Buster Makes the Grade (episode)

"Buster Makes the Grade" is the second part of the seventh episode of season one of the animated children's series "Arthur". It originally aired on October 21st, 1996.

Plot

Buster is lazy and never studies or does his homework. Mr. Ratburn warns him if he doesn't get a B on the test, he will not be able to join his friends in the fourth grade.

Trivia

References

• The book Arthur was reading to Buster while sitting by the tree near the baseball park was Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Goofs

• An elementary school would never accept a teenager or anyone older for a student, so it's strange why Buster would have a nightmare about repeating the third grade 33 times and being 41.

• In the scene where Arthur comes over to help Buster with studying, the cup full of school supplies was on Buster's desk for most of the scene; but when Buster stands up from his desk after Arthur told him he barely read a chapter, the cup of supplies is gone.

• When Francine and Muffy teach Buster to divide three candies evenly among three people, they're saying that Buster is wrong, but they're not right, either. Diving twenty into three would be a mixed number: six and two-thirds.

• Binky roping Buster against a tree would promote health abuse.

• When Buster solves the problem 17 X 17 = 289, it was correct and Francine and Muffy clapped for him; but then he jokes and says it was nothing and then the girls scold at him.

• It's strange why the Brain wouldn't help Buster, for he's very intelligent and loves to help his friends on their schoolwork.

• In Buster's second imagination about getting held back several times, when he goes into the principal's office where Arthur is the headmaster there and then Buster pushes Arthur after being told to go to preschool instead of fourth grade, Arthur's eyes were tiny black dots when his glasses came off; but Arthur's eyes weren't supposed to change until the second season.

• Fourth graders Steve (rabbit) and Billy (bear) are seen coming to the front door to Buster's to offer him to play baseball with them and Buster declines; but Arthur and his friends (except for Binky) aren't friends with the fourth graders except for Prunella.

• When Mr. Ratburn announces to the class that he graded the math tests from last week, Billy is seen in the class where Arthur and his friends are in now; but Billy was in Mr. Ratburn's class the previous school year and should be in the fourth grade class.

Quotes

Buster: Then Mr. Ratburn said I had to get a B on the test next week or else.... (in Mr. Ratburn's words) You won't have the pleasure of joining your friends in the fourth grade!

Francine: What? That's terrible, Buster!
Arthur: How can we possibly go to the fourth grade without you?

Buster: Well, how am I ever going to get a B? I can barely name the 30 states of America.

Muffy: Buster, there are 50 states!
Buster: See how dumb I am? Oh, it's hopeless!