TTTE Season 19 Overview

My final post related to Thomas' 19th series! Here, I'll be listing the episodes I've ranked from worst to best, as well as giving additional thoughts on the season as a whole. Let's get started!

Worst - Rocky Rescue

Rating: -3/10

If they aren't treating supposed heroes like petty, childish brats, they're shunting their continuity straight into a brick wall, and this is a prime example as to why. It's only this season in which the Rescue Team have accomplished a thousand rescues - a whale being one of them, I reckon - but in this, they don't act like they have. Not to mention that they've redeemed Flynn and Belle in season 17, only to revert them to being idiots... again! If this was during season 16 or 17, I'd be more forgiving to some extent, but having it this far into the new era is simply inexcusable. That's like dealing with Luna's depression five seasons in, only for her to potentially threaten Equestria again! (Oh wait, that's already happened.)

Stay away from this failure.

The Other Side of the Mountain

Rating: 0/10

Truth time; I liked this a little bit at first, but when watching it again several times over, as well as seeing SamTheTrainFan's riffing on this episode (and Helping Hiro, which is next on the list), I realized how stupid this was. Not to mention how mean-spirited this was against Thomas, but even then, I couldn't root for him. And yeah, in case you're wondering, this would definitely have been on my Thomas is and Idiot list, possibly in the Top 10.

Helping Hiro

Rating: 2/10

"Oh, the potential!" seems to have been a recurring theme within season 19, and this episode shows us why that's the case.

Considering Toad's Adventure, in which James and Toad played off one another brilliantly, why couldn't Mark and Nick have done something similar with this by simply let Hiro play off another character like Charlie? Whilst the plot would still have a fair amount of contrivance, it at least would've made sense. I didn't like this episode that much when I first saw it, and I still don't to this day. Not helping is how I've recently figured out for myself that Hiro's just overrated, and also - if he misses Japan so much, why doesn't he go there?! (Oh, I'll get to that one soon enough.)

Salty All at Sea

Rating: 3/10

I know, I know, I originally gave this a 5.5/10, but looking back, I don't feel as generous. Porter has been severely underused since Away from the Sea, and despite some nice roles in the likes of Gone Fishing and Tale of the Brave, he's pretty much been relegated to the background, and this episode didn't even bother giving him a speaking role - not one line! Working alongside one another does not automatically make a dynamic; take note for next season, writers.

A Cranky Christmas

Rating: 4/10

Just outright boring. It tried to redeem itself with some humorous moments, but they fall flat like the Fat Controller. It feels a lot like a less-than-stellar take on Who's Geoffrey, and could've been cut down to four minutes.

Henry Spots Trouble

Rating: 4/10

Dear Thomas writers, if you're to write more episodes with Henry, please - do not treat his worrisome persona like it's a personality quirk! It's not cute, and if overused, it can become grating really quick.

To be honest, that's why I'm still not really fond of this episode. Yes, it taught us about fears of the unknown, but there's other kids shows out there that have done similar episodes to that. The writing in Henry Spots Trouble is fine, but it's a pretty forgettable episode.

The Little Engine Who Raced Ahead

Rating: 6/10

And here's another rating change.

I originally gave this a 7.5/10, but it dropped to a 6/10 cause... well, the plot is a bit on the disjointed side. Not as bad as it was in Rocky Rescue, but it could've been structured a lot better. They could've had the "race" take place earlier and then have the scoldings to Philip take place at the end of the episode, along with him promising not to pester Gordon again, maybe with a Thomas cameo where makes a "trust me, I know what that's like" face towards Philip.

Despite that, I still think the episode is alright, and I am quite interested to see how Philip's role in The Great Race will go.

Snow Place Like Home

Rating: 7/10

There's not much else I can say for this one, but I will say the focus is a bit confused - is it about Victor's fear of snow, or Kevin getting stuck in it?

Reds vs. Blues

Rating: 7/10

You know, I really don't know why this episode gets condemned by fans - is it the cliched plot? The focus on soccer/football? Another Thomas vs. James episode? It's really hard to tell as I really quite liked this one. There were some funny moments, and it's a clearly superior take on Thomas and the Colors, which, again, I will eventually get to.

Philip to the Rescue

Rating: 8/10

It was definitely a lot better structured than The Little Engine Who Raced Ahead, but for James letting Philip's attitude get the better of him? It's kind of difficult for me to explain or give my own interpretation on that, but hopefully, I'll come up with some reason or explanation behind this. Or maybe you have a perspective that you'd like to share.

Wild Water Rescue

Rating: 8/10

One of those humdrum plots where the episode is driven by characters rather than the story; moving on.

Who's Geoffrey?

Rating: 8/10

A nice season opener, although I do admit it might've been more interesting with a twist ending like a few people have suggested on DeviantArt. Yeah, it might be a little cliched, but can anyone name a Thomas episode where we got a twist ending what we didn't expect? (Not Daisy's reveal in Lost Treasure, since we knew about it before it came out on DVD.) Come on, work with me here.

The Truth About Toby

Rating: 8/10

Yeah, the episode's got it's problems, but then, so does every episode of the show, whether they be technical or story-wise. Of course, why were the issue with Toby's sideplates not brought up again until the ending? Couldn't they have fallen off at the scrapyards while Reg was lifting him?

There are positives that make up for a fair number of the negatives; it was nice to see Gordon and James show a different shade of their personas, and Henrietta was excellent. Way better than how it was handled in Thomas and the New Engine.

Two Wheels Good

Rating: 8/10

At last, an episode with focus on humans and road vehicles! Here's hoping we have more like this in the future... but separately, of course. This made the Duke and Duchess very interesting (why they aren't named, I don't know) and their moments were pure brilliance.

Something I didn't point out in the original review was the reusing of an angle from The Thomas Way - I don't mind that at all, just as long as they do it sparingly and so it doesn't affect the episode as a whole.

The Beast of Sodor

Rating: 8/10

Oh dear - I can't take the Fat Controller seriously anymore. Not saying it's bad, it's just a humorous bit of riffing from yours truly. This was probably our favorite railway director at his funniest. Plus, its connection to Henry's and Spencer's plot worked nicely, and it actually worked for Henry. I'm just hoping they keep developing him for season 20...!

No Help at All

Rating: 9/10

Ooh, now we're getting to the Top 10!

I don't think I'll add extra thoughts to this episode without giving it justice, so I won't. But I will say it must be seen to be appreciated.

Diesel's Ghostly Christmas

Rating: 9/10

Same thing with this. Yeah, a lot of the story is contrived, but then, you sometimes need to break a few rules just to get the story to work. I think Diesel suited the role for Scrooge very nicely, and the disguises by Emily, Salty, Paxton, and Thomas were very creative as well.

Of course, this is worth noting - and a similar problem occurs with Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasue - WHY are the crews not involved?! What are they these days - the engines' hands? A plot device for things to happen? Why are they (for the most part) mute? So many unanswered questions about them, but seriously. Either you actually feature the engines' crews doing more than just being here, or you don't feature them at all! I mean, is it that hard to stay consistent, especially when The Adventure Begins showed Gordon's driver scolding his engine?!

I could ramble on about the problem with the engine crews, but I'll let TheUnluckyTug02's take on this matter in the second half of his Lost Treasure review explain it a lot better than I could've done. (It's around the five minute mark.)

As for Diesel's Ghostly Christmas? It is still a fantastic episode, especially for Thomas' very first two-part episode, but they seriously need to work on consistency in the show, especially when it comes to little things (more on that later).

