Episode 301: Nature Calls

Dinosaurs
Air Date	September 18, 1992
Written by	Andy Goodman and Kirk R. Thatcher
Director	Brian Henson

Baby Sinclair runs away to the wilderness following Earl's unsuccessful attempts at civilizing him through toilet training.

Story

Ethyl Phillips and Monica DeVertebrae (along with Earl constantly asking Fran to bring him things) convince Fran to demand that Earl start changing Baby's diapers. After changing Baby's diapers, Earl is horrified over the experience, but Fran tells him that he'd better get used to it, because changing the Baby's diaper will continue to be his responsibility until the baby is potty trained. This prompts Earl to decide that Baby should be potty trained right away. Fran is against this, and decides that if Earl wants Baby potty trained at such a young age, then he'll have to do it himself.

After a first try at potty training, Baby poops in his diaper, causing a frustrated Earl to take Baby to the bathroom, and refuse to let him leave until he's potty trained. Later, Earl has a lot of snacks for Baby, as they watch a scary prison movie on TV. Earl leaves the bathroom to get the Baby some prune juice, but while he's gone, Baby escapes, using Ethyl's wheelchair to leave the house. When Earl comes back to the bathroom, he finds Baby missing, and quickly fears that Baby was flushed down the toilet.

The next morning, Robbie and Charlene wait impatiently to use the bathroom, while Fran suspects that Earl is hiding something. Charlene breaks down the door, and find out that Baby is gone. Ethyl, who was sleeping on the couch, yells because her wheelchair is missing, and the Sinclairs find tire tracks, as well as the Baby's bottle. Earl comes to a conclusion: "Some thief broke in, flushed the baby down the toilet, drank his juice, and then escaped in Ethyl's wheelchair." Noticing his wallet on the counter, Earl adds, "And he didn't even take my wallet. We're obviously dealing with somebody very stupid."

The Baby goes to the woods, where he meets some forest creatures, who inform Baby that in the woods they are free to do whatever they want, and all creatures live in perfect harmony. It is at this moment that a pteranodon flies by, picks up Baby, and takes him to her nest, telling him that he will be the first meal for her babies, who are still in their eggs. She tells him not to even think about escaping, because the nest is high up in a tree, and then flies away.

Earl and Robbie follow the tire tracks, and find the chair. The forest creatures tell them what happened to the Baby, and point out the direction that the Baby was taken. Baby starts to be scared as the baby pteranodons start to hatch. He sees Robbie and Earl, who tell him to jump and say that they'll catch him. Baby refuses because then Earl will make him go potty. Earl apologizes and admits that he was wrong. Baby says he'll think about it, but when one baby pteranodon gets his beak out of the egg, the Baby jumps off. Earl promises the baby that he will continue changing Baby's diaper until he's ready to be potty trained.

Guest Stars

• Richard Simmons (Richard Simmons Dinosaur), Sally Kellerman (Pteranodon), Brian Henson (Forest Creature)

Notes

• Taped on March 13, 1992.
• Sally Kellerman also provided the voice of Miss Finch in Sesame Street's Follow That Bird.

Seen on TV

TriCera-Cops

Video releases

• I'm the Baby! (VHS)
• Dinosaurs: The Complete Third and Fourth Seasons

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