TUGS: Sunshine

Oh, this was a long time coming. Finally, I can get to review the episodes for Thomas' short-lived sister show, TUGS. What better place to start off than the episode which began it all?

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

Sunshine

Written by Gloria Tors

Directed by David Mitton

We begin in the 1920s, and we're introduced to the Star Fleet run by Captain Star with his six tugboats - his harbor tugs O.J. (#3), Warrior (#5), and Big Mac (#2), his railway tug Top Hat (#4), his switcher Ten Cents (#1), and his ocean-going tug Hercules (#6). I know what you're thinking; why isn't Sunshine mentioned? Well, if they had mentioned him in the prologue, it could've spoiled the ending of the episode, but more on that later.

At dawn, Captain Star tells his fleet that he's charted an Up River tug called Sunshine to help with the extra workload and assigns Ten Cents to work with him. The captain adds that the ocean liner the Duchess is coming this afternoon and puts O.J. in charge of the operation whilst Big Mac leads the Duchess and Top Hat and Warrior assist on the side push. Meanwhile, their rival fleet the Z-Stacks (that's Zed-Stacks, by the way) - Zorran, Zebedee, Zak (not me), Zug, and Zip - led by Captain Zero plan to pinch the Duchess contract from the Star Fleet.

Later, Ten Cents is looking for Sunshine until the latter runs into him - quite literally, I should note! - and Ten Cents briefly explains to Sunshine on what's going on. Meanwhile, Zorran and Zak meet up with Izzy Gomez, who tells them that the Duchess has come in early, and the Z-Stacks report this to Captain Zero. Whilst Ten Cents and Sunshine deliver fuel for Sally Seaplane at Lucky's Yard, Ten Cents spots Zorran talking to Zip and Zug; they're plotting to get Big Mac stuck on a mudbank so they can steal the contract for themselves!

Warrior meets up with Izzy Gomez, and surprised by the tramper's news, he tells the other Star Tugs about it. Meanwhile, Zip and Zug succeed in tricking Big Mac, meaning the rest of the Star Fleet, with Sunshine's help, have to carry out in docking the Duchess without him. It's all going well, but Zorran goes for Plan B - get rid of Sunshine. So he rams against Sunshine's stern and he hits the Duchess' rudder, so Zorran can "help" the Star Fleet. Sunshine feels as though the accident was his fault, and Captain Zero is pleased with his fleet. Little did anyone notice that Izzy had seen everything...

The Star Fleet are cross with Sunshine for apparently ruining their chances with the Duchess' contract, but Ten Cents refuses to give up on him and goes out looking for him, but has a bit of difficulty with fog and Sunshine keeps evading him. Ten Cents does come across Lillie Lightship and Hercules, and later, Izzy Gomez, who reveals that Zorran was the one who pushed Sunshine into the Duchess' rudder.

Ten Cents returns to the Star Dock and tells the others that it was Zorran who caused Sunshine to run into the Duchess' rudder, and O.J. tells Big Mac, Top Hat, and Warrior to follow Ten Cents while the old paddle-steamer tells Captain Starr. They find Sunshine on a mudbank and apologize for accusing him for causing the accident. Oh, and Warrior remembers Izzy and goes off to give him a tow, which is pretty funny, by the way. Captain Zero is furious with his fleet now that they don't have the contract, but Captain Star forgives and welcomes Sunshine into the Star Fleet, and he becomes Star Tug #7.

A good first impression is very important for a new television series; if it does badly, then the show won't go very far. If it does very well, then the show might. For TUGS, Sunshine is accessible for anyone; it was fresh, unique, and it provided an introduction to what the show is about - two rival tugboat fleets competing for important contracts. Every story is unique in its own way, and Sunshine set up what the series would be like.

As for the rating, I'd say it's a very good 9/10 for me. The moral on jumping to conclusions was nicely handled for the eighteen and a half minutes of episode we got, although I don't really understand why they cut down five minutes worth of episode - if you cut out some of the important scenes, like Big Mac stuck on the mudbank, it's going to have plotholes and lead to some confusion! This won't affect my thoughts on any episodes are twenty minutes long, I just wanted to point that out.

Overall though, it's a great start to a very understated series.

