As the week draws to a close, we finally review the first five episodes of season 20! It's hard to imagine that Thomas and Friends would actually get this far; twenty seasons across thiry-three years of television, and with over 500 episodes by this stage (yes, Pack episodes included) along with ten hour-long specials, a mini special, and a feature length movie under its belt. We shall see in due time if season 20 is actually worth celebrating, but let's kick things off with the first five episodes!
Episode 1: Sidney Sings
Written by Lee Pressman
Ah, Sidney. Ever since he got a resolution for his absence in The Missing Christmas Decorations (which this episode shows stock footage of), he's done... very little. Here, he finally has something to do, and does it play off?
Yes, it does. I like how Sidney's job is to bring Percy his new wheels (whether intentional or not, I'm not sure, but whatever) and I feel Thomas' role made sense. Sure, it was minor as all he did was make a suggestion for Sidney to remember his task, but it made a huge impact. Sidney himself does feel like Dory from the Finding Nemo franchise, as many have said, and you can actually relate to him regardless of age, unlike, say, Henry Spots Trouble.
Not much else to say, really. A pretty good start to what seems to be a very promising season, and it's how a Nitrogen episode should be done. Although, why (in the UK, at least) does Whiff sound like he's got Henry's voice? He seriously needs a recasting for both dubs.
Episode 2: Toby's New Friend
Written by Andrew Brenner
It's fair to say that during season 19, Philip has since gained a mixed reputation among the fandom. Personally, I think he's a fine character, but yeah, his persona does need some tweaking (I mean, can you shut up about the time you beat Gordon in a race, Philip?!) and his role in The Great Race leaves a lot to be desired.
Other than that, I think it's another really good episode, and how Big Belle should've gone. Once again, Toby and Henrietta have that husband/wife relationship, especially when she teases him about Philip, and the workmen's reaction to the idea of the race was genius. Also interesting that Toby, whilst annoyed by Philip initially, is more subtle about it compared to Gordon and James.
Philip appears to be heading in the right direction when it comes to character development; keep playing him off against characters that won't pander to his childlike mannerisms... just because.
There are some issues like how on earth did Philip think Toby was a diesel? Being box-shaped I can understand, but thinking a steam tram is a diesel? And that near-collision between Philip and Thomas seemed rather illogical; is there no timetable for Thomas' branchline? The moral is pretty good that not everybody has to agree on everything just to be friends, and that I can understand greatly.
Episode 3: Henry Gets the Express
Written by Helen Farrall
I'm gonna say it right now; Helen Farrall is certainly Thomas' equivalent to Meghan McCarthy. Not that I've anything against Andrew Brenner's writing, but he's got storytelling issues he needs to work out after The Great Race ("Spoiler alert!" - Twilight).
I absolutely loved this episode to bits. Everything feels like it came out of the Railway Series, and Henry gets his best episode in who knows how long (about bloody time that he isn't portrayed as an idiot or a wuss!) Well, Henry does worry when Gordon gives him a confidence knock, but he gets back on his high horse when Thomas reassures him, so... phew! And Gordon's comeuppance, much like Slow Stephen, was very much laser-guided karma for him. So far, it's season 20's best episode, and is a joy to behold.
Episode 4: Diesel and the Ducklings
Written by Lee Pressman
Whilst I might not have much to say about Henry Gets the Express, I do have a fair amount to talk about with Diesel and the Ducklings. Whilst the former was almost universally praised, the latter is a little more... mixed. What do I think of it?
On first glance, you could be forgiven for thinking, "Oh dear; it's another Run of the Miller script in this era," and to some extent, you may have a point. Does the rhyming bother me? No, because - if you put it like this - it could be like the chanting you'd hear at a football match, like "2, 4, 6, 8, who do we appreciate? [Insert town/city name here]". "Rough and tough" is the diesels' equivalent. Well, the bad ones, anyway.
Diesel was fantastic throughout; his inner conflict was pretty good alternating between good and bad, but it comes to a head at Knapford when Diesel mocks Emily, under the influence of Arry and Bert (yeah, it kinda bothers me, but it's also funny how she reacted to Diesel acting nice under Thomas' presence).
Speaking of whom, was Thomas' appearance shoehorned? The answer is no; had it been Duck, him blackmailing Diesel, even if it was for payback, wouldn't really be the Great Western Way of doing things now, would it? Blackmail does seem to fit Thomas' style a bit more if you ask me. Arry and Bert, for their first starring role since season 16, were handled quite nicely, even if they didn't add much.
So on whole, I may be in the minority, but I liked this one a lot, as I can relate to it when I first got into MLP back in November 2013; I wanted to keep it to myself, but when my mother got wind of it (and eventually, my father) and I became more open about my interest over time, even if it's waned due to lackluster writing as of late.
Episode 5: Bradford the Brake Van
Written by Lee Pressman
A new brakevan character, huh? Interesting. But how does it play off? Amazingly well, in fact!
Even though this is his first episode, I think Bradford would make an excellent addition to the cast. He does act like Toad, if the GWR brakevan was more direct than polite, and if he's to be seen with Samson more often, they could make a great dynamic with Samson with the cabless engine's silly mistakes and the brakevan's strictness. Shame it had to be Thomas in the spotlight, but the episode the way it went was just fine.
Bradford himself is fantastic; Rob Rackstraw delivers that Welsh accent perfectly, and the design of Bradford alone is simply excellent. It's also interesting to how several engines were frustrated with his overzealous attitude, but why did all of them (barring Whiff) have to be Steam Team members?
I do have a couple of other issues, both concerning the Fat Controller; one, why did the Fat Controller not realize it was Bradford causing the engines to run late? And two, why did he say that safety was more important than running on time? Shouldn't both be equally important? I get that he'd be concerned about safety, but it makes the moral feel a bit muddy.
The episode could use a bit of a rewrite, but otherwise, it's a great episode on the whole.
Thomas and Friends Season 20 Scorecard
1. Sidney Sings: 8
2. Toby's New Friend: 8
3. Henry Gets the Express: 10
4. Diesel and the Ducklings: 9
5. Bradford the Brake Van: 9
Season Rating So Far: 44/50
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