Arthur (animation)/Tear Jerker

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General

• Binky is implied to be a bully in the earlier seasons owing to his being held back in school. He regularly admits that he acts tough so he doesn't have to confront people. Intimidating others is one thing he's good at, and thinks that he isn't better at anything else.
• Buster's constant struggles in school. Some episodes imply he may even have a learning disability, depending on how well he does on a test.

Season One

• "Arthur's Eyes"
  • Just as Arthur arrives to school with new glasses, finally able to see everyone, Francine starts making fun of him. The whole classroom laughs as Francine chants, "Arthur is a four-eyes". Buster defends Arthur, but later makes fun of him at lunch. He has the decency to look ashamed when Arthur catches him and walks off in a huff.
• "Francine's Bad Hair Day"
  • Muffy browbeats Francine into wearing a dress and getting a perm to look nice for school pictures. While Francine is hesitant about both because pink isn't her color and the perm makes her look like Little orphan Annie, she actually admits that she looks nice. Then Muffy tells her that she can't play kickball or it will mess up the style. Francine collapses on her bed, saying there are too many rules.
  • The way that Arthur and Buster laugh at Francine's new look. She asks them if they like it. Buster bluntly says no, and Arthur doesn't have the words. As Muffy puts it, "Boys ruin everything."
• "Buster Makes The Grade"
  • The Cold Open is hilarious in how it shows Buster blowing off work. Then we see the reality check: Buster has failed his latest exam. It's so bad that Mr. Ratburn just says "BUSTER!" sternly before handing the paper back to him. He also tells Buster to go to Haney's office. Turns out he's been failing so badly that he may need to repeat the third grade.
  • The scene in the principal's office; Bitzi is there with her mother, and bursts into tears. Mr. Haney tries to reassure her, saying that it's not an unfixable problem, but fails on realizing he's offering her a lollipop and not a tissue.
• "So Long Spanky"
  • Spanky's death. it's even worse for those that have had parakeets as pets. D.W. notices that he sounds funny, and goes to get him some sick item stuff. He closes his eyes, and stand still on his perch.
  • The way that David has to break it gently to D.W. that Spanky is dead. She asks, "When will he stop being dead?" Arthur overhears and becomes concerned. David has to say that Spanky is gone and won't ever wake up, hugging D.W. as she starts crying into his arm.
  • Arthur never liked Spanky in life. The bird bit him at their first meeting, stole his shoelaces, and constantly messed up his stuff. At the funeral, he apologizes to Spanky for never getting along with him, admitting he's going to miss the little guy.
• "Arthur's Chickenpox"
  • When Arthur develops chickenpox, Jane says he may have to miss the circus. He gives a Big "What?" and sits up in bed. Jane proceeds to explain that it's a contagious virus, so they have to make sure it passes.
  • After annoying Arthur for most of the episode, D.W. gets jealous when Grandma Thora tends to her sick older brother. She tries to fake having chickenpox, only for her spots to wash off in the bath. Thora has never said, "Dora Winifred Read, I'm disappointed in you" in such a cold voice.
• Pal eats too much sweets and junk food in "Sick as a Dog". The end result? He gets sick and is almost on the verge of death. Fortunately, a trip to the vet allows them to observe Pal overnight, check his stomach, and administer treatment. The vet goes easy on Arthur, giving him a proper book on nutrition and cheerfully saying that if Arthur ate pancakes, two-year old candy and wieners all in one day, then he should probably get his stomach checked as well. Arthur apologizes to Pal when he gets come, and to D.W. for blaming her mistakenly.
• "D.W. Flips"
  • Jane is skeptical at first that D.W. will practice in gymnastics because D.W. refused to put in the work after begging to sign up for teeball, ballet, and violin. This time, D.W.'s interest is genuine; feeling nettled that Emily is doing better in gymnastics than she is and the Tibble Twins are making fun of her, D.W. spends weeks practicing her cartwheels so she doesn't fall off the mat during class. At the next lesson, she manages to do a perfect set of cartwheels, and the instructor praises her for remembering to finish with both feet together. D.W. hears the class applauding and turns to thank them...only to see that they're applauding Emily for doing a longer set of cartwheels across the room. The instructor tells Emily sternly, "Showing off is very impolite!" and D.W. walks off angrily after yelling at Emily.
  • D.W.'s attempt at the balance beam is quite unnerving. Emily tries to apologize for showing off, but D.W. dismissively rejects it, saying cartwheels are for babies. She gets the idea to show up Emily by getting up on the balance beam, which their instructor said strictly was off-limits for their class for a year. The Tibble Twins help her up, as Emily warns her it's a bad idea. D.W. at first holds her balance, but when she wobbles and the Twins have Psychotic Smirks that she'll fall, Emily runs to get their instructor and Jane.
• "D.W. Rides Again":
  • The first time Arthur helps D.W. ride, he forgets to tell her how to stop. She panics and falls over; cue her lying on her side, and briefly crying. Fortunately, Arthur helps her get back up and the next scene is her perfectly turning and signaling.
  • The sheer number of times that D.W. gets injured during her Failure Montage; Pal and Kate watch, wincing every time that she falls, crashes into the fence, or rams face-first into walls. Doubles as a Moment of Awesome that she refuses to give up until she rides without training wheels.

