We're on the home stretch now! It's the rest of season 22 that's aired in Australia! (Barring Kangaroo Christmas, of course; that'll be its own individual review.)
Hunt the Truck
Written by Michael White
Everyone has been asking for Edward, Bill and Ben to have a scene together for many years. It was a dynamic that they tried to replicate during the Nitrogen era with Bash, Dash and Ferdinand but failed miserably. This episode shows that there's no reason to fix what isn't broken.
Many will be disappointed by BoCo not appearing in CGI for the first time, but I'm not one of those people constantly begging for his return, treating him like some sort of messiah or whatever. I will admit, however, he would provide muscle power for the diesel fleet; the mainline is lacking in diesel traction. But onto the episode itself, I like how it begins with Edward and Nia being peaceful with one another, almost like it's a "take that" to those thinking she's "replaced" Edward in the series. Almost like the Emily and Duck scene in What Rebecca Does.
Bill and Ben also play their roles brilliantly; they think they've played a good joke on Edward, but are horrified when his van goes missing, and they even show remorse for what they did. It's one of those episodes where the fantasy sequence works within the story, showing the (potential) consequences of their prank. Plus, that moment where one of the twins gets covered in snow at Henry's tunnel? Brilliant.
But even though he's a supporting character, Edward was the best player of the story, and this is why he works best in a supporting role. He's worked with Bill and Ben long enough to know what tricks they're planning, and even knows how to outsmart them at the end. And come on; you know you were laughing when he dramatized the missing van incident in a Shakespearean-like tone. In the end, he outpranked the pranksters!
There isn't much you can say about an episode that's practically nearly flawless. It plays out like a traditional Thomas story, the characters are well chosen and well written, and... well, it's just fun to watch - unless you're a Christmas Scrooge - so this can only get one rating from me.
Many will be disappointed by BoCo not appearing in CGI for the first time, but I'm not one of those people constantly begging for his return, treating him like some sort of messiah or whatever. I will admit, however, he would provide muscle power for the diesel fleet; the mainline is lacking in diesel traction. But onto the episode itself, I like how it begins with Edward and Nia being peaceful with one another, almost like it's a "take that" to those thinking she's "replaced" Edward in the series. Almost like the Emily and Duck scene in What Rebecca Does.
Bill and Ben also play their roles brilliantly; they think they've played a good joke on Edward, but are horrified when his van goes missing, and they even show remorse for what they did. It's one of those episodes where the fantasy sequence works within the story, showing the (potential) consequences of their prank. Plus, that moment where one of the twins gets covered in snow at Henry's tunnel? Brilliant.
But even though he's a supporting character, Edward was the best player of the story, and this is why he works best in a supporting role. He's worked with Bill and Ben long enough to know what tricks they're planning, and even knows how to outsmart them at the end. And come on; you know you were laughing when he dramatized the missing van incident in a Shakespearean-like tone. In the end, he outpranked the pranksters!
There isn't much you can say about an episode that's practically nearly flawless. It plays out like a traditional Thomas story, the characters are well chosen and well written, and... well, it's just fun to watch - unless you're a Christmas Scrooge - so this can only get one rating from me.
Rating: Excellent
Cyclone Thomas
Written by Tim Bain
I like the little bit of continuity with Outback Thomas in which Isla remembers Thomas' near miss with the bridge. Isla has her own role to play by transporting Dr. Claire (shame we never got to hear her speak) to patients far away hospitals; and I know some are going to be annoyed by Thomas pretending to be a doctor train, but there was that line from Isla where she tells him to leave it to the medical professionals. Plus, it worked into the episode's theme pretty well.
I also liked how there was a bit of expansion to Shane, Aubrey and Aiden. Shane gives Thomas some emotional support when he's feeling down, and Aubrey and Aiden admire Isla's heroism. As I've said with Outback Thomas, Shane is such a fun character.
If I had to point out some issues, it's down to the pacing; the first and second acts are about Thomas wanting to be like Isla and then feeling down when he can't get to patients in record time. In fact, it's around the 4:30 mark where the action finally begins and Isla finds herself unable to pass through the cyclone, so it's all down to Thomas to help the people of Katherine (good to know that they're acknowledging real Australian cities).
