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"New Bully on the Block" is an episode in the Hey Arnold! TV Series.
Synopsis[]
Arnold and his friends must face two bullies when a new kid, Ludwig, returns and challenges Wolfgang for control of the vacant lot.
Plot[]
Arnold and the gang are playing football at the vacant lot when Wolfgang shows up and takes the ball. He doesn't give it back and starts playing football with a group of his friends. The kids decide to wait until he is done, since he generally gives it back, when another group of 5th grade bullies led by a new kid shows up and tells Wolfgang to get lost. Arnold recognizes him as Ludwig, a bully who has spent the past couple years in juvenile hall. He claims that before he left, the lot belonged to him and tells the 4th graders he's in charge of them now. Wolfgang tells him that that they are his 4th graders, and they start fighting. The 4th graders leave, relieved that Wolfgang has Ludwig to keep him busy. However, Arnold is concerned about losing the lot. The next day, Wolfgang and his group try playing football while Ludwig and his friends try playing soccer and they fight again. The 4th graders try playing baseball in the street, but it goes horribly.
Arnold tries to talk to Wolfgang and Ludwig, telling them that they could all share the whole lot. They respond by punching Arnold and giving him a black eye. Arnold comes up with another plan. He tells each of the bullies the other gives up and suggests they arrive at the lot to check it out after school. Arnold is told by each of the bullies that they have certain lessons until 4:00 (Wolfgang taking oboe lessons and Ludwig taking tap-dancing lessons). At 4:00, Arnold is at the field and both bullies arrive and ask why the other is here. Arnold tells them they should have a game of football to see who gets the field. The two agree to the game, but Wolfgang spots the other 4th graders about to play baseball and gets an idea. Instead of injuring each other by playing themselves, he and Ludwig will split the 4th graders into teams and coach them. Helga refuses to play and gets a black eye. This causes all of them to fall in line and the bullies choose their teams. They agree to play until the sun sets beyond the wall and whoever is winning at that time gets the lot.
The game starts and the two teams battle back and forth with everyone getting scraped and bruised. With less than a minute to go, Wolfgang tells Arnold to kick a field goal to tie the game. Before kicking the field goal, Helga tells him to just miss it so Ludwig gets the lot, and they can work out a deal with him. However, Arnold notices that the bullies are starting to get along and thinks that they'll be willing to share the lot now. He makes the kick and ends the game in a tie. Ludwig and Wolfgang agree to share the field with each other and keep all the 4th graders out. Arnold and the others are against this, but the two bullies beat them all up. Arnold, Helga, Gerald and Stinky are seen hanging by their shirts on the goalpost and Helga complains that they now have two bullies and no lot. Arnold tells them he'll come up with another plan while Ludwig and Wolfgang continue hanging out and repeatedly saying "Dude" to each other.
Production[]
This episode was written for the explicit purpose of reuniting all the "main" Arnold voice actors. Wolfgang is played by Toran Caudell (Arnold for Season 1) and Ludwig is played by Phillip Van Dyke (Arnold for Season 2 and Season 3), while Spencer Klein is the current Arnold. A special thanks was listed at the end of the credits to thank all of the actors who voiced Arnold through the course of the series (including J.D. Daniels, who voiced Arnold in the pilot but did not return for this episode).
Reception[]
This episode is considered by many fans to be one of the worst episodes of the show due to Arnold and his friends continuously being tormented by Wolfgang and Ludwig, only for them to end up losing Gerald Field to the two bullies at the end.