I'm sorry I'm not writing up Thomas reviews as often as I'd like to. Once again, college is getting in my way of life and my family and I will be moving state within the next two months, which means some reviews might be pushed to the back burner even further (and that includes that Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure review, which I swear I promise I'll get done before August at the latest).
Also, there's gonna be a shift in my review schedule; My Little Pony reviews will now be up on Tuesdays and the remaining Thomas reviews will be on Fridays (I know today's Saturday, but that doesn't really matter), and I'll try and accomplish that as best as I can. For the season six hiatus MLP will be undergoing after my Spice Up Your Life review which will come on June 14, I might fill up those Tuesdays with Thomas reviews. So, without further delays or ado, let's kick off by finishing up the Nitrogen era!
All episodes written by Sharon Miller, except as noted.
So, the first episode in full CGI and... it stunk. For one, why would Thomas and Cranky be so petty over their respective strengths? Cranky lifts a lot of stuff all the time and Thomas has pulled heavy loads before, so what? And how can a flatbed of haybales or timber be considered heavy? Again, Thomas has pulled heavier loads before and since! What, are the flatbeds made of lead or something?
I didn't even bother watching this episode again as I can tell what happens. Then again, that will go to at least a majority of the remaining Nitrogen episodes...
You know what I found surprising about this episode? Thomas is actually in line with his true persona, although again, it was most likely coincidental rather than intentional. No, the blame goes to Sir Lowham Hatt for behaving so childishly, but how did he get his knighthood for acting the way he does? Topham got his for his services to the North Western Railway. He is kind of funny, but he should've gotten some consequences for his actions but... nope.
It's sort of a case of "so stupid, it's funny," but it isn't enough to salvage the writing.
It's sort of a case of "so stupid, it's funny," but it isn't enough to salvage the writing.
Written by David Richard Fox
Yes, I know - Thomas has pulled mail trains in the past, and this episode feverishly goes against that. I suppose you could argue that he hasn't pulled mail trains for a while, but Thomas should at least know how to take them! It feels a lot like Edward and the Mail, only that made a certain degree of sense since Edward hadn't pulled mail vans before, even though he could've had some experience, but I digress. And yes, obviously - duh! - a whistle is loud, and they're supposed to be because they alert people that a train is coming!
Unlike Henry and the Wishing Tree, where I believe this episode could've still worked with Henry, this could've worked if they'd given the lead role to, say, Rosie, since she'd never had a starring role in CGI? I know this has nothing to do with anything, but I have a big problem with the American voice dub, especially during this era; the characters' voices sound extremely forced and unnatural, whereas in the later CGI era, they sound more natural and feel enthusiastic about their job.
Unlike Henry and the Wishing Tree, where I believe this episode could've still worked with Henry, this could've worked if they'd given the lead role to, say, Rosie, since she'd never had a starring role in CGI? I know this has nothing to do with anything, but I have a big problem with the American voice dub, especially during this era; the characters' voices sound extremely forced and unnatural, whereas in the later CGI era, they sound more natural and feel enthusiastic about their job.
Written by Allan Plenderleith
Think of this as Thomas the Babysitter, only six years earlier (could be seven, but I digress), it feels like an hour rather than four and a half minutes, is written stupidly, is a clone of The Lion of Sodor, does not focus on real railway operations but animals instead, and with the three-strikes formula used poorly. Only positive is the piglets looking adorable - that's it.
Written by Robyn Charteris
It's almost impossible to find Percy an annoying character. Sure, he's a bit childish at times, but there's always a charm to him even in the worst era of Thomas history. But yeah, it is rather stupid that a package would be on a flatbed rather than a vent van, but then, we'd have no story. In fairness, Mavis did have a nice role in comforting Percy, even though it was brief. And yes, I'll bring this up; why did the Fat Controller leave the sheds after giving Thomas his job and then return to give Percy his task? Wouldn't it have made better sense to give both engines their jobs at once? It barely takes any thought, you know. And how did Rocky drop his crate... just because? And how did Dowager Hatt's painting stay intact through all the present went through? Is there protection that I didn't know about? That said, the crates did look wonderful.