Very Important Sheep

Rating: 9/10

Another of those episodes where there's little to talk about, but all I can say here is that it's what Wonky Whistle should've been (even though that episode is overhated, but I digress).

Lost Property

Rating: 9/10

No one expected this episode to be great when it first came out on DVD in June 2015 - it was a simplistic, slice-of-life story, but it was mixed with great humor and moments with Thomas and the Fat Controller. A real highlight for this season, but what can be better? Well...

Goodbye Fat Controller

Rating: 9/10

Thank goodness season 19 ended it's run in Japan with this episode - had it been Rocky Rescue, I would not have been happy at all.

Sure, the rumors plot has been done to death in the past, but it really works for this episode - Sir Topham Hatt is respected by all his engines even though he has had unfortunate (and rather amusing) mishaps in the past, and they couldn't imagine Sodor without him. I think that's what makes it the best of the "rumors" episodes of season 19 - a bonding between the railway controller and his engines like parents and their children.

Den and Dart

Rating: 9/10

If Davey Moore could succeed in expanding on Den (mostly) and Dart, why could he have screwed up that badly with the Rescue team? I guess that's an answer we may never know, but it doesn't affect how brilliant this episode and its characters were.

But right now, let's get to the real standouts - the big ones.

Toad and the Whale

Rating: 10/10

Enough people have praised this to high hell (and not without reason, I should note), so let's move on.

Thomas the Babysitter

Rating: 10/10

Honestly, I was going to be much harsher in my review; not with this episode, but rather, at the episode's critics. I think the reaction to this pretty much reminds me of when Brotherhooves Social came out - people got upset all because Big Macintosh was dressed as a mare (and he had every reason to do so to be with Apple Bloom, people!) and with this one, people gripe about it being a generic Thomas episode, how "boring" this episode was (yeah, and so were Lost Property and Very Important Sheep[!]), and the fact that the baby was crying throughout when Thomas wasn't moving.

I think this episode perfectly shows the negatives of public transport; some people will have babies in strollers, and yes, they will cry at any opportunity, it's natural. On the next mode of public transport you ride in if there's a baby in a stroller and if it starts crying at any point, think of where this episode was coming from. Despite not having heard a baby cry on a bus (yet, at least), I actually believe where Thomas the Babysitter came from, and it's an episode I really liked from the get-go.

Slow Stephen

Rating: 10/10

Yeah, Helen Farrall is pretty dominant in the Top 10, and I think this is her absolute best. So much that it's now my fourth favorite episode of the show (The Flying Kipper is now at fifth and Old Iron is third). Apart from my complaint about Gordon's portrayal in the episode and the current era in general, this was very well-paced and had excellent action in the third act. Once again, you got to see it to appreciate its genius.

Best - Best Engine Ever

Rating: 10/10

After much deliberation, I have finally decided that, after 30 years since Thomas and Bertie, Andrew Brenner managed to bring forth my new favorite episode of the entire show. Oh sure, there may be one or two minor problems this has, but then again, Thomas and Bertie did too.

Very rarely do kids' shows actually tackle adult issues head on. When they do, they often end up backfiring horribly by not understanding the issue (One Coarse Meal) and/or just simply insult those with psychological problems (Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep). Emily being self-conscious about her appearance and feeling depressed over it worked beautifully, and it shows that, like everyone else, she can feel sad or upset, hopefully shutting up those who think she's a "Mary Sue".

And then there's the issue with responding to audience criticisms. Of course, we all know Thomas and Friends has been targeted for being "sexist", and so they introduced more female characters as a response to the critics. With this episode? It's not so much of a "take that" to the critics, but rather, it showcases how brilliant Emily and Caitlin are, and can be, as characters.

That's what makes Best Engine Ever the best episode ever in Thomas history - it tackles an adult issue, makes those who faced a problem similar to Emily's actually feel better about themselves by the end, and it's a response to the critics who scream "sexist" without being "in your face" about it. It has it all, and like I've said before, it shall remain my favorite episode until they either best it (which I doubt), the show ends and I stop being a fan, or I die. Whichever comes first.

Final Thoughts

Season 19 was to Thomas what season five was to MLP - a step backwards. Unlike MLP season five, however, there are enough good episodes to make up for a number of the bad ones, and the bad ones of Thomas season 19 aren't as bad as those in MLP season five (except maybe Rocky Rescue), in which the bad ones were really bad.

Perhaps the season's biggest problem was inconsistency within the episodes. Sure, they try tying up to past episodes and specials, but we're three seasons into the new era. That kind of stuff could've been kept in season 17, and it might not have been so bad since we had a new writing staff, and there was a big mess to clean up. Helping Hiro is a prime example of this; they tried making it a sequel to Hero of the Rails, but it was six years too late for that.

Then there's the focus on the Steam Team - Thomas especially. Why did they have to feature him in every episode?! We should be past that by now! If it was so Joseph May and John Hasler could get used to the role, even then, it's no excuse.

Of course, there's Henry, Gordon, and James - they need to stop treating their respective character flaws like they're personality quirks. It gets really annoying, and the writers should at least try and show different shades of their personalities like we saw in The Truth About Toby (at least for Gordon and James). Heck, even in the Barlow era, we saw Gordon and James show kindness once in a while. As for Henry? Well, I've moaned enough about his worrisome persona being treated as a quirk as it is.

I do appreciate what the season was trying to do, of course; it wanted to try out new things like the previous season did, and that's admirable. Some worked, but others didn't, although I wish that a fair number of characters received more screentime - I mean, characters like Duck, Oliver, Whiff, Belle, and Stafford didn't have enough time to shine and spoke once or twice.

Overall, I'd give this season a 7/10; had there been more quality control, it could've been better. I'm hoping season 20 is better than this and hopefully bigger than season 18, and with the confirmed appearances of Sir Handel, Rosie, and Stanley, as well as Daisy's return, it should be interesting. Of course, I, like everyone else, am also wondering what else this season will have in store for us...

That's it for season 19 - bring on the big 20 and The Great Race! This should be an exciting time for Thomas fans (as long as Viacom allows it)!

TTTE Season 19: The Final Episodes

You know what? I ain't gonna even bother waiting for the next episodes to air. I just want to get season 19 outta the way so I can focus on the remaining episodes of seasons 5-17 that I haven't got to as well as the next episodes of MLP's sixth season.

Wild Water Rescue

Written by Becky Overton

This episode was released back in June 2015 on the Target-exclusive DVD Wild Water Rescue and Other Engine Adventures along with five other season 16 episodes. I'm not really sure why it was released with five Nitrogen episodes when they could've released the new episode by itself with the other DVD segments as bonus features.

Alright then, onto this episode. First off, I really like Percy and Diesel's dynamic - Diesel is shown as a devious trickster and Percy is his gullible, naive victim. It's a lot better than Day of the Diesels in which Percy is seen a wuss. Actually, Percy has been brilliant throughout season 19. After Tale of the Brave, he's been portrayed as much more confident, and he's more naive than stupid. But I don't know why he'd think the mayor would be at an abandoned quarry.

When it comes to Diesel, he does get his comeuppance for lying to Percy when he tries to help him out of the flooded track and his engine short circuits - a nice way to showing kids that water and electricity don't mix - but he does get his wish in being a picture, but not the way he intended. So he loses and wins at the same time. And it's funny how he struggles to apologize.

And of course, there's the Rescue team - how did they manage to succeed in a thousand rescues because of their incompetence (I'll get to that soon enough), I'll never know. And Percy's photo faces? Pure win.

