Airdate: April 7, 1998
Arthur's Faraway Friend
Arthur and Buster start writing Robin Hood fanfic after finishing the main novel. In the middle of their writing, Arthur is saddened to learn that Buster is leaving to travel with his dad, an airline pilot.
- Anachronism Stew: In the teaser, Buster writes a car into his and Arthur's adventure book, until Arthur reminds him that there weren't any cars in Robin Hood's time. Buster then changes it to a wagon. Though they later include hang gliders and dinosaurs, and Buster's chapter includes them having adventures at Mt. Rushmore, New York, the Alps, and a chocolate factory.
- Death Glare: Arthur is subject to this from Miss Turner and other people at the library when he's being too loud.
- Delayed Reaction: Arthur at first doesn't react to hearing that Buster is going to spend some time with his dad. He says that Buster does that all the time. Buster then explains that it's longer than a week or a weekend.
- Put on a Bus: Aside from a handful of cameos, this is Buster's last major appearance until Season 3.
- Self-Insert Fic: Arthur and Buster's fanfic has themselves as stand-ins for Robin Hood and Friar Tuck.
- Something Only They Would Say: After several weeks of not hearing from Buster, Arthur receives a package that he instantly knows is from him because he wrote his name "Ried" instead of "Read."
- Start My Own: After finishing reading Robin Hood, Arthur and Buster decide to write their own adventures so that the story doesn't have to end.
- Story Arc: Buster leaves Elwood City to travel with his dad. This is a direct continuation from the previous episode, as Arthur and Buster were still reading Robin Hood.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: Buster leaves with his dad in the middle of the school year and is gone for at least a month. It's never clarified how Buster kept up with his schoolwork. At the end of the episode, Jane looks at a calendar for August, suggesting Buster was away for the summer, but other episodes this season still show Arthur and his friends in school.
Arthur and the Square Dance
The school takes up square dancing during rainy days, and Arthur and Francine start to suspect they have crushes on each other.
- The Cameo: Arthur calls Buster to tell him about Francine being weird. Given that the room Buster's in looks different from any room at his mom's condo, it's likely Arthur was calling him wherever he was staying with his dad.
- "Could Have Avoided This!" Plot: Arthur and Francine realize that if they had talked about the rumors beforehand, then they wouldn't have been weird about each other. They agree to never have a misunderstanding like that again.
- Epic Fail: Binky's rough approach to square dancing causes everyone to fall down mid-practice. He even knocks out the music.
- Pet the Dog: Prunella gives Francine some sensible advice when they mistakenly think that Arthur is crushing on Francine. She says that if Francine doesn't return his feelings, then break it to him gently. Francine agrees that Prunella is right.
- Stunned Silence: Buster asks what Arthur will do if Francine tries to kiss him. Arthur is so shocked that it triggers an Imagine Spot where a doctor tells his parents that he's infected with cooties. Once it ends, Buster is still yelling into the phone, wondering where Arthur has gone.
