Random Girl: So if we fail, you should get kicked out for not teaching us well enough.
I like that line, though it seems like something Stella should've said, rather than a random unimportant student in the class. Musa said Professor Wizgiz should've told them about the quiz earlier than the day before. Wizgiz insists that he got orders from above, that he's being forced to give them this quiz. Random classmates complain about not having taken notes in his class. One of the students notices Bloom sleeping in her desk.
Flora: Oh, gooey gumdrops. Not again.
I guess gooey gumdrops is Flora's way of saying "damn." Apparently even "darn" is too strong for Flora. Bloom wakes up, with ink on her face, from the notes she had been taking. The girls all laugh at Bloom, and she asks what's funny. One of the girls pulls a compact to Bloom's face, so she can see the notes on her own face. From a railing above the class, Miss Griselda yells at the students for not moving on to their next class yet, since the bell had already rung. Funny that we didn't hear this supposed bell. Miss Griselda also yells at Bloom to come with her to Miss Faragonda's office. Miss Griselda looks strangely sweet when she starts walking away. That look is actually a lot creepier than her usual "mean" look.
Miss Faragonda tells Bloom that Professor Wizgiz caught her sleeping in his class. Bloom apologizes, saying she didn't get enough sleep. Miss Griselda starts yelling at her. Bloom tries to explain that whenever she tries to sleep, a voice named Daphne wakes her up. Miss Griselda accuses Bloom of pulling out the "old voices in my head" excuse. Is it really that common at Alfea? Miss Faragonda tells Bloom that she isn't upset, and for Bloom to go to her room and get some rests. Miss Griselda complains that Miss Faragonda didn't punish her, and Miss Faragonda hushes her and asks her to leave. I really think Miss Griselda has something stuck up her butt. I really don't understand why she seems to hate Bloom and friends so much. Miss Faragonda ponders what's up with Bloom.
In the girls room, Mirta is still a pumpkin. Flora is trying to change her back, though the spell only creates a foul odor. Musa gets snitty with Flora, and Flora, upset with Musa for doing nothing but complaining about her trying to change Mirta back into a girl, actually gets snitty back. Strike-o numero uno, Musa, but go Flora!
Tecna: Well, you know, witch-on-witch spells are very difficult to break.
Musa: Yeah, but this is Flo. Plants and vegetables and stuff are supposed to be her specialty!
Flora: You try it, Miss "Let's Just Dump Her in a Patch."
Musa: I will! And that was Stella who said we should plant her!
I am amazed they brought back a trailing joke from last episode into this conversation: the joke Stella made about planting Mirta. Also, Flora's trying hard to turn Mirta back: Flora obviously cares for the poor girl. So Musa, just get off her back, already!
Tecna notices Kiko trying to eat Mirta, but Flora says she can fend for herself. Mirta twirls her vines around Kiko's ears to lift him off the ground. It's nice to know, even as a pumpkin, Mirta's not completely helpless.
In the hallway, Bloom sluggishly makes her way back to her room, and she runs into Professor Wizgiz. He seems to be looking for something frantically, but does not mention what he's looking for specifically. He stops for a moment to toss several items out of his bag, including an envelope. Bloom picks up the envelope to give it back, but he's already gone off. Bloom looks at the envelope, which reads "Wizgiz Quiz Answer Sheet."
Back in the Winx girls' room, the envelope is lying on a table in the main room. The girls are all around, staring at the letter. Stella tries to open the envelope using her thoughts, though the other fairies try to talk her out of it. Musa whines to Bloom for bringing the envelope to the room, as if Bloom were just trying to stir up trouble. Strike two, Musa. Bloom tries to get ideas for what they should do with the envelope, and Stella has an interesting answer to that question:
Stella: OK! I've got it! What we'll do is only read the questions! That way, it's not cheating!
That's obviously debatable, but Stella has a point... sort of. If they only read the questions, but gather the answers on their own, then they've truly learned the material, right? And the entire point of taking tests is to learn the material... right? It's not quite as "wrong" as getting the answers, at least. And this probably isn't the best time for her to test out her theory, anyway.
I guess Stella thinks more outside the box... Flora thinks more the "normal" way, in that it's still, undeniably, cheating just the same. Musa is going to go study. Bloom's fast asleep, though. Flora, in her cutest voice, says "Aww, poor thing."
In Bloom's dream, she is walking down a hallway, following the voice of Daphne, but is rudely awakened by Miss Griselda. She tells Bloom that Miss Faragonda wants to talk to Bloom about "questions and answers." After Bloom and Miss Griselda leave, the remaining Winx girls all worry if Miss Faragonda somehow found out that they had the answer key envelope.
COMMERCIAL BREAK #1
Bloom enters Miss Faragonda's office. Miss Faragonda mentions that she had conferred with the elders of Magix, and they're concerned. Bloom splurts out about not having even opened the envelope, which has Miss Faragonda thoroughly confused. Bloom casually plays off the outburst. Miss Faragonda tells Bloom about the voice that's been talking to Bloom at night. Miss Faragonda continues that if it's the Daphne of dragon fire legend, that Bloom may be more than she realizes. Miss Faragonda is going to take Bloom on an astral journey. Sort of a virtual reality-type experience, dream experience type thing.