Rating: 9 out of 10

TUGS Episode Scorecard

Sunshine: 9

Wallace and Gromit: The Wrong Trousers

To anyone reading this from the United Kingdom, happy Wrong Trousers Day! What better way to celebrate with the short film that began it the holiday - The Wrong Trousers?

In the film, Gromit obtains a pair of Techno Trousers for his birthday from Wallace, and later on, a penguin called Feathers McGraw shows up at 62 West Wallaby Street, leaving Gromit feeling ignored. However, he soon learns that Feathers is using Wallace to steal a precious diamond from the museum, and once back home, the pair (and the trousers) stop Feathers from getting away with his crime.

I wonder - how does a 30 minute claymation film engage me more than a 44 minute episode about rushed character redemption or a 60 minute episode with talking trains with racist implications? Simple; the writers for the film - Nick Park and Bob Baker - actually knew what they were doing, and told a solid story with visuals.

Speaking of which, one of the film's subplots is that Wallace and Gromit are in debt when Wallace receives bills in the mail, but he doesn't have the money due to spending it on Gromit's birthday presents. In connection, Feathers McGraw is wanted for a thousand quid as reward money, and since Wallace and Gromit caught Feathers, the pair are given the reward money and use it to pay their bills.

There's lots of moments where the visuals and the music (composed by Julian Nott) come together as one. For example, when Gromit spies on Feathers McGraw from a box, no dialogue is required to set the scene - just let the visuals do the talking! It makes it feel like a movie.

The suspense and emotions are done fantastically as well; you feel sorrow for Gromit when he thinks Wallace prefers Feathers to him, especially when it rains while he leaves. Then after he leaves, Feathers pulls out a drill in front of the Techno Trousers, and it fades to black, briefly leaving us to wonder what he's going to do, and then the following morning, it's become clear to us (and Gromit) that he's modified the Trousers to take control of Wallace, against his will, and use him as a tool to steal the diamond.

I can't review The Wrong Trousers without mentioning the iconic train chase now, can I? The way it was shot is absolutely amazing, especially since it was produced in the 1990s! It was filmed with go motion, using motion blur in each frame (this was also used for A Close Shave and Curse of the Were-Rabbit). The chase is unrealistic, granted, but do I care? No; it's meant to be silly! Besides, isn't Wallace and Gromit meant to be a comedy series?

Considering he's the only voice actor for the film, as well as in A Grand Day Out, Peter Sallis put forth his best effort as Wallace. It's a shame he's no longer voicing our favorite Yorkshire cheese-loving inventor, but then, Peter's well into his 90s and deserves a break. I just hope that this doesn't mean the end for Wallace and Gromit.

Final Thoughts

I absolutely love this film. The action is silly yet exciting, and the script shows that dialogue isn't always needed to tell the story. It might be 30 minutes long, but it feels like a movie. The Wrong Trousers is a movie I'd love to watch again and again. A pity I can't say the same for The Cutie Re-Mark or Day of the Diesels...

Rating: 10 out of 10

Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989 Film)

So sorry I put this off; I've had other things to deal with and I'd forgotten to review this on the 22nd. But now, here I go with Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure!

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

Excellent Adventure features our protagonists, the dim-witted, high school slackers Bill S. Preston, Esquire and Ted "Theodore" Logan of Wyld Stallyns (a misspelling of Wild Stallions, in case you're wondering), and their journey to pass their history course with an A+ so planet Earth can have a bright future, and their ally in helping them is Rufus from San Dimas, California in 2688.

Bill and Ted use the phone-booth time machine to collect several historical figures - Billy the Kid, Socrates (nicknamed So-crates), Sigmund Freud, Ludwig van Beethoven, Joan of Arc, Genghis Kahn, and Abraham Lincoln - for their oral report. They also accidentally bring in Napoleon (the short, dead dude) who's looked after by Ted's brother Deacon, and after finding Napoleon and saving their historical figures from prison for causing trouble at the mall, their report is a big success and they pass, securing their future (and Ted doesn't have to go to Oates Military School in Alaska).

Time travel stories interest me; what would it be like if we could travel to our favorite period of history? I've seen the Back to the Future trilogy (which I'll get to in a later review), and I've heard of Doctor Who, although it's a time travel series. Bill and Ted's story is about making sure their future has a positive outcome on the world, as well as the universe.