And to be fair, there is some tension and drama that Thomas Goes to Bollywood wished it had, especially when Thomas is puffing through the cyclone a la Edward's Exploit. I just wish it had a longer run time...
The lesson, whilst good, isn't really anything new - heck, not even for Thomas himself - the pacing is rather awkward, and the seven-minute time-frame doesn't do it enough justice. But... the characters are nice, the stakes are fairly high, and the dangers of cyclones do have some emphasis put on them; so, I can forgive the drawbacks and say it's a good episode.
I also liked how there was a bit of expansion to Shane, Aubrey and Aiden. Shane gives Thomas some emotional support when he's feeling down, and Aubrey and Aiden admire Isla's heroism. As I've said with Outback Thomas, Shane is such a fun character.
If I had to point out some issues, it's down to the pacing; the first and second acts are about Thomas wanting to be like Isla and then feeling down when he can't get to patients in record time. In fact, it's around the 4:30 mark where the action finally begins and Isla finds herself unable to pass through the cyclone, so it's all down to Thomas to help the people of Katherine (good to know that they're acknowledging real Australian cities).
And to be fair, there is some tension and drama that Thomas Goes to Bollywood wished it had, especially when Thomas is puffing through the cyclone a la Edward's Exploit. I just wish it had a longer run time...
The lesson, whilst good, isn't really anything new - heck, not even for Thomas himself - the pacing is rather awkward, and the seven-minute time-frame doesn't do it enough justice. But... the characters are nice, the stakes are fairly high, and the dangers of cyclones do have some emphasis put on them; so, I can forgive the drawbacks and say it's a good episode.
Rating: Good
The Case of the Puzzling Parts
Written by Davey Moore
This was another interesting episode, especially as it starred Sidney and Paxton, two of the dimmest and yet the most friendly of Sodor's diesels. Seriously, those two make a great duo, especially as Paxton is the smarter of the two, but still gullible and naive. It's even funny how he does a bit of a fourth wall break when it comes to the fantasy sequence.
A complaint I have is how Sidney broke down hours after Diesel bumped into him, especially the way his buffer fell off. I know it's a kids' show, and I can usually suspend some disbelief, though I do kind of find that hard to believe. Unless Sidney was going through a bit of wear and tear, then maybe I could understand.
For the most part, there's... not really a lot to talk about here. It kinda feels like a filler episode, perhaps a leftover from season 21? Still a nice episode, but not one I'd rewatch all that often.
A complaint I have is how Sidney broke down hours after Diesel bumped into him, especially the way his buffer fell off. I know it's a kids' show, and I can usually suspend some disbelief, though I do kind of find that hard to believe. Unless Sidney was going through a bit of wear and tear, then maybe I could understand.
For the most part, there's... not really a lot to talk about here. It kinda feels like a filler episode, perhaps a leftover from season 21? Still a nice episode, but not one I'd rewatch all that often.
Rating: Okay
Banjo and the Bushfire
Written by Tim Bain
There's something about the title that's perplexing; why is it called Banjo and the Bushfire when the titular koala barely turns up? Wouldn't having Thomas' name in the title work much better? Unless the writers were sick of having his name turn up in many episodes...?
Anyway, the episode itself is rather decent, and it felt like an improved Thomas in the Wild, which was extremely tedious to sit through. But that doesn't mean this episode was without problems of its own; how did the bushfire towards the end start up? It's another episode where the seven minute time frame is a disadvantage. It may have been hinted at when Jill stomps one out, but bushfires usually happen when campers act carelessly.
Speaking of, that would've been a good way to show kids how to act responsibly when camping, and why leaving campfires unattended is a bad idea. But, again, because of the runtime, we don't see that.
We're also introduced to Tamika the steam motor rail in what's apparently her sole appearance. I'm really disappointed they didn't give her much to do in Australia, even more so that they had four episodes to work with. I personally liked the idea of introducing a steam motor rail to the series, and when I heard of Tamika, I was excited as to what they could do with her, but again, left disappointed that she does what another engine could've done. That being said, I liked her personality.
On whole, it's not really Tim Bain's strongest episode, but there isn't a whole lot for me to dislike either. It has a good message about protecting animals (probably the best execution of said message), and the baby crocodile at the end was pretty cute. Plus, it's funny how Thomas must've had bad memories from his near-miss when he first came to Australia!
