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Dragons: The Nine Realms - Magma Comes to the Surface (S3E6)
The dragon riders must sneak a very sick Magma Breather into the ICARIS infirmary.
| Runtime (min) | 23 |
|---|---|
| Air Date | 2022-08-18 |
| Genres | Animation, Action & Adventure |
| TV Rating | TV-Y7-FV |
| Network(s) | Hulu, Peacock |
Storyline
When one of the dragon riders' Magma Breather dragons falls seriously ill, the team faces a dangerous dilemma. The dragon needs medical attention beyond what they can provide in the Hidden World, but bringing a dragon into ICARIS—the human research facility where some of the riders' parents work—risks exposing the existence of dragons to the entire station. The riders must devise a plan to smuggle the sick dragon past security, staff, and surveillance systems without being detected.
The episode centers on the high-stakes infiltration as the young riders navigate the corridors of ICARIS, working to keep their dragon companion hidden while searching for the medical supplies and equipment needed to treat the Magma Breather's condition. The mission tests both their ingenuity and their ability to work together under pressure, as discovery would not only end their secret dragon-riding adventures but potentially put all the dragons of the Hidden World at risk.
What kids learn
This episode teaches children about the importance of taking responsibility for those who depend on them, even when doing the right thing involves significant personal risk. The dragon riders demonstrate that caring for a sick friend sometimes requires difficult choices and creative problem-solving, showing young viewers that compassion can demand courage and sacrifice.
Children also learn valuable lessons about teamwork and trust under pressure. The riders must coordinate their efforts, rely on each member's unique strengths, and maintain clear communication while operating in a high-stress environment where mistakes could have serious consequences. The episode illustrates how working together effectively requires planning, adaptability, and mutual support.
Additionally, the story explores themes of secrecy and the weight of keeping important information from parents and authority figures. While the riders' intentions are protective, the episode provides opportunities for families to discuss when secrets are justified and when transparency might be the better choice, helping children think critically about honesty and the complexities of doing what they believe is right.
Parents' top 5 questions
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is the sick dragon shown in distressing detail? | The episode depicts the Magma Breather as visibly unwell but avoids graphic or overly distressing imagery. The dragon's illness is conveyed through lethargy and physical weakness rather than disturbing symptoms. The focus remains on the riders' problem-solving efforts and their concern for their friend, keeping the tone appropriate for the show's young audience while still establishing the seriousness of the situation. |
| What does this episode teach about lying to parents? | The episode presents a complex situation where the riders keep secrets from their parents to protect the dragons, creating an opportunity for family discussion. While the characters' intentions are protective rather than selfish, the storyline allows parents to talk with children about the difference between harmful deception and difficult choices made with good intentions, and when it might be important to involve trusted adults in serious problems. |
| Are there scary moments during the infiltration? | The episode builds tension through close calls and near-discoveries as the riders navigate ICARIS with their dragon, but it maintains the series' adventure tone rather than becoming genuinely frightening. The suspense comes from whether they'll be caught rather than from threats of harm. Younger or more anxious children might find the sneaking sequences tense, but the overall atmosphere remains consistent with the show's typical action-adventure style. |
| Does the dragon recover by the end? | The episode focuses on the riders' efforts to get their dragon the medical help it needs, demonstrating their commitment and resourcefulness. The resolution emphasizes the importance of their quick thinking and teamwork in addressing the emergency. The outcome reinforces positive messages about taking action when someone needs help and the value of perseverance when facing difficult challenges. |
