In the Miller/Barlow era, Toby the tram engine had gotten a lot of terrible episodes, some of his worst being Toby Feels Left Out, The Christmas Tree Express, and Toby's New Whistle. Even if he'd been butchered so terribly, he did manage to procure a gem or two, like this one, for example.
THE OPINIONS, THOUGHTS AND MUSINGS IN THIS BLOG POST ARE SOLELY THOSE OF ZACK WANZER, NOT THE THOMAS FANDOM IN GENERAL
Toby's Afternoon Off
Written by Marc Seal
The episode starts with Toby having finished all of his jobs early, and he plans to spend the afternoon at the farm (which one?) but before he can go, the Fat Controller gives him some jobs to do. Toby is upset as this as he may not have any time to see the animals. Yes, I know he's an old, wise engine and should no better than to slack off by seeing animals, but compared to Edward Strikes Out (which aired five episodes later, it doesn't bother me that much.
Even if he worries about not seeing the animals, Toby thinks that he could get his jobs done if he had help on one of them. His first job is to shunt trucks at the yard, and there, he sees Mavis. She hasn't the time to talk as she's taking trucks of coal away, much to Toby's disappointment, and he shunts alone. Next, he collects empty trucks from the depot, but Thomas can't help as he's working with Annie and Clarabel. Again, Toby is forced to take the trucks to the coaling plant himself.
Toby's last job is at Brendam docks to help Cranky unload lots of cargo. Salty also can't help as he's taking siderods on a flatbed (they should be in a van, he needs a brakevan and coach, blah blah blah, you've heard it all before). However, Cranky tells Toby that the ship has been delayed due to rough seas and won't arrive until morning, much to the tram engine's relief.
On his way to the farm, Toby meets up with Henry, who explains that Mavis (who brought Henry's special coal), Thomas (who took his passengers), and Salty (who brought in his new siderods) had all been helping him out of a jam when he broke down, much to Toby's surprise. He then offers to take Henry's coaches back to Knapford Station for him, deciding that he can go to the farm another day, because helping a friend is much more important.
That's actually a very strong moral here; helping friends is much more important than your personal needs, and it applies to It's Good to be Gordon, which coincidentally aired after this episode. Even if Toby seemed a little out of character, it is one of his better leading roles in the Miller/Barlow era. Plus, it was nice to see him showcase his strength by pulling the express coaches. On whole, I liked it.
Rating: 7.5 out of 10
Thomas & Friends Season 10 Scorecard (out of 10 possible points)
8. Toby's Afternoon Off: 7.5
9. It's Good to be Gordon: 9
13. Edward Strikes Out: 1
20. Thomas' Frosty Friend: 0
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