Speaking of which, Bill and Ted was originally going to use a car for the time machine, but it was switched to become a phone-booth due to similarities to the DeLorean in Back to the Future, and yet the phone-booth looks a bit like the TARDIS! Ah well. C'est la vie.

There's lots of funny dialogue in the film. Some of my personal favorites are when Bill and Ted cry out "Excellent!" out of excitement, and when they tell their past selves, "69, dudes!" (Don't ask me why I find it funny; look it up. How'd they get that past the radar?!) And yes, it's funny when they mispronounce "Socrates" as "So-crates" - it's pronounced "Sōkrátēs", in case you're wondering. Oh, and yes; if my best friend was hitting on my stepmother who was three years our senior, I'd be as mad as Bill too.

There's also physical humor throughout; when Freud holds a corndog or a cigar, it looks phallic, probably why the girls (that turn out to be the princesses from England) thought he was such a geek. And when Napoleon gets a gutter ball, he drops the S-bomb (as in, swearing) several times over in French.

In addition, in the Middle Ages, there's a reference to Star Wars with Darth Ted and Luke Bill, and the heavy metal pun. And there's hypocritical humor in the wild west when Bill tells Ted to have a poker face, and not ten seconds after, Bill realizes he's got three aces. No wonder Keanu Reeves became stone-faced in later movie roles...

If the third act confuses you, allow me to explain;

Early on in the film, Ted's father's keys go missing, and he's cross with his son because of it - the fact Ted's failing history doesn't help his father's patience at all. Then we must consider this scene:

Bill: If only we could go back in time to when he had [his keys] and steal 'em then.

Ted: Well, why can't we?

Bill: Cause we don't got time.

Ted: We could do it after the report.

Bill: Ted! Good thinkin', dude! After the report, we'll time travel back to two days ago, steal your dad's keys and leave them here!

Ted: Where?

Bill: I don't know. How about behind that sign? That way, when we get here now, they'll be waiting for us. *he bends over and picks up the keys* See?

Ted: Whoa! Yeah! So, after the report, we can't forget to do this, otherwise it won't happen. But it DID happen! Hey, it was me who stole my dad's keys!

Bill: That's exactly it, Ted! Come on!

Then they sneak inside the police station, and remember to get a tape recorder from Ted's bedroom to distract his father at 2:13 PM. Afterwards, they send a message to themselves, drop a trashcan on top of Ted's father in the jail cell, and do their report successfully. Afterwards, they return their historical figures home, steal Ted's father's keys, and the cycle is complete.

Similarly, earlier on in the film, when Bill and Ted first met Rufus, another phone-booth appeared with the pair several hours older, and a conversation ensures between them. Later on, we see Bill and Ted telling their past selves (or at least, Past Ted) to wind their watch. We also see the conversation Rufus had with the current Bill and Ted from earlier that we didn't see.

One thing I find odd is how on earth they struggled to fit NINE people in the phonebooth, and yet near the end, TEN people (including Napoleon) fit inside without trouble. There are moments where things show up from nowhere, like Bill and Ted knowing about Rufus' name, but... meh.

Overall, it's a pretty fantastic film, and it's another personal favorite of mine. It's a product of the 1980s, and Bill and Ted was from an era where movies and music were still at their finest. Oh, and rest in peace, George Carlin - it's been seven years since your death, and you're still dearly missed by all who knew you...

Rating: 9 out of 10

Henry's Worst Moments

Well, the episodes of Whale of a Tale have been released, and they're quite good... except for one episode featuring a certain green engine with the number three. I'm just so angry at that episode that I have to review his worst moments in the Barlow Era, and explain why his new persona should've stayed in that era.

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

Of the Steam Team, Henry has consistently been given the short end of the stick in terms of character derailment. Edward had suffered in Edward Strikes Out, as did Thomas in one episode too many, whilst others like Gordon and James suffered from flanderization. Toby has suffered similarly to Henry, but I get to those soon enough. Percy and Emily are a topic for another day. But now, I'm starting with the episode which, I believe, was the start of Henry's downward spiral. In 2005.

