TUGS: Pirate

I'm sorry, I kept holding it back due to a bout of writer's block. So, without further delay, we're back in Bigg City Port... and there's a Pirate on the loose...!

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

Pirate

Story by David Mitton; written by Tarquin Cardona

Directed by David Mitton

Captain Star assigns Ten Cents to bring some engineering parts to Scuttlebutt Pete the dredger, but in the night, a mysterious tugboat steals the Star switcher's barge. The following morning, Zip and Zug accuse Ten Cents of stealing it, and Captain Star assigns him dredger detail as punishment, much to Ten Cents' dismay. Further taunting from Zak and Zebedee doesn't help matters, nor does having to do work for the Z-Stacks. You can't help but feel sorry for Ten Cents here - he thinks he's done his job and we believe him, but Captain Star doesn't. No, it doesn't make him unlikable; he's just doing his job as fleet leader, something I wish a certain group of Celestia-haters would take notice of?!

Anyway, that night, Grampus the midget submarine, who's unable to sleep due to the music, encounters a mysterious tug and is shocked to find him stealing Ten Cents' oil barge, and later on, the tug steals even more barges. The situation is so serious that the Star Tugs and Z-Stacks have to work together to catch the pirate in the act. This is awfully similar to Calling All Engines, isn't it - where two opposing sides have to work together in a crisis? And yes, I know the difference - in Calling All Engines, the steam engines and the diesel engines refuse to work together from the start, but they do so in the end to finish the airport and help clean up Sodor for the summer rush. In Pirate, the two rival fleets work together as the pirate could try to ruin their respective reputations.

Okay, back to the episode at hand. Some barges are loaded with flares to catch the thief red-handed - or, in this case, red... bumpered? (Is that even a word?) - and bring him to the authorities. Meanwhile, Grampus has found the thief, and discovers that he's under the command of two green-eyed tugboats holding his uncle hostage. Classic movie trope, innit - doing bad things against your will to save a relative's/friend's/lover's/etc. life. Although, this is the only appearance of all four characters, and they're never mentioned again, which is a bit of a shame, as we'll never know what became of the "pirate" (Sea Rogue) afterward. One minor quip here - what's the story behind his eyepatch? It's just... there.

Top Hat's been partnered with Warrior, much to his dismay, whilst Ten Cents works with Sunshine. I like the latter's role in this scene - he's been a similar situation (the previous episode, Sunshine) where he was innocent for something he was blamed for, caused by Zorran, and Sunshine sympathizes with Ten Cents' plight. Grampus emerges, and reveals that Sea Rogue has been forced to steal the barges, much to the switchers' surprise, and they set out to find him, but Zip and Zug think they're stealing more barges. Elsewhere, the green-eyed tugs make a plan to escape Bigg City, and cover up lightships and lighthouses to avoid detection, as well as covering bell buoys. Sea Rogue is confronted by Ten Cents and Sunshine, and explains everything to them, before they hide to avoid being spotted by Zip and Zug.

The Zero switchers find the missing barges, but are caught by the green-eyed tugs and they run off in fear. Grampus rescues Sea Rogue's uncle whilst Ten Cents, Sunshine and Sea Rogue charge at the green-eyed tugs, putting their lights out. Warrior, meanwhile, accidentally hits a flare barge. In the morning, he and Top Hat tow the villains away and Sea Rogue and his uncle head for home. Ten Cents' name is cleared, and Zug accidentally sets off another barge, causing him and Zip to run off again, much to the Star switchers' amusement. Considering they were mocking Ten Cents earlier, I'd say that (as well as the villains' scaring them off) is well-deserved.

It's amazing how they made twenty minutes feel like a movie; Pirate has the right mix of drama, comedy, and action - but then, every TUGS episode could fall under that category - and a brilliant moral on helping others and jumping to conclusions.

Rating: 10 out of 10

TUGS Episode Scorecard

1. Sunshine: 9
2. Pirate: 10
5. Quarantine: 9.5
12. Regatta: 9.5