• Original air date: September 20, 2003
• Writer: Thérèse beaupré
• Director: Stacy Stewart Curtis

  Guest Stars:
  Actor's name	Character played
  Talia Schlanger	Madison
  Owen Rotharmel	Shelen Kid
  Dru viergever	Stu kubiak
  Barbara Mamabolo	Tara

  The class is outside, gathered around a honeybee hive box. Professor Zachary explains that something inside the hive, a substance which he has on the finger of his glove, is able to communicate directions, organization, and focus to all the bees in the hive. While Professor Zachary’s attention is on Stu, asking him what the stuff is, Madison uses the time to attach a campaign button to Vaughn’s shirt; this catches Josie’s attention. Stu appears dumbfounded.

Disappointed, Professor Zachary turns to Madison but she snubs him and returns her focus to attaching the button to Vaughn’s shirt. Professor Zachary, seeing Marshall’s hand raised, calls on him. Marshall correctly replies that the answer is “pheromones.” Before Professor Zachary can continue, he sneezes. He pulls out a nasal spray and shoots a whiff up his nose; he has allergies. He quickly returns the class’ attention to the topic, explaining that the queen excretes pheromones to tell the other bees where to find food, when to guard the colony, and mate. Madison smiles at Vaughn upon hearing that; Josie rolls her eyes. The bees, meanwhile, walk around the honeycomb. A buzzing sound is in the air.

      During a break, Madison, along with other cheerleaders, are in uniform and are patrolling the back of the school. They are spreading the message to re-elect Madison as the class president. Josie, Corrine, Marshall, and Lucas exit the school from a side door. Josie asks them why Madison is running for president. Marshall tells Josie that no one wants to run against her and Corrine adds that she cannot be defeated. Josie replies that anyone with “half a brain” could defeat Madison. Lucas tells Josie that Corrine ran against Madison the previous year; Josie is embarrassed.

Madison, followed by the other cheerleaders, marches confidently up to the Josie, Lucas, Corrine, and Marshall. She tells Corrine that she didn’t see her name on the ballot and asks if she decided to avoid the humiliation; the other cheerleaders giggle. Corrine just stands there, bitter, and Madison returns her attention to the other students on the patio. Josie asks Corrine if Corrine is just going to let that slide but Corrine says that there isn’t anything that she can do. Josie walks up to Madison, who is talking to a group of students sitting at a table, and asks Madison why they should vote for her. Madison replies:

There are gasps of approval from the surrounding students but Josie swiftly states that no one cares about that stuff. One girl at the table, who has just put on one of Madison’s campaign buttons, turns her attention away from Josie and back to the others at the table. Madison sarcastically asks Josie about if she wants “longer classes, harder exams,” as Tara hands Madison a can of coke. Josie puts forth the idea of a student representative on the board of trustees. After a second of appearing like she is thinking about it, Madison replies “That’s ridiculous.” Corrine asks why it is ridiculous that they all should have a say in their own education.

Josie takes the opportunity to say that she will run. Madison looks at Josie, saying that Josie must be kidding but Corrine, Marshall, and Lucas chant “Josie Trent for president!” and walk off. Madison appears slightly worried by this. From above, a bee lands on Madison’s arm. Noticing it, Madison orders it not to sting her. The bee sprays her with a chemical and then flies off; Madison frantically waves her arms to chase the bee away. Up high in the sky, a swarm of bees flies off, electricity flowing through the swarm.

 Later that day, Principal Durst is watering the flowers outside (pleasant music is playing as background music). Madison, wearing sunglasses, walks up to her (the music slows down). Principal Durst, smiling, looks up to Madison, who then looks down at her (the music stops).
      In the back of the school, near the patio around some picnic tables, Josie is practicing her campaign speech to Corrine. Josie is discouraged by the speech, believing it does not have any big ideas in it. Corrine asks Lucas, who is sitting at the picnic table playing a Game Boy, what he thinks.

Marshall then walks up to them, carrying campaign posters. Josie, annoyed, comments that posters are no good since all people want are cappuccino machines and dorm decorators. Marshall replies that Josie has to get into the things that the students care about. This seems to give Josie an idea.

