Friday, December 25, 2015

Railfan Brony Advent Calendar Day #25: Diesel's Ghostly Christmas

Ho ho ho! Happy Christmas to everyone out there! If you don't celebrate said holiday, well, have a nice day... unless you're a Scrooge like Diesel, well... suit yourself!

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

Season 19, Episode X
Diesel's Ghostly Christmas
Written by Becky Overton
Yeah, I've no idea as to why this episode was held off until next year (I'm guessing) when A Cranky Christmas, The Beast of Sodor, and Snow Place Like Home get to air within the next two weeks. Viacom, there is no excuse for this level of incompetence! (I'll bet they got coal in their stockings this year :P)

Anyway, with that aside, let's get to the episode; it's an adaptation of Charles Dickens' famous story A Christmas Carol. It's been adapted so many times that even The Muppets did their own version in 1992 with Michael Caine. So how did Thomas handle his remake?

The Earl is holding a Christmas lunch at Ulfstead Castle; Thomas is to take some carolers to their rehearsal, and then he has to take trucks up to the castle. The Fat Controller has twisted his ankle so he can't take his car to Brendam docks (I guess he's the Tiny Tim of the story, or in his case, Giant Tim). Thomas would love to help, but he's got too much work to do, so he asks Diesel if he'll help the Fat Controller. Diesel refuses to help, saying he's busy, so Thomas asks Emily to help.

At the docks, Cranky is having trouble with a Christmas tree as the wind is blowing hard, and Salty is unable to shunt a flatbed because his fuel line is frozen (no references, please!) Once again, Diesel refuses to help, and the tree falls on top of Salty. I quite laughed at his look of defeat as the tree lands on him. Eventually, the tree is loaded onto a flatbed so Paxton can take it to Ulfstead Castle. Diesel still refuses to help, which makes Thomas upset.

The huge tree gives Paxton trouble out on the mainline, and it tips over, causing him to derail. Thomas is cross with Diesel's selfishness and decides to teach him a lesson about being helpful. Later that evening, when Diesel returns to the Dieselworks, he finds it mysteriously quiet, and inside, he sees the ghost of Marley (spoilers, it's Emily) who warns him that he'll be visited by three ghosts before Christmas, and he heads off to the docks, under the "ghost's" command. Oh, and on a sidenote, even on first viewing, I noticed that Diesel often slips into having Henry's voice, since they're both voiced by Kerry Shale (at least in the US dub; he also voices Diesel in the UK dub), and it's a bit distracting at times.

At the docks, Diesel encounters the Ghost of Christmas Past (Salty) who tells him about the times he'd been unhelpful - a CGI recreation of Diesel Does It Again, No More Mr. Nice Engine, and this episode. Diesel freaks out and runs away. At this point, I should point out this is a double-length episode - the very first in the show. And yes, both parts are one episode.

Part two begins with Diesel believing that he was simply hearing things, but then he hears who he thinks is the Ghost of Christmas Present (Paxton). And we got this fourth-wall break:

"Then I must be good at pretending."

Paxton, you are a genius!

Anyway, he tells Diesel to think about the joy of Christmas and about how happy people will be. Once again, Diesel runs away screaming, and he comes off where Paxton derailed - so karma comes back to bite him in the engine. Thomas hasn't got time to help him, which makes it double cathartic for Diesel. In the morning, Thomas is at Whiff's Waste Dump (high time Whiff was utilized) and gets himself covered in garbage. Oh, and nice touch with the crows - they add to the sinister look.

Thomas returns to Diesel, pretending to be the Ghost of Christmas Future, and tells him that he could be alone forever with graying eyebrows and a weak voice.

At the Castle, the Earl is getting ready for his party, wondering where the guests are. Thomas, meanwhile, returns with Rocky to help Diesel back on the rails, and the diesel shunter is now willing to help anyone out. Oh, and Rocky's fourth-wall break is him looking at us in confusion; that's kinda easy to miss. Diesel offers to take Rocky back to the Search and Rescue Center for Thomas whilst the tank engine takes guests to the Christmas lunch. However, there's one person he's forgotten - the Fat Controller!

Diesel spots the Fat Controller and offers to bring him to Ulfstead Castle and he joins in on the festivities. All we're missing his the "God bless us, every one" line and we've got the full package.

And that was Diesel's Ghostly Christmas. It was definitely good to see Diesel show more shades of his personality other than just being arrogant; he can show his good side as long as he wants to. I don't see him as a villain, but rather, an anti-hero.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Thomas and Friends Season 19 Scorecard:
1. Who's Geoffrey?: 8
2. The Truth About Toby: 8
3. Lost Property: 9.5
4. Henry Spots Trouble: 4
X. Diesel's Ghostly Christmas: 9.5

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Railfan Brony Advent Calendar Day #23: Shining Time Station - 'Tis a Gift

Well, that's something I thought I wouldn't be doing - a Shining Time Station review! You've got Mike Nicholson to thank for that. For this Advent Calendar, we're reviewing its Christmas special from 1990 - 'Tis a Gift.

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

'Tis a Gift
Written by Brian McConnachie
Directed by Gregory Lehane

It's close to Christmas at Shining Time Station and everyone's excited - Ringo Conductor (yes, I'm gonna refer to him as such to avoid confusing him with George) even sings a modified bar of "The Lumberjack Song" whilst carrying his own Christmas tree! Schemer is confident that he'll be Santa's helper this year for the Christmas pageant. Harry's cousin Tucker is coming to help following the former's transfer to Twiddly Junction, but is unsure about meeting Ringo. When Matt and Tanya have nothing to do, Stacy suggests that they write letters to Santa, with the aid of music.

The Christmas Committee doesn't have place to meet tonight, so they're holding their meeting at the station, which frustrates Stacy. The kids don't know Santa's address, but Ringo helps them out, having known Santa before, and suggests that they build a snowman to pass the time. At this point, he tells them the story of Terence the Tractor, but strangely, on VHS, he tells them the story of Thomas' Christmas Party, which is the second story on TV. Why, on VHS, did they have Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree with Ringo's narration, but they don't redub lines relating to the Fat Controller? That's very lazy editing if you ask me.

After their letters are sent to Santa by Ringo, Matt and Tanya have to be around Vickie, a bratty local girl, much to their dismay; when Stacy suggests they try and get along with her and think of good traits she has, Tanya remarks that Vickie is a good singer. Schemer, meanwhile, is eating excessively, hoping to be fat enough as Santa's Helper - that can't be healthy. I know he's desperate, but that's a step too far, even for him. Stacy tries talking him out of it, but Schemer just laughs, and she decides to compete against him.

Tucker brings in a Christmas tree with the help of an elderly man named Mr. Nicholas, and amazingly, she knows a lot about Stacy from her childhood; he's waiting for the Northern Star, and believes it will come to the station. Vickie is dropped off at the station, and as Matt and Tanya feared, she turns out to be a selfish brat. Oh jeez, another brat- No, no, keep calm - she's not a bully to those she thinks are below her; she just doesn't care for Christmas. Mr. King informs Stacy that the weather is getting worse, and there's a chance that all trains will have to be cancelled; Mr. Nicholas manages to distract Mr. King with memories from childhood, and then Schemer ends up causing everyone to compete for the role of Santa's Helper.

After Matt and Tanya send her packing, Vickie meets up with Mr. Nicholas, who suggests that she try and smile and be helpful. Vickie tries again, and helps Matt and Tanya decorate the tree, but it doesn't end well when she accidentally knocks over the tree and they blame her for it. Mr. Nicholas comforts her, and shows her a movie about a little boy visiting a hobo to give him company for Christmas - the best presents don't come in boxes or cost money. Vickie wishes for Santa to bring a present for her mother, and Mr. Nicholas helps her realize that her singing is what her mother likes best.

Tanya and Matt are still upset with Vickie, but after Ringo tells them the story of Thomas' Christmas Party (or Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree, depending on what version you're watching), the decide to forgive Vickie. Much to Stacy's amazement, the Northern Star has arrived as Mr. Nicholas predicted. The Christmas Committee meeting begins, and when the Mayor declares himself the winner, an argument breaks out, but with Mr. Nicholas' encouragement, Vickie sings to stop the argument, and they realize Christmas' true spirit - even her mother Claire is touched.

Everyone gets to be Santa's Helper, Mr. Nicholas catches up with Ringo and repairs the Christmas lights, and the angel figurine is placed on the tree without problem, and everybody, including Vickie, gathers round the tree.

I was surprised; Vickie was a character that I personally thought I'd dislike, but she actually isn't that big of a brat. No, instead, she's just a sullen sort of character who doesn't care for Christmas, but after meeting with Mr. Nicholas, she becomes a nicer character and learns that the best presents come from the heart. Plus, there's the message that as long as you don't stop believing, nothing is impossible. Do I think it's one of the greatest Christmas specials of all time? No, but I do think it is in the ball park. It's nice, and that's what I like about a Christmas special.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Railfan Brony Advent Calendar Day #22: TUGS - Bigg Freeze

Sadly, for the last time, we make a visit to Bigg City port during its Bigg Freeze. Get those violins ready...

