Railfan Brony Advent Calendar Day #15: Friendship Games Shorts

I know I said I'd do these along with the movie, but I didn't have the time for another Thomas episode as I want to focus on the Friendship Games movie review itself. But anyway, let's get down to the shorts, shall we?

THE OPINIONS, THOUGHTS AND MUSINGS IN THIS BLOG POST ARE SOLELY THOSE OF ZACK WANZER, NOT THE MY LITTLE PONY FANDOM IN GENERAL

All shorts directed by Jayson Thiessen.

The Science of Magic

Written by Natasha Levinger

Sunset Shimmer studies her friends' pony hybrid transformations to better understand how magic works in the human world.

I'm gonna be honest; out of all the shorts connected to the film, this is the only one to actually have any relevance to the film itself. Sunset was trying to figure out how magic worked in the human world, but after each Rainboom member played their respective instruments, she got an inconclusive answer. In the actual film, she realized how it worked, in which... well, I'll get to that when I get to the actual film itself. By the way, nice hairdo, Sunset. :P The animation really shone here, especially for when Sunset is bombarded by accident, out of her own control.

Pinkie Spy

Written by Natasha Levinger

Rainbow Dash tries to spy on Crystal Prep Academy's sports team, but Pinkie Pie ruins her attempts to remain unseen.

Can someone help me out here - why was Rainbow Dash spying on Crystal Prep athletes in the first place? I don't think it was even mentioned once in the movie, and it kind of renders this short pointless. To be fair, it was actually funny seeing Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie play off one another.

All's Fair in Love & Friendship Games

Lyra Heartstrings and Sweetie Drops try to earn a spot on the Wondercolts team in the Friendship Games tryouts.

Who wrote this short? I know Jim Miller did the storyboard, but why can't the writers be credited in the shorts themselves? What's wrong with a brief ending credits shot at the end? That aside, it felt slightly like fan-pandering, only you can get through it a lot faster (only two minutes!), and the jokes are actually humorous for a change. And if you're wondering, you can tear a phone-book in half, and it doesn't take a strong man (or girl, in Bon Bon's case) to do so. Don't believe me? Ask MythBusters.

However, whilst the short does have connection to the film, it's kind of pointless since... well, I must say no more here.

Photo Finished

Written by Ishi Rudell and Jayson Thiessen

Photo Finish gets carried away when Vice Principal Luna asks her to take pictures for the Canterlot High yearbook.

This, meanwhile, seems to have absolutely no connection to the film whatsoever. In fairness, Tabitha St. Germain must've had fun speaking to herself whilst recording it. Not much else I can say, really.

A Banner Day

Flash Sentry, Micro Chips, and Sandalwood have conflicting ideas on their welcome banner for Crystal Prep Academy.

On the other end of things...!

YES, YES, YES! ALL OF MY YES! - Flash Sentry actually gets a starring role to himself! Okay, so it's an Equestria Girls short and he's partnered with two other background humans, but it's at least something. Just give him a role in an episode of the actual show and we're good to go. For Flash, it's funny how they portray him as a bit egotistical ("Love in a Flash" - no kidding) and vain about his appearance, and seeing him play off Sandalwood and Micro Chips is quite humorous; and yes, Vincent Tong actually gets to extend his range a bit - he also voices Sandalwood. Something tells me this was a way to get the haters mad - well, what's mediocre for some is good for me, I reckon!

The Shorts Overall

On whole, the shorts are hit and miss; the second and fourth shorts were a bit pointless despite how entertaining they were; the fifth didn't add much to the film itself, but it at least showed that sometimes, fanservice can actually be a good thing (no, really!); the third's completely pointless and the first is the only one to have some level of finality (you'll see what I mean).

Combined Rating Overall: 7.5 out of 10

Railfan Brony Advent Calendar Day #14: Play Time vs. Charlie and Eddie

This is going to be interesting; two episodes from the Nitrogen era both featuring a purple tank engine many love...

...to hate.

THE OPINIONS, THOUGHTS AND MUSINGS IN THIS BLOG POST ARE SOLELY THOSE OF ZACK WANZER, NOT THE THOMAS FANDOM IN GENERAL

Like many cases in the past, here's the similarities; both are Sharon Miller scripts, both feature an engine bowing to peer pressure easily by Charlie, and the stories are quite similar. Let's tackle them both, shall we? Starting with...

Season 13, Episode 7

Play Time

Thomas is to pick up Alicia Botti at Brendam Docks - considering Thomas, Percy and the Squeak, I'm surprised she even chose to ride with him - and take her to Town Hall. Percy makes no impact on the story and he shouldn't be here; had it been someone else, the plot would be the same. Thomas also meets with Charlie at the docks, and the purple engine has to take seats from the Steamworks, ice cream from the dairy, and red carpet from Knapford. Charlie challenges Thomas to a race, who easily accepts, neglecting his duty. Great(!)

Two things: Why did Annie and Clarabel not speak up and tell Thomas to slow down?! And also, aren't there meant to be speed regulations on the mainline? After picking up seats at the Steamworks, Thomas and Charlie have another race to the dairy along a bumpy track, and then another to a signal on the way to Knapford. Thomas rushes to Town Hall, but the coupling between him and Annie comes loose, and his coaches are left behind. When he notices... why did he not go backwards to where they were?! Charlie offers yet another race, but Thomas declines, and gets Miss Botti to the Town Hall safely.

Uggghhhh! That episode was just cringe-worthy to listen to, and the dialogue is absolutely horrendous, as is the moral - how could bowing to peer pressure be a good moral for kids?! What kind of role model does that make Thomas? Not a very good one at that. And guess what? Same thing happens with Edward!

Season 14, Episode 4

Charlie and Eddie

To be fair, the plot is set up more quickly, but that doesn't make it much better than Play Time - if anything, it's the same plot just with Edward in Thomas' wheels.

Edward is to take the Fat Controller's car to Maron station for repairs - why he's doing so rather than being taken by Butch, I don't know. After Charlie tells him a crocodile joke, Edward tells him he has a job to do, and Charlie says that he's no fun. So, let me get this straight - Edward is in character at first, but then he goes out of it by having fun? What the hell? So the two engines have a race to Maron station in scenes that are pretty much copied from Play Time, just with Edward in Thomas' place.

Speaking of whom, Thomas is at Maron (what's the point of his role anyway?) and tells them that the mechanic has left aboard Bertie. And we get a Bertie's Chase role reversal... which is actually quite nice, except the narrator doesn't shut up when he needs to! Seriously, why is he even necessary when we can see what's happening?!

Charlie and Edward take the car to the Steamworks to be repaired, and apparently, workmen can't fix cars but they can fix trains? How do you accomplish that - really? The funnel on the car is just laughably bad. The Fat Controller scolds Edward for the funnel on his car, rather than Charlie and Kevin for some reason, and to make up for it, Edward takes the Fat Controller and Lady Hatt home, and by tomorrow, the car is properly fixed.

One word: lazy. Is Charlie the real culprit in both cases? Well, yes and no. Thomas and Edward should be blamed instead for bowing to peer pressure, one of the universal taboos in kids' shows. In hindsight, this was just as bad as Play Time, and a pathetic excuse in giving Edward a starring role after not having one in season 13.

