Warning: Spoilers ahead for Twisters!

Summary

Jo and Bill’s Dorothy device returns with Dorothy V’s appearance inTwisters, but the mystery of how Kate and her team acquired the instrument is intriguing. TheDorothy device inTwisterwas invented by Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton’s characters before their divorce, but the instrument wasn’t built until the events of the original movie. Several versions of the scientific instrument were featured as Jo and her team attempted to deploy the capsule’s sensors to get data on a tornado’s funnel to develop earlier warning systems for severe storms.

The experiment was very difficult because the Dorothy device needed to be very close to an active tornado to work. However, Jo and Bill succeeded in the Dorothy mission inTwister’s ending, which featured an F5 tornado. The new standalone sequel features another group of motivated scientists and storm chasers led by Kate (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Tyler (Glen Powell). But before theTwisterscastdisplayed new tech and experiments, an old Dorothy instrument came into play.

Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton clutching each other in panic as Jo and Bill Harding in Twister

Where To Spot Bill Paxton’s Family Cameo In Twisters

Bill Paxton’s son has a brief but memorable cameo in Twisters, as a way of paying tribute to his father’s starring role in 1996’s Twister.

Twisters Implies Kate & Her Team Was Given Dorothy V

The Dorothy V Device Appeared In Twisters' Opening Sequence

ThroughoutTwister, Jo and her team had four different Dorothy instruments. However,Twistersfeatured Dorothy V in the movie’s opening sequence following Kate and a group of fellow storm chasers. Kate and the others were Muskogee State College students using experiments in the hopes of being awarded a research grant. While the big experiment involved sodium polyacrylate-filled barrels to weaken a tornado by absorbing its moisture, the crew also had Dorothy 5.Twistersdidn’t fully explain how Kate and her team got Dorothy 5, but the movie implied they were given the device to use through school.

An explanation of how Kate’s team got Dorothy V in Twisters would have been nice, but either way, it was an exciting way to pay homage to the original movie.

Dorothy 5 device in Twisters

The Dorothy V inTwisterswas old and rusty, indicating that it was built long before the events of the standalone sequel. Javi even confirmed that fact, so it’s possible the device was built by Jo’s old team but hadn’t been used until Kate and her team got hold of it as part of their schooling. With Muskogee State being Jo and Bill’s alma mater and their experiment being somewhat of a success,it’s likely more Dorothy instruments would have been built. An explanation of how Kate’s team got Dorothy V inTwisterswould have been nice, but either way, it was an exciting way to pay homage to the original movie.

Twisters Soundtrack Guide: Every Song & When They Play

The Twisters soundtrack contains country songs by Luke Combs, Chris Stapleton, Miranda Lambert, and more. Here’s when each song plays in the movie.

Dorothy V Teases Kate Could Have Met Jo & Bill After Twister

Helen Hunt didn’t return forTwisters, but that doesn’t mean Kate wasn’t aware of Jo and Bill. The two movies clearly take place in the same universe. If Kate had been a student in the same field, she would’ve been familiar with two people who made advancements in meteorology from the same college.Dorothy V’s presence inTwistershints that Kate may have even met Jo and Bill, with the possibility that they gave her the old instrument to use for future projects. Based on how motivated Jo and Bill were in their scientific research, it wouldn’t be surprising to learn that they wanted to help the next generation.

Glen Powell as Tyler Owens in Twisters with music behind him

Official poster for Twisters (2024)