When Carl Met George

Summary
George is excited about spending time with his new friend, Carl, who seems to understand all kind of cool facts about trains and about... well, lots of things! Then George learns that Carl has Asperger's Syndrome - a form of autism that makes Carl see the world differently than most people. Can George and Carl remain good friends - and perhaps even learn from each other?

Plot
The intro starts with George drawing a lion. Carl tells him that lions used to live around the world. He also tells George that he hates brown. George says that one of the reasons he likes Carl is that he is really honest, and is an amazing artist. George then shows the viewers a picture of a train that Carl drew by himself. Carl explains that it is a steam locomotive nonstop. George then says once you get him talking about trains, it can be hard for him to stop. George then plans to tell the story of how he met his friend Carl, who has Asperger's Syndrome.

After the title card, George is sent by his dad to get more glue. At one of the classrooms, he meets Carl. At first, George didn't understand about Carl's disorder, and George thought something was strange because he didn't understand if Carl liked him or not. Later, George goes to visit Carl again and shows his blue backpack and his dummy Wally. Carl is unexpectedly terrified of Wally, which causes him to panic. It is then revealed by Carl's mother that he has Asperger's Syndrome.

George later goes to Brain for advice on what Asperger's Syndrome is, and Brain tells him all about it in the form of imagination. George then understands what Carl is going through, and chooses to bring him a book about trains (Carl loves trains). George also gives Carl the puzzle piece that accidentally fell into his pocket the first time they met.

We return to George in his bedroom, with Carl sitting at his table (just like he was at the beginning of the episode) still going on about his train picture. He asks Carl if he wants to get juice in a box, not a bottle. He agrees to it, and then he says to the viewers "It was nice to meet you" and George explains how he taught Carl to say that, and how Carl taught George to understand his behavior by speaking quietly, be clear, and not to take it personally if he ignores him. He also says that maybe Carl might teach him to draw a better lion.

Major

 * George Lundgren
 * Carl Gould (debut)
 * Mrs. Gould (debut)
 * Wally

Minor

 * Arthur Read (George's fantasy)
 * Brain
 * Keith Powers (debut)
 * Francine Frensky (George's fantasy)
 * Neal Lundgren

Cameo

 * James MacDonald
 * Maria Pappas
 * Unknown Female Rabbit (Number 8)
 * Kenny
 * Billy
 * 3rd Grade Male Cat
 * 4th Grade Female Aardvark
 * David Read
 * Kate Read
 * Unknown Female Rabbit (Number 5)
 * Little Boy

Trivia

 * This is the first episode since "Arthur and the Real Mr. Ratburn" to have two title cards.
 * Arthur is absent from this episode himself except the title card and in George's fantasy.
 * The title card is in 16:9 wide-screen this is rare for season 1-13 outside the US to have this.

Cultural references

 * This episode's title, "When Carl Met George," is a reference to the film.
 * Carl often states that he likes to have his apple juice "in a box, not a bottle." Not only is this one of Carl's quirks of his Aspergers' Syndrome, it is also a partial reference to James Bond's preference for vodka martinis: "Shaken, not stirred."

Production notes

 * This episode has an alternate title, "George and the Missing Puzzle Piece". On Amazon, On Demand, iTunes, and Netflix, "When Carl Met George" is still used.