Zoey and Lola enter and start kidding Logan about his outfit, too. He

tells them about wanting to be tapped for the Silver Hammers. Chase thinks
it is stupid, but Zoey explains a lot of famous people have been Silver
Hammers. Michael mentions politicians, famous athletes, movie stars.

Upon hearing that movie stars have been Silver Hammers, Lola
immediately wants to join - but Logan tells her that there are no girl Silver

Hammers. Zoey doesn't think it is fair, because it helps people get into great
colleges. But Michael has heard they will tap girls this year. Logan is
skeptical, but sees an upperclassman in the lounge. He has a little package

with him - to be used to bribe the tappers.

Logan goes over to where the upperclassman has sat, presents his gift, and
tells him that he is interested. The upperclassman misinterprets and says
"thanks, but he is seeing someone," as his girlfriend meets him. The girls
laugh as Logan is embarrassed!

On the PCA campus the next day, Sara, a new girl, is walking with Mr.
Conroy, a campus advisor. He is telling them where her dorm is, and tells
the faculty advisor she is transferring in the middle of the semester because

her father got a new job. Quinn sees them and greets Mr. Conroy. She wants a
hair for one of her DNA projects! He introduces her to Sara - who thinks she
knows Quinn from somewhere. At first Quinn doesn't think so - but, after
thinking about it for a while, suddenly acts suspicious and denies knowing

her!

Michael, Lola, and Zoey are eating lunch on the patio. Michael is talking
about a riding accident he had a long time ago, when Logan joins them in his
suit. A mysterious stranger, dressed in black and wearing a face - concealing
motorcycle helmet, comes up to Zoey and says her name in an inquiring way.
When she says yes, he gently taps her with a silver hammer and hands her an
envelope. She opens the envelope - and it is an invitation to pledge the
Silver Hammer society! A silver hammer pin is included. Everybody is excited
for her, but Logan thinks it has to be a mistake - where is his pin?! Lola
goes to buy Zoey an iced frappucino to celebrate. But, as she comes to the
kiosk, she is grabbed away by the same mysterious stranger. He taps her and
hands her the same envelope.

Lola screams in joy as she rejoins the others, Zoey kids her about the iced
frappucino - and then congratulates her. But Logan is even more irritated he
didn't get tapped, and, seeing the mysterious stranger, tries to chase him
down with his present.

Quinn and Mark in the hall talking about their math class, when Quinn sees
Sara, the new girl. She panics and tries to go the other way, only to find
herself trapped at the end. So she tries to get Mark and herself into the
janitor's closet. But Sara has seen them and joins them. Quinn tries to
pretend she doesn't know her again. Quinn does an awkward introduction, then
shuffles herself and Mark into the closet.

Logan, Chase, and Michael are walking on campus. Logan still can't understand
how the Silver Hammers could tap Lola and Zoey and not him. But he comes up
with a theory that maybe they are only tapping girls this year. But Chase has
a surprise - he has been tapped! He hadn't said anything because he doesn't
care. He doesn't want to join, and throws out the Silver Hammer pin. Logan
can't understand, but Chase explains he doesn't like exclusive clubs. Logan
still doesn't get it, and Michael agrees with Chase that he did the right
thing. Chase walks away with Logan arguing with him, when the mysterious
stranger comes and taps Michael! Michael - in spite of what he said a moment
ago - is really excited to have been tapped! As he celebrates, Logan returns
and is even more irritated. But he hatches a scheme - he digs into the trash
to retrieve Chase's pin!

Nighttime on the PCA campus - in a secret basement somewhere. Zoey and the
other blindfolded pledges are facing purple hooded Silver Hammer members. A
gong and triangle are sounding. They are told to kneel, then remove their
blindfolds when their names are called. Chase is called, only - it is not
Chase, Logan is impersonating him! Michael busts him, and he is removed from
the proceedings - vowing to form his own secret society! Once order is
restored, each pledge gets a task to perform.

Michael gets: "flosser"
Lola gets: "shaver"
Zoey gets: "feeder"

The next day, Chase and Mark are playing "war boat" - which seems to be
"battleship" by another name. Chase wins a round. They set up another round,
when the new girl, Sara, asks them how to get to the PCA bookstore. Quinn is
watching nervously from behind a tree. Quinn gets out a tube full of quail
eggs, loads one into a slingshot, and hits Sara on the back of the neck with
one of the quail eggs! Chase looks and finds out it is an egg. After Sara
leaves to wash her neck, Quinn comes up and acts really paranoid - asking

them what Sara said, and ordering them never to talk to Sara again!

