I've lived my whole life on Normal Street.
There's a lake at one end,
and a forest of shady trees at the other.
But what lies in between is anything but normal.
[ball bouncing]
Ranger's always wanted to make the basketball team.
But he's always had something going against him.
What Ranger lacks in height, though,
he makes up for in hustle...
heart...
and high fives.
And this year...
that was good enough to make the team.
[balls bouncing]
Hey, Randy, you think you could ask coach to put me in?
Know what? Maybe next game, man.
I love the spirit. Keep it up.
[sighs]
- [whistle blows] - [cheering, applause]
Unfortunately, Ranger spent every minute of every game
on the bench.
[ball bouncing]
Now, notice that every time I shoot the ball,
it follows an identifiable trajectory.
Whoa. Nice shot, Mrs. Morgan.
You should play for us.
[laughter]
Well, thank you, Randy.
And you can thank Galileo who showed us that
the path of a projectile is a parabola.
[school bell rings]
Don't forget this afternoon
is the first meeting of the Rocketry Club.
I know membership's been down recently,
but I have a big surprise this year.
Rocketry Club?
Well, I'm in if you're in.
Lift off in three...
two...
One second, guys. Can I borrow him real quick?
- [chanting] Ranger-- - All: Ranger, Ranger,
Ranger, Ranger, Ranger, Ranger.
Go Normal!
I'll catch you at lunch, man.
[school bell rings]
What was that all about?
Nothin'. It's just something they do.
Since when?
Since...
I don't know, yesterday.
Okay, fine. I guess I forgot to tell you about the game.
[thudding]
Ranger: Well, as usual, we were losing,
and, as usual, I was on the bench
when all of a sudden,
I looked up and the ball was coming right at me.
And so was Randy.
He dove for the ball, I dove out of the way.
Somehow, he got a shot off.
[whooshing]
- And it went in. - [whistle blows]
The refs counted it, and we won by a point.
[Team chanting] Ranger, Ranger, Ranger, Ranger.
Now Randy, Coach Shaeffer, and the whole team believe
it was all because of me.
So you're like a human good-luck charm.
Are you cool with that?
Well, as long as it gets me some playing time,
I'm okay with anything.
Ranger!
Go.
But what about you guys?
We'll be fine.
Hey, Ranger. Come on.
Go. Hang out with your teammates.
Enjoy the moment.
Hey. Secret weapon.
- What's up, bud? - What's up?
So, you're up for the game this weekend?
Yeah. You think I could play?
Maybe.
What is wrong with your generation?
Just because NASA retired the shuttles
doesn't mean rocketry isn't cool.
Well, as our motto goes,
ad astra per aspera.
"A rough road leads to the stars."
Exactly.
And, as promised, you six
are in for a big surprise.
At next month's rocket launch,
we will be joined by one of Normal Middle School's
most famous alums.
Keisha Carter.
And Dr. Carter has graciously offered
an all expense paid trip to Space Camp [chuckles]
for the team with this year's highest flying rocket.
You know, it's funny.
Whenever I imagine zero gravity training,
I always sort of picture Ranger.
He does hate gravity.
I mean, he really resents it.
Hey, let's make a promise right now
that if we do go to Space Camp
that we'll find a way for Ranger to go with us.
No matter what.
- Pinky swear? - We can do better.
[thudding]
Notice anything different?
Um...
Wrist bands. Randy gave me his old ones.
Have you looked in a mirror recently?
Why?
Whoa. Weird.
Must be a build up of static electricity
from all the head rubs.
Hey, Ranger, Keisha Carter, the astronaut,
is coming to the Rocketry Club launch,
and if we win, we get to go to Space Camp.
Amazing.
Did you know that the basketball lunch table
is slightly higher than all the other tables?
You can't see it, but you can totally feel it.
I doubt the table is actually physically higher.
I would have said the same thing,
until I sat there.
Also, not positive about this one yet,
but I'm pretty sure their chicken nuggets
are made from real chickens.
What's that?
- [electricity crackling] - Ow!
Sorry. I didn't know that was on.
It's not on.
It's not something that can be on.
Here, hold this.
Astounding. You're like a
walking, talking Van de Graaff generator.
Uh-- You're electric.
That seems kind of--
Yes, it's actually incredibly...
Awesome.
[cheering]
♪♪
[scraping]
Hey...
