Monday, March 7, 2016

TTTE Season 19: Start Your Engines!

Well... the last blog post sparked more controversy and discussion than I thought it would! Anyway, here's my thoughts on the Start Your Engines! episodes. This time, I'm gonna rank them from least favorite (or least good, depending on how you view it) to most favorite.

No episode images this time; sorry.

Least Good: Reds vs. Blues
Written by Davey Moore
Alright, let's get this outta the way:

Percy: "And then there was trouble!"

Percy, you cheek.

Onto the episode itself, it's quite nice and simplistic, and it's definitely better than Thomas and the Colors (and yes, I'll get to that one soon). Other than Percy's dialogue, I really loved the moment where the Fat Controller accidentally breaks the window with the workman's football.

Of course, there's problems; why didn't Clarabel call out to Thomas about the Fat Controller being left behind? And Thomas being subbed in for Gordon? Well, that's arguable. The story occurs on Thomas' branchline, where Dryaw FC is (can anyone help me figure out what it stands for?), but Thomas acts a bit like Gordon about saying blue is better than red. Isn't there a football stadium close to the mainline?

And yes, we get that the football fans cheer for Thomas because he's blue; was that bit of narration even necessary? Oh, and I never knew Sir Robert Norramby and the grumpy passenger were football fans! The moral is quite nice, but the episode on whole isn't necessarily the best.

5. The Little Engine Who Raced Ahead
Written by Andrew Brenner
Well, Brenner, it's high time you wrote for season 19...! He must've been so focused on The Adventure Begins that he hadn't the time to write for this season.

Let's start with Philip. I actually like him. He kind of reminds me of Minuette from Amending Fences, almost like the child who's very eager to please and wants to be the best. Yeah, he's kinda like Thomas in The Adventure Begins, but they focus on excitability rather than cheekiness. He might not be the fastest, but he doesn't let that stop him from being so darn cheerful all the time - he's always looking on the bright side of things. Plus, he's a far more bearable character than a certain orange bratty Charlie who shall remain nameless. His basis is also brilliant; I never knew such a design existed in Pennsylvania! (I wonder how he and Hank will play off?)

As for the episode, this was a pretty good one too. Philip does get scolded for being a bit reckless and nearly causing an accident or two, but he doesn't get told off for racing about. Ah well; can't have it all, I suppose. A nice episode, but it could do with some reworking. Although does Gordon's response to the Fat Controller's scolding of Philip remind me of a Top Hat quote?

4. Two Wheels Good
Written by Lee Pressman
Spencer is to take the Duke and Duchess of Boxford to Callan Castle for Lord Callan's birthday, and the Duke has a speech to make there. At Knapford, after the Thin Controller turns up with his bicycle, Spencer, Thomas and Bertie argue as to how many wheels are best - twenty (if you include the tender), six, or four. Out on the mainline, Spencer's valve gear breaks so Thomas takes the Duke and Duchess, only to be stopped by a fallen tree. Sound familiar? Yep, it's like Lady Hatt's Birthday Party again, and huh, I should've reviewed that beforehand, but oh well.

Bertie takes the Duke and Duchess, but his tire bursts due to a tack on the road. The Thin Controller turns up on his bicycle, and he rides all the way to the nearest phone booth and calls for Harold to take the Duke and Duchess to Callan Castle. I really love the usage of off-road vehicles and humans in the episode; it shows there's far more to Sodor than the railways, and I love the balance and simplicity of the plot. Yeah, it's a three-striker, but at least it's not annoying as it was during S13-16. Plus, at least they resolved Spencer's, Thomas', and Bertie's follies, unlike the Fat Controller's car, Caroline, and George.

3. Philip to the Rescue
Written by Andrew Brenner
Gotta love continuity between episodes, am I right? (Spoiler alert for my comments about continuity in another S19 review, by the way.)

Really, this is such a fun episode, and I liked how James was called out for being hypocritical, although it's pretty rich for Thomas to say so considering his behaviors in S13-16. That length of James' train was quite a sight to see - no wonder he struggled, and his crash was absolutely fantastic. That is damage you'd never see in the model series! And yes, the callback to The Adventure Begins was quite nice. Are they hinting at the potential sequel with James and the trucks up Gordon's hill?

Say what you will about Philip as a character, but here, after James called him a showoff, Philip willingly rescued him from crashing. That shows that you should help others in need even if they say bad things about you - Bulldog, anyone? I mean, would you wish for your worst enemy to fall down an abyss?

2. Slow Stephen
Written by Helen Farrall
Miss Farrall, you have my vote for season 19.

Yes, I really love her writing style. She can take the simplest of plots and make them feel entertaining whilst including railway realism. Lost Property, Toad and the Whale, and Very Important Sheep, were all fantastic in their own right, as was Thomas the Babysitter, which I'll get to.

For Gordon? Yes, I will admit that his arrogance has been overplayed, very much like Henry's worrisome persona, James' vanity, and (to some extent) Duck's Great Western way of thinking. Can we at least focus on other aspects of their respective characters? Edward displayed some signs of sarcasm in his persona, which is actually quite funny, and Percy's character as grown since Tale of the Brave; can't we see the same with the big engines?

With that aside (it won't affect my score, but it was worth mentioning), the rest of the episode was solid; Stephen's bravery to cross the Suspension Bridge as it collapsed was very admirable, especially since Gordon was coming with the express and he wanted to avert a disaster. Besides, desperate times call for desperate measures.

Most Favorite: Best Engine Ever
Written by Andrew Brenner
Who didn't see this coming? Can we call this the Best Episode Ever? ...no? Okay then... *laughs nervously*

No, but seriously, I absolutely adore this episode - probably helps that I'm a bit of an Emily fanboy - and it's probably my second favorite episode overall, closely following Thomas and Bertie. It's high time we got an episode featuring two female characters playing lead roles, and they play off one another fantastically. This isn't like Dream On or Whiff's Wish where the lead character fights to prove themselves, but Emily just feels downcast for not being as modern as Caitlin is. It's trying something new and unique like The Perfect Gift did with Reg celebrating Christmas his own way.

There's also little moments that I really loved:
  • Connor's "Afternoon, ladies" line and his prompt winking makes me laugh.
  • Emily's indignant response at being heavier than Caitlin's coaches like she was called fat was pure comedy.
  • The streamlined Emily bit was actually quite nice (there, I said it).
  • I really liked Marion encouraging Emily to feel proud of herself for who she is despite Emily not being a steamshovel herself.
The rescue scene was fantastically done, and I just can't help but love Emily's adorkable smile after saving Caitlin. This one's real standout for the new era, and an episode I'll love until either I stop being a fan or die, whichever comes first.

Thomas and Friends Season 19 Scorecard:
1. Who's Geoffrey?: 8.5
2. The Truth About Toby: 7.5
3. Lost Property: 9.5
4. Henry Spots Trouble: 4.5
5. A Cranky Christmas: 4
6. Snow Place Like Home: 7.5
7. The Beast of Sodor: 8
8. Toad and the Whale: 9
9. Very Important Sheep: 9
10. Salty All at Sea: 5.5
11. Den and Dart: 9.5
12. Helping Hiro: 3
Diesel's Ghostly Christmas: 9.5
SYE1. Two Wheels Good: 8
SYE2. Reds vs. Blues: 7
SYE3. Slow Stephen: 9
SYE4. The Little Engine Who Raced Ahead: 7.5
SYE5. Best Engine Ever: 10
SYE6. Philip to the Rescue: 9

Saturday, February 20, 2016

Sci-Twi and Other Ramblings

Ever have those times that the more you think about something, the worse it gets? Well, this is one of those for me. The "something" I keep thinking about? Friendship Games. Specifically, the human world's Twilight Sparkle, or, as I'll call her for this post like I did for the movie review, Sci-Twi.