Rating: 1 out of 10

(both of them, and that feels generous)

Thomas and Friends Season 13 Scorecard

2. The Lion of Sodor: 1.5

3. Tickled Pink: 9

5. Slippy Sodor: 1.5
7. Play Time: 1

9. Time for a Story: 1
11. Toby's New Whistle: 1

12. A Blooming Mess: 7.5

13. Thomas and the Runaway Kite: 0.5

15. Splish, Splash, Splosh!: 0.5

18. Henry's Good Deeds: 1

19. Buzzy Bees: 0

Thomas and Friends Season 14 Scorecard

1. Thomas' Tall Friend: 1
4. Charlie and Eddie: 1
5. Toby and the Whistling Woods: 1

7. Diesel's Special Delivery: 1

8. Pop Goes Thomas: 0.5

11. Being Percy: 8

12. Merry Winter Wish: 1.5

13. Thomas and the Snowman Party: 0

16. Thomas and Scruff: 0.5

17. O the Indignity: 3

20. Henry's Magic Box: 0.5

Railfan Brony Advent Calendar Day #13: TTTE S5E2 - Horrid Lorry

It's been a while since I reviewed solo episodes, hasn't it? Why not have the first one in a while be a season five episode?

THE OPINIONS, THOUGHTS AND MUSINGS IN THIS BLOG POST ARE SOLELY THOSE OF ZACK WANZER, NOT THE THOMAS FANDOM IN GENERAL

Season 5, Episode 2

Horrid Lorry

Written by Britt Allcroft and David Mitton

When Percy runs late due to too much work, Cranky suggests that a lorry helps the engines out - three, in fact. However, they're rude towards the engines but soon get their comeuppance - one gets smashed falling off of a cliff, another breaks down from being overloaded, and the third falls into the sea. After that, they're sent away in disgrace - Smashed, Broken, and Sunk.

Kind of unimportant, but why isn't the episode called Horrid Lorries? Anyway, I actually quite liked this one; we really need more road vs. rail stories, and I feel the lorries proved that quite well. What's quite strange is that Butch appears but he doesn't have a face - was it oversight on the model makers' part? It's also kind of funny to see the driver survive, albeit with a cartoonish bump injury on his head. It's a wonder as to how he survived such a fall!

Rating: 8 out of 10

Thomas and Friends Season 5 Scorecard

2. Horrid Lorry: 8
3. A Better View for Gordon: 9.5
5. James and the Trouble with Trees: 8.5
6. Gordon and the Gremlin: 7
10. Toby and the Flood: 3
11. Haunted Henry: 9
12. Double Teething Troubles: 8.5

13. Stepney Gets Lost: 5.5

14. Toby's Discovery: 5

15. Something in the Air: 9
16. Thomas, Percy and Old Slowcoach: 10

18. Oliver's Find: 7

25. Rusty and the Boulder: 5
26. Snow: 1

Railfan Brony Advent Calendar Day #11: Diesels Galore

Time for one more batch of episodes before I get to the winter stuff; high time the diesels got some attention, don't ya think?

THE OPINIONS, THOUGHTS AND MUSINGS IN THIS BLOG POST ARE SOLELY THOSE OF ZACK WANZER, NOT THE THOMAS FANDOM IN GENERAL

Season 5, Episode 12

Double Teething Troubles

Written by Britt Allcroft, David Mitton, and David Maidment

It's a shame that this was BoCo's last appearance (if you exclude a stock footage cameo in Stepney Gets Lost) in the television series. It'll be nice to finally see him in CGI, as well as show some development to his character. Same here with Derek, despite him being unnamed in this episode.

Bill and Ben argue over who's pulling which line of trucks to the point they run into each other and derail. The Fat Controller scolds them and decides to bring in a diesel, but is worried that he may not be the best bargain. His concerns prove correct when Derek breaks down on Gordon's hill and BoCo comes to his rescue. When Percy hears about Derek's teething troubles, he tells the twins that Derek has a toothache. When Bill and Ben explain this to Duck that night, he corrects them that Derek had teething troubles - he's new and has problems with his cooling system.

Why did we need a railway consultant after Awdry's death? This episode shows why; BR Class 17s were not the most reliable locomotives and were prone to overheating like Derek. In fact, it's one of several season five episodes that would fit right at home in the Railway Series!

The next morning, a freshly repaired Derek meets up with Bill and Ben. He offers to push behind them, but on their run, he overheats once more and breaks down. Bill and Ben pull him along with their train, and after the Fat Controller sends him back to the works, the twins decide that Derek really is a friendly character after all.

Season 6, Episode 11

The World's Strongest Engine
Story by David Mitton

Written by Paul Larson

Henry gets into an accident and needs repairs, so the Fat Controller brings in Diesel... wait a minute, stop right there! Diesel is a shunting engine; he can't haul the trains a Black 5 could, nor is he very fast. Why is he working at a harbor? That's Salty's job! I don't know...

When Diesel brags about being useful, the trucks decide to test his strength by claiming Henry is stronger than him, so he takes on their challenge and shunts twenty trucks together in one long line. He tries pushing, which doesn't work, and then tries pulling, which also fails. The trucks mock him which gets him very angry (and by very angry, I mean really, really ticked off) with a pretty amusing facial expression, and he pulls so hard the chain breaks and he lands in a barge... cab first, somehow.

Also strangely, Henry is repaired in a quick amount of time, and after the brakes are released, he pulls the trucks with ease while Diesel is sent away. There are so many strange coincidences in the story, but still, at least the moral about there being good in some people (or in this case, the trucks) is very strong and relevant, especially considering Donald Trump's plan to ban Muslims from America - what sheer idiocy.

Season 7, Episode 13

Salty's Stormy Tale

Written by Polly Churchill

When Salty warns Thomas and Percy of a storm, they mimic his voice which upsets him. After he's told to pick up Fergus from the smelters yard (why he's there, I don't know, nor do I care), Emily asks him why he's upset and he explains about Thomas and Percy. She finds the two tank engines and scolds them for making fun of Salty, even though they never meant harm. Salty, meanwhile, picks up Fergus and as they travel along the coastal track, the storm brews. The lighthouse goes out, and a ship is in danger of sinking. Salty suggests using Fergus and his flywheel to power the lighthouse, and it works, saving the ship. Salty and Fergus are praised for their heroics and Thomas and Percy apologize for teasing Salty unintentionally.

I am obviously not a huge fan of Fergus; he's pretty much like Duck, personality wise, only far more blunt and "in your face". Whilst Duck has heritage to excuse his mentality, what excuse does Fergus have? Practically every engine wants to be useful! Well, most do, and I'll get to that shortly. Other than that, it's a nice episode and it showcase's Emily's personality nicely.

Season 9, Episode 18

Thomas' Day Off

Written by Sharon Miller

This is gonna be interesting!

The Fat Controller has brought in a new diesel named Dennis, and he gives Thomas the day off since he's been working hard - he decides to have a washdown and then head towards Bluff's Cove. On the way, he encounters Dennis having trouble with some trucks, and helps him bump the trucks into line. Afterwards, he has his washdown. I'm not get involved in an argument as to why he's having a washdown and not in his sheds, so I won't comment on that. I'm also skipping it just so we don't spend the whole day arguing.

Anyway, Dennis is lazy and doesn't want to shunt his trucks of tiles, and so he deceives Thomas once more into helping him get to the schoolhouse - he tells him the schoolhouse is further along, but Dennis still doesn't want to do his job. I think that's very unique for any character - Dennis, a diesel, doesn't want to replace steam engines, but he doesn't want to do his job. I'd say he's more of an anti-hero, and his personality is unique by making him deceptive.

Dennis tells Thomas that he's broken down, but Thomas decides to find someone to help him instead, much to Dennis' annoyance. He decides to leave his trucks behind and runs away, only to run into a ditch cab first. Thomas meets up with Percy, who says the tiles haven't arrived at the schoolhouse. Thomas then heads off to find Dennis, only to see him stuck in the ditch, and is cross that he'd been tricked. This time, Dennis really is in trouble, and so Thomas helps him out. The Fat Controller is cross with Dennis for his laziness, and the diesel promises to be more useful in the future.

