Out of This World

"Out of This World" is the eleventh episode of season two and the twenty-fourth episode overall of the animated children's series The Magic School Bus. It originally aired on December 17th, 1995.

Summary

Dorothy Ann has spotted an asteroid that will hit Earth, and she predicted a direct landfall on the school. The class knows it's up to them to stop it when they get no response from NASA. They mistake a comet for the asteroid, which they melt, but unfortunately, the means used on it don't work on the asteroid. Instead, they use gravity to pull it to the bus, and manage to send it into the sun, saving the school.

Plot

While flying a spaceship in space, Dorothy Ann gets a call from Commander Fleck, who informs her that the asteroid is plunging to the school. Dorothy Ann orders the commander to alert Ms. Frizzle, only for the asteroid to destroy the school anyway.

Dorothy Ann later wakes up in bed at four o'clock in the morning to find that she has been dreaming. She hops out of her bed and takes a view of her telescope, which she finds a view of the full moon thinking it is an asteroid. Her mom wakes up just in time for Dorothy Ann to warn her that there may be no school.

A few hours later, Dorothy Ann arrives late to class, where the others are doing a play of the solar system, in which Dorothy Ann was supposed to play the dwarf planet, Pluto (which Carlos jokingly barks at, referencing Pluto the dog). She accidentally crashes into the Friz, who was carrying science fiction films. The rest of the class notice the clamor and exit the class. Dorothy Ann informs the class that an asteroid is plunging to the school sometime in the next 24 hours. She shows them a map of the collision of the asteroid, showing the days that the asteroid has gotten closer according to her telescope. So Wanda suggests that the class should call NASA about this, only to learn that every scientist is busy, prompting Ms. Frizzle and Dorothy Ann to suggest a field trip.

When they get on the Bus, Liz transforms it into an upside down USS Enterprise and flies into space in order to validate Dorothy Ann's contention. Liz begins the scan phase and the class view through the window to find a rock floating in space, which Ralphie claims is the ball he hit as a home run in recess the day before. They then find out that the rock burns out when it reaches the Earth's atmosphere and Keesha states that it was maybe Dorothy Ann's asteroid. Arnold, feeling relieved, says "Good. Then we can go home now." But Dorothy Ann argues that the asteroid was much bigger and that it is going directly from Saturn. So Liz accelerates the USS Enterbus to Saturn, only for the spaceship to get pulled off course. Dorothy Ann informs that the ship is about to crash to the moon.

When Arnold says that the moon is so much bigger, Dorothy Ann explains that it's the gravity that's pulling the USS Enterbus into the moon. So Liz presses some buttons and the ship flies around the moon, which Ms. Frizzle defines as a parking orbit. The USS Enterbus eventually flies away from the moon and the class views a comet coming their way. Ms. Frizzle elucidates that space junk are bits and pieces of rock that were left over as the planets formed. Dorothy Ann wonders if it was the comet that she saw through her telescope last night. The class decides to use the mega reflector to melt the comet successfully as it evaporates. When asked by Carlos how it felt to save the school from the comet, Wanda jokingly states, "Sorry, no comet". Dorothy Ann, however, informs that the space object that is about to hit the school is still around, adding that she has gotten the locations wrong due to the USS Enterbus turning around after leaving the moon. So Liz drives the USS Enterbus to another space rock that Dorothy Ann believes is the asteroid. The class attempt to use the mega reflector to melt the asteroid, only to discover that it is made out of metal and rock. Dorothy Ann is now out of options and hesitates as the asteroid continues to slowly fall down.

The USS Enterbus follows the asteroid and Dorothy Ann suggests that instead of destroying the asteroid, the class should move it to another direction. Carlos decides to use the magnetic Rammer Slammer on the space pod to pull the asteroid out of its path. Ralphie jokingly states that Carlos' idea is "out to launch". Ms. Frizzle goes along with Carlos in the space pod, which is launched in space and to the asteroid. Carlos arms the Rammer Slammer and activates the strong magnetic field. Unfortunately, the asteroid is too big to get pulled and the space pod gets stuck to it. Then Phoebe suggests that if the Bus transforms into something bigger than the asteroid, the asteroid would orbit around them just like how they orbited around the moon. So Dorothy Ann devises a plan for the USS Enterbus to transform into something bigger, swing the asteroid around them, and send it to the sun in order to get rid of it for good. Liz transforms the USS Enterbus into a comet, then an asteroid, and then into the Moon, which causes the gravity to pull in the space pod. Ms. Frizzle and Carlos eject out of the space pod and back into the Lunar School Bus. Liz successfully transforms the Lunar School Bus back into the USS Enterbus just in time for the asteroid to zoom off towards the sun. Keesha finally gets the call from NASA, only for the class to rescind the call, for they have already got the job done. They fly back to Earth and to the school as Dorothy Ann's mother and Evan, Dorothy Ann's sister watch through their home balcony what appears to be a meteor shower. When the class discuss what would happen if another asteroid attempts to crash to the school, Carlos jokingly states that they would "Change its course, of course".

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Trivia

• Dorothy Ann's mother makes her second appearance. She is voiced by Swoosie Kurtz. Dorothy Ann's little sister, Evan, is also introduced.
• This episode takes place the day after "Plays Ball".
• "Field trip no. 24" is a reference to the episode's number in airing order: (Original Series, Season 2, Episode 24) and production order: (MSB-24).
• Arnold does not say "I knew I should've stayed home today" in this episode.
• Ms. Frizzle's hair and outfit are based on that of Leia from Star Wars, and Liz is seen with a hairdo similar to Spock's from Star Trek. The Bus has transformed into an upside-down USS Enterprise.
• This is the only episode where the class wear different space suits than in other episodes that take place in outer space.
• Carlos making barking noises after telling Dorothy Ann she was supposed to be Pluto is a shout out to the Disney character of the same name.
• The Space Bus resembles an upside-down version of the USS Enterprise, which is appropriate, because an upside-down model is used with computers to create the Enterprise flight special effect for Star Trek: The Next Generation.
• After the class shouts "An asteroid?" in unison, Ralphie asks "You mean like that giant rock Arnold's looney cousin, Janet, tried to bring back from space?", referencing the time that Janet tried to get an asteroid from the Asteroid Belt while accidentally sending Ms. Frizzle and Liz to Pluto in the series pilot, "Gets Lost in Space".
• The cast of the Solar System Play:
  • Arnold - Saturn
  • Carlos - Mars
  • Dorothy Ann - Pluto (she doesn't wear her costume in the episode)
  • Keesha - Uranus
  • Liz - Mercury
  • Phoebe - Neptune
  • Ralphie - Jupiter
  • Tim - Earth
  • Wanda - Venus
• One of the film reels that Ms. Frizzle was carrying is the 1951 film, When Worlds Collide.