| What skills do the riders use to sneak through ICARIS? | The dragon riders employ observation, planning, timing, and coordination to move through the facility undetected. They must understand patrol patterns, use distractions strategically, and adapt their plan when unexpected obstacles arise. The episode showcases problem-solving skills and demonstrates how knowledge of an environment and careful preparation can help achieve difficult goals, providing positive examples of using intelligence and teamwork rather than recklessness. |
Writing
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Directing
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| Season # | Episode # | Episode Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Moving to an exotic new home, an adventurous teenager meets a new group of kids and discovers a dragon in the fissure. |
| 1 | 2 | Tom forges a friendship with the dragon and discovers an entire world of dragons within the fissure. |
| 1 | 3 | Tom and Jun encounter unexpected dangers and are separated while exploring the Hidden Realm of dragons. Tom introduces Jun to the dragon world, and Jun bonds with a dragon of her own – Wu and Wei. |
| 1 | 4 | Tom and Jun take a risk in revealing the secret of the Hidden Realm to D’Angelo to aid an injured dragon, and D’Angelo bonds with Plowhorn. |
| 1 | 5 | Tom and the others debate how to keep the dragons a secret, even as a rambunctious young “cloaking” dragon gets loose in town and pursues a friendship with a Alex. |
| 1 | 6 | Tom and the Riders try to save ICARIS when it's revealed to be in danger from a monstrous dragon. |
| Season # | Episode # | Episode Name |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | Jun breaks the rules by sneaking a small, adorable dragon out of the Crystal Realm and bringing it home, but finds that her older brother, Eugene, has arrived and watches her every move. |
| 2 | 2 | Tom has to keep his mom, Olivia, distracted while Jun, Alex, and D’Angelo use a new dragon to close off a cave leading to the Crystal Realm, and prevent her from discovering the dragons. |
| 2 | 3 | When Feather is taken by a group of what appear to be zombie dragons, Alex finds her inner hero and rescues her friend. |
| 2 | 4 | Tom and Thunder train a new species of aggressive tidal dragons to help the other riders put out a forest fire threatening ICARIS. |
| 2 | 5 | Tom and D’Angelo must come together to help Alex and Jun escape the clutches of the Spiderwings. |
| 2 | 6 | Tom and the riders go in search of Thunder and must face a gauntlet of dangerous dragons to find their lost friend. Along the way, Tom reveals his big secret to D’Angelo and Alex. |
| 2 | 7 | Tom and the riders help Thunder, who is seeking revenge against the dragons that chased off his family. |
| Season # | Episode # | Episode Name |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 1 | Tom hatches an unorthodox plan to use a Monstrous Nightmare to test Alex's new fire suit, endangering the secret of dragons. |
| 3 | 2 | After a fight with her mom, Jun joins Tom on an adventure into the Fire Realm, where her knowledge of myths saves the day. |
| 3 | 3 | When a tiny Fireworm dragon ends up at ICARIS, Alex must decide between her mom's excitement and keeping the dragon secret. |
| 3 | 4 | During an attempt to get displaced Fire Gronckles back to their native realm, D'Angelo accidentally feeds them Catastrophic Quaken eggs. |
| 3 | 5 | Eugene discovers the Lair and demands a dragon of his own. |
| 3 | 6 | The dragon riders must sneak a very sick Magma Breather into the ICARIS infirmary. |
| 3 | 7 | The Sky Torcher and Flame Throwers invade the Crystal Realm; Tom must conquer his demons and bond with the Fault Ripper to defeat the Sky Torcher. |
| Season # | Episode # | Episode Name |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 1 | Tom and the riders discover the Ice Realm and find Buzzsaw inside. |
| 4 | 2 | Alex and Eugene find themselves at odds with Tom and their fellow dragon riders when Feathers and Webmaster go missing during a blizzard in the Ice Realm. |
| 4 | 3 | Jun struggles to convince Tom to trust her faith in myths over the Book of Dragons when they venture to a place that his book seems to say is extremely dangerous. |
