User blog:Scrooge200/Season 4 Review

Will there finally be a season without any Vomitrocious episodes? As Season 3 showed, probably not. Maybe Season 4 will be a nice surprice.

I will rate each episode on a scale from Vomitrocious, Bad, Okay, Good, Great. At the end of my review, I'll count up how many of each rating there are in the season, and give it a rating as a whole, alongside ranking every episode in the season from best to worst.

D.W.'s Library Card
D.W.'s voice sounds strange. Her new voice actor doesn't do a very good performance here. Arthur goes from being mean to nice and back again, and I think I don't like him here. What I do like is that this episode goes into some of the realistic problems about libraries and that they aren't these perfect godsends that the show often makes them out to be; you have to return your books on time, sometimes a book you want won't be there, the books aren't always in perfect condition... I like the first half of this episode more than the second, but I do still enjoy it as a whole. I'd say it's good.

Arthur's Big Hit
I know this is what you've been waiting for, so let's get this over with first.

I TOLD YOU NOT TO TOUCH IT!

Now for the actual review. Arthur is rude to D.W. before she even does anything, and I don't think D.W. deserved to be punched. Arthur tries to justify his action for the rest of the episode, even though nobody else thinks he was right, which makes sense because he wasn't. Binky trying to avoid Arthur adds some comedy to the episode, and although it feels kind of out-of-place, I did find it funny. Binky punches Arthur and he proceeds to learn his lesson. I don't understand why nobody likes this episode; it makes sense to me. Okay it is.

Hide and Snake
This is a very stressful episode. The thought of having a venemous snake in my house is not a pleasant one. This is a dull, humorless, and just uncomfortable episode. I'm not going to call it bad, because the tension is done well, so I'll give it an okay.

Muffy's New Best Friend
I can't decide if this if better than "Sue Ellen's Little Sister" or not, because they're pretty much the same. Replace Sue Ellen with Muffy and you get this episode. It's weird how Arthur doesn't really appear in this episode; I expected him to have been one of the people Muffy quizzes. Overall, a very average and forgettable episode. I'm not a fan of Jenna. Okay.

Buster's Breathless
This is the first "serious topic" episode, something that Arthur would become known for. Can you think of another kids show that explains asthma, Alzheimer's, autism, and allergies? It's amazing how well Arthur can explain these issues in an easy to understand way. I liked this episode as a kid because it taught me what asthma was, and the visualization did help a lot.

This episode is both educational and funny. It's one of those episodes where everyone starts treating someone differently, but this time, it's much better because Arthur and Francine are actually trying to help Buster, even if they go overboard with it. Binky is just in this episode to add humor, but it works because what he says is all really memorable and funny: him calling Buster's inhaler a kazoo, saying that he has "plasma," and complaining about the word "asthma" being hard to spell. I enjoy the scene near the end where it shows what an asthma attack looks like, and how it's caused. This is a great episode. The only thing I don't like is Buster drinking D.W.'s milkshake, but that's a minor complaint.

The Fright Stuff
This is a confusing episode. I don't even get what the plot is supposed to be. It's a boys vs. girls thing, and there's a haunted mansion, and there's a real ghost, and how does this make any sense? And George talking to the ghost girl... what? I don't get this episode. It certainly feels Halloween-y, but that's all I can get from it. Okay.

The Contest
Wow, another great already? I love this episode. The stories are visually interesting, and it amazes me that the animators were able to replicate the style of everything so well. They're really funny, too; one of my favorite jokes is Arthur wrestling United Press International. There are even some meta jokes near the beginning, and the ending where the characters explain who came up with the stories. I kind of wonder when this contest was and how people got to submit their ideas.

Prove It
I don't like Arthur here. I kind of like how D.W. wins in the end, but I know this is an episode that a lot of people hate. Overall, I'll give this a low okay and I don't have much to say about it.

The Blizzard
This may be the most mediocre season of the show. Case in point: "The Blizzard." This is another episode where nothing goes right, but it's more dramatic this time. Doesn't stop them from throwing in a cheap comedy subplot that isn't funny, though. I guess I like that everyone manages to get through the blizzard by working together, and there are parallels between the pioneers and Francine's situation. The ending is especially good, showing why D.W.'s snowball is so special to her. Eh, this is still an okay episode at best.

The Rat Who Came to Dinner
So here's an episode that's half good, half... not so good. Arthur's friends insulting him does not need to be a part of this plot. The entire second half feels out of place. I don't like the resolution, where Mr. Ratburn says that he'll be staying at Arthur's friends' houses, and they all start asking him how he got through it. They get no punishment because Mr. Ratburn was just joking, and Arthur doesn't call them out for anything. If it hadn't been for this terrible conflict, this episode would've been a good, but it knocks it down to an okay.

D.W. Tale Spins
I do not like the first part of this episode. It's just Arthur being rude. D.W. talking to Grandma Thora is fine, and then D.W. tells her own story, which is just a rip-off of the Greek Odyssey. On one hand, I'm impressed that they kept the story almost entirely the same, but the animation is also off-putting and gets a little tiring to look at after a while. Arthur and Buster end up enjoying the story, even though I didn't really, so that's another win for D.W. An okay episode.

Prunella Gets it Twice
I didn't think I would like this episode much, but I ended up enjoying it. Prunella and the Ghost of Presents Past deliver funny commentary on all the dream sequences and the rather mundane plot, but they make it interesting enough to not bore me. The Ghost of Lunch Tomorrow is great for the three times he shows up. The ending is kinda cheesy, but I like how Francine puts a picture of her cat in the Polly Locket doll instead of Prunella's picture. A good episode, and a nice break from the string of okays we've got.

