Time, Fire, Death, and...Arthur? Why the Gang Never Grows Up

If you're an Arthur fan (as we've been for years), you would've noticed something a long time ago. There's practically no passing of time on Arthur. Why not? I mean, if they can make animal's lives as realistic as ours (electricity, cars, schools and public places, etc), how come nobody gets older, even when they have a birthday? And how come the Arthur gang never moves up from the 3rd grade? I mean, they have summertime episodes. In Swept Away, season 11, episode 1a, Arthur, Buster, and D.W. spend their vacation at the beach building a large sand castle. Same as in The Short, Quick Summer, season 2, episode 9b, where the time of year is even mentioned in the name.

There are also birthdays. In Prunella Gets It Twice, season 4, episode 6, she celebrates her birthday, and in Misfortune Teller, season 1, episode 23b, she invites her friends for her half-birthday party. Arthur's Birthday, season 1, episode 10, actually has 2 birthdays--his, and Muffy's. They should be turning 9; Prunella, 10. But they just return to their always-known ages. I figure it's just easier to keep the characters in the same grade--especially if there are a lot of main and sub-main characters. You develop a relationship with the gang and their classmates and, come on; would it be the same without forever cake-eating Mr. Ratburn? I think not.

 Interestingly enough, there are even a few episodes where Arthur and the gang discuss moving up to the fourth grade. In Brain's Shocking Secret, season 11, episode 4b, the Brain is worried that his friends will find out that he was held back in kindergarten, and he should truly be in the fourth grade. The secret gets out and, in the end of the episode, Brain admits the truth. He tells Binky, who was also held back, "When I go to 4th grade next year, you're coming with me."

Both of these photos belong to the Brain. The one to the left is Brain's first year in kindergarten, the one to the right is his second year. You should be able to recognize the figures in the second photo. Look familiar?

In Buster Makes The Grade, season 1, episode 7b, Buster is called to Principal Haney's office. When questioned by his friends later on about what happened, Buster sadly informs them, "Mr. Ratburn says if I don't get a B on the next test, 'You won't have the pleasure of joining your friends in the 4th grade'." Of course, Buster gets the good grade, but neither he or Binky (or any of them) leave Mr. Ratburn's class.

D.W. making a wish

There's also D.W. Like Arthur and his friends, she also stays in the same level of school--preschool--throughout the whole show. D.W. turns four in D.W.'s Perfect Wish, season 3, episode 14b, and later on is mention as a four year old, making her basically the only person who's considered the age they're supposed to be (for a while). Ironically enough, D.W. talks about never getting older in Arthur's New Year's Eve, season 1, episode 30b. When Mrs. Read tells D.W. she's too young to stay up until midnight with Arthur and Grandma Thora, D.W. exclaims, "How can I always be too young? It's like I never get any older! What if I'm trapped in some kind of time warp and I never get older? Is that my fault?                                      
No, D.W., it's not your fault. It's Mark Brown's fault. XD

But, of course; this is the "Arthur Theory" blog, and I have come up with my own explanation. Remember; this is not a true fact. It's just a fun/comical way to explain the mysteries of the much-loved show Arthur. 

In the episode April 9th, season 7, episode 10, the kids are in class when they smell smoke. A fire has broken out in one of the rooms, and the whole school has to evacuate. The episode proceeds, where Arthur is scared to let his dad go anywhere after Mr. Read has to be searched for in the building by a firefighter, Sue Ellen is grieving because her diary was left behind, Binky develops a fear of fire after he saw the flames himself head-on, and Buster is (oddly) regretting sleeping in that morning, missing the event.

Arthur reunites with his dad after the fire

My point is: What if the Arthur gang never escaped? Maybe they were lately warned about the fire by either not smelling the smoke, no one came to tell them, or there was a malfunction with the fire alarms. So they were trapped in with the flames, and they tragically died. The reason they are still around is because their ghosts are cursed to haunt the school forever, because they died in such a terrible tragedy. And that is the reason they have never passed the third grade.

When you do the proper research it surprisingly enough makes some sense. This wouldn't be the first time ghosts were mentioned in Arthur. Take The Fright Stuff, season 2, episode 7b, for instance. In this episode, Arthur, Buster, Binky, and the Brain are in a prank war with Muffy and Francine. The Crosswires rent Castle Manor--a haunted house located in Elwood City--for a Halloween costume party, where the two rival teams pull the ultimate prank. Their plans are changed when they come in contact with a ghost, who is later seen in the attic, talking to her father, also a ghost.

And who can forget the ghost girl who haunts the same train Sue Ellen is riding in Strangers on a Train, season 11, episode 5b? The most recent episode to mention ghosts is Prunella and the Haunted Locker, season 13, episode 8b, where Prunella is informed by Principal Haney that her locker is under construction. In the meanwhile, she's forced to put her things in locker 237, an old fashioned locker tucked in a far corner of the school. Apparently the locker is haunted by the ghost of Little Jack Murphy. The story is completely made up by the imaginative mind of Fern, but at the end of the episode a swing on the playground suddenly moves in the gentle breeze. The giggling of a young boy can be heard, and the episode ends. So the idea of Arthur and the gang being ghosts isn't that crazy.

Despite what you may think, time does pass on Arthur. One obvious sign is the indication of the passing of seasons. Some episodes take place during the winter, summer, fall, and even spring. There are special holiday episodes and movies, such as Arthur's Perfect Christmas. 

Arthur enjoys playing in the snow in Arthur's Perfect Christamas

Another sign to look for is the advance in technology. In earlier episodes, the only electronics mentioned are phones, fax machines, and computers. More recently, Arthur characters have used cell phones, iPads, and watch their favorite shows and movies on flat screen TVs. Even Mr. Ratburn has trouble learning how to work a new computer. There are blogs, and 3-D movies with explosions. Since time has passed and the Arthur characters haven't grown up, this is perfect proof that they are ghosts. Time has passed, but they are still the same age.

You may be thinking "What about Buster? He was late to school, so what happened to him? He couldn't have died in the fire." You're right. Most likely, Buster lost his mind when he learned all his friends died. Because of this, he is able to see the ghosts of his friends and teacher. This makes sense, though. Buster is very gullible, and he already believes in aliens, so why not ghosts?

Buster goes insane

Wow. Dark episode XD.

Anyway, you can check these episodes out for yourself. Leave your opinion down in the comments below. But until we ask the directors for ourselves, the world may never know why time repeats itself.