Popular Girls
During a spring break day camp being held at the community center/preschool, Francine accidentally brings her sister's backpack, including her fashion magazine. Fern and Sue Ellen take the quiz, learning that their character traits — being a Shrinking Violet and The Ace — may actually be flaws. They decide to change their personalities. Hilarity Ensues.
Tropes for this episode include:
- Continuity Nod: The kids, shown to not know what a record player is in Season 1's "Francine Frensky, Superstar", all "ooh" and "aah" over a record player Jenna demonstrates when her group shows off older devices and trends.
- "Could Have Avoided This!" Plot: Francine tells Sue Ellen and Fern that they didn't have to take a quiz to determine who they are. No magazine can teach them that.
- Didn't Think This Through: Sue Ellen tries to practice Obfuscating Stupidity to get everyone to like her. It turns out that the group relies on her for expertise and they fall apart when she cedes authority.
- Imagine Spot: When Fern's personality quiz results warn her that her shyness is a flaw, she worries that it will get to the point where she's literally transparent and can't be heard.
- Just the Way You Are: Everyone makes it clear that they like Fern for being a Shrinking Violet and Sue Ellen for being The Ace, and they shouldn't try to hide who they are.
- Here We Go Again!: The episode ends with Mr. Ratburn finding the magazine and taking its' personality quiz.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Binky gets depressed when Sue Ellen throws the karate match against him, because he knows that she didn't try. He only cheers up when she flips him for real and dives back into fixing his group's Trojan Horse.
- She's Back: Sue Ellen flips Binky, which cheers him upon realizing she's not holding back anymore.
- What Are Records?: One part when a group of kids at the day camp are showing off older devices and trends, Jenna demonstrates a record player, and the kids all "ooh" over it in awe.
Buster's Growing Grudge
Buster believes he has his next report in the bag by telling a joke, and that's it. He gets irked when Binky steals his joke, recites it, and gets a better grade.
Tropes for this episode include:
- Attack! Attack... Retreat! Retreat!: Buster initially agrees to confront Binky, but when he is faced with Binky's hulking frame towering over him, he meekly asks Arthur if he's ever noticed how large he is and backs down.
- "Could Have Avoided This!" Plot: If Buster had actually made an effort to do the project instead of relying solely on a joke, the whole plot could've been avoided. Any attentive viewer also knows that Mr. Ratburn is not a teacher who would bump up somebody's grade just for a decent joke, meaning Buster was likely doomed from the start.
- Dramatically Missing the Point: Buster makes a Running Gag out of this:
- He thinks he got a D and Binky got an B+ on his report because Binky stole his joke. More likely it's that Binky did a detailed report, while Buster was just relying on a pun.
- He throws the talent show to rant during his routine about how Binky told his joke rather than doing a standup bit, then blames his loss on Binky. Arthur lampshades this and tells Buster he should have told that joke.
- When Buster says this wouldn't have happened if he hadn't told the joke to Binky, Arthur tries to encourage him to talk to Binky about it. Buster instead thinks he should ask the Brain to build a time machine so he can change the past.
- Everyone Has Standards: When Buster finally talks to Binky about why he's mad, Binky is genuinely apologetic and pays him the change he has for the joke.
- Hope Spot: For a moment, Buster watching Binky fall in the mud and get laughed at seems to satisfy Buster's grudge. But an instant later, it bothers him again because they're laughing at Binky the way they laughed at the joke he stole from Buster. And it doesn't help that even Binky isn't bothered to have fallen in the mud.
- Imagine Spot:
- When Buster hears about Binky getting a B+ on his report, he imagines Mr. Ratburn falling over laughing hysterically at Binky telling Buster's joke, and exclaims, "I was going to give you an F, but that joke... you deserve a higher grade!"
- Arthur imagines Buster carrying his grudge all through college, a presidential campaign, and when they are golfing retirees. The thought horrifies Arthur.
- Never My Fault: Buster blames his report being all about eggnog on the fact that it was right next to Egypt in the encyclopedia. Once he says this justification out loud though, he realizes it's his own fault and finally decides to talk things out with Binky.
- Running Gag: George wins the Talent Show as usual. Despite his grudge severely clouding his judgement, Buster doesn't even get that mad at him.
- Stating the Simple Solution: After all is said and done, Buster talking to Binky finally settles his grudge.
- Tempting Fate: As Buster walks onstage for his talent show act, Francine comments to Arthur that while Buster is telling jokes, they will have a break from him complaining about Binky. Buster then spends the entire act complaining about Binky instead of telling jokes.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Arthur ultimately calls out Buster for thinking that Binky ruined his report by stealing his joke, when he wrote about the wrong subject, so it wouldn't have gotten him a better grade.
- Who Would Want to Watch Us?: Buster is so excited when Binky pays him for his joke that he says they should work together, Buster writing jokes and Binky performing them. Binky suggests a TV show, but when Buster wants to include Arthur, Binky says, "Who'd want to watch him on TV?"
- Wrong Genre Savvy: Buster thinks he can go back in time like in a science-fiction movie and stop himself from telling Binky his joke. Arthur and Brain tell him that's impossible.
