D.W. Aims High

Summary
D.W. decides to become the first person to set foot on Mars and starts looking into space exploration.

Plot
The introduction starts off at the Elwood City Museum of Science. Arthur and D.W. are standing next to an Einstein exhibit. Arthur says that Einstein was once just a kid who asked lots of questions. D.W. interrupts, wanting to ask a question herself, but Arthur ignores her. He goes on talking about Einstein's childhood until D.W. interrupts again. Her question turns out to be: When's the show going to start?

D.W. Aims High

The episode begins at Elwood City Preschool. The class is lining up and D.W. pushes her way to the front. Miss Morgan asks her go to the back since she usually always is the line leader. Later, the class is given an assignment: think about what you want to be when you grow up. Emily wants to be a ballerina, the Tibbles want to be cowboy policemen, but D.W. says she just wants to be first.

At the Read's house later that day, Arthur and D.W. argue over T.V time, but their Dad is already at the T.V, watching a space exploration program. The two think the show is boring at first, but get interested when it shows Neil Armstrong taking his first steps on the moon. Mr. Read talks about watching this moon landing as a kid. "Maybe when you're older," he says, "you two will be able to see the first person on Mars." D.W. immediately proclaims she wants to be that first astronaut. Arthur laughs, but dad says she can if she wants to.

Eager to get practicing, D.W. makes a pretend spaceship out of pillow cushions. She and Nadine go on an imaginary trip to Mars, where they jump around in the low gravity. Suddenly, massive footsteps shake the planet. A huge version of Pal rips off the spaceship hatch. The regular Pal also rips off the top cushion of the pillow spaceship, and D.W. knocks the whole thing over in anger.

The next scene is at the Tibbles's house. Tommy and Timmy are practicing to be cowboy policemen by lassoing a toy bear. D.W. walks up to them and asks for a box to make a better spaceship. She tells them of her plan to be the first one on Mars and the Tibbles gasp. They tell a story of Mars where giant lizards run around attacking each other. They continue, saying that Mars is red from all the Martian blood. D.W. gets scared and says she doesn't want a box any more.

Mr. Read plans to go star gazing that night. D.W. is still scared, but decides to go. When she spots Mars through the telescope, she screams because it really does look red. D.W. tells Arthur about the story she heard of Mars. He explains that the Tibbles were just describing a made up movie. At D.W.'s bedtime, her dad shows her another fictional Mars story: War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells. He explains that she isn't the first to be afraid of Mars and martians. Mr. Read then tells D.W. that they can learn more about the real Mars with a trip to the Science Museum.

They go to the Museum the next day. It has a lot of info on Mars, including several light displays and even a remote control rover. D.W. leaves with a Mars model set and chooses she wants to be an astronaut again.

D.W. is the first to present her future job in front of her classmates. The Tibbles interrupt her with their same story, scaring more students. D.W. blows a whistle to get the class's attention back asking them if they want to hear the real truth or a made up story which quite them. She shows them her new model and talks more about the real Mars. She says that no one really knows if there is life on Mars. She plans to be the first to find out. Miss Morgan is impressed and even the Tibbles consider becoming astronauts.

Main

 * D.W. Read
 * Nadine Flumberghast
 * Mrs. Morgan
 * Timmy and Tommy Tibble
 * Emily

Minor

 * Arthur Read
 * David Read
 * Ms. Morgan

Cameo

 * Sarah
 * Kyle
 * Edwin
 * Amanda Hulser
 * James MacDonald
 * Liam
 * Lucy
 * Maryann
 * Mr. Morris
 * Unknown Male Adult Rabbit (Number 3)
 * Maria lookalike

Mentioned

 * Mary Moo Cow

Trivia

 * This is the only episode written by Rose Compagine.
 * Mr. Morris is seen working at the Space Museum, despite the fact that he moved to New Mexico after April 9th.

Cultural References

 * Mr. Read mentions H.G. Wells' novel “The War of the Worlds” and the panic caused by Orson Welles' radio play in 1938.

Episode Connections

 * D.W. sounds the whistle she was given in D.W. Blows the Whistle.

Errors

 * When D.W. stands up from the couch, the real footage appears for a split second on D.W.'s face before the scene changes.

Home Video
DVD:
 * Arthur: Season 10