Top 10 MLP Characters That Lost Their Mojo (ft. The Super Mario Brony)

As my final post of 2016, I've done a collaboration with the Super Mario Brony Blog. We've already done one on his blog about how to avoid bad writing, but this time, on my blog, we've done one about ten MLP characters (or character groups, in a few cases) that lost their mojo over the past six seasons.

I'd like to start off with a question; you've got a character you've loved since you were younger, but what does it take to make you lose interest in them? A general lack of interest? A couple of bad starring roles? Or maybe the writers have done something so bad it makes you dislike them?

In that sense, this is a post dedicated to those that apparently just slipped overtime. Those that we feel have slowly lost their charm, potential, or special something at this current point onward. The Top Ten MLP:FIM Characters That Have Lost Their Mojo.

A couple things to point out:

1. Characters from Friendship is Magic and Equestria Girls only. So characters that were featured in the comics won't be considered.
2. We're basing them primarily on mix mashup of the all good character traits that made them a lot more successful with true potential, awesome, and interestingly more popular than they are at this current point.

So what puts Discord on our list? Three words - What About Discord.

We can't really blame him for being the unlikable jerk he was in that atrocious Twilight torture porn rehash of Three's A Crowd though, as we primarily have Neal Dusedau to blame for that. (Since it's obvious that fictional characters are who they either still are, or become depending on how specific writers write for them.)

And as for why he's so, so low? Season six managed to fix him up and make him a highlight in the otherwise disastrous finale. Too bad that a number of other characters got screwed over in season six. Speaking of which...

At the very start of season six, Rarity gave great performances as to being her true character in episodes like The Gift of the Maud Pie and Spice Up Your Life (both of those of which were collab episodes of both her and Pinkie, but anyway). But for some unfortunate reason, (alongside both of Ashleigh Ball's characters) she suddenly went in the opposite direction after the first half of season six.

Case in point, The Cart Before the Ponies; she, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash (more on her later) are supposed to act like adults, not the children they were in that episode! It's also rather telling that the Crusaders, who are actually children, behaved more sensibly and maturely than they did.

Rarity ranked slightly higher than Discord because she's a major character, but again, she's lower as other characters have had worse portrayals in recent episodes.

And believe us, Applejack would've made our countdown (as to only starting it off with Discord and Rarity) as well if not for Where the Apple Lies. Too bad Rarity didn't have a redeeming installment unlike AJ after the sloppy P.P.O.V. (Pony Point of View).

No, Shining Armor and Cadance don't count; just everypony else

Oh, this isn't gonna be a fun one, I can tell you that much...

And we have three simple words for this one as well: Slice of Life. Yes, it's an obvious fact that they're just in the background as to not playing major roles in pretty much every other episode, but how they could've worked as if they were each done one at a time (basically one episode per pony; like Octavia and Vinyl Scratch together, or Bon Bon/Sweetie Drops and Lyra Heartstrings together... not to mention others like Dr. Hooves). Cause even minor characters really deserve a lot of development instead of just being crammed into one so-called "100th special" as to getting only 1/10 of it.

That was a big problem with Legend of Everfree (more on five of its "stars" later) - too many subplots that resulted in a confusing mess. The only difference is that Slice of Life is practically harmless enough for children whereas Legend of Everfree sends out some dangerous messages.

Getting back to the background ponies, are they all bad? Not really; some have a bit of potential for storytelling based on the established traits they have - see Amending Fences for context - and they could do with an episode or two... just as long as you don't cram it all into a single episode where it becomes a convoluted mess, but I digress.

We've both rambled on about this Sunset wannabe countless times before, so for a real explanation on why, read here for her current character nowadays, and here (under the section "DON'T Overuse Certain Characters") for just what Hasbro can do to give her at least some decency. Moving on to...

You might disagree, but during season six, Rainbow Dash somehow became 20 percent less cooler. It started off with her being bullied in Newbie Dash, and then there was the aforementioned Cart Before the Ponies and 28 Pranks Later.

Luckily though, the airings of Stranger Than Fan Fiction and Top Bolt gave her some credibility as to having at least some reputation she had back in previous seasons with other installments before Season 6 like Season 2's Read It and Weep and Season 3's Wonderbolts Academy.

We're halfway through the list, but there's one other Mane Six member that got off worse than Rainbow Dash...

That's right. Even Friendship is Magic's main protagonist lost her charm. And with reason, we feel Twilight is slightly higher than the Mane Six character we feel got the worst treatment above any other element of the six in season six.

Where do we start? Well, let's take a look at The Crystalling, shall we?

Twilight believes here that friendship is easy as "following a list" when it's actually more complex than that. However, I'd forgive that since she's getting used to be Starlight's teacher, but in the next episode Glim-Glam (yes, even I am not immune to using fandom nicknames) appeared in, Twilight... she was just as bad a teacher as she was in said premiere, coming off as a biased hypocrite. Not only that, but No Second Prances was also completely regressive for Friendship is Magic itself, going against everything the show is supposed to teach. And because of that, FiM has become a show with potential to be great, but it can only be seen as good at best.

We both still have serious respect for the character who was at her finest in masterpieces like Amending Fences and of course Twilight's Kingdom... and she still has given us great performances like with Rainbow Dash in Top Bolt. But please, Hasbro; bring back the Twilight we both knew and loved back then from the first four seasons (with some of season five also but still).

Two months have passed, and we still can't get over how rushed the Changelings' turn-around was. Where do we even start with them?

Thorax is already a character we're both neutral towards, and every other changeling of Queen Chrysalis herself was good (with A Canterlot Wedding being the prime example of this factor, whilst in the painful The Cutie Re-Mark she and her minions were just highlights), but then the most recent season finale (or as we both like to call it; the worst episode of the show to this day) happened.

And then there's the designs... sweet mother of Celestia, what is up with them?! If you thought Twilight becoming an Alicorn was bad, the new Changelings' designs take that up to eleven... thousand.

While Twilight randomly receiving new wings may not have been the best idea (since we were all used to her original unicorn form at first), she still has been written greatly throughout seasons four and five. Compared to the newer Changeling designs though, which were all completely unoriginal (mostly like "Final Fantasy villains" unoriginal), it practically was the best idea of the show despite that it technically wasn't.

Yeah, good idea done in one of the worst ways possible. Three more entries to go, and we may have controversy...

Speaking of Legend of Everfree, these five human counterparts of all of Twilight's friends have unfortunately lost their mojo even beforehand with Friendship Games.

Personally, I'm thinking of doing a post about the Human Five. Sure, they were pretty good in the first film, but perhaps one of Rainbow Rocks' most significant issues is how they regressed to being whiny, petty teenage girl stereotypes once more when it came to being a rock band. In fact, I can't believe even I missed out on that in my review!

Ah well, no one's perfect, I suppose, but never mind.

And don't get us wrong, we still love Rainbow Rocks as it's undoubtedly the best in the spinoff series, but another reason we felt they've been bruised badly is the fact they've also been overshadowed by the whiny Kim Kardashian of MLP characters (except that she doesn't take countless saucy selfies) known as Twilight's real human counterpart Sci-Twi, which is really just as bad as how Starlight overshadowed everyone in you-all-know-what.

The Human Five are possibly the most frustrating characters on the list, but we're basing them on how much they lost their mojo, so keep that in mind. So... who's number two?

Now this is where crap's really hitting the fan...!

Even despite her highlight of a role in Top Bolt (as both Twilight and Rainbow Dash obviously had), we just can't deny that this leader of the Wonderbolts still hasn't gotten any better over season six. I mean, this is the Pegasus who stood out and shined in breaths of fresh air like Wonderbolts Academy and Rarity Investigates!, but then, along with the other Wonderbolts, she went completely out of character in the cartoon abomination known as Newbie Dash.

You know, it kinda feels like the writers don't know what to do with her; is she really that jerkish or does she actually have a heart? C'mon, writers, make up your minds about her, will ya? If you're not interested in telling a story, then at least try to get the characters right! Is it that hard to do?

But then, of course, there's the number one contender for someone who'd totally lost her mojo...

You all know why we feel she's lost more mojo than any other MLP character in general, right?

Six words: Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep?

I know it's a rhetorical question, but my answer for that would be "no" if the princess in question is committing self-harm, therefore endangering her subjects in modern Equestria, and potentially coming off as a bad leader to said subjects. That's Luna in a nutshell.

