Francine's Split Decision

Summary
With the big bowling tournament and her cousin's bar mitzvah happening at exactly the same time, Francine tries to figure out a way to be two places at once.

Plot
The episode starts in the ice cream shop, with Buster figuring out what to order. He orders a complicated, and strange order that's obviously unstable. When explaining how he's going to eat it to Arthur, it falls onto the floor. He performs a trick with paddles to get the ice cream back on the cone. "Looks like I picked up some extra nuts," says Buster, as takes a lick, disgusting Arthur.

Francine's Split Decision

In the school cafeteria: Arthur, the Brain, and Buster invite Francine to sit at their table during lunch. They ask her some questions (like "Is your tongue coated?") Francine asks why they're acting so weird. The Brain explains that they just want her to be ready for the bowling tournament on Saturday. A series of flashbacks of matches against Mighty Mountain are played. Muffy comes along and they make her their fashion consultant.

That night, Francine is practicing bowling in her room with Polly Locket dolls as the pins. Laverne Frensky walks in and tells her she can't go bowling on Saturday because of her cousin's Bar Mitzvah. Francine protests, but her mom tells her she'll enjoy it.

The next day, she breaks the news to everyone. Brain and Francine explains what a Bar Mitzvah is before Arthur interrupts reminding them that without Francine, they'll be creamed by Mighty Mountain. Francine apologizes and says "I can't be at two places at one time". This gives Brain an idea.

Later that day, the gang meet up in Arthur's tree house while the Brain gives his plan.

Step 1: Francine wears her clothes over her bowling uniform.

Step 2: Seth (Francine's cousin) becomes an adult no later than 12:30 PM

Step 3: Drink one cup of punch and at 12:52 PM and sneak out the front door.

Step 4: Arthur will have Francine's bike at the back of the temple for Francine.

Step 5: Beat Mighty Mountain

Final Step: Return to the party before anyone misses her.

Francine says she likes the idea.

That Saturday, Francine is putting her clothes over the bowling uniform as the plan said. At the Bar Mitzvah, Seth is reading a Hebrew prayer while Francine looks on in amazement. At 12:52, Francine tells her dad she's hungry to bring them back inside the Temple. Francine sees a band performing and thinks the party is really cool. Oliver tells Francine to get her groove on, but Francine checks her watch, now 1:05 (13 minutes late), she ducks out saying she has to go to the bathroom.

Francine heads out the door and sees her bike parked against the dumpster. She looks inside the basket and sees Arthur forgot her bowling shoes. While riding to the bowling alley, she gets her dress caught up in the chain of the bike and stains her dress.

At the bowling alley, Mighty Mountain bowls a strike. The Brain tells Francine to rent a pair, but they're six sizes too big. Muffy also didn't bring Francine's bowling ball, and instead got her a much smaller one, where Francine can't even fit her fingers in. Brain tells her to just use his. She bowls a strike, however, they're still down 35 points to Mighty Mountain. Francine blames the bowling shoes, Buster goes look for some tape for the shoes. Francine panics and heads back towards the Bar Mitzvah.

Francine makes it to the family table, and they wonder where she's been. Francine lies and says she was getting fresh air and feeling queasy. Oliver feels her forehead and agrees she's a little clamming. A waiter brings her a plate of food, which she thinks is delicious, but Laverne takes the plate away because of Francine being "sick".

Back at the bowling alley, Muffy is substituting for Francine. Muffy bowls very slowly, upsetting Francine. The Brain tells her to go back to the party and come back for the final round.

Back at the party, Francine is dancing the Horra. Oliver asks about her dress. Francine lies again and tells him a waiter spilled roast beef on it. Francine is about to sit in the chair before looking at the clock and running away again "to clean her dress". Both Laverne and Oliver look to be catching on to the charade.

Back at the bowling alley, Francine finished up tapping her shoes. Muffy bowls a 7-10 split and wins Lakewood the game. Francine realizes she went all that way for nothing.

Back at the temple, the party is getting wrapped up. Laverne asks where Francine was this time, and Francine lies and tells her at the punch bowl. Oliver replies "You know, I thought it was your nose that got bigger when you told lies, but apparently, it's your bowling shoes." Francine looks down and realizes the bowling shoes were still taped to her feet and gasps that she got busted.

The next day, Francine is washing her dad's garbage truck and tells Arthur and Brain that later she has to mop the kitchen floor and clean out Nemo's litter box. Arthur replies "Harsh, I guess your parents were really upset you missed Seth's Bar Mitzvah". Francine replies that she was as well, saying the party was pretty cool in contrast to the stupid bowling tournament.

Brain tells her to cheer up because she'll be having a Bat Mitzvah in five years. Francine responds by throwing a sponge at his face.

Major

 * Francine Frensky
 * Muffy Crosswire
 * Arthur Read
 * The Brain
 * Buster Baxter

Minor

 * Laverne Frensky
 * Oliver Frensky
 * Seth

Cameo

 * Sue Ellen Armstrong
 * George Lundgren
 * Alex
 * Jenna Morgan
 * Seth's mother
 * Seth's father
 * Luke
 * Fern Walters
 * Maria Pappas
 * Brian
 * Prunella Deegan
 * 3rd Grade Female Bear
 * Mighty Mountain Bowler No. 8
 * Unknown Male Adult Dog (number 4)
 * Binky Barnes
 * Catherine Frensky
 * Bubby
 * Rabbi

Trivia

 * This episode may have taken place in September, as Buster commented in "Ants in Arthur's Pants" that the moldy sandwich in his jacket was from "that bowling tournament we won last September".

Cultural References

 * The conversation in the cafeteria lampshades a common trope in TV series: The plot “hero beats dreaded rival against all odds” is used so often, that you wonder why the rival was ever dreaded.
 * Jai Alai (the game at which Mighty Mountain actually won) is a Spanish/Latin American ballgame somewhat similar to squash.

Episode Connections

 * The events of The Big Blow-Up (beating MM at soccer) and Friday the 13th (beating MM at baseball) are brought up. The Jai Alai tournament was not featured on the show.

Production notes

 * This is Alex Hood's first episode to voice Brain.
 * First episode written by Peter Egan.

Home Video
DVD:
 * Arthur: Sleepovers, Sports and More

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