Anyway, the episode itself is rather decent, and it felt like an improved Thomas in the Wild, which was extremely tedious to sit through. But that doesn't mean this episode was without problems of its own; how did the bushfire towards the end start up? It's another episode where the seven minute time frame is a disadvantage. It may have been hinted at when Jill stomps one out, but bushfires usually happen when campers act carelessly.
Speaking of, that would've been a good way to show kids how to act responsibly when camping, and why leaving campfires unattended is a bad idea. But, again, because of the runtime, we don't see that.
We're also introduced to Tamika the steam motor rail in what's apparently her sole appearance. I'm really disappointed they didn't give her much to do in Australia, even more so that they had four episodes to work with. I personally liked the idea of introducing a steam motor rail to the series, and when I heard of Tamika, I was excited as to what they could do with her, but again, left disappointed that she does what another engine could've done. That being said, I liked her personality.
On whole, it's not really Tim Bain's strongest episode, but there isn't a whole lot for me to dislike either. It has a good message about protecting animals (probably the best execution of said message), and the baby crocodile at the end was pretty cute. Plus, it's funny how Thomas must've had bad memories from his near-miss when he first came to Australia!
Rating: Okay
Counting on Nia
Written by Lee Pressman
Finally, after making some small appearances throughout the season, Nia finally has an episode dedicated to her. Prior to this episode, people have been accusing her of being a Mary Sue; I don't agree. If anything, it's Ashima who's the Mary Sue (but that's a topic for another day). And this episode shows that Nia is far from perfect.
What the episode shows is that Nia is confused by the Arabic numeral system (basically, numbers 0 to 9) and feels embarrassed by her mistake. She's come across a language barrier - if you look online, you'll notice that there are different looking numbers in African, which may be what Nia is used to seeing - and so Annie and Clarabel help her out to recognize the shape of numbers. I really love their portrayal here. It makes them feel motherly and supportive.
Speaking of, this is probably the only issue I have with the episode; why is Nia being asked to pull Annie and Clarabel, and therefore what is Thomas doing in the meantime? I know he's taking a goods train at the end, but neither narrator Thomas nor Sir Topham tells us that. Heck, Thomas narrates the story but doesn't speak within the actual episode!
I also like how the fantasy sequence is utilized; it's not as outlandish as we've come to expect, but it served to help Nia understand what the Arabic numerals look like - 1 being a tall tree, 2 being a swan, 3 being on a butterfly wing, etc. It's a nice touch.
For Lee Pressman's final contribution to the current series, I think it's safe to say he went out pretty strong. And it's a Nia episode to boot, so bonus points for that. It's a lovely, simple story with a relatable message about language barriers, and the fantasy sequence was done in a rather tastefully. Lee Pressman, you'll be missed by many, but your contributions to the show will always be appreciated.
What the episode shows is that Nia is confused by the Arabic numeral system (basically, numbers 0 to 9) and feels embarrassed by her mistake. She's come across a language barrier - if you look online, you'll notice that there are different looking numbers in African, which may be what Nia is used to seeing - and so Annie and Clarabel help her out to recognize the shape of numbers. I really love their portrayal here. It makes them feel motherly and supportive.
Speaking of, this is probably the only issue I have with the episode; why is Nia being asked to pull Annie and Clarabel, and therefore what is Thomas doing in the meantime? I know he's taking a goods train at the end, but neither narrator Thomas nor Sir Topham tells us that. Heck, Thomas narrates the story but doesn't speak within the actual episode!
I also like how the fantasy sequence is utilized; it's not as outlandish as we've come to expect, but it served to help Nia understand what the Arabic numerals look like - 1 being a tall tree, 2 being a swan, 3 being on a butterfly wing, etc. It's a nice touch.
For Lee Pressman's final contribution to the current series, I think it's safe to say he went out pretty strong. And it's a Nia episode to boot, so bonus points for that. It's a lovely, simple story with a relatable message about language barriers, and the fantasy sequence was done in a rather tastefully. Lee Pressman, you'll be missed by many, but your contributions to the show will always be appreciated.
Rating: Excellent
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