Thomas and Friends Season 21: Episodes 11-18

Here's part two of my thoughts on Thomas and Friends' 21st season!

Episodes 11, 13, and 16 are written by Lee Pressman; 12, 14, and 18 by Helen Farrall; 15 and 17 by Davey Moore.

11. Philip's Number

This is gonna be fun!

It's safe to say that Philip has become a divisive character among the fandom; either you love his childlike charm or you find it annoying. I've found myself in the former category since Toby's New Friend, and Philip's Number is a great continuation of the little boxcab's character development. Some of you will argue that he's a diesel equivalent to Percy, but what you're forgetting is that Percy isn't young anymore. Okay, he still kind of is, but Philip is even younger than Percy!

Anyway, I really enjoyed the episode. And no, the fantasy sequences don't bother me in the slightest.  You can see that it's all in Philip's mind; Dianna Basso and her team didn't outright say so, and they pretty much expected you to fill in the gaps. Besides, is it any more trippy than "Never Overlook a Little Engine" in Lost Treasure? Not really. Heck, it was this episode alone that made Basso my favorite Thomas director. Even at her most pathetic, she knows how to make an episode look great on screen.

Even though I'm annoyed by the constant usage of the "be yourself message", it worked for this episode, only they added a new angle about carving your own path. At first, Philip wanted to know why he was given the number 68 (by the way, wouldn't it be funnier if he was number 69?), but after saving 68 sheep from Gordon hitting them, he decided that's what he should be remembered for. It was great!

What makes it even more so is Gordon's character. At first, he makes fun of Philip's number, but after saving him from running into the sheep, he genuinely apologizes for teasing him earlier, showing that despite his arrogance, he does have a sympathetic side, something I hope we see more of in season 22. There may be a few issues here and there, but in the end, I don't think they're worth moaning about. It's an episode that can't be overlooked, especially for it's message at the end.

12. The Fastest Red Engine on Sodor

This is a big one; the episode that fully showcases Rosie in her brand new red livery (which she will retain, no matter what certain "fans" think). How does it fare, and does it do Rosie any justice?

Well, even though she appears prominently, this is mostly a James episode, but a great one at that (and I'll get to why in a bit). They say Rosie was given a repaint, but they don't say why. Did she need a change? Was it because she didn't want to be made fun of for her old livery (which would be understandable)? Anything would do instead of simply cutting one of eight missing episodes.

Despite this issue, the episode, as I mentioned earlier, is great. James' stubbornness really shone here, and he's got solid reasoning to why he didn't want to worry about his brakes until it was too late and had his crash at Tidmouth Sheds. Though I should point out that steam engines don't use brake fluid; there's a reason you got a railway consultant!

The theme, once again, is really good here; it is incredibly stupid to let problems fester to the point they're out of your control. Yes, the episode aired long before the ToonKriticY2K scandal, but thinking about that recent event, it makes the moral of this episode much stronger, especially as some of his former "friends" would rather try to claim innocence instead of at least showing the tiniest bit of regard for those he's hurt! What is it with the Thomas writers pointing out issues with the fandom?

On the whole, I love this episode, and the crash is amazing. A pity that Rosie didn't do much here, but it is interesting how this lead up nicely to the next episode...

13. A Shed for Edward

And here we go with possibly the most controversial Thomas episode in recent years. No, not fandom controversy like The Way She Does It or Rocky Rescue. I mean, like, legitimate controversy. I'll get to that in a bit.

To start with, this is the very first episode of the entire show where Mark Moraghan doesn't narrate except for the episode's title. But really, what is the point of a narrator these days if we can see what's happening before us? This is why CGI storytelling is better than model storytelling; much as I like the latter in the classic era, it had limitations. After all, less is more.

I really like Edward and Philip's dynamic in this episode. Sure, it's a bit like Edward and Thomas' in The Adventure Begins, but that was when Thomas was new to Sodor. Since then, he's grown up and is now in charge of his own branchline. This feels like Edward and Thomas for a new generation.

What makes the dynamic even stronger is how it connected to the themes. Philip was chattering at night, and Edward wanted to find somewhere to sleep. Some of the locations he found are rather silly, but it emphasizes how desperate he was, making it funnier. And when Edward nearly has an accident, Philip realizes where he messed up and chose not to bother Edward the next night they were together. If that isn't character development, I don't know what is.

