"A Boy's Best Friend is His Fish" is the second half of the twenty-sixth episode in the first season of Stanley.
Summary[]
Because of a misunderstanding, Dennis believes Stanley is off to the pet store to get a new best friend.
Plot[]
Stanley and his mom are heading down to the pet store (for the third time) to look for a present for Dennis. Stanley remarks that during the last few trips, nothing he’s found has been good enough. He remembers a sunken pirate ship and a diver accessory with a treasure chest that opens and shuts. The latter of which did not seem like a good idea, as it would make too much noise for Dennis to go to sleep. Stanley’s mother assures him that they will find something and the two head out on their way.
Meanwhile, back at the house, Dennis is in Stanley’s room with Harry and Elsie. He starts getting worried that Stanley has gone to the pet store again, coming to the conclusion that he’s probably looking for a new fish best friend. Elsie and Harry try to convince him that it’s not the case, saying that Dennis has always been Stanley’s favorite fish and best friend, and could never be replaced. Regardless, Dennis still laments about it, feeling that he’s become a has-been. He imagines that Stanley would rather want a fish that’s a lot more fancier and exotic, so Dennis decides to pack up and run away for good. He also decides to give Stanley a pink seashell he got from his mother when he was little as a going away present.
Down at the pet shop, Stanley is still struggling to find Dennis a present. It isn’t until the shopkeeper, Mr. Finn, comes in to help out. He instructs them to look on the new computer to find out more info. After logging on, they find out that people have raised and kept goldfish as pets for thousands of years (even longer than any other animal). While browsing, they find a goldfish that resembles Dennis, which is called a comet. The computer tells them that goldfish are sensitive to loud noises and sleep best in the darkness and that they can get hurt by sharp objects. The research gives Stanley and idea, and thus he knows what would make the perfect gift.
Soon enough, Stanley arrives back home and Dennis begins to panic again. Harry and Elsie hide under the bed as Stanley comes into the room with a package in hand. He’s about to show Dennis what’s inside, but Dennis immediately interrupts him, giving Stanley the shell and telling him that he would always be his favorite human. Stanley feels rather confused by Dennis’ behavior, but is touched by the gift and states that Dennis would always be his favorite fish. Thus, Stanley then opens the box revealing a small castle for his fishbowl, to which Dennis is delightfully surprised.
That night, Stanley and Dennis talk to each other about what happened and Dennis apologizes for doubting him and jumping to conclusions too quickly. Stanley assures him that sometimes he does the same thing and that he and Dennis will always be best friends no matter what.
Characters[]
- Stanley
- Mom
- Dennis
- Harry
- Elsie
- Mr. Finn
Featured Animals[]
Comet Goldfish
Songs[]
Trivia[]
- Morals
- You shouldn’t jump to conclusions right away.
- True friends can never be replaced.
- The title of the episode is a reference to the song ‘A boy’s best friend is his mother’.
- This episode reveals that Dennis is a comet goldfish.
- This is the second time the term ‘evidence’ is explained, the first time was in Garbage Can Bandit.
Errors[]
- Joyce states that goldfish don’t have eyelids. However, Dennis has been frequently shown blinking and closing his eyes several times throughout the show.