Pinkie slandering about her in Luna Eclipsed is bad enough, not to mention she's often treated like Starlight when it comes to turning characters into nothing but pointless plot devices, but the fact that Magic Sheep completely wrecked her true character is honestly proof enough that even die-hard Luna fans really need to look more clearly at her personality, and not just (and only) the things that she's capable of doing. (Because really, we obviously blame Scott Sonneborn for ruining her).

Yeah, we're also looking right at you, Maleficent! But, again, I digress.

We'll see you all in the new year, and this is Zack Wanzer and Tyler Smith singing out.

Thomas and Friends: Season 20 Winter Episodes

It's almost Christmas time, and to celebrate, here's the remaining three winter episodes out of season 20!

Episode 11: Letters to Santa

Written by Helen Farrall

The last time we saw Percy and Harold share an episode together was way back during season six with A Bad Day for Harold. So, to see them star together for the first time in fourteen years with this episode really makes them more special. Don't get me wrong; I like the Thomas and Bertie episodes (except for The Other Side of the Mountain), but do they need to turn up every season? Once in a while is fine, but once a year, and it becomes rather predictable. With Harold, he can go just about anywhere, whether he's close to the ground, near the water, or in the air.

For the flashback, yes, it's based on the Railway Series and not the TV series, but do I care. No, as long as they're keeping true to the shows' roots, that's all good in my books. Much like several episodes of this season, what I loved about Letters to Santa are the technicals in terms of railway operations like mail services being run by someone other than Percy, and the usage of Jeremy was really good (even if it was a toy promo, but still... maybe he could return in season 21?)

I believe I may have said it before, but I'll do so here anyway; Helen Farrall is my favorite Thomas writer. I love how she can mix it up with the slice of life stories and the action-packed, suspenseful adventures, and in both, she's able to provide funny character moments. If anything, I feel she should be head writer for the show - not that Andrew Brenner is a bad writer, but his writing has hit quality rot during season 19 and The Great Race, so maybe he's better off as script editor and letting the rest of the team handle it. He's not the worst of the new team, but he is by far the least good so far; the others just manage to write better scripts.

One issue is the ending - or at least, near it - where Harold stayed on the mainland all night and no one was able to help him before Percy did. Why? However, the story does hold up enough to make you overlook that, and it helps provide a very good moral about helping others in need.

Episode 12: Love Me Tender

Written by Davey Moore

Another fan-favorite out of season 20 alone. Does it hold up? Yes, it does. It's basically Twin Trouble from season six with elements of Percy the Snowman, only this has a longer run time and the basic elements are improved upon. Donald and Douglas are at their best here, and I really love how much they care for each other, even after a petty squabble. I don't mind that they're referred to as "brothers" rather than "twins" - they're still related either way. And yes, I'm gonna bring up Rob Rackstraw now voicing Donald. Getting used to it, I believe that was done to give Donald and Douglas (the latter still voiced by Joe Mills) their own distinct personalities - I mean, compare that to Bill and Ben, who essentially have the same personality and voice.

To be honest, there's very little I can say about Love Me Tender that hasn't been said. Pretty much everyone's made my job reviewing this episode much easier, so give it a watch and you'll see why it's so brilliant.

Episode 13: The Railcar and the Coaches

Written by Davey Moore

I'm gonna say this right now; along with Ryan and Daisy, this is my favorite episode of season 20. Not only that, they pretty much knock Thomas and Bertie to fourth position on my favorite episodes list (if I actually updated it!) with season 19's Best Engine Ever still in the #1 slot.

This may also prove to be the funniest episode of the entire show, and it's down to the interactions between Daisy, Annie and Clarabel. Now, I know what some of you may be thinking - is Daisy out of character? Frankly, the answer is no. Daisy hadn't been in the TV series for twenty years (barring a cameo in Calling All Engines which, frankly, led to nothing anyway) although arguably, you could add an extra nine years if you consider Bulls Eyes a season four afterthought. So in that timeframe, kids may not even know what Daisy's persona is like.

So, come season 20, Daisy has so far shown a few different shades of her character - her laziness (Ryan and Daisy), her stubbornness (The Way She Does It), and her pride (this episode). I love that they're giving Daisy far more love than she got in the classic era, and she's instantly shot straight up to my Top 10 favorites (again, if I updated it). It's also far more effective than James' characterization where he feels very one-note.

I've also really enjoyed Annie and Clarabel in recent years (even if in some cases, the engine who pulls them feels forced, but here, Thomas doesn't since it takes place on his branchline) and this episode is no exception. I mean, did anyone expect them to be as cheeky as they were here? I didn't, and I liked how it expands on their character - they might be stern when Thomas gets ahead of himself, but even they appreciate a good joke once in a while, and seeing Daisy's reaction to their teasing was priceless. Plus, have you ever imagined coaches being punished for misbehaving? That I'd like to see more of - maybe with some new coaches from the mainland?

And that brings me onto the ending; yes, I actually did find it funny. Of course, not everybody will agree, and I get that. Some will say that their punishment was far too extreme as all Annie and Clarabel did was play a trick on Daisy. Somebody compared that to Arthur's Big Hit where the avenger is punished instead of the instigator. I've not watched Arthur in years, so I can't really make the comparison.

For me, it was handled better than Buffer Bashing because Annie and Clarabel actually did something to deserve their scolding, whereas Douglas had brake trouble and the accident was out of his control completely. I know it's been said before, but it's also why the joke at the end of Duck and the Slip Coaches falls flat - had James been the one left without a space at Tidmouth Sheds and not Emily (who didn't really serve any purpose other than a stupid bit of fan-pandering, but I digress), then it might have worked better.

Some will say Daisy didn't get a punishment - actually, yes. Imagine in your workplace that you're forced to work with somebody whose guts you despise, regardless if you say it to their face or not. That's a relatable situation they worked into this episode - even if you don't want to work with the people you hate or openly mocked to their face, you can't go against the boss' orders. In this case, Daisy had no choice but to work with the coaches they made fun of.

Another aspect about the ending is how it goes against the typical "apology ending" we've come to expect. They actually did this in Millie and the Volcano, but I ultimately disfavor that episode (it's still not bad though, don't get me wrong) because Millie's (and the groundskeeper's) actions to get back at Samson could've resulted in a bigger fire, potentially ruining the Earl's dinosaur park. Not helping is that it came from a writer who should know better than that, especially since Brenner wrote for Fireman Sam (in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Volcano was the point where his writing began to hit quality rot, but, again, I digress).

Other than that, there's not much else to say about The Railcar and the Coaches, really. For me, it's fun to watch from start to finish (Diesel's portrayal in recent years also makes me like him more) and even though this aired third, it was a terrific comeback for Daisy.

Thomas and Friends Season 20 Scorecard

1. Sidney Sings: 8

2. Toby's New Friend: 8

3. Henry Gets the Express: 10

4. Diesel and the Ducklings: 9

5. Bradford the Brake Van: 9
6. Saving Time: 3
7. Ryan and Daisy: 10
8. Pouty James: 1
9. Blown Away: 10
10. The Way She Does It: 8
11. Letters to Santa: 9
12. Love Me Tender: 10
13: The Railcar and the Coaches: 10
The Christmas Coffeepot: 8
Over the Hill: 10

Season Rating So Far: 123/150

Thomas and Friends Season 20: The Christmas Coffeepot, Over the Hill

After a three-week hiatus, we are back with more Thomas and Friends reviews! My next one was meant to be a retrospective on Duck and the Slip Coaches, but I'm having a hard time trying to put my thoughts down on paper (or Word document, in this case!), so that may be on the backburner for a while yet. I don't know whether or not it'll actually be completed at this stage, but right now, let's talk about season 20's winter episodes, starting off with the Glynn duology.

Note: This post contains minor spoilers for The Missing Breakdown Train.

When Glynn made a small appearance at the end of The Adventure Begins, I was left disappointed. Considering that all he had was a rubbish, incorrectly proportioned Trackmaster model, I expected way more than a mere twenty second appearance - even Bertram contributed more to his sole appearance on TV, and he didn't say a word! As a result, I wrote off Glynn as pointless, but then these two episodes came around and overrode my initial thoughts entirely.

Now, I'm gonna discuss the two episodes individually; first we'll talk about The Christmas Coffeepot, and then Over the Hill.

