The twenty-seventh episode of the first season of Dennis the Menace (1986).
Dennis Predicts
After he gets hit on the head during a game of kickball, Dennis has visions of events that haven't occurred yet, all of which become true, from Mr. Wilson's basement getting flooded, Henry getting thrown into a pile of garbage, and Margaret's new dress getting ruined when the kids go on a field trip to a candy factory. Dennis' psychic ability makes the news and a reporter asks what his next prediction will be just before he gets hit on the head again. After he recovers, he says there's going to be a snowstorm even though it's the month of June. However, his vision proves false, leaving the town folk really hot and bothered as they've all overdressed for the occasion. Afterward, Dennis vows never to play kickball again.
Dennis and the Kangaroo Cavalry
The Mitchells and the Wilsons visit Australia to attend the Royal Order of the Kangaroo Convention in which Henry and Mr. Wilson are members. The group encounters real kangaroos running amok all over the city when a drought drives them out of the forest as they search for water. Henry and Mr. Wilson try to help the few game wardens round them up so they can be transported to safety. Their efforts fail, but Dennis and Wally, a young Australian boy are able to use their harmonica and flute to get them to the airport where they can be safely transported. As a reward, Mr. Wilson gives Wally the golden boomerang he received at the convention.
Meatball Mess
After Ruff eats the leftover food that the family was to have for lunch, Dennis, Gina, and Joey do what they can with the remaining food (and other items) to make the special spaghetti meal Henry and Mr. Wilson wanted. Their efforts lead to a lunch with soap bubbles, and a big mess in the kitchen to Alice's shock when she arrives home.
"Dennis Predicts" provides examples of:
- Doomed New Clothes: One of Dennis' predictions is that the new dress Margaret is wearing is going to change color. Margaret doubts this is going to happen, but it does when she falls over a fence and lands on a conveyor belt, which leads her to get covered in chocolate sauce.
- Injury Bookend: Dennis gains and loses his ability to see into the future when he gets hit on the head with a kickball.
- Rule of Three: Dennis makes three predictions that come true. First, Mr. Wilson's basement gets flooded, then Henry gets thrown into a pile of garbage, and finally, Margaret's new dress gets ruined when the kids go on a field trip to the candy factory. Before he can make a fourth prediction, he gets hit with a kickball and loses his ability to see into the future.
- Shamed by a Mob: At the end of the episode, an angry mob shows up at Dennis' house when they find out that his prediction that there'd be a snowstorm in June didn't come true.
- Trash Landing: One of Dennis' predictions is that Henry will land in a pile of garbage. Henry doubts this is going to happen, but it does when he trips on Dennis' skateboard in an attempt to take out the garbage.
"Dennis and the Kangaroo Cavalry" provides examples of:
- Affectionate Nickname: Tony Robinson calls Mr. Wilson "Georgie-poo". Unfortunately, Mr. Wilson doesn't see this nickname as affectionate.
- Awesome Aussie: Wally is an Australian Kid who helps Dennis round up the missing Kangaroos.
- Brotherhood of Funny Hats: Henry and Mr. Wilson are revealed to be members of the Royal Order of Kangaroos.
- Cassandra Truth: When Dennis first sees a real live kangaroo in the hall of the Royal Order of Kangaroos, he tells his parents, who don't believe him.
- Comically Missing the Point:
- When Dennis sees a real live kangaroo a second time, he struggles to remember what it's called. Mrs. Wilson tells him, "Kangaroo, dear.", which leads to Dennis calling it a "Kangaroo Deer".
- When Mr. Wilson thanks Dennis and Wally for rounding up the missing kangaroos, he says that he owes everything to his little joeys. Dennis says that his name isn't Joey, and Wally has to explain to him that a joey is a baby kangaroo.
- Cranial Eruption: Mr. Wilson gets a lump on his head after his third failed attempt to catch the kangaroos.
- Electric Joybuzzer: Tony uses one on Mr. Wilson when he shakes hands with him.
- Kangaroos Represent Australia: In addition to Henry and Mr. Wilson being members of the Royal Order of Kangaroos, Sydney is overrun by Kangaroos, who are looking for water due to a drought.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Mr. Wilson builds a cage to trap the kangaroos in. While his back is turned, a kangaroo pushes him in, and when Henry goes inside to ask if he's okay, the Kangaroo locks them in.
- Land Down Under: The Mitchells and the Wilsons go to Sydney, Australia in this episode.
- Mistaken for Dog: When Dennis first sees a real live kangaroo, he thinks it looks like a giant rabbit.
- Music Soothes the Savage Beast: When Wally tells Dennis he wishes that he had his flute to calm the kangaroos, it gives Dennis the idea to use his harmonica and flute. This works, as Dennis and Wally are able to successfully lead the kangaroos to the airport.
- Not-So-Imaginary Friend: When Dennis' parents finally see the real live kangaroo, Dennis tells them he told them he wasn't making it up.
- The Prankster: Tony likes to play pranks on Mr. Wilson, who doesn't appreciate them.
- Rule of Three: Henry and Mr. Wilson try three kangaroo traps. First, a cage, then a Tree Buchet, and finally, a giant net. None of these traps are successful.
- Tree Buchet: Henry and Mr. Wilson build one to trap the kangaroos. After it's set, Mr. Wilson tells Henry he can let go, but makes the mistake of saying it before he steps out of the snare, causing him to get caught in it.
"Meatball Mess" provides examples of:
- Alliterative Title: Meatball Mess.
- Bread, Eggs, Breaded Eggs: When Gina decides to cook meatballs out of liverwurst, she says that they need either peanut oil or butter. Dennis tells her they don't have either, but Joey reveals they have peanut butter.
- Closest Thing We Got: Due to not having all the proper ingredients, Dennis, Joey, and Gina have to substitute them. They use ketchup in place of tomato sauce, liverwurst in place of hamburger, peanut butter in place of peanut oil or butter, and soap in place of cheese.
- Floating in a Bubble: Joey briefly does this when he gets caught in one of the bubbles that Henry and Mr. Wilson hiccup. Dennis gets him out by popping the bubble with a fork.
- Human Ladder: Dennis, Gina, and Joey form one to reach the cabinet on a high shelf and get the ingredients they need to make their new spaghetti lunch. Dennis is on the bottom, Gina is in the middle, and Joey is on top. They fall over when Dennis gets tired from all the weight he's holding, but fortunately, Joey gets the two boxes of spaghetti that he, Dennis, and Gina need.
- Lethal Chef: When Joey grabs a bar of soap, mistaking it for cheese, he shaves it into the dish. Upon trying it, Henry and Mr. Wilson begin hiccupping bubbles.
- Out Of Control Popcorn: Gina sets some popcorn near the stove for her, Dennis, and Joey to have after they finish cooking spaghetti for Henry and Mr. Wilson. When she cooks some meatballs out of liverwurst, some of the popcorn falls into the frying pan and creates a big mess in the kitchen. One of the pieces of popcorn lands in joey's mouth, and he finds the peanut butter that got stuck to it delicious.
- Rouge Angles of Satin: This episode has Joey mistaking a bar of "Saop" for cheese.
- Slippery Soap: When Joey mistakes a bar of soap for cheese and tries to shave it into the spaghetti, it keeps slipping out of his hands.
- Stock "Yuck!": When Gina asks for a glass of milk to drink, both Dennis and Joey are revealed to dislike milk, with Dennis asking Gina why she'd want to drink milk unless her parents made her.
