MSB S2E05: Butterfly and the Bog Beast

Here it comes. An episode that teaches kids about beautiful insects. I am going to take chances, make mistakes, get messy in a bog of butterflies! Blog, do your stuff!

18. Butterfly and the Bog Beast.
Topic: Butterflies.
Written by: Brian Meehl & George Arthur Bloom.
Aired: 5 November 1995.

The class needs a new mascot for their soccer team, the old mascot being so old that nobody even knows what it is anymore. Phoebe is convinced it should be the butterfly, but the rest of the class disagrees with this. Janet shows up again and convinces the class that their mascot should be the "Bog Beast." Since nobody seems to know what a bog beast is, the Friz takes the class on a trip to the swamp to find out.

"According to my research, broccoli is a very healthy vegetable."

True that broccoli is healthy, whether or not it tastes good, but as a mascot? Hard for me to think it ridiculous. I mean I've seen mascots of franchises, sports teams, companies (especially encouraging children) that are other kinds of vegetables, 'eck, there are fruit mascots. Now, I think Dorothy Ann could've dressed as an apple or a banana since they are very healthy fruit. Or maybe she could've dressed as a carrot. 

Another moment where Phoebe is a tree hugger. She says moths are harmless little insects. The mascot being old helped to drive the plot. 

Oh boy. Here we go. Look who's back. The girl you all love to hate. Arnold's know-it-all cousin Janet.

"I am your favourite cousin, right Arnold?"

"You're my only cousin, Janet."

"You're so cute!"

This is proof that Janet doesn't have siblings or any cousins apart from Arnold. 

Look at that beautiful butterfly, oh wait. It's Ms. Valerie Frizzle.

"All the world's a field trip. All the kids in our class merely guinea pigs. Or did Ms. Frizzle say that?"

Funny how Wanda misquoted William Shakespeare here, just to give Arnold higher spirits about the butterfly field trip. It's actually "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players." from the 2nd part and 7th scene of As you Like it.

Liz wanting to eat that butterfly shows she is an insectivore. And it was funny when Phoebe stopped her from trying to eat it.

That was a silly mishap. Janet accidentally caught her cousin with a net. Gee, maybe Arnold should've stayed home today.

Now the Portashrinker is damaged by water in the swamp.

Look out! It is the bog beast! No wait. It's a Swallowtail Caterpillar. It does act like a snake.

Turns out praying mantises eat caterpillars like this, unless they pretend to be snakes.

Liz is hungry. She really wants to eat a butterfly, doesn't she?

 Now that's a surprise! A zebra butterfly scaring its predators with its yellow stripes!

 Yep, the clever name for this orange butterfly. Buckeye!

Janet now realises that butterflies are full of surprises, especially when she got scared of The Magic Butterfly Bus.

Interesting to see Janet get her comeuppance whenever she does do bad things to the class, like her first adventure with them.

Good to see that Janet reforms most times she appears. Here, she's the mascot and cheerleader, the Bog Beast Butterfly. Showing that butterflies are full of surprises.

Well, the Producer not only does a good job producing this series for school kids, but he's good at catching a chameleon butterfly.


Janet even encouraged everyone to go against Phoebe's idea of calling their soccer team "The Walker Elementary School Butterflies" while she suggested "Bog Beasts". I'm surprised they didn't suggest "Walker Elementary School Mummies" or "Walker Elementary School Chameleons".

This episode shows that butterflies start off as caterpillars that turn into chrysalis, or cocoons depending on who you ask, and finally, butterflies.

This was an interesting way to teach kids about butterflies, and to a lesser extent, moths. Those flying insects are not only beautiful, but they are full of surprises. It was a good thing Janet reformed in the end, agreeing with Phoebe to call the soccer team "The Bog Beast Butterflies".  I'd like to call this another moment where Phoebe could've "stayed home today". But even so, she did drive the plot, helping the rest of the class see beautiful butterflies in a bog. Liz sure was hungry here. And Ralphie was even scared out of his wits of some butterflies! 'eck, even Dorothy Ann explained the names of these butterflies they all encountered.

My rating: 9/10.

Season 2 scorecard:

1. Blows its Top: 10/10.

2. Flexes its Muscles: 10/10.

3. The Busasaurus: 10/10.

4. Going Batty: 9.5/10.

5. Butterfly and the Bog Beast: 9/10.

Season 2 so far: 9.6/10.