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

Bigg Freeze
Written by Roy Russell
Directed by David Mitton

Hercules is assigned to bring in the S. S. Vienna as far as Lillie Lightship, since the cruise liner can't enter the port, and she asks the Star Tug if he'd seen Ten Cents. He and Sunshine are looking for a fuel barge for Lillie - if her light is out, the S. S. Vienna could sail by Bigg City. There's only one left... and Zorran is towing it to supply Vienna's heating plant, which he thinks they'll be doing. The Star Switchers explain the situation to O.J., and he agrees that Zorran's intentions are hugely flawed. Zip and Zug think Ten Cents and Sunshine are trying to get another fuel barge to beat Zorran, but really, they're picking up an emergency light barge.

Meanwhile, Warrior struggles to find an empty garbage barge, and comes across one that's half empty... or was it half full? Well. Either way. Warrior decides it'll do. Ten Cents and Sunshine find the emergency light barge, but Zip and Zug trap them with a fire barge. Sunshine then explains to Ten Cents about the night tide leading back to the river.

Darkness comes, but no one knows how to reach to Hercules and Vienna. Then Warrior suggests getting the load on the garbage barge alight as a beacon - he backfires just enough so sparks set it alight, but it soon goes out. Luckily, Ten Cents and Sunshine manage to show up with the emergency light barge just in time, and with a bump from Warrior, it's set alight. Zip and Zug are shocked to see Ten Cents and Sunshine, and explain what they did to Zorran, and after Ten Cents tells his side of the story, Zorran scolds Zip and Zug for their stupidity. Well, that's very ironic - Zorran was being selfish with the fuel barge and didn't consider everyone else's needs.

Soon enough, Hercules and Vienna show up and both fleets load and unload their barges, and since Vienna has enough fuel to get into the next port, Zorran gives his fuel to Lillie after all. Meanwhile, Zip and Zug are caught out by the Fire Chief, but the Vienna continues on her voyage with a lovely homage to Ringo Starr.

And that was Bigg Freeze. And, in fact, the series overall. It would've been lovely to see this series continue for longer, but I think we should accept quality over quantity. Had it continued, there's a chance it might've gone through seasonal rot - sometimes, things are best left with a short run. I would say TUGS picked the right episode to end its run.

Final Series Ranking: 9.5/10

TUGS Episode Scorecard
10/10 - Pirate, Trapped, Up River, Munitions
9.5/10 - Jinxed, High Winds, Warrior, High Tide, Regatta, Bigg Freeze
9/10 - Sunshine, Quarantine, Ghosts

Monday, December 21, 2015

Railfan Brony Advent Calendar Day #21: Sodor Winter Follies Part 5

The final set of Thomas and Friends winter episodes from seasons 6-17 are here (unless there's any I may have missed). We've only got four this time, but better than nothing, right?

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

Season 16, Episode 12
Salty's Surprise
Written by Sharon Miller
Nice try, Miller - you may have replaced with "Winter Holiday" with "Christmas" (and rightly so) and forgone the rhyming, but calling it "Christmas Holiday" is a bit pointless, and there's still the irritating alliteration that's plaguing the dialogue.

At Brendam Docks, Edward learns from Salty that the red diesel has no time for presents and parties. Edward decides to give Salty a present, so he heads for the Steamworks and sees Rosie being repainted, giving him the idea to give Salty a new pot of green paint. However, Salty remembers once being painted green and how no one could see him - that's utter bull. Many engines on Sodor are green and they could be seen perfectly fine, why should Salty have been any different? It's not like all green engines suddenly become invisible!

Edward decides to give Salty a funnel, under Kevin's suggestion, which doesn't make sense since Salty's a diesel engine, as Edward lampshades - why would anyone be stupid to think Salty was a steam engine? Salty says that he lost a funnel that looks a lot like that - only it was blue rather than red - and so Edward decides to give Salty a Christmas tree... in his cab?! Why Nitrogen?! That's dangerous! Edward should've carried it on a conflat! Use that! Also, how does a sea breeze kill a Christmas tree?

So Edward realizes that Salty likes stories - you think he didn't know that by now? - and that he'd given the diesel reasons to tell stories. Also, if Edward was wise, he could've at least listened to Salty! Still, at least they kept the kind part of his personality, but it just didn't fit him a bit. The moral is good and relevant though - the best gifts don't come from a package. Insert pointless cameo of Sir Topham Santa... because why not.

Season 16, Episode 14
Emily's Winter Party Special
Written by Max Allen
The Fat Controller announces that the Sodor Winter Festival is tonight, and will choose whichever engine is the most helpful to be the party engine. Suddenly, a wind picks up and the Fat Controller's top hat flies off his head. Funny how he's calling out to it like it's his child, isn't it? Emily decides to go and find the Fat Controller's hat (why he can't buy a new one is anyone's guess) hoping to pull the present train. She tells Thomas and Henry about what she's doing (I actually chuckled when Henry said "oh"), but she decides to leave it aside to pick up the present train.

However, the Fat Controller isn't happy with Emily slacking off and gives the train to Thomas instead. On the way to town hall, Emily and Thomas pass by a snowman, and find what they think is the Fat Controller's top hat (I hope they informed the children about it first!) and return it to him. Funny how he calls it his "old friend".

Out of the Emily episodes... I don't have high feelings for it. It's trying too hard to be good, but if there's anything I liked, it was the animation for the lights around her and Thomas, the calliope made a return, and Teresa Gallagher's acting was brilliant. Of course, the plot drags on a lot, and it's dull at the best of times. Still way better than Sodor Surprise Day, though.

Season 17, Episode 18
Santa's Little Engine
Written by Andrew Brenner
This is the moment - Winter Holiday is no more, and Christmas is back!

At Ulfstead Castle, the Earl is preparing a Christmas fair; he asks the Fat Controller to dress as Santa Claus for the final day of the fair, and decides to get him a sleigh to ride in. The Fat Controller suggests using Winston instead, but the Earl tells him not to worry. The Fat Controller, desperate, has Winston modified at the Steamworks to look like a sleigh. Thomas, Annie and Clarabel are amused with his presence, but luckily for Winston, the Earl rejects the the track inspection car's modifications and insists on the Fat Controller riding a proper sleigh. Isn't it funny seeing Thomas wink at Winston? - no words, just music and facial actions.

On the last day of the fair, Thomas picks up the sleigh at Brendam docks and on the hill leading to Ulfstead Castle, Thomas slips - Cranky had warned him to take care earlier. The Fat Controller - dressed as Santa - arrives on board Millie, and is most dismayed to see the sleigh. "Ho! Ho! ...oh..." Poor Topham! XP As Thomas backs up, he accidentally hits the sleigh, causing the Fat Controller to ride out of control - oh no! Thomas chases after his control, and picks up branches around his funnel. "THOMAS! Heeeeeeelllllllp!!!" Luckily, Thomas has managed to save the Fat Controller and the sleigh, the latter none the worse, if not shaken, from his misadventure. Because of the branches around his funnel, Thomas is given a red nose to serve as the Fat Controller's reindeer, and yes, they actually say "Merry Christmas" at the end!

Yeah, the episode's a bit silly in places, but then, isn't Christmas all about having fun? I guess it doesn't matter when you watch the episode; it's an ideal pick-me-up, and the same thing applies to the next episode:

Season 17, Episode 19
The Missing Christmas Decorations
Written by Andrew Brenner
Yes people, Diesel 10 actually makes his debut in the TV series. After 13 years of being only in the specials, he finally shows up in a TV series episode, and it's a brilliant one at that.

Diesel 10 is cross that the Dieselworks has few decorations, and enlists Paxton's help to steal some decorations. He doesn't want to steal from the steam engines, since they haven't done anything bad to him, but he doesn't want to go against Diesel 10 either, for fear of his wrath. The Steam Team are upset at their Christmas tree being stolen, but the diesels are content with having taken the tree, and Diesel 10 decides to steal some lights next. I was taken by surprise by the reference to Thomas and the Magic Railroad, if I'm honest - but why did Diesel 10 call Sidney "Twinkle Toes"? With Mr. Conductor, it made sense because of his magic abilities, but does anyone know why Sidney was given the nickname?

Soon enough, Sidney is covered in Christmas lights. When Diesel 10 suggests they take some garlands, Paxton has had enough and refuses to help Diesel 10 steal any more decorations. In the morning, Diesel 10 takes some garland off Tidmouth Sheds, but Percy spots him, and he and the Steam Team give chase. They confront him at the Dieselworks, and Diesel 10 protests that everyone prefers steam to diesel, but Thomas argues that the Fat Controller cares for all of his engines.