Season 9, Episode 16

Henry and the Flagpole

Written by Paul Larson

A banquet is being prepared at the Scottish Castle. Henry likes going there as he can pass his favorite tree - the tallest pine tree in the forest. Surely there are trees taller than that? Or is it the tallest he can see? The Fat Controller sends Henry to pick up a new flagpole for the castle at Brendam docks, but Henry can't find the flagpole. However, he bumps into a flatbed, the flagpole rolls off, and Salty runs over it. Really, Henry? You couldn't see that it was on the flatbed before you bumped into it? And why were Henry and Salty not scolded for causing this mess?

Soon, Henry meets up with Toby, and apparently, the tram engine doesn't know that the tallest pine tree Henry can see could be used for the flagpole. Wow, both Henry AND Toby are idiots in this episode; a double whammy! The next day, Henry is to take workmen to the forest, but instead, he goes all around the island to look for a new flagpole. He sees flags being held by children, a flagpole holding up a windsock, and a flagpole near the beach. Yep, it's a three striker, very much like the three tall things Henry saw before he (and Salty) destroyed that flagpole. Annoyed with Henry's incompetence, the Fat Controller sends Henry to collect coal while Edward takes workmen to the forest.

The next day, Thomas (shoehorned like he usually is) meets with Henry and tells him that the thing you want is somewhere you wouldn't think to look. This part of the episode is boring and pointless. So, Henry looks everywhere, and even meets with Trevor, who will very much disappear into the background for future episodes. At Brendam docks, holidaymakers take pictures of an old ship with a very tall mast, giving Henry the idea to use it as a flagpole. At the forest, it turns out the tall pine tree isn't going to be cut down; the workmen need firewood for the bonfire. The banquet is successful.

Honestly, Henry wasn't the right choice of main character for this episode; if they gave it to Donald and Douglas - considering a deleted scene in Edward the Great - it would've been fine. But no. They had to give it to Henry instead as he needed an episode. Of course, he does try to save the tall pine tree from being cut down, and it's a similar case to the next episode below...

Season 12, Episode 5

Henry Gets it Wrong

Written by Abi Grant

Yeah, this episode is pretty much a blatant rip-off to Henry and the Flagpole above, and it feels like they wanted to fix the season nine episode, like how Pet Sitter Pat tried to "fix" A Pal for Gary, but it made things worse.

So it's said the wishing tree is the oldest tree on Sodor... yeah, sure. As if there aren't any other trees that are older than the wishing tree, which doesn't grant wishes, for the record. One day, after a summer storm, the wishing tree has been struck by lightning, and Henry is to take some special woodsmen from Brendam docks to the wishing tree. Henry takes the track passing the wishing tree and Edward tells him that special woodsmen sometimes have to cut trees down - surely Henry knew this by now, especially in Henry's Forest, which said you can't mend trees that have been felled? Remember this.

Later, Henry comes across Toby (with a snapped piston rod) and some oil tankers, and so he offers to take them for Toby. Why? Not to deliver them, but to block the tracks to the forest. Why would he do that when engines could simply shunt them away? Couldn't he have bumped them so hard they'd derail? Yeah, it'd be stupid still, but at least it would make some level of sense. He also takes Thomas' quarry trucks, Percy's milk trucks, and Emily's coal trucks, and blocks every track. Each segment was as long as one another, and it's tedious to watch and listen to after a while. Also, why did no one object to giving their trucks to Henry?

Soon, Henry has every track blocked, but he's taken so long that Salty has to take the special woodsmen instead. However, every track is blocked because of trucks in the way on the rails and not derailed. Did Henry think any of this through?! A CGI'd Harold tells Henry that the woodsmen can't get through to the wishing tree, surely they would've walked? I mean, it's not going to kill anyone to walk the remaining distance! So Henry clears all tracks and brings the trucks to their proper destinations and the woodsmen are able to save the wishing tree.

...except you can't, because if a tree has been felled or partially felled, then you can't save it. You have to cut it down instead. That's where Henry's Forest got it right and this episode got it wrong. Henry Gets it Wrong is a terrible rip off to Henry and the Flagpole, and the CGI doesn't save it from being bad. By the way, Henry's faces are creepy to look at. However, it gets worse for him...

Season 13, Episode 18

Henry's Good Deeds

Written by Alan Hescott

Let's start with the title; it's absolutely misleading. In no way was Henry doing good deeds for anybody. Even with the title fixed, it's still incredibly stupid. In fact, I'm surprised the episode doesn't make a lot of people's "worst of" lists. Still, let's talk about Henry's Good Deeds.