♪♪
[electrical buzzing]
♪♪
[electricity crackling]
- [electricity crackling] - [gasping]
♪♪
- Yes! - Yes!
♪♪
Boys, we're going to the championship.
[cheering]
- Normal! - [chanting] Normal! Normal! Normal!
- Normal! Normal! - [chanting] Ranger!
Ranger! Ranger! Ranger! Ranger!
Ranger! Ranger! Ranger!
[hissing]
110 meters.
155!
- 150! - That's it?
Mrs. Morgan: All right. Excellent test flights, everyone.
You'll have the weekend for adjustments and modifications
before Monday's official launch.
Looks like it's gonna be a close one.
We could sand the fins again, shorten the parachute strings.
Every ounce counts.
Sao and Margaret are probably thinking
the same things right now.
They know it's close.
It could come down to a gust of wind.
That's luck.
What we need is a guarantee.
Well, what else can we do?
I've been working on an alternative fuel source.
Great. Let's use it.
It's not that simple.
What do you mean?
It's risky.
Hey, guys. Did I miss the flight?
Both: Yes.
- Sorry. How'd it go? - Gortimer: Not great.
But we have a plan.
I like that spirit, Gibbon.
- [electricity crackling] - [gasping]
Are you guys okay?
Yeah. Ow.
Yeah. [sniffing]
Though my hand kind of smells like barbecue.
Just stay where you are.
Here. Hold these.
[humming]
Ranger, listen to me.
If this build up of electricity continues,
it could become irreversible.
Or worse.
How much worse?
You could electrocute yourself.
That doesn't seem fun.
Can't you just science up a solution?
Yeah. Stop building up static electricity.
Stop letting them rub your head.
But we're in the championship game.
- The team's counting on me. - Gortimer: For what?
No-- no offense, Ranger, but you don't actually get to play.
I mean, they're kind of taking advantage of you.
How?
You want to play and they don't let you.
They're just using you for luck.
I'm the secret weapon.
[sighs] You don't understand sports.
Mel: I understand enough to know
that if your teammates really care about you,
they'll stop rubbing your head.
This good luck for them
is gonna end up being very bad luck for you.
Randy: Normal U. will never beat Normal State.
As long as they have Martheny.
That guy's a beast.
- Hey. - Oh, hey, Ranger.
Our secret weapon. Hey, come over here.
Give me some of that Bowen magic.
Yeah, um, actually, about that, uh--
Oh, you want to save it for the game?
Good thinking.
No, I mean, uh--
It's just, uh-- real funny story.
Um, my friends, they were saying
something about how my hair was building up static electricity,
and that can get dangerous, so, um--
Where are you going with this?
Um, maybe you guys could not rub my head anymore?
Whoa, Ranger, buddy, look, um,
we're kind of depending on you.
Oh, totally,
and I know my friends can get a little crazy sometimes
worrying about my safety and everything, but, uh--
- [buzzing] - [gasps]
Whoa.
Um, well, you know, he has shin splints,
and, uh, my leg's really hurting,
so we just gotta play through the pain.
Right, except I never get to play.
Oh, is that what this is all about?
You-- you want to play?
Yeah. I signed up to play basketball,
so that, you know, I could play basketball.
Yeah, that's totally fair.
I mean, you deserve to play, you're part of the team.
I'll talk to Coach Shaeffer.
Really?
Yeah, I promise. You'll get some game time.
Girl: Ranger.
We all got together and made these for the big game.
Look, it's you.
Aren't they cool?
Hey, guys, guys, huddle up.
[chanting] Ranger, Ranger, Ranger, Ranger, Ranger,
- Ranger, Ranger, Ranger... - [buzzing]
It's comprised primarily of condensed Arctic Sludgy powder.
Which, when combined with citric acid,
produces something called quad nitro toluene.
Sound familiar? [slurping]
- No. - How about trinitrotoluene?
Oh, yeah. No.
TNT.
There's dynamite in our Arctic Sludgies?
I said quad, not tri.
There's an extra nitro group,
so the ignition point is pretty high.
We'll need something bigger than a 9 volt for the launch.
Like a car battery.
Uh, I don't know, Mel. Are we overdoing it?
Maybe we could just sand the fins again.
Play it safe.
Gortimer, this is about space.
We're literally shooting for the stars.
I would rather go for glory and lose by 50 meters,
than play it safe and lose by five.
Can we test it?
I already did.
My mom used a blow torch to light it.