Yes, all of his engines. Not just the steam engines, but diesels and electrics as well. That's miles ahead of Thomas' portrayal in DOTD. Paxton turns up with decorations for the Dieselworks, and Diesel 10 reluctantly returns the steam engines' decorations, having taken them for absolutely nothing. Percy notices that Sidney is still hanging, having been there for two years, and tells the Fat Controller about the blue diesel's predicament. Soon enough, Sidney is given new wheels, and to make up for their trouble and replace what they've damaged, the diesels give the steam engines their own decorations.

The Missing Christmas Decorations has everything Day of the Diesels doesn't - heart, and it shows that you should show some generosity to those less fortunate than you, regardless of what pain they've caused you. Percy was a real stand out as a character, and whilst he might be cheeky, he's also willing to help others in need. It makes him more relatable as a character.

Episode Ratings:
Salty's Surprise: 3 out of 10
Emily's Winter Party Special: 4 out of 10
Santa's Little Engine: 8.5 out of 10
The Missing Christmas Decorations: 10 out of 10

Thomas and Friends Season 16 Scorecard
2. Ol' Wheezy Wobbles: 1.5
5. Ho Ho Snowman: 1
8. Thomas Toots the Crows: 1
9. Bust My Buffers!: 1
10. Percy and the Calliope: 8.5
11. Thomas and the Sounds of Sodor: 1.5
12. Salty's Surprise: 3
13. Sodor Surprise Day: -10
14. Emily's Winter Party Special: 4
15. Muddy Matters: 5
18. Don't Bother Victor!: 2
20. The Christmas Tree Express: 0.5

Thomas and Friends Season 17 Scorecard
4. Gordon Runs Dry: 8
7. Henry's Hero: 5.5
8. Luke's New Friend: 7.5
10. Not Now, Charlie!: 5.5
12. The Thomas Way: 6
13. The Phantom Express: 7.5
14. Percy's Lucky Day: 9
15. Bill or Ben?: 10
16. Too Many Fire Engines: 9
17. No Snow for Thomas: 7.5
18. Santa's Little Engine: 8.5
19. The Missing Christmas Decorations: 10
20. The Frozen Turntable: 3
23. The Afternoon Tea Express: 8
24. The Smelly Kipper: 8

Sunday, December 20, 2015

Railfan Brony Advent Calendar Day #20: CGI Winter Holiday Controversy

Now we're into the really dark ages of Thomas with the winter episodes I've yet to get to. This will be fun(!)

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

Season 13, Episode 17
Snow Tracks
Written by Alan Hescott
At Tidmouth Sheds, Percy is excited to see snow, but Thomas isn't - well, that's actually a good start. No, really - they do actually maintain continuity that Thomas dislikes his snowplough. Gordon boasts that snow won't bother him, and when assigned to take some trucks for Brendam docks for a coal delivery (and he doesn't even complain, I should note), Emily suggests that he take the long way around hills - and once again, there are no alternate railway routes!

Gordon comes across a hill, and on the other side, he slips on the icy rails and sprays snow onto a passing Spencer, and what the hell happened to his coach? It looks like some cheap Trackmaster coach! The next hill Gordon puffs over is steeper than the last, and snow sprays in his face, causing him to crash into some slate trucks, surprisingly without derailing. He comes across his own hill, and when he tries to climb, he ends up creating a snowball, and right behind him, Thomas runs into a siding and is hit by the snowball and derails. Gordon leaves to get Rocky (after delivering his trucks), and Thomas is able to deliver his firewood with Gordon's help.

So... much... repetition. But then, what do you expect from a season 13 episode? Or a Nitrogen episode in general, for that matter? It may have had one or two funny moments, but the episode is quite dull in a lot of areas and could've easily been condensed into five minutes without all that pointless narration. Still, at least it's better than Thomas' Frosty Friend.

Season 14, Episode 19
Merry Misty Island
Written by Sharon Miller
At the Sodor Search and Rescue Center, the Logging Locos question about a Christmas party, having never celebrated one before... strange, since they've worked on Misty Island for years. However, the trio, after delivering Jobi wood, head to Brendam Docks and decide to have a party of their own on Misty Island, whilst declining Thomas' offer to help. They pick up some decorations they place on Ol' Wheezy, and whilst Bash and Dash head for more decorations, Ferdinand looks for a tree. The "tree" he's picked up is actually a Jobi log - I thought it was actually quite funny. And yes, he did say more than just "that's right".

Thomas, Henry, Gordon, Percy, and Toby show up with the Fat Controller, but Ol' Wheezy and Hee-Haw end up causing havoc, and the Jobi log is thrown into the pond - the party is a disaster. Now, the Logging Locos ask for help, and the party is now a success. Ferdinand's tree was perhaps the highlight of the episode, and out of season 14's winter episodes, this was probably the least bad. I'm showing some generosity mostly due to the "tree".

Season 15, Episode 11
Surprise, Surprise
Written by Sharon Miller
Percy, Edward, and Stanley have broken down and so they can't attend the children's party. Not wanting them to be left out, Thomas decides to hold a Christmas party at the Steamworks. He enlists Charlie's help to tell jokes to cheer up the trio (Jelly-copter? Really?), and I was taken by surprise when Victor shouted at Thomas and Charlie to shoo. However, Charlie derails when Thomas bumps into him, and so Thomas picks up Rocky at the docks. There, Thomas decides to bring a Christmas tree with Rocky's help, but the crate falls in front of Kevin. Thomas tells Victor about what he wanted to do (and why he didn't tell the Fat Controller, I don't know) and Victor approves of the party.

It did feel like The Party Surprise, only this didn't introduce a pointless one-off character that we'll never see again. I hate how they flip flop between Christmas and Winter Holiday, and it becomes a major distraction. I did like how Stanley had a speaking role; just a shame Ben Small didn't give him more lines.

Season 15, Episode 18
Percy the Snowman
Written by Lizzie Ennever
...you've got be kidding me. Why, Viacom, are you airing this on Christmas (at the time of writing) instead of Diesel's Ghostly Christmas?! Those in the UK deserve far more than the crap we were given for three years! Do you have something against the season 19 episodes that the writers, animators, and voice actors poured their hearts into making for all of us? Thomas was a UK creation, you know!

Anyway, at teatime, Thomas is to take the Fat Controller to the town hall to turn on the Christmas lights, after he's finished his other jobs. Meanwhile, Percy is stuck on a siding, and he's unable to move after finishing his jobs. Thomas wants to share his happiness with Percy after his jobs are done - well, at least he isn't being a prick for a change. First time he passes Percy again, snow sprays all over Percy by mistake. Wait, why couldn't he have asked someone to help rescue Percy? That's perhaps the biggest plot hole with the episode. The next two time Thomas passes Percy, more snow sprays on Percy to the point he's buried.

Thomas finally comes back to Percy... and somehow he doesn't know where he is. "Gee, is he behind that tree? Under the snowy bush? Or maybe that big glob of snow I didn't see earlier?" Seriously, Thomas? Are you that stupid? Well, considering this episode came after Wonky Whistle, I wouldn't be shocked. However, Thomas decides to bring children aboard Annie and Clarabel to make Percy feel happy, and the episode just ends. Okay then... And why have children somehow not seen a snow engine before?

Season 15, Episode 19
Tree Trouble
Written by Sharon Miller
I'm gonna say it right now - I hate the Sodor Dieselworks. Don't get me wrong, I like the concept of a second engine workshop on Sodor, but WHY, for both, should steam engines and diesel engines be fixed in separate workshops?! That's purely racist, and the fact it's still prominent in the series doesn't help matters! If we follow this logic, we should have a Sodor Electricworks, Coachworks, and Truckworks. If the Steamworks was the primary location to repair locomotives and rolling stock, and the Dieselworks was in case the Steamworks was busy, then that wouldn't be so bad.

This won't affect my thoughts on this episode or The Missing Christmas Decorations, but I feel it was worth mentioning. Now, onto Tree Trouble - and do we seriously need an introduction about trees? Surely kids know what they are before they even saw this episode! Anyway, Dowager Hatt tells the diesels that she looks forward to seeing a tall, grand tree for the Dieselworks. Thomas butts in (quite unnecessarily, I should point out) and says that the Steamworks deserves a tree as well. Oh great, more unnecessary racism - this should be fun(!)

Now that there's a competition between steam and diesel engines (because I've never seen that before...!), Diesel, Den and Dart claim they'll find a grand tree, but Thomas claims he'll beat them. At Maithwaite, Thomas doesn't think either tree is tall enough, and at Maron, he doesn't find either tree grand at all. Do we seriously need constant alliteration and rhyming to describe the trees?! We can see for ourselves, you know! So Thomas and the diesel trio head to Deathtrap Railw... sorry, Misty Island... and find two tall, grand trees. They head back to Sodor, only to come across Gordon with the express heading for Misty Island...

