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"D.W.'s Deer Friend"
Season/Series: 2
Number in season: 11a
Original Airdate: United States April 6, 1998[1]
Canada September 7, 1998[3]
United Kingdom July 20, 1999[2]
Germany February 7, 2002[4]
Credits
Written by: Joe Fallon
Storyboard by: Robert Yap
Episodes
Previous
"Arthur's Mystery Envelope"
Next
"Buster Hits the Books"
Read transcript

"D.W.'s Deer Friend" is the first half of the eleventh episode in the second season of Arthur.

Summary[]

On a camping trip, D.W. befriends a wild deer and decides to try to take him home with her.

Plot[]

When Jane calls for another weekend trip, Arthur is afraid that the destination is going to be Ponyland because it is D.W.'s turn to choose. However, D.W. has yet to say where she wants to go.

D.W.'s Deer Friend

Finally, D.W. announces that she has chosen to go camping, much to Arthur's surprise. Jane and David are happy because it proves that their limiting her T.V. time to educational channels has helped her learn to think for herself and not just repeat what the T.V. says. Just then, they hear the show D.W. is currently watching announce "It's time to experience the wonders of nature in the great outdoors". Although, Jane still thinks that a camping trip is a good idea.

As Jane and David start packing the car, Arthur expresses disappointment about being trapped in the tent all weekend with D.W, to which David tells him he's implying D.W. is difficult. She honks the car horn many times to prompt everyone to get going. Upon arriving at the campsite, D.W. is excited about seeing wildlife from the nature shows for real. However, she quickly becomes disappointed when there are no animals to be found. Arthur and David go fishing and catch a fish, but when D.W. sees it, she is upset that the first animal she has seen is dead, and they give an impromptu funeral for the fish D.W. dubs "Bucky".

Early the next morning, D.W. notices a deer near their tent. She runs out and says, "Hi!" but the deer runs away. Jane tells D.W. that deer are easily frightened and she needs to keep very still or she'll scare them. D.W. waits very long for the deer to come back, believing that he will bring her to his herd. She imagines them leaping over a log, flying in the sky and looking at the sunset.

When the deer comes back, D.W. gets a box of cereal and David asks her where she is taking it She replies that she is going to leave it for the deer, who she has named Walter, so he will come close to her. David says that feeding wild animals is not safe and not allowed, but that it's OK to look at them. D.W. says that she would rather watch T.V. at home if all she can do is look at the deer. David says that the forest is the deer's home and asks D.W. if she'd want to be fed strange food where she lives, to which she states that it'd be fine if a deer did it. Then, D.W. imagines herself bringing Walter home and doing some fun activities with him.

D.W. announces that she is going to bring Walter home. When her parents say that she can't bring back a wild deer, D.W. is upset and runs off crying. Jane explains that Walter wouldn't be happy with them because he would miss his family. She asks D.W. how she would feel if she was taken away from her family (besides just Arthur.) She imagines Walter in her room, crying, saying how much he misses his family. When D.W. asks why he never told her, Walter points out that she never asked him and just took him away. This makes D.W. realize Jane is right and she decides that it's better if she just visits him. She goes to take one last look at the deer before the Read family leave the campsite.

After the Read family have left, Walter tells his father that a girl watched him all weekend behind the bushes. He wishes that he could've brought her to live with them, but his father says that she'd never fit in their family, as those animals (humans) "never stay very long" and live in "those metal rolling things". Walter agrees with his father.

Characters[]

Major[]

Minor[]

Fantasy[]

Trivia[]

  • At the end of the 2000 rerun intro on PBS Kids before this episode, Arthur’s crashing sound changes to a big splash of water.
  • Walter's sister, Sheilarae, is named after Arthur writer Sheilarae Carpentier Lau.[5]
  • Walter's sister, Mary Alice, might be named after Muffy's real name.
  • Walter having brothers named Petey and Paul might be a reference to the musical group Peter, Paul and Mary.
  • Michael Caloz also voices Walter.
  • This episode and the next episode premiered on the same day Teletubbies premiered in the US.
  • This is the second episode there was an impromptu funeral. The first time being was in So Long, Spanky.
  • It's possible (though not certain) that the family visited Whale Lake.
  • This is the first episode to have a different animated dream/flashback transition.

Cultural references[]

Episode connections[]

Errors[]

  • When Jane says "Everybody", her mouth doesn't move while the scene changes to a fantasy.
  • D.W. is unable to read, but her mother says "I should buy her more books".
  • At one point when Arthur is fishing with David, his hat is briefly shown as being yellow instead of orange.

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