"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.
Plot
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.
Summary
While flying a spaceship in space, Dorothy Ann gets a call from commander Mister Fleck, who informs her that the asteroid is plunging to the school. Dorothy Ann orders the commander to alert Valerie Frizzle, only for the asteroid to destroy the school anyway.
Dorothy Ann later wakes up from 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. Dorothy Ann's mother 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 planet Pluto (which Carlos jokingly barks at, making the allusion of the fictional dog from the Disney series). She accidentally bumps into Valerie, 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. So Ms. Frizzle suggests a field trip.
The class enter The Magic School Bus, which transforms into a spaceship 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 yesterday. They then find out that the rock begins to ignite and Arnold states that it was Dorothy Ann's asteroid. But Dorothy Ann argues that the asteroid was much bigger and that it is going directly to Saturn. So Liz accelerates the spaceship 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 Magic Spaceship Bus in to the moon. So Liz steps on the gas pedal and the ship flies around the moon, which Ms. Frizzle defines as a parking orbit. The Magic Spaceship Bus 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 spaceship turning around after leaving the moon. So Liz drives the spaceship to another space rock Dorothy Ann believes is an 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 Magic Spaceship Bus 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 the magic connects to the magnet. Unfortunately, the asteroid is too big to get pulled and The space pod gets stuck to it. So Dorothy Ann devises a plan for the class to get bigger, swing the asteroid around them, and send it to the sun in order to get rid of it for good. Liz doubles the size of The Magic Space Bus so that it is as big and heavy as 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 Magic Space Bus. Liz shrinks the bus back to the actual size just in time for the asteroid to plunge into 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 is another asteroid attempts to crash to the school, Carlos jokingly states that they would "Change its course, of course".
Gallery
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Watch Episode
The Magic School Bus S02E11 Out Of This World (Space Rocks)
Trivia
- Dorothy Ann's mother makes her second appearance. She is voiced by Swoosie Kurtz. Dorothy Ann's little sister, Evan, is also introduced.
- Arnold does not say "I knew I should've stayed home today" in this episode.
- Ms. Frizzle looks a lot like Princess Leia from Star Wars in the field trip for this episode. Likewise, Liz looks a whole lot like Spock from Star Trek. Coincidentally, the rest of the class is dressed in Star Trek clothes and the bus looks like the 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 she was supposed to be Pluto is a shout out to the Disney character, Pluto.
- 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 loony cousin, Janet, tried to bring back from space?" Quoting when 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".