Where do I begin with this? Why were there no signals to prevent an accident, and why was Gordon even headed to a deathtrap with the express to begin with? Also, after Thomas ran over his tree by accident, Diesel runs over his for no reason! This scene is wholly stupid, makes no sense, and it's just there to force an ending!

Thomas explains everything to Dowager Hatt, and Thomas decides to have only one tree for the Dieselworks. That doesn't make up for his behavior throughout; Thomas was outright arrogant, claiming that he will win - I know there are high schools that like to think they're better than their rivals, but I don't think they'd go that far if they're desperate to win! Seriously, now that I think about it, this episode, just like the behavior of Thomas against the diesels, is purely shocking, and it's another painful reminder to how much I hated Day of the Diesels.

Honestly, why didn't I consider this for the Thomas is an Idiot list? And why does this not get more hate? This episode (and political correctness, for that matter) can make like a Christmas tree and get outta here!

Episode Ratings:
Snow Tracks: 3 out of 10
Merry Misty Island: 5 out of 10
Surprise, Surprise: 5 out of 10
Percy the Snowman: 2.5 out of 10
Tree Trouble: 1.5 out of 10

Thomas and Friends Season 13 Scorecard
2. The Lion of Sodor: 1.5
3. Tickled Pink: 9
5. Slippy Sodor: 1.5
7. Play Time: 1
9. Time for a Story: 1
11. Toby's New Whistle: 1
12. A Blooming Mess: 7.5
13. Thomas and the Runaway Kite: 0.5
15. Splish, Splash, Splosh!: 0.5
17. Snow Tracks: 3
18. Henry's Good Deeds: 1
19. Buzzy Bees: 0

Thomas and Friends Season 14 Scorecard
1. Thomas' Tall Friend: 1
4. Charlie and Eddie: 1
5. Toby and the Whistling Woods: 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
19. Merry Misty Island: 5
20. Henry's Magic Box: 0.5

Thomas and Friends Season 15 Scorecard
1. Gordon and Ferdinand: 2.5
2. Toby and Bash: 4
3. Emily and Dash: 3.5
6. James to the Rescue: 0.5
8. Up, Up and Away!: 0
9. Henry's Happy Coal: 5.5
10. Let it Snow: 1
11. Surprise, Surprise: 5
13. Stop That Bus!: 6
17. Wonky Whistle: -5
18. Percy the Snowman: 2.5
19. Tree Trouble: 1.5
20. Fiery Flynn: -8

Saturday, December 19, 2015

Railfan Brony Advent Calendar Day #19: New Series Winter Chaos

Here's part three!

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

Season 9, Episode 25
Keeping Up with James
Written by Abi Grant
Oh boy, do we have controversy! In 2011, Hilary Fortnam condemned the episode for the use of "Winter Holiday" instead of Christmas, and thought that her father would be distressed if he saw it. Does that honestly matter? Granted, it's a problem, but it wasn't THE problem with the series - it was the writing that made episodes good or bad between 2005 and 2012. On the Little Engines, Big Days Out DVD (or Tales from the Tracks, if you're American), the true culprit was an interactive segment where Michael (Angelis or Brandon) referred to Christmas as Winter Holidays.

Alright, onto the actual episode. The Steam Team are assigned to clear the tracks and the Fat Controller will pick an engine to pull the presents train to Knapford. James is not happy that he has to work with Edward, and rushes to get his job done. The tracks are icy and James slips, but he manages to stop safely. Later, he and Edward take trucks to the coaling plant, and the blue engine warns him to take care, but James doesn't listen. He soon pays the price when he can't slow down and he crashes into a snow bank. The Fat Controller is displeased with James and gives the presents train to Edward instead. James offers to be his back engine and promises to slow down, which he does, and helps get the presents train to safety.

I don't see what the huge fuss is about; I think it's a good episode on the whole. Sure, they could've mentioned the use of a sanding gear, but the real question is - does the use of Winter Holiday destroy the episode? The answer is no; it only hurts an episode if it's used alongside Christmas, which will confuse the target audience. Plus, this is way better than the previous three episodes it aired after.

Season 10, Episode 24
Duncan's Bluff
Written by Paul Larson
For the last fourteen episodes out of season ten, every episode I've reviewed so far have had a unique rating each. I guess this season was all over the spectrum - we got good episodes like It's Good to be Gordon and Toby's Afternoon Off, but we also got bad episodes like Edward Strikes Out and Thomas' Frosty Friend, as well as in-between episodes like James the Second Best. So where does Duncan's Bluff fall?

Duncan is delivering coal to the villagers, and at the wharf, he teases James for running late. The two engines have a little competition to see who can deliver coal the fastest. Duncan is determined not to lose to James, and later on, he decides to lie and insist that he delivered far more coal than James had done by hiding the coal trucks. James still has to take some children to a concert, but he runs out of coal. So Duncan picks up one coal truck for James, rather than the whole line, since it'd take far more than one narrow gauge truck load of coal to fill up a Fowler tender.

Other than that problem, and the fact that it was a narrow gauge episode that didn't star Thomas, nothing really stands out in the episode. It's sort of... dull.

Season 11, Episode 8
Henry's Lucky Trucks
Written by Paul Larson
This was definitely a long time coming. I'd actually gotten this episode as a request months ago, but I held it back until December, this month, where it'd be more appropriate. So, without further delays, let's dig in!

Henry has a very easy day since none of his lines were blocked, and Thomas (who shouldn't be in this episode, quite frankly) says Henry must have lucky trucks of his own. However, the next morning, Henry can't find his lucky trucks, as Edward took them, but Henry is assigned to pick up some presents from the airport and take them to the village. Somehow, Henry is unable to climb Gordon's hill, and he acts like he'd never come across an avalanche before. He does come across pipes spilled across the tracks, and Molly and Rocky are helping James to clear up the mess.

No matter where he looks, Henry can't find Edward, but he does... and crashes into his lucky trucks by accident. Remembering the children's presents, Henry heads to the airport without his lucky trucks, and makes his deliveries on time. While I appreciate that the moral says you can't always be lucky, I feel it was handled a lot better with Percy's Lucky Day, in which the charms weren't the main focus. It's not bad by any stretch, just okay.

Season 11, Episode 23
Cool Truckings
Written by Paul Larson
We seem to be in the midst of Paul Larson winter-themed scripts, it seems...!

Thomas arrives at the transfer yards to pick up some coal, but Duncan's path is blocked by a snow slide, and so Madge the snub-nosed lorry is sent to pick up him up so he can shunt coal trucks from the other side of the yards. After lifting him onto her trailer, Madge travels along the roads safely, but Duncan wants some excitement. Madge soon turns onto another road, and then skids, spraying snow, much to Duncan's excitement. Oh, and who found it funny that a policeman was sprayed with snow, am I right?

Whilst Thomas and the Thin Controller wait, Madge takes Duncan to the top of the hill, and runs down it quickly, but there's a sharp corner and Madge almost goes over the edge, but manages to back up to safety, and decides to get to the transfer yards rather than have more fun. Duncan is soon back on the rails and gets Thomas' trucks loaded up safely. In the evening, Madge comes to see the little engines, and just for fun, sprays snow on them.

Season 12, Episode 12
James Works it Out
Written by Simon Spencer
At the yards, James shows off to Stanley about how good he is at shunting trucks when he shunts Hector into the back of his train. It begins to snow, and Hector comments about his concerns to James, who dismisses them and heads off to Great Waterton. James also ignores the warnings of Harold and Edward, insisting that he knows best. He puffs hard up the hill, but his trucks run into a snow drift, and they laugh at him. Admitting defeat, James and Hector push the trucks through - surprisingly, they stayed intact - and they make it to Great Waterton safely.

I think the role fitted James perfectly, and I think I can understand why he didn't want Hector's help - he's had trouble with trucks in the past, so it'd make plenty of sense. Speaking of whom, Hector has got to make it into CGI; he's a trend-breaker, for goodness sake - trucks are troublesome, and he no longer is.

