The Agent of Change

"The Agent of Change"
Season/Series:	14
Number in season:	2A
Original Airdate:	October 12, 2010 October 27, 2010 November 23, 2010 December 24, 2012
Credits
Written by:	Gentry Menzel
Storyboard by:	Gerry Capelle
Episodes
Previous "The Buster Report"	Next "D.W. Unties the Knot"
Read transcript

"The Agent of Change" is the first half of the second episode in the fourteenth season of Arthur.

Summary

Francine and Muffy are upset that there aren't plenty of decent movies with girls as the main characters. With the help of Molly, they make their own.

Plot

Francine and Muffy see a movie called "Trucks" at the movie theater, but they didn't like it, because there were hardly any female characters in it.

The Agent of Change

After leaving the movie, Francine and Muffy are still dissatisfied with "Trucks", but Binky says that he liked it, and he quotes a line he liked from it. Then Francine shows him a couple of movies with boys as main characters, such as "Donny Droid" or "Kung Fu Koala". However, Binky doesn't really see the big deal, saying how even though there are some movies for boys, there are some for girls too, and he points out that there are many princess movies for girls. Then Muffy says that even she gets tired of those type of movies. Binky then sees Molly skateboarding, and he asks her if she saw the movie "Trucks". Molly then reveals that she doesn't watch animated movies anymore, because there are no female lead characters, and the producers make the girls in movies now "doofuses". She then states that she would like to give the producers of the movie a piece of her mind. Liking the idea, Muffy and Francine agree to put their plan into action.

Later, Muffy and Francine send the producers of "Trucks" an e-mail criticizing the film, but they get an email that says to go see the movie. Molly then explains to Muffy and Francine that the producers didn't even read their email, and they don't even bother to answer questions from critics in the first place.

So Muffy and Francine decide to join forces with Molly, thus becoming the Group of Three, and they plan to make their own movie, starring Agent Double X, Molly's childhood creation. They have a creative meeting at The Sugar Bowl, but it doesn't work out so well, as Francine wants to branch out Agent Double X into a video game franchise, Muffy thinks that Agent Double X should be a glamorous spy, and Molly wants Agent Double X to be a metal rock music lover.

As they walk out, Muffy explains to Francine and Molly that she had already sent out invitations to the screening, and that the film is set to be released in a week. They are surprised by this, and they go to Molly's house, where they plan to create a short film instead of a feature. They create their storyboard and animate the film by cutting out Agent Double X's body into cardboard, connecting her joints together with pins, and using stop motion to animate her. After they finish, Molly burns the film onto a DVD and gives it a title, "The Agent of Change".

While Molly skates to the premiere at the Crosswires', she accidentally loses the DVD. Binky, however, manages to finds it right before the film is about to be screened, and Molly puts in the film. They get very positive reviews, even from Binky, and they even plan on doing a sequel. The episode then finishes.

Characters

Major

• Muffy Crosswire
• Francine Frensky
• Molly MacDonald

Minor

• Binky Barnes
• Jenna Morgan
• Sue Ellen Armstrong
• James MacDonald

Cameo

• Mary
• 3rd Grade Male Dog
• 3rd Grade Male Dog (Number 3)
• 3rd Grade Male Rabbit
• Edwin
• 3rd Grade Male Rat
• 3rd Grade Male Cat
• Mike
• Ethel
• Mrs. Bickles
• Fern Walters
• Alex
• Ed Crosswire
• Millicent Crosswire
• Oliver Frensky
• Arthur Read
• Buster Baxter
• D.W. Read

Trivia

• This is the last time the "Francine Hitting the Gong" title card appears in the U.S. version.
• Mike, from "Buster's New Friend", is seen in this episode after Binky asks if Trucks was great, only this time, he has black hair.
• In German, this episode is called "Agentin Doppel-X," which translates to "Agent Double-X."
• The name Agent Double X may be a Nod to the fact that women have two X chromosomes (unlike men who have an X chromosome and a Y chromosome).
• Moral: If you do not like the way your race, gender, etc. is portrayed in fiction, do something about it instead of complaining about it.

Cultural references

• Trucks, the movie Francine and Muffy watch, is a parody of Cars.
• Donny Droid, is a parody of the Japanese anime and movie Astro Boy.
• Another movie playing at the cinema, Kung Fu Koala, is a parody of Kung Fu Panda.
• In Molly's room, when Muffy and Francine are sleeping, there is a green Domo plush toy next to Muffy.
• The Ram Pack is a parody of The Rat Pack and Wild Hogs.

Errors

• PBS Kids' official description for this episode is "The latest animated hit in movie theaters about a boy and his truck has left Muffy and Francine disappointed." Trucks is erroneously referred to as being about "a boy and his truck."

Home Video

DVD:

• Arthur Makes a Movie (2014)

Gallery

:Main article: The Agent of Change/Gallery

References