MSB S1E03: Inside Ralphie

Now that I've finished blasting through the 1st episode and eating the 2nd episode of The Magic School Bus, it's now time to fall ill to this review. Blog, do your stuff!

3. Inside Ralphie.
Topics: Immune System and Germs.
Written by: John May and Jocelyn Stevenson.
Guest star: Tyne Daly as Doctor Tennelli.
Aired: FOX Kids: 24 September 1994. PBS: 25 September 1994.

The class needs Ralphie to give them a story idea for broadcast day, but Ralphie is sick. His mother (Tyne Daly), a doctor, refuses to allow him to go to school. When Ms. Frizzle says that there is an amazing battle going on inside him, the class decides broadcast day should be about whatever is making Ralphie sick. After shrinking and going into Ralphie's veins through a cut, the class travels to Ralphie's sore throat to see what is making him sick. Then his white blood cells see the bus as a threat and attempts to devour it.

 We're hereby introduced to Doctor Tennelli, Ralphie's mum. And since she's a doctor, she's already feeling that Ralphie is sick. So she wouldn't let him go to school.

Who would've thought Ralphie would make a sick joke? Shaking, with salsa music playing.

This is one part I have to question. Doctor Tennelli kissed Ralphie before leaving for work. This kiss scene wasn't a good idea. Because if you kiss someone who's sick, you can get sick too. And being a doctor, Ralphie's mum should've known better than to do this.

Check it out! This reference to Star Wars on Ralphie's pyjamas.

"It's a shortcut! Get it? Short cut?"

"Carlos, yuck!"

Just goes to show not all of Carlos' puns are funny. Some of them can be gross, like this joke he made about Ralphie's cut.

"I'm the one who should have stayed home today."

You know, if Arnold was the one who stayed home today, then this episode would have had to have been called "Inside Arnold", and that would've been a bit cliched if Arnold was the only student to have the class enter his body in every single episode that has to do with the human body, especially considering the previous episode when they entered his digestive system.

Have a look at the shape of this bacteria. Is it just me or does that look like streptococcus? If it is, then Ralphie must've been suffering from strep throat.

Is it just me, or did Doctor Tennelli use her son's catchphrase? If that's the case, then Ralphie obviously takes after his mum.

This must be a reason some people who grew up with this series say Ms. Frizzle is messed up. When the class are about to be eaten by white blood cells, Ms. Frizzle just stands there and smiles, even when she informs the class about what the white blood cells are doing to them.

Liz doing her best to wake Ralphie up. An alarm clock. No good. The alarm clock isn't loud enough.

Next, she's using a gong. That worked. Ralphie woke up.

When the class has to exit Ralphie's nose, he has to sneeze them out. So Liz peppered him.

It's funny that Liz would use the vaccine as a gun, especially when Producer mentioned getting your shots is a useful way to prevent yourself from getting sick from the ultra serious flu.

Here's another kiss seen in this. Liz kissed the TV with Ms. Frizzle. Because Ms. Frizzle doesn't get sick.

That's right, folks. The first episode of this series to have a guest star, in this case Tyne Daly, and she voiced Doctor Tennelli, Ralphie's mum, also marking the first time we see a parent of any of the main class. And she even mentions Ralphie's grandfather. Judging by what Doctor Tennelli told Ralphie, he is likely to be Ralphie's maternal grandfather.

There were funny moments about this episode, like when Ms. Frizzle said "Take chances, make mistakes!" to which Carlos finished by saying that Ralphie's room "Sure is messy!" And also, as Arnold moaned "I'm the one who should've stayed home today.", it makes me think of what would've happened had Arnold been the one who stayed home in this, though it would've been cliched considering they went into Arnold's body in the previous episode and in a later episode. Another funny moment was Liz trying to wake Ralphie up with an alarm clock and a gong. And she even used pepper to get Ralphie to sneeze the class out as they were navigating his nostril.

Judging by Doctor Tennelli asking herself "Is it just me, or did they say "Ralphie"?", this implies Ralphie gets his catchphrase from his mum.

This episode shows a reason people like to say Ms. Frizzle is a messed up teacher. I usually think it's because The Magic School Bus itself takes the class on impossible excursions and shapeshifts when doing so.

And the Producer's Segment shows how we can help our immune system. Strangely, Ms. Frizzle doesn't get sick. It also implies she's magic too. Also, not to pick your scabs that are healing your cuts.

Now, there's only one thing that puzzles me. How did Ms. Frizzle know Ralphie was going to be sick? I mean when the telephone rang, shown to be Doctor Tennelli telling Ms. Frizzle that Ralphie is staying home, Ms. Frizzle was wearing a dress with all kinds of medicines on it. Either Ralphie was showing mild symptoms the day before and his mum didn't think he was sick enough to stay home, or Ms. Frizzle made Ralphie sick the day before to drive the plot and teach kids about the immune system.


Even if Ms. Frizzle seemed messed up here, especially where she smiled upon the class getting attacked by white blood cells, and even if there was a headscratcher like how Ms. Frizzle knew Ralphie was staying home, like the others, this episode was edutaining and a great way to learn about what white blood cells do to germs that make us sick, and what we should do to keep healthy. And it shows we should stay home from school or work if we're too sick so we don't infect anyone else. And it was action packed, especially when Ralphie's pyjamas were animated, and when the bus explored Ralphie's immune system.

My rating: 9/10.

Season 1 scorecard.

1. Gets Lost in Space: 9/10.

2. For Lunch: 10/10.

3. Inside Ralphie: 9/10.

Season 1 so far: 9.3/10.