Don't get me wrong; I absolutely adore Twilight as a character. Her intelligence, her newfound status as a princess, there's so much to like about her... and as of now, my second favorite character behind Sunset Shimmer. With Twilight, she has always been the leader of the Mane Six, and in times of a crisis, most of the time, she's rational, but she has moments when she loses her cool completely and will often go insane, but for the most part, she gets flustered and becomes OCD at times. That's what makes her appealing.

Which brings me onto her human world counterpart - she's practically similar to her pony counterpart, but there are some differences; Sci-Twi is practically a wallflower, lacks confidence when under tremendous pressure, and believe it or not, she's a doormat.

Yeah, I'm gonna say it right now; Sci-Twi is a doormat. In the movie, because she has the highest test scores of any student at Crystal Prep, Principal Cinch wants her to compete in the Friendship Games (ironic, since they are anything but) so she can get into an independent study program. Yeah, Cinch is blackmailing Sci-Twi just to uphold her reputation for selfish, petty reasons, and Sci-Twi goes along with it if it means achieving her goal!

The difference between the two is that Princess Twilight does not bow easily to peer pressure; I mean, in Keep Calm and Flutter On, she was suspicious of Discord when Celestia assigned her and the rest of the Mane Six to reform him, and heck, one of her greatest moments, possibly her best, was in Twilight's Kingdom, where she gave up the alicorn magic to save her friends and Discord!

What does Sci-Twi do? She pretty much steals the Human Five's magic (in fact, they're treated like plot devices), therefore nearly causing chaos at the second round of the games, and before the third round even begins, she is pressured by Crystal Prep to unleash the magic, and it turns her into a demon, threatening everyone around her - hell, she even destroys the CHS statue and it's not rebuilt by the end of the movie. And when Sci-Twi returns to normal, what does she get as a consequence? Nothing! The blame is all piled onto Cinch and Sci-Twi transfers to CHS without problem! Yeah, a similar scenario happened with Sunset in the first movie, but at least there were signs that she wasn't forgiven straight away (she, Snips and Snails were made to repair the school as punishment)!

So apparently, with Sci-Twi, the moral seems to be "you can easily fall to peer pressure and cause havoc by mistake and out of your control, but everything will be fine since you'll transfer to your rival school." What kind of stupid, half-assed lesson is that?!

It looks like the problems from The Cutie Re-Mark have struck again (even though that episode aired two months after the movie, but I digress), which is ironic since both were Josh Haber scripts. Where do I begin? Let's talk about Sunset Shimmer's role in this film, Rainbow Rocks and the DVD covers for both films. With Rainbow Rocks, Sunset was the main heroine, and she isn't featured on the cover! Meanwhile, with Friendship Games, she's featured on the cover, but she's pretty much shoved aside as deuteragonist to Sci-Twi. Actually, very much everyone else was shoved aside to make room for Sci-Twi and dogpile so much crap on her (please, don't take it the wrong way) to the point that Shining Armor's human counterpart was thrown in as an afterthought!

Look, I get that Twilight Sparkle is the show's main character, fair enough, but does she always have to be featured? Brotherhooves Social, one of the show's most understated episodes, didn't even feature her! Nor did Sisterhooves Social, Sleepless in Ponyville, or Flight to the Finish - what I'm trying to say here is that you can't feature Twilight solely because she's the show's main character (looking right at you, Thomas!), however, you can feature her if she has a purpose in the story. Just don't leave everyone else to the side, okay? Sunset was going to have a subplot in the film, but it was cut because... well, I don't know! Why was it done? To prevent the film from having conflict? I get that Haber is a safe writer, but that's too far, even for him.

Actually, Josh Haber is the reason that Friendship Games (and, for that matter, The Cutie Re-Mark) failed spectacularly. Two-part premieres and finales and the Equestria Girls films are supposed to be bigger than normal 22 minute episodes. Bottom line, having a safe writer like Josh Haber write for both was a trap. Actually, the same thing could be said for Scott Sonneborn writing for Luna, Nick Confalone writing for Pinkie Pie, and Neal Dusedau writing for Discord. Let me explain.

Luna, Pinkie, and Discord are tricky characters to get right. Then again, some characters are difficult to get right, but whatever. Sonneborn, Confalone, and Dusedau are all rookie writers. Having rookie writers write about complex characters is a mistake; they don't understand them as well as the veteran writers who established their personalities. As a result, Luna ended being a self-harming crybaby whose mood swings could potentially endanger Equestria whilst Discord became an insensitive jerk whose face you want to smash with a baseball bat. And Pinkie? Well, she was pretty good in season five for the most part, but the two episodes which Confalone wrote for her leave a lot to be desired.

And Josh Haber with Twilight (or at least, Sci-Twi)? Well, in each of his episodes from both seasons four and five, he wrote for (in order) the Mane Six as a group, Rarity and Applejack acting like one another, Applejack conflicting with the Flim Flam brothers (again), Apple Bloom and Luna, and Twilight trying to stop Starlight from destroying the world because the latter was a petty childish brat. Why did he do so well in season four, and yet screwed up badly in season five and Friendship Games? He very much changed Twilight from being a pony who cared deeply about keeping the past unaltered to a meek pushover who doesn't suffer consequences for her actions! (I know that they're two different Twilights from different worlds, but still.) Say what you will about Cinch, but she did suffer some level of karma for her actions (she lost her reputation, respect from her students, and her best student).

Not too long ago, I wrote a journal talking about how many writers MLP should have - it's so far got too many to write for one season! Season five struggled with sixteen and somehow, season four did solidly with thirteen! Even though season two's quality is mixed, it only dealt with six writers!

As for Sci-Twi? Her portrayal in Friendship Games is not the Twilight I wish to see in the future. The Twilight I know is brave, intelligent, thoughtful, and has the best intentions at heart. That wasn't shown with Sci-Twi at all in the film, and it turns out to be a complete waste of potential, and a big reason that Equestria Girls needs more than just the movies. Why not make a TV series based on it, or better yet, a series of YouTube shorts or comics? It'd be a great opportunity to expand on the other characters and they won't feel cluttered in a 70 minute film. On that bombshell, whilst I don't find her portrayal in the film very flattering at all, Sci-Twi isn't the worst character of the franchise, but I do consider in the bottom 10.

Sunday, February 14, 2016

TTTE Season 19: Episodes from Down Under

Augh, I can't take this SIP (stupid, idiotic, pointless) hiatus any longer! No thanks to Viacom, the UK is still waiting on new Thomas episodes and it's only two weeks to a month until the episodes for Start Your Engines are released on DVD. To vent some frustration, I'll just review the remaining season 19 episodes in batches regardless as to whether or not they finally air in the UK.

Season 19, Episode 8
Toad and the Whale
Written by Helen Farrall
Oliver is annoyed by Toad's singing - Duck remarks that you'd never hear such a noise on the Great Western - and when Toad notices a beached whale, Oliver simply dismisses it as a joke. Kind of mean of Duck to call Toad out for singing, isn't it? If singing makes him happy, then so be it. However, when Oliver passes by Bluff's Cove again, he spots the whale and realizes that Toad was being serious - the whale is in trouble, and so they alert the Search and Rescue Center.

Oliver and Toad bring water in tankers to help keep the whale hydrated, and Butch can't tow the whale out to the tide... oh, and did I just hear a worker say it wouldn't survive? That means it could die! And it was said on a kid's show! Toad suggests bringing the whale to Brendam to deeper waters, but Oliver isn't sure of it. Then he comes up with a brilliant - if somewhat implausible - idea; putting the whale on a flatbed with Rocky and on the journey, Belle sprays water to keep the whale alive, with a water tanker in tow. Plus, Toad sings to the whale to comfort it.