On the mezzanine, we find out what was meant by Zoey being a "feeder." She

is literally feeding the Silver Hammers! They speak a food item, she has to
feed it to them. They are being real jerks to her.

In the lounge, we find out how Lola is a "shaver." She has to shave one of
the Silver Hammer's backs so he can swim faster.

Back on the mezzanine, Zoey is dismissed. We find out what is meant by Michael
being "flosser." He has to floss the Silver Hammers!

That night in Logan's room, Logan is holding his first meeting of the
"Loganites." Mark is there, as are a couple of other boys (Arthur and
George), and interestingly - Janitor Banville is there! Chase is there, but
not to join. He lives there, and is working on the computer. Logan gives the
pledges a task - they must strip down to their underwear, and run across
campus. Mark refuses, he has tan lines. Chase decides to go shoot some pool,
and invites the others. The boys all leave - and a furious Logan tells them

they will never be Loganites. Meanwhile, Janitor Banville is in his underwear
and asks where he can hang his pants!

In the girls' lounge, Sara is looking at a tape. She calls Chase and Mark
over. She shows them a tape of a pageant she was in 11 years ago. Quinn
enters and is very upset about it. She was only 5, and didn't realize how
terrible it was, it wasn't until she was 7 that she realized her path to
success was her intellect. She asks the boys not to lose respect for her -

it wasn't her fault --- the boys look bewildered.

Back at the inner sanctum of the Silver Hammers, the pledges are alone. They
are talking about how bad their week was. Zoey doesn't appreciate being
humiliated just to join a club. As Michael jokes that next year they get to
humiliate other kids, the lights go out and a triangle and gong sound. They
have reached the final ritual. One will not become a member - the pledges
must vote one of their own out. Zoey doesn't want to be a member of a club

that forces you to turn on your friends to be a member. The Silver Hammers

are about to induct the others, when Lola says she is out, too. Followed
by Michael and the rest. Michael turns around to return the floss, and
tell one of the members he has gum disease!

Quinn is performing a chemistry experiment, and very depressed. Mark enters
and says he has been looking for her. Quinn assumes it is to break up - but
Mark assures her he is not - he thought her ribbon performance for the pageant
was adorable! He asks if she still has the ribbons.

Three of the Silver Hammers are in the lounge, and Logan comes in to gloat.
They meekly ask if he wants to join - and he immediately seizes the
opportunity. Over the top with gratitude, he falls all over them to shake
their hands and runs out shouting the news - that nobody but him cares about.
Silver Hammer #1 holds up a mirror to inspect for gum disease.

Quinn is performing her ribbon routine for Mark, who is totally enjoying it!

Closing line - NONE

ANALYSIS:
The Knowledge Channel documentary narrator is Dan Schneider.

To be fair to Nickelodeon - they are extremely careful of the safety of their
young stars, and would never, ever do anything to hurt them. With that said -
it is extremely hard for me to watch this episode, due to a no-doubt
accidental tie-in to the old Beatles song "Maxwell's Silver Hammer."
Particularly in Victoria's case, there is a sickening sound effect when the
hammer strikes her head, and she reacts a bit to it. These are kids I know
personally and care about - and the old Beatles song about a murderous
psychopath who murders with a silver hammer is a bit too close of an
allusion. I would have to classify this one as an "oops" for Nickelodeon,
because anybody familiar with the Beatles would have this reaction to one
degree or another. The show is targeted to kids, but nothing about that means
that a kid can't also be a Beatles fan, or an older Beatles fan also a Zoey
101 fan. This is also in no way as bad as Disney's notorious shots down
blouses that happens regularly on their shows.

More Star Trek analogies - the annoying triangle is reminiscent of the servant
of Lwaxana Troi on the STNG episode "Haven" (which coincidentally aired almost
exactly 19 years earlier). On "Haven" - the annoying triangle was never
silenced. Perhaps Dan wanted to finally silence it!

A slight goof - wide screen camcorders would not have been invented at the
time of Quinn's pageant, which means the display of her ribbon routine would
have been stretched out horizontally.

Inevitable Lizzie McGuire comparison - Lizzie also used ribbons in a
rhythmic gymnastics competition. Hilary Duff really knows how to do rhythmic
gymnastics with ribbons. The ribbons Quinn had were shorter than normal
competition ribbons.
Return To Previous Page