     Inside the school, Lucas is hanging up campaign posters. He hears a buzzing sound around him. Looking behind him, he doesn’t see anything. Turning back around, Madison is now standing in front of him. Lucas asks her what is with the sunglasses, which she is still wearing, but Madison seems to ignore the comment and gives Lucas one of her new campaign posters. He feels it is a bit sticky, like it has something on it. Reading it, he sees that the posters only real change in appearance is that it says that she is also campaigning for more desserts in the cafeteria. He then spells something sharp and asks her what the smell is. Lucas rubs his fingers together; the stickiness is the result of a clear goop. Madison replies rather cryptically:

After Madison walks away, Lucas smells the poster. He seems repulsed by the odor but then he takes a second sniff of the scent as if it doesn’t smell so bad. Then smells his arm.
     On a landing of a staircase, Josie talks to three other students about how a representative on the board can get the school more money for after-school activities. One of the three comments that they don’t do after-school activities and asks her why they shouldn’t just vote for Madison. Losing their attention, Josie offers them the idea of getting the school into a program of having independent studies, which would enable students to customize their classes to better suit their own ways of learning. The student asks if that means that they’d have less homework but Josie realizes that they’d actually have more homework. The three begin to walk away but Josie tells them that they wouldn’t have to do it if they didn’t want to. The three seem to accept the idea as she passes them her campaign buttons. From above, on the balcony of the stairs, Madison watches.
     Outside, Josie is talking to Vaughn and Stu, who are doing curl-ups, about getting rid of the school uniforms. Vaughn tells Josie that they like the uniforms. Josie turns her attention to Stu and asks him about what he got on his last report card. Stu replies that he got a “D+”

Josie’s confidence is restored as Stu takes one of her campaign posters. However, Vaughn looks a bit disappointed at her as he follows Stu.
     Inside the school, the cheerleading team is supporting the sunglasses theme as Madison sends them to paste her posters all over the school. She watches, with compound vision, as they swarm out into the hallway. She then fingers for some students at another table, who are also wearing sunglasses, to come towards her. They comply.

     In the hallway, Professor Zachary exits the science room, to which Josie has her back to. Professor Zachary represses a sneeze, holding his nasal spray, as Josie explains to some other students about the potentials of getting rid of teachers and replacing them with “education guides” who would not grade them or take attendance but would instead offer guidance if they were asked to. Josie passes around her campaign buttons as the students disperse. She tries to give one to Professor Zachary but he declines, saying that he has to remain impartial. He asks her if she believes it is right to make promises that she cannot keep – no teachers, no classes, no grades – but Josie says that no one says those changes cannot be made and all she really needs to do is defeat Madison, and then walks away. Professor Zachary thinks about what Josie has said.

     Josie walks into the cafeteria, where the cheerleaders are looking to a big picture, of a man, hanging on a wall. The man’s face is covered by one of Madison’s campaign posters. There is a buzzing sound in the room. Josie approaches the group but sneezes. The buzzing stops and everyone turns around. Josie apologizes for the sneeze (her allergies) and says that she’d like to talk to them about their vote but Josie is unable to get a message across to them.

     Meanwhile, Professor Zachary is checking on the bee hive. He observes that the bees have “swarmed” (they have left the hive) and removes one of the comb frames for analysis. As he is walking away, he is rapidly approached from behind – something with compound vision is chasing him. He turns around but is too late to respond and is tackled.
      That evening, Josie is at Vaughn’s house (she and Vaughn are in the library). Josie asks him if he studies there a lot, observing the excellent collection of books. Vaughn replies that he does when his father is away. Josie then unrolls one of her campaign posters and tries to give it to Vaughn but, from his backpack, Vaughn takes out one of Madison’s campaign posters and shows it to her. Josie rolls her poster back up and Vaughn tosses Madison’s poster onto the table. Vaughn compares how Madison and Josie are campaigning for – Madison wants to change the cafeteria menu while Josie wants to change everything. Josie asks Vaughn if he thinks that she can beat Madison. Vaughn tells Josie that Josie is unlike anyone else that he knows. That leads her to ask Vaughn who he is going to vote for. Vaughn just shrugs and smiles at her.
     Next morning, Principal Durst is cutting the flowers in her garden; Madison supervises.
     Up in Josie and Corrine’s room, Josie is comparing outfits. Corrine asks why Josie is so concerned about her image (Josie said earlier that she would focus on big ideas). Josie tells her that that will be after she wins the election and sarcastically adds that Corrine should understand that. Corrine snaps back by saying that she didn’t compromise her principles in order to win. The conversation angers Josie but before she can reply, Marshall runs up to the door and tells them both that there is something that they need to see. The interruption stops the conversation as they leave the room and follow Marshall.