The astral journey takes Bloom to the bottom of Lake Ephemera. Thank you Lori, for telling me the name for that lake. I couldn't make out what Miss Faragonda was saying for the life in me! Miss Faragonda explains that they are only there in spirit. A fish travels straight through Bloom emphasizing this point. Miss Faragonda explains a legend that says that when the kingdom of Sparx was destroyed, Daphne became the guardian of what remained of the mystical dragon fire. Miss Faragonda tells Bloom that she'll find Daphne in a cave. Daphne says she has much to show Bloom; she is all around Bloom; she is in Bloom. Daphne presents Bloom with the Ember Tiara. She continues that the dragon fire has not stopped burning, that it burns deep within... somewhere. Daphne is unable to finish before Miss Faragonda can no longer muster enough magic for the astral journey, though Miss Faragonda tells Bloom that if she keeps searching for her answers, she'll get them.
Bloom returns to her room, and is immediately confronted by the other Winx girls, worried about what Bloom might've said about the envelope. All of the girls, save for Flora, are being a bit harsh on Bloom, not entirely sure whether Bloom's telling the truth about not mentioning the envelope to Miss Faragonda. Musa, in particular, is very annoying here. Strike three for her. If this were The Price is Right, she'd have lost right here. Stella's genuinely fearful, and Tecna is... Tecna.
Alone in her bedroom, Bloom can't focus on studying. She questions whether or not she should open the envelope. She debates on whether to call Brandon, but she left a message the day before, and he didn't answer it yet, and Bloom does not want to be known as the girl who calls twice. Are most guys smart enough to even think of such things as "the girl who calls twice"? I know I'm not that smart. Bloom decides to make the call.
At Red Fountain, Riven and Brandon are fighting, and it's personal. Brandon makes fun of Riven, calling him on his love of Darcy, and Riven taunts Brandon about Bloom, and why he hasn't called her lately. Brandon does not dignify a response. Codatorta comes out to set the guys straight on some of Red Fountain's rules:
Codatorta: What are you lads doin'? Class ended an hour ago, and there's no fightin' outside fight class.
Bloom is upset that Brandon won't answer his phone. He has a very dorky message... almost have to wonder if Bloom can do better than Brandon after this doozey of a message. Bloom worries that Brandon will now think of her as the girl who called twice. Trust me Bloom: if his phone message is any indication, there is no possible way Brandon would ever realize this "girl who called twice" rule. Bloom also worries about failing tomorrow's quiz.
COMMERCIAL BREAK #2
The Winx girls all head for the kitchen. Stella studies a sign on the door that is a chef's hat with a criss-cross spatula and fork beneath. Stella thinks it's a danger sign, and gets scared. Musa mentions it's just the kitchen. I suppose it was obvious, but in Stella's defense, I have never seen such a sign indicate a kitchen myself. Bloom says they're going to hide the envelope in the kitchen, and not cheat. Bloom says if they can't pass a "simple" test, then they weren't meant to be fairies. Stella clearly does not care for this idea. And since when was this supposed to be a "simple" test? Professor Wizgiz made this sound like a life-or-death situation here--not just a "simple" test. The girls all agree to hide the envelope, including Stella, reluctant as she may be.
In the kitchen, the girls are looking for a spot. Musa mentions that if they all hide the envelope, then they'd all know where it is. Bloom says that only one person will hide it, and the rest of them will wait outside the kitchen. Tecna mentions that it still leaves one person who will know where it is. Musa says that Bloom should hide it. I have to be curious why Musa choose Bloom over Tecna or Flora, who one would also expect to be trustworthy. Maybe she's still mad at Flora from earlier. Then again, she got mad at Bloom too.... Flora is not keen on that suggestion, and gets a bit snitty again. So Flora's not perfect after all. And once again, we see just how intuitive Stella can be:
Flora: Well, why does Bloom get to hide it?
Bloom: Because I've decided that no matter what happens, I won't look. I pinky swear promise you guys.
Flora: What if you can't help yourself? Why isn't anyone else questioning Bloom on this?
Stella: Oh, Flora's just upset because she wants to be our resident goody-goody, right Flora?
Flora: Hmph!
In the very early morning, still night time, Stella decides she's too weak, and heads for the kitchen to look for the envelope. Flora gets out of bed too, looks to see Bloom still asleep, and gives a naughty-type giggle. Whether she's tempted to cheat, or she just wants to find the envelope to re-hide it may be debatable. Flora being tempted to cheat seems more likely. And also, Bloom isn't really under those covers, as we'll see later. Tecna sneaks out of her room too, and all three of the girls sneak into the kitchen, none of them realizing that they are not alone in the kitchen. Soon enough, Musa shows up, also sneaking around the kitchen in search of the envelope. This cute little scene goes on for about a minute and a half. The best part is with Stella hitting her foot against a pot on the ground, hopping in pain afterwards. Soon, Bloom enters the kitchen and turns the light on, catching the other four girls in the act. Again, though, did Bloom go into the kitchen to try to catch the other girls, or did she intend to look in the envelope herself? I tend to think the former. Bloom looks upset at first, then just starts laughing, and the other girls start laughing with her.