And then there's the ending; I don't care what anybody says. It is one of the most heartwarming of the whole show. Edward moved to Wellsworth Sheds of his own volition because it was closer to his branchline, and Philip needs someone wise to guide him. Something "fans" don't care about because they're randomly screeching "EDWARD'S BEEN KICKED OUT OF THE STEAM TEAM" or whatever.

Well, guess what? The Steam Team concept is irrelevant these days! The only reason it was formed back in season eight was to establish a core cast of engines #1-7 as well as Emily. Nowadays, we have episodes featuring the likes of Diesel, Daisy, Toad, Stephen, Spencer, etc., which means the Steam Team concept is simply redundant.

It's not just Edward being written out of the Steam Team; so are Henry and Toby. And honestly? I'm okay with that, especially if you consider the terrible starring roles they had in the likes of Edward Strikes Out, Henry Gets It Wrong, and Toby's Triumph, where they had their characters rewritten just to suit the story. Not only that, their personalities aren't that interesting compared to Thomas, Gordon, James and Percy. With those four, there's a lot more storytelling potential. Frankly, Edward, Henry and Toby are better off as secondary characters; even the Railway Series didn't give them that much time to shine in the books (at least, after the early ones).

In addition, fans were miffed when Duck wasn't a member of the Steam Team, but in retrospect, I'm glad he wasn't, because if he had been, he'd have been butchered badly during seasons 8-16, and would fans rather have him as a main character and be messed up horribly, or as a secondary character and written properly? I know what I'd choose, frankly.

Sorry about the rant, but this is something that has been on my mind for a while now. And yes, they are appearing in season 22, regardless of what certain "fans" think. Getting back to A Shed for Edward, that ending is perhaps the most relatable to me; when moving, you can either be sad about leaving your friends (and that's perfectly fine), or you can be excited about meeting new faces and going on new adventures. It's the Magical Mystery Cure of Thomas episodes, and I'm glad that Edward's finally returning home, and that he'll never be poorly written again.

We'll miss you at Tidmouth, old blue #2, but at least you're finally home again.

14. The Big Freeze

This one was... disappointing, even for Helen Farrall. The plot description said that Diesel proves himself to be a hero, but all he did was mock the steam engines and in the end, deliver the coal they needed. That's it. And how does a railway survive with diesel shunters that can go at, like, thirty miles per hour? That's an issue which has been plaguing the show since season six; there's no diesel muscle. In fact, it felt like a missed opportunity to bring BoCo back into the fold pulling the express.

There were a few good things like Thomas being punished for his ignorance, as well as showcasing the negative side of winter (something I've recently found out all too well), and... that's pretty much it, I'm afraid. Oh, and the Fat Controller tripping up three times felt more cringe-worthy than funny. Can we at least add variety to his comedy? I don't hate the episode, but it felt rather... meh. It could've been four and a half minutes long and the plot would be the same. Or maybe if it was a special on its own...?

15. Emily in the Middle

You know how there have been episodes this season I've defended that people disliked? Well, this one is kind of the opposite. To get to the point, it's basically the season 21 equivalent to The Other Side of the Mountain. Allow me to explain...

This is practically Love Me Tender 2.0, only with Emily slapped on and without the heart and charm of the season 20 episode. Think about it; both are Donald and Douglas episodes written by Davey Moore, they take place in winter, and at least half the plot is spent on them arguing. Oh, and Toby is there cause why not. In Love Me Tender, it made sense for them to bicker because they disagreed about which lines they should clear first. Here? They just argue because the story demands it, and that each infuriated the other by telling Emily about their past incidents.

Here's the thing; we already have a set of twins in that mindset, and they are Bill and Ben. Donald and Douglas are supposed to be more mature than that! Hell, the reason the latter came to Sodor was because the former did not want to be separated from his brother. That, and there was the threat of them being scrapped. Not only that, there can be more done with them if given the chance, and not just in winter episodes. They don't always need to work together, for goodness' sake! See Donald's Duck and Escape as to why that's the case.