Episode Ratings:
Keeping Up with James: 8 out of 10
Duncan's Bluff: 5.5 out of 10
Henry's Lucky Trucks: 6 out of 10
Cool Truckings: 5.5 out of 10
James Works It Out: 7 out of 10

Thomas and Friends Season 9 Scorecard
1. Percy and the Oil Painting: 7
2. Thomas and the Rainbow: 1.5
5. Mighty Mac: 1.5
7. Respect for Gordon: 8
10. Rheneas and the Dinosaur: 1
12. Toby Feels Left Out: 1.5
13. Thomas Tries His Best: 9
16. Henry and the Flagpole: 2.5
17. Emily Knows Best: 7.5
18. Thomas' Day Off: 7.5
22. Skarloey the Brave: 1
23. Saving Edward: 2
24. Thomas and the Golden Eagle: 1
25. Keeping Up with James: 8

Thomas and Friends Season 10 Scorecard
2. A Smooth Ride: 3
7. Thomas' Tricky Tree: 2.5
8. Toby's Afternoon Off: 7.5
9. It's Good to be Gordon: 9
13. Edward Strikes Out: 1
14. Topped Off Thomas: 0.5
15. Which Way Now?: 6
16. Thomas and the Shooting Star: 6.5
17. Big Strong Henry: 7
18. Sticky Toffee Thomas: 4
20. Thomas' Frosty Friend: 0
21. Emily and the Special Coaches: 8.5
24. Duncan's Bluff: 5.5
27. James the Second Best: 5
28. Thomas and Skarloey's Big Day Out: 3.5

Thomas and Friends Season 11 Scorecard
2. Emily's Rubbish: 8.5
3. Dream On: 9
4. Dirty Work: 6
6. Gordon and the Engineer: 9.5
8. Henry's Lucky Trucks: 6
10. Thomas and the Big Bang: 1
11. Smoke and Mirrors: 1
12. Thomas Sets Sail: 1
13. Don't Be Silly, Billy: 0.5
14. Edward and the Mail: 5
16. Toby's Triumph: 1
17. Thomas and the Runaway Car: 8.5
18. Thomas in Trouble: 7
22. Sir Handel in Charge: 1.5
23. Cool Truckings: 5.5

Thomas and Friends Season 12 Scorecard
5. Henry Gets it Wrong: 1
9. The Party Surprise: 3
10. Saved You!: 3.5
12. James Works it Out: 7
13. Tram Trouble: 5
14. Don't Go Back: 1
15. Gordon Takes a Shortcut: 3
16. The Man in the Hills: 1.5
18. Percy and the Bandstand: 6
19. Push Me, Pull You: 0.5
20. Best Friends: 10

Friday, December 18, 2015

Railfan Brony Advent Calendar Day #18: Season 8's Winter Capers

Here's part two to Thomas' winter episodes!

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

As stated by the title, every episode on this group is from season eight. This is gonna be interesting!

Episode 2: Percy's New Whistle
Written by James Mason
At the quarry (yes, I know the narrator said smelters, but due to some bizarre cock up, we're at the quarry instead), after Percy sounds his whistle, Arry and Bert sound their horns, startling Percy. Later, he gets back at the diesels by blowing his whistle from behind them, giving them a fright. Percy gets a bit carried away and when he blows his whistle, he causes Thomas to bump some trucks and Bertie to veer out of control. Thomas scolds Percy for his cheekiness, and he promises not to do it again.

The next day, Percy gives Trevor a surprise with his whistle, and that causes a log to roll out of control and form a snowball that hits Percy. The Fat Controller scolds Percy for his foolishness, and the next day, after being quiet all day, Percy comes across a snow drift outside the tunnel and hears Thomas approaching, so he blows his whistle extra loud to get Thomas to stop. Now, Percy uses his whistle when the time is right. Who knew that even back then, the CGI they used for blowing whistles was brilliant? Sure, it's not Arc Production level, but it's still nice to do so without the constant use of whistle close ups, and we get to see the importance of steam whistles (and horns, for that matter).

Episode 8: Thomas, Emily and the Snowplough
Written by Abi Grant
And we got some controversy for this one!

Now I can answer the pressing question - is Emily actually in character here? Well, let's think about this for a second. It's 2004, and by that point, the original seven engines had been well-established as characters. Meanwhile, Emily had been introduced last year in season seven, and in the few episodes she starred in, Emily was viewed as kind and friendly. Now, we're in season eight, and Emily was shown to be fussy and, at times, a bit bossy and impatient.

This next bit might anger some people, but just bear with me on this - I actually like what they wanted to do with Emily in this episode; no. Seriously. In season seven, she seemed far too cheerful, except when a serious situation was at hand, and she didn't display too many flaws in her character. In season eight, they had to give her flaws to make her well-rounded because... well, do you want to see her constantly cheerful? Look at Marion between Tale of the Brave and season 18 - she can be chatty and, at times, clumsy, but there are cases when she's serious, especially when Bill and Ben cause trouble. With Emily, she might be kind-hearted, but she can get a bit bossy at times - it was even confirmed in her Who's That Engine segment! Before we stray completely off topic, let's just get to the episode.

Thomas gets annoyed when Emily tells him what he's doing wrong, and chooses to ignore her from then on. The following morning, he leaves early to take trucks from the quarry to the docks, and after he leaves, the Fat Controller tells Emily that Thomas needs to wear his snowplough. After she gets hers fitted, she tells Thomas, but he ignores her. Thomas later sets off to collect cream from the dairy, but he runs into a snow drift and gets stuck. Emily finds and scolds him for not listening. After she brings him back to the sheds, Emily admits that she neglected to tell Thomas it was the Fat Controller's orders, much to his annoyance. Thomas is fitted with his snowplough and knows now to listen in the near future.

So, was the episode all that bad? Er, not really. The story itself was actually quite strong, and I did like the shots of the camera on the tracks, to represent an engine's point of view. And Emily? Had they picked Gordon or Henry, it might've been predictable, so I feel she was the only character they had to fit the role. On whole, I'd say it's a decent enough episode.

Episode 9: Don't Tell Thomas
Written by Paul Larson
Thomas has been working hard to clear the lines, and the engines want to thank him for his hard work. He meets up with Toby and Harold, but they leave just as he shows up, much to his disappointment and most likely confusion. He soon sees Percy with trucks filled with presents, but he doesn't speak to Thomas either. After that, he sees Emily with a tree on a flatbed, and tries to follow her, but he's diverted away. Yeah, the three-strikes was in force here, only it takes half the take to get through.

At the sheds, the engines are talking just before Thomas shows up, and they keep quiet, much to his dismay. And before you comment, no, that's not out of character on any level - it was a surprise for him, and they wanted to keep quiet about it as much as they could, so they were ignoring him for all the right reasons. Thomas leaves upset, deciding not to bother finding out, and so Harold is sent to find him. Harold explains everything to Thomas, and so he picks up the children in Annie and Clarabel, and at the village station, there is Thomas' surprise - a huge Christmas tree! Yes, they actually mention the term - anyone who thinks it should be "Winter Holidays" can stuff it for all I care.

Episode 12: Gordon Takes Charge
Written by Paul Larson
The Fat Controller assigns Percy to work on passenger runs - he hasn't pulled any in a long time - and Gordon is to work with him, much to the big engine's disgust. Looks like another episode that wouldn't feel out of place during season one, doesn't it? Percy is a bit rough with his coaches, but Gordon backs down onto his smoothly and carefully. At the station, Percy is so eager he lets off steam and blows his whistle. Gordon once again shows off in front of Percy, and continues to do so even as Percy improves.

Gordon keeps showing off in front of everyone he passes, and at the next station, he slips and runs into a snowbank on a siding. The Fat Controller scolds Gordon for his carelessness, and to further add to Gordon's embarrassment, Percy comes into the station safely. Gordon is soon freed from the snow drift, and humbled by his incident, he lets Percy show how much he's learned.

Episode 23: James Goes Too Far
Written by James Mason
At a signal whilst pulling a slow goods train, James is annoyed that Percy and his mail train go first, even more so when at a water tower, Thomas is in front of him. Later, James is assigned to take coal to all stations on Sodor, and it's an important task, much to James' delight. At a water tower, there's a queue and James doesn't want to wait, so he heads off to his job without taking on water. When Edward asks James to take his slate trucks to the quarry, the red engine refuses, and later, he pays the price for not waiting to take on water.

Edward puffs up with a passenger train, but he can't help because James didn't bother helping him - kinda out of character, but what comes around goes around, I suppose - but he does tell the signalman about James being stranded. Salty comes to help James and scolds him for putting his job before others, but he helps him to the water tower so James can continue on his way. Later, James comes across a broken down Diesel, and remembering what Salty said, helps him to the repair yard. Kind of feels like a callback to Time for Trouble, doesn't it? James at first is sorry for putting his job first, but the Fat Controller reminds him that he did help out Diesel when he was in trouble, and he got his coal delivered on time.

One of season eight's best, and it has a very good moral that you shouldn't put your needs before others'.

