster notices this and is surprised to see that they don't keep them. Ruth explains to him that they take the fossils to the museum. Buster is upset at this and hides the footprint in his hat. He also pretends that he and Arthur haven't found any fossils. As they leave Arthur tells Buster he should give it, but Buster doesn't yield and still wants to keep it. Ruth meets up with them and congratulates Buster for a being an excellent paleontologist and pats him on the head, where the fossil is. Because they are so nervous, they imagine Ruth as a dinosaur on the way out. On the way home on the bus, Arthur asks if they could tell someone about the fossil, but Buster denies this for he thinks it's too dangerous. When Buster gets home, he wraps the fossil in tinfoil, then he puts it in a bag, then he puts the bag in a box of marbles, and then he puts the box in the closet. At dinner, Buster's Mom asks her son if he found any fossils on the field trip. He nervously responds and pretends he found nothing. The next day at school, Arthur asks if he can come to see the fossil. Buster again declines this for he thinks it's too dangerous and that his mom could see. Arthur attempts to reason with Buster that there's no point on having the fossil if they can't even see it themselves. Mr. Ratburn enters the classroom, and talks to the class about their field trip and about how rare certain fossils are, especially footprints. In shock, Buster faints and falls backwards on his chair. Later that night, Buster is at home writing on his desk, until there is a pound on the door. After asking who it is, Ruth answers as the fossil police. They then break down the door and the police bring in Arthur, who apologizes to Buster for telling, for they tickled him. Ruth believes that Buster is keeping a dinosaur in his room. Buster doesn't believe this and thinks it's ridiculous. A roar is suddenly heard in Buster's closet and a T-Rex bursts in and is about to attack Buster. Buster screams and wakes up in his bed; it was all a dream. He goes to Arthur's house with the fossil-contained box and wakes up Arthur. He wants to give it to him but Arthur refuses, but Buster is desperate and says that it's causing him distress. Arthur says it doesn't belong with him nor himself. Arthur and Buster call Ranger Ruth and, the next day, give the fossil to the museum. The curator tells the boys that they aren't quite sure what made the footprint. Professors think it may be a baby daspletosaurus or maybe an adult silesaurus. Ruth shows the boys the nameplate for the fossil which says: Dinosaur Footprint - discovered by Buster Baxter and Arthur Read.

Major Roles

 * Buster
 * Arthur
 * Ranger Ruth (debut)

Minor Roles

 * Mr. Ratburn
 * Francine
 * Brain
 * Muffy
 * Binky
 * Bitzi Baxter

Cameos

 * Sue Ellen
 * D.W.
 * Fern
 * Jenna
 * George

Trivia

 * The video game system D.W. uses strongly resembles the Atari 2600 and the controller resembles the Gamepad for the Nintendo Entertainment System.
 * A few of the sound effects used in Hippo Hunt are the same as in Pac-Man for the Atari 2600.
 * When Buster defines what a fossil is, George's skin is much darker.
 * The theory of how old a fossil is by which layer of rock it's located is currently ridiculed by Circular Reasoning.
 * Also, the idea that dinosaurs lived over a hundred million years ago still remains unproven. Yet, they show the idea because this is a children's show.
 * This episode is mentioned again in Buster's Amish Mismatch.