If there where any episodes of the Barlow era I could see as a metaphor, this would be the first episode to come into my mind - think of the writing in that time and how we feel the episodes (especially those from S13-16) were lazily written. I find it rather funny that the writers satirized, of all people, themselves in this episode!

Season 10, Episode 21

Emily and the Special Coaches

Written by James Mason

Gordon has set a new record for pulling the express - is this a callback to It's Good to be Gordon? - and Emily is to bring him some special coaches. Yes, I know, they're repainted express coaches and they're only seen in this episode; couldn't they have used LNER coaches? However, the livery application looks lovely; it matches Gordon's paint. Diesel tries to Emily that Gordon isn't the only special engine, but Emily simply brushes him off. Huh, that's quite strange since they've never interacted up to that point... perhaps Duck told her about Diesel?

Later, Emily realizes that Gordon's coaches are missing, and Thomas explains that Diesel took them instead, much to her annoyance. She catches up with Diesel and demands that he return them to her, but he refuses. Emily keeps chasing after Diesel, who manages to evade her at every turn - nice to know that he's close to his original personality, but he can't go at high speeds! Emily meets up with the Fat Controller and tells him about Diesel.

Speaking of whom, Diesel has hidden the coaches, but he feels ill. When he's confronted by Emily and the Fat Controller, he reveals where he'd hidden then and tells Emily that his engine's old and is smoking a lot - since he went at high speeds, it's hardly a wonder his engine's conked out. :P Diesel explains that he'd set a record of his own - shunting the most trucks in one day. Emily brings Gordon's special coaches to him and to make it up to Diesel, she brings him a new motor, much to his amazement.

Compared to what Day of the Diesels brought forth, I can tolerate this. Sure, Emily was rude towards Diesel - but then, isn't he a rude character? - but she did feel sorry for insulting him and wanted him to feel special for setting a record of his own like Gordon did. And, once again, the three-strikes formula was forgone in this episode.

Episode Ratings:

Double Teething Troubles: 8.5 out of 10

The World's Strongest Engine: 6 out of 10

Salty's Stormy Tale: 7 out of 10

Thomas' Day Off: 7.5 out of 10

Emily and the Special Coaches: 8.5 out of 10

Thomas and Friends Season 5 Scorecard

3. A Better View for Gordon: 9.5
5. James and the Trouble with Trees: 8.5
6. Gordon and the Gremlin: 7
10. Toby and the Flood: 3
11. Haunted Henry: 9
12. Double Teething Troubles: 8.5

13. Stepney Gets Lost: 5.5

14. Toby's Discovery: 5

15. Something in the Air: 9
16. Thomas, Percy and Old Slowcoach: 10

18. Oliver's Find: 7

25. Rusty and the Boulder: 5
26. Snow: 1

Thomas and Friends Season 6 Scorecard

7. Jack Jumps In: 10
8. A Friend in Need: 10
10. Twin Trouble: 7.5
11. The World's Strongest Engine: 6

12. Scaredy Engines: 3
15. James and the Red Balloon: 10

17. Gordon Takes a Tumble: 8.5
18. Percy's Chocolate Crunch: 9
22. Thomas the Jet Engine: 8.5
23. Edward the Very Useful Engine: 7.5

24. Dunkin Duncan: 8

25. Rusty Saves the Day: 2.5

26. Faulty Whistles: 8.5

Thomas and Friends Season 7 Scorecard

1. Emily's New Coaches: 10
2. Percy Gets It Right: 8
4. The Old Bridge: 5.5
5. Edward's Brass Band: 6
6. What's the Matter with Henry?: 8
7. James and the Queen of Sodor: 7
8. The Refreshment Lady's Tea Shop: 8.5
11. Bad Day at Castle Loch: 7

12. Rheneas and the Roller Coaster: 0
13. Salty's Stormy Tale: 7
17. Peace and Quiet: 9.5

23. Gordon and Spencer: 10
26. Three Cheers for Thomas: 9

Thomas and Friends Season 9 Scorecard

1. Percy and the Oil Painting: 7
2. Thomas and the Rainbow: 1.5
5. Mighty Mac: 1.5

7. Respect for Gordon: 8

10. Rheneas and the Dinosaur: 1
12. Toby Feels Left Out: 1.5
13. Thomas Tries His Best: 9

16. Henry and the Flagpole: 2.5
17. Emily Knows Best: 7.5
18. Thomas' Day Off: 7.5

22. Skarloey the Brave: 1
23. Saving Edward: 2

24. Thomas and the Golden Eagle: 1

Thomas and Friends Season 10 Scorecard

2. A Smooth Ride: 3
7. Thomas' Tricky Tree: 2.5
8. Toby's Afternoon Off: 7.5

9. It's Good to be Gordon: 9

13. Edward Strikes Out: 1
14. Topped Off Thomas: 0.5
15. Which Way Now?: 6
16. Thomas and the Shooting Star: 6.5
17. Big Strong Henry: 7
18. Sticky Toffee Thomas: 4

20. Thomas' Frosty Friend: 0
21. Emily and the Special Coaches: 8.5
27. James the Second Best: 5
28. Thomas and Skarloey's Big Day Out: 3.5

Railfan Brony Advent Calendar Day #10: Narrow Gauge Capers

It's high time we caught up with the Skarloey engines to learn about five of their adventures!

THE OPINIONS, THOUGHTS AND MUSINGS IN THIS BLOG POST ARE SOLELY THOSE OF ZACK WANZER, NOT THE THOMAS FANDOM IN GENERAL

Season 7, Episode 8

The Refreshment Lady's Tea Shop

Written by James Mason

It's summertime on Sodor, and the Skarloey engines feel exhausted. The refreshment lady needs another place for a tea room since so many people are thirsty, so Peter Sam takes her along the sites of the Skarloey Railway. There are so many lovely sights that the refreshment lady simply can't decide where to place a new tea room. That night, a storm breaks, and in the morning, Peter Sam helps Rusty to clear up the storm damage. They soon come across a worn out coach (why Rusty calls it a shed, I don't know) and Peter Sam suggests using it as a tea room for the refreshment lady. It is soon restored and Peter Sam gets to pull it.

It's another of those simple episodes where someone has a problem and a friend helps them out. I think the role fitted Peter Sam perfectly, and it's another of those episodes I think every Thomas should see at least once. Oh, and the tea shop coach looks lovely.

Season 9, Episode 5

Mighty Mac

Written by Paul Larson

If we exclude Rusty's cameo in Calling All Engines, this marks the proper return of the Skarloey engines in the TV series after their absence from season eight. Was it that good?

A double-ended locomotive named Mighty Mac arrives on the Skarloey Railway. The controller, Mr. Percival... wait a minute; the Barlow era actually brought forth a Thin Controller for the Skarloey Railway?! That's more than what season four had done when they used the Fat one instead! Anyway, Mr. Percival tells Mighty Mac that they're to take some holidaymakers to the mountain campsite. They don't know which track to take, and they end up confused. Yes, it was entertaining to watch to some extent, but consider this:

"Every wise engine knows of course, that the signalmen works the points to make engines run on the right lines."

Remember that.

Eventually, Mighty Mac take their passengers down the line, and when they come across a fork, Mighty wants to go left, but Mac insists on going right. They go left, much to Mac's annoyance, and at another fork, he insists on going right, which they do, much to Mighty's annoyance. They keep fighting as to which way to go at every fork, bumping their passengers, eventually ending up at a dead end. See the problem there? NO signalmen are involved! Then again, neither are the crews, but that's irrelevant. The signalmen should've directed Mighty Mac to where they should go, but... nope.

Mighty and Mac argue as to whose fault it is, and they eventually cause the coach to derail and cause a rockslide. Later, the coach is lifted back on the rails by the holidaymakers, and Mighty Mac agree to work together by pushing the rocks out of the way... which wouldn't work as they could've easily derailed and got damaged. Yeah, the plot's pretty messed up and it's left aside to allow for character development - you cannot have one without the other!