But I think I'm close.
Wow. [chuckles]
Side note, we should cut back on the Arctic Sludgies.
- Hey, guys. - Mel: Nice shirt.
How'd it go with the team?
Great. Randy said I could play in the championship game.
- That's awesome. - Congrats.
See, if you stand up for yourself,
people respect you.
Yep. Lesson learned. Moving on.
And they're okay with not rubbing your head and everything?
Well, yeah. I mean,
we worked something out.
I don't like the sound of that.
No, it's fine. I had a great idea.
Look.
As long as I stay grounded,
nobody gets hurt, the team gets the good luck,
and I get to play. Everybody wins.
You're insulated, not grounded.
The gloves protect everyone else, not you.
Yeah, does anyone else have to endanger themselves
just to get a chance to play?
It's a risk I have to take.
Guys, come on. This is really exciting for me.
They chant my name at games.
They made Ranger T-shirts.
And now we're on the verge of a championship,
and I have a chance to be a real part of it.
I get to play.
Ranger, you have more heart than anyone I know.
You deserve friends who don't take advantage of you.
[sighs] I deserve friends that can be happy for me.
Ranger--
[sighs] Forget it. Look, I gotta go.
[hissing]
145 meters.
Great work, guys. Very impressive.
They're short.
That means if you still want to,
we can play it safe and switch back to regular fuel.
We'd still have a pretty good chance at winning.
No, Mel, that's not the attitude
that landed a human on the moon.
Better go for glory and lose by 50 meters
than to play it safe and lose by five.
I was hoping you'd say that.
All right. What have we got here?
Well, it's a standard kit rocket,
but we've reinvented the fuel.
This one utilizes quad nitro toluene.
QNT. Wow.
Swatting at flies with a sledgehammer, huh?
- [chuckling] - [giggling]
Oh, I was that girl once.
You sure you've got enough power to ignite this thing?
Definitely.
Well, let's see it in action.
Our pleasure, Dr. Carter.
Five...
- Four... - Three...
- Two... - One.
[clicking]
[chuckles]
Um...
- Are you-- Are you doing it right? - Mm-hmm.
I don't-- I don't think you're doing it right.
Here. Here, let me see that.
Let me see it.
[clicking]
Maybe-- maybe you have to--
- [stomping] - [cheering]
["Star Spangled Banner" playing]
[cheering]
[chanting] Ranger, Ranger, Ranger, Ranger.
Coach: Let's go. Let's go. Let's go.
[clapping]
[cheering]
♪♪
[cheering]
♪♪
Can I go in yet?
- Huh? - Can I go in?
- That's right. - [sighs]
- [cheering] - [whistle blowing]
- [zapping] - [gasps]
♪♪
Timeout. Timeout. Timeout.
All right, guys.
This is the best team we've faced all year.
They're matching us up shot for shot.
And they want this as badly as we do.
But we have something that they don't.
Our secret weapon.
I'm ready. Put me in.
What are you doing, man?
You-- you said I could play. You promised.
- What? - I was gonna tell you, but I forgot.
Look, Ranger, I'm sorry,
but we can't put you in.
The game is on the line and there's only two minutes left.
I know. I've been waiting patiently.
You had the entire game, the whole season to put me in.
Come on, man. Everyone has a role to play.
And what's my role, to get hurt?
Just give it up, man,
so we can go out there and get that trophy.
Go get it yourselves.
- Where you goin'? - I quit.
Hey. Ranger.
Hey, Ranger!
[electricity crackling]
Randy: I guess we deserved that.
Better luck next time, guys.
Hey.
Sorry about the game.
Uh, heard you lost.
I walked out before the end.
What?
[sighs] It doesn't matter.
Look, you guys were right.
I'm sorry. I should have listened.
I just...
[sighs] got carried away.
We all did.
What happened?
Uh, failure to launch.
We should have settled for first place,
but we didn't.
I invented a new type of rocket fuel,
but grossly miscalculated the ampage needed for ignition.
We didn't have enough power.
It was humiliating.
I think I still have some juice left.
You sure that's a good idea?
Everyone deserves their moment.
When you've got stars in your eyes,
it's easy to take your eye off the ball.
Ready?
Whether you're selling yourself short,
or reaching a bit too far.
[humming]
[hissing]
Trust your friends to help keep you grounded.
And you just might find that little spark you need
to help you fly.
♪♪ help you fly.