Part 1 - The Christmas Coffeepot

First off, there's Marion. I really like her character as a whole. Out of the Brenner characters, she feels the most well-developed. She's rather scatterbrained at times, but whenever Bill and Ben cause trouble, she's motherly but stern with them, and that was great especially in season 18. Marion's role here does make sense; a talking tree (or at least, you think it's one) is not something you see every day the same way miniature engines or dinosaurs are uncommon in your life.

That being said, her subplot didn't really lead to much and was dropped without finality much like hers in Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure with the Arlesdale trio. I guess there were plans to make them two episodes - one about Marion and her "talking tree", and the other about Glynn's restoration - but there wasn't enough material for both without coming off as filler so they were strung together as one whole episode a la famous Paul McCartney songs like "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" and "Band on the Run".

(Yep, there's your obligatory Beatles analogy in one of my reviews!)

Anyway, the episode on whole felt like Hero of the Rails, but whilst similar, it happens a lot more quickly (as in, you could cut so much material from the 2009 special and nothing would change) but it still feels cliched in terms of story. I mean, why would Thomas and Percy worry about Glynn being scrapped when they could've simply presented him to Sir Topham Hatt before he was sent to the Steamworks? At least try something new once in a while to freshen it up!

There's also a couple of minor problems; Thomas' reaction to seeing Glynn for the first time in years didn't feel emotional or compelling (I mean, he had a bigger reaction to seeing Hiro and they interacted regularly!) and felt disappointing. The other is a plot hole within the series; do humans age in the Thomas universe? Thomas the Babysitter implied that babies can be born, and Happy Birthday Sir showed that humans could actually age. Is this the railway equivalent to The Simpsons or something? Come on, work with me here.

Of course, it doesn't mean the ending was bad; it had a very good lead in to Over the Hill when Stephen's jealousy is hinted at.

Part 2 - Over the Hill

For both episodes, there's the mention of a railway museum. I love this idea a lot, and I wonder how it can be expanded upon in season 20 as well as 21. And with the possibility of Hugo being involved, anything could happen. We'll see in a couple of months.

Possibly the strongest aspect of Over the Hill is Glynn and Stephen's dynamic. I really love its development over the episode; at first, Stephen shows jealously and vulnerability when Glynn gets the Earl's attention (at least it ain't Thomas this time!) and when he tries to bring the coffee pot down to size, Glynn fires back without overreacting. That was brilliant, funny, and brilliantly funny all at once.

And then there's their race. Oh, my God, is it hilarious or what?! There's that "Eye of a Tiger"-esque music building up to what could be an epic race but then it turns into a pair old engines simply puffing along the mainline grumbling about the younger generation barely going at, what, five miles per hour? And then Gordon and James shout at them and Glynn and Stephen get their own back by babying them!

*several seconds of laughter later*

...oh dear...

One issue I have with the UK dub is that it changes "glass of milk" to "cup of tea" - why? The "glass of milk" bit was funny because Glynn was treating Gordon like a baby, but when he says "cup of tea", it feels more like "want some ice with that burn?" which is greatly disappointing and doesn't feel funny. It doesn't hurt the episode, but it's something I wanted to point out.

There is a lot to love about Over the Hill, even the small things like the opening flashback about Glynn and Millie's interactions with the old farts. Forget about The Great Race - Stephen and Glynn's is a great race in itself!

Final Thoughts

Out of season 20's episodes thus far, The Christmas Coffeepot and Over the Hill were the last episodes I was expecting, and I was pleasantly surprised by both. They finally gave a character like Glynn a chance to shine and they did him justice for the series. In fact, thinking about that gives me appreciation that the loose ends of The Adventure Begins are finally tied up, and it also helps that Judy and Jerome got their own screentime and a place of their own at Arlesburgh in The Missing Breakdown Train, which I'll cover in the new year.

As for my ratings, The Christmas Coffeepot gets an 8/10 because of the overuse the cliched "saved from scrap" tropes that have been played to death, but it doesn't make it a bad episode, though. Over the Hill, however, gets a full 10/10 for being fun to watch throughout. They're a great way to bring Glynn into the fray and I hope we see more of him in the future.

...or should it be in the past?

Average Rating: 9/10

After the Fact: Starlight Glimmer

It's been a whole year since The Cutie Re-Mark aired, and since then, there's been a big topic that has completely taken the fandom by storm - Starlight Glimmer herself. I was amongst those who sounded off against her redemption, but today, let's see how much my views on her have changed, shall we?

Oh, and before I begin, I'd like to say that I'll be splitting this post in two parts; one focusing on Starlight's roles since her debut, and the other comparing her to the other major villains (as in, threats to the good guys, and yes, that includes the EG villains).

Let's start off with this question; why is Starlight Glimmer given constant hate, even by the time of the season six finale? I've explained why in the past, but since that somehow isn't enough for some, perhaps I can summarize it like this; character development vs. lackluster writing.

First off, there's The Cutie Map. At the time of its release, it was highly praised for being different compared to the previous season premieres. It wasn't as "actiony" compared to, let's say, The Crystal Empire or Princess Twilight Sparkle, but it still understood how to tell a story, and it presented, at the time, one of the show's strongest morals.

Another reason the episode got praise was Starlight herself. Sure, she didn't have the most original of names, but what made her a unique villain was that instead of relying on brute strength or an army of her own, she relied on her intelligence. That, I feel, is something villains could use more often; who need muscle when you got a big brain?

Unfortunately, she crashed and burned as a character with The Cutie Re-Mark. Rather than repeat what I said in my After the Fact, I'll just link you to said review. To make a long story short, it was the point where My Little Pony began to lose some of its charm. At first, I figured, "oh, it's just a brief slump. I'm sure they'll get back on their hooves soon enough."

Except that it wasn't the case.

Instead of getting themselves out of the hole, they dug themselves deeper. Now, at this point, I'll only be focusing on the Starlight-centric episodes (or at least, feature her as a major/supporting player) in season six's story arc, so A Hearth's Warming Tail will not be considered.

The Crystalling was a very poor start to Starlight's character arc. They had this nice idea of reuniting her with Sunburst, as well as one for Flurry Heart, but they both suffer by being two episodes sloppily mashed into one, and the premiere as a whole suffered through sluggish pacing and a storyline that was creatively bankrupt from beginning to end.

It got worse with No Second Prances; again, Starlight making friends with a pony who went through similar problems is a good idea, but it's completely destroyed by Twilight's double standards to the point she's no longer in my Top 10 favorites. Not helping is that it's a blatant retelling of What About Discord, but then, that episode should never have been brought into production to start with.

For The Times They Are a Changeling - I think I may have missed this, but I could be wrong - Starlight doesn't openly welcome Thorax until Spike sings a "song" that not all Changelings were bad. Considering that she also went through similar problems the way Thorax did, why didn't Spike even think of introducing Starlight to him? Maybe then, she would've had a purpose.

Every Little Thing She Does was very much a dead on arrival retreading of Lesson Zero. Up to that point, the only pony Starlight has spent much of her time with was Twilight, and not the rest of the Mane Six, with (if he's counted as a member) the exception of Spike. However, if they did want Starlight to spend time with each Mane Six member, why cram it all into one episode when you could spread it out to five?

And then there's To Where and Back Again, which... I've moaned about enough already.

The point is, every time Starlight gets some degree of character development, there is a "but" immediately after, and because of that, fans may end up getting more frustrated than sympathetic with her. Every positive development for Starlight gets cancelled out by huge missteps in the writing; maybe if there weren't so many writers in one season or that there was quality control, perhaps fans like myself wouldn't be so annoyed by her presence.

Not only that, but Starlight's story arc was spread too thinly. Yes, we get that the Mane Six are the leading characters, and if you wanted to make Starlight a recurring character, fine, but there were better ways to get her to the point she's at! To Where and Back Again is supposed to be her big moment, but there were only four episodes (three if you consider The Crystalling as one episode) that actually connected to it, all of the aforementioned season six episodes barring Every Little Thing She Does.

In the season six overview, Dark Qiviut (that's his user name) commented that there should've been more focus on Starlight so we know she's part of the cast. Much as the thought sickens me to an extent, I can see his point; Trixie and Thorax had one episode each before the finale, but we don't see any onscreen development for either, making their presence feel forced at best. The same could apply to Discord, who's had no interaction with Starlight beforehand!

