It's almost Christmas time, and to celebrate, here's the remaining three winter episodes out of season 20!
Written by Helen Farrall
The last time we saw Percy and Harold share an episode together was way back during season six with A Bad Day for Harold. So, to see them star together for the first time in fourteen years with this episode really makes them more special. Don't get me wrong; I like the Thomas and Bertie episodes (except for The Other Side of the Mountain), but do they need to turn up every season? Once in a while is fine, but once a year, and it becomes rather predictable. With Harold, he can go just about anywhere, whether he's close to the ground, near the water, or in the air.
For the flashback, yes, it's based on the Railway Series and not the TV series, but do I care. No, as long as they're keeping true to the shows' roots, that's all good in my books. Much like several episodes of this season, what I loved about Letters to Santa are the technicals in terms of railway operations like mail services being run by someone other than Percy, and the usage of Jeremy was really good (even if it was a toy promo, but still... maybe he could return in season 21?)
I believe I may have said it before, but I'll do so here anyway; Helen Farrall is my favorite Thomas writer. I love how she can mix it up with the slice of life stories and the action-packed, suspenseful adventures, and in both, she's able to provide funny character moments. If anything, I feel she should be head writer for the show - not that Andrew Brenner is a bad writer, but his writing has hit quality rot during season 19 and The Great Race, so maybe he's better off as script editor and letting the rest of the team handle it. He's not the worst of the new team, but he is by far the least good so far; the others just manage to write better scripts.
One issue is the ending - or at least, near it - where Harold stayed on the mainland all night and no one was able to help him before Percy did. Why? However, the story does hold up enough to make you overlook that, and it helps provide a very good moral about helping others in need.
For the flashback, yes, it's based on the Railway Series and not the TV series, but do I care. No, as long as they're keeping true to the shows' roots, that's all good in my books. Much like several episodes of this season, what I loved about Letters to Santa are the technicals in terms of railway operations like mail services being run by someone other than Percy, and the usage of Jeremy was really good (even if it was a toy promo, but still... maybe he could return in season 21?)
I believe I may have said it before, but I'll do so here anyway; Helen Farrall is my favorite Thomas writer. I love how she can mix it up with the slice of life stories and the action-packed, suspenseful adventures, and in both, she's able to provide funny character moments. If anything, I feel she should be head writer for the show - not that Andrew Brenner is a bad writer, but his writing has hit quality rot during season 19 and The Great Race, so maybe he's better off as script editor and letting the rest of the team handle it. He's not the worst of the new team, but he is by far the least good so far; the others just manage to write better scripts.
One issue is the ending - or at least, near it - where Harold stayed on the mainland all night and no one was able to help him before Percy did. Why? However, the story does hold up enough to make you overlook that, and it helps provide a very good moral about helping others in need.
Episode 12: Love Me Tender
Written by Davey Moore
Another fan-favorite out of season 20 alone. Does it hold up? Yes, it does. It's basically Twin Trouble from season six with elements of Percy the Snowman, only this has a longer run time and the basic elements are improved upon. Donald and Douglas are at their best here, and I really love how much they care for each other, even after a petty squabble. I don't mind that they're referred to as "brothers" rather than "twins" - they're still related either way. And yes, I'm gonna bring up Rob Rackstraw now voicing Donald. Getting used to it, I believe that was done to give Donald and Douglas (the latter still voiced by Joe Mills) their own distinct personalities - I mean, compare that to Bill and Ben, who essentially have the same personality and voice.
To be honest, there's very little I can say about Love Me Tender that hasn't been said. Pretty much everyone's made my job reviewing this episode much easier, so give it a watch and you'll see why it's so brilliant.
To be honest, there's very little I can say about Love Me Tender that hasn't been said. Pretty much everyone's made my job reviewing this episode much easier, so give it a watch and you'll see why it's so brilliant.
Episode 13: The Railcar and the Coaches
Written by Davey Moore
I'm gonna say this right now; along with Ryan and Daisy, this is my favorite episode of season 20. Not only that, they pretty much knock Thomas and Bertie to fourth position on my favorite episodes list (if I actually updated it!) with season 19's Best Engine Ever still in the #1 slot.
This may also prove to be the funniest episode of the entire show, and it's down to the interactions between Daisy, Annie and Clarabel. Now, I know what some of you may be thinking - is Daisy out of character? Frankly, the answer is no. Daisy hadn't been in the TV series for twenty years (barring a cameo in Calling All Engines which, frankly, led to nothing anyway) although arguably, you could add an extra nine years if you consider Bulls Eyes a season four afterthought. So in that timeframe, kids may not even know what Daisy's persona is like.
So, come season 20, Daisy has so far shown a few different shades of her character - her laziness (Ryan and Daisy), her stubbornness (The Way She Does It), and her pride (this episode). I love that they're giving Daisy far more love than she got in the classic era, and she's instantly shot straight up to my Top 10 favorites (again, if I updated it). It's also far more effective than James' characterization where he feels very one-note.
I've also really enjoyed Annie and Clarabel in recent years (even if in some cases, the engine who pulls them feels forced, but here, Thomas doesn't since it takes place on his branchline) and this episode is no exception. I mean, did anyone expect them to be as cheeky as they were here? I didn't, and I liked how it expands on their character - they might be stern when Thomas gets ahead of himself, but even they appreciate a good joke once in a while, and seeing Daisy's reaction to their teasing was priceless. Plus, have you ever imagined coaches being punished for misbehaving? That I'd like to see more of - maybe with some new coaches from the mainland?