Cranky lifts the whale back into the water, and it happily swims away, waving its tail goodbye to Toad, who always sings about the whale with revised lyrics for "I Do Like to be Beside the Seaside." Pretty much everyone's talked about what makes the episode good - it's about awareness for animal safety and how they should be looked after - so I don't have much else to say. Just give it a watch, and you'll see why people like it. Is it the best of season 19? Well, it's up there.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Season 19, Episode 9
Very Important Sheep
Written by Helen Farrall
Speaking of episodes getting praise...!

Yeah, this is definitely Wonky Whistle done right. Why is it better? Well, here's the thing - Percy was in a rush, and he was being careless by bumping into the livestock van and it hit a rail on a flatbed, creating a hole that was later enlarged by the sheep. The way they run away makes sense because Percy didn't stop... just because. He stopped when he needed to take on water, at a level crossing or signal, or because a piglet was on the tracks. Thomas was in no rush; he just lost the animals because he was an idiot.

Ah yes, speaking of whom, Thomas' role makes perfect sense because one - the story takes place on his branchline (I believe), and two - he has Annie and Clarabel. Had it been Toby, it wouldn't have worked since Victoria isn't in CGI (well, not yet at least). And we get humorous dialogue and moments from Annie and Clarabel to boot. Bonus points. Oh, and Annie, please don't tempt fate next time, okay?

The music? Fantastic, and so is the fact that they actually got child actors (I believe) for the children. However, I do wish that Gordon could show different shades of his character every once in a while.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Season 19, Episode 10
Salty All At Sea
Written by Lee Pressman
This one's rather... interesting. I wouldn't say this is flat out bad, but rather, more... confused, let's say. Basically, Salty is to help out at the mainland, but because the bridge to the mainland is under maintenance, he has to travel by ship, but he's afraid of doing so.

One of the big issues with this episode is Thomas - why is he even here in the first place? Like I said with Very Important Sheep, his role made sense, as does Den and Dart, which I'll get to in a bit. In this episode, Thomas is just here because the script demands it. And it doesn't stop there; Porter does absolutely nothing. Ever since Away from the Sea, he's done so little he's practically a background engine, and he's got one of the strongest personalities of Brenner's characters! Why couldn't they have used him in Thomas' place, or better yet, use both Porter and Edward (y'know, since it takes place on his branchline)? That'd make more sense, and Porter would get some character development!

However, dismissing it completely based on choice of characters would be kind of dumb. The story - at least, the first half - is relatively strong. Salty wants to avoid traveling by sea, and so he takes on Edward's job to take trucks to Wellsworth and passengers for Thomas. Kind of like the employee who doesn't want to face the boss and does his coworkers' jobs for them, right?

Although, there is a catch - why would Salty believe in his own stories? He knows they're false, and you can tell based on his expressions. Plus, why did they not explain his fears? Is he afraid of getting seasick, or what about afraid of sinking? Anything would've been fine, even if his excuse was stupid. Also, can I hear about the Phantom Brakevan? I'm sure that sounds more interesting. If they'd actually used Porter and given Salty a reasonable fear for traveling on ship, it might've been stronger.

Oh, and I can't forget Timothy's cameo - I'll get to that episode when I get to it. Overall, a pretty average episode.

Rating: 5.5 out of 10

Season 19, Episode 11
Den and Dart
Written by Davey Moore
You know, I don't mind this episode having a vague title; it tells us who the main characters are, and leaves you wondering what it's about. Den and Dart are used to working together, but when Mavis has an accident at the quarry, Den goes to work in her place, leaving Dart to help repair Mavis on his own. Both struggle, but with help from Toby and Mavis, they manage just fine without the other.

Does the episode deserve the praise it gets? Without question. The titular main characters went from being bland, two-dimensional merchandising diesels to a pair of three-dimensional duo who can't imagine life without the other. The less said about Ol' Wheezy Wobbles, the better. There's pretty little I can say about Den and Dart - it's absolutely fantastic throughout. My only gripe? I wish they used Dart more, but oh well.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Season 19, Episode 12
Helping Hiro
Written by Mark Huckerby and Nick Ostler
Oh, this isn't going to be a fun one...!

Not even a minute in, there's already a problem - Thomas has reverted to what he was during The Adventure Begins. And in case you're wondering, no, this isn't Sodor Surprise Day levels of annoyance, but it's still extremely jarring for many reasons. Actually, a lot of the episode is jarring. Like, why does Hiro not know why he's called Master of the Railway?

On a side note, I'm gonna say it right now - Hiro is overrated. That doesn't mean he's one of the worst characters of the show, but here's my sticking point with him; the only reason he made a comeback in The Biggest Surprise of All in season 13 was to appeal to the Japanese audience, pretty much like Rosie being there to appeal to the female audience... because she's pink. Seriously, the Japanese audience, the female audience, and the Japanese female audience were fans of the show regardless to whether or not Hiro or Rosie existed! (I'm not trying to sound racist or sexist, I'm just pointing that out.)

Anyway, why did they use stock footage from Hero of the Rails (the most overrated special, I should note) rather than make new animation? The animation from the aforementioned special is also extremely dull and grayish compared to Arc's sharp, crisp, colorful animation. Plus, the location of Hiro's hideout changed in the newer animation! Why is that?

Then there's the crash - it was nicely animated and the damage on Hiro looked great, but why did the Fat Controller think he could get there by himself? At least it made more sense than in James to the Rescue where James got away without damage... because reasons. Also, the Fat Controller seems far too lenient on Thomas, especially since Thomas caused Hiro's accident and shirked his duties just to find Hiro's spare parts. Yeah, why would Thomas think Hiro's spare parts were hidden on his hideout? Surely he would at least know that you can't find them there!

And after Thomas is rescued, he sees that Hiro has been repaired and he only just realized it?! Why didn't he notice that the moment he entered the Steamworks? And also, how did Hiro get repaired so quickly, even with his spare parts the Fat Controller bought?

Seriously, on whole, I really feel they could've simply given Thomas' role to someone else - why not Charlie, Rosie, Stanley, or heck, even Samson? It would've made more sense, and we'd have a new, interesting dynamic like we saw in the likes of Toad's Adventure or Samson Sent for Scrap! This is one of those times Thomas acts like he was in the Barlow era, and I hope that they don't keep doing this for future episodes.

If there were any positives, other than the crash, I did like the music and the voice acting - John Hasler's Thomas is growing on me a bit - but that's all. The rest of the episode was a mess, and one of season 19's weakest episodes. Yeah, Henry Spots Trouble didn't have the best portrayal of the green engine, but at least the story was a lot stronger in many areas (even though his worrysome persona is a bit cringeworthy at times, but I digress). So yeah, Helping Hiro is just weak. Not a terrible episode, it's just... meh.

Rating: 3 out of 10

For the scorecard, I'm simply ranking the episodes both based on when I reviewed them (from Ghostly Christmas onwards) and their UK airdate order (at least, for the first seven). I'll be reviewing the Start Your Engines episodes when they come out, and I'll review the final six at a later date.

Thomas and Friends Season 19 Scorecard:
1. Who's Geoffrey?: 8.5
2. The Truth About Toby: 7.5
3. Lost Property: 9.5
4. Henry Spots Trouble: 4.5
5. A Cranky Christmas: 4
6. Snow Place Like Home: 7.5
7. The Beast of Sodor: 8
8. Toad and the Whale: 9
9. Very Important Sheep: 9
10. Salty All at Sea: 5.5
11. Den and Dart: 9.5
12. Helping Hiro: 3
Diesel's Ghostly Christmas: 9.5

Friday, January 15, 2016

TTTE Season 19: Delayed Christmas Follies

I'm so sorry for not getting this done earlier; school restarted (that's fun(!)) and I kind of forgotten about reviewing the next three episodes. So, without further delay, let's dig in!

