D.W.'s BlankieD.W.'s blankie, which Arthur hates, goes missing on the day he's planning to watch movies with Buster. But she ropes him into searching for it all over town.
Tropes for this episode include:
- Adaptational Nice Guy: D.W. blackmailing Arthur, as well as her stealing his teddy bear at the end, were removed from the book adaptation of this episode.
- Backhanded Apology: When Arthur tells D.W. to apologize to Pal for blaming him for taking her blankie, she tells him "I guess I'm sorry."
- Blackmail: When Arthur refuses to help D.W. look for her blankie because he wants to go to a Renegain Joe movie marathon with Buster, D.W. blackmails him into it by threatening to tell his friends that he still sleeps with his teddy bear Stanley, which reluctantly makes him agree.
- Chekhov's Gag: Arthur mentions that D.W. never washes her blankie, even when she's in the tub. It turns out that their mother surreptitiously washed it, and had forgotten to give it back to D.W. when it was finished in the dryer.
- Coy, Girlish Flirt Pose: D.W., when she finishes telling her story of how she thinks her blankie got lost in the car wash and says "It's simple."
- Deadpan Snarker: When the car washer handler offers D.W. his polishing cloth in lieu of her blankie, she looks askance. Arthur remarks that it's not dirty enough for her liking.
- Not Me This Time: D.W. at first suspects the Tibble twins of stealing her blanket. It is something they would do. Ms. Tibble reveals, however, that the twins have been away with their mother Trixie.
- Ordered Apology: After D.W.'s blankie is found, Arthur tells her to apologize to Pal for blaming him for taking it. Her response is to tell him "I guess I'm sorry."
- Security Blanket: D.W.'s "blankie" is brown when dirty, and red and white when clean.
- Sincerity Mode: D.W. at the end of the episode sincerely thanks Arthur for helping her try to find her blanket all day.
- "Shaggy Dog" Story: D.W. didn't leave her blanket anywhere around town, so her trip with Arthur wasted their time. He misses the Renegain Joe movies because Buster's mother returns them when he's done.
- This Is Reality:
- The dry-cleaner lady calls D.W. "cute" for thinking that the cleaning blinds must have hypnotized D.W. She says that it's never happened.
- Meanwhile, the car wash handler tells them the vacuum only sucks up water and couldn't suck up a blankie.
Arthur's Substitute Teacher TroubleMr. Ratburn gets a bad bout of laryngitis and has to leave school to rest his voice. Mr. Haney announces that he's found a substitute: Ms. Rodentia Ratburn, Nigel's sister! Arthur, Buster and Francine fret that she'll be a tough teacher, and they are right; just not in the way they imagine.
Tropes for this episode include:
- Annoying Younger Sibling: In Francine's Imagine Spot, she imagines that Rodentia was this to Nigel. It seems that he knows she's a Misplaced Kindergarten Teacher at least.
- Be Careful What You Wish For: Buster in the Cold Open wishes Mr. Ratburn could disappear. He vanishes for a day, leaving them with two days of no work or homework, but his sister bores them by giving them kindergarten work.
- Big Brother Worship: It turns out that Ms. Ratburn is Nigel's little sister, and she does speak highly of him. Even so, she doesn't teach the way he does. It's implied Nigel knows this given he tells the kids "the fun and games are over".
- Furry Reminder: One of the past substitute teacher was a moose named Mr. Elkin, whom the kids didn't like because he kept accidentally knocking them over with his large horns.
- Meaningful Name: Mr. Elkin, though he closer resembles a moose rather than an actual elk due to his nose.
- Misplaced Kindergarten Teacher: Mr. Ratburn's younger sister Rodentia definitely has the attitude, and she teaches lessons like "yellow and blue makes green" and "what season comes after fall?". At first the class embraces this since her lessons are much easier than Mr. Ratburn's, but by the end of the episode they've become bored and irritated with her since she treats them like little kids and her lessons aren't challenging in the slightest.
- Mythology Gag: In the flashbacks of past substitute teachers, most of the kids sans Arthur wear outfits similar to what they would typically wear in the Arthur Adventures books, most notably Buster's red shirt and "The Brain" wearing a light blue sweater vest. (Arthur simply wears a plain white shirt.)
- Nausea Fuel: In-Universe, one bad substitute teacher the kids recall was Mrs. Bofini, who would eat apples chewing with her mouth open in front of the whole class and talking with her mouth full. The kids would be so grossed out by Mrs. Bofini's disgusting habits they couldn't concentrate on the lesson.
- Playing Sick: Francine references doing this to get out of class, but her mother notices she doesn't have a fever, nausea or any rashes and makes her go to school.
- Sibling Rivalry: Francine imagines that Nigel and Rodentia have this. Turns out it's not the case.
- Sibling Yin-Yang: The kids know that Nigel Ratburn is a tough teacher and Reasonable Authority Figure who challenges them but is willing to admit when he's wrong. Rodentia is a Nice Girl but a Misplaced Kindergarten Teacher. She also can't adjust when the class admits her work is too easy.
- The Unintelligible: One bad substitute teacher the kids recall was Ms. Tremolo, who mumbled everything to the point where the class couldn't hear her.
