TTTE S20 episode: Three Steam Engines Gruff

Now's the time to review a direct-to-DVD episode of Thomas, one that is yet to air in countries that speak English as their main language.


(Special thanks to Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia for the image)

3 Steam Engines Gruff.
Written by: Andrew Brenner.
Aired: Japan: 4 December 2016.

It's autumn on Sodor and Thomas meets Toby along his branch line, who says the trees look very spooky. Thomas is along the line further and notices a broken fence. He sees Trevor and tells him about it, and Trevor says he will tell Farmer McColl.
That night, Thomas tells the other engines about the fence, of which they all wonder what broke it in the first place. Percy is nervous as he sets out to pull the mail train. He is making his deliveries and comes across a bridge on the branch line, and all of a sudden, hears a moaning sound. Frightened he runs back to the Sheds to tell the others. He runs in so fast, that he rockets right into Henry, who rolls further into his berth. Gordon is not amused nor interested. Percy, however, is very apprehensive toward the sound he heard.
The next morning, Percy tells Toby and Thomas about it. Thomas assures him there is probably nothing to worry about. Toby, on the other hand, is baffled and scared by this, and is not looking forward to crossing the bridge on the way to the Quarry.
Later, Thomas is nearing the bridge and decelerates, puzzling Annie and Clarabel. Thomas tells them what he is up to, but suddenly, hears the moaning sound Percy told him about, hollers, and dashes away.
Thomas, Percy and Toby meet up at Ffarquhar, and discuss the sound they heard, and make an assumption. Percy, remembering the story of The Three Billy Goats Gruff, thinks it's a troll. Toby, agreeing, reminds the others about how the littlest goat survived by going across the bridge first and telling the troll to eat his bigger brothers. The engines are all very scared and do not want to be consumed by the "troll".
Toby claims first, and Percy second, leaving Thomas to go third. At the bridge, Toby, Henrietta and Percy hurridly cross, leaving Thomas on the other side. Slowly proceeding across, Thomas, Annie and Clarabel hear the noise and listen more carefully, and realise it's a cow. Toby and Percy are surprised too, and they fetch Jem Cole, Farmer McColl and Trevor to rescue the cow, who was the escapee from the broken fence. Thomas takes her back to Famer McColl's farm.

That night, Thomas, Percy and Toby tell the other engines about their adventure. Edward, Henry, Gordon and James laugh, but Toby and Percy are agitated and say it's not that funny. Thomas, not having any hard feelings, says it was a little "a-moosing."

Yep! This was the first episode since Henry and the Flagpole to have Trevor the Traction Engine speak. And might I say, this is so far the only time I prefer a character's US voice over their UK voice. Trevor's UK voice sounded rather strange. I prefer his US voice.

I mean, in the US dub, Trevor sounds like Chuck from Budgie the Little Helicopter despite that that character was voiced by Kerry Shale and that in the US, Trevor is being voiced by Christopher Ragland, and of course in the UK, Trevor is voiced by Nigel Pilkington. Funny thing is, both Christopher and Nigel are also the current voices for Percy in their respective dubs.

Now, on to this episode, might I say, despite Trevor's role, this episode was executed poorly. It portrays Toby as a wimp again, and even Percy and Thomas were wimps! And all because they thought the cow under the bridge past the watermill was a troll. Percy should've learned from his experience in Tale of the Brave and Thomas, Percy and the Dragon!

So, overall, this episode is proof that Andrew Brenner should just stick to adapting Railway Series stories from now on, and Helen Farrall should be head writer.

My rating: 1.5/10.


Season 20 scorecard:

8. Pouty James: 3/10.

12. Love Me Tender: 10/10.

13. The Railcar and the Coaches: 8.5/10.

18. 3 Steam Engines Gruff: 1.5/10.

24. Buckled Tracks & Bumpy Trucks: 8.5/10.
25: Tit for Tat: 10/10.

26. Mike's Whistle: 9.5/10.

27. Useful Railway: 9.5/10.

Season 20 rating so far: 8.4/10.