The plot's okay, but the writing seriously needs work.
The plot's okay, but the writing seriously needs work.
Now this is a little more interesting. A lot of people have often considered it one of season 13's highlights. Does that ring true?
To some extent, it does. But there are problems the episode faces - like, why does Thomas have to keep saying "Victor's away today, I'm in charge", or something to that extent, to every engine that arrives at the Steamworks? We can see that! And if James' funnel was blocked, why didn't another engine bring him to the Steamworks? Surely it would've caused a blockage or worse!
I'll admit that Spencer's coal mustache was very funny, and it did bring forth a sense of railway realism with the ashtray and industry with the Steamworks. And yes, the humor with Kevin was actually quite funny. The episode is certainly a good watch, but it needs some reworking.
To some extent, it does. But there are problems the episode faces - like, why does Thomas have to keep saying "Victor's away today, I'm in charge", or something to that extent, to every engine that arrives at the Steamworks? We can see that! And if James' funnel was blocked, why didn't another engine bring him to the Steamworks? Surely it would've caused a blockage or worse!
I'll admit that Spencer's coal mustache was very funny, and it did bring forth a sense of railway realism with the ashtray and industry with the Steamworks. And yes, the humor with Kevin was actually quite funny. The episode is certainly a good watch, but it needs some reworking.
So, this is the episode where Hiro makes a "grand" (by that, I mean permanent) return to Sudrian metals and Thomas wants to give him a gift to celebrate his return, which is rather genuine of him to do so.
But... that's it, as the rest of the episode is quite dull. Despite Thomas' kindness, why would he think slate or a shed would make good presents? A bell I could understand to some extent, but slate? The plot, as I've said, is rather boring, but at least the moral about friends being the greatest gift is a strong, relevant moral.
But... that's it, as the rest of the episode is quite dull. Despite Thomas' kindness, why would he think slate or a shed would make good presents? A bell I could understand to some extent, but slate? The plot, as I've said, is rather boring, but at least the moral about friends being the greatest gift is a strong, relevant moral.
And so we come to a close with the final episode season 13, and it's quite underwhelming, really. I mean, if Hiro is Master of the Railway, why would he give the engines orders when he couldn't have been bothered to ask the Fat Controller in the first place? It just feels like The Green Controller, only this doesn't contain something that people will remember this episode for (the season 10 episode had James in a bumblebee livery). Out of the Nitrogen finales, it's definitely the least bad, but it's still very forgettable.
Note that some ratings have changed since I reviewed the episodes.
Season 13 Final Thoughts
Holy hell, was this season a chore to sit through. With plots you can't care for, the redundancy of the alliteration and rhyming, and not to mention the constant shoehorning of Thomas when he doesn't belong in a plot (seriously, he takes up 65% of the starring roles!), for the first CGI season, it's something you should stay well away from. Don't get me wrong, every now and then you get something memorable like Tickled Pink or A Blooming Mess, but for the most part, this season is really boring to sit through, and it might be worse than season 15 when I get to its final six episodes (that could also apply to season 16, but that's not for another three weeks).Note that some ratings have changed since I reviewed the episodes.
Episodes from Worst to Least Bad
20. Buzzy Bees (-5/10)
19. Thomas and the Runaway Kite (-3/10)
18. Splish, Splash, Splosh! (0/10)
17. Time for a Story (1/10)
16. Slippy Sodor
15. Toby's New Whistle
14. Henry's Good Deeds
13. Play Time
12. The Lion of Sodor
11. Thomas and the Pigs
10. The Early Bird (2/10)
9. Creaky Cranky
8. Hiro Helps Out
7. The Biggest Present of All (3/10)
6. Double Trouble
5. Snow Tracks
4. Percy's Parcel (4/10)
3. Steamy Sodor (6/10)
2. A Blooming Mess (7/10)
1. Tickled Pink (9/10)
Season 13 Overall Rating: 2/10
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