The Election
As part of a study of American politics, Mr. Ratburn's class holds a mock election between Arthur and Muffy.
- All Elections Are Serious Business: Muffy takes the election far too seriously, even forbidding Francine from hanging out with Arthur because "he's the enemy." After they both lose to Binky, Muffy blames Arthur and vows she'll never forget it. Arthur even tells Buster that he hopes she never loses a real election.
- All for Nothing: Muffy sinks a lot of money and effort into the election but the episode ends with Mr. Ratburn reminding Binky it was just a mock election and that the winner doesn't actually gain anything. Arthur and Buster at least seem to learn the intended lesson about politics and government.
- Artistic License – History: Played for Laughs in Muffy's imagine spot when she imagines herself in Thomas Jefferson's place wanting to buy Paris and other territories after the Louisiana Purchase. Any viewer can tell that buying entire sovereign nations and lands is not as easy as buying a nice pair of shoes.
- Cloudcuckoolander: Binky becomes a candidate with outlandish proposals like no homework and recess all the time. He wins the election, but Mr. Ratburn has to explain that he can't do anything because it was a mock election.
- Dark Horse Victory: Binky unwittingly ends up joining the class election as a third candidate when he blurts how uninspired by Arthur and Muffy's speeches he is, and what he would do as class president. Seeing he has more fun ideas, the tide turns from choosing between Arthur and Muffy to picking Binky as class president.
- Election Day Episode: The plot comes from a mock election that Mr. Ratburn holds to teach the class about government.
- Democracy Is Flawed: The episode shows the pitfalls of when anybody can run for office. Muffy is an Upper-Class Twit with a bratty, selfish lust for power who showers potential voters in gifts, Arthur is extremely meek and awkward, and Binky has no real leadership ability and just promises unrealistic but popular proposals. Ultimately Binky wins the election as a last minute darkhorse entry due to sweeping the class of their feet, despite Arthur putting in the work to have appeal as a good and normal candidate.
- Disproportionate Retribution: In the teaser, President Muffy orders that Arthur be arrested because of the class election.
- Graceful Loser: Arthur takes it well that both he and Muffy lost to Binky since it was just a mock election. He jokes that they better hope Muffy never loses a real election.
- Hate Sink: Muffy's taking the election too seriously, including forbidding Francine to be friends with their "opposition" and slandering Arthur, is meant to give the viewers a reason to root for Arthur to win. No doubt, Binky was a preferable option to her as well.
- Imagine Spot: During the class, Mr. Ratburn discusses some of America's past presidents and the kids imagine themselves as them.
- Muffy imagines herself as Thomas Jefferson buying the Louisiana Purchase, deciding to buy Paris as well because they have great shoes.
- Binky imagines himself as Teddy Roosevelt, who explains his policy of "speak softly and carry a big stick" literally.
- Buster imagines himself as Herbert Hoover telling a joke, which falls flat on his audience.
- Jerkass: Muffy's at her worst in this episode considering that she's very determined to win the school election and she even berates Francine for talking to Arthur after she considers him to be her rival at the election.
- Skewed Priorities: After seeing Muffy has a huge head start on the election by making posters and buttons, Arthur tells Buster to stop finding jokes for him to tell and that they need to work on campaign issues.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: Sometimes, a completely unqualified candidate wins an election simply because of a popularity contest or making the most outlandish proposals. Even then, Ratburn points out to Muffy that as a citizen, Binky is just as eligible to run as anybody else.
- Tyrant Takes the Helm: Part of the reason Arthur throws his hat in the race is because Muffy makes it clear she's running for class president just for the power. Given her malicious slander and poor attitude towards her competitors, and the Imagine Spot Cold Open where she orders Arthur arrested for their class election, she probably would have been a real tyrant.
Francine Goes to War
A new neighbor moves into Francine's apartment building, and things do not get off to a good start.
- Book Ends: The story opens up with Mrs. Pariso banging on Francine and Katherine's bedroom wall because they're being loud. The story ends with Katherine banging the wall when Mrs. Pariso's party with their parents is getting too loud (only for Mrs. Pariso to bang back).
- Cool Old Lady: Mrs. Pariso turns to be one once Francine gets to know her.
- "Could Have Avoided This!" Plot: Francine admits to her dad at the end that he was right; Mrs. Pariso is actually quite cool and not a killjoy as Francine initially thought. Oliver tells her that you have to give new neighbors a chance.
- Deadpan Snarker: Mrs. Pariso returns Francine's forged eviction notice with the grammatical errors circled and pointed out.
- Hidden Depths: Once she visits Mrs. Pariso for tea, Francine learns there's more to her than an old killjoy who lives on the other side of her bedroom wall. As it turns out, as a young woman, Mrs. Pariso shared many interests similar to Francine, doesn't really like tea, and had an amazing life.
- Malicious Misnaming: After receiving a complaint about her drumming, Francine mutters her nickname for Mrs. Pariso (Mrs. Parrot-face) under her breath.
- No. Just... No: When the superintendent tries to pass on Mrs. Pariso's message to not drum so loud, Francine asks him to pass on this message: "Tell her to go suck an egg." The superintendent merely gives her a long look before he responds, "...I don't think I can tell her that."
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Oliver Frensky has never gotten mad at Francine before this episode (merely being disappointed in her when she skipped school earlier in the season). He's tolerated her drumming on the roof at odd hours, drawing an elephant in her room, and teasing Arthur during baseball camp. When does he start yelling at Francine? After he finds out that she was making prank calls to their new neighbor in an attempt to make her leave.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: Francine plans to get rid of Mrs. Pariso by planting a forged eviction notice to convince her she has to leave. Seems like a simple enough plan, right? Except, given she has the grammatical writing skills of a third grader, the notice has too many grammar errors, making it transparent it wasn't written by professional hands. And if Mrs. Pariso returning the letter to Francine with said-errors pointed out is any indication, it didn't work.
- This Means War!: Francine says after Mrs. Paris returns her forged eviction letter.