Flora tucks the envelope in her nightstand. Why they moved it out of the kitchen I'm not sure, since no one actually found where it was hidden.
Stella: It's not that I want to cheat I just--don't want to repeat this year again.
Musa: Ah, who knows, maybe third time will be the charm.
Strike twenty-seven. Y'er out! I just so wanted to slap Musa after that mean remark. Poor Stella's scared and conflicted, and Musa just had to say that. Stella doesn't appreciate Musa's brand of humor. Stella, Tecna, and Musa tell Bloom and Flora goodnight. Flora asks Bloom about why she was called in the office earlier, but Bloom shushes Flora, showing that beneath Bloom's covers was a pile of books and a sleeping Kiko. Flora "awws" at the sight of sleeping Kiko.
COMMERCIAL BREAK #3
The Winx girls are standing outside Professor Wizgiz's class. Poor Stella's frightened to death. Musa worries, but Flora assures her, since Musa has the best grades. Huh? Musa, the best grades?! What about Tecna? She's practically a walking computer, for crying out loud! Bloom tries to assure everyone. Tecna enters the class first, and gasps. Stella runs into her, asking why Tecna stopped. Soon, all the Winx girls have noticed the other girls all covered in mud. I assume this mud does not wash off easily, since I can't imagine real teenage girls not trying their damnedest to clean themselves off. Or to let Wizgiz know they had opened the envelope. I'm kind of surprised the didn't call in sick, though I suppose Wizgiz might've known what happened if most of his class were absent. Wizgiz is entirely fascinated to see all the girls. Amarill complains, and Wizgiz shushes her. So apparently, Amarill does still attend Alfea. So why does Bloom's name come first alphabetically, anyway?
Flora gives the envelope to Professor Wizgiz, who decides to check what's inside the envelope. The other students, not including the Winx girls, all get scared when Wizgiz goes to open the envelope, though all that's in the envelope is sparkly dust. Wizgiz says that since they've finished the quiz they can continue on with the day's lesson. Amarill asks what quiz, and Wizgiz says that whether or not to open the envelope was the quiz, or the lesson. So I guess the other girls are not getting kicked out of Alfea. Not that it matters much since they're mostly nobodies, or no one important, but I suppose a school with only five girls wouldn't sit well with me. Wizgiz explains about inner transformations, like being the kind of person who wouldn't cheat on a test, but then accidentally comes across the test answers and can't resist looking, thus transforming into a cheater. Isn't this test of Wizgiz's also called "entrapment"? It would have been cool to see Amarill throw that accusation at him. Seems like something she would do. Wizgiz congratulates the Winx girls, and Stella tosses him into the air with glee, but does not catch him on the way down. Cute little scene. Wizgiz continues that his students need to stay who they are, and not change because of outside challenges.
At Cloud Tower, the Trix sisters conjure the gargoyle of nightmares. The spell knocks them on their backs, but not out. Darcy asks where the nightmare gargoyle is going, and Icy tells her that the gargoyle knows exactly what it's to do. What will that be? Looks like we'll have to wait for the next episode to find out.
The first time I had watched the episode, I hadn't realized just how dang annoying Musa is in the episode. At at least four different points in the episode I had wanted to strangle the irritating girl, whether it's her complaining that Flora's not good with magic, complaining that Bloom found the envelope, complaining that Bloom ratted her out, or making fun of Stella's very real fears. Bah.
Flora was a bit self-righteous with the letter, perhaps, but she usually does mean well. She got a bit carried away with wanting to be the one to hide the letter, but I think it was just a one-time mistake, that it isn't usually her character to act that way. She usually is genuinely sweet, not to try to be the "good" one, but just because she really is genuinely sweet. Mirta can't be wrong, can she?
I'm not sure anyone realized just how nervous Stella was about the exam, it seemed her friends downplayed it, which just had me feeling bad for Stella the whole time: however lazy she may be, I believe she is legitimately trying to pass this year in Alfea.
Lori has mentioned this about the episode, which is a good point: what were the odds that the five Winx girls would be the only students not to try to cheat? Pretty darn good. We've seen episodes of other cartoons similar to this. For some reason, instead of realistically sprinkling in a few random girls who also did not cheat, we have the entire class all muddy, except for the five Winx girls.
A potential flaw in Professor Wizgiz's "lesson": what if only one of the Winx girls opened the envelope, without the others around? I'd suspect they might warn the other four about the envelope, and to avoid it--even if she might have cheated if not for the heads up. I suppose the other random students could've warned the Winx girls too, but since they're not that close anyway, I think the old pride got in the way of that.
7 out of 10 on the old scale.
