The Magic School Bus Gets Ants in its Pants
Original airdate: November 26th, 1994
Subject: Ants
Focus Student(s): Keesha, Phoebe, Carlos
The class needs to make a picture for the school film festival, but they don't have a subject. Keesha decides to follow an ant that's stolen a cracker, in hopes of finding a star.
Producers Segment
Both producers assure Liz that they will ensure that she gets credit for her camera work before answering the phone calls that come in.
Tropes
- Actually Pretty Funny: Carlos's "Flor-ants Nightingale" pun stands out among his other ant puns during the episode in that everyone except Keesha found that one funny.
- Anti-Climax: How the class reacts to seeing the queen ant, and realizing they can't make a plot about her.
- Chekhov's Gun: The magnifying glass that Keesha dropped earlier ends up stopping the "mud slide" from hitting the ant nest, after Keesha orders the class to move it.
- Dude, Where's My Respect?: Liz is not happy at the end when the class ignores her for doing excellent camera work. In the Producers Segment, the male Producer calls the Academy of Arts and Science to right this wrong, despite his doubts that they'll "nominate a Lizard." The Academy eventually calls back to give Liz her credit and she kisses him on the cheek as a thank you.
- Foreshadowing: The rainstorm outside causes a bit of the ant nest to cave in. Later on a mudslide nearly floods the ants.
- Heroic BSoD: Keesha goes through one when it seems like they are out of options of ant stars for the film.
- Hurricane of Puns: The Producers even acknowledge all the ant jokes from this episode.
- Mass "Oh, Crap!": The class when Liz alerts them to the mudslide.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Carlos briefly shows this expression when his criticism of Keesha's obsession with the queen ant causes her to have Heroic BSoD and run off.
- Not Now, Kiddo: Keesha and Phoebe ignore Liz when she tries to frantically warn them about the oncoming mudslide. Fortunately Liz finds Arnold and manages to communicate the problem.
- Oh, Crap!: Keesha has two.
- First, when she can't find her star ant before she has to get on the bus:Keesha: Oh, bad! Oh, bad, bad, bad!
- Then, after realizing a movie about ants may not be much of a movie after all:Keesha: Oh, bad. Oh, bad, bad, bad, bad.
- First, when she can't find her star ant before she has to get on the bus:
- Prima Donna Director: Keesha briefly becomes this during the episode. Fortunately she grows out of it in time to save the ants.
- Royals Who Actually Do Something: Averted, though Keesha and Carlos were hoping to do an "in-person" interview with ant royalty. As in Real Life, all the queen ant does is lay eggs.
- Shout-Out: Several famous movie titles are referenced in this episode.
- Silent Snarker: Liz has a variety of priceless expressions while filming the ants, including trying to eat one at the beginning.
- 10-Minute Retirement: Keesha tosses away her director's hat and megaphone when she finds that the queen doesn't do anything but lay eggs. Fortunately Ms. Frizzle picked them up and puts them back on Keesha when she rallies the class to save the ants.
- What Kind of Lame Power Is Heart, Anyway? : Keesha asks this question almost word-for-word when Phoebe comes to comfort her, about what good is a queen that only lays eggs. Phoebe then points out that if not for the eggs, there'd be no new ants, and they come to the "Eureka!" Moment that the ants function better together than apart.
