What's in a Name?

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"What's in a Name?"
Main image Title card Title card 2
Season/Series:	15
Number in season:	7b
Original airdate:	April 16, 2012 May 23, 2013 January 26, 2011 October 16, 2010 December 31, 2012
Credits
Written by:	John Marsh
Storyboard by:	Gerry Capelle Robert Yap
Episodes
Previous "Prunella the Packrat"	Next "Muffy's Classy Classics Club"

Read transcript

"What's in a Name?" is the second half of the seventh episode in the fifteenth season of Arthur.

Summary

Muffy risks to reveal Binky's real name, Shelley, after she believes his winning the class award for most improved student is undeserved after she got a week-long recess timeout for using her phone during class.

Plot

Arthur is busy in his room when D.W. comes in with a new stuffed penguin she got, wanting him to help her name it. Arthur goes over how it is a detailed method every time D.W. gets a new doll or stuffed animal: First, she must be blind-folded and spun around, then the first letter of the first object she sees will be the first letter of the toy's name. Next, she drinks milk with cinnamon and chants random words before kicking her legs and sipping the drink through her curly straw. Finally, she takes a nap with the toy under her pillow and proceeds to dream of chasing it until she catches it and learns its name. D.W. announces her stuffed penguin shall be named Xeno, introducing him to her brother. After she leaves, Arthur asks why names are so important to some people.

What's In a Name?

At school, Mr. Ratburn, holding a trophy shaped like a lightbulb within a laurel wreath, announces a second Thinky award for the semester due to a student's outstanding improvement. George excitedly assumes he has won, but Mr. Ratburn corrects him, reminding him of his earlier Thinky award. Disappointed, George sits back down.

Meanwhile, Binky is doodling in his notebook. Mr. Ratburn calls his attention, and Binky claims he was working on math. Surprisingly, Mr. Ratburn reveals that Binky has won an award for his improved grades and focus. Binky is overjoyed. Recognizing Binky's positive behavior, Mr. Ratburn asks him to say a few words. As Binky thanks his friends, Muffy rudely interrupts with her cell phone. Binky urges her to be quiet.

Mr. Ratburn reprimands Muffy for using her phone, remarking it happened four times today, and for being disrespectful to Binky during his speech. As punishment, he takes her phone away, gives her a week-long recess timeout, and assigns her additional schoolwork. Muffy is shocked. When the recess bell rings, the children begin to leave. Mr. Ratburn informs Binky that he can complete his speech on Monday. As Muffy is about to go outside with the others, Mr. Ratburn reminded her about her timeout, which begins immediately. Muffy is incredibly disappointed about having to stay inside and sits back in her seat. Binky shrugs and walks past her, making Muffy feel even more upset.

Later during recess, Muffy stands by the window, watching the other children enjoying themselves outside at the playground. She sighs and turns to her task of stapling papers at Mr. Ratburn's desk. Just then, Mr. Haney enters the room. He expresses surprise that Muffy would choose to stay inside on such a lovely day, unaware that she got punished. He jokes about the excellent temperature and the impending rain. Muffy, however, still remains upset. Mr. Haney hands her a class list, asking her to verify the names. As Muffy checks the list, she spots her own name and then notes one she doesn't realize at first: Shelley Barnes. A mischievous smile then appears on her face as she realizes who Shelley Barnes is.

At the end of the day, Muffy sits in her limo as Binky walks by. She then confronts him over his real name being "Shelley", but Binky asks who Shelley is and Muffy tells him that it is his real name. Binky denies this accusation, but Muffy shows him the class list for proof. Muffy threatens to reveal his name on Monday in retaliation for getting her in trouble.

At home, Mrs. Barnes confirms that Binky's name is really Shelley. Binky is noticeably upset and annoyed at being named that. Mrs. Barnes tries to assure him that she will keep it a secret and right away, Binky sends a message to Muffy, asking what she wants in order to keep his real name a secret. Unfortunately, he is unable to provide either request.