| 4 | 4 | Tom’s leadership abilities come into question by Eugene when his decisions lead to failure while attempting to confront Buzzsaw. |
| 4 | 5 | Tom and Thunder discover a baby Nightlight and must bring him back to Thunder’s home realm. |
| 4 | 6 | When Thunder’s clan of fellow Nightlights is attacked by the Snow Wraith, Tom vows to rescue them. |
| Season # | Episode # | Episode Name |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 1 | While punished, Tom must sneak out to rescue the Riders from Buzzsaw. |
| 5 | 2 | Tom orchestrates a “safe” tour of the realms to convince Olivia that the Hidden World is safe for them to explore. |
| 5 | 3 | A mischievous new breed of dragons called Vine Tails steal the Book of Dragons. |
| 5 | 4 | Tom and the riders must work together to rescue Eugene from a dragon’s nest. |
| 5 | 5 | Tom must rescue Olivia from the Hidden World when she winds up getting herself frozen by a pack of hungry Speed Stingers. |
| 5 | 6 | When a deep freeze puts the lives of everyone in Rakke Town in jeopardy, the riders must attempt to use the dragons to get the humans through the night without being seen. |
| Season # | Episode # | Episode Name |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | 1 | Tom struggles under the pressure of being the new ‘Dragon Whisperer’ for Rakke Town; Thunder rises to the occasion to help him. |
| 6 | 2 | When the parents leave for the night and tell the riders not to bring the dragons to the surface while they’re gone, D’Angelo and Eugene get locked in the hangar (with the dragons!) after Eugene triggers a security lockdown. |
| 6 | 3 | Jun forms an unlikely connection with Sledkin. |
| 6 | 4 | Eugene’s bond with Webmaster is put to the test when Webmaster leaves the group for a pack of Deathgrippers. |
| 6 | 5 | Tom sets out to prove Sledkin caused an explosion that injured a dragon in the Hidden World. |
| 6 | 6 | When the dragons fall victim to Buzzsaw’s poison darts, D struggles to keep a cool head and find a cure while others panic. |
| 6 | 7 | Tom and the riders “borrow” the bathysphere to rescue a dragon from the depths of the Giant Realm Sea. |
| Season # | Episode # | Episode Name |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | 1 | When Phil threatens to shut down D’Angelo’s new dragon hospital and ban dragons from ICARIS, D’Angelo and a little Hobgobbler have to change his mind. |
| 7 | 2 | While Tom struggles with admitting his feelings for Jun, the pair find themselves trapped inside a giant tree with an anxious colony of Woodchipper dragons. |
| 7 | 3 | Thunder must wrangle and lead the Hero Dragons in a desperate attempt to save Tom and the riders from a dangerous new dragon, The Glass Caster. |
| 7 | 4 | When Jun does a Tarot reading for the team, she interprets its meaning to be that the riders will disband! In an effort to defy this fate, Jun forces the group to stick together as they search for a dragon that has breached the Rakke Town eel barrier. |
| 7 | 5 | With the dragon riders disbanded, Eugene attempts to start his own Dragon Club. |
| 7 | 6 | When Thunder accidentally fries Alex’s tablet, Alex goes off on her own and is captured by Buzzsaw. |
| 7 | 7 | Tom and the riders must finally overcome their differences and come together as a team to survive the Dark Realm. |
| Season # | Episode # | Episode Name |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | 1 | Tom attempts to defeat the World Serpent by emulating Hiccup. |
| 8 | 2 | Tom and the dragon riders foster displaced Hidden Realm dragons in Rakke Town but things get complicated when Mr. Rakke makes a surprise visit. |
| 8 | 3 | The Dragon riders enlist the aid of Carla and Hazel and their scientific knowledge to help them prepare for a mission to neutralize Jörmungandr so they can return him to his chamber and seal him back inside. |
| 8 | 4 | Tom and the riders must rescue Plowhorn from Sledkin when the villain abducts the dragon to help her find the Gods Realm and the Dragonsite jewel. |
| 8 | 5 | Tom’s overconfidence turns to frustration then despair as he struggles to procure the ingredients for Gronckle Iron in hopes of building a trap to stop the World Serpent. |
| 8 | 6 | After a major miscalculation by Tom in 225 leaves the fate of the Realms in jeopardy, Jun and the riders rally behind Tom and Thunder to face off against the World Serpent. |
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