Rating: 8 out of 10

No Help at All

Apparently, this takes place during three episodes - Salty All at Sea (and it's also referenced in this episode), Best Engine Ever, and Den and Dart. How does this stack up?

Compared to Salty All at Sea, there's Thomas' role. This time, he doesn't hijack the plot because he's the main character, and another reason his role works is because Knapford connects to his branchline (then again, that could also be said for episodes like Missing Gator, but I digress). Oh, and he lampshades the fandom complaint about there being "too many" engines on Sodor, but I wonder if that was foreshadowing Philip's or Ryan's arrival?

With Bill and Ben, for their only appearance in season 19 after a lot last season, they were portrayed brilliantly, and their antics are hilarious as always. I did feel very bad for Marion when she was left struggling with the trucks, but it was funny to see her still stuck at the end of the episode, calling for help.

Timothy was the standout character, as was Porter. With Timothy, he's a complete contrast to the twins by being more serious-minded about his work, and doesn't care if he's seen as "boring" as the twins put it. Porter's role was quite good, but he really needs to be given more starring roles and development - ever since Away from the Sea, he's been left to the wayside and is overshadowed by everyone else at Brendam.

And yes, the musical interlude with "Down by the Docks" - it was done brilliantly.

Rating: 9 out of 10

The Other Side of the Mountain

I was very... conflicted about this one. There were people that liked, and then there's those that hated it. Let's try and make sense of this, shall we?

The first point of contention is the similarities to Thomas' Shortcut. In the season 17 episode, Thomas wanted to find an alternate route along his branchline in order to win his races with Bertie. In this, he wants to see the other side of the hill, despite that he's a railway engine and not a road vehicle. Yes, I know they said mountain and not hill, but it doesn't even look like a mountain at all. Another similarity is Annie and Clarabel's portrayal; in Shortcut, they're portrayed as more serious when they tell Thomas the branchline doesn't have a shortcut. Here? They're just mean to Thomas by laughing at him just because he's unable to see the other side.

Actually, the same thing could be said for Bertie; he's a jerk to Thomas for the sake of being a jerk. Are we sympathizing with Thomas? No, since he was also put in a bad light as well! After he ignores a red signal, he gets into an accident and must be taken to the Steamworks to be fixed. Based on the Fat Controller's line, I'm just wondering why he even keeps him around if we consider how much trouble and accidents he causes on a regular basis. Yeah, both parties apologize in the end, but it's too little, too late to save the episode. Also, if Thomas refused to listen to Bertie, why did he even bother thinking about what he'd said before?

The conflict is resolved... and rather stupidly, I should note. Guess what Thomas sees? It's a billboard. A billboard, of all things! At least with Timothy and the Rainbow Truck, the resolution made sense to give payback towards Bill and Ben for sending Timothy on a fool's errand. It's just there, because plot device.  Oh, and Thomas the Jet Train, even if it was a fantasy, did look quite stupid. :P

I was unsure as to what to think of the episode at first, but reviewing it now? Holy hell, this is just stupidly awful. Neither Thomas nor Bertie are put in the positive light, the humor comes across as mean-spirited, and the resolution was outright dumb and only served to provide a happy ending. Also, what does this story teach us? With Thomas' Shortcut, it taught us that you should always follow the rules, but with The Other Side of the Mountain, the moral it tried to tell us about paying attention, but the build up was extremely half-arsed.

So what if Jack made a cameo appearance? This episode is just bad, and there's little redeeming value to it other than the crash.

Rating: 0 out of 10

Thomas the Babysitter

Written by Helen Farrall

This episode (as well as The Other Side of the Mountain) aired in Japan on the 21st birthday, perhaps the first time I can recall an episode airing on my birthday. Was this better than the episode it aired with? Yes, it was.

Ever heard of the KISS principle? That's short for Keep It Simple, Stupid, which is exactly what they did here. The concept of Thomas putting up with a baby on board his train doesn't sound very exciting, but if you look beyond that, it sounds like the kind of story Awdry could've written himself. What keeps the episode going is that Thomas, Annie and Clarabel try to figure out how to keep the baby from crying - singing don't do scrap, but who knew that Annie and Clarabel were opera singers? - and it turns out that if Thomas kept moving, the baby would keep quiet.

Actually, that just shows me that this is Thomas and the Pigs done right. When Thomas decides not to stop at every station, Annie and Clarabel shoot it down, reminding him that he has other passengers, so they have to put up with it until they reach Knapford. Then, does Thomas decide to sacrifice his break (much to the coaches' dismay) by giving the baby and his mother a free ride along the branchline.

I think that's probably the best part of the episode - the workings of Thomas' branchline. With Toby's and Percy's presence on the line, it makes it feel more complete. Stanley, whilst he has a cameo, actually serves a purpose as a secondary engine for the branchline. I'm thinking that he's a go-anywhere mixed-traffic engine akin to Donald and Douglas, and with him running passenger services on Thomas' branchline, I suppose that covers up the plot hole as to who runs the line whilst Thomas is out doing whatever. I guess a similar case could be said for Rosie; both she and Stanley have been seen working on the branchlines and mainline pulling either passengers or goods.

Other than that, there's little to say. The episode features a simplistic slice-of-life story that was definitely written with Thomas in mind, and there's a time-lapse which was done fantastically. It's certainly one of season 19's best for sure. In fact, a few of my all-time favorites come from this season alone.

Rating: 10 out of 10

Rocky Rescue

Written by Davey Moore

Oh, this was one that I was looking forward to reviewing; not because I like it, but rather, it's because it is possibly the worst episode in the new era. There's so much wrong with this episode, but it's down to two words - continuity breaker.

Firstly, Flynn mentioned fighting a fire at Brendam Docks. Later, he and the rest of the team argue about how to get Rocky back on the rails. If we bring Wild Water Rescue into consideration, the Rescue team should at least act like they've performed over a thousand rescues! Here, they're just bickering childishly and their arguing does more hurt than good! Hell, in Toad and the Whale, they were struggling to understand how to get the whale back into the ocean, and never were they seen acting this petty. It's one thing to argue when you're waiting for a rescue, but to argue during the rescue? That's inexcusable.

Next there's Henry's rescue. It's kinda unimportant, but I wanted to mention this - his portrayal was fine, but it's only in this season he's faced off chicken pox, the "abominable snowman", as well as running away from Skiff and Sailor John in a subplot that was never resolved (unless they have plans for season 20), and yet he's lying on his side, close to the edge and doesn't freak out. I don't know if this is nitpicking or not, but it is a bit of a distraction.

However, it's nothing compared to what happens after he's brought back onto the rails. And yes, there is a goof in the animation; when Henry sets off, his tender is still on its side, but in the next shot, it's coupled to him. But that isn't the biggest problem. Let's bring forth Helping Hiro, Philip to the Rescue, and Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure, shall we? Hiro, James, and Thomas were unable to move as their chassis and/or wheels got damaged badly and therefore, they couldn't be able to move after their respective accidents. But with Henry, he's able to move after his accident with no problem! Also, why the hell didn't Belle come along to take Henry to the Steamworks since she's also a locomotive?

After that, there's Rocky's runaway and his tipping over. Continuity Errors, Exhibit C - in Best Engine Ever, Caitlin and Emily went down the hill leading up to Ulfstead Castle at what appeared to be 70 miles per hour, and neither tipped over! In this episode, Rocky seemed to be going at a slower speed and yet he does! I suppose you could argue that his center of gravity his higher, but the writers should not have this happen in one episode when it doesn't in another. You see how disjointed the episode is?

