TTTE S3E08: Diesel Does it Again

Wow! I'm on a roll today! As always:


THE OPINIONS AND RAMBLINGS IN THIS BLOG POST ARE SOLELY MINE AND DON'T REFLECT THOSE OF ANYBODY ELSE


I am also going to review another from Season 3, and I'm reviewing Season 1, most of Season 2 and most of Season 4 with Railway Series books. This S3 review is:

60. Diesel Does it Again
Aired: US: 17 December 1991. UK: 14 April 1992. AUS: 24 February 1993.

Based on "Bumps", "Diesel's Race" and "Trouble in the Harbour Yard" by Andrew Brenner.

Adapted by: Britt Allcroft and David Mitton.

Duck and Percy enjoy their work at the harbour yards pulling trucks to and from the quay, but one day the engines feel exhausted. The Fat Controller understands this and promises that another engine will come and help out. Percy and Duck are very glad to hear this, but their relief turns to shock when none other than Diesel arrives. The two engines, who have not worked with Diesel for a long time, ask him what he is doing there. Diesel tells Percy and Duck that he is to shunt some dreadfully tiresome trucks, and to make himself clear, he bumps some trucks hard.
Percy and Duck are horrified as they do not trust Diesel and refuse to work with him and do not leave the harbour shed. The Fat Controller is enjoying his tea when he gets a call on the telephone saying that there is trouble at the harbor yard. Diesel is working loudly and alone, and as a result the work starts to pile up as the cargo and passengers are delayed on the quay. People soon start complaining about the railway.
The Fat Controller demands an explanation from Percy and Duck, and they explain that he will not work with Diesel. The Fat Controller tells the two that he has to give Diesel a second chance as he is the only engine available, and is trying to help Percy and Duck out by bringing him to the harbour and demands that the two go back to work. With no choice, Percy and Duck do as they are told.
Next morning, things are no better as Diesel's driver had not put Diesel's brakes on properly and he bumps straight into Percy without apologising. Later, Diesel bumps some trucks so hard that the loads fall everywhere. Percy and Duck are worried as to what The Fat Controller will say, but they don't want to tell on Diesel since they do not want to be called "tattle-tales".
The next day Diesel, now thinking he can get away with anything, is ruder than ever as he shunts some trucks full of. He bumps the trucks into some buffers, but the buffers aren't secure, leading the trucks to sink into the sea. That evening, the trucks are lifted out of the sea, but the clay is lost. The Fat Controller is furious with Diesel, telling him that things worked better at the harbour before he arrived. He will be sent away again only this time will not be invited back. He then tells Duck and Percy that they will have to handle all the work by themselves again. Percy and Duck, knowing that extra work is preferable to working with Diesel, gladly agree and start their jobs as Diesel slinks away.


I'm going on a limb to say that I wouldn't have minded if Thomas and the Evil Diesel was adapted in this episode's place instead of having this episode made. That story showed us that even though Diesel can be a jerk, he does have a heart somewhere inside of him. But here, it's to continue the Duck versus Diesel rivalry after A Close Shave, and it's an excuse to bring Devious Diesel back. This is also the reason I chose Diesel as my most overrated character in my Thomas controversy meme. Even though he was sent away in disgrace in this episode, he kept coming back in unneeded places (those I'll get to other times). Nothing really changed here except for a few trucks in need of repairs. It's not a bad watch, really.

As of the Season 19 double length episode Diesel's Ghostly Christmas, the shot of Diesel pushing trucks into the sea was remade in CGi as a flashback, so I will give this episode props for encouraging that flashback.

My rating: 7/10.

Season 3 Scorecard:

8. Diesel Does it Again: 7/10.

26. Thomas and Percy's Christmas Adventure: 8.5/10*

Season 3 rating so far: 7.8/10.