"D.W.'s Snow Mystery" | |
Season/Series: | 1 |
---|---|
Number in season: | 22a |
Original Airdate: | November 5, 1996[1] February 4, 1997[2] January 11, 2002[3] |
Credits | |
Written by: | Joe Fallon |
Storyboard by: | Gerry Capelle |
Episodes | |
Previous "The Perfect Brother" |
Next "Team Trouble" |
Read transcript |
"D.W.'s Snow Mystery" is the first half of the twenty-second episode in the first season of Arthur.
Summary
D.W.'s special snowball is missing from the freezer, and nobody can agree on what happened yesterday.
Plot
D.W. likes to keep and collect things. The previous fall, she had collected every acorn she could find, and when Kate opened the acorn cupboard, D.W.'s biggest concern was the integrity of the acorns. The "silliest" thing she's ever collected is a snowball from last year.
One day, however, the snowball is gone! D.W. is not dreaming! Where is it? Jane comes down to find D.W. frozen in shock at the loss. Jane can't find it but is convinced it was "just a snowball" - D.W. says otherwise and remembers all the fun she had with Arthur in the snow last year. She brought a snowball in, wanting to freeze it, as a keepsake from "the best day of her life." Jane was unsure about this, but Arthur nodded silently in the background, and she agreed. D.W. always checked on the snowball, even in summer, "and now it's gone!" Jane doesn't know who took it, but D.W. accuses Arthur.
She enters Arthur's room, in which Arthur, Buster and Francine are working on a toothpick model of Big Ben. D.W. ransacks the room, looking for the snowball. When asked what's wrong, she yells, "YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S MISSING?", and the tower falls down. Francine and Buster seem a little confused that D.W. is looking for a snowball, but Arthur explains that the snowball was kept from last year. Buster goes into detective mode.
Downstairs, Buster deciphers that it was last seen the previous lunchtime, so he asks what happened that day.
According to D.W.: Grandma Thora stopped by with Mrs. MacGrady. D.W. hugged Thora, being told that she is her favorite grandchild. Arthur was acting dopey and snorting. Grandma Thora asked D.W. how her snowball was doing.
Arthur interrupts, saying that Grandma Thora was never even aware of D.W.'s snowball and the events went like this: Grandma Thora came over and Arthur was a lot more manly and tall, whilst D.W. was annoying Grandma. Thora denied it but privately told Arthur to get her an aspirin, because D.W. was giving her a headache.
D.W. points out that Grandma didn't actually say that, but Arthur can tell she "was thinking it." At this point, Thora shows up, and D.W. goes into 'sweet' child mode to annoy Arthur. Arthur then asks his grandma what happened yesterday. Jane and Thora both give their views.
According to Jane: She answered the door, but D.W. and Arthur were acting wild - cartwheeling, yelling, swinging on door frames and laughing manically as they came. Jane was humiliated by this behavior.
Thora doesn't remember that happening.
According to Thora: The kids were being perfect angels when they greeted her, and then Jane asked Thora and Mrs. MacGrady if they wanted to have some ice cream.''
D.W. remembers that, and the fact that Jane had gone to the freezer to get the ice cream. Jane, however, can't recall if the snowball was around or not at that point. D.W. remembers Pal being in the kitchen and comes up with another theory:
Pal opened the freezer door by using the chair (like D.W. does to reach the door) and with the aid of an umbrella as a crowbar-type utensil, opened the door. He then jumped in and swallowed the snowball whole.
Francine notes it would have been impossible for Pal to have done that. She remembers that she and Buster were there also.
According to Francine: She had perfect manners, making Thora wish that her grandchildren could be just like Francine. Buster was pigging out on the ice cream and ate the entire box. He asked for more and went to the freezer, where he ate many foods, as well as the snowball.
Buster doesn't write this version of events down, and D.W. points this out. Buster argues it's because what Francine said was false, and he gives his version of events:
Buster made everyone at the table (except Francine) laugh at his range of comedy and Mrs. MacGrady thought he deserved to be put up a grade. Francine was arrogant and sarcastic, rudely spitting out her warm soda and demanding ice for it. She couldn't find any and mashed the snowball into the glass.
