My final post related to Thomas' 19th series! Here, I'll be listing the episodes I've ranked from worst to best, as well as giving additional thoughts on the season as a whole. Let's get started!
Worst - Rocky Rescue
Rating: -3/10
If they aren't treating supposed heroes like petty, childish brats, they're shunting their continuity straight into a brick wall, and this is a prime example as to why. It's only this season in which the Rescue Team have accomplished a thousand rescues - a whale being one of them, I reckon - but in this, they don't act like they have. Not to mention that they've redeemed Flynn and Belle in season 17, only to revert them to being idiots... again! If this was during season 16 or 17, I'd be more forgiving to some extent, but having it this far into the new era is simply inexcusable. That's like dealing with Luna's depression five seasons in, only for her to potentially threaten Equestria again! (Oh wait, that's already happened.)
Stay away from this failure.
The Other Side of the Mountain
Rating: 0/10
Truth time; I liked this a little bit at first, but when watching it again several times over, as well as seeing SamTheTrainFan's riffing on this episode (and Helping Hiro, which is next on the list), I realized how stupid this was. Not to mention how mean-spirited this was against Thomas, but even then, I couldn't root for him. And yeah, in case you're wondering, this would definitely have been on my Thomas is and Idiot list, possibly in the Top 10.
Helping Hiro
Rating: 2/10
"Oh, the potential!" seems to have been a recurring theme within season 19, and this episode shows us why that's the case.
Considering Toad's Adventure, in which James and Toad played off one another brilliantly, why couldn't Mark and Nick have done something similar with this by simply let Hiro play off another character like Charlie? Whilst the plot would still have a fair amount of contrivance, it at least would've made sense. I didn't like this episode that much when I first saw it, and I still don't to this day. Not helping is how I've recently figured out for myself that Hiro's just overrated, and also - if he misses Japan so much, why doesn't he go there?! (Oh, I'll get to that one soon enough.)
Salty All at Sea
Rating: 3/10
I know, I know, I originally gave this a 5.5/10, but looking back, I don't feel as generous. Porter has been severely underused since Away from the Sea, and despite some nice roles in the likes of Gone Fishing and Tale of the Brave, he's pretty much been relegated to the background, and this episode didn't even bother giving him a speaking role - not one line! Working alongside one another does not automatically make a dynamic; take note for next season, writers.
A Cranky Christmas
Rating: 4/10
Just outright boring. It tried to redeem itself with some humorous moments, but they fall flat like the Fat Controller. It feels a lot like a less-than-stellar take on Who's Geoffrey, and could've been cut down to four minutes.
Henry Spots Trouble
Rating: 4/10
Dear Thomas writers, if you're to write more episodes with Henry, please - do not treat his worrisome persona like it's a personality quirk! It's not cute, and if overused, it can become grating really quick.
To be honest, that's why I'm still not really fond of this episode. Yes, it taught us about fears of the unknown, but there's other kids shows out there that have done similar episodes to that. The writing in Henry Spots Trouble is fine, but it's a pretty forgettable episode.
The Little Engine Who Raced Ahead
Rating: 6/10
And here's another rating change.
I originally gave this a 7.5/10, but it dropped to a 6/10 cause... well, the plot is a bit on the disjointed side. Not as bad as it was in Rocky Rescue, but it could've been structured a lot better. They could've had the "race" take place earlier and then have the scoldings to Philip take place at the end of the episode, along with him promising not to pester Gordon again, maybe with a Thomas cameo where makes a "trust me, I know what that's like" face towards Philip.
Despite that, I still think the episode is alright, and I am quite interested to see how Philip's role in The Great Race will go.
Snow Place Like Home
Rating: 7/10
There's not much else I can say for this one, but I will say the focus is a bit confused - is it about Victor's fear of snow, or Kevin getting stuck in it?
Reds vs. Blues
Rating: 7/10
You know, I really don't know why this episode gets condemned by fans - is it the cliched plot? The focus on soccer/football? Another Thomas vs. James episode? It's really hard to tell as I really quite liked this one. There were some funny moments, and it's a clearly superior take on Thomas and the Colors, which, again, I will eventually get to.
Philip to the Rescue
Rating: 8/10
It was definitely a lot better structured than The Little Engine Who Raced Ahead, but for James letting Philip's attitude get the better of him? It's kind of difficult for me to explain or give my own interpretation on that, but hopefully, I'll come up with some reason or explanation behind this. Or maybe you have a perspective that you'd like to share.
Wild Water Rescue
Rating: 8/10
One of those humdrum plots where the episode is driven by characters rather than the story; moving on.