Of course, my complaints don't stop there. Animation Error, Exhibit B - Rocky is tipped over off the tracks he was on, but later when he's rescued, he's on the tracks he derailed from, on his side. I know Arc makes dumb mistakes from time to time, but come on! Soon, the rest of the Rescue team, barring Captain for obvious reasons, try to help Rocky back on the rails. At this point, you're thinking, "Oh, Jerome and Judy should've been in this episode!" Yeah, well, so should've Harvey since, oh I don't know, he's a crane tank engine? Considering The Adventure Begins was produced alongside season 19, I'm hoping the two cranes will turn up in season 20 as I'd hate for their renders to go to waste.

And yes, there's Thomas' role. While he was portrayed nicely, his role could've suited Harvey much better, as mentioned above, and like I've done with Spike in The Crystalling, I'm treating this as purely coincidental, not as if it was the default setting. Then there's the moral about teamwork, and its biggest problem is that it's shoved down our throats! And there's the three strikes, because why not.

I think the few things I liked in this episode was Rocky's portrayal on the whole, and the music and sweeping shot near the end were amazing. And the narrator was barely prominent, which is quite nice - not that I'm against the usage of one, mind - and the voice acting was really good. But that's it. The rest of the episode was simply terrible. Thomas and Friends is not a self-contained show - at least at this point, it shouldn't be - but if you neglect your own continuity, then you got problems. If it was a SpongeBob SquarePants script, I'd understand since most episodes are meant to be self-contained, but here with Thomas? Sorry, but no can do.

Rocky Rescue is definitely the worst episode of the Thomas Renaissance, and the worst of season 19 overall. Davey Moore should've known better at this point.

Rating: -3 out of 10

Goodbye Fat Controller

The final episode of season 19, and after a few hits and misses, let's see if this was worthy of a finale. Basically, the premise is that Percy overhears some men and thinks that the Fat Controller is leaving Sodor, and so the engines work extra hard and early to convince him to stay. However, when Percy sees the men moving stuff from his office, the Steam Team goes on strike, only for him to explain that his office is being redecorated.

I really love how this episode shows how much the engines appreciate the Fat Controller for being their father figure. Also, this episode is basically Percy's Big Mistake done right, and it's a lot funnier. One of the highlights is the instrumental interlude of "Sir Topham Hatt 2010" with the engines working hard and the Fat Controller reacting in surprise.

Speaking of which, the humor with him is excellent - he's not treated as a butt monkey as he was in episodes like The Beast of Sodor or Lost Property. He's the straight man, and he reacts to funny things around him, not having funny (some would say mean-spirited) things happen to him. Although with his office being redecorated, I'm surprised that if this is the finale, it's only going to get blown up by Sailor John.

Then there's the strike, which I've an issue with - why would Edward agree to it? I mean, I know that he's known the Hatt family for many years and would still be saddened, but still. I've a similar issue with Gordon. Considering he lead a strike with Henry and James following him, wouldn't he have been a bit more reluctant since it was his strike that lead to Percy's arrival? And what about every other engine on the NWR? Why don't we see their reactions?

Other than that complaint, I do think it's a very good episode, and it was a worthy finale with humorous references to Trouble in the Shed, and an equally hilarious ending with the telephone.

Rating: 9 out of 10

You'll notice that a lot of scores have changed; I've decided to go for whole points rather than half points since it's more efficient.

Thomas and Friends Season 19 Scorecard:

1. Who's Geoffrey?: 8

2. The Truth About Toby: 8

3. Lost Property: 9

4. Henry Spots Trouble: 4

5. Toad and the Whale: 10

6. Very Important Sheep: 9

7. Salty All at Sea: 3

8. Den and Dart: 9

9. Helping Hiro: 2

10. Snow Place Like Home: 7

11. The Beast of Sodor: 8

12. A Cranky Christmas: 4

SYE1. Two Wheels Good: 8

SYE2. Reds vs. Blues: 7

SYE3. Slow Stephen: 10

SYE4. The Little Engine Who Raced Ahead: 6

SYE5. Best Engine Ever: 10

SYE6. Philip to the Rescue: 8

Diesel's Ghostly Christmas: 9

Wild Water Rescue: 8

No Help At All: 9

The Other Side of the Mountain: 0

Thomas the Babysitter: 10

Rocky Rescue: -3

Goodbye Fat Controller: 9

TTTE Season 19: Start Your Engines!

Well... the last blog post sparked more controversy and discussion than I thought it would! Anyway, here's my thoughts on the Start Your Engines! episodes. This time, I'm gonna rank them from least favorite (or least good, depending on how you view it) to most favorite.

No episode images this time; sorry.

Least Good: Reds vs. Blues

Written by Davey Moore

Alright, let's get this outta the way:

Percy: "And then there was trouble!"

Percy, you cheek.

Onto the episode itself, it's quite nice and simplistic, and it's definitely better than Thomas and the Colors (and yes, I'll get to that one soon). Other than Percy's dialogue, I really loved the moment where the Fat Controller accidentally breaks the window with the workman's football.

Of course, there's problems; why didn't Clarabel call out to Thomas about the Fat Controller being left behind? And Thomas being subbed in for Gordon? Well, that's arguable. The story occurs on Thomas' branchline, where Dryaw FC is (can anyone help me figure out what it stands for?), but Thomas acts a bit like Gordon about saying blue is better than red. Isn't there a football stadium close to the mainline?

And yes, we get that the football fans cheer for Thomas because he's blue; was that bit of narration even necessary? Oh, and I never knew Sir Robert Norramby and the grumpy passenger were football fans! The moral is quite nice, but the episode on whole isn't necessarily the best.

5. The Little Engine Who Raced Ahead

Written by Andrew Brenner

Well, Brenner, it's high time you wrote for season 19...! He must've been so focused on The Adventure Begins that he hadn't the time to write for this season.

Let's start with Philip. I actually like him. He kind of reminds me of Minuette from Amending Fences, almost like the child who's very eager to please and wants to be the best. Yeah, he's kinda like Thomas in The Adventure Begins, but they focus on excitability rather than cheekiness. He might not be the fastest, but he doesn't let that stop him from being so darn cheerful all the time - he's always looking on the bright side of things. Plus, he's a far more bearable character than a certain orange bratty Charlie who shall remain nameless. His basis is also brilliant; I never knew such a design existed in Pennsylvania! (I wonder how he and Hank will play off?)

As for the episode, this was a pretty good one too. Philip does get scolded for being a bit reckless and nearly causing an accident or two, but he doesn't get told off for racing about. Ah well; can't have it all, I suppose. A nice episode, but it could do with some reworking. Although does Gordon's response to the Fat Controller's scolding of Philip remind me of a Top Hat quote?

4. Two Wheels Good

Written by Lee Pressman

Spencer is to take the Duke and Duchess of Boxford to Callan Castle for Lord Callan's birthday, and the Duke has a speech to make there. At Knapford, after the Thin Controller turns up with his bicycle, Spencer, Thomas and Bertie argue as to how many wheels are best - twenty (if you include the tender), six, or four. Out on the mainline, Spencer's valve gear breaks so Thomas takes the Duke and Duchess, only to be stopped by a fallen tree. Sound familiar? Yep, it's like Lady Hatt's Birthday Party again, and huh, I should've reviewed that beforehand, but oh well.

Bertie takes the Duke and Duchess, but his tire bursts due to a tack on the road. The Thin Controller turns up on his bicycle, and he rides all the way to the nearest phone booth and calls for Harold to take the Duke and Duchess to Callan Castle. I really love the usage of off-road vehicles and humans in the episode; it shows there's far more to Sodor than the railways, and I love the balance and simplicity of the plot. Yeah, it's a three-striker, but at least it's not annoying as it was during S13-16. Plus, at least they resolved Spencer's, Thomas', and Bertie's follies, unlike the Fat Controller's car, Caroline, and George.