A new bird has been discovered on Sodor, creatively named the Sodor warbler. The Fat Controller sends for Henry to deliver a nesting pole to Bluff's Cove (which is on Thomas' branchline) and apparently Percy doesn't know what a nesting pole is. Yep, let's make him an idiot for the brief moment he's here, which was utterly pointless. Soon, Henry picks up the nesting pole and a coach and then he sees Thomas stopped on the mainline; he's letting Farmer McColl cross with his sheep. By the way, letting animals cross isn't a good deed - it's instinct we should take seriously as they are frightened of us as we are frightened of them. If we stop before animals, we're being sensitive to their surroundings and are saving their lives.

Influenced by Thomas'... *sigh* "good deed"... Henry sees Farmer Trotter's pigs at the side of the tracks, and then the muddy field on the other side, and then gets a not so brilliant idea by staying where he is so the pigs could cross without fear. By coincidence, they do, but Farmer Trotter isn't pleased as he was taking them to the county fair. But Henry gets another stupid idea by reversing, scaring the pigs and knocking over crates of apples. Fat lot of good that did, you big green dumbarse.

Thomas shows up again... somehow... but can't get across to the fenland fields, so Henry offers to take the visitors instead, and why was he going the opposite direction Thomas was going? Oh yeah, he has a nesting pole to take. I understand. Also, how did they all fit in one coach when it was said Annie and Clarabel - two coaches - were full? And why only five? Anyway, Henry, feeling pleased, blows his whistle which scares the Sodor warbler - yeah, that was a really good deed, idiot! Can you do anything other than screwing up your jobs?! Well, he's left the visitors behind. Big green git.

Lamenting his failed attempts at good deeds, Henry carries on to Bluff's Cove, and at the junction, the Sodor warbler lands on his buffer. By the way, why did it not fly away when Henry set off? It was scared by his whistle earlier in the day! At Bluff's Cove, everyone praises Henry for bringing the Sodor warbler to him. Really? Bringing birdwatchers a bird is a good deed? Wow, this episode really is stupider than I thought... Seriously, give the episode a new title, maybe something like Henry and the Bird, and it might've made some resemblance of sense, but no...

Two more episodes, and I want to give Henry a piece of my mind...

Season 14, Episode 20

Henry's Magic Box

Written by Sharon Miller

This episode was requested by Omeed Mirhakkak. I was going to save this (and the next episode) for December, but I feel I have to review this as soon as I had the chance, cause Henry's Magic Box is one of many disasterpieces in the Nitrogen era. There are so many reviews as to why this episode sucks that I don't think I have much to say here.

Three-strikes being utilized? Check.

Henry being an idiot? Check.

Pointless roles from characters without affect on the story? Check.

Pointless filler for most of the nine minutes where Henry worries and later on tells the rest of the Steam Team to come to Farmer McColl's by tea time? Check.

Yep, it's a typical Nitrogen episode, but what makes it worse? It had aired when Hit was still using the term Winter Holiday to be more politically correct, and we all know how that turned out... The plot of Henry worrying over a box - an inanimate object with no anthropomorphic features at all - is simply... well, it's stupid! That is like worrying over your television set at home while you're at work! When I leave for school, I never worry that any of my stuff will come to harm, maybe except for the chance that I may have left something behind, but I digress.

Another issue with the episode is that it feels like A Pal for Gary. How? Well, there's no scary creature that could give kids nightmares, granted, but Henry should not worry over a box, just like how SpongeBob shouldn't be worrying about Gary's safety while he's at the Krusty Krab! Maybe in season one, but that's another issue. And also, how did those trees fit in a single box? Are they secretly placing trees to mess with Henry?

I bet you'll want me to bring this up, and so I shall, the ending scene which has got to be one of the most infuriating endings in the entire series:

Narrator: The Fat Controller stepped through the trees. He looked just like Father Christmas.

The Fat Controller: Ho! Ho! Ho! Happy Winter Holidays to all my really useful engines!

Parent activists, is THIS the kind of tripe you want children to watch?! Trying to cover up Christmas despite that it's clearly visible on screen regardless if they're Christians or not?! And you can't use both terms Christmas and Winter Holiday at the same time, it just leads to confusion! Okay, they fixed it in season 17, but still! The Rev. W. Awdry was Anglican, and to get rid of the Anglican themes on Sodor is like getting rid of the underwater setting of SpongeBob - it does not work!

