| “ | I am so tired of hearing about this contest. You know what? In fact, no more Chi-Lective. You're finished. |
” |
| — Raven to the twins. | ||
"School House Trap" is the eighth episode in Season 3 of Raven's Home and the forty-second overall. It first aired on September 20, 2019 to 0.48 million viewers.[1]
Plot[]
The kids make it to the next round in the Radio Eclipse music competition, but Raven threatens to take away their band when Booker gets a bad grade.[2]
Full Plot[]
One morning, while Chelsea is working at her computer, she fails to notice Raven struggling to enter the apartment laden down by a large assortment of fabrics. She explains that her old acquaintance, Lil' Z has hired Ravenous to make jackets for his dancers in an upcoming music video. Tess then bursts into the Baxter apartment without knocking, much to Raven's annoyance, with exciting news; The Chi-Lective have been accepted into the next level of the Radio Eclipse Live Contest. The group has to submit a new music video for consideration to advance to the final round of the competition that will be held in Los Angeles. The kids immediately sit down and begin brainstorming possible ideas, until Raven reminds them that they have to go to school. At school, Booker admits to the girls that he got a 'D' on his History test, and he needs Nia to forge their mother's name on it, in order to qualify for a make up test, and stay in the group. When the pair assure Booker that they wouldn't throw him out of the band over a bad grade, Booker reveals that he had a vision that Raven would take him out when she discovers the test. However, despite Booker's pleas, Nia refuses to take part in his scheme.
Meanwhile in the common Laundry Room, Raven tries to wash her fabrics to start her project, but discovers "Catman Clark" using all the machines to wash the pajamas of his twelve cats. Raven protests to his monopolizing all the machines, but he counters he was there first, and accuses Raven of ruining a load of his laundry the month before by leaving a chocolate bar in a machine. When Raven inadvertently confirms his suspicion, the pair hiss and raise their hands in threatening claw-like gestures at each other.
After school, Tess tells the twins that the Radio Eclipse Live have announced an additional prize to the original $25,000, a recording contract. That inducement, plus the sight of Booker and Tess both begging on their knees, compel Nia to give in, and finally forge their mother's signature on the test. A furious Raven then arrives, and tells the kids to get out of their school clothes, as she intends to wash everything in the apartment to teach Mr. Clark a lesson. A distracted Booker merely slips his test into his pants pocket without thinking. Raven has Chelsea take the laundry downstairs, but she returns with it still not done, as she claims it was too noisy. As Raven sorts through the unwashed clothes, she discovers Booker's test, or more importantly, that her name has been forged upon it.
During their rooftop writing session, sometime later, Nia is still feeling guilty. Abruptly, Levi sprints across the roof screaming a warning that Raven knows, swiftly followed by a furious Raven, herself, appearing and telling the kids to go downstairs. In their apartment, Raven shows the twins Booker's test, and demands to know who forged her name. Nia quickly confesses, citing that she thought The Chi-Lective needed Booker to reach the Radio Eclipse finals. This infuriates Raven, and she pulls the twins from the group as punishment, fulfilling Booker's vision. The twins try to reason with her, stating that she is not supporting their dreams, but Raven remains adamant, The Chi-Lective are finished.
Meanwhile, Chelsea encounters a depressed Tess on the step. She subtly helps Tess to formulate a plan to convince Raven to allow The Chi-Lective to continue. Later, Raven shows Chelsea the signs she has made to convince the other tenants that the machines in the Laundry Room are all of order. Chelsea warns that "Building Management" might take issue with that plan, but Raven scoffs at the notion. There is a knock on the door, and Raven thinking she has been busted, tells Chelsea to open the door, as she hides the evidence. But it proves to be only Tess, having arrived to reason with Raven over the fate of The Chi-Lective. Tess begins her pitch by pointedly knocking on the door, which Raven notices, and instantly realizes that Tess wants something, and denies it. However, Chelsea stands up for Tess, and Raven agrees to listen. Tess argues that punishing the twins also punishes her, as she also put a lot of work into The Chi-Lective. She points out that Booker has no problems remembering lyrics, and states that she and Nia can utilize their song writing to help Booker study for his test. Raven sees the merit of the idea, and allows them to try Tess' plan, but if Booker does not pass the test, the band is over.
The next day, Raven discovers her ruse with the fake signs has been successful, and she happily begins washing all her fabrics now that she has the room completely to herself.
Reunited for the moment, The Chi-Lective writes their next song around the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, colloquially known as "The Bill of Rights." Levi immediately begins outlining his concept of "Hip-Hop History." They film the music video of "The Bill of Rights," on the rooftop, and Raven gives them permission to enter the video as soon as Levi finishes editing it.
Some days later, Raven barely makes the deadline for her Ravenous assignment, however Big Z, Lil' Z's. "Dadager," informs her that they were going in a different direction, and cancels the order, but as they are still paying her for her work, Raven is content. Booker arrives home, proudly showing his 'B+' (or "Booker +") he received on his make up test, ensuring that The Chi-Lective can continue. Mr. Clark, then confronts Raven, and accuses her of placing the fake signs in the Laundry Room. Raven denies the accusation, but Mr. Clark reveals that the Laundry Room has been been installed with video cameras. Raven is taken aback by that, and has to call upon her twins to help her physically shut the door on Mr. Clark.Afterwards, Tess enters then exits to knock on the door properly. Tess shares the exciting news that The Chi-Lective have been officially invited to LA to participate in the Radio Eclipse Live Contest Finals. Chelsea and Levi then enter the living room, and are ecstatic to hear the good news. That night, Raven, now aware of the video surveillance, slips into the Laundry Room area and places more signs on the washing machines between acrobatic moves.
Cast[]
Main Cast[]
- Raven-Symoné as Raven Baxter
- Anneliese van der Pol as Chelsea Grayson
- Navia Robinson as Nia Baxter
- Issac Ryan Brown as Booker Baxter
- Jason Maybaum as Levi Grayson
- Sky Katz as Tess O'Malley
Guest Cast[]
- Andy Bustillos as Mr. Clark
Visions[]
- Booker gets a vision of Raven telling him the Chi-Lective's finished.
Trivia[]
- This episode was filmed on February 1, 2019, the sixth episode shot before a live audience for the season.
- The title is likely a play on ABC's Saturday morning educational animated interstitial series, School House Rock.
- Fourth appearance of The Chi-Lective.
- Lil' Z from Keepin' It Real was mentioned.
- Chelsea has a client named Myron.
- "Whiskers," was also a name given to one of Bailey Renn's Lip Kitty models in Friend-Ship.
- The sewing machine Tess got for Raven during Twister, Sister was shown.
- The video game Fork-Knife is mentioned. It is also mentioned in "Twister, Sister and Friday Night Tights.
- In the original script:
- Casting calls for a Mr. Thomas, a new building manager, were made, but ultimately the character was not used, and replaced by Chelsea's vague acknowledgement of "Property Management," and his lines, including the revelation of hidden cameras in the Laundry Room, were almost entirely given to Mr. Clark.
- In the Mr. Thomas version, he suspected Raven's guilt, after noting the similarity of the handwriting on the signs to that of Raven's on her rent checks.
- Mr. Clark dubbed the chocolate bar incident "The March Mars Bar Massacre," as it was the nougat that stained Whisker's lederhosen.
Gallery[]
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The image gallery for School House Trap may be viewed here.
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