Who's Geoffrey?
Rating: 8/10
A nice season opener, although I do admit it might've been more interesting with a twist ending like a few people have suggested on DeviantArt. Yeah, it might be a little cliched, but can anyone name a Thomas episode where we got a twist ending what we didn't expect? (Not Daisy's reveal in Lost Treasure, since we knew about it before it came out on DVD.) Come on, work with me here.
The Truth About Toby
Rating: 8/10
Yeah, the episode's got it's problems, but then, so does every episode of the show, whether they be technical or story-wise. Of course, why were the issue with Toby's sideplates not brought up again until the ending? Couldn't they have fallen off at the scrapyards while Reg was lifting him?
There are positives that make up for a fair number of the negatives; it was nice to see Gordon and James show a different shade of their personas, and Henrietta was excellent. Way better than how it was handled in Thomas and the New Engine.
Two Wheels Good
Rating: 8/10
At last, an episode with focus on humans and road vehicles! Here's hoping we have more like this in the future... but separately, of course. This made the Duke and Duchess very interesting (why they aren't named, I don't know) and their moments were pure brilliance.
Something I didn't point out in the original review was the reusing of an angle from The Thomas Way - I don't mind that at all, just as long as they do it sparingly and so it doesn't affect the episode as a whole.
The Beast of Sodor
Rating: 8/10
Oh dear - I can't take the Fat Controller seriously anymore. Not saying it's bad, it's just a humorous bit of riffing from yours truly. This was probably our favorite railway director at his funniest. Plus, its connection to Henry's and Spencer's plot worked nicely, and it actually worked for Henry. I'm just hoping they keep developing him for season 20...!
No Help at All
Rating: 9/10
Ooh, now we're getting to the Top 10!
I don't think I'll add extra thoughts to this episode without giving it justice, so I won't. But I will say it must be seen to be appreciated.
I don't think I'll add extra thoughts to this episode without giving it justice, so I won't. But I will say it must be seen to be appreciated.
Diesel's Ghostly Christmas
Rating: 9/10
Same thing with this. Yeah, a lot of the story is contrived, but then, you sometimes need to break a few rules just to get the story to work. I think Diesel suited the role for Scrooge very nicely, and the disguises by Emily, Salty, Paxton, and Thomas were very creative as well.
Of course, this is worth noting - and a similar problem occurs with Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasue - WHY are the crews not involved?! What are they these days - the engines' hands? A plot device for things to happen? Why are they (for the most part) mute? So many unanswered questions about them, but seriously. Either you actually feature the engines' crews doing more than just being here, or you don't feature them at all! I mean, is it that hard to stay consistent, especially when The Adventure Begins showed Gordon's driver scolding his engine?!
I could ramble on about the problem with the engine crews, but I'll let TheUnluckyTug02's take on this matter in the second half of his Lost Treasure review explain it a lot better than I could've done. (It's around the five minute mark.)
As for Diesel's Ghostly Christmas? It is still a fantastic episode, especially for Thomas' very first two-part episode, but they seriously need to work on consistency in the show, especially when it comes to little things (more on that later).
Of course, this is worth noting - and a similar problem occurs with Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasue - WHY are the crews not involved?! What are they these days - the engines' hands? A plot device for things to happen? Why are they (for the most part) mute? So many unanswered questions about them, but seriously. Either you actually feature the engines' crews doing more than just being here, or you don't feature them at all! I mean, is it that hard to stay consistent, especially when The Adventure Begins showed Gordon's driver scolding his engine?!
I could ramble on about the problem with the engine crews, but I'll let TheUnluckyTug02's take on this matter in the second half of his Lost Treasure review explain it a lot better than I could've done. (It's around the five minute mark.)
As for Diesel's Ghostly Christmas? It is still a fantastic episode, especially for Thomas' very first two-part episode, but they seriously need to work on consistency in the show, especially when it comes to little things (more on that later).
Very Important Sheep
Rating: 9/10
Another of those episodes where there's little to talk about, but all I can say here is that it's what Wonky Whistle should've been (even though that episode is overhated, but I digress).
Lost Property
Rating: 9/10
No one expected this episode to be great when it first came out on DVD in June 2015 - it was a simplistic, slice-of-life story, but it was mixed with great humor and moments with Thomas and the Fat Controller. A real highlight for this season, but what can be better? Well...
Goodbye Fat Controller
Rating: 9/10
Thank goodness season 19 ended it's run in Japan with this episode - had it been Rocky Rescue, I would not have been happy at all.
