Crime and Consequences

"Crime and Consequences"
Season/Series:	17
Number in season:	8b
Original Airdate:	May 12, 2014 November 13, 2013 April 30, 2013
Credits
Written by:	Peter K. Hirsch
Storyboard by:	Gerry Capelle
Episodes
Previous "The Director's Cut"	Next "Caught in the Crosswires"
Read transcript

"Crime and Consequences" is the second half of the eighth episode in the seventeenth season of Arthur.

Summary

When George accidentally breaks the class's prize woodworking project, Binky gets unfairly blamed. Will George come clean to Principal Haney? Or will he let Binky take the fall?

Plot

In Mr. Ratburn's class, Mr. Haney is presenting the 'George Lundgren Award' for the nicest kid. George wins the award, and during his acceptance speech, the police enter the classroom, and arrest George on the charge of "being mean". To the shock of the entire classroom, George admits that he has been mean. George then wakes up, and Wally reassures him that it was just a bad dream.

Crime and Consequences

After the title card, Arthur, Buster, Muffy, George, and Binky are admiring the wooden ferris wheel they created in woodworking class, but Binky is not as impressed as the rest of the group, and he calls the project "just a bunch of toothpicks", and notes that because he gave away a toothpick that was originally in his sandwich, he lost a tomato. The group then leaves the room, but George returns shortly to retrieve Wally. While showing the ferris wheel to Wally, George accidentally rolls the ferris wheel off the table, breaking it. A piece of fabric from Wally's suit also is torn off and stuck onto part of the table.

A little while later, George is seen at his locker, and notices that a piece of Wally's suit is missing. The rest of the group notifies George that Binky is being punished for breaking the ferris wheel. George then runs to Mr. Haney's office, where he attempts to confess, but the conversation is abruptly ended when Mr. Haney realises that he is late for a bake sale meeting. 

At lunch in the cafeteria, George eats with Binky. Binky tells him that he didn’t break the ferris wheel, and George believes him. Binky tells George that he had found it already broken, and George asks him why a lot of people think he’s responsible. Binky tells him that he was cleaning his teeth with a toothpick over the broken project, when the woodworking class teacher came in. George then offers to help Binky with his punishment, which is to clean the woodworking classroom for a week. 

While cleaning the classroom later on, Binky notices a piece of green fabric (from Wally). Later, in Buster's bedroom, Binky accuses Buster of breaking the ferris wheel, using the piece of fabric as 'evidence'. Even though he is innocent, Buster confesses. George immediately clears Buster, pointing out that the shade of green of Buster's shirt is not the same as the fabric. Still, George clearing Buster so quickly raises some suspicion from Binky. 

After George and Binky leave Buster's condo, Fern appears, dressed up and speaking as Detective Virgule Watteau. They decide to go to Fern's house, where she inspects the fabric closely, and claims that it is cheap and was done by an amateur. This provokes George into defending himself, and he unwittingly says the fabric is from a suit, raising more suspicion from Binky.

Later that night at George's house, George talks to Wally, and decides to confess to Binky in the morning, even though he is afraid that Binky might twist him into a pretzel.

The next day, Binky and George go to the Fair to meet up with Fern. While waiting for Fern, Mr. Haney mistakenly believes that Binky and George are waiting for an adult in order to ride the Ferris Wheel, and he takes the boys onto the ride.

While on the Ferris Wheel, George can no longer bear it, and he confesses to Mr. Haney and Binky that he broke the Ferris Wheel. Binky interjects, claiming that George broke "his streak of not riding in Ferris Wheels" instead.

After the ride, Binky reveals to George that he had figured out the previous night who broke the Ferris Wheel: George. He figured this out when he realized who the green fabric belonged to: Wally. George then says that he is sorry to Binky, who forgives him. When Fern finally arrives, still acting like Detective Virgule Watteau, she claims that Mr. Haney was the one who broke the ferris wheel. Binky then says, "Who cares?" to Fern, and he and George decide to enjoy themselves at the fair. The episode then finishes.

Characters

Major

• George Lundgren
• Wally
• Binky Barnes
• Fern Walters
• Francis Haney

Minor

• Muffy Crosswire
• Arthur Read
• Buster Baxter
• Policeman
• Caroline
• Mr. Bevel

Cameo

• Francine Frensky
• The Brain
• Jenna Morgan
• Alex
• Maria Pappas
• Sue Ellen Armstrong
• John
• Oliver Frensky
• Steve
• Lisa
• Molly MacDonald
• Rattles
• Ladonna Compson
• James MacDonald
• 3rd Grade Male Rat
• Sarah
• Amanda Hulser
• Alfonz
• Slink
• Emily
• Carl's mother
• Mr. Marco
• Liam
• Madison Compson
• Prunella Deegan
• D.W. Read
• Otis
• Unknown Female Adult Bear (Number 3)
• Mr. Armstrong
• Unknown Male Adult Bear (Number 4)

Trivia

• Francis Haney says that you need an adult on the Ferris Wheel but Jenna Prunella Francine and Muffy go on it without an adult.
  • Its possible that only happen to kids under 4.
• D.W. can be seen walking by Binky and George after they ride the Ferris Wheel.
• Moral: It’s better to admit wrongdoings than let someone else take the blame.

Cultural references

• The title for this episode could be a reference to the novel Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Gallery

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