To Where and Back Again might've worked better if A) it was held back and aired much later in the show, or B) (the better one for Starlight in season six) there was more development for her character, as well as her interactions with Trixie and Thorax, and maybe an episode with her and Discord. Some fans would've still complained about Starlight, but at least there would've been development that wasn't out of the blue.

And that brings me onto the other major villains.

You've heard me say it before, but what the heck - Sunset Shimmer has gone strength to strength as a character. Sure, she might not be as "edgy" as she was in the first film, but she can still be badass whenever she wants to be, but nine times out of ten, Sunset's presence on screen almost brings a warm feeling in my heart, and she knows that she can't just brood over her mistakes constantly for seventy minutes (*coughcough*Sci-Twi*cough*)

Discord is regarded as one of the best reformed baddies of the show, and it's easy to see why; his wacky sense of humor, the voice provided by John de Lancie, and most of all, bags of charisma and personality. Because of that, it attracts you to him and makes him hard to dislike... well, possibly except for What About Discord, but let's move on.

As a surprising twist of fate in the season two finale, Queen Chrysalis is by far the most well-loved baddie who still (thankfully) hasn't been redeemed, especially since her heart is so black, she's one baddie you'd love to hate. Josh Haber and Michael Vogel both understood her and Discord (somewhat) in the season six finale, making them highlights to what's otherwise the worst episode of the show.

You might not agree, but King Sombra, when introduced, was pretty damn terrifying. He didn't speak much, but why did he need to? His presence alone or the mention of his name is enough to scare you!

The same could apply to Lord Tirek. He captured three princesses, manipulated Discord into working for him, and he blew up a library designed like a tree! No one's rooting for that, and that alone makes Tirek a badass you do not want to mess with.

The Dazzlings were great in Rainbow Rocks, and the songs they sing alone are why along with their seductive tones - you cling on to every lyric they perform, especially if they're performed by Adagio Dazzle.

The only uninteresting antagonist prior to Starlight was Nightmare Moon; she was so dull a villain in the premiere that she was barely in a quarter the episode she starred in.

As for Principal Cinch? Well, to be honest, she was probably the only new character out of Friendship Games with a certain degree of merit. She did have a reputation to uphold at Crystal Prep, and you know to hate her when she blackmails Sci-Twi (making the latter worse than she already is), but otherwise, Cinch is a bit... well, dull. That being said, at least she had more character than the Shadowbolts.

So compare all of them Starlight, and maybe you'll understand why people hate her. Most of the aforementioned baddies had motivation that's at least halfway-meritful (in Discord's case, he probably didn't need a motivation, as his primary objective was chaos), but Starlight's motivations were not so good, and I've explained why constantly.

I believe I read somewhere that Starlight's reasons for behaving the way she did in season five were a lot darker than what we got in the final product. Neglectful parents? Sunburst separated from her by a (supposedly) tragic accident? Anything would've sufficed! And maybe then, you'd have a reason to make us sympathize with her, and it would've left a less sour taste in our mouths.

That said, the only major villain worse than Starlight is Gloriosa Daisy, for reasons which I've explained in my Legend of Everfree review.

Overall, I do honestly believe there was potential for Starlight to be a great character, but sadly, her development has so far been let down by poor writing choices which leaves fans frustrated. If you still like her even after all the issues I pointed out, fine by me. Just don't go round throwing hissy fits because someone says something like "She's a Sunset clone, and so she sucks!" or something to that extent, and same applies to the reverse. Having differing viewpoints is fine as it makes us who we are, so why get into a petty fight over an opposing opinion? It's better to discuss opinions than to deride them.

Thomas and Friends: Season 20 Week 2

Has it been two months since I last did a Thomas-related post here? Wow! Since much of my focus lay with the rest of MLP's sixth season as well as Legend of Everfree (the less said about that "film", the better), and apart from planning reviews for The Great Race and a redo of Duck and the Slip Coaches, there weren't too many Thomas topics I wanted to discuss (well, there's that, schoolwork, and other writings in mind). But now that season twenty has resumed this week, I figured, why not tackle its second week of episodes, especially since they aired early in Canada? (And yes, I will get to the winter episodes on December 23.)

So, without further confusion or delay, let's start off by...

Episode 6: Saving Time

Written by Andrew Brenner

Well, what's a season without it's duds? Saving Time is the first, and the reason why? It moves. Too. Slowly. For example, Samson stops at a red signal, it turns green, and he continues on his journey. You could easily cut that out and it wouldn't change. Samson then struggles to climb Gordon's hill alone, we get it. Why even shove that down our throats?

Because of slow pacing, the humor is virtually non-existent. But there are good points like Thomas' cheekiness playing off Samson's stubbornness and pride, and it was nice seeing Sir Handel and Peter Sam have a role (now we need a full Skarloey Railway-centric episode! Oh, and one for the Arlesdale trio as well), especially in an era where Sir Handel's been neglected.

But that's it. Also, why is Bradford not working with Samson when it was established last episode that they work together? That would've improved the episode greatly.

Episode 7: Ryan and Daisy

Written by Davey Moore

And speaking of great improvements...!

The moment I heard about this episode, I looked forward to it, especially after watching The Railcar and the Coaches (we'll get to that soon enough) and knowing that Daisy and Ryan would be working together on the Harwick branchline at the end of Lost Treasure. And boy oh boy, did this episode deliver!

I love the railway technicals; it's clear that the timelines on the Harwick branchline not only affect the line itself, but other lines as well when Ryan is late for the quarry. That was great!

For Ryan himself, I'm a bit disappointed that Lost Treasure didn't go for him being over-confident and dismissive, but for this episode? It works, and that's what makes his dynamic with Daisy great. She is sly and manipulative (not in a devious way), and takes advantage of Ryan's niceness. That's his big character flaw - he's too nice, and Daisy knows it! And even though the "working together" moral has been done to death, it works for them as they're getting used to each other, plus it was sweet that Daisy does care for Ryan at the end.

And his voice? Yeah, I know Steven Kynman voices both Ryan and Paxton, and getting used to it, I can kind of hear the similarities (this will also affect all future episodes featuring him). I'll miss Eddie Redmayne's performance, but I get why he can't reprise the character since he's a big A-list actor (I've not seen Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them yet, but I hear it's great).

On whole, I love this episode to bits. The humor is great (especially with the Fat Controller's reactions), Ryan and Daisy play off each other brilliantly, and the morals were great - sometimes, helping others can do more hurt than good.

Episode 8: Pouty James

Written by Andrew Brenner

It's only this season where Henry is being given some respect, and if Henry in the Dark is anything to go by, it'd be fun to see him scare engines unintentionally. But who else gets flanderized to the point they're one-note?

Yep! James...

Why is it that every time James learns a lesson, he goes back to being a narcissistic idiot? In Philip to the Rescue, he lets Philip's over-enthusiasm get to him and he ends up crashing. It's also surprising that in this episode, the diesel boxcab shows more maturity, and he's supposed to be childlike! Not only that, but James' attitude is over-the-top. Sure, it would work better if this was season one, but the fact is, we're twenty seasons in! James should learn by this point not to let his ego get the better of him, but his attitude completely devalues what he'd learned in Toad's Adventure and Duck in the Water!

And, to be honest, that's very much the reason I don't like the Human Five in the Equestria Girls films. Sure, they were a great help to Twilight in the first film, but in Rainbow Rocks, they're back to childish, petty arguing, and from Friendship Games onward, they've turned into one-note caricatures of their pony counterparts, Legend of Everfree being the point they're non-existent until the end!

Back to Pouty James; the episode's killing blow is this bit of dialogue - "but not for long". So what you're saying is that James has learned nothing... which very much renders the episode as a whole completely pointless! You cut that line of dialogue, and the episode would have a point then! You can't just a teach a moral only to retract it! (On a side note, with 28 Pranks Later, I came very close to disliking Rainbow Dash, but thankfully, Top Bolt managed to salvage her character.)

You know the face the Fat Controller makes after James says "What? Oh! Sir?" That's how I feel about the episode as a whole, and James' attitude. So what if it features corny comedy with the faces? If an episode is bad, it's bad. End of.

Episode 9: Blown Away

Written by Helen Farrall

I don't know if it's just me, but I feel they went to George Harrison's solo discography when it came to picking the episode's title and then added an "N" in the middle. (Try saying that five times fast!)

