MSB S3E08: Goes Upstream

Here's another review on this series, one centred around salmon and how they move to different places, something known as migrating. Blog, do your stuff!

34. Goes Upstream.
Topic: Salmon Migration.
Written by: Ronnie Krauss.
Aired: 24 November 1996.

Ralphie is wondering what happened to all the salmon. They need them for the school fish fry, but none of them are there. The Friz has decided to take the class on a field trip to find out. She turns the bus into a salmon and puts a compact disk in the bus that makes it think like a real salmon, so it will go wherever Ralphie's salmon went. However, when the bus starts migrating, Ralphie changes his mind about doing anything to find out what happened to the salmon. He and some kids in the class attempt to stop it, but to no avail.

I guess Ralphie's eager to catch some salmon for Walkerville Elementary's Fish Fry.

It seemed like Ralphie had caught a giant salmon, but actually, it was Ms. Valerie Frizzle!

"To the bus, class!"

"But we're already on the bus!"

Funny how Ms. Frizzle told the whole class to get on the bus when they were already on the bus! 

Pisces '95. This series must take place when it was produced.

Shark! The shark is going to eat The Magic School Salmon!

They're losing salt! Well, the salmon are migrating from ocean to a stream.

You see, just before some salmon make it to freshwater, seals eat those who don't make it.

Lucky those seals didn't try eating The Magic School Salmon. And it's turned more orange.

Now the bus is going to be eaten! It's going to get that bait!

Do Ralphie, Keesha, Carlos and Wanda really think a dam will stop the salmon?

They're eggs! Salmon eggs!

"I guess the yolk's on us!"

"Carlos!"

Funny Carlos should say that, especially since they're eggs! 

Is Liz a good dancer or what? Especially when Ms. Frizzle is holding her front foot.

Now here's something you don't expect to see on a show made to educate school kids. Salmon fertilising eggs.

Now the bus is burying its eggs!

The class look funny as salmon. This is why they were turned into eggs. So they can hatch into salmon.

Ride on the Magic School Duck!

They couldn't catch any salmon, so they went with potato fish fries instead. Pretty clever, huh?

Even Arnold's know-it-all cousin Janet thinks it unbelievable the class had gone on a migrating field trip.

Looks like the producer is taking a spot of fishing. With Liz.


This has to be one of the edgiest episodes of the series if not the edgiest episode. I mean, did they show a salmon letting out sperm.....on a kids' show?

What was funny in this was Wanda agreeing with Ralphie's ideas, and every time, they backfired, all 3 times!

This was still an interesting episode on its own, teaching kids about salmon and how they migrate from the ocean, upstream and back again. Good thing the producer segment cleared up the fact that most salmon get eaten by either seals, bears, other animals that eat them. And Carlos' fishin' pun and yolk pun were funny. This would've been a perfect moment for Arnold to have stayed home, especially when the class got buried as eggs. And I could really go for those potato fish fries right now. Is my review complete? Yes? Well then, fishion accomplished!

My rating: 8.5/10.

Season 3 scorecard:

1. In a Beehive: 9.5/10.

2. In the Arctic: 10/10.

3. Spins a Web: 9.5/10.

4. Under Construction: 9.5/10.

5. Gets a Bright Idea: 10/10.

6. Shows and Tells: 10/10.

7. Makes a Rainbow: 10/10.

8. Goes Upstream: 8.5/10.

Season 3 so far: 9.7/10.