3. Philip to the Rescue

Written by Andrew Brenner

Gotta love continuity between episodes, am I right? (Spoiler alert for my comments about continuity in another S19 review, by the way.)

Really, this is such a fun episode, and I liked how James was called out for being hypocritical, although it's pretty rich for Thomas to say so considering his behaviors in S13-16. That length of James' train was quite a sight to see - no wonder he struggled, and his crash was absolutely fantastic. That is damage you'd never see in the model series! And yes, the callback to The Adventure Begins was quite nice. Are they hinting at the potential sequel with James and the trucks up Gordon's hill?

Say what you will about Philip as a character, but here, after James called him a showoff, Philip willingly rescued him from crashing. That shows that you should help others in need even if they say bad things about you - Bulldog, anyone? I mean, would you wish for your worst enemy to fall down an abyss?

2. Slow Stephen

Written by Helen Farrall

Miss Farrall, you have my vote for season 19.

Yes, I really love her writing style. She can take the simplest of plots and make them feel entertaining whilst including railway realism. Lost Property, Toad and the Whale, and Very Important Sheep, were all fantastic in their own right, as was Thomas the Babysitter, which I'll get to.

For Gordon? Yes, I will admit that his arrogance has been overplayed, very much like Henry's worrisome persona, James' vanity, and (to some extent) Duck's Great Western way of thinking. Can we at least focus on other aspects of their respective characters? Edward displayed some signs of sarcasm in his persona, which is actually quite funny, and Percy's character as grown since Tale of the Brave; can't we see the same with the big engines?

With that aside (it won't affect my score, but it was worth mentioning), the rest of the episode was solid; Stephen's bravery to cross the Suspension Bridge as it collapsed was very admirable, especially since Gordon was coming with the express and he wanted to avert a disaster. Besides, desperate times call for desperate measures.

Most Favorite: Best Engine Ever

Written by Andrew Brenner

Who didn't see this coming? Can we call this the Best Episode Ever? ...no? Okay then... *laughs nervously*

No, but seriously, I absolutely adore this episode - probably helps that I'm a bit of an Emily fanboy - and it's probably my second favorite episode overall, closely following Thomas and Bertie. It's high time we got an episode featuring two female characters playing lead roles, and they play off one another fantastically. This isn't like Dream On or Whiff's Wish where the lead character fights to prove themselves, but Emily just feels downcast for not being as modern as Caitlin is. It's trying something new and unique like The Perfect Gift did with Reg celebrating Christmas his own way.

There's also little moments that I really loved:

• Connor's "Afternoon, ladies" line and his prompt winking makes me laugh.
• Emily's indignant response at being heavier than Caitlin's coaches like she was called fat was pure comedy.
• The streamlined Emily bit was actually quite nice (there, I said it).
• I really liked Marion encouraging Emily to feel proud of herself for who she is despite Emily not being a steamshovel herself.

The rescue scene was fantastically done, and I just can't help but love Emily's adorkable smile after saving Caitlin. This one's real standout for the new era, and an episode I'll love until either I stop being a fan or die, whichever comes first.

Thomas and Friends Season 19 Scorecard:

1. Who's Geoffrey?: 8.5

2. The Truth About Toby: 7.5

3. Lost Property: 9.5

4. Henry Spots Trouble: 4.5

5. A Cranky Christmas: 4

6. Snow Place Like Home: 7.5

7. The Beast of Sodor: 8

8. Toad and the Whale: 9

9. Very Important Sheep: 9

10. Salty All at Sea: 5.5

11. Den and Dart: 9.5

12. Helping Hiro: 3

Diesel's Ghostly Christmas: 9.5

SYE1. Two Wheels Good: 8

SYE2. Reds vs. Blues: 7

SYE3. Slow Stephen: 9

SYE4. The Little Engine Who Raced Ahead: 7.5

SYE5. Best Engine Ever: 10

SYE6. Philip to the Rescue: 9

Sci-Twi and Other Ramblings

Ever have those times that the more you think about something, the worse it gets? Well, this is one of those for me. The "something" I keep thinking about? Friendship Games. Specifically, the human world's Twilight Sparkle, or, as I'll call her for this post like I did for the movie review, Sci-Twi.

Don't get me wrong; I absolutely adore Twilight as a character. Her intelligence, her newfound status as a princess, there's so much to like about her... and as of now, my second favorite character behind Sunset Shimmer. With Twilight, she has always been the leader of the Mane Six, and in times of a crisis, most of the time, she's rational, but she has moments when she loses her cool completely and will often go insane, but for the most part, she gets flustered and becomes OCD at times. That's what makes her appealing.

Which brings me onto her human world counterpart - she's practically similar to her pony counterpart, but there are some differences; Sci-Twi is practically a wallflower, lacks confidence when under tremendous pressure, and believe it or not, she's a doormat.

Yeah, I'm gonna say it right now; Sci-Twi is a doormat. In the movie, because she has the highest test scores of any student at Crystal Prep, Principal Cinch wants her to compete in the Friendship Games (ironic, since they are anything but) so she can get into an independent study program. Yeah, Cinch is blackmailing Sci-Twi just to uphold her reputation for selfish, petty reasons, and Sci-Twi goes along with it if it means achieving her goal!

The difference between the two is that Princess Twilight does not bow easily to peer pressure; I mean, in Keep Calm and Flutter On, she was suspicious of Discord when Celestia assigned her and the rest of the Mane Six to reform him, and heck, one of her greatest moments, possibly her best, was in Twilight's Kingdom, where she gave up the alicorn magic to save her friends and Discord!

What does Sci-Twi do? She pretty much steals the Human Five's magic (in fact, they're treated like plot devices), therefore nearly causing chaos at the second round of the games, and before the third round even begins, she is pressured by Crystal Prep to unleash the magic, and it turns her into a demon, threatening everyone around her - hell, she even destroys the CHS statue and it's not rebuilt by the end of the movie. And when Sci-Twi returns to normal, what does she get as a consequence? Nothing! The blame is all piled onto Cinch and Sci-Twi transfers to CHS without problem! Yeah, a similar scenario happened with Sunset in the first movie, but at least there were signs that she wasn't forgiven straight away (she, Snips and Snails were made to repair the school as punishment)!

So apparently, with Sci-Twi, the moral seems to be "you can easily fall to peer pressure and cause havoc by mistake and out of your control, but everything will be fine since you'll transfer to your rival school." What kind of stupid, half-assed lesson is that?!

It looks like the problems from The Cutie Re-Mark have struck again (even though that episode aired two months after the movie, but I digress), which is ironic since both were Josh Haber scripts. Where do I begin? Let's talk about Sunset Shimmer's role in this film, Rainbow Rocks and the DVD covers for both films. With Rainbow Rocks, Sunset was the main heroine, and she isn't featured on the cover! Meanwhile, with Friendship Games, she's featured on the cover, but she's pretty much shoved aside as deuteragonist to Sci-Twi. Actually, very much everyone else was shoved aside to make room for Sci-Twi and dogpile so much crap on her (please, don't take it the wrong way) to the point that Shining Armor's human counterpart was thrown in as an afterthought!