Season 19, Episode 5
A Cranky Christmas
Written by Mark Huckerby and Nick Ostler
Yes, I know it aired as the sixth episode in Australia and that it's the second episode produced for this season, but I order episodes I review based on their UK air dates, so keep that in mind.

First off, the moral - admitting your mistakes. Whilst it's good, we've already had an episode earlier this season - Who's Geoffrey? Whilst that episode was actually quite funny, with A Cranky Christmas... it felt kind of dull. I-it's far too simple. It fits the mold perfectly, but they could've had a bit more going on. For example, the plot of Duck in the Water is that James is sent to rescue a flooded Duck. With its simple plot, the season 18 episode didn't necessarily have to focus on the main story, and you can actually tell a few jokes in the runtime. Yeah, they told a few jokes here, but they didn't feel funny.

Oh, and on a side note, when Cranky asked that they let go of his mishap since it was Christmas, honestly, I groaned. And please, no Frozen-related jokes in the comments.

It's not terrible, but far from the best. There was so little I can comment on. Even though I give this a 4/10 like Henry Spots Trouble, I'd rather take the Henry episode since it actually grabbed my attention - even though his wimpy persona comes off as cringeworthy at worst... but I digress. More on that later.

Rating: 4 out of 10

Season 19, Episode 6
Snow Place Like Home
Written by Lee Pressman
I'm not sure what the point was in Percy and Henry's scene. I get that it's to emphasize that some engines are struggling in the snow, but couldn't they have expanded on it by having one of them end up in the Steamworks? That could've told Kevin about how dangerous snow can be.

Ah yes, speaking of whom, Kevin is excited about snow, but Victor hates it, and since he came from a country that's closer to the equator, it's very easy to sympathize with him - same deal with Donald and Douglas since they came from a land where it snows heavily. They're used to it, but Victor isn't. Emily is also at Steamworks waiting for her new piston rods... and that's it. I mean, I love her and all, but couldn't they have expanded on her role? Kevin wants to fetch them for her, but Victor doesn't allow it. Kevin sneaks outside to play in the snow, but his fun quickly ends when he gets stuck and no one can see him.

Meanwhile, Thomas is sent to pick up Emily's new piston rods. Victor is unable to find Kevin and Emily thinks he must've gone out there to pick them up, much to Victor's concern. Despite his hatred of snow, Victor decides to go out there and find him, risking life and wheel. Around that time, Thomas manages to pick up Emily's new piston rods, but is surprised that Victor and Kevin are missing. Kevin manages to use his arm to bang on a window, attracting attention. He is freed from the snow and is surprised that Victor went out there to find him. Thomas catches up to Victor (how, I don't know, since Victor is narrow gauge) and the red tank engine is happy that Kevin is safe... although Emily still wants to know if anyone's gonna fit her new piston rods!

I really liked Victor's development - his hatred for snow adds a new layer to his character, and the fact he was willing to go out there for Kevin's sake is admirable. He's almost like a father to the little crane. Might've been nice if we had a Skarloey engine or two involved, but... we get what we get.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Season 19, Episode 7
The Beast of Sodor
Written by Becky Overton
I prefer this to Henry Spots Trouble. There, I said it. Review over, right?

Nope! Of course, I'll address some of the criticisms. Yes, it does have a similar cast to the aforementioned episode, but does that hurt it? The answer is no - whilst Charlie and Eddie suffered badly due to having a plot completely similar to Play Time - and not to mention that it didn't feel like Edward on screen - with The Beast of Sodor, its plot was completely different to Henry Spots Trouble. I dunno about everyone else, but I think Charlie and Eddie and The Beast of Sodor are reverses of each other; the S14 episode has a re-hashed plot with different characters (to some extent) whilst the S19 episode has a re-hashed cast with a different plot. I'm fairly sure that the two S19 episodes having similar casts was purely coincidence from Davey and Becky's respective parts.

Onto the episode itself. Spencer is stuck on Sodor due to the bridge being blocked with snow, and brags about the time he faced off the abominable snowman. The next day, he's working with Henry, and keeps teasing him about the abominable snowman. Meanwhile, the Fat Controller drives his car to take Dowager Hatt for lunch, but he ends up running late, even more so when he gets stuck in the snow in the middle of nowhere... well, not exactly nowhere, since there's railway lines close by, but you get the idea. Oh, and Henry? His persona's not as cringeworthy as it was in the past, and I'll get to more on that later.

Spencer keeps teasing Henry, and twice, he thinks the abominable snowman is approaching, but they turn out to be Emily and Thomas, respectively, the latter carrying Dowager Hatt, who is cross about her son running late. Speaking of which, the Fat Controller is having a bad day - he ends up getting chased by a bull, for one thing...! *laughs loudly* Oh dear... Oh, poor old Toppy! Meanwhile, Henry is once again freaked out by the sight of the abominable snowman... but it's actually James being rescued by Edward and Rocky. Good thing they tied up that little loose end there, isn't it? Spencer wants to head off to the sheds to get warm, but he and Henry come across... *Dramatic Impact #2* the abominable snowman! Spencer is absolutely terrified, as is Henry, and I love this bit of dialogue:

"Leave us alone, you abominable... sir?!"

Turns out it was the Fat Controller, and he's in even bigger trouble; Thomas and Dowager Hatt turn up, and she's cross with her son for being late. Well, what a bit of rotten luck, Topham. But still, Henry actually stood up for himself and Spencer. Of course, Spencer lies about being brave, but we know better, don't we?

I can understand why some would consider it a clone of Henry Spots Trouble to some extent, but I still think it was rather good and humorous, plus the ending gives off a hopeful implication that Henry's confidence will eventually grow. I mean, Sam Wilkinson does want Henry's character to improve, after all. Although, I really wish Viacom would actually allow the rest of season 19 to air - we're not even halfway through the season and Start Your Engines! will be coming soon in two months!

Rating: 8 out of 10

Thomas and Friends Season 19 Scorecard:
1. Who's Geoffrey?: 8.5
2. The Truth About Toby: 7.5
3. Lost Property: 9.5
4. Henry Spots Trouble: 4.5
5. A Cranky Christmas: 4
6. Snow Place Like Home: 7.5
7. The Beast of Sodor: 8
X. Diesel's Ghostly Christmas: 9.5

Monday, January 4, 2016

TTTE S15E4: Percy's New Friends

Happy New Year 2016! Yeah, it was a few days ago, but what the heck. Last year was quite a rough one for me, but hopefully, I'll be able to follow one of my New Year's resolutions - restrain my anger as much as I can. To kick off, we've got a bit of a doozy here!

(Yeah, no more disclaimer at the top; you can pretty much tell whose views they are by this point.)

Season 15, Episode 4
Percy's New Friends
Written by Gerard Foster
Oh boy, this one was a long time coming, and it's an episode I should've done a very long time ago. Why did I not get to this one earlier? There were a lot of episodes that were far worse than this, and then there's some that were bad in a unique way. With Percy's New Friends? The way this one is bad is because this was a definitive sign that enough was enough - it was time for a new writing team to take over the show. Let me describe the basic plot of this - Percy tries to make friends with animals... need I continue?

Well then, without further ado, let's tear this apart... in a restrained manner, of course. Is it really as bad as people say it is?

Percy arrives at Brendam Docks and is sad that no one wants to play with him. Seeing Cranky's friend the seagull, Percy decides to make some friends with animals. He comes across some in the woods - squirrels, rabbits, and birds - but every time he gets close to them, they scamper off, so eventually, Percy keeps quiet, and they ride on his running plate all the way to Tidmouth Sheds.

