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So Long, Spanky
| "So Long, Spanky" | |
|---|---|
  | |
| Season/Series: | 1 |
| Number in season: | 13a |
| Original Airdate: |  October 23, 1996[1] December 28, 2001[2] |
| Credits | |
| Written by: | Peter Hirsch |
| Storyboard by: | Jean Lajeunesse |
| Episodes | |
| Previous "Arthur's Lost Dog" |
Next "Buster's New Friend" |
| Read transcript | |
"So Long, Spanky" is the first half of the thirteenth episode in the first season of Arthur.
Summary[edit]
D.W. suffers through the death of her beloved bird, then has to decide whether to risk her heart again by adopting a lonely toad.
Plot[edit]
The episode begins with Arthur quietly introducing D.W.'s pet bird, Spanky who is sleeping. Arthur also reveals Spanky's past as a pet of D.W., from meeting him at the pet shop (where Spanky bites Arthur's finger), to taking Arthur's shoelace (in which Arthur would wish Spanky would go south for the winter and stay there). Though, Arthur does feel sorry for him at times (especially when D.W. dresses him up). Arthur also admits that he 'sorta' likes him, when his beak is closed of course, and when he is not making any annoying sounds.
After the title card, the next scene starts off with a nest of baby birds chirping, then shifts to a sickly Spanky looking out the window. D.W., seeing this, decides to get Spanky a nice cup of tea. While she is gone, Spanky passes away unexpectedly. When D.W. sees this, she doesn't know what has happened.
D.W. takes Spanky to her dad, who is cooking pastries. D.W.'s dad decides that Spanky has passed away. D.W., not knowing what dead means, asks when Spanky will stop being dead. Arthur enters, asking both of them if something has died. D.W. replies to him that Spanky is sleeping and won't wake up, and asks if Spanky will ever wake up.
Her dad tells her that he won't wake up, but suggests that they can give him a nice funeral. The scene cuts to Spanky's funeral, with the Read family remembering the times with Spanky. After this, D.W. tells the rest of the family that she would like to spend some time with Spanky, but Arthur hides behind a tree, watching D.W. take a can and put the flowers the Read family put on Spanky's grave. Though, the can shakes, making D.W. very angry towards the toad who was hiding in the can.
D.W. then gets the toad to leave, but Arthur introduces him to a number of pet animals at the pet store, ranging from birds (who look like Spanky) to a parrot (who D.W. says speaks good English). D.W. returns to the grave of Spanky with more flowers. She told him that some of the birds were cute, but not as cute as Spanky and not even the parrot but she said that its English was good. Before she can put the flowers in the can, it encounters the same toad who inhabits the can. She encounters the toad many more times, including school, where the toad scares the kids and Ms. Morgan. Coming home from school, the toad saves D.W.'s purse when it falls into the storm drain, but instead gets scolded instead of praise because she thought it was stealing it.
The same toad enters D.W.'s room, eventually wrecking her room until D.W. cannot find him. She then goes to sleep, saying that there will be trouble the next morning. Though the next morning, D.W. cannot find the toad, eventually figuring out that the toad must be in the washing machine, prompting her to cry. Then, Toady (as D.W. calls it) enters the room, making D.W. chase him throughout the house, where the toad jumps out the living room window, and runs toward a neighbor mowing his lawn with a lawn mower. D.W. stops the lawn mower, and begs her parents to keep the toad as a pet. They agree, only to go to the library to see how to take care of a pet. Toady then eats a fly, much to Mrs. Read's disgust. The episode finishes with Toady smiling in D.W.'s hands.
Characters[edit]
- D.W. Read
- Spanky (debut)
- Toady (debut)
- Arthur Read
- David Read
- Jane Read
- Kate Read
- Ms. Morgan
- Kyle
- Billy and Bobby Bittles
- Maryann
- Mr. Sipple (debut)
- Jack Weasel (debut)
- 3rd Grade Male Rabbit (cameo)
- 3rd Grade Female Cat (Number 2) (cameo)
- Mary (cameo)
- 3rd Grade Female Aardvark (cameo)
- Tommy Tibble (cameo)
- Amanda Hulser (cameo)
- Edwin (cameo)
- Emily (cameo)
- Buster Baxter (mentioned)
- Bionic Bunny (mentioned)
Trivia[edit]
- Toady is initially adopted as D.W.'s pet toad in this episode, but is no longer a pet in the following episodes. However, he is still seen in the title card D.W. Chases the Toad. Toady is referred to as a male in this episode, but in his later appearance in "The Great Sock Mystery," where she lives in the Read family's yard, she is revealed to be a female.
- This episode is where Maryann and Amanda's names are revealed.
- The Loud House also handled the subject of death in this episode
- Rugrats also handled the subject of death in "I Remember Melville"
- Although the title is not read on BBC Kids' The Spot, Francine says the title when it airs on PBS Kids on the VHS and DVD releases.
- D.W. says "wait, come back" from the "chase Toady" title card.
- Timeline: Spanky's death is mentioned again in "Sick as a Dog."
- Moral: It's okay to be upset over your pet passing away.
Episode connections[edit]
- Spanky reappears in "I'd Rather Read It Myself" as a bald eagle in D.W.'s story.
Errors[edit]
- The door frames on the doors that go between the hallway and D.W. and Kate's room and for the closet in their room are brown; although in other episodes, they are white.
- After Jane starts the washing machine, the washing machine tumbles; but washing machines actually tumble when they're on the spin cycle where the water drains out.
- When D.W. tears her room apart in an effort to get Toady to leave, Kate is not seen. It is possible that David and Jane decided to keep her in their room to give D.W. space in her grieving or if she got sick whereas she was seen at Spanky's funeral.
- When D.W. picks Toady up at the end, her sleeves are white like her regular dress, even though she's in her pink pajamas.
- When a bunch of kids stampede in the pet store, D.W. is heard saying "woah," even though she is suddenly on-screen and her mouth is not moving.
Home Video[edit]
VHS:
DVD:
Gallery[edit]
Sources[edit]