Mighty Mac makes it to the campsite and they head home. Don't get me wrong; Mighty Mac has a unique design for the show, but could they hold a starring role for the CGI series? I'm not sure at the moment. If they can do something interesting, I'll hold my reservations for now. For this episode, it's just bad and loaded with mistakes and plotholes.

Season 10, Episode 2

A Smooth Ride

Written by Simon Nicholson

First off, let's get this outta the way - Sir Handel isn't the one of the oldest engines on Sodor. Okay, he's older than engines like Thomas and Hiro, but he isn't a 19th century locomotive either! Before anyone mentions Sir Haydn being built in 1878, keep in mind that Sir Handel was built in 1904, so therefore, he's younger than engines like Skarloey, Rheneas, Glynn, Edward, Stephen and Duke, although Glynn is arguable. To be fair, they did try to give some explanation for Sir Handel's eleven-year absence, but how could he have been working at the stone quarry all summer if we'd never seen him there in the first place? Also, he isn't one of the smoothest engines.

Anyway, the story begins with Mr. Percival telling Sir Handel to take trucks of apples and go smoothly, or the apples will bruise. Sir Handel goes nicely until he comes up a hill; he starts rattling and comes to a stop. When Peter Sam turns up, Sir Handel explains that he rattles and rocks when he comes up hills, and Peter Sam agrees to help. Sir Handel manages to deliver the apples without a bruise, but doesn't tell Mr. Percival about his problems when he takes some sheep and later gets Duncan's help. Sir Handel actually asking for help? Does seem like positive development for him, so...!

Later, Mr. Percival tells Sir Handel that it's his wife's birthday today, and wants him to take them to the top of Culdee Fell for a picnic. Once again, climbing up the hill, Sir Handel comes to a stop. Mr. Percival considers sending him away, but Sir Handel explains his problems with climbing hills, and so he is taken for repairs so he can climb hills without problem. If there was any time where Sir Handel could make his proper return to the show, this shouldn't have been that episode. It's just dull and generic, and a poor excuse to bring him back into the fold. I hope he comes into his own in the CGI series with a good episode; same thing with Rusty. Speaking of which...!

Season 10, Episode 15

Which Way Now?

Written by James Mason

One day, Rusty has two important tasks - first, he has to help workmen put up new posts along the trails, and later, he's to take the Fat Controller and his family so they can take a walk by the lake. Rusty is impatient for the workmen to finish and rushes them... That's rather odd. I mean, Sir Handel, Peter Sam or Duncan I'd understand. But Rusty? Surely he knows not to rush? However, Rusty is early and soon enough, Thomas arrives with the Fat Controller and his family... in a brakevan? Perhaps he was going light engine to the wharf? :P

Soon, Rusty brings the Hatts to the lake... or so he thinks. Surprisingly, the Hatts are not at the tea room. He sees some campers at the quarry, some fishermen at the coal mine, and some skiers at the ruined castle, but none have seen the Fat Controller. However, Rusty realizes why they were in strange places - his rushing caused the workmen to mix up the signs! He finds the Hatts at Hill Farm and apologizes for the mix-up, but the Fat Controller says that his grandchildren actually had fun with the animals - so it looks like Rusty actually did some good without realizing it! After dropping them off at the wharf, he decides to correct his mistake without rushing.

This one's alright; it does actually have a decent moral about not rushing, and how sometimes, a mistake can be a blessing in disguise.

Season 17, Episode 8

Luke's New Friend

Written by Davey Moore

Wait, are my eyes deceiving me or did Thomas NOT make a pointless appearance? Nope, it's for real. And as a plus, no Steam Team members show up! Guess we don't need them to make a good episode, am I right? We haven't had that since Mountain Marvel in season 12! Oh wait, I haven't reviewed that episode yet...

Anyway, onto Luke's New Friend! It's close to the end of the day at the Blue Mountain Quarry, and Luke and Rheneas have a little race to the crossing, but Rheneas comes across a young deer (a.k.a., a fawn) and stops in front of it, taken aback by its sudden presence. Rheneas says that the quarry is no place for a deer; later that night, Luke rests outside of a tunnel when the deer shows up again. It's scared off by Owen's snoring to Luke's disappointment, but he's glad to have at least seen it up close, and next morning, he gets a surprise when it shows up in his cab.

The deer is nervous around the quarry's noisy environment, and an explosion makes it run off onto Owen's platform! This makes Luke determined to make the quarry a nice place for the deer to live in, so much so that he insists that everyone keep quiet whilst working. However, Peter Sam accidentally sets off a chain reaction of noise that scares the deer once again. Owen, Merrick, and the engines insist that Luke has to bring the deer away from the quarry, and he does so by taking a train of gravel to Ulfstead Castle.

Happily, the deer loves the environment of Ulfstead Castle; it's quiet, and the air is fresh. The deer encounters what seems to be its mother, and leaps out of Luke's cab to meet up with her. Luke is sad to let his friend go, but at least the deer is happy to be with its mother again.

Yeah, it's way better than Percy's New Friends. Luke fits the role better because he's young and inexperienced around animals, and he could relate to the deer in terms of shyness. The animation, although it was Arc's eighth episode, was brilliant; just goes to show that little details like the driver tapping Luke's cab can make a difference; it makes them feel more alive. Sure, the models were good, but they had limits. And yes, there was that brakevan goof - moving on. Also, did you know this was Davey Moore's first Thomas script? He even said it was one of his favorites along with Thomas' Train and Rusty and the Boulder.

Episode Ratings:

The Refreshment Lady's Tea Shop: 8.5 out of 10

Mighty Mac: 1.5 out of 10

A Smooth Ride: 3 out of 10

Which Way Now?: 6 out of 10

Luke's New Friend: 7.5 out of 10

Thomas and Friends Season 7 Scorecard

1. Emily's New Coaches: 10
2. Percy Gets It Right: 8
4. The Old Bridge: 5.5
5. Edward's Brass Band: 6
6. What's the Matter with Henry?: 8
7. James and the Queen of Sodor: 7
8. The Refreshment Lady's Tea Shop: 8.5
11. Bad Day at Castle Loch: 7

12. Rheneas and the Roller Coaster: 0
17. Peace and Quiet: 9.5

23. Gordon and Spencer: 10
26. Three Cheers for Thomas: 9

Thomas and Friends Season 9 Scorecard

1. Percy and the Oil Painting: 7
2. Thomas and the Rainbow: 1.5
5. Mighty Mac: 1.5

7. Respect for Gordon: 8

10. Rheneas and the Dinosaur: 1
12. Toby Feels Left Out: 1.5
13. Thomas Tries His Best: 9

16. Henry and the Flagpole: 2.5
17. Emily Knows Best: 7.5

22. Skarloey the Brave: 1
23. Saving Edward: 2

24. Thomas and the Golden Eagle: 1

Thomas and Friends Season 10 Scorecard

2. A Smooth Ride: 3
7. Thomas' Tricky Tree: 2.5
8. Toby's Afternoon Off: 7.5

9. It's Good to be Gordon: 9

13. Edward Strikes Out: 1
14. Topped Off Thomas: 0.5
15. Which Way Now?: 6
16. Thomas and the Shooting Star: 6.5
17. Big Strong Henry: 7
18. Sticky Toffee Thomas: 4

20. Thomas' Frosty Friend: 0
27. James the Second Best: 5
28. Thomas and Skarloey's Big Day Out: 3.5

Thomas and Friends Season 17 Scorecard

4. Gordon Runs Dry: 8
7. Henry's Hero: 5.5
8. Luke's New Friend: 7.5
10. Not Now, Charlie!: 5.5
12. The Thomas Way: 6
13. The Phantom Express: 7.5
14. Percy's Lucky Day: 9
15. Bill or Ben?: 10
16. Too Many Fire Engines: 9
17. No Snow for Thomas: 7.5
20. The Frozen Turntable: 3

23. The Afternoon Tea Express: 8

24. The Smelly Kipper: 8

Railfan Brony Advent Calendar Day #8: Emily's Emerald Capers

There's only one Steam Team member we haven't focused upon - it's Emily! Here's five more episodes featuring her.