I wouldn't go far as to say the plot is stupid - far from it - it actually has a decent moral about taking care around animals, but if you ignore the problems I'm gonna mention below, the plot's incredibly boring. I mean, not as boring as Buzzy Bees, but it's kind of in the range.

Percy is very much viewed as an idiot in this episode; I get that he's meant to be a young engine, but they've taken that a step too far - wouldn't he know by now that animals get scared in the presence of an engine? Also, if he didn't have work to do, why couldn't he simply stay in the sheds? And why would he get startled easily by Gordon with the express? I can understand this in Percy Runs Away especially since he could've been killed had Gordon not stopped so quickly.

And then there's Thomas - his characterization is fine, but his role overall is pointless. He's just there because the story demands it. Not to mention that the animals would never have stayed with Percy the whole journey. They did this better with Luke's New Friend since the Blue Mountain Quarry wasn't used to the presence of animals, and Luke himself was actually young and naive.

On whole, to say Percy's New Friends is one of the worst would be an overstatement, but it's still quite bad; it's a decent idea for a plot, but it doesn't work for a show centered on talking trains. I will say, of course, it was one of the few episodes alongside Wonky Whistle and Fiery Flynn that caused the alarm bells to ring for the fandom; it was time to speak out and tell Hit about the problems with the show's current state.

Prior to writing up with review, I had received a comment about my season five overview of MLP - basically, the gist of what the person was saying is "aren't you shoving your own opinions in our faces and forcing us to hate what you review?" The answer is no; for one, not every review I write is negative, and two, when I do write negatively, it's a moment of concern or passion.

If something really bothers me and I can't ignore said problem, then I will get angry over it and explain why this doesn't work. I'd also read somewhere regarding my revised views on Crusaders of the Lost Mark that my views should be dismissed just because I said that Diamond Tiara's redemption was forced - I still stand by my stance, and just because you make her mother detestable, that does not bring Diamond Tiara back up, especially when you consider her actions in the episode's first half!

I'm not trying to say you should agree with me when I say something is crap, but you really should consider where the opposite side is coming from with their views, rather than calling them out for acting like - what you believe to be - a jerk.

Thomas and Friends Season 15 Scorecard
1. Gordon and Ferdinand: 2.5
2. Toby and Bash: 4
3. Emily and Dash: 3.5
4. Percy's New Friends: 2.5
6. James to the Rescue: 0.5
8. Up, Up and Away!: 0
9. Henry's Happy Coal: 5.5
10. Let it Snow: 1
11. Surprise, Surprise: 5
13. Stop That Bus!: 6
17. Wonky Whistle: -5
18. Percy the Snowman: 2.5
19. Tree Trouble: 1.5
20. Fiery Flynn: -8

Friday, December 25, 2015

Railfan Brony Advent Calendar Day #25: Diesel's Ghostly Christmas

Ho ho ho! Happy Christmas to everyone out there! If you don't celebrate said holiday, well, have a nice day... unless you're a Scrooge like Diesel, well... suit yourself!

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

Season 19, Episode X
Diesel's Ghostly Christmas
Written by Becky Overton
Yeah, I've no idea as to why this episode was held off until next year (I'm guessing) when A Cranky Christmas, The Beast of Sodor, and Snow Place Like Home get to air within the next two weeks. Viacom, there is no excuse for this level of incompetence! (I'll bet they got coal in their stockings this year :P)

Anyway, with that aside, let's get to the episode; it's an adaptation of Charles Dickens' famous story A Christmas Carol. It's been adapted so many times that even The Muppets did their own version in 1992 with Michael Caine. So how did Thomas handle his remake?

The Earl is holding a Christmas lunch at Ulfstead Castle; Thomas is to take some carolers to their rehearsal, and then he has to take trucks up to the castle. The Fat Controller has twisted his ankle so he can't take his car to Brendam docks (I guess he's the Tiny Tim of the story, or in his case, Giant Tim). Thomas would love to help, but he's got too much work to do, so he asks Diesel if he'll help the Fat Controller. Diesel refuses to help, saying he's busy, so Thomas asks Emily to help.

At the docks, Cranky is having trouble with a Christmas tree as the wind is blowing hard, and Salty is unable to shunt a flatbed because his fuel line is frozen (no references, please!) Once again, Diesel refuses to help, and the tree falls on top of Salty. I quite laughed at his look of defeat as the tree lands on him. Eventually, the tree is loaded onto a flatbed so Paxton can take it to Ulfstead Castle. Diesel still refuses to help, which makes Thomas upset.

The huge tree gives Paxton trouble out on the mainline, and it tips over, causing him to derail. Thomas is cross with Diesel's selfishness and decides to teach him a lesson about being helpful. Later that evening, when Diesel returns to the Dieselworks, he finds it mysteriously quiet, and inside, he sees the ghost of Marley (spoilers, it's Emily) who warns him that he'll be visited by three ghosts before Christmas, and he heads off to the docks, under the "ghost's" command. Oh, and on a sidenote, even on first viewing, I noticed that Diesel often slips into having Henry's voice, since they're both voiced by Kerry Shale (at least in the US dub; he also voices Diesel in the UK dub), and it's a bit distracting at times.

At the docks, Diesel encounters the Ghost of Christmas Past (Salty) who tells him about the times he'd been unhelpful - a CGI recreation of Diesel Does It Again, No More Mr. Nice Engine, and this episode. Diesel freaks out and runs away. At this point, I should point out this is a double-length episode - the very first in the show. And yes, both parts are one episode.

Part two begins with Diesel believing that he was simply hearing things, but then he hears who he thinks is the Ghost of Christmas Present (Paxton). And we got this fourth-wall break:

"Then I must be good at pretending."

Paxton, you are a genius!

Anyway, he tells Diesel to think about the joy of Christmas and about how happy people will be. Once again, Diesel runs away screaming, and he comes off where Paxton derailed - so karma comes back to bite him in the engine. Thomas hasn't got time to help him, which makes it double cathartic for Diesel. In the morning, Thomas is at Whiff's Waste Dump (high time Whiff was utilized) and gets himself covered in garbage. Oh, and nice touch with the crows - they add to the sinister look.

Thomas returns to Diesel, pretending to be the Ghost of Christmas Future, and tells him that he could be alone forever with graying eyebrows and a weak voice.

At the Castle, the Earl is getting ready for his party, wondering where the guests are. Thomas, meanwhile, returns with Rocky to help Diesel back on the rails, and the diesel shunter is now willing to help anyone out. Oh, and Rocky's fourth-wall break is him looking at us in confusion; that's kinda easy to miss. Diesel offers to take Rocky back to the Search and Rescue Center for Thomas whilst the tank engine takes guests to the Christmas lunch. However, there's one person he's forgotten - the Fat Controller!

Diesel spots the Fat Controller and offers to bring him to Ulfstead Castle and he joins in on the festivities. All we're missing his the "God bless us, every one" line and we've got the full package.

And that was Diesel's Ghostly Christmas. It was definitely good to see Diesel show more shades of his personality other than just being arrogant; he can show his good side as long as he wants to. I don't see him as a villain, but rather, an anti-hero.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Thomas and Friends Season 19 Scorecard:
1. Who's Geoffrey?: 8
2. The Truth About Toby: 8
3. Lost Property: 9.5
4. Henry Spots Trouble: 4
X. Diesel's Ghostly Christmas: 9.5

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Railfan Brony Advent Calendar Day #23: Shining Time Station - 'Tis a Gift

Well, that's something I thought I wouldn't be doing - a Shining Time Station review! You've got Mike Nicholson to thank for that. For this Advent Calendar, we're reviewing its Christmas special from 1990 - 'Tis a Gift.