Sure, the rumors plot has been done to death in the past, but it really works for this episode - Sir Topham Hatt is respected by all his engines even though he has had unfortunate (and rather amusing) mishaps in the past, and they couldn't imagine Sodor without him. I think that's what makes it the best of the "rumors" episodes of season 19 - a bonding between the railway controller and his engines like parents and their children.
Sure, the rumors plot has been done to death in the past, but it really works for this episode - Sir Topham Hatt is respected by all his engines even though he has had unfortunate (and rather amusing) mishaps in the past, and they couldn't imagine Sodor without him. I think that's what makes it the best of the "rumors" episodes of season 19 - a bonding between the railway controller and his engines like parents and their children.
Den and Dart
Rating: 9/10
If Davey Moore could succeed in expanding on Den (mostly) and Dart, why could he have screwed up that badly with the Rescue team? I guess that's an answer we may never know, but it doesn't affect how brilliant this episode and its characters were.
But right now, let's get to the real standouts - the big ones.
I think this episode perfectly shows the negatives of public transport; some people will have babies in strollers, and yes, they will cry at any opportunity, it's natural. On the next mode of public transport you ride in if there's a baby in a stroller and if it starts crying at any point, think of where this episode was coming from. Despite not having heard a baby cry on a bus (yet, at least), I actually believe where Thomas the Babysitter came from, and it's an episode I really liked from the get-go.
Very rarely do kids' shows actually tackle adult issues head on. When they do, they often end up backfiring horribly by not understanding the issue (One Coarse Meal) and/or just simply insult those with psychological problems (Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep). Emily being self-conscious about her appearance and feeling depressed over it worked beautifully, and it shows that, like everyone else, she can feel sad or upset, hopefully shutting up those who think she's a "Mary Sue".
And then there's the issue with responding to audience criticisms. Of course, we all know Thomas and Friends has been targeted for being "sexist", and so they introduced more female characters as a response to the critics. With this episode? It's not so much of a "take that" to the critics, but rather, it showcases how brilliant Emily and Caitlin are, and can be, as characters.
That's what makes Best Engine Ever the best episode ever in Thomas history - it tackles an adult issue, makes those who faced a problem similar to Emily's actually feel better about themselves by the end, and it's a response to the critics who scream "sexist" without being "in your face" about it. It has it all, and like I've said before, it shall remain my favorite episode until they either best it (which I doubt), the show ends and I stop being a fan, or I die. Whichever comes first.
Perhaps the season's biggest problem was inconsistency within the episodes. Sure, they try tying up to past episodes and specials, but we're three seasons into the new era. That kind of stuff could've been kept in season 17, and it might not have been so bad since we had a new writing staff, and there was a big mess to clean up. Helping Hiro is a prime example of this; they tried making it a sequel to Hero of the Rails, but it was six years too late for that.
Then there's the focus on the Steam Team - Thomas especially. Why did they have to feature him in every episode?! We should be past that by now! If it was so Joseph May and John Hasler could get used to the role, even then, it's no excuse.
Of course, there's Henry, Gordon, and James - they need to stop treating their respective character flaws like they're personality quirks. It gets really annoying, and the writers should at least try and show different shades of their personalities like we saw in The Truth About Toby (at least for Gordon and James). Heck, even in the Barlow era, we saw Gordon and James show kindness once in a while. As for Henry? Well, I've moaned enough about his worrisome persona being treated as a quirk as it is.
I do appreciate what the season was trying to do, of course; it wanted to try out new things like the previous season did, and that's admirable. Some worked, but others didn't, although I wish that a fair number of characters received more screentime - I mean, characters like Duck, Oliver, Whiff, Belle, and Stafford didn't have enough time to shine and spoke once or twice.
Overall, I'd give this season a 7/10; had there been more quality control, it could've been better. I'm hoping season 20 is better than this and hopefully bigger than season 18, and with the confirmed appearances of Sir Handel, Rosie, and Stanley, as well as Daisy's return, it should be interesting. Of course, I, like everyone else, am also wondering what else this season will have in store for us...
That's it for season 19 - bring on the big 20 and The Great Race! This should be an exciting time for Thomas fans (as long as Viacom allows it)!
But right now, let's get to the real standouts - the big ones.
Toad and the Whale
Rating: 10/10
Enough people have praised this to high hell (and not without reason, I should note), so let's move on.
