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