     Outside, in the garden, Lucas, wearing sunglasses, is testing pollen from the flowers that Principal Durst cut down earlier; beside his is a wheel barrel full of flowers which he is tossing the discards into. This puzzles the three of them. Marshall informs them that earlier Principal Durst gave flowers out to almost half the dorm. Josie tells the two of them to keep an eye on him while she gets Professor Zachary.
     Running through the main hallway, a buzzing sound makes Josie stop to look into the cafeteria. She is shocked by what she sees: A group of students – football players, cheerleaders, and other average students – gathered around Madison at a table. Vaughn is sitting next to Madison and is feeding her a muffin. No one seems to notice Josie. At another table is a plate of muffins. Josie slowly picks one of the up. The action disturbs the group – Madison shakes – and they all turn their focus to Josie. When Josie doesn’t put the muffin back, everyone gets up and slowly begins to approach Josie all at once. The action of the group startles Josie and she quickly puts the muffin back on the plate and runs out of the cafeteria.

  In the main hallway, Josie sees Marshall, Corrine, and Lucas coming down one of the stairs. First glad to see them, Josie’s relief quickly turns to fear as the three put on sunglasses and continue to approach Josie in a hypnotic state. From the cafeteria, there is a continuous cheering of Madison’s name. Josie runs into the Science room, looking for Professor Zachary; he isn’t there. Josie shakes her hands frantically, trying to think of what to do. From out of nowhere, she hears a shout of which what was said cannot be made out. Josie runs over to the windows, thinking it came from outside but no one is out there. Giving up, Josie walks away from the windows but hears someone shouting for help. It is coming from the ventilation system.
     Josie sneaks down into the basement. Light comes from random rooms, allowing some places in the hallway to be illuminated while other places remain dark. She continues to hear the cries for help as she moves through the basement hallways. Turning a corner into a new hallway, Josie hears someone from behind her tell her that she is going the wrong way. Slowly turning around, she is horrified by what is before her: someone, incased in a pillar of an orange sticky substance, is trapped in a doorway. Approaching the person, she realizes that the person is Professor Zachary.

     Now free from his honey-prison, Professor Zachary and Josie walk to the honeycomb. Professor Zachary explains that the football team, angered by the removal of the honeycomb, captured him and put him in the basement. He says he was amazed that they were communicating to each other without even talking. Approaching the uninhabited beehive box, Professor Zachary hypothesizes that the disappearance of the bees and the unusual events at the school are connected. Professor Zachary takes out some Q-tips and tells Josie to swab the outside of the box while he swabs the inside.
     Meanwhile, a group of students is in the cafeteria, buzzing around the poster of Madison on the painting.
     In the Science room, Professor Zachary, using a microscope, compares the Q-tip from the beehive to the goop on one of Madison’s election posters. He determines that the two are have on them the same bee’s wax and Queen Mandibular Pheromone (QMP) – Madison is using pheromones to control everyone. The two try to think about why they are not affected by the pheromones. Just then, Professor Zachary sneezes and pulls out his nasal spray. Pulling out hers as well, Josie suggests that the sprays may have something to do with it. Professor Zachary hypothesizes that the antihistamines may be blocking the pheromone’s signals. The two begin looking for something to neutralize the pheromone. Professor Zachary tells her that an enzyme can break down the pheromone:

Josie suggests something strong to mask the smell of the pheromone. Professor Zachary continues to rattle on complex chemicals while Josie looks around the classroom for something to use.

Professor Zachary turns to her and she shows him a box of licorice root tea. He realizes that it is highly aromatic. As they are about to boil the water in a tea pot over a Bunsen burner, Josie hears something in the hallway. Ducking behind one of the science desks, they watch through the window the silhouettes of students march around frantically in the hallway.

While Professor Zachary is dusting off a spray bottle, Josie has one of the Q-tips with the beeswax on it. She is about to brush it on her arm when Professor Zachary nonchalantly tells her that he doesn’t believe that it will work for her in the same way it worked for Madison – he thinks that Madison became a “queen bee” because of an existing need to dominate other people. Josie comments that Madison is a “total diva.” Professor Zachary replies by sarcastically saying that Josie wouldn’t act like that if she is elected president. Josie denies that she would and Professor Zachary reminds her about how she promised to get rid of grades, classes, and teachers. Josie says that she believed that students should have more say in their education but concedes the point that she went too far to try to beat Madison.