And that brings me onto the ending; yes, I actually did find it funny. Of course, not everybody will agree, and I get that. Some will say that their punishment was far too extreme as all Annie and Clarabel did was play a trick on Daisy. Somebody compared that to Arthur's Big Hit where the avenger is punished instead of the instigator. I've not watched Arthur in years, so I can't really make the comparison.
For me, it was handled better than Buffer Bashing because Annie and Clarabel actually did something to deserve their scolding, whereas Douglas had brake trouble and the accident was out of his control completely. I know it's been said before, but it's also why the joke at the end of Duck and the Slip Coaches falls flat - had James been the one left without a space at Tidmouth Sheds and not Emily (who didn't really serve any purpose other than a stupid bit of fan-pandering, but I digress), then it might have worked better.
Some will say Daisy didn't get a punishment - actually, yes. Imagine in your workplace that you're forced to work with somebody whose guts you despise, regardless if you say it to their face or not. That's a relatable situation they worked into this episode - even if you don't want to work with the people you hate or openly mocked to their face, you can't go against the boss' orders. In this case, Daisy had no choice but to work with the coaches they made fun of.
Another aspect about the ending is how it goes against the typical "apology ending" we've come to expect. They actually did this in Millie and the Volcano, but I ultimately disfavor that episode (it's still not bad though, don't get me wrong) because Millie's (and the groundskeeper's) actions to get back at Samson could've resulted in a bigger fire, potentially ruining the Earl's dinosaur park. Not helping is that it came from a writer who should know better than that, especially since Brenner wrote for Fireman Sam (in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Volcano was the point where his writing began to hit quality rot, but, again, I digress).
Other than that, there's not much else to say about The Railcar and the Coaches, really. For me, it's fun to watch from start to finish (Diesel's portrayal in recent years also makes me like him more) and even though this aired third, it was a terrific comeback for Daisy.
This may also prove to be the funniest episode of the entire show, and it's down to the interactions between Daisy, Annie and Clarabel. Now, I know what some of you may be thinking - is Daisy out of character? Frankly, the answer is no. Daisy hadn't been in the TV series for twenty years (barring a cameo in Calling All Engines which, frankly, led to nothing anyway) although arguably, you could add an extra nine years if you consider Bulls Eyes a season four afterthought. So in that timeframe, kids may not even know what Daisy's persona is like.
So, come season 20, Daisy has so far shown a few different shades of her character - her laziness (Ryan and Daisy), her stubbornness (The Way She Does It), and her pride (this episode). I love that they're giving Daisy far more love than she got in the classic era, and she's instantly shot straight up to my Top 10 favorites (again, if I updated it). It's also far more effective than James' characterization where he feels very one-note.
I've also really enjoyed Annie and Clarabel in recent years (even if in some cases, the engine who pulls them feels forced, but here, Thomas doesn't since it takes place on his branchline) and this episode is no exception. I mean, did anyone expect them to be as cheeky as they were here? I didn't, and I liked how it expands on their character - they might be stern when Thomas gets ahead of himself, but even they appreciate a good joke once in a while, and seeing Daisy's reaction to their teasing was priceless. Plus, have you ever imagined coaches being punished for misbehaving? That I'd like to see more of - maybe with some new coaches from the mainland?
And that brings me onto the ending; yes, I actually did find it funny. Of course, not everybody will agree, and I get that. Some will say that their punishment was far too extreme as all Annie and Clarabel did was play a trick on Daisy. Somebody compared that to Arthur's Big Hit where the avenger is punished instead of the instigator. I've not watched Arthur in years, so I can't really make the comparison.
For me, it was handled better than Buffer Bashing because Annie and Clarabel actually did something to deserve their scolding, whereas Douglas had brake trouble and the accident was out of his control completely. I know it's been said before, but it's also why the joke at the end of Duck and the Slip Coaches falls flat - had James been the one left without a space at Tidmouth Sheds and not Emily (who didn't really serve any purpose other than a stupid bit of fan-pandering, but I digress), then it might have worked better.
Some will say Daisy didn't get a punishment - actually, yes. Imagine in your workplace that you're forced to work with somebody whose guts you despise, regardless if you say it to their face or not. That's a relatable situation they worked into this episode - even if you don't want to work with the people you hate or openly mocked to their face, you can't go against the boss' orders. In this case, Daisy had no choice but to work with the coaches they made fun of.
Another aspect about the ending is how it goes against the typical "apology ending" we've come to expect. They actually did this in Millie and the Volcano, but I ultimately disfavor that episode (it's still not bad though, don't get me wrong) because Millie's (and the groundskeeper's) actions to get back at Samson could've resulted in a bigger fire, potentially ruining the Earl's dinosaur park. Not helping is that it came from a writer who should know better than that, especially since Brenner wrote for Fireman Sam (in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Volcano was the point where his writing began to hit quality rot, but, again, I digress).
Other than that, there's not much else to say about The Railcar and the Coaches, really. For me, it's fun to watch from start to finish (Diesel's portrayal in recent years also makes me like him more) and even though this aired third, it was a terrific comeback for Daisy.
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
6. Saving Time: 3
7. Ryan and Daisy: 10
8. Pouty James: 1
9. Blown Away: 10
10. The Way She Does It: 8
11. Letters to Santa: 9
12. Love Me Tender: 10
13: The Railcar and the Coaches: 10
The Christmas Coffeepot: 8
Over the Hill: 10
6. Saving Time: 3
7. Ryan and Daisy: 10
8. Pouty James: 1
9. Blown Away: 10
10. The Way She Does It: 8
11. Letters to Santa: 9
12. Love Me Tender: 10
13: The Railcar and the Coaches: 10
The Christmas Coffeepot: 8
Over the Hill: 10
Season Rating So Far: 123/150
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