Season Two

• In the episode "Lost!",
  • Arthur goes on a bus for a swimming lesson, but sleeps through it and misses his stop. The driver orders everyone off at the edge of town, and Arthur is too shy to ask him for help Depressed by how he is broke and doesn't know the way back home, he lets out a tear.
• "D.W. Blows the Whistle":
  • D.W. starts the episode with good intentions. She tries to listen to Office Safety. But then D.W. gets carried away, blowing the whistle on her family and neighbors for little things such as wearing a magazine without gloves or taking a bath "without a life preserver" in her words. When Jane and David tell her that she has to cool it since Arthur has to take her to a local race rather than leave her at home since they're working, she remains stubborn that she's doing the right thing. It gets to the point where at the race, Arthur has to get ready to compete. He sternly orders her to stay in one place and not do anything. D.W. looks hurt as she insists he's not her boss.
  • Remember when D.W. got on the balance beam and nearly fell in season one, which ends up doubling as Adult Fear until Emily gets the adults? So is her bad idea of climbing up a REALLY tall tree.

Season Three

• "Revenge of the Chip"
  • D.W. is mad at her mom because she told her friends about D.W.'s chip incident from the previous episode. She had thought Arthur told everyone, but Arthur knew how embarrassing it was for her; unlike when she blamed him for taking the Crazy Bus CD and it ended up being their parents accidentally taking it, she gives him a sincere apology.
  • After hearing D.W. scream in betrayal when the latter overhears her blabbing to someone on the phone, Mom made a promise to her to not mention the chip story, but she broke it and told Mrs. Tibbles about it. Even sadder, D.W. runs away while crying, and calls out her mother when Jane catches up to her.

Season Four

• "Arthur's Big Hit"
  • Arthur punching D.W. is a bit depressing, as it features a brother hitting his sister.
  • Binky is utterly regretful when the Tough Customers bully him into punching Arthur. The next day he apologizes to Arthur, and briefly de-founds the club because it was a stupid rule.

Season Six

• D.W.'s mumbly, scratchy voice in "For Whom the Bell Tolls" sounds depressing.

Season Seven

• In "D.W.'s Time Trouble" D.W. is so angry Arthur took her to a movie she didn't want to see that she and her imaginary friend Nadine go back in time to when Arthur was born and change things around so that she's the older sibling. However, D.W. and Nadine start seeing their teenaged selves. Turns out the whole thing was a bad dream D.W. had. So she sleeps in Arthur's bed for the night.
  • The ending scene is both a Tear Jerker and a Crowning Moment of Heartwarming
• Two Words: April 9th.
  • The basic premise is that due to an electrical wiring failure, Elwood City School suffers a fire in the teacher's lounge, right when Arthur's dad David is catering a teacher's breakfast.
  • Buster can't feel bad for the school burning down in flames because he wasn't there.
  • Sue Ellen's favorite diary is left in the Elwood City School building.
    • Muffy, for once, isn't a Jerkass and tries numerous times to cheer her up by buying her various new diaries. Until the end, it doesn't really work.
  • Binky, who has an irrational fear of fire, pulls the school fire alarm in fear while the kids have to attend Mighty Mountain until Elwood City is repaired.
• George was teased because he can't read books.

Season Twelve

• On one of Muffy's birthdays, she wants a huge bouncy house. But in order to get it, her favorite childhood tree has to be chopped down. Her despair at this and regret at ever wishing for the bouncy house is quite moving.

Season Thirteen

• THE GREAT MCGRADY. All of it. With Mrs. McGrady getting cancer, it's already sad enough, but the reactions from the kids are worse because of how realistic they were; Arthur and D.W. try their best to help Mrs. McGrady out, to the point that they become a bit of a burden, Francine is unable to face Mrs. McGrady feeling afraid for her, Muffy acts like nothing has changed, etc., etc.

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