MSB S2E08: Revving Up

I am ready to rev up another review on this series. Take chances, make mistakes, rev up your engines! I'm about to save this review from being sent to the junkyard. Blog, do your stuff!

21. Revving Up.
Topic: Engines.
Written by: Sean Kelly, Brian Meehl & George Arthur Bloom.
Guest star: Sherman Hemsley as Mr. Junkett.
Aired: 26 November 1995.

Mr. Junkett (Sherman Hemsley), a vehicle maintenance inspector, was so displeased when he inspected the Magic School Bus that he decides to take it to the junkyard to crush it. The Friz and the class have to do something to save their bus. Naturally, they have decided to shrink and go inside it. All the problems seem to be caused by peanut butter, as Mr. Junkett was eating a peanut butter sandwich while he was inspecting the bus.

Mr. Junkett should've known better than to eat a sandwich with dribbling peanut butter while inspecting the engine of a vehicle. An interesting fact about Mr. Junkett is that he's voiced by the late Sherman Hemsley.

Turns out Mr. Junkett is just as magical as Ms. Frizzle. I mean he took off his dirty outfit and it was magically replaced with a fresh clean one. 

How exactly does Ms. Frizzle do that? Change out of her vehicle inspector outfit and into her usual dress which changes depending on the subject, like this one being about engines of vehicles. 

Looks like something is wrong with The Magic School Bus. Judging by how exhausted it looked here, and it further reminds me of why I got into The Magic School Bus as a kid. 

This is funny. Liz covering Ms. Frizzle's ears so she wouldn't have to hear Mr. Junkett's junk. 

No. Mr. Junkett has declared the main character of the series condemned! 

"Ready, Set, Duck!"

What's funny about what Ms. Frizzle said here is not just how narrow the fuel pipe is, but because of the inflatable boat that looks like a duck. 

"TURN THE KEY, LIZ!"

This is what Liz was trying to do all the time. Get The Magic School Bus to move. Just putting her back foot on the accelerator, and turning the key to the bus. 

Whuh-oh. The tow truck driver is taking The Magic School Bus away to the junkyard! And interestingly, the tow truck driver's voiced by Gary Krawford.

"Now I know what a toss salad feels like!"

Especially when salad is tossed about. 

Here's why Liz wasn't turning the key when the tow truck arrived. Liz was hiding under the main character. 

"I knew I should've stayed home today!"

Considering this was a perfect time to panic, Arnold really should've stayed home in this episode. 

Well, looks like Mr. Junkett is in trouble. That's what he got for condemning the main character. Maybe Mr. Junkett should've stayed home today. But if he did, he wouldn't have gotten his award.

"Oh bad! Oh bad! Oh bad bad bad!"

Keesha was right to panic here. It was bad what's happening to the bus. It is bad. 

"It's a sticky job, but someone's gotta do it!"

Peanut butter is sticky. That's why Carlos said the job is sticky. 

"Anyone want a peanut butter sandwich?"
"Arnold!"

Well, that was Mr. Junkett's sandwich. 

That was a clever thing for the class to do. Help Mr. Junkett from falling, and Dorothy Ann temporarily blinded him by pulling his hat over his eyes, just to hide the fact the main character is magic. 

This is one reason you shouldn't mess around with leaf blowers. This is what Liz unintentionally did to the Producer. Flood his office with leaves.


As Dorothy Ann already said in this episode, we need to be very careful around petroleum because of how easily it burns. This gives me more reasons to get past the moments Dorothy Ann says "According to my research".

Sadly, Sherman Hemsley, who voiced Mr. Junkett, was taken away from us in 2012. Rest in peace, Sherman.

Well, even if Mr. Junkett didn't realise how drippy his peanut butter sandwich was, causing it to mess up The Magic School Bus, this was an interesting way to learn about the engines of motor vehicles. I find it strange that Mr. Junkett didn't chew gum instead of holding a peanut butter sandwich. That would've clogged The Magic School Bus' engines easier. It also shows that we need to be careful around petroleum. And Liz was very good with helping The Magic School Bus. It's interesting this episode was centred around the title character of the series. And Mr. Junkett got quite a comeuppance here.

My rating: 9.5/10.

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.

6. Wet All Over: 9.5/10.

7. In a Pickle: 9/10.

8. Revving Up: 9.5/10.

Season 2 so far: 9.5/10.