Anyway, I like how Skiff got an episode to himself, and it was nice to expand on what became of him following Sailor John's arrest. Captain Joe seems like he could be an interesting character on his own, and it's great to see some human interaction. Duck and Oliver also play a good role; they tease Skiff at first, but after he saves them from crashing, they appreciate him for being there to help them out. However, why are the Slip Coaches silent?

How Skiff got himself upright is a bit ridiculous, but considering how intense the situation was, I can let it slide. The stormy scenes were great, and the music playing for the climax was intense. Of course, animation and music are standard by now, but how could I resist commenting about both? Not much else to say, really. A lot of my favorites overall have come from season 20 alone, and Blown Away is one of them.

Episode 10: The Way She Does It

Written by Andrew Brenner Davey Moore

I'll get this outta the way right now - STOP SHOEHORNING THOMAS IN WHERE HIS FUNNEL DOESN'T BELONG!! You could've easily replaced him with, I don't know, the Arlesdale trio and it wouldn't make a difference! Or, if you wanted to feature him, have it at Knapford where it wouldn't feel forced! (Although, to be fair, Annie and Clarabel making comments about Daisy's rudeness was pretty good.)

Okay, now that it's out of my system, let's talk about the episode itself. It's... interesting, to say the least. But does it do Daisy any favors? I think it does. If you hear of something you think will be big and grand, you may end up getting ideas above your head and not bother asking for the details. Plus, who knew that she was fluent in French?

I know some of you will want me to mention the thing that we all have a vendetta against, but for your sake as well as mine, I won't, because I don't care about that. The rest of the humor is, again, really good like Duck's comment to the audience (I think?), Daisy going past three stations at once, Stafford trying (and failing) to catch up to Daisy, and how she interacts with a bull, especially considering what happened in Bulls Eyes.

One other issue I have; why did they even bother with the word "steamie"?! (It's actually Scottish for a public wash house, not a steam engine.) The way the use the term is stupid, and it should stay well in the dark ages. Other than that issue, it's a good episode on it's own merit.

Thomas and Friends Season 20 Scorecard

1. Sidney Sings: 8

2. Toby's New Friend: 8

3. Henry Gets the Express: 10

4. Diesel and the Ducklings: 9

5. Bradford the Brake Van: 9
6. Saving Time: 3
7. Ryan and Daisy: 10
8. Pouty James: 1
9. Blown Away: 10
10. The Way She Does It: 8

Season Rating So Far: 76/100

My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Legend of Everfree

More than a month has gone by since its debut on Netflix (except for a week early Brazillian airing for... some reason), but at long last, I can now share my full opinion on the latest installment to the Equestria Girls spinoff, Legend of Everfree! I'm not gonna lie; this is gonna be one of my most interesting reviews to date...

It's fair to say that last year's entry, Friendship Games, was an underwhelming disappointment. That film had promise considering that two schools would be competing in the games, but instead, they were barely touched upon and focused way too much on Sci-Twi instead, and the other new characters (Principal Cinch, the Shadowbolts) had little to no development throughout. But now, we've reached Legend of Everfree, and would it make up for last year's disappointment?

If you want a short, blunt answer, absolutely not. I've seen it once, and I wish I hadn't. Legend of Everfree is absolutely stupid, even for a kid's movie! But where do I start with the problems?

First off, the film's "story" is terrible. It's a blatant rehashing of Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep. I'm not even kidding; the film even starts similarly to said episode with Sci-Twi having a nightmare, and she also avoids talking to other people (possibly except for Sunset) about her problems. Not only that, Sci-Twi's story arc very much copies from Rainbow Rocks point for point - why do we need like a hundred Rainbow Rocks-type stories in MLP? It's getting tired now! Unless they were trying to make Sci-Twi's story arc a half-baked two-parter...?

Actually, the whole movie is nothing short of being predictably cliched. If you've seen the first three beforehand, you'll understand what I mean; Gloriosa Daisy's Gaea Everfree form is basically a mashup of Demon Sunset and Midnight Sparkle from the first and third movies, and she even goes through a rushed redemption! On top of that, Gloriosa is just outright annoying, and she's a lame excuse for a villain - I mean, keeping students trapped just to keep camp going forever is perhaps the stupidest motivation any MLP villain has ever had! Heck, Starlight Glimmer had more merit to her motivations when she was a baddie!

Speaking of the first three, why do we need constant reminders as to what happened? We've seen what happens, so there's no point in making these references repeatedly. Unless you haven't seen the first film beforehand... well, I feel sorry for you, really.

And that brings me onto Sci-Twi (yes, I'm gonna refer to her as such just to avoid confusion with Princess Twilight). I didn't like how she was portrayed in Friendship Games (and they needed a Twilight for EG, because why not), but here? She was nothing short of a whiny, little crybaby! She's basically Starlight with Twilight's body (not that there's any difference between them, but that's beside the point), except Starlight isn't this pathetic! All Sci-Twi does is constantly mope that magic is bad or some crap, and again, her role is basically Luna's from the aforementioned Magic Sheep. Okay, so she does actually come out of her shell a bit, but sadly, it was too little too late to redeem her.

One of my regular Fandom Reaction contributors - Mattstonge44 - had his own issues concerning Sci-Twi's portrayal when it came to overshadowing everyone, even Sunset. Seeing the film for myself, I can see his point. I mean, Sunset has achieved far more than Sci-Twi has, but because all Sci-Twi did was mope, she's somehow rewarded with alicorn-like powers?! What kind of moral is that for children? It's like the "moral" in The Other Side of the Mountain where Thomas complains and moans until his wish comes true, which, frankly, is stupid, but I digress.

I find that absolutely heartbreaking; Twilight was my favorite when I first watched the show, but now? She's been treated like crap throughout 2016 and she's slipped down my favorites to the point she probably wouldn't even breach the Top 10. It's just... sad. Please; bring back the Twilight I loved - confident, selfless, brave. That wasn't what I saw in the film. The Twilight I saw was cowardly, selfish, and mopey. I didn't even see the Human Five either; they're one-dimensional and barely added anything to the film. Why must the writers constantly flanderize them to the point they're annoying?

Oh, and speaking of annoying... you're off the hook, Starlight Glimmer! Because Timber Spruce is now officially the worst character in all of MLP in general! He's not the type of character you love to hate like Quibble Pants, nor is he a comedic character like Discord. No, Timber Spruce is the type of guy who you want to whack in the face with a sledgehammer! He's arrogant, obnoxious, and just outright despicable in general! There's nothing to like about him (even when he confronts Gloriosa), and every time he opens his mouth, I want to put my fist in it. (I'm sure Brian Doe is a nice guy, but after ten minutes of listening to the jerk he voices, I've wanted to sew his lips shut.)

Not only that, his character arc leads to nothing; he wants to get away from Camp Everfree, which, to be honest, is somewhat relatable, but when the camp is saved, he very much chooses to stay there because... well, I don't know! All it does is render his role pointless (not that he had a purpose to start with), and he constantly hits on Sci-Twi because, again, I don't know, it was never made clear. It just leads to a stupid romance sub-plot that will go nowhere and he'll never be seen again after that film. Oh, and his near kiss with Sci-Twi is cringe-worthy.

There's a moment where Flash sees Sci-Twi with Timber... and I will say it right now; the development they gave Flash is forced and contrived on every level, and that scene exists purely to give him that development, regardless to any unfortunate implications this could lead to! Not helping is that it's also a half-arsed way to give "development" to Flash and Sunset's dynamic. Too little, too late - we're four films in! If they wanted to develop their relationship this far into the series, either it spawned out of a pointless throwaway in the first film, or the writers suck at developing subplots.

Yeah, after watching that film, I still won't ship FlashShimmer as a pairing, even if I was never a TwiSentry fan. The dynamic portrayed on film is simply terrible (and I've seen fanfiction that handle it better!) - I mean, Sunset tells him to get over his crush on Princess Twilight, and Flash... immediately does so. I've said it before, but that is not how this works! It takes time to get over a loss, and more than a conversation you could easily fix! That brings forth another unfortunate implication; does Princess Twilight still care for Flash, even after he upset her, despite it not being his fault? Oh, and Sunset very much leaves Flash to follow Timber Spruce, and her interactions with Flash are never brought up again, rendering any development he got pointless. Were they saying (unintentionally, I admit) that Sunset doesn't care for Flash, a person she slighted more than Sci-Twi, who she's just starting to know? All Sunset did to Sci-Twi was yell at her when she almost endangered the Games! Meanwhile, Sunset used Flash to gain popularity, and it got a very unsatisfying closure to the point she may be hurting him again without knowing it. In fact, I feel more sorry for Flash than I feel for Sci-Twi!