Professor Zachary tells Josie that it seems like others liked what Josie was saying and that it may be possible to refine some of the message before the election. Josie tells him that she does not think that she is “president material” but she does not believe that Madison should win the election either. Just then, the tea pot begins to whistle. Professor Zachary swiftly removes the pot from the Bunsen burner and readies the spray bottles.

     Josie and Professor Zachary sneak down into the basement. Both of them are armed with a flashlight and a spray bottle. Everything is quiet. They check around the corners and down each hallway before proceeding. Everything seems fine as they continue through the corridors. Suddenly, arms reach out and grab Professor Zachary! The people are Marshall and Lucas trying to restrain Professor Zachary. A buzzing sound fills the air. Professor Zachary cannot escape; he tells Josie to run, as Corrine leaps out to catch Josie but misses. Josie runs down the dark corridor. Looking in front of her, she sees a big football player blocking her way. Josie quickly turns into another pathway, to her right, but is quickly intercepted by Madison, followed by Vaughn, Tara, and a football player. Professor Zachary, without his spray bottle, catches up with Josie; Lucas, Corrine, and Marshall block off the entry way. Madison demands that Josie hand over what she and Professor Zachary were working on. After pretending that she does not know what Madison is referring to, instead of giving the spray bottle to Madison, Josie sprays Madison.

Everyone under Madison’s control (and Madison) begin shaking wildly. When the shaking stops, Professor Zachary asks Madison if she is alright. Madison, after a second pause, suddenly demands to know where she is. Professor Zachary and Josie smile at each other – the tea worked. Madison takes off the sunglasses and is horrified to discover that she is in the basement. She then smells the licorice tea that was sprayed on her and she runs away, calling it gross. No one else seems to be able to recall what happened. Corrine asks Josie if they missed the election. Josie tells them that they didn’t but concedes that Corrine was right about Josie’s campaign strategy.

 Out on the back patio, Madison continues her campaign.

At the picnic tables, Josie passes her campaign to Corrine. Josie tells Corrine that she wanted to be president for the wrong reasons – to beat Madison – and believes that Corrine will do a better job. However, Principal Durst’s voice comes over the PA system, announcing that the student elections have been postponed. Josie and Corrine wonder why.
     In Principal Durst’s office, Victor does not like her wording (“postponed”); he wants them cancelled. Victor reminds her that he cannot allow students on the board of trustees. Principal Durst tells him that cancelling the elections so suddenly will make the students suspicious and possibly more rebellious. Victor ignores her protest and tells her to make sure that there are no more talks about students being on the board of trustees, especially by Josie.

Listening in the hallway, the Janitor is looking at one of Josie’s campaign buttons. He says that, one day, Josie will change the world. He then puts the button in his pocket and continues sweeping the floor. As he does, he sprays the air, with a spray bottle, every few steps.

Episode notes:

• Janitor's secret message: "Josie's future will be difficult" and ""Remember the words ... Josie will change the world," and "Change is good."
• Professor Z states the date as "05/02", probably meaning May 2nd since it is Spring time. It cannot mean May of 2002 since the show's first episode takes place in the Fall of 2002.
• The "QMP" that Professor Zachary refers to is the acronym of "Queen Mandibular Pheromone."

Personal thoughts:
A fun episode. This one is the second of season 2. It was disappointing to me to see the show go from such a high point of knowing a lot of things in Wormhole² to being an average day and Blake Holsey High. An interesting juxtaposition, the good person compromises ethics while the "bad" person only makes promises that she can keep. It takes a while but this episode really does grow on you. Like I said, it's a fun episode.
Going back and analyzing the science behind this episode, when you research it, light bulbs go off in your head about why parts of the episode played out like they did. It really makes you respect the episode. The bee which sprayed the pheromones onto Madison. It sprayed the pheromones from the mouth. Those pheromones are Queen Mandibular Pheromones (QMP). Mandibular , as said in the glossery page, are mouth parts. The chemicals the Professor Zachary spoke of, I'm really not sure why he said them. It's some advanced chemistry.
The subtle line of Marshall's about getting a good deal on Josie's posters can be seen as a lead into Cold, the next episode, where Marshall explores ways to make money. Rating: 5/10
Rating (Dec/2005-on): 7/10