THE OPINIONS, THOUGHTS AND MUSINGS IN THIS BLOG POST ARE SOLELY THOSE OF ZACK WANZER, NOT THE THOMAS FANDOM IN GENERAL

Season 7, Episode 6

What's the Matter with Henry?

Written by George Tarry

Poor Henry is feeling ill, but Thomas is unsympathetic. If you're wondering, no, I don't see it as a Thomas is an Idiot episode, and he does actually get his comeuppance in the end. However, Emily is concerned when Henry starts leaving water puddles behind. The next morning, the Fat Controller sends for Thomas, Henry and Percy to pick up some trucks and take them to the docks; Henry is still unwell, but he doesn't argue. Thomas and Percy, thinking that Henry is just being lazy, tell the yard manager that Henry wants to take more trucks.

Meanwhile, Emily tells the Fat Controller about Henry's troubles, and she goes off to find him. Henry is dismayed that Thomas and Percy have left him with a long train to pull, but he tries his best anyway. However, Henry comes to a stop. Emily meets up with him and pulls him (without the trucks, for some reason) to the docks. Thomas and Percy feel guilty for leaving Henry high and dry, and are punished into taking Henry's trucks to the docks. See what I mean that Thomas and Percy got consequences? If a character does something stupid and don't suffer consequences, there's a problem there. Henry's tubes are fixed, but he complains that the workmen didn't look over him thoroughly, but Emily just laughs his complaints off.

The episode pretty much covers Henry's early RWS and later RWS periods - he starts off sickly, but after he heals, he's bound to complain. And yes, Emily was written brilliantly. Although, what was wrong with Henry in the first place?

Season 8, Episode 10

Emily's New Route

Written by James Mason

The Fat Controller is opening up new routes for summer, and Emily is assigned the flour mill special. James has been routed to run alongside Black Loch, and he explains that there are boulders all over the tracks and tells Emily about the Black Loch Monster. On her route, the trucks give Emily trouble and cause her to run late, much to her annoyance. The Fat Controller says that if it happens again, Emily will have to do the Black Loch run instead.

The next day, the trucks give her trouble again and she leaves three trucks behind. They laugh at her, and Emily is so angry she bumps them into a pond and derails, covered in flour. The Fat Controller isn't happy with her and she does the Black Loch run anyway. Thomas tells her that it might be a nice run, but Emily thinks otherwise.

Emily is still nervous about the run as she puffs down the line, and hopes it's a quick run, but it's cut short when she stops before a landslide on the tracks. Then, coming up from the water, Emily thinks it's the Black Loch Monster, but it's actually a family of seals, much to her relief. Now, she doesn't think Black Loch is that bad anymore, and tells Thomas so.

Another favorite of mine from season eight; it shows just how everyone can be afraid of something, and it shows Emily's good side masterfully.

Season 8, Episode 18

As Good as Gordon

Written by Abi Grant

Gordon is to take the new Mayor of Sodor on a our of the island, so Emily is to take the express in his place - two big positives there; one - Emily's basis, the Stirling Single, was actually an express locomotive, and in a sense, it's an ancestor to the Gresley pacific engines, and two - a female engine is pulling an important train. Let the latter positive sink in; a female engine pulling something as important as the express would definitely shut up those who scream "sexist". Before anyone mentions Pip and Emma, they aren't TV series characters. Well, not yet, at least.

Anyway, Emily is eager to pull the express, but she is in such a rush the brake coach is left behind... wait, what? Did I hear that correctly? Brake coach? That's more than what later episodes did! Emily manages to cross Sodor once, and feels that's an achievement. However, she stops at a crossing to let Edward pass, and demands that he hurry up. Is that out of character of her? Well, I'll go into full detail when I get to Thomas, Emily and the Snowplough. All I'm gonna say here is that the express is a non-stop passenger service, and there's no reason for Emily to stop for Edward or Bertie. And when Emily tries to take on water, James tells her to wait, but she doesn't bother doing so and puffs on.

Emily almost makes it to Brendam Docks, but she runs out of water. The Fat Controller arrives on board James, and scolds Emily for her impatience. James pulls her to the docks, and after she refills on water, she takes a slow goods train (another railway terminology moment!) while James takes the express. This time, Emily doesn't rush. Despite the faults I mentioned, it's another good episode in my eyes. This'll be the last season eight episode I review for a week.

Season 9, Episode 17

Emily Knows Best

Written by Marc Seal

Despite a small cameo he makes, the episode doesn't feature Thomas in the story at all; there's a reason the show is called Thomas and Friends.

As for the episode itself? Emily delivers passengers close to the ruined castle, and she gets the idea of being a queen. Not too far away, Percy and Toby are to shunt trucks by the castle; whilst Percy is daydreaming, Toby tells him to come along. Can you believe this - Toby is actually in character for once?! When was the last time that happened? Bored with waiting, Emily decides to play a game with Percy and Toby - she'll be queen and tell them what to do. Percy likes the idea, but Toby doesn't, and when he gives Emily a suggestion, she takes offense and decides to prove she knows best.

Percy is nervous about the trucks he's to push, but Toby suggests that Percy wait for him so he can tell him what to do. Percy struggles with his trucks, but Emily suggests that he take the trucks along her track. Percy does so, but Emily's suggestion only leads to trouble - Percy crashes into Mavis, and a telephone pole is knocked over - it's a huge mess. It gets worse when Toby comes along and derails.

Emily is clueless as to what to do, so she turns to Toby for help - he suggests that she go and get help. She tells the stationmaster about the accident, and soon enough, the breakdown train is sent in to put things right again. The Fat Controller scolds Emily for causing the mess and she apologizes, promising to listen to Toby in the near future. You know, after writing this review and looking at Sodor Island Forum's ninth series poll results, I was surprised myself that this episode ranked second best behind Respect for Gordon. Whilst Emily may have received scorn in the past - remember, this was a time before she reverted to what she was in season seven - she's now got a fanbase who adores her, myself included.

As for Emily Knows Best? It isn't the best in my view, but it is still a good watch, plus it was one of several episodes to ditch the three-strikes formula.

Season 11, Episode 2

Emily's Rubbish

Written by Wayne Jackman

Alright, let's knock this outta the way - this episode garnered controversy around 2011 specifically because the character of Whiff was based upon the North Eastern Railway's No. 66 "Aerolite". I get it; the engine is beautiful looking for her age, and she would never be seen pulling trucks full of garbage. But let's be honest - does an engine's basis really make them good or bad? I'm looking at those who criticize Belle for having unrealistic modifications! If you have a problem with that, why do you not have a problem with Diesel 10 having a claw?! It's the character's personality that's important; Whiff is a cheerful sort who doesn't care about what others think about his appearance. If he was, let's say, an LNER J72, would the show be any different? No, of course not! So, lighten up, people!

Well, that got a bit rant-y there, didn't it? There's one more criticism I have, specifically, the UK title - it sounds like it's telling me Emily is a terrible character. I prefer the American title Emily and the Garbage more cause it sounds less offensive. Okay, let's just get to the actual episode.

Emily is to meet with a new engine at the shunting yards, and she is mortified at the fact Whiff is a dirty little engine. When Gordon, Henry and James see Emily with Whiff, they laugh, much to her embarrassment, but Whiff doesn't seem bothered when other engines laugh. Emily tries to get away from him, but every time she does so, Whiff appears to be one step ahead of her. On the way, we get returnee appearances by Molly, Neville, Murdoch, and Elizabeth.