Episode Ratings:
Percy's New Whistle: 7.5 out of 10
Thomas, Emily and the Snowplough: 7 out of 10
Don't Tell Thomas: 8.5 out of 10
Gordon Takes Charge: 8.5 out of 10
James Goes Too Far: 9 out of 10

Thomas and Friends Season 8 Scorecard
2. Percy's New Whistle: 7.5
4. Henry and the Wishing Tree: 7.5
5. James Gets a New Coat: 6
6. Thomas Saves the Day: 8.5
7. Percy's Big Mistake: 3
8. Thomas, Emily and the Snowplough: 7
9. Don't Tell Thomas: 8.5
10. Emily's New Route: 9
11. Thomas and the Firework Display: 5.5
12. Gordon Takes Charge: 8.5
14. Edward the Great: 8
15. Squeak, Rattle and Roll: 7.5
16. Thomas and the Circus: 9
18. As Good as Gordon: 8
21. Halloween: 9.5
22. You Can Do it, Toby!: 4.5
23. James Goes Too Far: 9
25. Too Hot for Thomas: 2

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Railfan Brony Advent Calendar Day #17: Sodor Festive Follies Part 1

We've got over a week to go before Christmas, and now we're in the home stretch to do Thomas' winter-themed capers. Let's kick off with seasons six and seven since obviously, I've already done season five's Snow.

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

Season 6, Episode 9
It's Only Snow
Story by David Mitton
Written by James Mason
Yeah, this was the episode where the "Winter Holiday" controversy started up. No, not in season nine, and I'll get to that later. I'm not gonna dwell on that since I just want to focus on the episodes.

A snowstorm strikes the Island of Sodor, and the engines have to wear their snowploughs, much to Thomas' dismay. However, he has to pick up a special (a Christmas tree) from Callan station and deliver it to the village fete on Toby's branchline (even though he should be on Thomas'). His snowplough is old and rusty, and he thinks it horrid and awkward. After meeting up with Toby at Maithwaite, they head on towards the village, but Thomas' snowplough hits a rock and breaks off, and it knocks over a water tower. However, Thomas is determined to get to the villagers and deliver their tree, and with his best efforts, he makes it to the village safely.

Yes people - Thomas is not helping children for once; he's helping adult villagers. Plus, you gotta admire his courage to continue without his snowplough, and his persona is way better than it was during S13-16.

Season 6, Episode 16
Jack Frost
Story by David Mitton
Written by Paul Larson
James and Percy are assigned to deliver extra coal to the stations across Sodor, and Thomas tells them of Jack Frost. Percy is nervous about meeting Jack Frost, but he keeps telling himself that he isn't scary. James, meanwhile, is dismissive of the story. When Percy makes his last stop, he offers his coal to keep the station warm, and is stuck on a siding until Elizabeth brings him coal in the morning. Throughout the night, Percy gets snowed up and icicles form around his face - one even hangs off of his nose! James gets a fright when he sees Percy, and Elizabeth is shocked when she brings Percy coal. At the sheds, James claims to have seen Jack Frost, but we know who it really was - don't we?

The snowy scenery looks fantastic, and... that's all I can add, really. Not much to say here, other than I quite like episodes with James and Percy together.

Season 6, Episode 20
Toby Had a Little Lamb
Written by Jenny McDade
Had this been shown in the Barlow era, Toby would've been a coward and hesitate to even brave the storm. Here? He just gets down on the job, determined to help the lambs.

Toby is stopped by Farmer McColl - his sheep have begun lambing, but he can't get access on the telephone and the roads are blocked. At the next signalbox, Toby's driver phones for a vet, and the Fat Controller sends for Duck to clear the lines to reach the sheep, but the snow is getting worse. Toby decides to travel on his old line to reach the sheep, despite the dangers. He comes across a rickety old bridge, but remembering the sheep, Toby bravely crosses it and makes it safely. The lambs are fine, but they don't have a home - Toby suggests they use Henrietta... why didn't she object? Oh wait, she doesn't have a face and can't talk. I understand.

That's the Toby they should've used in the dark ages - he might've been old, but he was determined to help his friends when they were in trouble, especially when the snow was involved.

Season 7, Episode 14
Snow Engine
Written by Jenny McDade
First off, shouldn't Duck and Oliver be working on the Little Western? Don't they work all year round? Oliver doesn't like snow, but Toad does. Meanwhile, some children make a big snowman for their winter festival. Oliver is sent to pick up goods to the mountain village for the festival, despite his dislike for snow. However, Oliver is switched onto a siding due to frozen points, and he runs right into a snowman. Also, how did Toad end up beside Oliver, and how did the snowman not melt? Oliver has to stay where he is for the night, much to his dismay, and Toad begins to think Oliver was probably right after all. In the morning, when he wakes up, Oliver is dressed like a snowman, and when Duck arrives with the breakdown train, Oliver doesn't want to leave and thinks snow is lovely after all, although Toad begged to differ.

Not the greatest of season seven, but it's still an okay watch; I guess Oliver was picked cause had it been Thomas, it would've been predictable. Besides, anything's better than what S13-16 brought forth.

Season 7, Episode 24
Not So Hasty Puddings
Written by Robyn Charteris
Wow, this episode is loaded with stock footage - in one scene, Henry's in his old shape, and in another, Thomas has a different snowplough. Could they have not afforded to film new scenes? I know visuals usually don't bother me, but in season seven, the use of stock footage was staggering, most likely because it filmed the same time as Jack and the Pack.

Elizabeth delivers Thomas' blue snowplough, and says that if he gets stuck in the snow, Thomas can't be reliable. Later, Elizabeth is sent to pick up some Christmas puddings and deliver them to Brendam docks before the ship sails for the mainland. Whilst Thomas handles his branchline with ease, Elizabeth struggles on the icy roads, and after picking up the Christmas puddings, she slips down a hill and into a snowbank. Thomas brings Terrence to help her out, and they deliver the puddings on time.

It's one of those simple episodes; no major faults story wise, but it's not an episode I'd watch all the time, if I'm honest.

Episode Ratings:
It's Only Snow: 8.5 out of 10
Jack Frost: 7.5 out of 10
Toby Had a Little Lamb: 8 out of 10
Snow Engine: 6 out of 10
Not So Hasty Puddings: 6.5 out of 10

Thomas and Friends Season 6 Scorecard
7. Jack Jumps In: 10
8. A Friend in Need: 10
9. It's Only Snow: 8.5
10. Twin Trouble: 7.5
11. The World's Strongest Engine: 6
12. Scaredy Engines: 3
15. James and the Red Balloon: 10
16. Jack Frost: 7.5
17. Gordon Takes a Tumble: 8.5
18. Percy's Chocolate Crunch: 9
20. Toby Had a Little Lamb: 8
22. Thomas the Jet Engine: 8.5
23. Edward the Very Useful Engine: 7.5
24. Dunkin Duncan: 8
25. Rusty Saves the Day: 2.5
26. Faulty Whistles: 8.5

Thomas and Friends Season 7 Scorecard
1. Emily's New Coaches: 10
2. Percy Gets It Right: 8
4. The Old Bridge: 5.5
5. Edward's Brass Band: 6
6. What's the Matter with Henry?: 8
7. James and the Queen of Sodor: 7
8. The Refreshment Lady's Tea Shop: 8.5
11. Bad Day at Castle Loch: 7
12. Rheneas and the Roller Coaster: 0
13. Salty's Stormy Tale: 7
14. Snow Engine: 6
17. Peace and Quiet: 9.5
23. Gordon and Spencer: 10
24. Not So Hasty Puddings: 6.5
26. Three Cheers for Thomas: 9

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Railfan Brony Advent Calendar Day #16: Equestria Girls Friendship Games and Shorts

It's been over a year since I reviewed Rainbow Rocks, and now, without further delays or ado, I can finally get down to review Friendship Games! I have a feeling this is gonna be interesting!

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

My Little Pony: Equestria Girls - Friendship Games
Written by Josh Haber
Produced by Devon Cody
Directed by Ishi Rudell

When Rainbow Rocks revealed a post-credits scene featuring the human world's Twilight Sparkle, that got people excited - what was going to happen next? And then Friendship Games was announced and people (well, those that are willing to accept absolutely anything post-Faust, that is) were looking forward to it, and so was I. Did the trailers and prequel shorts actually help to fulfill the film's premise? Was the film even better than Rainbow Rocks?

THE FILM'S PLOT

We begin with Rainbow Dash calling up the rest of the Human Six (including Sunset) because she needed to replace a guitar string to she could pony up in front of the Crusaders? Considering some past reviews, that's not a good way to start the film; it's kinda pointless, even though it sets up the plot to a certain extent. The plot really gets off the ground when Sunset spots a mysterious person around the statue in front of Canterlot High, but she doesn't know who it was since she ran off.

Yup, it's the human world's Twilight Sparkle - or, as we'll call her in this review, Sci-Twi, just to make things easier. But why was she here in the first place? After the opening credits, she makes... some kinda amulet.

Back at Canterlot High, in the library, Sunset comments on the mysterious person (that isn't really mysterious) checking around the portal, and Rainbow Dash suspects it's a Crystal Prep student - Crystal Prep Academy is Canterlot High's biggest rival, and for every Friendship Games event, Crystal Prep always wins. Could've been nice if they even mentioned the events of Pinkie Spy, but... nope.

