THE OPINIONS, THOUGHTS AND MUSINGS IN THIS BLOG POST ARE SOLELY THOSE OF ZACK WANZER, NOT THE THOMAS FANDOM IN GENERAL
Season 13, Episode 3
Tickled Pink
Written by Allan Plenderleith
Written by Allan Plenderleith
When the music video for Roll Along first came out in 2010, we were treated to clips of season 13, and among them was... a pink James? No, this isn't a joke; it's the real deal. When the clips were confirmed to come from Tickled Pink, I had a feeling it felt like Henry Sees Red (or is it James Sees Pink in this case? :P) from the Railway Series book Henry and the Express, and guess what? I'd been right, but then, many fans were as well. So let's talk about it.
The Fat Controller sends James to the Steamworks for a new coat of paint. There, James' old coat is sanded off and a pink undercoat is applied. This is another reason the switchover to CGI was extremely beneficial; it can do things that the models can't, like showing the workmen stripping the engines' paint and applying it. But before James can have his new coat of red paint, he's called in to take over for Emily after she breaks down to take the Fat Controller's granddaughter and her friends for her birthday. James feels embarrassed to be out and about in pink paint (like being outside in nothing but your pajamas, I bet), especially since he thinks it's a silly color. Yeah, tell that to Pinkie Pie, and see what happens!
After Emily giggles at the sight of a pink James, the (once) red engine tries to hide so the other engines don't see him, but he has little luck when Toby spots him hiding under the trees after Gordon whooshes by with the express (yes, OOC for Toby, but again, minor distraction!), and when Diesel shunts trucks away exposing James. (How he didn't see James, I'll never know.) The last straw comes when James sees Gordon coming (again) and he hides in the tunnel, but this is flawed since he and Gordon are on the same track (Thomas and Percy have no reason to be here, by the way). Once again, the three engines laugh at him.
Realizing he has to pick up the pace, James decides to get on with his job even when Spencer and Henry laugh at him. When he finally reaches Maithwaite, James fears the children will laugh at him as well, but they don't; pink is their favorite color, much to his relief! He makes it to Town Hall just in time, and the children cheer for him.
Every now and then, a good season can have a few duds, a bad season can sometimes have shining gems. It's the same case with Tickled Pink for the latter, pretty much like Sand Castles in the Sand from SpongeBob's sixth season, which gave us the grotesque effects of a splinter (as well as ripping off a toenail that should've been cut), a ratings-trap that killed half of the fanbase, and gave off some of the worst cases of Squidward torture without reason.
As for Tickled Pink, it has its flaws, but the story is otherwise really good - even if it's from a really crappy season - and the best out of the Nitrogen era (I know I said Percy and the Calliope was #2 in the Top 25 Miller Era Episodes list, some opinions have changed since, and I'll review it tomorrow).
The Fat Controller sends James to the Steamworks for a new coat of paint. There, James' old coat is sanded off and a pink undercoat is applied. This is another reason the switchover to CGI was extremely beneficial; it can do things that the models can't, like showing the workmen stripping the engines' paint and applying it. But before James can have his new coat of red paint, he's called in to take over for Emily after she breaks down to take the Fat Controller's granddaughter and her friends for her birthday. James feels embarrassed to be out and about in pink paint (like being outside in nothing but your pajamas, I bet), especially since he thinks it's a silly color. Yeah, tell that to Pinkie Pie, and see what happens!
After Emily giggles at the sight of a pink James, the (once) red engine tries to hide so the other engines don't see him, but he has little luck when Toby spots him hiding under the trees after Gordon whooshes by with the express (yes, OOC for Toby, but again, minor distraction!), and when Diesel shunts trucks away exposing James. (How he didn't see James, I'll never know.) The last straw comes when James sees Gordon coming (again) and he hides in the tunnel, but this is flawed since he and Gordon are on the same track (Thomas and Percy have no reason to be here, by the way). Once again, the three engines laugh at him.
Realizing he has to pick up the pace, James decides to get on with his job even when Spencer and Henry laugh at him. When he finally reaches Maithwaite, James fears the children will laugh at him as well, but they don't; pink is their favorite color, much to his relief! He makes it to Town Hall just in time, and the children cheer for him.
Every now and then, a good season can have a few duds, a bad season can sometimes have shining gems. It's the same case with Tickled Pink for the latter, pretty much like Sand Castles in the Sand from SpongeBob's sixth season, which gave us the grotesque effects of a splinter (as well as ripping off a toenail that should've been cut), a ratings-trap that killed half of the fanbase, and gave off some of the worst cases of Squidward torture without reason.
As for Tickled Pink, it has its flaws, but the story is otherwise really good - even if it's from a really crappy season - and the best out of the Nitrogen era (I know I said Percy and the Calliope was #2 in the Top 25 Miller Era Episodes list, some opinions have changed since, and I'll review it tomorrow).
Rating: 9 out of 10
Thomas and Friends Season 13 Scorecard
3. Tickled Pink: 9
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