However, there's a line of dialogue Flash says that really frustrates me; he tells Sunset he knows when something's bothering her, and that leads to another problem. Before Legend of Everfree, he has never directly interacted with Sunset. Why does he choose now, of all times, just to rekindle with her? If we had a moment of them in the end credits for Rainbow Rocks, or a scene together in Friendship Games, I'd be more accepting. But instead, again, it comes off as a throwaway line in the first film. Pro tip the next time you write a 70-minute EG film - use that time to develop character dynamics. (And not just the Human Five, please!) If you want to see a dynamic similar to Flash and Sunset's, try Twilight and Moon Dancer's from Amending Fences; the story flows more naturally, the characters are made relatable, and it felt like an effective use of fan-service. If Legend of Everfree was their way of appealing to the FlashShimmer fans, they crashed and burned.

Also, can we put Flash in roles that don't involve romance in any way? A Banner Day was one of the more unique shorts and it showed what the writers could do with him as an independent character, and he interacted with two background humans! Sure, it might be seen as stereotypical and I wouldn't blame you for thinking that, but still, I thought it was interesting, and I'd take that over yaks being bullies any day of the week.

Back to Legend of Everfree, and further expanding upon Sci-Twi and Timber's so-called relationship, isn't that against regulations to date students? I don't care for how old Timber is, but since he is an employee at Camp Everfree, his "romance" with Sci-Twi is nothing short of creepy, and they constantly shove it down your throats! Say what you want about Flash's moments with Princess Twilight, but at least they were trying to be succinct without making it the main focus - oh, and Flash never comes off as self-absorbed, that's also somewhat important. On top of that, Sci-Twi is potentially in danger of a pedophile, and Sunset just seems to go with it and, again, doesn't seem to care for Flash, which is a red flag for her character development. It's a shame as the rest of her role, actually, is pretty good, but then again, she's always a highlight in anything Equestria Girls, so...

Also, Filthy Rich appeared for about a minute or two overall, and contributed nothing to the story. Moving on.

The fight with Gloriosa Daisy is, as I mentioned above, predictable. Granted, it was nice to give it a longer run time, but as for how it ends? How could Sci-Twi stop Gloriosa with one attack, and yet five girls threw more punches (both literal and metaphorical) and the villain didn't even flinch? Oh, and why is the villain female, again? We've had ten female antagonists (yes, including Sunset) within the past three films! Again, it's all getting tired; can we stop using those tropes?! (We even avoided villain redemption in Rainbow Rocks, for goodness' sake!) It also feels like that was done to make Sci-Twi good, despite that she constantly whined and moped beforehand! Again, people (yes, even myself) complain about Starlight's story arc...

But you where the film really falls apart? Not the cliched plot (although it is a contributing factor), not Flash and Sunset's poorly written dynamic, and it's not even the stupid romance! No, the film falls apart, because when the Human Five suggest a fundraiser to save Camp Everfree - like, ten minutes before the film ends - Gloriosa agrees to the idea, and hold it in the Crystal Cave... because that's where you hold galas...

Okay, I just have to ask; if Gloriosa was this desperate to save her family's camp, why did she not think about holding a fundraiser in the first place?! All this does is imply that Camp Everfree is run by a duo of incompetent siblings who can't slice bread to save their lives (not that one of them was likable to start with, but still), and it renders the entire film pointless in the long run! So yeah, everything building up to the climax is pointless, and if you reduced it to 44 minutes, it would still feel like pointless, cliched filler. The fact that they have a post-credits scene, further dragging the movie longer than it needed to, basically tells you "this was pointless; thanks for wasting 73 minutes of your life."

In fact, I've got a theory about this film; Friendship Games intended to give Sunset a subplot where she feels homesick for Equestria, but in the end, she decides to stay in the human world, and Sci-Twi goes back to Crystal Prep. In the final cut? Sunset's just... there, and Sci-Twi transfers to Canterlot High. Further, Legend of Everfree was produced whilst production was winding down on Friendship Games, and it was finished in August, less than two months before its Netflix debut. So, bottom line, Legend of Everfree was a last minute project because Hasbro and/or DHX forced Josh Haber to make changes to Friendship Games, and it came off as a film that even he doesn't like (and I don't blame him, to be honest). However, if he didn't like the final cut, why didn't he try making the end result cohesive? It's not like he was forced to make a bad film!

Would Legend of Everfree have fared any better if Friendship Games was released the way it was intended? Maybe, but sadly, we may never know because it feels like Hasbro and/or DHX would rather screw with fans rather than give them what they want. In fact, I wouldn't be shocked if DHX was somehow responsible for MLP's decline in quality...

As for the songs? I'm not gonna bother discussing them since they're just straight up generic and don't feel fresh at all. The only one that might be worth mentioning is "Embrace the Magic", and for Sunset's second solo number, it's actually pretty nice, but it does feel somewhat preachy at points (actually, I could say the same for every song in the film). That said, I still think "My Past is Not Today" is the best song in MLP, hooves down.

Final Thoughts

Sometimes in the film industry, a crisis may lead to great art. Inside Out managed to salvage Pixar's reputation after a slump during 2011-2013, and Blue Mountain Mystery felt like a step in the right direction for Thomas and Friends after seven years' worth of bad writing. But as for My Little Pony? Well, after the lackluster performance of season six, they dug themselves into a deeper hole with Legend of Everfree, and the film ranges from cringe-worthy to straight up appalling.

With a story so cliched and predictable, unsatisfying character dynamics and unfortunate implications abound, it's very much the worst movie I've ever had the misfortune of sitting through, and will ever watch (yeah, don't tell me I haven't heard of the likes of Battlefield Earth or Plan 9 from Outer Space; I'm not gonna bother with them as it's just not worth it).

Yeah, the animation looks great, and other technicals like voice acting and music are also spot on, but I don't care for that, as they're pretty much standard for anything MLP, not a freak accident. I look for good storytelling, something Joanna and Kristine somehow managed to forget for this film. And considering they also wrote Gauntlet of Fire and Top Bolt this year, this is a huge disappointment coming from them. They can write better than that.

I would've made suggestions on how to fix the movie, but I won't bother. Instead, I suggest watching Rainbow Rocks as the pacing is stronger, Sunset's redemption feels more natural, and the songs (well, most of them) are actually really good. Legend of Everfree is atrocious on every level and it was an absolute chore to sit through.

If it isn't Sci-Twi being a whiny crybaby, it's Flash and Sunset getting two scenes together for the sake of fanservice. If it's not that, it's Gloriosa Daisy being an incompetent camp counselor with terrible motivations. If it's not Gloriosa, it's Timber Spruce. If it isn't either of them, it's the plot being pointless, stupid, boring, and predictable. If it isn't that, it's the trope of bad guy redemption that they insist on pushing out, and has been overused since Crusaders of the Lost Mark!

Bottom line, Legend of Everfree is the worst movie ever made. I hope it rots.

Rating: -10 out of 10

Thomas and Friends: Season 20 Week 1

As the week draws to a close, we finally review the first five episodes of season 20! It's hard to imagine that Thomas and Friends would actually get this far; twenty seasons across thiry-three years of television, and with over 500 episodes by this stage (yes, Pack episodes included) along with ten hour-long specials, a mini special, and a feature length movie under its belt. We shall see in due time if season 20 is actually worth celebrating, but let's kick things off with the first five episodes!

Episode 1: Sidney Sings

Written by Lee Pressman

Ah, Sidney. Ever since he got a resolution for his absence in The Missing Christmas Decorations (which this episode shows stock footage of), he's done... very little. Here, he finally has something to do, and does it play off?

Yes, it does. I like how Sidney's job is to bring Percy his new wheels (whether intentional or not, I'm not sure, but whatever) and I feel Thomas' role made sense. Sure, it was minor as all he did was make a suggestion for Sidney to remember his task, but it made a huge impact. Sidney himself does feel like Dory from the Finding Nemo franchise, as many have said, and you can actually relate to him regardless of age, unlike, say, Henry Spots Trouble.

