The Last Tough Customer

Summary
The Tough Customers realize it's time to quit bullying, but can Molly ever truly change her ways?

Plot
A little red-haired girl is playing in the sandbox at the playground when two big kids come up to her and call her “Muffin Head” because she ties her hair in a bun. After a little more name-calling, the older boy stomps on the girl's sand castle and the bullies walk away. Another kid runs to the girl and asks if she is okay, but she yells for him to get lost. She unties her hair, climbs up the jungle gym, and begins to cry. The girl turns out to be Molly.

The Last Tough Customer Binky tries to swipe Fern's pudding, but Mrs. MacGrady tells Binky to get his own (since they're free). Rattles calls Arthur names, but he and Buster grow bored and tell him to come back with new material. Slink threatens to throw a water balloon at George, but he uses reverse psychology and tricks Slink into hitting himself with the water balloon.

At the Ice Cream Shoppe, the Tough Customers eat frozen treats while they discuss their plans. Realizing that bullying isn't working anymore, they agree to re-brand and make a new image for themselves.

They start exercising at the park, calling themselves the “Buff Customers.” After George laughs at Rattles for being unable to break a stick, Molly tells him he looks like a coat rack and that he can't read. George runs away, crying, and even Binky admits Molly was a bit harsh.

Realizing they need professional help, they seek Muffy, who immediately requires that she receives 75% of any profits the new, re-branded Tough Customers will make. Failing to find the right outfits at Care to Ware, Muffy has Bailey custom tailor them at home. They have a photo-shoot in the Crosswire Mansion's library, and use the picture on a poster.

Outside the Ice Cream Shoppe, “MCTC” (“Muffy Crosswire's Tough Customers”) perform a song, except for Molly. Afterwards, Molly throws her costume on the ground and tells Muffy that she wants the old club back. Pushing Muffy out of her way, Molly walks away with James as Slink thinks of a new idea.

At the library, the “Shush Customers” demonstrate for Ms. Turner what they plan to do: shush anyone who makes too much noise in the library. However, they go overboard and shush anyone who even turns a page too loudly. They even do this in the story area, where talking is allowed. Molly tells them their idea was even worse than Muffy's. She tells Binky the reason she's so stuck on bullying is because she wants respect. Molly then leaves with James, calling the other Tough Customers “losers” on her way out.

In the playground once again, James tells Molly he wants a drink of water. He pushes Amanda out of the way and calls her a loser. Shocked at James' behaviour, Molly demands he explain himself. He says he's just doing what he sees her do, leaving Molly even more shocked. Molly tries to apologize to Amanda, but she angrily scowls back, climbs the jungle gym, and begins to cry just like Molly did all those years ago. Molly tells James to apologize, and he agrees, so long as she apologizes to all those she had bullied.

Molly writes letters to George (and Wally), Muffy, and Binky explaining that she now wants to not just be respected, but liked. The Tough Customers reunite outside a Chickin Lickin'. Calling themselves the “Tough Consumers,” they lecture a customer about how unhealthy and overpriced the food is, and how the fast food restaurant underpays its workers.

Major characters

 * The Tough Customers
 * Binky
 * Molly
 * Rattles
 * Slink

Minor characters

 * Arthur
 * The Brain
 * Bully  (flashback)
 * Bully  (flashback)
 * Buster
 * George
 * Wally
 * James
 * Muffy
 * Mrs. MacGrady
 * Otis (flashback)

Background characters

 * Alex
 * Amanda
 * Bailey
 * D.W.
 * Emily
 * Fern
 * Francine
 * Jack Weasel
 * Jenna
 * Liam
 * Maria
 * Miss Morgan
 * Nancy
 * Paige Turner
 * Sara
 * Sue Ellen
 * Squirrel
 * Unknown Female Adult Cat
 * Unknown Male Adult Bear (Number 4)
 * Unknown Male Dog

Mentioned characters

 * Rattles's father

Songs

 * ”Muffy Crosswire's 4 Open Hearts Tough Customers”

Trivia

 * This is Mrs. MacGrady's first 9 Story Entertainment appearance.
 * In the Four Open Heart's song, they say "...a preteen's dream!". But, technically, preteens are ages 10-12, not 8 and 9 year-olds.

Cultural references

 * Muffy dresses the Tough Customers in costumes like The Beatles' from their album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Binky dressed in sky blue as Paul McCartney, Rattles dressed in rose red as George Harrison, Slink dressed in hot pink as Ringo Starr, and Molly dressed in light green as John Lennon.
 * One pose during the photo shoot resembles a scene from the Queen song "Bohemian Rhapsody."

Episode connections

 * The bullies teasing Molly for her hair is like the Tibbles and D.W. in "D.W., Queen of the Comeback".
 * Muffy dresses the Tough Customers in Sgt. Pepper outfits like she imagined with the Backstreet Boys in Arthur, It's Only Rock 'n' Roll.
 * The Tough Customers meet somewhere other than the Tower of Pain to hold a meeting for change, like they did in “The Law of the Jungle Gym.”
 * Like at the end of “Arthur's Big Hit,” Binky decides to rebuild the club with a new goal. Instead of merely not hitting anyone like last time, Binky plans to stop their bullying altogether.

Errors

 * Mary Ann can be seen in Molly's flashback.

Production notes

 * The song in this episode was recorded on January 25, 2012.

Storyline analysis

 * The hat Ladonna buys from Care to Ware in "Based on a True Story" is still in the store's window, so, this episode takes place before "Based on a True Story".

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