The Great MacGrady (Season 13 episode)

The Great MacGrady is the first episode of Season 13. It first aired on October 19th, 2009. It is a half an hour special. This episode deals with a close friend or family member getting cancer.

Summary
Mrs. MacGrady is diagnosed with cancer and the children react differently. Arthur and D.W. rush to her support, Francine is scared, and Muffy is initially unaware of cancer's symptoms, but jumps to action when she realizes how to help. Lance Armstrong guest stars for the second time in the series.

Plot
Everyone loves Mrs. MacGrady, the school's cook for the cafeteria. One day, she doesn't show up for school, and her nephew is substitute lunch person, but he is not a good cook. After a week without Mrs. MacGrady, Mr. Ratburn announces that she won't be returning for a while, because she has cancer. Later that day, Francine and Muffy are at the Milcreek Mall looking for a birthday present for Muffy's father Ed Crosswire. While looking at ties, Muffy asks Francine which tie she should get her dad, but Francine ignores Muffy, and sadly sits in a chair. Muffy asks why Francine is being like that. Francine says she doesn't feel like shopping as she's still thinking about Mrs. McGrady having cancer, and informs Muffy that some people don't recover from the illness as her grandfather died from cancer.

Francine returns home, feeling too scared to go visit Mrs. MacGrady. Meanwhile, Arthur and D.W. make a house visit to Mrs. MacGrady, and bring her a stuffed animal and some soup. D.W. asks why Mrs. MacGrady why she has a bandanna over her head. Mrs. MacGrady tells her it's a scarf, and due to treatment, she has no hair, and must keep a special scarf on her head. She also assures a worried D.W. that cancer is not contagious. Arthur and D.W. stop by everyday and bring too much stuff for Mrs. MacGrady.

On her father's birthday, Muffy gives him a card and tie. She tells him it would've been from Francine too, but she was too sad to help. Mr. Crosswire tells Muffy that Francine is just upset due to Mrs. MacGrady's illness. He also tells her that maybe she should go help Mrs. MacGrady around the house and bring her fruit. When Muffy arrives at Mrs. MacGrady's house, she notices Arthur and D.W. are there and they tell her Mrs. MacGrady is at her treatments, and they are just dropping off a few things. Muffy tells them that they are giving Mrs. MacGrady too many things.

D.W. says that they're just trying to help. Muffy tells them that there is a different way they can help. The three clean Mrs. MacGrady's house and dishes. By the time they finish, Mrs. MacGrady comes home, thanks them, and introduces them to her sister. Francine, still too scared to visit Mrs. MacGrady emails Lance Armstrong which was Binky's idea. Lance Armstrong and Francine ride bikes and talk about how people are looking for a cure to cancer.

After that, Francine and everyone have a bike race to help save money for research of cancer. Francine rides her bike really fast, down the race track, to the finish line, where Mrs. MacGrady is waiting for her. Francine apologizes for not coming to see her, and Mrs. MacGrady accepts her apology, has Francine wash her hands, and gives her a big hug. A week later at school, the lunch is still unpleasant to the children, even Buster complains. Mrs. MacGrady shows up and announces she still has cancer, but she's still getting treatment and feels better enough to return to work.

Trivia

 * D.W. is wearing a surgical mask in this episode. Her brother Arthur wore one in "My Dad, a Garbage Man," and "Hic or Treat," and "Vomitrocious!" and her father wore one in "Operation D.W."
 * This the second TV show that focesed on cancer; the first was a Charlie Brown special called "Why Charlie Brown Why" both are similar because Francine has feelings for Mrs.MacGrady just like Linus has feelings for Janice.

Goofs

 * In the soccer game, Francine was goalie, although she is the star forward of the team.
 * When D.W. is shoving the supposedly stuffed polar bear toy, Chilly Billy, through the doorway and drops him on the floor, he winces and closes his eyes as though he were alive.