Not much else to say, really. A pretty good start to what seems to be a very promising season, and it's how a Nitrogen episode should be done. Although, why (in the UK, at least) does Whiff sound like he's got Henry's voice? He seriously needs a recasting for both dubs.

Episode 2: Toby's New Friend

Written by Andrew Brenner

It's fair to say that during season 19, Philip has since gained a mixed reputation among the fandom. Personally, I think he's a fine character, but yeah, his persona does need some tweaking (I mean, can you shut up about the time you beat Gordon in a race, Philip?!) and his role in The Great Race leaves a lot to be desired.

Other than that, I think it's another really good episode, and how Big Belle should've gone. Once again, Toby and Henrietta have that husband/wife relationship, especially when she teases him about Philip, and the workmen's reaction to the idea of the race was genius. Also interesting that Toby, whilst annoyed by Philip initially, is more subtle about it compared to Gordon and James.

Philip appears to be heading in the right direction when it comes to character development; keep playing him off against characters that won't pander to his childlike mannerisms... just because.

There are some issues like how on earth did Philip think Toby was a diesel? Being box-shaped I can understand, but thinking a steam tram is a diesel? And that near-collision between Philip and Thomas seemed rather illogical; is there no timetable for Thomas' branchline? The moral is pretty good that not everybody has to agree on everything just to be friends, and that I can understand greatly.

Episode 3: Henry Gets the Express

Written by Helen Farrall

I'm gonna say it right now; Helen Farrall is certainly Thomas' equivalent to Meghan McCarthy. Not that I've anything against Andrew Brenner's writing, but he's got storytelling issues he needs to work out after The Great Race ("Spoiler alert!" - Twilight).

I absolutely loved this episode to bits. Everything feels like it came out of the Railway Series, and Henry gets his best episode in who knows how long (about bloody time that he isn't portrayed as an idiot or a wuss!) Well, Henry does worry when Gordon gives him a confidence knock, but he gets back on his high horse when Thomas reassures him, so... phew! And Gordon's comeuppance, much like Slow Stephen, was very much laser-guided karma for him. So far, it's season 20's best episode, and is a joy to behold.

Episode 4: Diesel and the Ducklings

Written by Lee Pressman

Whilst I might not have much to say about Henry Gets the Express, I do have a fair amount to talk about with Diesel and the Ducklings. Whilst the former was almost universally praised, the latter is a little more... mixed. What do I think of it?

On first glance, you could be forgiven for thinking, "Oh dear; it's another Run of the Miller script in this era," and to some extent, you may have a point. Does the rhyming bother me? No, because - if you put it like this - it could be like the chanting you'd hear at a football match, like "2, 4, 6, 8, who do we appreciate? [Insert town/city name here]". "Rough and tough" is the diesels' equivalent. Well, the bad ones, anyway.

Diesel was fantastic throughout; his inner conflict was pretty good alternating between good and bad, but it comes to a head at Knapford when Diesel mocks Emily, under the influence of Arry and Bert (yeah, it kinda bothers me, but it's also funny how she reacted to Diesel acting nice under Thomas' presence).

Speaking of whom, was Thomas' appearance shoehorned? The answer is no; had it been Duck, him blackmailing Diesel, even if it was for payback, wouldn't really be the Great Western Way of doing things now, would it? Blackmail does seem to fit Thomas' style a bit more if you ask me. Arry and Bert, for their first starring role since season 16, were handled quite nicely, even if they didn't add much.

So on whole, I may be in the minority, but I liked this one a lot, as I can relate to it when I first got into MLP back in November 2013; I wanted to keep it to myself, but when my mother got wind of it (and eventually, my father) and I became more open about my interest over time, even if it's waned due to lackluster writing as of late.

Episode 5: Bradford the Brake Van

Written by Lee Pressman

A new brakevan character, huh? Interesting. But how does it play off? Amazingly well, in fact!

Even though this is his first episode, I think Bradford would make an excellent addition to the cast. He does act like Toad, if the GWR brakevan was more direct than polite, and if he's to be seen with Samson more often, they could make a great dynamic with Samson with the cabless engine's silly mistakes and the brakevan's strictness. Shame it had to be Thomas in the spotlight, but the episode the way it went was just fine.

Bradford himself is fantastic; Rob Rackstraw delivers that Welsh accent perfectly, and the design of Bradford alone is simply excellent. It's also interesting to how several engines were frustrated with his overzealous attitude, but why did all of them (barring Whiff) have to be Steam Team members?

I do have a couple of other issues, both concerning the Fat Controller; one, why did the Fat Controller not realize it was Bradford causing the engines to run late? And two, why did he say that safety was more important than running on time? Shouldn't both be equally important? I get that he'd be concerned about safety, but it makes the moral feel a bit muddy.

The episode could use a bit of a rewrite, but otherwise, it's a great episode on the whole.

Thomas and Friends Season 20 Scorecard

1. Sidney Sings: 8

2. Toby's New Friend: 8

3. Henry Gets the Express: 10

4. Diesel and the Ducklings: 9

5. Bradford the Brake Van: 9

Season Rating So Far: 44/50

Thomas and Friends Specials: Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure

Wow... I should've completed this a long time ago. What kept me from writing this up was laziness, other projects, and... some other third thing. But now, with only a week before The Great Race comes out in America on DVD, I figure it's high time I finished what I set out to write in the first place. So, without further confusion or delay, let's talk about Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure.

This post contains spoilers for The Great Race; reader discretion is advised.

Written by Andrew Brenner

Produced by Ian McCue

Directed by David Stoten

Released July 17, 2015

This special is a huge landmark in Thomas history; not only was it, along with The Adventure Begins, released for Thomas' 70th anniversary, but it also contained a few A-list celebrity guest spots, a grand orchestra, and a compelling story. Does it all pay off? Without a doubt, yes it does!

One of the special's strongest aspects is the storytelling; like Tale of the Brave, Lost Treasure's story is multi-layered, and none of it felt wasted... well, maybe except for a few aspects here and there, but still. Of the subplots, Marion's is my favorite, without a doubt. I love her interactions with Rex, Bert, and Mike (a reference to Small Railway Engines, I've no doubt), and it's funny to how she confuses the two Olivers, and the way it resolved itself was very clever. I do feel bad for poor Mike when he's left high and dry by Bert and Rex at the buffers of Marion (actually, no, I don't XD).

I feel like getting the songs out of the way early cause I don't feel it's fair to leave them for last. "Never Overlook a Little Engine" is perhaps my favorite song out of the Arc era (especially considering most of season 19's songs were rubbish, anyway), and the visuals almost remind me of the Yellow Submarine film. Am I the only one to think that?

"We Make a Team Together" is also fantastic and it plays twice; once when Thomas joins Sailor John and Skiff to look for the treasure, and at the end during the opening ceremony of the Harwick branchline. It's a bit of a shame that it's overshadowed by "Never Overlook a Little Engine", probably because of the visuals, the fact that characters are singing it, a combination of both, or some other fourth reason.

Ah yes, Sailor John; many people feel he's got what P.T. Boomer never did, and who am I to argue? Seriously, that guy makes Diesel look like cute and cuddly in comparison! Well, probably not his flanderized stereotypical villain role in the Thomas Creator Collective series, but I digress. John Hurt, for his sole guest appearance on the series, sounded like he was having a blast in the recording studio, as did Jamie Campbell Bower (who should be appearing in season 20, I presume) as Skiff. You can't help but feel sorry for the poor guy when Sailor John abuses him, telling him to be quiet, and even threatening to kill him! (No, that's not an exaggeration; this is dead straight - no pun intended.) Thankfully, Skiff gets his happy ending; too bad about Sailor John being arrested... :P

(Seriously, did you ever think that a Twilight actor would star in a kid's show? I sure didn't! But then again, we had a comedian who swore a lot to narrate the show in the classic era.)

But of the newbies for this special, my favorite is, without question, Ryan. I love the basis they chose for him, and Eddie Redmayne's performance was phenomenal. I've not seen his performance as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything, but I hear it's a great film. It's a shame that it's the only time Eddie will be voicing Ryan, but I guess that's what makes his performance in Lost Treasure special.

And no, I've no issues with the idea of an N2 being painted purple. Otherwise, I'd be complaining about an E2 in blue; this is Thomas and Friends, so who cares if a livery is realistic or not?