Look, I get that Twilight Sparkle is the show's main character, fair enough, but does she always have to be featured? Brotherhooves Social, one of the show's most understated episodes, didn't even feature her! Nor did Sisterhooves Social, Sleepless in Ponyville, or Flight to the Finish - what I'm trying to say here is that you can't feature Twilight solely because she's the show's main character (looking right at you, Thomas!), however, you can feature her if she has a purpose in the story. Just don't leave everyone else to the side, okay? Sunset was going to have a subplot in the film, but it was cut because... well, I don't know! Why was it done? To prevent the film from having conflict? I get that Haber is a safe writer, but that's too far, even for him.

Actually, Josh Haber is the reason that Friendship Games (and, for that matter, The Cutie Re-Mark) failed spectacularly. Two-part premieres and finales and the Equestria Girls films are supposed to be bigger than normal 22 minute episodes. Bottom line, having a safe writer like Josh Haber write for both was a trap. Actually, the same thing could be said for Scott Sonneborn writing for Luna, Nick Confalone writing for Pinkie Pie, and Neal Dusedau writing for Discord. Let me explain.

Luna, Pinkie, and Discord are tricky characters to get right. Then again, some characters are difficult to get right, but whatever. Sonneborn, Confalone, and Dusedau are all rookie writers. Having rookie writers write about complex characters is a mistake; they don't understand them as well as the veteran writers who established their personalities. As a result, Luna ended being a self-harming crybaby whose mood swings could potentially endanger Equestria whilst Discord became an insensitive jerk whose face you want to smash with a baseball bat. And Pinkie? Well, she was pretty good in season five for the most part, but the two episodes which Confalone wrote for her leave a lot to be desired.

And Josh Haber with Twilight (or at least, Sci-Twi)? Well, in each of his episodes from both seasons four and five, he wrote for (in order) the Mane Six as a group, Rarity and Applejack acting like one another, Applejack conflicting with the Flim Flam brothers (again), Apple Bloom and Luna, and Twilight trying to stop Starlight from destroying the world because the latter was a petty childish brat. Why did he do so well in season four, and yet screwed up badly in season five and Friendship Games? He very much changed Twilight from being a pony who cared deeply about keeping the past unaltered to a meek pushover who doesn't suffer consequences for her actions! (I know that they're two different Twilights from different worlds, but still.) Say what you will about Cinch, but she did suffer some level of karma for her actions (she lost her reputation, respect from her students, and her best student).

Not too long ago, I wrote a journal talking about how many writers MLP should have - it's so far got too many to write for one season! Season five struggled with sixteen and somehow, season four did solidly with thirteen! Even though season two's quality is mixed, it only dealt with six writers!

As for Sci-Twi? Her portrayal in Friendship Games is not the Twilight I wish to see in the future. The Twilight I know is brave, intelligent, thoughtful, and has the best intentions at heart. That wasn't shown with Sci-Twi at all in the film, and it turns out to be a complete waste of potential, and a big reason that Equestria Girls needs more than just the movies. Why not make a TV series based on it, or better yet, a series of YouTube shorts or comics? It'd be a great opportunity to expand on the other characters and they won't feel cluttered in a 70 minute film. On that bombshell, whilst I don't find her portrayal in the film very flattering at all, Sci-Twi isn't the worst character of the franchise, but I do consider in the bottom 10.

TTTE Season 19: Episodes from Down Under

Augh, I can't take this SIP (stupid, idiotic, pointless) hiatus any longer! No thanks to Viacom, the UK is still waiting on new Thomas episodes and it's only two weeks to a month until the episodes for Start Your Engines are released on DVD. To vent some frustration, I'll just review the remaining season 19 episodes in batches regardless as to whether or not they finally air in the UK.

Season 19, Episode 8
Toad and the Whale

Written by Helen Farrall

Oliver is annoyed by Toad's singing - Duck remarks that you'd never hear such a noise on the Great Western - and when Toad notices a beached whale, Oliver simply dismisses it as a joke. Kind of mean of Duck to call Toad out for singing, isn't it? If singing makes him happy, then so be it. However, when Oliver passes by Bluff's Cove again, he spots the whale and realizes that Toad was being serious - the whale is in trouble, and so they alert the Search and Rescue Center.

Oliver and Toad bring water in tankers to help keep the whale hydrated, and Butch can't tow the whale out to the tide... oh, and did I just hear a worker say it wouldn't survive? That means it could die! And it was said on a kid's show! Toad suggests bringing the whale to Brendam to deeper waters, but Oliver isn't sure of it. Then he comes up with a brilliant - if somewhat implausible - idea; putting the whale on a flatbed with Rocky and on the journey, Belle sprays water to keep the whale alive, with a water tanker in tow. Plus, Toad sings to the whale to comfort it.

Cranky lifts the whale back into the water, and it happily swims away, waving its tail goodbye to Toad, who always sings about the whale with revised lyrics for "I Do Like to be Beside the Seaside." Pretty much everyone's talked about what makes the episode good - it's about awareness for animal safety and how they should be looked after - so I don't have much else to say. Just give it a watch, and you'll see why people like it. Is it the best of season 19? Well, it's up there.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Season 19, Episode 9
Very Important Sheep

Written by Helen Farrall

Speaking of episodes getting praise...!

Yeah, this is definitely Wonky Whistle done right. Why is it better? Well, here's the thing - Percy was in a rush, and he was being careless by bumping into the livestock van and it hit a rail on a flatbed, creating a hole that was later enlarged by the sheep. The way they run away makes sense because Percy didn't stop... just because. He stopped when he needed to take on water, at a level crossing or signal, or because a piglet was on the tracks. Thomas was in no rush; he just lost the animals because he was an idiot.

Ah yes, speaking of whom, Thomas' role makes perfect sense because one - the story takes place on his branchline (I believe), and two - he has Annie and Clarabel. Had it been Toby, it wouldn't have worked since Victoria isn't in CGI (well, not yet at least). And we get humorous dialogue and moments from Annie and Clarabel to boot. Bonus points. Oh, and Annie, please don't tempt fate next time, okay?

The music? Fantastic, and so is the fact that they actually got child actors (I believe) for the children. However, I do wish that Gordon could show different shades of his character every once in a while.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Season 19, Episode 10
Salty All At Sea

Written by Lee Pressman

This one's rather... interesting. I wouldn't say this is flat out bad, but rather, more... confused, let's say. Basically, Salty is to help out at the mainland, but because the bridge to the mainland is under maintenance, he has to travel by ship, but he's afraid of doing so.

One of the big issues with this episode is Thomas - why is he even here in the first place? Like I said with Very Important Sheep, his role made sense, as does Den and Dart, which I'll get to in a bit. In this episode, Thomas is just here because the script demands it. And it doesn't stop there; Porter does absolutely nothing. Ever since Away from the Sea, he's done so little he's practically a background engine, and he's got one of the strongest personalities of Brenner's characters! Why couldn't they have used him in Thomas' place, or better yet, use both Porter and Edward (y'know, since it takes place on his branchline)? That'd make more sense, and Porter would get some character development!

However, dismissing it completely based on choice of characters would be kind of dumb. The story - at least, the first half - is relatively strong. Salty wants to avoid traveling by sea, and so he takes on Edward's job to take trucks to Wellsworth and passengers for Thomas. Kind of like the employee who doesn't want to face the boss and does his coworkers' jobs for them, right?

Although, there is a catch - why would Salty believe in his own stories? He knows they're false, and you can tell based on his expressions. Plus, why did they not explain his fears? Is he afraid of getting seasick, or what about afraid of sinking? Anything would've been fine, even if his excuse was stupid. Also, can I hear about the Phantom Brakevan? I'm sure that sounds more interesting. If they'd actually used Porter and given Salty a reasonable fear for traveling on ship, it might've been stronger.

