MSB S3E13: Holiday Special + Season 3 overall

I feel like celebrating, even if it's far too early. This review on the last episode of Season 3, an episode made to celebrate December holidays, and it teaches a lesson about why it's important to recycle. Blog, do your stuff!

39. Holiday Special/Family Holiday Special.
Topic: Recycling.
Written by: Brian Meehl and John May.
Guest star: Dolly Parton as Katrina Eloise "Murph" Murphy.
Aired: 25 December 1996.

It is the day before the winter holidays, and the class is taking stuff to the recycling center, which is run by Murph (voiced by Dolly Parton), Ms. Frizzle's cousin. Wanda is going to see The Nutcracker and is bringing a toy soldier instead of taking money, as they are taking toys to give to homeless children. As usual, something goes wrong. Arnold mistakes the soldier for something being taken to the recycling plant and Wanda's soldier is turned into plastic pellets. Wanda angrily declares she wishes recycling had never been invented. Naturally, this gives the Friz an idea. She turn the bus into an anti-recycling machine, which changes the city to the way it would be without recycling. It cuts down the forest, and turns recycling trucks into garbage trucks. The kids are confused when it turns the swing set in the park into aluminum cans and such. Wanda is still pleased, since if recycling had never been invented, then her soldier would be still waiting for them in school. However the bus turns the school into a garbage dump when they get there. Finally, the bus "un-recycles" itself. Wanda then apologizes for having ever wanted to get rid of recycling, and wants it back. The Friz changes the bus so it changes everything back. Wanda makes new toy soldiers from the melted plastic pellets. Arnold has to leave for his sick grandma for Hanukkah. Soon, Arnold's classmates, Ms. Frizzle and Murph appear.

The episode starts with a ballet known as The Nutcracker. 

Yep, Wanda's at that ballet! And she's really enjoying it! Wanda really is at The Nutcracker....

Or so we thought. It was just Wanda's imagination. She and the class are actually in the classroom.

And the class is a recycling plant! And they're sorting out things we can recycle, like glass, plastic and aluminium.

Phoebe is doing her best to explain what makes recycling fun to do.

But Wanda's in a rush. She wants to go to see The Nutcracker, as shown by the soldier she's holding.

There's the mistake Wanda made here. She didn't tuck the soldier in her bag properly.

Finally, Arnold's arrived, and Wanda discovered a geode Arnold received for Hanukkah from his mum. And Wanda likes it.

Oh, Arnold's blushing! This must be more proof he has a crush on Wanda.

Uh-oh. Arnold, you shouldn't have done that. He did this because the soldier was on the ground.

And we say hello to Ms. Frizzle's first cousin, Katrina Eloise Murphy, or "Murph" as she likes to be called.

As Ralphie would say, is it just me, or is Murph rapping?

This is why Arnold shouldn't have tucked that soldier into his recycling container. It's Wanda's!

This is all that's left of Wanda's old Nutcracker soldier.

Poor Wanda. Lost the soldier she had for as long as she could remember.

"I don't blame you, Arnold."

"You don't?"

"No. I blame your crummy idea!"

Uh-oh. Wanda's angry with Arnold for his idea of recycling. 

Wanda's just so frustrated and sad that her soldier had been shredded, melted and turned into plastic pellets, she wishes recycling was never invented. Be careful what you wish for, Wanda.

No recycling means no recycling plant.

More trees have to be cut down.

No recycling bins.

And worst of all, Walkerville Elementary School will have to become the city dump!

"At my old school, we never had piles of garbage."

True, Phoebe. No school has ever had piles of garbage.

Wanda had gone and done it! The Magic School Bus has been unrecycled!

"Wait a minute! Wait a minute! Wait a minute!"

Way to use one of Dorothy Ann's catchphrases, Wanda! Just for a clever idea! 

Good thing Ms. Frizzle is going to help recycle again, just to rebuild the main character.

And some bus moulds to build The Magic School Bus back the way it was!

They've rebuilt the bus! It's as good as new!

And look, the school is back to normal!

And the recycling plant is back to normal!

And to make up for the soldier Arnold accidentally recycled, more soldiers are being made!

And Wanda's gotten her soldier back!

