The Magic School Bus Blows Its Top
Original airdate: September 9th, 1995
Subject: Volcanoes
Focus Student(s): Dorothy Ann, Carlos
The class is putting together a three-dimensional globe puzzle, and Carlos is irritated that Dorothy Ann is reading the instructions rather than helping. Ms. Frizzle reveals that the puzzle is missing a piece, and they go to the ocean to find it. Dorothy Ann loses her prized bookbag, however, and puts off finding the island to find her research.
Producers Segment
The male producer answers questions via phone call from the newly formed island while Liz plays golf.
Tropes
- Argument of Contradictions: In the final scene, Carlos and Dorothy Ann argue over whose name should come first in the byline over the book they want to write about finding the newly formed island.
- Borrowed Catch Phrase: After reading D.A.'s books and figuring out what's going on, Carlos exclaims to Arnold, "According to my research, we're floating on top of an undersea volcano!"
- Break the Cutie: Dorothy Ann becomes The Ophelia when she loses her books, even convincing the class to go through a narrow crack that traps them in a lava flow.
- Dark Horse Victory: Liz accidentally claims the island first when Carlos accidentally knocks her to dry land with his oar.
- Double Take: Arnold does this when he briefly sees Carlos with DA's hairstyle and voice.
- "Eureka!" Moment:
- When the class gets trapped in an erupting volcano, as everyone is panicking, Dorothy Ann realizes that when the lava hits the surface, it will create a new island.
- Carlos reaches the same conclusion after reading Dorothy Ann's books.
- Heroic BSoD: D.A goes through one when she loses her bookbag.
- Idiot Ball: Dorothy Ann taking her enormous book bag out of the bus as they plan to go into water. When a wave pops up courtesy of Carlos jumping into the rubber raft, it washes her books away.
- Imagine Spot: Carlos imagines himself as a conquistador placing a flag with his name on the new island.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Carlos jumping into the raft causes a wave that washes away DA's book bag, which causes her to want to search for it.
- Rule of Cool: Liz playing golf with lava pits in the Producers segment on her island.
- Shout-Out: One of the names D.A. suggests for the island is Gilligan's Island, but decides against it because it's "already taken."
- Small Name, Big Ego: Carlos wants to name the island after himself. Later on, when Liz claims the island and Dorothy Ann wants to collaborate on a book with Carlos about it, they argue over whose name should go first.
- Stating the Simple Solution: Arnold asks if Dorothy Ann could just go to the bookstore to replace her books. She's not amused.
- Strange Minds Think Alike: Carlos and Dorothy Ann reach the same conclusion about the underwater volcano creating an island, Carlos by reading DA's books and DA by observing the ocean.
- You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Ms. Frizzle keeps praising DA when she reaches a conclusion based on observations.