Henry's Magic Box has got to be the worst episode on the list, but I'm only reviewing the episodes based on airdate order. If I ranked them based on how much I hated them, this would be #1.

Season 16, Episode 5

Ho Ho Snowman

Written by Sharon Miller

Oh joy, we have an episode with Henry thinks a snowman can talk. We're going to have a fun time here(!)

Thomas and Charlie are shunting trucks... near Gordon's hill? Never start an episode with shunting on the mainline; that can cause trouble? Oh, and did anyone notice the story actually began ten seconds in? Usually, episodes start within twenty seconds, and to start an episode in half the time blows my mind, but it goes downhill (no pun intended) very quickly from there. And again, Thomas DOES NOT like snow; he hates it! And wearing his snowplough, but that's another matter. Oh, and stupid Charlie joke with an obvious punchline. Henry puffs by feeling miserable (then again, when isn't he miserable?) and tells Charlie he doesn't like snow, and is it me, or did he indirectly reference The Flying Kipper about toppling off the tracks in snowy weather?

So Charlie decides to cheer Henry up by convincing him that snow is fun, and so he hides behind a snowman and some trucks filled with snow, because... snow. Henry is startled when someone talks to him, and is surprised when the snowman tells him a stupid joke (really, it's Charlie), and Henry races off. Surely he could've seen it was Charlie?! Is Henry blind? Oh wait, but if he was, he wouldn't have been able to see the snowman. Charlie pretends to be the snowman twice more, and again, Henry is scared by the talking snowman and Charlie chases after him with the points set against him. Yep, a rare blip by Nitrogen.

Henry is at Tidmouth sheds, and Charlie puffs in to admit that he was the snowman, and apologizes for his joke failing on him. Emily and Edward then tell him (rightly so) the negatives of snow, and Charlie offers to help Henry, who accepts. Nice touch with the driver opening the shed doors, by the way. Also, why isn't Thomas fitted with a snowplough? Henry and Charlie make coal deliveries to Brendam docks safely and on time, and then they pass a tree with bright colored lights... It's obviously a CHRISTMAS tree! I know it had nothing to do with anything, but you can't get little details wrong, even if they don't affect the story! Then they return to the snowman and insert obvious joke to end the episode.

So, am I angry with Charlie in the episode? The answer is no; this is basically the young kid or someone who's a kid at heart trying to cheer up someone who's an old grump (Henry clearly wasn't) and get them to see the bright side. I believe Charlie's intentions, but the bad writing just ruined it. No, I'm more angry with Henry for being stupid for thinking a snowman could talk. I can say the same thing for Thomas and Edward for bowing to peer pressure so easily in Play Time and Charlie and Eddie as well, but I get to those soon enough. Ho Ho Snowman, on whole, was pretty ho ho horrible.

Final Thoughts

All five episodes demonstrate what happens when you focus on one aspect of a character's personality; with Henry, they focused on the fact that he was a poorly steamer before his crash, and they took the worrisome part of his persona and made it worse, just like how Patrick Star's stupidity became more obvious and unfunny in later seasons. For a story to be successful, you need to have the leading character well written, understood, and likable. None of those criteria were met with Henry in those episodes, and what made it worse was that it carried over onto the Thomas Renaissance, in Flatbeds of Fear, The Adventure Begins, and especially in Henry Spots Trouble (I'll review that episode when it airs in the UK).

Everything about Henry's portrayal makes me angry, and it feels as if the writers hate the poor guy! (Awdry might've as well, but that's another matter.) Why can't they take a page from Christopher's book (pun intended) and revert Henry to his grumpy old man persona? That's a far more relatable character that people can relate to in their lives! But instead, they kept treating Henry like a wuss, and this portrayal has made him one of my most disliked characters on the show.

Now, I don't hate Henry - he is a good character as long as he's in the correct writing hand - but I can't fully appreciate his TV series appearances if the writers don't give him the respect he deserves. If they can give Edward the dignity he deserves, why not Henry? If they aren't going to give him a starring role, they should at least try to get his character right! If you like Henry, stick to the books as well as the first five seasons. But now, Henry's charm has practically died, and Andrew Brenner is going to have a lot of work to do in order to revive it.