THE OPINIONS, THOUGHTS AND MUSINGS IN THIS BLOG POST ARE SOLELY THOSE OF ZACK WANZER, AND NO ONE ELSE'S

'Tis a Gift
Written by Brian McConnachie
Directed by Gregory Lehane

It's close to Christmas at Shining Time Station and everyone's excited - Ringo Conductor (yes, I'm gonna refer to him as such to avoid confusing him with George) even sings a modified bar of "The Lumberjack Song" whilst carrying his own Christmas tree! Schemer is confident that he'll be Santa's helper this year for the Christmas pageant. Harry's cousin Tucker is coming to help following the former's transfer to Twiddly Junction, but is unsure about meeting Ringo. When Matt and Tanya have nothing to do, Stacy suggests that they write letters to Santa, with the aid of music.

The Christmas Committee doesn't have place to meet tonight, so they're holding their meeting at the station, which frustrates Stacy. The kids don't know Santa's address, but Ringo helps them out, having known Santa before, and suggests that they build a snowman to pass the time. At this point, he tells them the story of Terence the Tractor, but strangely, on VHS, he tells them the story of Thomas' Christmas Party, which is the second story on TV. Why, on VHS, did they have Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree with Ringo's narration, but they don't redub lines relating to the Fat Controller? That's very lazy editing if you ask me.

After their letters are sent to Santa by Ringo, Matt and Tanya have to be around Vickie, a bratty local girl, much to their dismay; when Stacy suggests they try and get along with her and think of good traits she has, Tanya remarks that Vickie is a good singer. Schemer, meanwhile, is eating excessively, hoping to be fat enough as Santa's Helper - that can't be healthy. I know he's desperate, but that's a step too far, even for him. Stacy tries talking him out of it, but Schemer just laughs, and she decides to compete against him.

Tucker brings in a Christmas tree with the help of an elderly man named Mr. Nicholas, and amazingly, she knows a lot about Stacy from her childhood; he's waiting for the Northern Star, and believes it will come to the station. Vickie is dropped off at the station, and as Matt and Tanya feared, she turns out to be a selfish brat. Oh jeez, another brat- No, no, keep calm - she's not a bully to those she thinks are below her; she just doesn't care for Christmas. Mr. King informs Stacy that the weather is getting worse, and there's a chance that all trains will have to be cancelled; Mr. Nicholas manages to distract Mr. King with memories from childhood, and then Schemer ends up causing everyone to compete for the role of Santa's Helper.

After Matt and Tanya send her packing, Vickie meets up with Mr. Nicholas, who suggests that she try and smile and be helpful. Vickie tries again, and helps Matt and Tanya decorate the tree, but it doesn't end well when she accidentally knocks over the tree and they blame her for it. Mr. Nicholas comforts her, and shows her a movie about a little boy visiting a hobo to give him company for Christmas - the best presents don't come in boxes or cost money. Vickie wishes for Santa to bring a present for her mother, and Mr. Nicholas helps her realize that her singing is what her mother likes best.

Tanya and Matt are still upset with Vickie, but after Ringo tells them the story of Thomas' Christmas Party (or Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree, depending on what version you're watching), the decide to forgive Vickie. Much to Stacy's amazement, the Northern Star has arrived as Mr. Nicholas predicted. The Christmas Committee meeting begins, and when the Mayor declares himself the winner, an argument breaks out, but with Mr. Nicholas' encouragement, Vickie sings to stop the argument, and they realize Christmas' true spirit - even her mother Claire is touched.

Everyone gets to be Santa's Helper, Mr. Nicholas catches up with Ringo and repairs the Christmas lights, and the angel figurine is placed on the tree without problem, and everybody, including Vickie, gathers round the tree.

I was surprised; Vickie was a character that I personally thought I'd dislike, but she actually isn't that big of a brat. No, instead, she's just a sullen sort of character who doesn't care for Christmas, but after meeting with Mr. Nicholas, she becomes a nicer character and learns that the best presents come from the heart. Plus, there's the message that as long as you don't stop believing, nothing is impossible. Do I think it's one of the greatest Christmas specials of all time? No, but I do think it is in the ball park. It's nice, and that's what I like about a Christmas special.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Railfan Brony Advent Calendar Day #22: TUGS - Bigg Freeze

Sadly, for the last time, we make a visit to Bigg City port during its Bigg Freeze. Get those violins ready...

THE OPINIONS, THOUGHTS AND MUSINGS IN THIS BLOG POST ARE SOLELY THOSE OF ZACK WANZER, AND NO ONE ELSE'S

Bigg Freeze
Written by Roy Russell
Directed by David Mitton

Hercules is assigned to bring in the S. S. Vienna as far as Lillie Lightship, since the cruise liner can't enter the port, and she asks the Star Tug if he'd seen Ten Cents. He and Sunshine are looking for a fuel barge for Lillie - if her light is out, the S. S. Vienna could sail by Bigg City. There's only one left... and Zorran is towing it to supply Vienna's heating plant, which he thinks they'll be doing. The Star Switchers explain the situation to O.J., and he agrees that Zorran's intentions are hugely flawed. Zip and Zug think Ten Cents and Sunshine are trying to get another fuel barge to beat Zorran, but really, they're picking up an emergency light barge.

Meanwhile, Warrior struggles to find an empty garbage barge, and comes across one that's half empty... or was it half full? Well. Either way. Warrior decides it'll do. Ten Cents and Sunshine find the emergency light barge, but Zip and Zug trap them with a fire barge. Sunshine then explains to Ten Cents about the night tide leading back to the river.

Darkness comes, but no one knows how to reach to Hercules and Vienna. Then Warrior suggests getting the load on the garbage barge alight as a beacon - he backfires just enough so sparks set it alight, but it soon goes out. Luckily, Ten Cents and Sunshine manage to show up with the emergency light barge just in time, and with a bump from Warrior, it's set alight. Zip and Zug are shocked to see Ten Cents and Sunshine, and explain what they did to Zorran, and after Ten Cents tells his side of the story, Zorran scolds Zip and Zug for their stupidity. Well, that's very ironic - Zorran was being selfish with the fuel barge and didn't consider everyone else's needs.

Soon enough, Hercules and Vienna show up and both fleets load and unload their barges, and since Vienna has enough fuel to get into the next port, Zorran gives his fuel to Lillie after all. Meanwhile, Zip and Zug are caught out by the Fire Chief, but the Vienna continues on her voyage with a lovely homage to Ringo Starr.

And that was Bigg Freeze. And, in fact, the series overall. It would've been lovely to see this series continue for longer, but I think we should accept quality over quantity. Had it continued, there's a chance it might've gone through seasonal rot - sometimes, things are best left with a short run. I would say TUGS picked the right episode to end its run.

Final Series Ranking: 9.5/10

TUGS Episode Scorecard
10/10 - Pirate, Trapped, Up River, Munitions
9.5/10 - Jinxed, High Winds, Warrior, High Tide, Regatta, Bigg Freeze
9/10 - Sunshine, Quarantine, Ghosts

Monday, December 21, 2015

Railfan Brony Advent Calendar Day #21: Sodor Winter Follies Part 5

The final set of Thomas and Friends winter episodes from seasons 6-17 are here (unless there's any I may have missed). We've only got four this time, but better than nothing, right?

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

Season 16, Episode 12
Salty's Surprise
Written by Sharon Miller
Nice try, Miller - you may have replaced with "Winter Holiday" with "Christmas" (and rightly so) and forgone the rhyming, but calling it "Christmas Holiday" is a bit pointless, and there's still the irritating alliteration that's plaguing the dialogue.

At Brendam Docks, Edward learns from Salty that the red diesel has no time for presents and parties. Edward decides to give Salty a present, so he heads for the Steamworks and sees Rosie being repainted, giving him the idea to give Salty a new pot of green paint. However, Salty remembers once being painted green and how no one could see him - that's utter bull. Many engines on Sodor are green and they could be seen perfectly fine, why should Salty have been any different? It's not like all green engines suddenly become invisible!