Oh, and I can't forget Timothy's cameo - I'll get to that episode when I get to it. Overall, a pretty average episode.

Rating: 5.5 out of 10

Season 19, Episode 11
Den and Dart

Written by Davey Moore

You know, I don't mind this episode having a vague title; it tells us who the main characters are, and leaves you wondering what it's about. Den and Dart are used to working together, but when Mavis has an accident at the quarry, Den goes to work in her place, leaving Dart to help repair Mavis on his own. Both struggle, but with help from Toby and Mavis, they manage just fine without the other.

Does the episode deserve the praise it gets? Without question. The titular main characters went from being bland, two-dimensional merchandising diesels to a pair of three-dimensional duo who can't imagine life without the other. The less said about Ol' Wheezy Wobbles, the better. There's pretty little I can say about Den and Dart - it's absolutely fantastic throughout. My only gripe? I wish they used Dart more, but oh well.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Season 19, Episode 12
Helping Hiro

Written by Mark Huckerby and Nick Ostler

Oh, this isn't going to be a fun one...!

Not even a minute in, there's already a problem - Thomas has reverted to what he was during The Adventure Begins. And in case you're wondering, no, this isn't Sodor Surprise Day levels of annoyance, but it's still extremely jarring for many reasons. Actually, a lot of the episode is jarring. Like, why does Hiro not know why he's called Master of the Railway?

On a side note, I'm gonna say it right now - Hiro is overrated. That doesn't mean he's one of the worst characters of the show, but here's my sticking point with him; the only reason he made a comeback in The Biggest Surprise of All in season 13 was to appeal to the Japanese audience, pretty much like Rosie being there to appeal to the female audience... because she's pink. Seriously, the Japanese audience, the female audience, and the Japanese female audience were fans of the show regardless to whether or not Hiro or Rosie existed! (I'm not trying to sound racist or sexist, I'm just pointing that out.)

Anyway, why did they use stock footage from Hero of the Rails (the most overrated special, I should note) rather than make new animation? The animation from the aforementioned special is also extremely dull and grayish compared to Arc's sharp, crisp, colorful animation. Plus, the location of Hiro's hideout changed in the newer animation! Why is that?

Then there's the crash - it was nicely animated and the damage on Hiro looked great, but why did the Fat Controller think he could get there by himself? At least it made more sense than in James to the Rescue where James got away without damage... because reasons. Also, the Fat Controller seems far too lenient on Thomas, especially since Thomas caused Hiro's accident and shirked his duties just to find Hiro's spare parts. Yeah, why would Thomas think Hiro's spare parts were hidden on his hideout? Surely he would at least know that you can't find them there!

And after Thomas is rescued, he sees that Hiro has been repaired and he only just realized it?! Why didn't he notice that the moment he entered the Steamworks? And also, how did Hiro get repaired so quickly, even with his spare parts the Fat Controller bought?

Seriously, on whole, I really feel they could've simply given Thomas' role to someone else - why not Charlie, Rosie, Stanley, or heck, even Samson? It would've made more sense, and we'd have a new, interesting dynamic like we saw in the likes of Toad's Adventure or Samson Sent for Scrap! This is one of those times Thomas acts like he was in the Barlow era, and I hope that they don't keep doing this for future episodes.

If there were any positives, other than the crash, I did like the music and the voice acting - John Hasler's Thomas is growing on me a bit - but that's all. The rest of the episode was a mess, and one of season 19's weakest episodes. Yeah, Henry Spots Trouble didn't have the best portrayal of the green engine, but at least the story was a lot stronger in many areas (even though his worrysome persona is a bit cringeworthy at times, but I digress). So yeah, Helping Hiro is just weak. Not a terrible episode, it's just... meh.

Rating: 3 out of 10

For the scorecard, I'm simply ranking the episodes both based on when I reviewed them (from Ghostly Christmas onwards) and their UK airdate order (at least, for the first seven). I'll be reviewing the Start Your Engines episodes when they come out, and I'll review the final six at a later date.

Thomas and Friends Season 19 Scorecard:

1. Who's Geoffrey?: 8.5

2. The Truth About Toby: 7.5

3. Lost Property: 9.5

4. Henry Spots Trouble: 4.5

5. A Cranky Christmas: 4

6. Snow Place Like Home: 7.5

7. The Beast of Sodor: 8

8. Toad and the Whale: 9

9. Very Important Sheep: 9

10. Salty All at Sea: 5.5

11. Den and Dart: 9.5

12. Helping Hiro: 3

Diesel's Ghostly Christmas: 9.5

TTTE Season 19: Delayed Christmas Follies

I'm so sorry for not getting this done earlier; school restarted (that's fun(!)) and I kind of forgotten about reviewing the next three episodes. So, without further delay, let's dig in!

Season 19, Episode 5

A Cranky Christmas

Written by Mark Huckerby and Nick Ostler

Yes, I know it aired as the sixth episode in Australia and that it's the second episode produced for this season, but I order episodes I review based on their UK air dates, so keep that in mind.

First off, the moral - admitting your mistakes. Whilst it's good, we've already had an episode earlier this season - Who's Geoffrey? Whilst that episode was actually quite funny, with A Cranky Christmas... it felt kind of dull. I-it's far too simple. It fits the mold perfectly, but they could've had a bit more going on. For example, the plot of Duck in the Water is that James is sent to rescue a flooded Duck. With its simple plot, the season 18 episode didn't necessarily have to focus on the main story, and you can actually tell a few jokes in the runtime. Yeah, they told a few jokes here, but they didn't feel funny.

Oh, and on a side note, when Cranky asked that they let go of his mishap since it was Christmas, honestly, I groaned. And please, no Frozen-related jokes in the comments.

It's not terrible, but far from the best. There was so little I can comment on. Even though I give this a 4/10 like Henry Spots Trouble, I'd rather take the Henry episode since it actually grabbed my attention - even though his wimpy persona comes off as cringeworthy at worst... but I digress. More on that later.

Rating: 4 out of 10

Season 19, Episode 6

Snow Place Like Home

Written by Lee Pressman

I'm not sure what the point was in Percy and Henry's scene. I get that it's to emphasize that some engines are struggling in the snow, but couldn't they have expanded on it by having one of them end up in the Steamworks? That could've told Kevin about how dangerous snow can be.

Ah yes, speaking of whom, Kevin is excited about snow, but Victor hates it, and since he came from a country that's closer to the equator, it's very easy to sympathize with him - same deal with Donald and Douglas since they came from a land where it snows heavily. They're used to it, but Victor isn't. Emily is also at Steamworks waiting for her new piston rods... and that's it. I mean, I love her and all, but couldn't they have expanded on her role? Kevin wants to fetch them for her, but Victor doesn't allow it. Kevin sneaks outside to play in the snow, but his fun quickly ends when he gets stuck and no one can see him.

Meanwhile, Thomas is sent to pick up Emily's new piston rods. Victor is unable to find Kevin and Emily thinks he must've gone out there to pick them up, much to Victor's concern. Despite his hatred of snow, Victor decides to go out there and find him, risking life and wheel. Around that time, Thomas manages to pick up Emily's new piston rods, but is surprised that Victor and Kevin are missing. Kevin manages to use his arm to bang on a window, attracting attention. He is freed from the snow and is surprised that Victor went out there to find him. Thomas catches up to Victor (how, I don't know, since Victor is narrow gauge) and the red tank engine is happy that Kevin is safe... although Emily still wants to know if anyone's gonna fit her new piston rods!

