Thomas and Friends: The Rest of Season 5 Part 1

Now that we've gotten the Nitrogen era out of the way (thank goodness), it's time to head back to the classic era as there's some unfinished business with it (and yes, I'll get to the Pack episodes when I can get to them.

For the remaining seasons, I'll be splitting them into two halves... possibly except for season eight, which'll be one whole part. That way, I've got a steady stream of episodes.

All episodes written by Britt Allcroft and David Mitton, except Thomas and the Rumors, based upon magazine stories An Important Visitor and Rumors and Speculation by Andrew Brenner. Those marked with an asterisk (*) are written with David Maidment.

Episode 1: Cranky Bugs

Ah, Cranky. One of the few season five characters (other than Arry, Bert and Butch) that actually became well-loved in seasons to come. (Although, Arry and Bert are practically characters we'd love to hate... but whatever.)

I have to say, for this season, the models and filming techniques were fantastic; the models look glossy and I'm glad that it was used for CGI productions from The Adventure Begins onward. Makes them look real. For the episode itself, I quite liked this one, and the scene with the tramper's accident was just awesome to look at. Yeah, it was kind of dumb that Cranky would fall in front of Thomas and Percy and not on them, but it was very funny to look at.

And yes, there's Alec Baldwin's narration; it's not as good as I remembered it (probably bad if we consider how much effort he put into season six), but he did provide good voices for the likes of Oliver, Toad (which influenced my voice for him in Sodor: The Modern Years) and Sir Topham Hatt.

Episode 4: Lady Hatt's Birthday Party*

...oh dear. Even here, I cannot take the Fat Controller seriously. I like how there was focus upon the humans and road vehicles of Sodor, a rarity even in the classic era. Glad that there was more focus upon both in Two Wheels Good, as well as in The Beast of Sodor. Of course, I seriously doubt that the Fat Controller wouldn't bother to change his tire; if he can run a railway, he can darn well change a wheel for his car!

A bit of a three-striker here, but then, The Sad Story of Henry featured that formula. Honestly, I feel there was missed opportunity for the Wilhelm scream with George's accident, but oh well. Also, how did Thomas get to the water tower without his fireman?

Episode 7: Bye George!

George is another character we haven't seen in recent years, his last major appearance/role being in Calling All Engines well over a decade ago. With all the happy road vehicles we got, having a grump like George (and maybe a strict old lady like Elizabeth) could really shake things up. Oh, and how about a dynamic with George and Buster?

As for this episode, how did the workmen not notice that tarmacking over the rails improperly would have an accident? If George spilled some on purpose and no one noticed, that'd probably make better sense. And yes, Gordon's accident with Duck was unrealistic. I guess it's one of those "so stupid, it's hilarious" moments, am I right? Interesting to see that George got his comeuppance at the end, and the narrator's snarky comment was rather amusing.

Episode 8: Baa!*

Hmm. It's quite strange that a wild animal like a ram would actually take cabbage leaves from a human like that rather than attack. Also, it's odd that Percy would kind of snap at Toby after a bit of harmless teasing from the tram engine. And didn't Toby say Maithwaite was his favorite station? Of course, we did have funny moments like the Fat Controller losing his top hat due to Harold's propellers; I'm sure he didn't mean "eat his hat" literally!

Episode 9: Put Upon Percy

Percy is a great character in the classic era, and he's still great in the newer episodes. Here, he's given a more urgent side to his character, especially when he remembered the canvas barrier to keep himself safe from the rocksldie. It's miles ahead of the Nitrogen episodes where he's portrayed as a childish idiot trying to befriend animals or hunt for monsters. I also like the little things like the length of Percy's train - ten trucks, including a brakevan - and the interior of the mine-shaft. Some children might find this scary, which I can understand, but older fans will enjoy this.

Episode 17: Thomas and the Rumors

Oh, this was a long time coming, I feel. It's one I wanted to review ever since I started this blog, and finally, I get the chance to do so.

Yes, there's a subplot where Thomas wants to help children, but actually, it plays a nice role in the episode as a whole. Remember my review on Sunshine from TUGS? Well, the moral on jumping to conclusions applies nicely to this. The engines think Harold is going to replace them, but he's actually looking for suitable ground for the children's playground. Sidenote: Percy doesn't have a branchline, he runs on Thomas'. Another issue is Gordon's driver siding with his engine; surely he could've been a voice of reason? That said, the accident was nicely filmed, as was every accident in season five. Another really good episode.

Thomas and Friends Season 5 Scorecard

1. Cranky Bugs: 7
2. Horrid Lorry: 8
3. A Better View for Gordon: 10
4. Lady Hatt's Birthday Party: 9
5. James and the Trouble with Trees: 8
6. Gordon and the Gremlin: 7
7. Bye George!: 7
8. Baa!: 6
9. Put Upon Percy: 9
10. Toby and the Flood: 3
11. Haunted Henry: 9
12. Double Teething Troubles: 9

13. Stepney Gets Lost: 6

14. Toby's Discovery: 5

15. Something in the Air: 9
16. Thomas, Percy and Old Slowcoach: 10
17. Thomas and the Rumors: 8

18. Oliver's Find: 7

25. Rusty and the Boulder: 5
26. Snow: 1