| "The Perfect Brother" | |
| Season/Series: | 1 |
|---|---|
| Number in season: | 21b |
| Original Airdate: |  November 4, 1996[1] February 3, 1997[2] |
| Credits | |
| Written by: | Joe Fallon |
| Storyboard by: | Stéphanie Gignac |
| Episodes | |
| Previous "Sue Ellen Moves In" |
Next "D.W.'s Snow Mystery" |
| Read transcript |
"The Perfect Brother" is the second half of the twenty-first episode in the first season of Arthur. It was later adapted into the book Arthur and the Perfect Brother.
Summary
When Brain spends a weekend at the Reads, Arthur is happy. But Brain seems to be better at everything.
Plot
In the introduction Arthur talks about how he enjoys having his friends over. With Buster there are never leftovers to eat, and Francine makes Arthur looks neat by comparison.
Mrs. Read tells Arthur that Brain will be staying for the weekend because his parents are attending a convention out of town. Arthur is delighted and imagines building cool things with Brain. D.W. instead imagines being teased by two Arthurs, and then says that maybe she'll spend the weekend at her grandmother's house.
When Brain arrives, he and Arthur have fun, but Arthur soon notices that Brain is neater and politer than Arthur is. Brain wants to do his homework first, finishes it much quicker and easily beats Arthur at basketball.
The next day Brain teaches Pal new tricks, builds a better model plane, shows Mr. Read how to make sandwiches more efficiently, and reprograms the computer for Mrs. Read. When Arthur wants to play his favorite board game with him, he is reading to D.W., who claims that he reads better than Arthur.
Arthur visits Buster, who assures him that Brain would not make him look bad on purpose. When Arthur gets home, Pal runs to Brain instead of him. While Arthur does his homework, Brain plays Arthur’s board game with the family, which he improved because he read all the rules.
On Sunday Arthur is glad to see Brain go. He helps him carry his luggage home, where he discovers that Brain’s room is just as messy as his own. Brain admits that he was being extra polite because he was a guest and that it almost killed him.
While the boys make popcorn, Arthur helps Brain’s dad carry shopping and is praised. Brain looks annoyed for a moment, but then both boys smile and eat the popcorn.
Characters
Major
Minor
- Buster Baxter
- Francine Frensky (does not speak)
- Pal
- Mr. Powers
- Mrs. Powers
- Kate Read
Trivia
- The plane that Brain and Arthur built is a Boeing 747.
- According to D.W., Baby Kate's first word is "Brain".
Episode connections
- Just like Arthur, Pal feels left out due to people giving a guest more attention than him in "Dog's Best Friend."
Gallery
Screenshots
References