Then there's Emily, and honestly, she's the best thing about the episode. It's a nice idea to try and put up with two arguing engines at their worst; had it been James or Gordon, they would've snapped much sooner. And I don't blame Emily for getting frustrated at the twins' petty bickering, though it's something they needed to learn after Love Me Tender that arguing will only land not only themselves, but others in trouble as well, something that should be taken into consideration for season 22 onward.

So yeah, I'm not a fan of this one either; it's probably my least favorite episode featuring Emily as lead character. As I've said, it's very much The Other Side of the Mountain of Davey Moore episodes. If I wanted to see this plot, I'd rather watch either Love Me Tender or MLP's A Royal Problem. The former gives more credence to Donald and Douglas' conflict, and the latter shows great development not only to Starlight Glimmer, but Princesses Celestia and Luna as well. Emily in the Middle just feels like another sign of creative stagnation.

16. Terence Breaks the Ice

Now we're talking! This is the episode very much every Thomas fan was looking forward to ever since it was announced; Terence made his debut in a winter episode, so it's appropriate he returns in a winter episode.

I quite liked the flashback; yeah, it's a bit lengthy, but it's possible there wasn't enough story to fill up the runtime. That being said, it's a great way to reintroduce Terence to a modern audience who may not know who he is, though it is rather odd that Thomas would say he always wore his snowplough after said episode when we've seen episodes where he doesn't.

Some people have criticized that Terence doesn't have much character, to which I can understand. Here, they give a bit of a more cocky personality like he had in Toby Takes the Road, and it works really well for the moral and story. Plus, the rescue is really dramatic as he could've sunk like the big tree.

Speaking of which, I really like how the Earl worked around the problem he faced by stacking another small tree on top of some presents. That's really creative of him to do so, and it's something I think all of us can do when faced with a problem.

17. Daisy's Perfect Christmas

If there was any episode that was a metaphor for the Thomas fandom, it would be this one. Daisy feels like the perfect representation of entitled fans who'd rather the show focus on them rather than children - you know, the actual target audience. They even used children to further hammer in the metaphor, and it works brilliantly. Oh, and did I mention that I loved the moral here; breaking tradition can be a good thing?

Plus, any episode where the troublesome trucks become carolers is worth watching. I will never not love this episode; this is how you do Fame and Misfortune. Well done, Mr. Moore.

18. Confused Coaches

Here we go with the season 21 finale, as well as Helen Farrall's last (confirmed) episode. Is it a grand finale? Well... not really. It wasn't really a bad episode either. It's... serviceable, to say the least.

For one, it takes a while for the main conflict to build up. Gordon and Spencer's rivalry is fun to watch, though it feels a bit strange the former would boast about platform one being the most important. Then again, he did boast about it in Respect for Gordon, so... I can understand... kind of? That being said, it does lead to some funny bantering over numbers; Spencer got burned for not having one!

What wasn't funny was the Fat Controller tripping up whilst offering drinks to the Duke and Duchess. It's getting old, writers! And it's gotten to the point you wonder why he's even in charge of the North Western Railway. Fortunately, they do show him being authoritative when he scolds Gordon and Spencer for their petty rivalry. That is something we need more of.

Another positive was the coach swap; it definitely feels like a plot device taken from the Railway Series. And I can totally buy Thomas and Philip not seeing who's at the platform, but the passengers and station staff are a bit questionable. Wouldn't they or Sir Topham notice that something was off? Although it does lead to an interesting race around the third act and it makes me wish for an episode where Spencer takes the express whilst Gordon is absent; that would be great to see!

Oh, and it's the first time Thomas has had a New Years' themed story! It's so refreshing after umpteen Christmas stories per season. And as for Thomas working with Philip? I don't really care. Anyone saying the boxcab has replaced Percy just because of this episode are extremely shallow.

Overall, this isn't really Helen Farrall's strongest episode, but I don't have much of a reason to hate it either. It's fun to watch if you're in the right mood, but there are stronger episodes in this season alone I'd watch more often.

Final Thoughts

Well, this was a tough one to get done. I dunno if it's because I was so distracted with My Little Pony, settling down in Oregon, or dealing with college in real life and stupid people online that I was generally disinterested in reviewing season 21. But now, I've finally got it done, and how does it hold up?