Eventually, Emily makes to lose Whiff, but she comes across Spencer, with his path blocked by some rubbish trucks. Emily tries to move them by herself, to no avail, and James and Gordon flat out refuse to help her. Emily manages to find Whiff and apologizes for losing him, but he doesn't seem upset and agrees to help her move the trucks out of Spencer's way.

The moral of the story - appearances aren't important, and think that Whiff showed it brilliantly. With his character, like I mentioned earlier, he doesn't care for what others think of him or his appearance; he's just happy with who he is and wants some appreciation. Like Emily Knows Best above, this episode didn't fall foul of the three-strikes formula, which became prominent from this point onwards. I liked this when I was younger, and I still do to this day.

Episode Ratings:

What's the Matter with Henry?: 8 out of 10

Emily's New Route: 9 out of 10

As Good as Gordon: 8 out of 10

Emily Knows Best: 7.5 out of 10

Emily's Rubbish: 8.5 out of 10

Thomas and Friends Season 7 Scorecard

1. Emily's New Coaches: 10
2. Percy Gets It Right: 8
4. The Old Bridge: 5.5
5. Edward's Brass Band: 6
6. What's the Matter with Henry?: 8
7. James and the Queen of Sodor: 7
11. Bad Day at Castle Loch: 7

12. Rheneas and the Roller Coaster: 0
17. Peace and Quiet: 9.5

23. Gordon and Spencer: 10
26. Three Cheers for Thomas: 9

Thomas and Friends Season 8 Scorecard

4. Henry and the Wishing Tree: 7.5
5. James Gets a New Coat: 6
6. Thomas Saves the Day: 8.5
7. Percy's Big Mistake: 3
10. Emily's New Route: 9
11. Thomas and the Firework Display: 5.5
14. Edward the Great: 8
15. Squeak, Rattle and Roll: 7.5
16. Thomas and the Circus: 9
18. As Good as Gordon: 8
21. Halloween: 9.5
22. You Can Do it, Toby!: 4.5
25. Too Hot for Thomas: 2

Thomas and Friends Season 9 Scorecard

1. Percy and the Oil Painting: 7
2. Thomas and the Rainbow: 1.5

7. Respect for Gordon: 8

10. Rheneas and the Dinosaur: 1
12. Toby Feels Left Out: 1.5
13. Thomas Tries His Best: 9

16. Henry and the Flagpole: 2.5
17. Emily Knows Best: 7.5

22. Skarloey the Brave: 1
23. Saving Edward: 2

24. Thomas and the Golden Eagle: 1

Thomas and Friends Season 11 Scorecard

2. Emily's Rubbish: 8.5
3. Dream On: 9
4. Dirty Work: 6
6. Gordon and the Engineer: 9.5
10. Thomas and the Big Bang: 1
11. Smoke and Mirrors: 1
12. Thomas Sets Sail: 1
13. Don't Be Silly, Billy: 0.5
14. Edward and the Mail: 5
16. Toby's Triumph: 1
17. Thomas and the Runaway Car: 8.5
18. Thomas in Trouble: 7
22. Sir Handel in Charge: 1.5

Railfan Brony Advent Calendar Day #7: Friends on the Rails

Another day, another series of reviews. We got a lot of 7s and 1s on this one!

THE OPINIONS, THOUGHTS AND MUSINGS IN THIS BLOG POST ARE SOLELY THOSE OF ZACK WANZER, NOT THE THOMAS FANDOM IN GENERAL

Season 7, Episode 17

Peace and Quiet

Written by Paul Larson

Because of a heavy workload, the Fat Controller brings in a large tender engine named Murdoch to help out. He wants some peace and quiet, but he can't due to the engines crowding him. When Harvey and Salty ask him questions, Murdoch snaps at them and demands that they keep quiet. The next morning, he pulls a goods train along the countryside when he comes across some sheep on the track. His crew are unable to move them, and they call for help. Murdoch is unhappy with the sheep's braying, but is grateful when Toby shows up with the farmer and his dog. Afterwards, he apologizes to Harvey and Salty for snapping at them and happily listens to one Salty's stories - he'd take that over noisy sheep any day!

I really liked this episode when I first saw it and I still do to this day. First off, that's some remarkable modeling on the 9F, despite the ridiculous orange livery. :P Murdoch definitely deserves to be in CGI, and it'd be nice to see more of his persona expanded upon.

Season 10, Episode 17

Big Strong Henry

Written by Simon Nicholson

The Fat Controller says that Farmer McColl needs iron, bricks, and concrete, because he's building a shed to keep his cows warm. Henry volunteers, but Gordon takes the job instead. Yeah, I know, it's actually shocking that Gordon was willing to pull trucks - I guess it shows his personality is expanding slightly. Henry is disappointed that he has to deliver empty trucks, but Thomas, Percy and Emily encourage him to prove his strength in front of Gordon.

After delivering empty trucks, Henry wonders how to prove himself in front of Gordon - he first tries pulling five heavy trucks (which don't look heavy if you ask me) but Gordon tells him to put them back as he's taking them later. Then Henry tries pulling twenty trucks, but they push him out of control and he derails... not in slow motion?! Holy crap, they didn't slow down a crash! Someone get your cameras out!

The Fat Controller is not happy with Henry and tells him to put the trucks back where he found them... one at a time, for some reason. Meanwhile, Gordon heads off to collect Farmer McColl's cows - ironic, since he ran into one, as did Henry - but the doors aren't shut properly and the cows leave their vans when he stops. (Wonky Whistle, anyone? -_-') This gives Henry an ingenious idea - he can lead the cows to their new shed! A bit strange that cows would follow a locomotive, but I've heard stranger things. And how'd they do that animation? It's incredible considering they used models!

Thomas and Percy apologize to Henry for getting him into trouble, but Emily tells him he'd been helpful that day, much to Gordon's embarrassment. Oh, and that cutaway with him and the cow? Genius. I'll admit this episode wasn't the best, but it was still a good watch, I felt.

Season 10, Episode 28

Thomas and Skarloey's Big Day Out

Written by Paul Larson

Remember when I said in my review of The Thomas Way that the route Thomas and Duck took was inconsistent to the Sodor map? Well, it's the same case here, only it's far more contrived.

Thomas takes some steel pipes to the Wharf where he meets up with Skarloey, looking very miserable because he's broken down and no one can take him to the mender's yard. You know, since it's season ten, I wouldn't put it past him. Thomas offers to take Skarloey to the mender's yard, and is told he must go straight there. Does he? Nope. Thomas takes Skarloey to see the sights along the NWR. You know they did this better with Harold since Thomas had an engine to play off against - Duck? Here, it's just Thomas and Skarloey without anyone, not even the crews, to object.

Thomas takes Skarloey to see the Scottish Castle, to which Skarloey has already seen a castle, and so Thomas takes him to Shen Valley, to which Skarloey has already seen green valleys. So, throughout the day, Thomas takes Skarloey all over Sodor, and somehow manages not to pass by Crovan's Gate - railways do not have alternate routes! If they were cars, that'd be one thing, but trains only follow one specific route on their line! Seriously, this contrivance is far more noticeable, and it becomes a major distraction to the plot.

So Thomas is about to take Skarloey to the top of Gordon's hill when the chain snaps and Skarloey rolls backwards down the hill into a siding. Thomas hauls Skarloey's flatbed back on the tracks and they set off for Crovan's Gate, and not on the way, they pass the seaside, which Skarloey has never seen before. After Skarloey is repaired in an unrealistic amount of time, Thomas takes him to see the beach once again.