Of course! Arnold said he'd received the geode from his mum for early Hanukkah, because he wasn't going to see her that night. He gave it to Wanda, seeing how much she likes it. Here's proof Arnold has a crush on Wanda.

Ms. Frizzle's class didn't want to see The Nutcracker. They wanted to go with Arnold to see his ill grandma. They look fancy in those outfits!

And Wanda gave Arnold some plastic pellets. Isn't that thoughtful?

And we hear Murph sing What Goes Around, Comes Around again. And the class are joining in!

Come on! Ride on The Magic School Caboose!

It's not the usual Tim-like producer in this segment. It's Ms. Murph answering these calls. And she's providing useful facts about recycling.

And Liz recycled that paper on her own! She's a clever little chameleon.


We're introduced to Ms. Frizzle's first cousin, Ms. Katrina Eloise Murphy, or "Murph" as she likes to be called, and she's voiced by the one and only, country superstar Dolly Parton, who would later go on to date Krusty the Clown. Well, not really, but Krusty did want to go out with her.

This episode has some more reasons for people to ship Arnold with Wanda. They were both secret Santa to each other.

We also see how The Magic School Bus was fully built.

Plus, this is the first time we see Wanda or any character cry. Wanda cries because her soldier got  recycled.

Get this. The whole class wear the same outfits they wore in the previous episode and this is the 2nd episode in a row where Arnold doesn't wear his normal outfit.

There were some remixed Christmas Carols in this episode, especially considering it premiered in Christmas 1996. A reworded version of The 12 Days of Christmas, and even a reworded Jingle Bells.

Wanda wishing recycling was never invented was kind of a retelling of It's a Wonderful Life.  

I wonder if this episode also links to that Captain Planet Magic School Bus conspiracy? This episode teaches kids about recycling, and Captain Planet teaches kids to be environmentally friendly, and recycling is environmentally friendly. And also, the people who made that conspiracy say that Wanda grew up to be Gi.

One fun fact about this episode is when this episode first aired on PBS back on Christmas 1996, it aired as an hour long special. The first half was the episode, the second half was Behind the Scenes of how the show was made, and the credits were an instrumental of the theme without the vocals of Little Richard or the kids who sang with him. It was made to celebrate the franchise's 10th anniversary. If you're interested in seeing the hour long version, Dolly Parton has uploaded it to her Vimeo account a few years ago. Go here if you want to watch the full episode.

This was a very heartwarming episode. Though it may not be as Christmassy as it was intended to be, it was still a very good way to teach kids about recycling and why it's so important. And Dolly Parton did wonders voicing Murph. And this episode also has a life lesson apart from recycling. Be careful what you wish for, as Wanda learned the hard way. And what Arnold's classmates, Ms. Frizzle, and Murph did at the end was very unexpected, especially considering they were planning to see The Nutcracker that evening. This also shows how important friendship is, and it's a fascinating way to end Season 3. And to wrap up this review. What goes around, comes around again!

My rating: 10/10.

Season 3 final thoughts:

While Season 3 may not have been as brilliant as Season 2, it was still a brilliant season. Even if there were also scientific errors in this season, like not including indigo on the rainbow, it was still a brill season. And the animation and visuals were top notch, especially considering this was 1996. Though one thing I have noticed is that Carlos' voice and Ralphie's voice turned completely teenager-like, especially considering Daniel DeSanto was 16 at the time, and Stuart Stone was 19 at the time.

Speaking of puberty, Tim's voice was noticeably becoming teenager-like throughout this season, but not like the voice he had in Season 1. Because Andre Ottley-Lorant was going through puberty at the time. 

That's Season 3 in a nutshell. Next time, I'm going to be tackling Season 4 to see how well those science lessons are executed.

Season 3 episodes from least favourite to favourite:

8.5/10.
13. Goes Upstream.

9/10.
12. Rocks and Rolls.
11. In the Rainforest.
10. Works Out.

9.5/10.
9. In a Beehive.
8. Spins a Web.
7. Gets Planted.
6. Under Construction.

10/10.
5. Gets a Bright Idea.
4. In the Arctic.
3. Holiday Special.
2. Shows and Tells.
1. Makes a Rainbow.

Season 3 average score: 9.5/10.

Final score: 9.5/10.