Speaking of whom, I feel this is one of Thomas' best starring roles in the Arc era, and I don't say that lightly. It's loosely similar to his development in The Adventure Begins, but here, he causes trouble by accident because of his overconfidence rather than inexperience, and that further digs him into a deeper hole - metaphorically speaking, of course - and he completely loses the Fat Controller's trust.

As an aside, when it comes to animation, I've noticed that Thomas' number being covered up by dirt is practically a metaphor for losing his position as number one, and his pride being wounded, but when the dirt is washed off, it's a metaphor for rebirth or revival. Clever, isn't it?

That brings me onto the Fat Controller; people say he was too harsh on Thomas - I completely disagree on that front. Here's the thing - the Fat Controller is a father figure to the engines as he punishes them when they are naughty (or thinks that they were) and he rewards them when they're good. Some will say he went too far in his scolding when Thomas saved Ryan from the dynamite, but if you think about it, Thomas didn't tell Ryan about the bad coal from the old hopper, and that led to Ryan spouting sparks from his funnel, and that led to the dynamite catching fire, leading to a humorous hot potato scenario and a chase between Thomas and Ryan. Plus, the Fat Controller thought (from the car) that Thomas was trying to hurt Ryan on purpose and chewed him out even when Thomas tried to explain - he did try to say it wasn't his fault, but technically, even though his role in the scenario was minor, it was Thomas' fault, whether it was directly or indirectly.

So was he too harsh? No. I feel it was justified, and handled far better than The Great Race (and this is why I put the disclaimer near the top) - there, the Fat Controller somehow became an incompetent controller during season 20. When Thomas is away from his work, the Fat Controller simply asks him calmly if he's supposed to be on his branchline, doesn't investigate in full detail the accident at Knapford involving Thomas, the diesels and the trucks, and when Gordon nearly kills himself trying to win the actual Great Race, he just shakes his head and feels like a parent who didn't care that their child got hurt in a car crash! Who still lets him run the North Western Railway, especially as he won an award for his services in Spencer's VIP?! It felt as though Andrew Brenner took that criticism way too seriously and failed to come up with a compromise between the two extremes (and considering other problems The Great Race has got, that doesn't feel far-fetched).

Okay, back to Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure. Another interesting aspect is Thomas' respective relationships with Ryan and Sailor John. At the start (well, more like near the middle, really) Thomas doesn't trust Ryan as he thinks the N2 is replacing him, but he trusts Sailor John because he (Thomas) had an indirect contribution in helping the ex-sailor. Later, Thomas briefly feels smug when Ryan takes on the bad coal, but later feels bad for doing so; Ryan didn't deserve it as he was simply doing his job as an engine. Around that time, Thomas becomes more wary of Sailor John when he suspects someone else (Marion) has found the treasure instead of him, and when they later confront one another, Thomas refuses to let Sailor John touch the treasure and vows to stop him from doing so. At this stage, Thomas and Ryan have finally made peace, and Thomas realizes he should've trusted Ryan from the start. So, a multi-layered story is really driven by the characters written for it, and the moral about trust is handled brilliantly...

...but even the best stories can have their faults. One of them being a scene where Duck interacts with Donald and Douglas. What purpose does it serve, anyway? I mean, the scene with Marion, Oliver the engine, Toad, and the Arlesdale trio had purpose; Duck and the Scottish twins' scene does not, and Duck doesn't speak for the rest of the special after that, especially since they're close to his branchline! At least they weren't forgotten about like Reg, as there are bigger problems than that moment of fanservice...

Henry's little subplot is practically the weak link in the story's chain (again, I'm using metaphors to prove my point). In his review, The Unlucky Tug says that Thomas (once repaired) should've been in Henry's place instead, and that if Thomas heard the story of Captain Calles from Salty, then he'd have more reason to follow Sailor John and Skiff. Rewatching the film, I can see that, and I can't believe no one else thought of it (if you have but hadn't the time to say so, do leave a comment!), especially as Thomas follows them because... why not? Not only that, but Henry's subplot has no closure to it; is he still scared of Skiff? Will it be answered in season 20? (More on that later.)

Speaking of lack of resolution, Rocky takes credit for Thomas' discovery, but aside from a few comments of disgust from Thomas, it's never brought up again. Did the Fat Controller learn Thomas' side of the story whilst he was being repaired again? Was it Ryan who told the Fat Controller everything? I know there's a sixty-minute limit to these specials, but you can't leave little plot threads hanging like that! (I'm looking at you, Friendship Games; you and your poor treatment of Flash Sentry!)

Then we come to the usage of human interaction. Don't get me wrong, it's nice to see a human playing a major role, but why were Thomas' crew not involved whatsoever? Actually, that reminds me - in Unlucky Tug's aforementioned review, he points out there's a closeup shot of Thomas' driver as the chase (which is amazing up to that point) comes to a close - why?! Are they implying Thomas' crew was aware they were working for a pirate and didn't say anything? They should be treated more than just the engines' "hands", you know, especially since Gordon's driver scolded him for not trying in The Adventure Begins! Either the crews exist, or they don't; choose one idea and stick with it (preferably the former)!

As many people brought this up, it'd be criminal of me to leave this out, so how did Sailor John manage to steal the pirate ship to get away from Thomas? Does he use "magic" like Marion would think?

But for me, the biggest issues with the special have nothing to do with the film itself, but rather, they're more of an annoyance when it comes to both continuity and voice actors (this will also most likely affect future seasons and specials, by the way). This special takes place after season 19, but it was seemingly produced alongside it, and likewise, The Great Race is coming out on DVD the week after season 20 begins airing (or the same week, depending on whether you're from the US or the UK). Why would you release a special before the season it supposedly takes place after hasn't even finished airing? (I mean, Best Engine Ever seemed to hint at the special.) Now, this is what the chronological timeline for the Arc era supposedly is:

-The Adventure Begins

-King of the Railway

-Season 17

-Tale of the Brave

-Season 18

-Season 19

-Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure

-Season 20

-The Great Race

-Season 21

-2017 special

The voice actors are also an issue, at least for the UK; in season 19, Percy is voiced by Nigel Pilkington, but in Lost Treasure, his voice his done by Keith Wickham (a likewise case happens in Sidney Sings, but it doesn't hurt the episode as a whole, to be truthful). I know it's only one line of dialogue, but wouldn't it have hurt to have Nigel record one additional line for that special? (Also, where was Philip when the accident happened?) Not only that, but the changes to one of the voice actors for season 20 (this time, for both US and UK) is an issue; Daisy is voiced by Teresa Gallagher for one line each in Lost Treasure and The Great Race, but in season 20, she'll be voiced by Tracy Ann-Oberman. Can we have continuity with both specials and seasons, please? Especially when it comes to voice actors?

Okay, continuity nitpicks aside, I had seen the UK dub of this, and I'm gonna say it; when it comes to voicing Thomas, John Hasler > Joseph May. When Joseph voices Thomas, he sounds a little bored stiff like he'd rather be anywhere than the recording studio, but with John, he sounds more natural and British, like he should be. Also, Joseph can't sing; have you heard him performing "Streamling" for The Great Race? Yeesh. It also reminds me to why I hate the US voices to both Edward and Henry, even back in 2010; hearing them just makes me cringe.

There are plenty of tidbits throughout the special that I feel should get their own paragraph together; there's plenty of humor and action throughout, especially when Sailor John pouts, and the Rev. W. Awdry's cameo was a nice touch for the 70th anniversary. And there's also the humorous irony that after his office is redecorated in Goodbye, Fat Controller (assuming it is the season 19 finale), it's promptly destroyed by Sailor John. Daisy's appearance near the end was quite nice, but sadly it's spoiled because a screenshot of her and the other engines was leaked by a Chinese website (I'm presuming) before the special even came out, so it doesn't even make it a surprise anymore.

Final Thoughts

For all of its flaws, they're largely overshadowed by the positives. Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure is, without doubt, the best of the hour-long specials, probably the best Thomas special of all time. It feels like a feature-length movie throughout, and if it were fifteen minutes longer, it probably would be the closest we'd get to a second theatrical Thomas film. The humor and suspense were brilliant, it's just overall a great special, and if you ask me, no Thomas DVD collection would be complete without it.

Rating: 10 out of 10