The Trouble with Trophies

"The Trouble with Trophies"
Season/Series:	15
Number in season:	10b
Original Airdate:	May 25, 2012; November 25, 2010; October 6, 2010; December 25, 2012;
	Credits
Written by:	Cusi Cram
Storyboard by:	Louis Piché; Guy Lamoureux
	Episodes
Previous; "The Butler Did... What?"	Next; "Based on a True Story"
	Read transcript

"The Trouble with Trophies" is the second half of the tenth episode in the fifteenth season of Arthur.

Summary[edit]

Muffy wants Fern to admit she wants a trophy after George wins a class award for most improved student.

Plot[edit]

The episode opens in Mr. Ratburn's classroom where George won a Thinky award. Later, in the cafeteria, Fern told Muffy she doesn't care about winning trophies and that they are pieces of metal and leaves. At her mansion, Muffy suggests that Fern can have a trophy.

At the Sugar Bowl, Fern was working on a story about Annabelle Fauteuil when Muffy and George presented her a Socky award with Buster on the tuba, but Fern doesn't want one. Then Binky shows up and gets the Socky for having good socks.

At the tree house, Muffy, Buster, and George chose to play Poet Tree. Fern lost the game, but Binky won a feather-like trophy. But then, Binky started rhyming again, much to his horror.

At home, Fern was continuing her story when Muffy rang the doorbell and Fern was given the Meanie award. Fern felt upset. Then, she had an idea for how to end her Annabelle Fauteuil story.

Meanwhile, Muffy was boxing her trophies when Fern arrived. Muffy admitted to Fern being right, and also said her World's Best Daughter trophy was meaningless. Fern says it's not and gives her the Annabelle Fauteuil story which was dedicated to her, and the episode finishes.

Characters[edit]

Major[edit]

Minor[edit]

Cameo[edit]

Trivia[edit]

The Marc Brown Certificate of Existence

George wins yet another award, keeping up the tradition of his inexplicable winning streaks through the series.
Moral: Dont despise trophies for your own personal benefit.
4th Wall Break: In the intro, Arthur wins a "Marc Brown Certificate for Existence" in his imagination scene, a reference to the fact that Marc Brown created Arthur.
Running Gag: Muffy wanting Fern to want a trophy.
Timeline:
- Fern mentions that Binky likes poetry. This could be due to the events of “I’m a Poet” and “Rhyme for Your Life”.
- George winning the Thinky for improving at school is likely due to his dyslexia being diagnosed in “The Boy with His Head in the Clouds”.

Episode connections[edit]

Binky gets caught in a rhyming state again, similar to what happened in "Rhyme for Your Life."
Muffy is wearing the same outfit and hairdo from "Elwood City Turns 100!"

Errors[edit]

At the Lakewood Elementary School cafeteria, Liam is shown there, even though he doesn't go to Lakewood.
George wins the trophy, however in "What's in a Name?", a previously aired episode of Season 15, George has already won the award. This episode most likely occurs before the events of said episode.

Production notes[edit]

In U.S. production order, this is the last episode Cookie Jar Entertainment did, the last episode that is made by digital cel animation, the last episode to feature the Fern Writing title card, the last time the classic titles are used at all, the last episode where Dallas Jokic voices Arthur and the last episode in which D.W. is voiced by Robert Naylor.

Cultural references[edit]

Grandma Thora gives Arthur a Granny award, which is a parody of a Grammy Award, the most prestigious music award that can be given to a singer or musician.
D.W. gives Arthur the Nose Bell Award, which is a parody of the Nobel Prize.
During the Poet-Tree game, the kids mention E. E. Cummings, Emily Dickinson, T. S. Eliot, W. B. Yeats, and Ezra Pound.