D.W. remembers playing piano for her grandma, and wonders what Arthur, Buster, and Francine were doing at that time.
D.W.'s imagination: Arthur, Francine, and Buster sadistically decided to see how long it would take D.W.'s snowball to melt in the sun. They took it outside and melted the snowball with a magnifying glass while laughing.
Francine replies, "We weren't there when Arthur did it." Arthur growls and denies having done anything to the snowball. D.W. demands that the perpetrator confess. Buster announces that, based on everyone has said, he has reached a conclusion: it was an alien!
One alien appeared in the kitchen to take samples of Earth food, but only managed to get the snowball before David came in, confused and sleepy. According to Buster, this would also account for why the plate the snowball was on is also missing.
No one else believes this, and an argument starts between Arthur's friends, demanding that each other confess. D.W. accuses everyone of being in on it to break her heart. Thora comments that in the heat of the moment, someone's feelings will get hurt. The arguments are disrupted when David announces the first snow of the season. D.W. doesn't think anything could compare to last winter, when she froze her snowball. However, Arthur reassures her that it will be as fun as before, if not more so. D.W. concedes but is still confused as to the whereabouts of the snowball.
Finally, Buster is proven correct; the aliens are in a flying saucer up in space, eating and enjoying the snowball, and they wonder what the recipe is.
Characters
Major
Minor
Mentioned
Flashbacks
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.
- Moral: You won't get answers by accusing the people you love, or their friends, about committing a crime they didn't do.
- In Spanish, this episode is titled, "El misterio de la bola de nieve," which translates to "The mystery of the snowball."
Episode connections
- This is the first episode that focuses on D.W.'s snowball. This started one of the longest running gags throughout the series' run and a story arc for a few episodes.
- The events of this episode take place after "The Blizzard," which was aired in Season 4.
- A sequel to this episode, titled "Return of the Snowball," focuses on the snowball's reappearance and D.W. trying to prevent it from melting again.
- The final episode of the story arc is "All Will Be Revealed!" in the final season.
- Francine mentions this episode in the later episode "Francine Goes to War."
- This was brought up again, by D.W., in "Play It Again, D.W."
- D.W. has been offered some lemonade by Arthur, then she asks if there's any ice left in the freezer in the "The Blackout," which is similar to her snowball disappearing in this episode.
- D.W. once again mentions her snowball from this episode as well as her Crazy Bus CD from "Play it Again, D.W." missing in "Revenge of the Chip."
- D.W. once again mentions her snowball from this episode in "Clarissa is Cracked."
- D.W. once again brings her snowball up in "D.W.'s Backpack Mishap," still thinking Arthur took it.
- D.W. once again mentions her snowball from this episode in "Waiting for Snow."
- D.W. mentions her snowball again in "D.W. Swims with the Fishes" when she says that Uni was almost going to show her where her it is, until Arthur wakes her up.
- D.W. losing her snowball from this episode can be seen as clip Arthur mentions in "Buster's Growing Grudge."
- D.W. losing her snowball in this episode can be seen as a clip in "D.W.'s Perfect Wish."
Cultural references
- The numerous stories told in this episode is a likely reference to the Japanese film Rashomon, in which different people told their version of the same tale. Like in the episode they make themselves look good while making the others look bad.
- In Arthur's imagination, he speaks in a gruff voice greatly reminiscent of famous Action-Western star John Wayne.
- The tennis broadcast mentions Andre Agassi.
Errors
- When Arthur starts talking at the very beginning of the episode, his mouth hardly moves.
- When D.W. starts reminiscing about the fun in the snow, all the ice on her hair disappeared.
- Buster's teeth disappear when he, Arthur and Francine are disappointed that their toothpick model is ruined.
- During the investigation, Jane and Grandma Thora come in to the kitchen, but when Jane gives her version of events, they are at the front door.
Gallery
Home Video
VHS
DVD
- Arthur Cracks the Case
- Arthur: The Complete Series 1
- PBS Kids 20 Snow Stories
References