Thomas the Babysitter
Rating: 10/10
Honestly, I was going to be much harsher in my review; not with this episode, but rather, at the episode's critics. I think the reaction to this pretty much reminds me of when Brotherhooves Social came out - people got upset all because Big Macintosh was dressed as a mare (and he had every reason to do so to be with Apple Bloom, people!) and with this one, people gripe about it being a generic Thomas episode, how "boring" this episode was (yeah, and so were Lost Property and Very Important Sheep[!]), and the fact that the baby was crying throughout when Thomas wasn't moving.I think this episode perfectly shows the negatives of public transport; some people will have babies in strollers, and yes, they will cry at any opportunity, it's natural. On the next mode of public transport you ride in if there's a baby in a stroller and if it starts crying at any point, think of where this episode was coming from. Despite not having heard a baby cry on a bus (yet, at least), I actually believe where Thomas the Babysitter came from, and it's an episode I really liked from the get-go.
Slow Stephen
Rating: 10/10
Yeah, Helen Farrall is pretty dominant in the Top 10, and I think this is her absolute best. So much that it's now my fourth favorite episode of the show (The Flying Kipper is now at fifth and Old Iron is third). Apart from my complaint about Gordon's portrayal in the episode and the current era in general, this was very well-paced and had excellent action in the third act. Once again, you got to see it to appreciate its genius.
Best - Best Engine Ever
Rating: 10/10
After much deliberation, I have finally decided that, after 30 years since Thomas and Bertie, Andrew Brenner managed to bring forth my new favorite episode of the entire show. Oh sure, there may be one or two minor problems this has, but then again, Thomas and Bertie did too.Very rarely do kids' shows actually tackle adult issues head on. When they do, they often end up backfiring horribly by not understanding the issue (One Coarse Meal) and/or just simply insult those with psychological problems (Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep). Emily being self-conscious about her appearance and feeling depressed over it worked beautifully, and it shows that, like everyone else, she can feel sad or upset, hopefully shutting up those who think she's a "Mary Sue".
And then there's the issue with responding to audience criticisms. Of course, we all know Thomas and Friends has been targeted for being "sexist", and so they introduced more female characters as a response to the critics. With this episode? It's not so much of a "take that" to the critics, but rather, it showcases how brilliant Emily and Caitlin are, and can be, as characters.
That's what makes Best Engine Ever the best episode ever in Thomas history - it tackles an adult issue, makes those who faced a problem similar to Emily's actually feel better about themselves by the end, and it's a response to the critics who scream "sexist" without being "in your face" about it. It has it all, and like I've said before, it shall remain my favorite episode until they either best it (which I doubt), the show ends and I stop being a fan, or I die. Whichever comes first.
Final Thoughts
Season 19 was to Thomas what season five was to MLP - a step backwards. Unlike MLP season five, however, there are enough good episodes to make up for a number of the bad ones, and the bad ones of Thomas season 19 aren't as bad as those in MLP season five (except maybe Rocky Rescue), in which the bad ones were really bad.Perhaps the season's biggest problem was inconsistency within the episodes. Sure, they try tying up to past episodes and specials, but we're three seasons into the new era. That kind of stuff could've been kept in season 17, and it might not have been so bad since we had a new writing staff, and there was a big mess to clean up. Helping Hiro is a prime example of this; they tried making it a sequel to Hero of the Rails, but it was six years too late for that.
Then there's the focus on the Steam Team - Thomas especially. Why did they have to feature him in every episode?! We should be past that by now! If it was so Joseph May and John Hasler could get used to the role, even then, it's no excuse.
Of course, there's Henry, Gordon, and James - they need to stop treating their respective character flaws like they're personality quirks. It gets really annoying, and the writers should at least try and show different shades of their personalities like we saw in The Truth About Toby (at least for Gordon and James). Heck, even in the Barlow era, we saw Gordon and James show kindness once in a while. As for Henry? Well, I've moaned enough about his worrisome persona being treated as a quirk as it is.
I do appreciate what the season was trying to do, of course; it wanted to try out new things like the previous season did, and that's admirable. Some worked, but others didn't, although I wish that a fair number of characters received more screentime - I mean, characters like Duck, Oliver, Whiff, Belle, and Stafford didn't have enough time to shine and spoke once or twice.
Overall, I'd give this season a 7/10; had there been more quality control, it could've been better. I'm hoping season 20 is better than this and hopefully bigger than season 18, and with the confirmed appearances of Sir Handel, Rosie, and Stanley, as well as Daisy's return, it should be interesting. Of course, I, like everyone else, am also wondering what else this season will have in store for us...
That's it for season 19 - bring on the big 20 and The Great Race! This should be an exciting time for Thomas fans (as long as Viacom allows it)!
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