All good things come to an end. And sadly, this time it is Arthur, a beloved PBS show that has been viewed by children for over 20 years. After 25 seasons of the series’ personification of aardvarks, rabbits, monkeys, etc. the tales of Arthur and his friends have come to an end. The series finale, “All Grown Up” gave a glimpse into the future for the bunch. It seems like they are all living happily ever after!
In the episode, Arthur, Buster, Muffy, and Francine stumble across a strange game in the back of the library. The game boasts it can tell you your future after you play! Well, the kids play and become very dubious about their answers. And we get a flash-forward 20 years to see what their futures look like.
It turns out Buster Baxter, our lop-eared friend, has become a teacher. One of his pupils is Arthur’s littlest sister Kate, who is showing promise as a writer! The short ending scene shows all the old pals coming together at the Sugar Bowl, which is now run by George Lundgren. They all gather around Arthur as he is hiding something he has written and they all desperately want a peek!
While Arthur waits to show his whole crew, we see them pile into the place. Muffy Crosswire makes a comment about being the next mayor of Elwood City. Francine Frensky shows off her new line of sneakers, from her very own company!
The scene pans to the television on the wall, where we can see Binky Barnes is now a weatherman on a local channel. Next, we look to the outside and hear D.W.’s voice. Turns out she has grown up to be a traffic cop and is giving a ticket to a long-lost pal. Her boisterous attitude paid off it seems!
Each of the gang has grown up into a profession suiting them perfectly and they look happy as can be. Especially after Arthur shows them his latest work, a graphic novel about them, as kids.
The show becomes a loop, where Arthur was really the one telling the stories for all of the previous episodes. He has written them out in his graphic novels.
It’s beautiful, and for someone who loved watching as a child, I can admit, I shed a few tears.
However, there’s word the show isn’t quite done. The network promises episodes will continue to air on tv. There are also some other projects in the works centered around Arthur and his posse.
Don’t miss out on the series finale of Arthur, it’s worth the flashback it will bring you! You can watch the episode on PBS Kids’ YouTube. Let’s celebrate over 25 years of childhood memories even if they are coming to an end. This is the circle of life after all!
