| "Binky's 'A' Game" | |
| Season/Series: | 21 |
|---|---|
| Number in season: | 1a |
| Original airdate: |  October 24, 2017[1] May 15, 2017[citation needed] June 1, 2020[2] |
| Credits | |
| Written by: | Peter K. Hirsch |
| Storyboard by: | Michel Carbonneau |
| Episodes | |
| Previous "Ladonna's Like List" |
Next "Brain and the Time Capsule" |
| Read transcript |
"Binky's 'A' Game" is the first half of the first episode in the twenty-first season of Arthur.
Summary[]
When Binky gets an A on his test, Muffy and Francine are convinced that he cheated.
Plot[]
In the introduction, Brain shows Arthur a rather simple comic about a mean cat pranking a dog. Arthur is surprised that Brain finds it so funny. Arthur mentions how people you know can still surprise you. He gives an example of Mr. Ratburn having class outside on a summer's day, though he still gives the class a pop quiz. The biggest surprise, however, was Binky.
Mr. Ratburn announces that there will be a test on Galileo the next day. Binky enjoys himself until after dinner, when his mom makes him start doing his homework. He is reluctant but gets hooked when he reads that Galileo loved music. He stays up late reading his history book.
The next morning, Binky's chair breaks, so he has to sit next to Brain. After the test, Francine and Muffy complain about how hard it was. Binky effortlessly names the four Galilean moons of Jupiter (one of the questions), but Muffy thinks he just used the names of professional wrestlers. When Mr. Ratburn returns the tests, however, Binky has received an A, much to his surprise.
Later in The Sugar Bowl, Francine and Muffy admit to Arthur and Buster that they think Binky cheated on the test -- their theory is that Binky deliberately broke his original chair to get placed next to Brain and then cheated off of Brain's test while Buster theorizes that Binky made/consumed an IQ-enhancing smoothie before taking the test. Arthur's the only one who's convinced that Binky didn't cheat, arguing that for all of his flaws, Binky's not the type of person to actually cheat on schoolwork. Buster then decides to investigate.
Buster dresses as a detective and confronts Binky, but he just makes him angry. After hearing that Muffy's the one who first suspected that he cheated, he confronts her the next time they're at school. Binky keeps insisting that he didn't cheat, but Muffy (who clearly doesn't believe his claims) insists that she won't tell Mr. Ratburn about Binky's alleged cheating -- the main reason that Muffy thinks that Binky cheated is because (academically speaking) he isn't exactly the greatest student and generally doesn't get high marks on things like tests and homework assignments.
While at the Sugar Bowl later that day, Binky admits his worries to Brain, who notes that it's really only Muffy and Francine who think he cheated on the test. However, Brain admits that Muffy did have a point in how Binky isn't exactly the greatest student ever when it comes to academics. The next day, Binky comes to school wearing posh clothes and attempting to speak in a high-class style, but Francine is not fooled, especially after Binky flunks the next test. During recess, Binky admits his worries to Arthur, who figures that the best thing he could do is try getting an A on their next exam (a science test) while noting the best way for him to do so is to actually study for it.
Binky finds the topic hard. A shoulder devil suggests he should make cheat sheets, so he spends the evening doing that. But Binky ultimately can't bring himself to use them, so he throws them away before taking the test.
That afternoon, Binky tells Brain about the cheat sheets -- but Brain points out that writing down information like what Binky did for his would-be cheat sheets is a good way to memorize information. Realizing that he still basically studied for their science test, Binky realizes that there's a chance he still could've passed. Binky and his classmates get their tests back, and Binky managed to get an A- on it, which he shows to Muffy and Francine -- the girls (more or less) apologize to Binky for accusing him of cheating and ultimately acknowledge that Binky's a lot smarter than they give him credit for.
Characters[]
Major[]
- Binky Barnes
- Brain
- Arthur Read
- Mr. Ratburn
- Francine Frensky
- Muffy Crosswire
- Buster Baxter
- Fern Walters (does not speak)
Cameo[]
- Molly MacDonald
- Rattles
- Slink
- Mei Lin Barnes
- Sue Ellen Armstrong
- George Lundgren
- Jenna Morgan
- Ladonna Compson
- Maria Pappas
- Alex Davidson
- Rafi
- Jessica
- Los Dedos
- Portia Demwiddy
- Lucy's mother
- 3rd Grade Male Rat
Mentioned[]
Trivia[]
- After Binky first confronts Muffy after learning from Buster that she and Francine think he cheated on their history test and Muffy asks Binky what some of his previous test scores were, Binky claims that for the two most recent tests they had before their test on Galileo, he got a C- on one of them while he apparently did so poorly on the other that he'd rather not talk about it.
- In April 2024, PBS Kids rereleased this episode and 18 other titles with the addition of an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter on screen, allowing individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing to fully immerse themselves in the program. For more information about all of the ASL-interpreted episodes, see American Sign Language.
Episode connections[]
- Arthur uses the phrase "sometimes you think you know someone..." in the intro of this episode and previously in "Kung Fool." Muffy says, "Sometimes you think you know a person..." in "A is for Angry."
- Binky and Mei Lin play with an Uncle Slam bobblehead figure.
- Binky is seen playing a video game from the Dark Bunny Curse of the Moomy video game series, which first appears in "Crushed."
- Mr. Morris is mentioned to be working as a janitor even though Ladonna is living in Elwood City. According to "April 9th," Mr. Morris moved to New Mexico before the Compsons' arrival.
- This is only the second episode (after “What's in a Name?") in which Binky's real name, Shelley, is mentioned. Binky signs his tests "Shelley Barnes", though neither he nor Mr. Ratburn ever use that name, except in one fantasy.
- Buster acts as a detective. He had previously done this in "Arthur Accused!," "Binky Rules," "The Butler Did... What?" "The Case of the Girl with the Long Face," and "To Eat or Not to Eat."
- Muffy mentions Fern, with whom Buster had a partnership/rivalry in "Binky Rules." In that episode, he also wore the same detective outfit.
Cultural references[]
- Galileo is mentioned many times throughout the episode. His father, the musician Vincenzo Galilei, and his fellow astronomer, Johannes Kepler, are also mentioned.
- The last part of the history book that Binky reads is about Galileo and the trial he faced when he claimed the Earth revolves around the Sun.
- The questions on Binky's test are as follows:
- 1. Where was Galileo born?
- 2. Name three instruments Galileo invented.
- microscope, military compass, pendulum for clocks
- 3. Name the four moons of Jupiter Galileo discovered.
- 4. Galileo and Kepler disagreed about orbits. What did each of them believe?
- Galileo believed they were circles, Kepler believed they were ellipses.
- 5. What do we call the period of history when Galileo lived?
- The Renaissance
Errors[]
Look at Binky and Mr. Ratburn's hands.
- After Mr. Ratburn helps Binky up from the floor when his chair breaks, his hands are the same skin tone as Binky's. They are back to their usual tone in the next scene.
- When Mr. Ratburn hands out the science test sheets, Fern's is already graded.
Gallery[]
References[]
External links[]
- Transcript: Binky's 'A' Game / Brain and the Time Capsule. TVOKids. Archived from the original on November 13, 2020.
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