Despite the appearance of Skarloey's season four model, the episode is just loaded with contrived coincidences. Sure, Thomas' heart was in the right place, but it's not enough to save this episode. If you like this episode, fine, but for me, it's not that good.

Season 17, Episode 10

Not Now, Charlie!

Written by Davey Moore

Speaking of The Thomas Way, I didn't know what I was thinking when I called Charlie better than Duck - nine months later, I think that remark's come back to haunt me...

We start off with Charlie telling a joke to Salty, who finds his pirate joke funny, but Cranky doesn't. Gordon does laugh, but he stops when Charlie stares at him. Is that supposed to be a metaphor for something? Next set of jokes - elephants, and that isn't the most subtle of ways to set up an episode, is it? In fact, it's a shame that Henry, considering his experience with one and his recent fears in seasons 18 and 19, didn't freak out at the mention of an elephant - would've been nice to have a classic series reference, but oh well - you get what you get.

Anyway, the plot really gets off the ground when Charlie encounters an elephant close to the line. Blowing his whistle doesn't do jack (don't take this the wrong way), and so he alerts Thomas, Percy, and Henry, but they think he's joking and ignore his warnings. Kind of sounds like The Boy Who Cried Wolf, doesn't it? I guess it makes sense for the moral - joke around too much, and when a serious situation strikes, nobody's gonna take you seriously.

Later, Charlie passes by the Sodor Animal Park and notices a wall collapsed due to a fallen tree - the elephant must've escaped! When he tries telling the engines again, they just laugh. Oh, and Cranky freaking out over an elephant? That's actually quite funny. Desperate, Charlie goes to Harold, who takes his warning seriously, and they go off to rescue the elephant on a special truck. I dunno, how do you carry elephants on railway rolling stock? Was it an actual prototype or did the animators use their imaginations? Anyway, the engines finally believe Charlie, who promises not to tell another joke again... but it doesn't last long!

So, had my earlier (if not somewhat petty) judgement been right? Er, not really. Right now, I've given The Thomas Way a 6/10 - it has a good premise, but the lack of proper routes does hinder the score significantly, and no, it no longer has anything to do with Duck. With Not Now, Charlie? Sure, the ending could be seen as a slap in the face, but I personally found it somewhat funny. The story did drag on a little, but it does have moments that actually got a smirk from me, and it was better than The Frozen Turntable.

Season 17, Episode 15

Bill or Ben?

Written by Andrew Brenner

On the other end of the humor spectrum...!

First off, I actually like how they introduce Bill and Ben to those unfamiliar with the classics. One day, Connor races by the twins, much to their surprise. They dismiss Thomas' statement of Connor being friendly and think he's a showoff, and decide to show him up. Next time Connor comes to Sodor, Bill offers to race him all the way to Ulfstead Castle. At first Connor refuses, as it wouldn't be fair, but Bill insists, and so Connor does agree to the race. At the castle, he''s shocked to find "Bill" already there. Ben offers round two back to the bridge, and Connor accepts, determined not to be beaten by a tank engine.

Suddenly, Connor passes a signal at danger and almost crashes into Henry! Phew, that's a close one. The Fat Controller scolds Connor for his SPAD (signal passed at danger) and when Bill and Ben turn up, Connor is angry that they tricked him, as is the Fat Controller with the twins for their games. Classic references abound!

Bill is sent to the Steamworks to be repainted blue (a hinting of Timothy's debut, perhaps?) and to cheer up his twin, Ben arrives at the Steamworks pretending to be Bill, tricking Kevin. Victor is shocked by the twins' prank and Kevin apologizes, even though it wasn't his fault. Bill meets up with Connor again, who agrees to another race, unaware that the twins have tricked him yet again...!

Absolutely brilliant. Possibly my favorite from season 17. Bill and Ben's (proper) return was well worth the wait, and they're just as funny as ever. Talk about ending this batch with the best!

Episode Ratings:

Peace and Quiet: 9.5 out of 10

Big Strong Henry: 7 out of 10

Thomas and Skarloey's Big Day Out: 3.5 out of 10

Not Now, Charlie!: 5.5 out of 10

Bill or Ben?: 10 out of 10

Thomas and Friends Season 7 Scorecard

1. Emily's New Coaches: 10
2. Percy Gets It Right: 8
4. The Old Bridge: 5.5
5. Edward's Brass Band: 6
7. James and the Queen of Sodor: 7
11. Bad Day at Castle Loch: 7

12. Rheneas and the Roller Coaster: 0
17. Peace and Quiet: 9.5

23. Gordon and Spencer: 10
26. Three Cheers for Thomas: 9

Thomas and Friends Season 10 Scorecard

7. Thomas' Tricky Tree: 2.5
8. Toby's Afternoon Off: 7.5

9. It's Good to be Gordon: 9

13. Edward Strikes Out: 1
14. Topped Off Thomas: 0.5
16. Thomas and the Shooting Star: 6.5
17. Big Strong Henry: 7
18. Sticky Toffee Thomas: 4

20. Thomas' Frosty Friend: 0
27. James the Second Best: 5
28. Thomas and Skarloey's Big Day Out: 3.5

Thomas and Friends Season 17 Scorecard

4. Gordon Runs Dry: 8
7. Henry's Hero: 5.5
10. Not Now, Charlie!: 5.5
12. The Thomas Way: 6
13. The Phantom Express: 7.5
14. Percy's Lucky Day: 9
15. Bill or Ben?: 10
16. Too Many Fire Engines: 9
17. No Snow for Thomas: 7.5
20. The Frozen Turntable: 3

23. The Afternoon Tea Express: 8

24. The Smelly Kipper: 8

Railfan Brony Advent Calendar Day #6: Thomas' Really Useful Tales

Now that we got James out of the way, it's time to tackle more Thomas-centric episodes!

THE OPINIONS, THOUGHTS AND MUSINGS IN THIS BLOG POST ARE SOLELY THOSE OF ZACK WANZER, NOT THE THOMAS FANDOM IN GENERAL

Season 6, Episode 22

Thomas the Jet Engine

Story by David Mitton

Written by Ross Hastings

After Gordon breaks his record again, Thomas is given a task to pick up a jet engine and take it to the airfield. He gets impatient, and when Cranky accidentally hits the switch, the jet engine pushes Thomas along the line and super sonic speeds, surprising even Gordon. Of course, the jet engine runs out of fuel and the engines now think Thomas is the fastest, even more so than Gordon.

I could about all the flaws and plotholes in the episode, but long story short, Thomas could've derailed and/or ended up damaged if he pushed that fast by the jet engine. If you ignore that factor, it's actually one of the most exciting episodes of the show. So I give it 8.5/10 mostly for the humor.

Season 7, Episode 26

Three Cheers for Thomas

Written by Jan Page

The classic series' swan song; a retelling (or sequel, depending on who you are) of Thomas and Bertie. How does it stack up?

The annual sports day is coming up, and after hearing a boy hoping to be first place, Thomas wishes he could have a medal of his own. Later in the yard, after Percy somehow confuses an egg and spoon race for both things racing, Bertie challenges Thomas to a race, to which Thomas accepts. However, Bertie gets stuck behind Trevor and Thomas takes the lead, which he promptly loses when he stops to pick up passengers, but he regains it when Bertie stops at a level crossing.

Unfortunately, Thomas is flagged down - the Fat Controller has left behind the sports day medals and needs Thomas' help to pick them up. Bertie wins the race, but Thomas doesn't know or care about that; he picks up the medals and makes it just in time. The Fat Controller presents the medals to the winners and the next day, Thomas is given one of his own for being really useful, despite that Bertie won the race.

I think it's an appropriate way to end the classic era; an episode to remind us of the early days of Thomas the tank engine and his friends. Is it as good as Thomas and Bertie? No, but it's in the ballpark. It's nice, and that's what makes a Thomas episode good.