Edward decides to give Salty a funnel, under Kevin's suggestion, which doesn't make sense since Salty's a diesel engine, as Edward lampshades - why would anyone be stupid to think Salty was a steam engine? Salty says that he lost a funnel that looks a lot like that - only it was blue rather than red - and so Edward decides to give Salty a Christmas tree... in his cab?! Why Nitrogen?! That's dangerous! Edward should've carried it on a conflat! Use that! Also, how does a sea breeze kill a Christmas tree?

So Edward realizes that Salty likes stories - you think he didn't know that by now? - and that he'd given the diesel reasons to tell stories. Also, if Edward was wise, he could've at least listened to Salty! Still, at least they kept the kind part of his personality, but it just didn't fit him a bit. The moral is good and relevant though - the best gifts don't come from a package. Insert pointless cameo of Sir Topham Santa... because why not.

Season 16, Episode 14
Emily's Winter Party Special
Written by Max Allen
The Fat Controller announces that the Sodor Winter Festival is tonight, and will choose whichever engine is the most helpful to be the party engine. Suddenly, a wind picks up and the Fat Controller's top hat flies off his head. Funny how he's calling out to it like it's his child, isn't it? Emily decides to go and find the Fat Controller's hat (why he can't buy a new one is anyone's guess) hoping to pull the present train. She tells Thomas and Henry about what she's doing (I actually chuckled when Henry said "oh"), but she decides to leave it aside to pick up the present train.

However, the Fat Controller isn't happy with Emily slacking off and gives the train to Thomas instead. On the way to town hall, Emily and Thomas pass by a snowman, and find what they think is the Fat Controller's top hat (I hope they informed the children about it first!) and return it to him. Funny how he calls it his "old friend".

Out of the Emily episodes... I don't have high feelings for it. It's trying too hard to be good, but if there's anything I liked, it was the animation for the lights around her and Thomas, the calliope made a return, and Teresa Gallagher's acting was brilliant. Of course, the plot drags on a lot, and it's dull at the best of times. Still way better than Sodor Surprise Day, though.

Season 17, Episode 18
Santa's Little Engine
Written by Andrew Brenner
This is the moment - Winter Holiday is no more, and Christmas is back!

At Ulfstead Castle, the Earl is preparing a Christmas fair; he asks the Fat Controller to dress as Santa Claus for the final day of the fair, and decides to get him a sleigh to ride in. The Fat Controller suggests using Winston instead, but the Earl tells him not to worry. The Fat Controller, desperate, has Winston modified at the Steamworks to look like a sleigh. Thomas, Annie and Clarabel are amused with his presence, but luckily for Winston, the Earl rejects the the track inspection car's modifications and insists on the Fat Controller riding a proper sleigh. Isn't it funny seeing Thomas wink at Winston? - no words, just music and facial actions.

On the last day of the fair, Thomas picks up the sleigh at Brendam docks and on the hill leading to Ulfstead Castle, Thomas slips - Cranky had warned him to take care earlier. The Fat Controller - dressed as Santa - arrives on board Millie, and is most dismayed to see the sleigh. "Ho! Ho! ...oh..." Poor Topham! XP As Thomas backs up, he accidentally hits the sleigh, causing the Fat Controller to ride out of control - oh no! Thomas chases after his control, and picks up branches around his funnel. "THOMAS! Heeeeeeelllllllp!!!" Luckily, Thomas has managed to save the Fat Controller and the sleigh, the latter none the worse, if not shaken, from his misadventure. Because of the branches around his funnel, Thomas is given a red nose to serve as the Fat Controller's reindeer, and yes, they actually say "Merry Christmas" at the end!

Yeah, the episode's a bit silly in places, but then, isn't Christmas all about having fun? I guess it doesn't matter when you watch the episode; it's an ideal pick-me-up, and the same thing applies to the next episode:

Season 17, Episode 19
The Missing Christmas Decorations
Written by Andrew Brenner
Yes people, Diesel 10 actually makes his debut in the TV series. After 13 years of being only in the specials, he finally shows up in a TV series episode, and it's a brilliant one at that.

Diesel 10 is cross that the Dieselworks has few decorations, and enlists Paxton's help to steal some decorations. He doesn't want to steal from the steam engines, since they haven't done anything bad to him, but he doesn't want to go against Diesel 10 either, for fear of his wrath. The Steam Team are upset at their Christmas tree being stolen, but the diesels are content with having taken the tree, and Diesel 10 decides to steal some lights next. I was taken by surprise by the reference to Thomas and the Magic Railroad, if I'm honest - but why did Diesel 10 call Sidney "Twinkle Toes"? With Mr. Conductor, it made sense because of his magic abilities, but does anyone know why Sidney was given the nickname?

Soon enough, Sidney is covered in Christmas lights. When Diesel 10 suggests they take some garlands, Paxton has had enough and refuses to help Diesel 10 steal any more decorations. In the morning, Diesel 10 takes some garland off Tidmouth Sheds, but Percy spots him, and he and the Steam Team give chase. They confront him at the Dieselworks, and Diesel 10 protests that everyone prefers steam to diesel, but Thomas argues that the Fat Controller cares for all of his engines.

Yes, all of his engines. Not just the steam engines, but diesels and electrics as well. That's miles ahead of Thomas' portrayal in DOTD. Paxton turns up with decorations for the Dieselworks, and Diesel 10 reluctantly returns the steam engines' decorations, having taken them for absolutely nothing. Percy notices that Sidney is still hanging, having been there for two years, and tells the Fat Controller about the blue diesel's predicament. Soon enough, Sidney is given new wheels, and to make up for their trouble and replace what they've damaged, the diesels give the steam engines their own decorations.

The Missing Christmas Decorations has everything Day of the Diesels doesn't - heart, and it shows that you should show some generosity to those less fortunate than you, regardless of what pain they've caused you. Percy was a real stand out as a character, and whilst he might be cheeky, he's also willing to help others in need. It makes him more relatable as a character.

Episode Ratings:
Salty's Surprise: 3 out of 10
Emily's Winter Party Special: 4 out of 10
Santa's Little Engine: 8.5 out of 10
The Missing Christmas Decorations: 10 out of 10

Thomas and Friends Season 16 Scorecard
2. Ol' Wheezy Wobbles: 1.5
5. Ho Ho Snowman: 1
8. Thomas Toots the Crows: 1
9. Bust My Buffers!: 1
10. Percy and the Calliope: 8.5
11. Thomas and the Sounds of Sodor: 1.5
12. Salty's Surprise: 3
13. Sodor Surprise Day: -10
14. Emily's Winter Party Special: 4
15. Muddy Matters: 5
18. Don't Bother Victor!: 2
20. The Christmas Tree Express: 0.5

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
18. Santa's Little Engine: 8.5
19. The Missing Christmas Decorations: 10
20. The Frozen Turntable: 3
23. The Afternoon Tea Express: 8
24. The Smelly Kipper: 8

Sunday, December 20, 2015

Railfan Brony Advent Calendar Day #20: CGI Winter Holiday Controversy

Now we're into the really dark ages of Thomas with the winter episodes I've yet to get to. This will be fun(!)

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

Season 13, Episode 17
Snow Tracks
Written by Alan Hescott
At Tidmouth Sheds, Percy is excited to see snow, but Thomas isn't - well, that's actually a good start. No, really - they do actually maintain continuity that Thomas dislikes his snowplough. Gordon boasts that snow won't bother him, and when assigned to take some trucks for Brendam docks for a coal delivery (and he doesn't even complain, I should note), Emily suggests that he take the long way around hills - and once again, there are no alternate railway routes!

