Which Classic Road Characters are Likely to Return?

Last month, I shared my thoughts on which classic rail characters should return; this time, we're going on the roads to see who else should come back! This list was a bit harder to make than last time, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on who you think are likely to make a comeback.

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

Least Likely: Bulstrode

Like Smudger, Bulstrode was only intended to appear in one story. Unlike Smudger, however, Bulstrode was actually a major player in the only story he appeared in. I'm hardly surprised he ranked last considering his attitude - who would want to see him return?

8. Thumper

Only appeared in one episode, had no speaking lines (or personality, for that matter), and has a very unusual design. Davey Moore called Rusty and the Boulder a personal favorite and told us to look out for Boulder. And with rabbits making small appearances (you'll understand if you've seen Bambi), I'm not really sure whether to believe him or not.

7. Mrs. Kyndley

She's the only human character in the classic series who hasn't been rendered in CGI (Jem Cole has been made in CGI, by the way), and she proved a great help in Mrs. Kyndley's Christmas even when sick in bed.

Why didn't she rank higher? As much as I would love to see more human interactions, I think storytelling with her would be a bit on the limited side, even if they recreate the aforementioned story in CGI.

6. Caroline

After her brief stint in season four, she's made an appearance in Lady Hatt's Birthday Party in season five, and after that... nothing. I feel the roads could use more female presence, and should Caroline return, maybe she's the crotchety old lady griping about the young vehicles?

5. Bulgy

Huh, I should take a look at Bulgy Rides Again in the near future. He was rude and bad-tempered at first, but later on changed his ways. Apparently before that, he was friends with Diesel. What if they made Bulgy more of a neutral character - sometimes, he wishes to take over the railways, but at times, he's willing to help despite his prejudice?

4. George

And speaking of anti-railway characters...!

We already got a few characters who are anti-steam, and that gets old - why not someone who's anti-rail if they don't go for Bulgy reverting to his original persona? George proved to be a right bully to those surrounding him, but why not have him show a good streak for once? Plus, he'd be a great contrast to a certain Pack member, but more on this later.

3. Elizabeth

Like Duncan did for the Skarloey engines in season 18, Elizabeth would do for the roads - a right grump amongst your cheery peers. However, Elizabeth is also strict and won't tolerate rudeness or nonsense, but she's also willing to help younger vehicles out of a jam.

2. The Remaining Pack Members

With Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure bringing out the return of Alfie, Oliver (not the tank engine), Max and Monty, why not make the group feel more complete, especially as Miss Jenny hasn't appeared in the CGI series yet (she appeared in Percy and the Bandstand, but it doesn't count as it's technically a model episode)? I'm also listing here which members are most likely to reappear:

1. Buster - If they render George into CGI, then they could clone it and recolor it to make Buster, and a story with both steamrollers would be pure brilliance, I imagine.
2. Kelly - More or less, he's the road equivalent to Edward, only he's a bit of a worrier for the younger vehicles' safety. Since he's the oldest Pack vehicle, I imagine he has fond memories of Miss Jenny's father.
3. Ned - He's the Thomas equivalent to Warrior from TUGS - clumsy, yet lovable. He even proved helpful when Oliver couldn't knock down the building. And yes, I think it might be interesting to see him interact with Marion.
4. Byron - He hasn't done much in the spin-off, and it would've been nice to see how Bossy Byron would've gone.
5. Patrick - It was a great shame he only appeared in one episode, and the other scripts he was meant to star in were never adapted either.
6. Isobella - She's essentially an Elizabeth clone with different paint, and with a hint of James in her persona, but her one starring role does show she's willing to help her friends, even if it means getting dirty. Add more to her personality, and that would be great.
7. Nigel - He was confirmed to appear, but never did. He only exists as concept art, which is a bit of a shame but at least it's something. Since he's a blank slate, I bet the writers could have fun with him!
8. Nelson - He didn't really do much in his starring role; he helped Thomas out and was rewarded with Percy carrying him home, bringing him back to square one. With more addition to his personality, that'd be brilliant.

Most Likely: Terence

Yeah, a pretty obvious choice, isn't it? Terence is the only series one character (not including Mrs. Kyndley) who has not appeared in CGI. If they do adapt his story (and Bertie's) for a possible sequel, Terence is likely to make more appearances, especially considering the farms of Sodor. Plus, with his caterpillar tracks, he's very adaptable and can help out in a jam, as Thomas and Bertie both found out.