Binky Barnes, Wingman
I think the idea of "bug week" is kind of ridiculous; Elwood City must have some strange holidays if it has a strawberry festival and a bug week. The scenes of the reports in the classroom aren't very interesting, but I did like that we get to see everyone else working on their projects. Thankfully, this episode doesn't go the "Arthur Goes Crosswire" route and dedicate two episodes to the same assignment. Binky's butterfly-catching obsession is interesting and has some nice visuals, particularly when all the butterflies are flying around in his tent. This episode gets kind of creepy, too, with Binky and the blue butterfly and the scene of the dead butterflies in the museum. This is a good episode, and I'm pretty glad that we don't have any bad episodes yet. You gotta fly, butterfly, fly!

To Beat or Not to Beat
Well, now Arthur, Buster, Brain, and Muffy want to tell Francine that her singing is bad because they don't want her to be embarrassed. This is much better than, say, "Arthur and the True Francine"! Season 1 Arthur and Buster would not hesitate to tell Francine she sucks at singing. Francine's singing is genuinely bad, unlike "Duet for Drums and Tuba," but it is also annoying for me, the viewer, to listen to. Her singing at the end, which everyone else says is good, isn't the best either. An okay episode with no obvious flaws, but nothing that makes me want to watch it again.

1001 Dads
This is a stupid and cringeworthy episode. I like the subject of Buster's parents being divorced, but this episode spends more time on cheap comedy that isn't funny at all. It's annoying that nobody will believe Buster that he has plans, even after he nicely explains to Arthur that he isn't sad about the picnic. This is close to a bad episode, but I'll give it an okay.

Prunella's Prediction
I like this episode's intro, with Arthur rhyming and it being set in a house of scarily bad clothing and outfits. And this connects to both Arthur and Prunella's parts of the plot. Arthur has to wear a ridiculous coat while Prunella doesn't get the pants she was expecting. The pacing between the two plots is done well, and there are some funny jokes to go with it, too. A good episode.

What is that Thing?
I like how every problem is established early in the episode and how it's all fixed with the bobbin. I didn't know what the object was supposed to be when I first saw this episode as a kid. The puppet show scene is funny. This is a low good episode; it used to be one of my favorites, but now I think it's just good.

Buster's Best Behavior
Jane and David overreact when D.W. asks if Buster can switch places with Arthur and live with them. Besides that, this is a completely unremarkable episode. We see pretty much the same thing earlier in "Buster's New Friend" and "Arthur Goes Crosswire" and "Popular Girls" and "Buster's Growing Grudge" (this episode's intro is almost identical to Growing Grudge's) and later in "George Blows His Top" and "Fern's Flights of Fancy." As you can tell, it's not the most original plot. And why would they keep recycling it if it isn't any good? It's not like this episode does anything particularly interesting or funny. I don't dislike this episode enough to give it a bad rating, so it gets a low okay. We've gone this far into the season without any bad episodes, so will the final pairing make this the best season yet?

My Music Rules
Hey, two guest stars in one episode. This is a pleasant episode, and we get to hear a lot of good music. I enjoyed all the songs that were played. Arthur's insistence that classical music is boring is kind of annoying, since it reminds me of his hatred of cats in "Francine and the Feline." I like the ending to this episode, even though it is a little long. There are unique dedication cards in this episode, which I don't think the show ever does again. I don't know whether to give this episode a high okay or a low good, but for now, I'd call it good.

That's a Baby Show!
I don't like Arthur and how he treats D.W. in this episode. This episode's plot goes nowhere; first he's rude to D.W., then he keeps missing Dark Bunny to watch Love Ducks, and within the last three minutes, his friends start mocking him. It's really annoying, because it says "Hey, you can't enjoy this stuff anymore! Stop watching children's programming, you're too old to watch PBS Kids!"

Isn't this kind of contradictory? I mean, I still watch Arthur. I think this is one of these non-issues that nobody really cares about anymore. I told some of my classmates I watch SpongeBob and did people start making fun of me? No, they didn't. People don't think you're too old for a show or anything. Don't they make this stuff so everyone can watch it?

This is the one bad episode of the season. I've been tolerant with some of the sub-par episodes, but I think this one deserves a bad rating.

Season Notes

 * Both Prunella episodes this season are good.
 * The color palettes in this season are washed out and drab. It's particularly noticeable in "Buster's Best Behavior."

Rating Counts

 * Great: 2
 * Good: 6
 * Okay: 11
 * Bad: 1
 * Vomitrocious: 0

Season Ranking

 * 1) The Contest
 * 2) Buster's Breathless


 * 1) Prunella's Prediction
 * 2) Binky Barnes, Wingman
 * 3) Prunella Gets it Twice
 * 4) D.W.'s Library Card
 * 5) What is that Thing?
 * 6) My Music Rules


 * 1) Muffy's New Best Friend
 * 2) The Blizzard
 * 3) Arthur's Big Hit
 * 4) To Beat or Not to Beat
 * 5) The Fright Stuff
 * 6) The Rat Who Came to Dinner
 * 7) Prove It
 * 8) D.W. Tale Spins
 * 9) Buster's Best Behavior
 * 10) Hide and Snake
 * 11) 1001 Dads


 * 1) That's a Baby Show!

Final Thoughts
Well, here's the end of our first 20-episode season. And it's the best one yet. There are a lot of good episodes this season, making up more than 25% of the season. And two great episodes? That's amazing! For the first time, there are no vomitrocious episodes, and this season would've been entirely okay or better had it not been for "That's a Baby Show!"

This season is mainly okay episodes, which I rated because I was conflicted on how to feel about them or I found them just unremarkable. This is the most mediocre season so far, but hey, it shows that Arthur is indeed getting better.

My review continues with Season 5!