Surprisingly well, actually! Even more so considering that eight episodes have been cut due to Big World! Big Adventures! Yes, you heard right - Mattel have cut eight episodes out of season 21. Yeah, we lost The Missing Coach for season two, but we do have the original story out there, and Break Van was just about enough to establish the predicament Donald and Douglas were in. Gordon Goes Foreign would be great for season three, but working their way around that gap in Time for Trouble worked alright, and the original story, again, is out there.

But season 21? That was meant to establish Rosie's new role and job, but so far, we've not been able to see it, and we don't know why she was at Vicarstown in Journey Beyond Sodor (which supposedly takes place after season 21, but more on that later). Were they also going to do more with Carly and Big Mickey? Bulgy? Terence? Or what about Trevor, who hasn't done a thing since Three Steam Engines Gruff? Heck, what about the railway museum that was mentioned in Over the Hill? Was Hugo going to get one last shot at redemption?

So many set ups, and yet very few have been given pay off so far. I hope they find their way in season 22 or maybe even season 23. Otherwise, that'll be eight scripts up in smoke.

But the biggest issue I have with season 21 is its continuity with Journey Beyond Sodor. Again, the latter is meant to take place after the former, but the biggest plot holes are in regards to Carly's presence at Brendam Docks (and not to mention Thomas going to the mainland with Edward to pick her up) and Edward living at Tidmouth instead of Wellsworth. Heck, James didn't even make a comment about Rosie's paint in the special! I even asked people when Journey Beyond takes place in relation to season 21, and the results I got were... inconclusive. Unless Team Thomas makes a comprehensive timeline of the series, I'm afraid it's an unanswerable question for now.

Even more frustrating is how confused season 21's own timeline appears to be; Carly didn't appear in Emily in the Middle, Harvey was confident in A Most Singular Engine but wasn't in Stuck in Gear, Edward was at Tidmouth in The Big Freeze (unless he was visiting), Rosie appeared in red in Hasty Hannah prior to The Fastest Red Engine on Sodor (unless it wasn't made as huge a deal back then in the former), Daisy's Perfect Christmas didn't have snow, the list goes on.

The season wasn't all bad, though. I love that they're making female characters more prominent (barring Rosie, which is a shame), and the themes for the show, even if some weren't the most original, have never been stronger than they have been. And again, I didn't mind the experiments being implemented. It's not the first time a season has tried new things, and it won't be the last either. So really, what's the fuss all about? It's not like Mattel dumped all of these changes in one season; otherwise, fans would have a reason to moan!

To sum up, season 21 is unfairly underrated. There were a few episodes I didn't like that much, but the good outweighs the bad by a lot. It's like season three of My Little Pony, and I think Ryan says it best:

“Maybe it wasn't better or worse than usual - just different. Today wasn't perfect like it used to be. It was a new kind of perfect.”

As long as the writing quality for the show remains high with Brenner and company on board, the fans should have absolutely nothing to worry about... unless they'd rather be a big bunch of Daisy Downers!

One final note I'd like to make is for Helen Farrall; thank you for giving us some of the best episodes Thomas and Friends has ever had. Your work will truly be missed by many, but you'll still be standing as one of the best writers of the entire series. Thank you once again, and good luck on your future endeavors.

Thomas and Friends Season 21 Rankings

18. New Crane on the Dock: 3/10
17. Emily in the Middle: 3/10
16. Cranky at the End of the Line: 4/10
15. The Big Freeze: 5/10
14. Confused Coaches: 7/10
13. Stuck in Gear: 8/10
12. Unscheduled Stops: 8/10
11. Hasty Hannah: 8/10

10. P.A. Problems: 9/10

9. Terence Breaks the Ice: 9/10

8. Philip's Number: 9/10
7. The Fastest Red Engine on Sodor: 10/10
6. A Most Singular Engine: 10/10
5. Springtime for Diesel: 10/10

4. Runaway Engine: 10/10
3. Dowager Hatt's Busy Day: 10/10
2. A Shed for Edward: 10/10
1. Daisy's Perfect Christmas: 10/10

Final Overall Rating: 8/10