Later, there's an assembly about the Friendship Games, but no one is interested since they lose every event - yeah, I did actually chuckle at Flash Sentry's remark ("You mean other than us losing?!") - but Rainbow Dash gives them motivation through song, and I get to that, as well as other aspects, later on because I just want to focus on the plot. So far? No major issues as far as I'm concerned.

After Rainbow Dash ponies up, to prevent implications of CHS cheating, Sunset is assigned to keep the magic away from the Games as much as possible... however, she doesn't know what, and I don't think what happened in The Science of Magic helped her either. Still, at least said short had relevance to the film, and she writes to Princess Twilight, hoping for an answer.

Meanwhile with Sci-Twi, she's figured out how to pick up magic from CHS. Dean Cadance comes in and tells Sci-Twi that Principal Cinch wants to see her, all whilst mentioning her dog allergy and that being around people isn't such a bad thing.

Sci-Twi shows up in Principal Cinch's office, and in there are also Dean Cadance and Shining Armor... I'll get to the characters when I get to them after I discuss the plot. Cinch tells Sci-Twi that since she's Crystal Prep's most highly ranked student, she wants her to partake in the Friendship Games to maintain Crystal Prep's reputation. Otherwise, she won't partake in the Everton Independent Study Program. Yep, that's blackmail right there; good luck trying to find someone who actually likes Cinch. It's like trying to find a live mammoth - impossible.

Whilst she's packing up, Spike (the dog, not the dragon) doesn't want Sci-Twi to go alone, so she brings him along with her. Later, she boards the Crystal Prep bus and gives off a... not too good speech for motivation.

Later, the Shadowbolts arrive at CHS and Vice Principal Luna helps to get them settled. Sci-Twi, meanwhile, runs into the CHS students and they somehow seem to recognize her - considering her Equestrian counterpart, I can totally believe why they'd mix up the two Twilights, although why did they not question her appearance? Well, Flash did notice she had glasses on, but his role? Once again, I'll be saving it for later. (On a sidenote - why is Derpy even here? Is she supposed to be a metaphor for something or what am I forgetting?)

Rarity puts new outfits on each of the Human Six, and she ponies up, only for her magic to end up stolen by Sci-Twi, who is just outside the music room. Sci-Twi enters, and we get into some confusion (not from the audience, of course) as to whether Twilight is Celestia's student or Cinch's student. Quite funny that Celestia doesn't even bother arguing Pinkie's comments.

We have a scene where Cinch tells Sci-Twi to focus only on the games and implies that Sci-Twi is being distracted by the CHS students (once again, refer to my comment on mixing up the two Twilights) to lure her away. Later, Sunset tries to head toward Equestria, but the portal's magic is taken by Sci-Twi's amulet, breaking up the connection between the human world and Equestria.

At the gym, there's an uneasy atmosphere between the two schools; Pinkie meets with Sci-Twi and the former decides to ramp things up to improve the atmosphere, but Pinkie's magic is taken as well. To make things worse, Principal Cinch stops the party and indirectly insults CHS's beliefs - to her, it's competition that matters, not friendliness.

The first event is the Academic Decathlon - chemistry, home economics, woodshop, spelling bee, and mathematics? Alright, this part of the review might seem ranty and, to some, nitpicky, but bear with me on this.

The name of the big event is the Friendship Games. None of those events even qualify for an Olympic event! It feels as though they've mixed up an actual Academic Decathalon with the Olympics! Nobody wants to watch students try to get the best grades; people want to see students kick one another's asses! (I don't mean actually kick their ass, but you get my point.) Say what you want about Equestria Games (arguably Spike's best episode to date), but at least the events in question were actually Olympic scale events!

Also, what was the point of even having Flash Sentry, Sandalwood, Micro Chips, Lyra, Bon Bon and Derpy be part of the Wondercolts Team if they were eliminated in the first round? Same thing applies to Jet Set, Upper Crust, Neon Lights, Suri Polomare, Trenderhoof, and Royal Pin for the Shadowbolts Team - why even bother featuring them in the first place? And no, this is not me overthinking or over-analyzing things - that's really their problem - they're only part of their respective teams just to be eliminated, therefore rendering All's Fair in Love and Friendship Games pointless!

Back to the plot; the Shadowbolts win the first event by a fair margin, although the Wondercolts have done amazingly well. Sci-Twi meets up with Fluttershy, who lets her pet... Angel Bunny, I guess? And that causes Fluttershy to also pony up, and her magic is taken away from her as well, and not to mention that Spike goes through a portal and gets caught in the magic stream and... talks?

This causes Sci-Twi to freak out and Spike catches up with her. At least Cathy Weseluck has something to say. Cinch confronts Sci-Twi once again about the "nice girls" and suggests that she know them better; once again, Sci-Twi is stuck.

With the Human Six, they deduce that Sci-Twi is stealing magic from each of them, and they find out the next event - the Tri-Cross Relay in three parts - archery, speed skating, and motocross. Yes, archery and speed skating are Olympic events, although motocross is arguable. Remember that the first event does not feature sports you would see at the Olympics; and how long are we into the film at this point? Roughly 47 minutes, give or take. Keep in mind that Equestria Games was 22 minutes, and the games themselves began within the first ten minutes! So there really is no excuse to pad out a film's length with a first event that's very much pointless to begin with.

CHS is off to a great start when Applejack and Fluttershy complete the archery round, giving Rarity and Pinkie Pie a strong lead. Sci-Twi keeps missing - much to the frustration of Sour Sweet - and when Applejack advises to fire where the target will be, and Sci-Twi does, Applejack also ponies up, and - you guessed it - gets her magic stolen.

Sci-Twi's amulet breaks free and ends up on the track. Crystal Prep catches up, but the amulet starts to spread magic across the playing field as the motocross round begins. Sunset falls off her bike trying to dodge the vines, but Rainbow Dash goes back to help her... and I'm sure you can guess what comes next. However, RD's magic isn't stolen... not yet, at least. Instead, she fends of the vines, and the Wondercolts win, tying the score. And yes, her magic is stolen as well.

This little action causes Sunset to snap and yells at Sci-Twi angrily for almost getting her friends killed (seriously), and that causes her to run off in tears. Not too far away, Cinch accuses Celestia for cheating and insists on the games continuing.

And now comes the final round - Capture the Flag, and again, this shows that there is a difference between activities you play with friends, and competing with others in an Olympic event; now can we please stop forcing me to separate fact from fiction? Principal Cinch suggests that Sci-Twi unleash the magic, and egged on by her and the other Crystal Prep students, Sci-Twi does so... with disastrous consequences.

Sci-Twi becomes Midnight Sparkle and opens up several dimensional rifts into Equestria, resulting in both schools putting their rivalry aside to help one another. Sunset tries talking Midnight out of her rage and says that true magic comes from honesty, loyalty, laughter, generosity, and kindness. The Rainbooms regain their magic after Sunset destroys the amulet and she gains a new alter ego - Daydream Shimmer.

When Spike calls out to Midnight, she's distracted, giving Daydream the advantage and in a white void, after taking Midnight's hand, they return to normal.

Principal Cinch is furious and demands that CHS forfeit, intending to bring this up to the school board, but everyone else counters that no one will believe her, even the Shadowbolts. That's rich; they're mad with Cinch for forcing Sci-Twi to unleash the magic, and yet they did the exact same thing! Making them helpful despite their rivalry and turning on Cinch is not enough to make them less hypocritical. In the end, everyone's a winner.

The next day, Sci-Twi decides to learn about friendship by transferring to Canterlot High, to which Celestia agrees to the idea. I wonder how Cinch reacted having to lose her best student? :P And finally, Sunset realizes how magic works in the human world - the Rainbooms pony p when they display their truest part of themselves - turns out she didn't need Princess Twilight's help after all.

Oh yes, out of all the plot threads in the film, this needed some finality. Princess Twilight shows up, apologizing for her late replies and then notices her human counterpart, and then the film just... stops. Okay then...

You know what bothers me about the ending? This came before The Cutie Re-Mark! With the first two films, they at least at the sense to have both Equestria Girls and Rainbow Rocks come after seasons three and four completed their respective runs! With Friendship Games? It aired two weeks after season five had just resumed airing! Why the hell could they have not held back the film until November 28 at least? Or better yet, why couldn't they have had season five air in one continuous, uninterrupted airing? Season four had aired continuously on Saturdays from November 2013 to May 2014... except for a two-week gap between Testing Testing 1, 2, 3 and Trade Ya! in April. I don't know how valid of an argument this is, but that's what really bothers me.

As for the plot on whole? It reeks of padding. Like, at least ten minutes' worth, particularly the first "event", are pointless; cut out the filler, and the plot might've been the same, possibly better.

