Arthur's Faraway Friend

Summary
When Arthur hears that Buster will be away with his dad for several months, he fears it may be the end of their friendship.

Plot
The episode starts off with a fantasy sequence. Arthur as Robin Hood scales the wall of a castle in the middle of a forest. He climbs through a barred window into a jail cell. Pal's being held captive. Robin Hood Arthur scoops up his pal, Pal then makes his escape.

Not so fast—the guards rush in. All of them look like Binky, dressed like Norman soldiers. They try to trap Robin Hood Arthur lowering the portcullis, shaking fists, and chasing him. Arthur manages to escape from the castle, but the guards are hot on his heels... he needs a getaway vehicle.

Buster, as Friar Tuck, comes around the corner in a big 1930's convertible roadster. He wants Arthur to get in. Arthur still holding Pal says that there weren't convertibles in Robin Hood's time.

The scene repeats. This time Friar Buster comes around the corner in a wagon pulled by two horses. Robin Hood Arthur jumps on and the two ride off with Pal while the Binky guards shake their fists and shout at them. Robin Hood Arthur tells Friar Buster that they make a great team. Even Pal agrees, by barking.

Arthur and Buster are up in the treehouse, finishing up a book about Robin Hood. While they are satisfied with the ending, they also wish that there were more adventures for Robin Hood and Friar Tuck to go on.

The boys soon start to imagine themselves as Robin Hood and Friar Tuck, fighting off brigands from all over the place, including a few riding on hang-gliders and a few riding in on a dinosaur.

However, Arthur is soon snapped back to reality at school, when Buster tells him that he's going to stay with his dad for a while. Arthur is shocked at first, but then comes up with an idea to keep Buster from leaving: Digging a pit underneath Arthur's house.

Buster rejects that idea, saying that he actually does want to be with his father. This sends Arthur into a somewhat deep depression.

At the park, he explains his feelings about Buster leaving to Sue Ellen, who in turn, tells Arthur to consider Buster's feelings---he's losing all of his friends, and going to new places, which is very difficult for him. Arthur takes this into consideration and decides to go around Elwood City with Buster as he says goodbye to everything and everyone.

The day soon arrives, and Arthur and Buster share one last goodbye before Buster rides off with his mom. For the first few days, Arthur struggles to forget about Buster not being around anymore. That is, until one day, when Buster sends a few souvenirs, along with the pages for the next chapter of his and Arthur's book to the Read house.

Arthur soon imagines himself and Buster going on more adventures as Robin Hood and Friar Tuck. Later on, when his parents say that Buster will be back before he knows it, Arthur says that he's not in any hurry to have Buster come back, since he's having a lot of fun.

Major

 * Arthur Read
 * Buster Baxter
 * Sue Ellen Armstrong
 * Francine Frensky
 * Binky Barnes

Minor

 * D.W. Read
 * Jane Read
 * David Read
 * Paige Turner
 * Pal

Trivia

 * In Arthur and Buster's fantasy, Binky Barnes is always portrayed as the enemy.
 * When Buster waves good-bye to Binky, Binky is colored slightly darker than he usually is, or he is a different person.
 * In the previous episode Buster Hits the Books Arthur was the faster reader, but in this story, Buster is the faster one.
 * The pictures Buster sends to Arthur can be seen as a slideshow in the episode, The Ballad of Buster Baxter.
 * This marks the last major appearance of Buster in Season 2, considering the fact he makes cameo appearances in other Season 2 episodes such as Arthur and the Square Dance, Arthur the Unfunny, and Arthur the Loser but doesn't appear much. He will start making major appearances again in the Season 3 premiere Buster's Back.
 * In Arthur and Buster's own Robin Hood story, the two riding the dinosaur are Binky and a white Rattles.
 * When Arthur is playing hockey, Buster appears in a cloak it is a reference to Star Wars, when Obi-Wan Kenobi tells Luke Skywalker to use the Force.

Errors

 * When Buster said good bye to Binky, Binky's skin turned dark brown.

Home Video
DVD: VHS:
 * Arthur's Best Friends
 * Arthur's Best Friends

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