Season 8, Episode 16

Thomas and the Circus

Written by Abi Grant

A circus is coming to Sodor, and the Fat Controller chooses Thomas to pick it up from Brendam Docks, and suggests that he share the workload if it's too heavy for him. Thomas is so amazed by the sight of the circus train he doesn't want to share. Children cheer as he passes by, and when Percy and James offer to help, Thomas politely declines. I'm sure you're wondering, and I don't know why, why did I not consider this for the Thomas is an Idiot list? Well, it's kinda like this - Thomas wasn't doing anything that was stupid; he wanted to share, but his love for pulling the circus train sort of clouded his views. There's always something we love so much we don't want to share it, even if we're not trying to come off as selfish. Essentially, this is Yours, Mine and Mine, only six years earlier and done a lot better than how SpongeBob did.

Of course, Thomas does wear out and his side rods crack, grinding him to a halt - the train was too much for him alone. Whilst Thomas waits for help, the performers practice their routines, and soon enough, James and Percy come to help Thomas and his side rods are repaired. All three engines share the workload and the circus is a great success.

Another of season eight's best. Some of my favorites from this season alone seem to be the most unexpected; this could come as no surprise. For me, at least.

Season 9, Episode 13

Thomas Tries His Best

Written by James Mason

Speaking of my list, remember when I said this was one of Thomas' better portrayals in the Barlow Era? Well, this episode hits all the right notes.

For one, Thomas wanted to join in on the fun, but he stopped, remembering he had a job to do. And when he tried speeding up, he stopped since he had chickens on board. For that, he was properly rewarded, something we need more often in the show. Good behavior is rewarded, and bad behavior is punished. In fact, this is the best episode out of season nine I've discussed (albeit briefly) since Respect for Gordon.

Not much else I can say here. The only negative on Thomas Tries His Best? Thomas' development was dropped for later episodes.

Season 10, Episode 16

Thomas and the Shooting Star

Written by Abi Grant

Like Percy's Lucky Day, I was originally doing to do this individually, but I didn't have the time, plus, this list didn't have a season 10 entry, so!

Yeah, the story feels like Thomas and the Rainbow, which was also written by Abi Grant, believe it or not, but here, it's handled a lot better, and it's far more believable. Speaking of which, tonight, a shooting star will be flashing across the sky, and anyone who sees it could make a wish. Thomas doesn't know what to wish for, but he is urgently called in to deliver some workmen to fix the power station.

Thomas shows up outside a tunnel, but he thinks he'll be unable to see the sky, so he takes another track. However, it takes him to Henry's forest, where the trees block the sky, so he takes a third track towards the Shen Valley cutting, but the valley is deep and so he takes yet another track. Percy, meanwhile, wonders where Thomas is.

Speaking of whom, Thomas has gotten lost and worries that he'll never get to the power station, wishing that he could see where he was. As if by magic, the shooting star shows up and lights the sky, and Thomas sees that he's actually reached the power station after all. It is soon repaired and Sodor is lit up once again - Percy even wished that Thomas came home safely!

Wow, does Sodor look so beautiful at night or what? The story itself, eh, it was a bit slow in places, but it was the scenery that made the cut for me.

Season 11, Episode 3

Dream On

Written by Neil Richards

Thomas is shunting trucks when the Fat Controller tells him that he'll have to help Spencer, much to the tank engine's dismay. Spencer demands for Thomas to shunt his coaches away, but Thomas tells him that he's busy. Spencer doesn't take kindly to Thomas' backchat and insults him before leaving him to shunt the coaches away. Thomas is so cross with Spencer he decides to try and be as fast, shiny, and strong as the silver engine is.

The next morning, while pulling trucks from the smelters, Thomas decides to go fast, but Emily warns him of a bend ahead, and Thomas slows down. Next, after a washdown and a polish, he shunts trucks around the quarry, but ends up dirty due to the dust. So, as a last resort, he tries to pull his train up Gordon's hill but can't, much to his disappointment.

The next day, Thomas is told that the Duke of Boxford must return to the mainland for important business, so he collects Spencer's coaches. However, Spencer is unable to get his fire lit quickly enough (Mr. Eden-Green, can you verify if A4s were slow to fire up, please?) so Thomas takes the Duke himself instead, and makes it to the airport just in time. Oh, and the coat of arms are a sight to behold.

Another absolutely brilliant episode; I guess it goes to show that even in the Barlow Era, Thomas always (well, usually, more like) managed to get at least one good starring role per season, and this is another of them for season eleven. The moral has got to be the best thing in the episode - just be yourself.

Episode Ratings:

Thomas the Jet Engine: 8.5 out of 10

Three Cheers for Thomas: 9 out of 10

Thomas and the Circus: 9 out of 10

Thomas Tries His Best: 9 out of 10

Thomas and the Shooting Star: 6.5 out of 10
Dream On: 9 out of 10

Thomas and Friends Season 6 Scorecard

7. Jack Jumps In: 10
8. A Friend in Need: 10
10. Twin Trouble: 7.5

12. Scaredy Engines: 3
15. James and the Red Balloon: 10

17. Gordon Takes a Tumble: 8.5
18. Percy's Chocolate Crunch: 9
22. Thomas the Jet Engine: 8.5
23. Edward the Very Useful Engine: 7.5

24. Dunkin Duncan: 8

25. Rusty Saves the Day: 2.5

26. Faulty Whistles: 8.5

Thomas and Friends Season 7 Scorecard

1. Emily's New Coaches: 10
2. Percy Gets It Right: 8
4. The Old Bridge: 5.5
5. Edward's Brass Band: 6
7. James and the Queen of Sodor: 7
11. Bad Day at Castle Loch: 7

12. Rheneas and the Roller Coaster: 0

23. Gordon and Spencer: 10
26. Three Cheers for Thomas: 9

Thomas and Friends Season 8 Scorecard

4. Henry and the Wishing Tree: 7.5
5. James Gets a New Coat: 6
6. Thomas Saves the Day: 8.5
7. Percy's Big Mistake: 3
11. Thomas and the Firework Display: 5.5
14. Edward the Great: 8
15. Squeak, Rattle and Roll: 7.5
16. Thomas and the Circus: 9
21. Halloween: 9.5
22. You Can Do it, Toby!: 4.5
25. Too Hot for Thomas: 2

Thomas and Friends Season 9 Scorecard

1. Percy and the Oil Painting: 7
2. Thomas and the Rainbow: 1.5

7. Respect for Gordon: 8

10. Rheneas and the Dinosaur: 1
12. Toby Feels Left Out: 1.5
13. Thomas Tries His Best: 9

16. Henry and the Flagpole: 2.5

22. Skarloey the Brave: 1
23. Saving Edward: 2

24. Thomas and the Golden Eagle: 1

Thomas and Friends Season 10 Scorecard

7. Thomas' Tricky Tree: 2.5
8. Toby's Afternoon Off: 7.5

9. It's Good to be Gordon: 9

13. Edward Strikes Out: 1
14. Topped Off Thomas: 0.5
16. Thomas and the Shooting Star: 6.5
18. Sticky Toffee Thomas: 4

20. Thomas' Frosty Friend: 0
27. James the Second Best: 5

Thomas and Friends Season 11 Scorecard

3. Dream On: 9
4. Dirty Work: 6
6. Gordon and the Engineer: 9.5
10. Thomas and the Big Bang: 1
11. Smoke and Mirrors: 1
12. Thomas Sets Sail: 1
13. Don't Be Silly, Billy: 0.5
14. Edward and the Mail: 5
16. Toby's Triumph: 1
17. Thomas and the Runaway Car: 8.5
18. Thomas in Trouble: 7
22. Sir Handel in Charge: 1.5