Binky lies in bed that evening, imagining what his classmates will do when they hear of his actual name in school. He fears that they will make fun for him him, including Mr. Ratburn. Mrs. Barnes then comes into the room with some food for him. She shows Binky a very old picture of his great-grandfather, Shelley Barnes.

Binky asks her about Shelley's position in the circus and she explains he eventually owned the circus. Originally, a nine-year-old Shelley was in a circus where nobody really had fun. He would help the struggling trapeze artist, a heartbroken clown, and the lion tamer as his apprentice (though the "lion" was actually a cat). Eventually, nobody would come to the circus anymore. One day while on a walk, Shelley found his talent as a strongman. He became known as the world's strongest boy and with all of the money they were making, the circus was saved. The circus now had a really nice lion, a trapeze artist partner, and the old "lion" was given to the unhappy clown. Binky begins to feel a lot happier knowing how extraordinary his great-grandfather was.

The following Monday, Binky prepares to continue his award speech, but not before Muffy interrupts and asks to introduce him. At first, she seems to plan on giving away his undercover, but then quits and calls him Binky, privately admitting that she was never really going to notify anyone. In front of the class, Binky reveals his real name himself. Everyone is surprised at this revelation. Binky explains how he just found out his name is Shelley after his great-grandfather. He still hopes to be known as Binky, but maybe someday, he will become Shelley.

Characters

Major

• Binky Barnes voiced by Bruce Dinsmore
• Muffy Crosswire voiced by Melissa Altro

Minor

• Arthur Read voiced by Dallas Jokic
• Brain voiced by Lyle Lettau
• George Lundgren voiced by Eleanor Noble
• Mr. Ratburn voiced by Arthur Holden
• Mr. Haney voiced by Walter Massey
• Mrs. Barnes voiced by Jane Wheeler
• Wally voiced by Eleanor Noble
• D.W. Read (introduction only) voiced by Robert Naylor
• Buster Baxter voiced by Daniel Brochu
• Shelley Barnes (flashback) voiced by Bruce Dinsmore

Cameo

• Francine Frensky
• Sue Ellen Armstrong
• Fern Walters
• Jenna Morgan
• Alex Davidson
• Maria Pappas
• Otis
• Circus barker (flashback)
• Ferdinand the Flying Fox (flashback)
• Ferdinand's trapeze partner (flashback)
• Heinrich the Clown (flashback)
• Lionel the Lion Tamer (flashback)
• Lionel's cat (flashback)
• Cleo (flashback)

Mentioned

• Thora Read (introduction)
• Chip Crosswire
• Bearded lady (flashback)

Trivia

• This episode is not to be confused with the Barney & Friends episode of the same name.
• This episode is one of the few in the series to feature non-mammalian anthropomorphic animal characters, as there are bird-people in the flashback to the life of Binky's great-grandfather.

Episode connections

• Like "Nicked by a Name," this episode explores how names affect people.
• Like "The Last King of Lambland," this episode reveals the story of something amazing a character's ancestor did.
• The ending uses music from the Trucks movie from "The Agent of Change."
• In this episode, George thinks he has won the "Thinky," until Mr. Ratburn corrects him to say Binky was the actual winner. This is a subversion of the ongoing running gag in which George tends to win most awards and contests.
  • George had already won the "Thinky" in the episode "The Trouble with Trophies."
• Lionel the Lion Tamer looks exactly like Gus Grim the Child Trainer from "Mind Your Manners."

Cultural references

• D.W.'s naming ceremony is somewhat similar to a Sikh's naming ceremony (Hukamnama) as she/he has to point to a random thing which will be the first letter of the toy's name, but in Sikhism, they have to open the holy book at a random page and the first letter on that page will be the first letter of the baby's name.
• Binky mentions Machiavelli, a political scientist of the Renaissance who described the deceitful and violent measures used by the rulers of his time.
• Ferdinand the Flying Fox may be named for a genus of fruit bats.

Gallery

Main article: What's in a Name?/Gallery