THE CHARACTERS

Let's start with the film's leading antagonist - Principal Abacus Cinch. Since the film came one, I've read several comments where people say she's one of their least favorite characters, and I can very easily see why seeing the film again for the sake of reviewing. Cinch was practically a detestable character, and she showed no remorse for her actions; at the same time, she's very dignified and wants to maintain a positive (if you can even see it as positive) image for her reputation. Honestly, would anyone take a story about flying students with wings and talking dogs seriously?

Despite how much she grinds my gears, believe it or not, I take Cinch far more seriously than five of her students. Let me explain.

I'm gonna say it right now; the Crystal Prep Shadowbolts (at least, those that aren't humanizations of pre-existing characters) are creatively bankrupt, personality wise. They're so one dimensional I have absolutely no feeling for them whatsoever. I get what they were going for; they wanted to give off an anti-Mane Six, but the execution of them is extremely weak. I think the only one that was actually distinct was Sour Sweet with her bipolar personality... unless they've already given that to a character (can anyone fill me in and say she doesn't feel like a bland Fluttershy clone?)

Sugarcoat has some distinction with being blunt when it comes to telling the truth (very fitting for her name, I should note), but the other three? Does anyone even remember their names and what they even did? Nope. On whole, for new characters, we got a stuck-up principal character and a quintet of bland Mane Six clones.

Of course, that brings me on to Sci-Twi, as I will still call her to avoid confusion with Princess Twilight. Just like the rest of the Human Five, she's pretty much like her pony counterpart, but with a difference - she's incredibly shy and has trouble making friends. Throughout the film's course, she tries to avoid causing trouble, but when magic is exposed, Sci-Twi can't help when her amulet opens up, and when she does so unwillingly, it turns her into a demon.

I have to say, with Sunset Shimmer, she's come a long way within the span of three films, and if you ask me, she's Starlight Glimmer done correctly. At the end of the first film, Sunset feels remorse for her actions - sure it's rushed, but at least she wasn't given instant redemption, as evidenced in the second film; everyone else was angry with her and her past actions, but by the end, Sunset proves she's really changed when it came to stopping the Dazzlings, and in the third film, they've let bygones be bygones.

Much as I don't like admitting it, she's now my most favorite character ever, with Princess Twilight coming in a close second. Even if when the show ends and Sunset doesn't make it onto an episode, she'll have a place in my heart.

Speaking of heartfelt, given how small is role is, Spike the Dog, even when before he begins to talk, actually has a nice part. He's there when Sci-Twi needs support most, and when she loses her self control towards the climax, Spike helps Daydream to bring her back to normal by getting Midnight's attention. Although, I do find it missed opportunity that they didn't play up Cinch's dog allergy - that would've been funny to see, and extremely satisfying considering her behavior.

Speaking of missed opportunity, you want to know whose role was the most redundant? Shining Armor. What was his purpose to begin with? He only appears for one scene, says three lines of dialogue and that's it! And why the hell is his hair so short? Could they seriously not come up with a good role for him and just feature him for the hell of it? Flash Sentry had more relevance than Shining Armor did!

Ah yes, Flash Sentry. Poor guy. He only gets seven lines of dialogue (including the one I mentioned earlier), only gets two scenes with Sci-Twi, and then that little sub-plot is tossed aside just to turn our focus to Sci-Twi. That's perhaps the worst thing they've ever done to him (and I do not count what the fans say about him, for the record) and it's tragic that fans can do more with him than the official writers have! (And I don't mean just myself, by the way.) Honestly, why not let fans write for the show?

Actually, with both Flash and Shining, that could've been a good use of fanservice - I'm serious! They could've had Shining Armor be the Shadowbolts' coach (a callback to Games Ponies Play) and if he saw Flash with Sci-Twi, he'd get upset about that because they're rival schools. Then, after Sunset shouts at Sci-Twi, Flash could've comforted the latter and he wouldn't have cared less if they were from different schools. Shining could've then confronted them, and when everything's explained, he'll understand, but he's still wary of Flash until the end, where he decides he isn't so bad after all.

Considering what they'd done in season five, what was stopping the writers from giving a shout out to the TwiSentry shippers? There are so many aspects to the fandom, you know, and the aspect I'm part of are the fans that actually care about characters who deserve better (apart from Flash, there's also the likes of Princess Celestia). With both Flash and Shining Armor, they give us nothing, and it's a huge disappointment since Flash received a short centered on him, and had merchandise based on him, and yet does even less than he did in the first film.

To be fair, Dean Cadance had a decent role when she got a couple of scenes with Sci-Twi, but otherwise, she didn't do very much.

As for everyone else? They were just there before the plot demanded for it. It feels like the Human Five are being shoved aside for Sunset. The spinoff is called Equestria Girls, not Sunset Shimmer and Friends. Everyone else should have importance to the plot rather than just being there for the sake of a story. It feels like at the end, everyone's gathered in front of the school as if it were Clue, gathered up to learn the true villain of the story...

Yes, it was you, Vice Principal Luna, in the gym with the amulet!

THE MUSIC

The songs were hit and miss. The opening song is nice, but it isn't as good as Rainbow Rocks' opening song. The rally song was... alright, I suppose. Sci-Twi's solo song feels like it's been done to death when it comes to Twilight expressing her thoughts through song. The song based around the first event was fine despite the ridiculous outcome, and the villain song? Not as interesting as the Dazzlings' songs were. And the end credits song? It's kinda forgettable.

On whole, the songs were a weak batch. They were nicely performed, but they pale in comparison to the songs Rainbow Rocks put forth.

THE ANIMATION & VOICE ACTING

On the other side of the spectrum, the animation really shines through; it looks as though it was cranked up to 11 here. Otherwise, I got nothing else to say.

As for the voice acting, I feel really bad for Vincent Tong - he seems to get the short end of the stick when it comes to characters. The characters he voices are either jerks (Blueblood and Garble), not well-liked by many (Flash Sentry), or they just don't do very much (Donut Joe and several guards). Can't the writers just give him the chance to extend his vocal range? If they did it in a short, they can surely do the same in an episode or a movie! Just because the show is aimed at girls, that doesn't mean they can't have a strong male character!

For the rest? Tara, Rebecca, Ashleigh, Andrea, Tabitha, Cathy, and Nicole are all very devoted to their respective characters (in some cases, more than one character), and they pull them off every single time. Iris Quinn did take me surprise - I think she's probably one of the most obscure voice actresses of all time! For those voicing the Shadowbolts, they could've been given more dialogue had time allowed them to, but... nope.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Was it better than Rainbow Rocks? No. It wasn't. Hell, it was even weaker than Equestria Girls! Friendship Games had an interesting premise, but the execution was extremely weak. This was to Rainbow Rocks the same way season five was to the fourth - a step backward.

You know what seriously bugs me about those talking about this and season five as a whole? Fans are only taking in the "shiny shiny" aspect, thinking that character appearances automatically make an episode good. No. It's not good enough for me. What makes an episode good is how well the story is written. In Friendship Games, the plot moved slowly in places, and even though there were moments where I smirked, it felt really, really dull. Sure, Equestria Girls (the first one, of course) had the weakest premise, but at least it (and Rainbow Rocks) kept my attention for how interesting and unique it was from the actual show. Actually, the third film felt like a rehash of the first, only much less interesting.

I didn't even bring up a deleted subplot - Sunset is homesick for Equestria. Would it have improved the film? Frankly, no. We already had a number of subplots in the film that were either pointless or led to nowhere. If they had featured it, they can't just forget that Sunset still hasn't yet made amends with Princess Celestia! Yeah, there was a moment between Sunset and the CHS principal, but keep in mind that Sunset comes from Equestria.

But you know what the film's biggest disappointment was? It had potential to be great, and instead, it was all watered down and suffered just like The Cutie Re-Mark, which is ironic since both are written by the same writer - Josh Haber. Actually, I've a theory on the writers; Meghan McCarthy is a woman who is absolutely willing to take risks - just take a look at the battle between Twilight and Tirek in the season four finale, and how she brought forth new characters in the season two finale and a new location in the season three premiere. Basically, Meghan had it all, and it's a shame she missed out on season five and this film. Who knows how they could've fared with her at the writing helm...

With Josh Haber? He plays it safe - far too safe for my liking. I know some people don't like risk taking, but... come on, man! Would it at least hurt to have given Flash more screen time?

I really don't know what to make of Friendship Games. Whilst it had good moments, they were incredibly sporadic, and they weren't enough to salvage it. I feel blue for My Little Pony's future. Certainly, if the concerns of many aren't taken into consideration, the show could slowly become a shadow of it's former self during season four and Rainbow Rocks, when it was at it's highest peak. Those who are being critical should be taken more seriously - they have concerns and we can't just simply dismiss those with differing views.

Overall, Friendship Games was very, very average, and perhaps the biggest disappointment to come out of 2015. It was a good idea, but it was executed poorly. If there were those of you who actually liked the film, good for you. And to those who didn't like either of the first two films, I don't think you'll like this one either.

Rating: 5 out of 10