Episode Ratings:

Henry and the Flagpole: 2.5 out of 10

Henry Gets it Wrong: 1 out of 10

Henry's Good Deeds: 1 out of 10

Henry's Magic Box: 0.5 out of 10

Ho Ho Snowman: 1 out of 10

Thomas and Friends Season 9 Scorecard

2. Thomas and the Rainbow: 1.5

7. Respect for Gordon: 8

10. Rheneas and the Dinosaur: 1

16. Henry and the Flagpole: 2.5

22. Skarloey the Brave: 1

24. Thomas and the Golden Eagle: 1

Thomas and Friends Season 12 Scorecard

5. Henry Gets it Wrong: 1

9. The Party Surprise: 3

10. Saved You!: 3.5

13. Tram Trouble: 5

14. Don't Go Back: 1

16. The Man in the Hills: 1.5

19. Push Me, Pull You: 0.5

20. Best Friends: 10

Thomas and Friends Season 13 Scorecard

2. The Lion of Sodor: 1.5

3. Tickled Pink: 9

5. Slippy Sodor: 1.5

9. Time for a Story: 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

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

Thomas and Friends Season 16 Scorecard

2. Ol' Wheezy Wobbles: 1.5

5. Ho Ho Snowman: 1

8. Thomas Toots the Crows: 1

10. Percy and the Calliope: 8.5

11. Thomas and the Sounds of Sodor: 1.5

13. Sodor Surprise Day: -10

18. Don't Bother Victor!: 2

20. The Christmas Tree Express: 0.5

TTTE S14E11 - Being Percy

Wow, it's been a while, hasn't it? It's time I got back to reviewing episodes of Thomas and Friends, and this time, it's a season 14 episode. Why? Well, I haven't been the most positive towards season 14 as of late, but I'm going to rectify that.

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

Season 14, Episode 11

Being Percy

Written by Rachel Dawson

Yeah, I've really been tearing season 14 a new one, haven't I? There's the likes of Thomas and Scruff, Henry's Magic Box (which I'll get to in a later review), and Victor Says Yes (again, I will get to it soon), but then there's a couple of gems in that season, like Being Percy, for example.

Usually, I don't mention this in my reviews, but most episodes of the Nitrogen era do contain stock footage at the start, which very much adds to low production values. However, there was an unused shot from Tickled Pink, evident as James is shown in pink rather than red for some reason. With that aside, the episode really begins at Brendam Docks. Percy is about to collect his mail trucks, but Thomas and James - who have no reason to be here - are in his way. Then Gordon blows his whistle and Salty gets out of his way, giving Percy an idea.

When Gordon leaves, Percy demands for Thomas and James to get out of his way, which they do. Out on the mainline, Toby is in Percy's way, and he stops when Percy demands for him to get out of his way. Then Gordon passes by, even though he'd already passed Percy minutes ago. At the next junction, Percy gets off of Toby's line and goes as fast as he can. Unfortunately, he forgets to pick up his mail at Maithwaite.

Percy meets up with Alicia Botti at Maron, and she's waiting for Gordon to take him to Knapford, but Percy offers to pick her up instead (Thomas, Percy and the Squeak, much?). Unfortunately, he goes right past Knapford instead and continues speeding along the mainline. However, there's trouble in front - Gordon is on the same line as Percy! Luckily, Gordon is switched onto a siding, but unluckily, he hits the buffers and comes off of the rails. Feeling bad for the accident, Percy decides to just be himself and delivers Alicia Botti to Knapford.

Later, he meets with James and Rocky, who help him get Gordon back on the rails (why Percy couldn't take Rocky himself, I don't know). Then Percy finishes his mail run, and at Knapford, the Fat Controller tells him that he just wants him to be Percy.

Out of the season 14 episodes I've reviewed so far, this is one of the better episodes. It's got a moral that anyone can relate to - just be yourself, even though it has happened in other episodes... but I digress. There's the typical rhyming and repetition, of course, but otherwise, it's got a nice story, and that's what I like in a good episode. Coming from Rachel Dawson, sometimes one is all you need to make a good impression, just like Anna Starkey with Best Friends.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Thomas and Friends Season 14 Scorecard

1. Thomas' Tall Friend: 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