Binky Barnes Art ExpertBuster and Arthur like being paired together for art, but they go This Is Gonna Suck when Binky becomes their third partner. They simply have to observe paintings at the local museum and then write a report. Arthur and Buster have a hard time picking one, but Binky chooses an abstract work that he insists is sideways. Fearing they'll be a laughingstock or that Binky will beat them up for refusing to help him, Arthur and Buster engage in a Zany Scheme to convince Binky to change his mind. Hilarity Ensues.
Tropes for this episode include:
- Blatant Lies: Arthur and Buster try lying to Binky that the school burned down so it's closed. He points out he can see the building from his house. Buster then whispers for Arthur to say it only burned on the inside. Naturally, Binky doesn't believe them. As Arthur iconically puts it to Buster, "It only burned on the inside?!" Buster admits that was a lame excuse.
- Hidden Depths: It's revealed that Binky likes art a lot, and exploring patterns in geometric pieces. He did research on the painting in question, believing that it's sideways and not right-side up. Rather than stick to stating it bluntly, like Arthur and Buster fear, Binky photocopies the arrangement and contacts some experts, as well as the creator, on the Internet. For his presentation, he plays a video that the artist sent him of how to arrange the painting properly.
- Imagine Spot: Buster and Arthur worry that if they go through with Binky's "the abstract painting is sideways" topic, they'll be the laughing stock of the class, to the point that their art teacher can barely stifle a giggle when she fails them.
- Irony: Binky's choice of painting (and his going the extra mile to prove it's upside-down) actually end up saving his, Buster, and Arthur's report, rather than the latter two's plagiarized report.
- Plagiarism in Fiction: Buster and Arthur tell Binky that they'll do their own report while he reports on the "sideways" painting as a compromise. But when they realize that they haven't written their own report, they copy from the museum catalog.
- Sincerity Mode: Binky tells Arthur and Buster that if they're having trouble with their half of the report, he'll cover for them. Then he delivers on it on seeing that Arthur and Buster have nothing to present apart from a copy of the museum catalog.
- Terrible Interviewees Montage: When Francine reminds Arthur and Buster that they have one day to write their reports, they look through the museum catalog for ideas. They start vetoing ideas like American Gothic, The Scream, and a seascape. Eventually, Arthur seems to settle on a painting of farmers. Even then, he completely forgets to write about it.
- "The Scream" Parody: Arthur and Buster look through an art museum pamphlet to choose one to write a report on. They imagine themselves in a parody of The Scream, which has Francine screaming instead.Arthur: This is giving me a headache!
- Wingding Eyes: One picture with a spiral makes a group of kids develop similar patterns in their eyes. They practically get hypnotized.
Arthur's Lucky PencilArthur has a stream of bad days, where his father serves fish sticks and creamed okra for dinner, D.W. wins at Heads or Tails? regularly, and Pal eats all the dessert in the house. On top of that, it's constantly raining and Mr. Ratburn is assigning another big test. His luck seems to turn when D.W. stops him from stepping on a golden-colored pencil, as he starts getting As on classwork and free soda. Yet his friends all want to use the pencil, and soon it's worn down to a stub. Arthur doesn't know how to preserve the luck.
Tropes for this episode include:
- Hard Work Hardly Works: Subverted. Arthur feels he's doing well on Ratburn's tests because of the pencil. Meanwhile, he spends his free time studying so he won't have to use the pencil and save the luck. It turns out his studying paid off.
- Here We Go Again!: When D.W. finds the pencil in Arthur's emptied wastebin and he claims he didn't need it anymore, she says she'll use the luck. Arthur then chases her down for it, saying he wants it back.
- Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane: The pencil does perform some miraculous feats, like getting about four sodas out of the school vending machine. Perhaps it did have some luck.
- Riddle for the Ages: Everything regarding the pencil, but especially whether or not it actually was magic, or simply just an ordinary, if unique-looking, one.
- Supreme Chef: Ms. MacGrady, as per usual. She makes several batches of Boston Cream Pie, treating Arthur and Buster to "extra-big slices" when she has a cake fresh out of the oven. Arthur's not enthusiastic about it, but Buster is.
- Taking Advantage of Generosity: Arthur is at first happy to share the lucky pencil with his friends. They then, however, start using it for mundane tasks and things: Muffy uses it to keep up her hairdo, Francine subs it in for a broken drumstick, and Buster uses it for desk hockey. You can't blame Arthur for eventually saying no when Buster cries that he broke the pencil and then asks to use it again since he was winning.