Gordon comes across a hill, and on the other side, he slips on the icy rails and sprays snow onto a passing Spencer, and what the hell happened to his coach? It looks like some cheap Trackmaster coach! The next hill Gordon puffs over is steeper than the last, and snow sprays in his face, causing him to crash into some slate trucks, surprisingly without derailing. He comes across his own hill, and when he tries to climb, he ends up creating a snowball, and right behind him, Thomas runs into a siding and is hit by the snowball and derails. Gordon leaves to get Rocky (after delivering his trucks), and Thomas is able to deliver his firewood with Gordon's help.

So... much... repetition. But then, what do you expect from a season 13 episode? Or a Nitrogen episode in general, for that matter? It may have had one or two funny moments, but the episode is quite dull in a lot of areas and could've easily been condensed into five minutes without all that pointless narration. Still, at least it's better than Thomas' Frosty Friend.

Season 14, Episode 19
Merry Misty Island
Written by Sharon Miller
At the Sodor Search and Rescue Center, the Logging Locos question about a Christmas party, having never celebrated one before... strange, since they've worked on Misty Island for years. However, the trio, after delivering Jobi wood, head to Brendam Docks and decide to have a party of their own on Misty Island, whilst declining Thomas' offer to help. They pick up some decorations they place on Ol' Wheezy, and whilst Bash and Dash head for more decorations, Ferdinand looks for a tree. The "tree" he's picked up is actually a Jobi log - I thought it was actually quite funny. And yes, he did say more than just "that's right".

Thomas, Henry, Gordon, Percy, and Toby show up with the Fat Controller, but Ol' Wheezy and Hee-Haw end up causing havoc, and the Jobi log is thrown into the pond - the party is a disaster. Now, the Logging Locos ask for help, and the party is now a success. Ferdinand's tree was perhaps the highlight of the episode, and out of season 14's winter episodes, this was probably the least bad. I'm showing some generosity mostly due to the "tree".

Season 15, Episode 11
Surprise, Surprise
Written by Sharon Miller
Percy, Edward, and Stanley have broken down and so they can't attend the children's party. Not wanting them to be left out, Thomas decides to hold a Christmas party at the Steamworks. He enlists Charlie's help to tell jokes to cheer up the trio (Jelly-copter? Really?), and I was taken by surprise when Victor shouted at Thomas and Charlie to shoo. However, Charlie derails when Thomas bumps into him, and so Thomas picks up Rocky at the docks. There, Thomas decides to bring a Christmas tree with Rocky's help, but the crate falls in front of Kevin. Thomas tells Victor about what he wanted to do (and why he didn't tell the Fat Controller, I don't know) and Victor approves of the party.

It did feel like The Party Surprise, only this didn't introduce a pointless one-off character that we'll never see again. I hate how they flip flop between Christmas and Winter Holiday, and it becomes a major distraction. I did like how Stanley had a speaking role; just a shame Ben Small didn't give him more lines.

Season 15, Episode 18
Percy the Snowman
Written by Lizzie Ennever
...you've got be kidding me. Why, Viacom, are you airing this on Christmas (at the time of writing) instead of Diesel's Ghostly Christmas?! Those in the UK deserve far more than the crap we were given for three years! Do you have something against the season 19 episodes that the writers, animators, and voice actors poured their hearts into making for all of us? Thomas was a UK creation, you know!

Anyway, at teatime, Thomas is to take the Fat Controller to the town hall to turn on the Christmas lights, after he's finished his other jobs. Meanwhile, Percy is stuck on a siding, and he's unable to move after finishing his jobs. Thomas wants to share his happiness with Percy after his jobs are done - well, at least he isn't being a prick for a change. First time he passes Percy again, snow sprays all over Percy by mistake. Wait, why couldn't he have asked someone to help rescue Percy? That's perhaps the biggest plot hole with the episode. The next two time Thomas passes Percy, more snow sprays on Percy to the point he's buried.

Thomas finally comes back to Percy... and somehow he doesn't know where he is. "Gee, is he behind that tree? Under the snowy bush? Or maybe that big glob of snow I didn't see earlier?" Seriously, Thomas? Are you that stupid? Well, considering this episode came after Wonky Whistle, I wouldn't be shocked. However, Thomas decides to bring children aboard Annie and Clarabel to make Percy feel happy, and the episode just ends. Okay then... And why have children somehow not seen a snow engine before?

Season 15, Episode 19
Tree Trouble
Written by Sharon Miller
I'm gonna say it right now - I hate the Sodor Dieselworks. Don't get me wrong, I like the concept of a second engine workshop on Sodor, but WHY, for both, should steam engines and diesel engines be fixed in separate workshops?! That's purely racist, and the fact it's still prominent in the series doesn't help matters! If we follow this logic, we should have a Sodor Electricworks, Coachworks, and Truckworks. If the Steamworks was the primary location to repair locomotives and rolling stock, and the Dieselworks was in case the Steamworks was busy, then that wouldn't be so bad.

This won't affect my thoughts on this episode or The Missing Christmas Decorations, but I feel it was worth mentioning. Now, onto Tree Trouble - and do we seriously need an introduction about trees? Surely kids know what they are before they even saw this episode! Anyway, Dowager Hatt tells the diesels that she looks forward to seeing a tall, grand tree for the Dieselworks. Thomas butts in (quite unnecessarily, I should point out) and says that the Steamworks deserves a tree as well. Oh great, more unnecessary racism - this should be fun(!)

Now that there's a competition between steam and diesel engines (because I've never seen that before...!), Diesel, Den and Dart claim they'll find a grand tree, but Thomas claims he'll beat them. At Maithwaite, Thomas doesn't think either tree is tall enough, and at Maron, he doesn't find either tree grand at all. Do we seriously need constant alliteration and rhyming to describe the trees?! We can see for ourselves, you know! So Thomas and the diesel trio head to Deathtrap Railw... sorry, Misty Island... and find two tall, grand trees. They head back to Sodor, only to come across Gordon with the express heading for Misty Island...

Where do I begin with this? Why were there no signals to prevent an accident, and why was Gordon even headed to a deathtrap with the express to begin with? Also, after Thomas ran over his tree by accident, Diesel runs over his for no reason! This scene is wholly stupid, makes no sense, and it's just there to force an ending!

Thomas explains everything to Dowager Hatt, and Thomas decides to have only one tree for the Dieselworks. That doesn't make up for his behavior throughout; Thomas was outright arrogant, claiming that he will win - I know there are high schools that like to think they're better than their rivals, but I don't think they'd go that far if they're desperate to win! Seriously, now that I think about it, this episode, just like the behavior of Thomas against the diesels, is purely shocking, and it's another painful reminder to how much I hated Day of the Diesels.

Honestly, why didn't I consider this for the Thomas is an Idiot list? And why does this not get more hate? This episode (and political correctness, for that matter) can make like a Christmas tree and get outta here!

Episode Ratings:
Snow Tracks: 3 out of 10
Merry Misty Island: 5 out of 10
Surprise, Surprise: 5 out of 10
Percy the Snowman: 2.5 out of 10
Tree Trouble: 1.5 out of 10

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
17. Snow Tracks: 3
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
19. Merry Misty Island: 5
20. Henry's Magic Box: 0.5

Thomas and Friends Season 15 Scorecard
1. Gordon and Ferdinand: 2.5
2. Toby and Bash: 4
3. Emily and Dash: 3.5
6. James to the Rescue: 0.5
8. Up, Up and Away!: 0
9. Henry's Happy Coal: 5.5
10. Let it Snow: 1
11. Surprise, Surprise: 5
13. Stop That Bus!: 6
17. Wonky Whistle: -5
18. Percy the Snowman: 2.5
19. Tree Trouble: 1.5
20. Fiery Flynn: -8