The Princess Problem

"The Princess Problem"
Main image Title card
Season/Series:	21
Number in season:	6b
Original Airdate:	February 14, 2018 February 15, 2018[citation needed] June 12, 2020
Credits
Written by:	Matt Hoverman
Storyboard by:	Jean Banville James Clayton Bourne Daniel Miodini
Episodes
Previous "The Lost Dinosaur"	Next "Invasion of the Soccer Fans"

Read transcript

"The Princess Problem" is the second half of the sixth episode in the twenty-first season of Arthur.

Summary

D.W. loves the Princess Platoon series until she understands that it doesn't represent everyone. With the help of Arthur's friend, Lydia, D.W. discovers the true qualities of a princess.

Plot

D.W. and Emily are at their preschool. They tell Amanda about Princess Perky jumping from a tower, calling a unicorn, saving a person and falling into the arms of a prince. They said it was "funbelievable". Emily gives Amanda a tiara, and Lydia calls up a basketball match. The Tibble Twins volunteer for a game, but Lydia beats them.

Right before Lydia teaches them how to dribble, Lydia prohibits tiaras, much to D.W. and Emily's dismay since they are both wearing tiaras.

The Princess Problem

D.W. attempts to show Arthur and Lydia a Princess Platoon DVD, since Lydia has never seen the Princess Platoon before. When D.W. plays it, Princess Perky is trapped in a castle by trolls. She sings a song, goes out a window, then slides down a rainbow.

When it ends, D.W. has tears of joy, then she discovers Arthur and Lydia have fallen asleep. Annoyed by this, D.W. wakes them up. Lydia apologizes, saying that she's never seen a princess like herself. D.W. says that Princess Prancia has red hair, but Lydia says that she means a princess being disabled, and that she's never seen any princess like that. Arthur agrees with her.

At Emily's house, Emily insists that there's a princess for everyone. She asks D.W. if she told Lydia about Princess Prancia, who has red hair. D.W. says that she told her, and that Lydia would prefer a princess with a disability. Emily disapproves, saying that doesn't sound very "princessy", so she checks her trunk. She finds princess merchandise, but nothing about a disabled princess.

Emily insists that it makes sense that there's no princess like that, since every princess has to be perfect. D.W. doesn't understand, but Emily ignores it and gives her an old Princess Perky costume. Emily then invites D.W. to wear it at her tea party that Saturday. To add the final touch, she gives her a tiara that sparkles by flipping a switch.

D.W. is playing in the leaves with her stuffed unicorn. Then, she spots Lydia playing basketball with Arthur, and Lydia says she found a real princess named Ana de Mendoza, who's half blind. D.W. says she's never seen the movies, but Lydia tells her that Ana de Mendoza doesn't have one. Lydia reads the book to D.W. and tells her about how Ana lost her eye in a sword fight as a young girl.

At the preschool, D.W. tells Emily that Ana tried to overthrow a bad king and disguised herself as a knight for years. Emily again says that doesn't sound too "princessy". When D.W. says she wants to dress up as Ana de Mendoza, Emily prohibits D.W. from dressing up as her, since she isn't from the Princess Platoon.

Later that night, D.W. has a nightmare about trolls trying to seize her book. Princess Perky arrives, and the trolls leave. Princess Perky attempts to take the book, and D.W. takes it. The force has D.W. lose her footing, which causes her to fall out of a window, and she wakes up in horror.

D.W. wakes up Arthur to call Lydia about the tea party. They make Ana de Mendoza's costume, as well as some props. Soon, they arrive at the party. D.W. is dressed as Ana de Mendoza, and Lydia is dressed as a different princess, having a hairstyle similar to Princess Leia from the Star Wars franchise. They see that Emily and Amanda are in a bounce house. The Tibble twins (who are dressed as trolls) are shaking the bounce house. Emily and Amanda struggle to balance. Bud asks if he can be a "space cowboy" instead. Emily opposes, saying that it's a princess party. While explaining how she will escape the bounce house to be like the movie, Emily gets stuck trying to exit.

The Tibble twins attempt to bounce on the bounce house, but it's unsuccessful, as it just makes the bounce house shake. Using a blanket to climb a slide on the bounce house (which is tied to Lydia's wheelchair), D.W. pulls Emily out of the window. Emily thanks them both. Emily wants to repay them, so she draws D.W. and Lydia dressed up as their princesses on her Princess Platoon lunch box. Additionally, she confirms them members of the Princess Platoon.

Characters

Major

• D.W. Read
• Lydia Fox
• Emily Leduc

Minor

• Amanda Hulser
• Timmy and Tommy Tibble
• Arthur Read
• The Princess Platoon:
  • Princess Perky
  • Princess Proper (mentioned)
  • Princess Peppy (mentioned)
  • Princess Penguin (mentioned)
  • Princess Prancia (mentioned)
  • Princess Ana (mentioned)
  • Princess Prophecia (mentioned)
• Bud Compson

Cameo

• James MacDonald
• Cheikh Diouf
• Maryann
• Kyle Fitzpatrick
• Liam
• Lucy
• Edwin
• Sarah
• Ms. Morgan
• Lisa

Trivia

• This is Lydia's third major role. Her other major roles were in "The Wheel Deal" and "Little Miss Meanie." D.W. refers to Lydia as Arthur's friend, though the two had never met on screen.

Episode connections

• Though not part of the Princess Platoon, Princess Sneeze-and-Wet is seen in Emily's room.

Cultural references

• Lydia tells D.W. about Ana de Mendoza y de Silva, Princess of Éboli.
• Emily's wand has a tip shaped like a fleur-de-lis. The symbol was used by French royalty and goes well with Emily's love of everything French.
• Lydia's costume is based on Princess Leia from Star Wars.

Gallery

Main article: The Princess Problem/Gallery

Home Video

DVD

• PBS Kids: 15 Girl Power Adventures

External links

• Transcript: The Lost Dinosaur / The Princess Problem. TVOKids. Archived from the original on November 18, 2020.