I really liked Victor's development - his hatred for snow adds a new layer to his character, and the fact he was willing to go out there for Kevin's sake is admirable. He's almost like a father to the little crane. Might've been nice if we had a Skarloey engine or two involved, but... we get what we get.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Season 19, Episode 7

The Beast of Sodor

Written by Becky Overton

I prefer this to Henry Spots Trouble. There, I said it. Review over, right?

Nope! Of course, I'll address some of the criticisms. Yes, it does have a similar cast to the aforementioned episode, but does that hurt it? The answer is no - whilst Charlie and Eddie suffered badly due to having a plot completely similar to Play Time - and not to mention that it didn't feel like Edward on screen - with The Beast of Sodor, its plot was completely different to Henry Spots Trouble. I dunno about everyone else, but I think Charlie and Eddie and The Beast of Sodor are reverses of each other; the S14 episode has a re-hashed plot with different characters (to some extent) whilst the S19 episode has a re-hashed cast with a different plot. I'm fairly sure that the two S19 episodes having similar casts was purely coincidence from Davey and Becky's respective parts.

Onto the episode itself. Spencer is stuck on Sodor due to the bridge being blocked with snow, and brags about the time he faced off the abominable snowman. The next day, he's working with Henry, and keeps teasing him about the abominable snowman. Meanwhile, the Fat Controller drives his car to take Dowager Hatt for lunch, but he ends up running late, even more so when he gets stuck in the snow in the middle of nowhere... well, not exactly nowhere, since there's railway lines close by, but you get the idea. Oh, and Henry? His persona's not as cringeworthy as it was in the past, and I'll get to more on that later.

Spencer keeps teasing Henry, and twice, he thinks the abominable snowman is approaching, but they turn out to be Emily and Thomas, respectively, the latter carrying Dowager Hatt, who is cross about her son running late. Speaking of which, the Fat Controller is having a bad day - he ends up getting chased by a bull, for one thing...! *laughs loudly* Oh dear... Oh, poor old Toppy! Meanwhile, Henry is once again freaked out by the sight of the abominable snowman... but it's actually James being rescued by Edward and Rocky. Good thing they tied up that little loose end there, isn't it? Spencer wants to head off to the sheds to get warm, but he and Henry come across... *Dramatic Impact #2* the abominable snowman! Spencer is absolutely terrified, as is Henry, and I love this bit of dialogue:

"Leave us alone, you abominable... sir?!"

Turns out it was the Fat Controller, and he's in even bigger trouble; Thomas and Dowager Hatt turn up, and she's cross with her son for being late. Well, what a bit of rotten luck, Topham. But still, Henry actually stood up for himself and Spencer. Of course, Spencer lies about being brave, but we know better, don't we?

I can understand why some would consider it a clone of Henry Spots Trouble to some extent, but I still think it was rather good and humorous, plus the ending gives off a hopeful implication that Henry's confidence will eventually grow. I mean, Sam Wilkinson does want Henry's character to improve, after all. Although, I really wish Viacom would actually allow the rest of season 19 to air - we're not even halfway through the season and Start Your Engines! will be coming soon in two months!

Rating: 8 out of 10

Thomas and Friends Season 19 Scorecard:

1. Who's Geoffrey?: 8.5

2. The Truth About Toby: 7.5

3. Lost Property: 9.5

4. Henry Spots Trouble: 4.5

5. A Cranky Christmas: 4

6. Snow Place Like Home: 7.5

7. The Beast of Sodor: 8

X. Diesel's Ghostly Christmas: 9.5

TTTE S15E4: Percy's New Friends

Happy New Year 2016! Yeah, it was a few days ago, but what the heck. Last year was quite a rough one for me, but hopefully, I'll be able to follow one of my New Year's resolutions - restrain my anger as much as I can. To kick off, we've got a bit of a doozy here!

(Yeah, no more disclaimer at the top; you can pretty much tell whose views they are by this point.)

Season 15, Episode 4

Percy's New Friends

Written by Gerard Foster

Oh boy, this one was a long time coming, and it's an episode I should've done a very long time ago. Why did I not get to this one earlier? There were a lot of episodes that were far worse than this, and then there's some that were bad in a unique way. With Percy's New Friends? The way this one is bad is because this was a definitive sign that enough was enough - it was time for a new writing team to take over the show. Let me describe the basic plot of this - Percy tries to make friends with animals... need I continue?

Well then, without further ado, let's tear this apart... in a restrained manner, of course. Is it really as bad as people say it is?

Percy arrives at Brendam Docks and is sad that no one wants to play with him. Seeing Cranky's friend the seagull, Percy decides to make some friends with animals. He comes across some in the woods - squirrels, rabbits, and birds - but every time he gets close to them, they scamper off, so eventually, Percy keeps quiet, and they ride on his running plate all the way to Tidmouth Sheds.

I wouldn't go far as to say the plot is stupid - far from it - it actually has a decent moral about taking care around animals, but if you ignore the problems I'm gonna mention below, the plot's incredibly boring. I mean, not as boring as Buzzy Bees, but it's kind of in the range.

Percy is very much viewed as an idiot in this episode; I get that he's meant to be a young engine, but they've taken that a step too far - wouldn't he know by now that animals get scared in the presence of an engine? Also, if he didn't have work to do, why couldn't he simply stay in the sheds? And why would he get startled easily by Gordon with the express? I can understand this in Percy Runs Away especially since he could've been killed had Gordon not stopped so quickly.

And then there's Thomas - his characterization is fine, but his role overall is pointless. He's just there because the story demands it. Not to mention that the animals would never have stayed with Percy the whole journey. They did this better with Luke's New Friend since the Blue Mountain Quarry wasn't used to the presence of animals, and Luke himself was actually young and naive.

On whole, to say Percy's New Friends is one of the worst would be an overstatement, but it's still quite bad; it's a decent idea for a plot, but it doesn't work for a show centered on talking trains. I will say, of course, it was one of the few episodes alongside Wonky Whistle and Fiery Flynn that caused the alarm bells to ring for the fandom; it was time to speak out and tell Hit about the problems with the show's current state.

Prior to writing up with review, I had received a comment about my season five overview of MLP - basically, the gist of what the person was saying is "aren't you shoving your own opinions in our faces and forcing us to hate what you review?" The answer is no; for one, not every review I write is negative, and two, when I do write negatively, it's a moment of concern or passion.

If something really bothers me and I can't ignore said problem, then I will get angry over it and explain why this doesn't work. I'd also read somewhere regarding my revised views on Crusaders of the Lost Mark that my views should be dismissed just because I said that Diamond Tiara's redemption was forced - I still stand by my stance, and just because you make her mother detestable, that does not bring Diamond Tiara back up, especially when you consider her actions in the episode's first half!

I'm not trying to say you should agree with me when I say something is crap, but you really should consider where the opposite side is coming from with their views, rather than calling them out for acting like - what you believe to be - a jerk.

Thomas and Friends Season 15 Scorecard

1. Gordon and Ferdinand: 2.5
2. Toby and Bash: 4
3. Emily and Dash: 3.5
4. Percy's New Friends: 2.5
6. James to the Rescue: 0.5

8. Up, Up and Away!: 0
9. Henry's Happy Coal: 5.5
10. Let it Snow: 1
11. Surprise, Surprise: 5
13. Stop That Bus!: 6

17. Wonky Whistle: -5
18. Percy the Snowman: 2.5
19. Tree Trouble: 1.5

20. Fiery Flynn: -8