Buster's Second Chance

Summary
Buster turns back the clock to see what life would be like if he were a genius.

Plot
Arthur explains that Buster has always been his best friend, ever since they first met, in addition to a montage of Arthur and Buster hanging out. He continues, "until this week..." as Buster's seat is empty.

Buster's Second Chance

Brain wins a state-wide science contest, and Buster tells Arthur that he previously made Brain's observation that the school's water fountain has bacteria in it. Buster complains that he did not win an award, and Arthur points out that Brain did science and was able to prove it. Buster explains why he did not study; as a toddler, his mother took him to a special preschool and he was given an intelligence test in which he had to sort a marble, and stuck it up his nose.

Buster thinks that his life would have been different if he had passed the test, and that he would have been as smart as Brain. Arthur says, "If only you could go back in time." Buster gets an idea and is about to ask Brain, who answers that it is impossible to change the past.

That night, Buster reads a Professor Timekeeper comic about time vortexes. He sees such a vortex appear in his room, is sucked in, and then wakes up back in the preschool. He does a magic trick, impressing his mother and the teacher, and then gets sucked back in to the vortex and wakes up.

Buster finds that he is now a genius, and has won the science contest instead of Brain. He wants to show Arthur the ribbon he won, but learns that he goes to advanced placement classes in the morning and then Lakewood Elementary. He passes Arthur on the bus, who does not react to Buster.

Buster enters the classroom and is greeted and congratulated by Mr. Ratburn. He leaves the class to go to Algebra, showing Arthur his ribbon first. Buster goes to the Sugar Bowl, finding that it is now a hangout for the Tough Customers. Unknowingly to Buster, Arthur is now the leader of the Tough Customers, with Binky following his orders.

Buster asks various people where Arthur is, and finally finds him in Meteor Comix. Arthur declines liking Love Ducks, and says that he was never friends with Buster; in a flashback, it is shown that after Buster left, Arthur met Binky. Buster shouts, "Arthur needs me!" and is sucked back into the time vortex.

Buster visits Arthur and is glad that they are still friends. Buster decides to compare his locker's smell to goats, and they go to the zoo. D.W. says that she is glad she is not a genius as the episode ends.

Major

 * Buster Baxter
 * Arthur Read

Minor

 * Binky Barnes
 * The Brain
 * Nigel Ratburn
 * Bitzi Baxter
 * D.W. Read

Cameo

 * Maria Pappas
 * Alex
 * Jenna Morgan
 * George Lundgren
 * Ladonna Compson
 * Francine Frensky
 * Sue Ellen Armstrong
 * Muffy Crosswire
 * Molly MacDonald
 * Rattles
 * Steve
 * Helen
 * 3rd Grade Female Aardvark
 * Brian
 * Jessica
 * John
 * Lisa
 * Kyle
 * Liam
 * Maryann
 * Lucy
 * Big Kid 2
 * Los Dedos
 * Big Kid 1
 * Fletcher
 * 4th Grade Male Rabbit
 * Amanda Hulser
 * Kiefer
 * Jack
 * James MacDonald
 * Rafi

Mentioned

 * Timmy and Tommy Tibble
 * Kate Read

Trivia

 * This is the first time in the show proper that Kate is referred to as "Baby Kate."
 * This was Ken Scarborough's last episode of before moving over to Sesame Street.
 * This is the first episode to air that was produced at Oasis Animation.
 * Jacob Ursomarzo and Christian Distefano voices Arthur and D.W., respectively, beginning with this episode, replacing William Healy and Andrew Dayton.
 * Distefano previously provided the voice of James starting in Season 18.

Episode connections

 * The flashback of Arthur and Buster meeting for the first time is originally seen in "Team Trouble," "The Ballad of Buster Baxter," and "Besties."
 * The masks Arthur and Buster wear in the intro also appear in "Staycation."

Cultural references

 * Brain's line “I stand on the shoulders of giants” refers to a commonly attributed to Isaac Newton.