St. Boniface Vikings (Part 1)

Kevin The Genius

The Smith family is playing Scrabble in the living room in an effort to build Kevin's vocabulary for his aptitude test the next day at school. Kevin, however, hates the game, so he ends it when he cheats and makes up an imaginary word, "Kwyjibo". Before he leaves, Nolan roughly grabs Kevin and accuses him of cheating. He then forces him to define "Kwyjibo". Kevin eventually defines it as, "A big, dumb, balding, North American ape with no chin." Marva Lynn adds minor detail to the definition of "Kwyjibo", with "and a short temper". This causes Nolan to become instantly angered and chases Kevin out of the room, as Kevin replies, "Uh-oh. Kwyjibo on the loose."

The next day before class, in the schoolyard, Kevin is spray-painting graffiti that defames the principal on the school building. He is watching the kids on the playground. Steve Herkenhoff, the school genius, tattles about the graffiti. Danny Faith, one of Kevin's friends, sees Steve informing the principal and warns Kevin. He arrives, where Kevin, Danny, and two more children are feigning their involvement. He then checks each of their hands, but Kevin is caught "red-handed". The principal orders Kevin to see him after school.

As the children file into class, Steve encounters Kevin in the classroom, explaining that he feels apologetic for Kevin and merely was attempting to prevent the desecration of the school, but Kevin rebuffs Steve by replying, "Eat my shorts." The fourth grade teacher hands out aptitude tests to everyone. When she instructs the class on taking the timed intelligence test, Steve raises his hand, and reminds her that Kevin is supposed to face the window during any test so he can't cheat. A grumbling Kevin turns his desk to face the window and the test begins. In an attempt to figure out a lengthy math word problem, Kevin tries to quietly read the problem so he can solve it. The teacher reminds him for visualization instead. The visualization turns into a daydream and when Kevin finally comes back to reality, Steve announces that he has finished his test already. The teacher sends Steve outside to read a book, during the remainder of the testing period. While Kevin is still taking his test, he looks out the window to see a smug Steve sticking his tongue out at him. In retaliation, Kevin makes faces back at Steve; The teacher spots Kevin making faces and looks out the window to see what Kevin is looking at. While her back is turned, Kevin, who is seated at the front of the class, reaches over to her desk and steals Steve's test, replaces Steve's name with his own and then puts the test back on her desk. Kevin then quickly fills out random answers on his own test and then writes Steve's name at the top and turns it in.

Later, after school, Nolan and Marva Lynn are called to the principal's office for a meeting about Kevin's behavior at school. He informs Nolan and Marva Lynn about Kevin's graffiti from earlier that morning. As he reaches for Kevin's rather extensive permanent record, and is about to suggest something along the lines of expulsion for Kevin, his secretary buzzes in and says that the school counselor is waiting to see him. He walks in on the meeting, and surprises everyone when he tells them that Kevin is a "gifted child," and according to the aptitude test from earlier, Kevin has an I.Q. of 216. He suggests that Kevin's history of bad behavior stems from a lack of interest in his school work, due to the fact that it is too easy for him. The principal wants Kevin retested, but when the counselor suggests moving Kevin to a school for "gifted children", the principal jumps on board with the idea, and Kevin quickly agrees when he hears that the school doesn't have much structure and that you get to make your own rules. The counselor hands Kevin some paperwork for the "gifted children" school, and he, Nolan and Marva Lynn leave the meeting stunned.

The next morning at the breakfast table, Nolan and Marva Lynn hover around their new genius child and Nolan tells Lisa to start eating what Kevin eats for breakfast, so she can become a genius, too. However, Lisa is not fooled by Kevin and knows that he is still just a dimwit. After breakfast, Nolan takes Kevin to the "Enriched Learning Center for Gifted Children". Once inside the school, they find Kevin's class, and after peeking in, they see that all the boys are wearing ties. So Nolan gives Kevin the tie he is wearing, and he gives Kevin a little pep talk about his first day at the new school and shoves him in the classroom door. Once inside the class, Ms. Mellon, the teacher, introduces herself and the new classmates to Kevin and shows him around the classroom. She tells Kevin about the independent learning and that the only rule is for him to make his own rules. Meeting with Kevin is Ethan Foley, Sydney Swift, Cecile Shapiro, Calvin Anderson, Ian Harvey and Kevin's cousin Tanya Smith. Class begins with a debate on the topic of free will and the paradoxes that it creates; Kevin struggles to understand the discussion. Later at lunch, Kevin's classmates realize that Kevin isn't really that smart when he accepts their ridiculously uneven trade offers. A dejected Kevin walks away from the lunch table as the other kids laugh at him.

Nolan was with high school football players in St. Boniface, and Nolan is the P.E. teacher also. Nolan assisted with cousins Paul, Grady, Ed and Fran.

After school, Kevin relaxes in his room, when Nolan walks in to see about Kevin's first day at the new school. Nolan suggests they all go out for frosty chocolate milkshakes and Kevin agrees. Just then Marva Lynn walks by, and tells Nolan and Kevin that she bought tickets to the opera in an effort to try to help nurture Kevin's brain. Later during the opera, a bored and impatient Nolan and Kevin goof off and cut each other up, even though they are continually shushed by an upset Marva Lynn. The security grabs the family and bans Opera House for life.

The next day at school, Kevin feels even more stupid and left out when he can't understand a calculus problem on the chalkboard. Later, as a sad Kevin walks home from school, he passes by the playground of his old school, where Danny, Steve and Dennis are shooting marbles. When Kevin greets them and tries to talk to them, they treat him like a nerd, call him names and tell him to get lost. Cut to later at dinner: as a depressed Kevin eats, Marva Lynn reminds everyone that they can't be late for the film festival that she bought tickets for, as another way to nurture Kevin's brain. Kevin is reluctant to go to the festival and Nolan tells him they don't have to. Just as Kevin is about to tell Nolan what is on his mind and confess about the false I.Q. test, Nolan insists on going outside to play catch. After playing catch, Kevin sees how much being a genius means to Nolan and chooses not to confess about what he has done, out of fear of disappointing him.

The next day at the "gifted children" school, while performing a chemistry experiment, Kevin accidentally causes an explosion, which results in green goo everywhere. Later, at counselor's office, a green-stained Kevin meets with him. They discuss the reasoning behind his recent failings at the new school, and he thinks that once again Kevin isn't being challenged enough, while Kevin suggests that he just go back to St. Boniface Elementary. When he wants to know why, Kevin makes up an excuse and tells him he would like to go undercover and study regular kids and their school environment, "to see what makes 'em tick." He agrees and tells Kevin to write up a proposal to present to the principal while he goes to talk to him. Kevin struggles to write a proposal and instead changes his mind and writes his confession. When The counselor comes back in the office and reads Kevin's confession, he suddenly realizes that Kevin misspelled "confession".

Later at home, a still green-stained Kevin greets his parents and Nolan offers to give Kevin a turpentine bath to wash off the green. After the bath, Kevin confesses about cheating on the aptitude test and tells Nolan that he loves him and that he has enjoyed the extra attention from being a "genius." He tells Nolan that he doesn't think something that has brought them closer than they ever were before could be bad, which angers Nolan, and he chases Kevin, trying to choke him for telling him that. Fortunately, Kevin is too fast for Nolan and runs into his bedroom and locks the door. Then Nolan pounds on Kevin's door, and tries to coax him to come out. But Kevin claims that while he might not be a genius, he is not THAT dumb and claims to be insulted. Everything is back to normal in the Smith home as Nolan gets mad and pounds on Kevin's door. Seconds later, Marva Lynn told Nolan to stop, and tells Kevin to go to bed.