| "The Pea and the Princess" | |
| Season/Series: | 23 |
|---|---|
| Number in season: | 3a[1] |
| Original Airdate: |  October 15, 2019[1] March 20, 2020[citation needed] February 29, 2020[citation needed] |
| Credits | |
| Written by: | Jeff Goode |
| Storyboard by: | Karine Charlebois |
| Episodes | |
| Previous "When Duty Calls" |
Next "D.W. and Dr. Whosit" |
| Read transcript |
"The Pea and the Princess" is the first half of the third episode in the twenty-third season of Arthur.
Summary[]
Prunella is directing the third-grade's production of The Princess and the Pea, but nothing seems to go according to her plan.
Plot[]
While a play is in production, Francine is upset over Prunella shortening the play's title from The Princess and the Pea to The Pea, and they tear the poster in half. A vase drops, which causes Prunella to sprain her ankle. George takes her off stage. Francine says that she has "just what it takes [to continue the play]" and starts the story "from the beginning."
On a rainy day, Prunella is auditioning for The Princess and the Pea. George, Muffy, Prunella and Arthur audition for various roles. Binky runs in and causes a mattress to collapse, which Prunella finds "brilliant."
Prunella posts the cast list for the play: George is the prince, Arthur and Buster are the horse, Francine and Muffy are the princesses, and Binky is the pea. As the cast reacts to their roles, Francine wonders, "What on Earth is Prunella thinking?"
Prunella details the plot of the play, involving a princess who goes from "grim and grumpy" to "prim and proper." When Binky questions his role, Prunella explains that the pea joins the princess on her journey. Francine questions if the audience will understand the play.
Francine, Muffy and Binky are confused as Prunella switches lines around. Arthur and Buster's horse costume consists of two back ends, which Prunella finds funny.
During the auditions for the play, Francine and Binky knock down the set by accident. Prunella feels that she can't do the play, and she's reminded through Binky that "the show must go on."
Francine objects to Prunella renaming the play to The Pea, as in the episode's intro. Francine takes over the play, and when Binky tries to object to the changes, Francine fires Binky and replaces him with a prop. She makes Muffy play the role of the horse and Arthur, the prince.
Prunella, on crutches, views the play and how different it is from her original vision. Everybody mixes up their lines, and the stunt they pull backfires on them, like Francine's helmet getting stuck. The audience is disappointed as Prunella confronts Francine for changing it, saying it's her play, not Francine's. Francine apologizes, and Prunella re-directs the play. Francine calls Binky, who had been "fired" by her earlier, and Binky runs through the rain back to the set in time for the play. As Binky dries off, Prunella is impressed.
When Binky signs autographs after the show, he credits Prunella as "the real genius."
Characters[]
Major[]
- Prunella Deegan
- Arthur Read
- Buster Baxter
- Francine Frensky
- Muffy Crosswire
- George Lundgren
- Binky Barnes
Cameo[]
- D.W. Read
- Bud Compson
- Ladonna Compson
- Cisely Compson
- Rufus Compson
- Emily Leduc
- James MacDonald
- Cheikh Diouf
- Liam
- Timmy and Tommy Tibble
- Edwin
- Maryann
- Miss Morgan
- Alex Davidson
- Molly MacDonald
- Rattles
- Jenna Morgan
- Mr. Ratburn
Trivia[]
- Moral: You must follow a director's rules because it's their play, not yours.
Episode connections[]
- Francine previously directed a play in "Francine Frensky, Superstar."
- Another scene that is similar to "Francine Frensky, Superstar", is where they host the play for D.W.'s school, only for the whole thing to be a disaster. It is similar to how Francine put on the play of Thomas Edison for the kindergartners, only for everybody to mess up their parts on purpose to get back at her for being bossy.
- The moral that there are no small parts and that you should trust the director is similar to "No Acting, Please".
Cultural references[]
- The Princess and the Pea is a fairy tale that was written by Hans Christian Andersen. Other than a pea, a princess and a stack of mattresses, it has little to do with either Prunella's or Francine's version.
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References[]
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