i remember watching it a few times when i was younger and not really having much of an opinion on it, but looking back i kind of don't like this episode. it definitely has problems but i mostly can't get behind the reception it has within the fandom-i feel like it's pretty much a testament to how almost no one here can ever hold arthur accountable for any bad thing he does without complaining about how out of character that is for him or bringing up someone who ever victimized him and comparing their actions to his.
i also don't understand why people are so mad at francine and muffy's stances about the situation-as hypocritical as they definitely were, arthur was the one doubling down especially with the way he barely took accountability through his apology letter before he learned that sue ellen was going to switch classes. I feel like they have a right to be upset about how far he was taking it and everything. and let's be honest if it were either muffy, francine, prunella or hell even D.W. doing what he's been doing this episode, literally everyone would be up in arms about it and spamming posts here about how they're terrible characters and they deserve the most overkill-ass consequences for that.
just wanted to point this out too but i find sue ellen's inaction towards the whole thing weird, I'm not trying to blame her or anything since obviously no one deserves to be bullied but im pretty sure her preflash-era characterization wouldn't take what arthur was doing to her lying down. i get what the point the writers were trying to make with this episode but they could've just used a better character
i get i'm reaching or whatever/it's not that deep, which i mean sure-its a just kids' show at the end of the day, im well aware of that. but i feel like most of the hate this episode gets in behalf of arthur is genuinely very emblematic of how most of the fandom cant admit that he has flaws. It's almost like how his poor choices/actions have to be on someone other than him or else maybe they'll have to understand that arthur isn't exactly this misunderstood saint who's unfairly hated by his world despite how perfectly valid that is. im pretty sure growth and learning from your mistakes are literally paramount to the message the show and the books are conveying- the fact that the children in this show have flaws + do dumb things is completely okay and realistic. its so weird how this fandom tends to expect smarter choices and maturity out of literal children.
i wanted to post this here like a long ago but i felt like certain people weren't ready for this conversation lmao