TTTE S6E08: A Friend in Need

Here's the next episode featuring our favourite pack members.

Special thanks to Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia for the image

138. A Friend in Need.

Written by: Aired: Phil Fehrle, Jonathan Trueman, and Abi Grant.

Aired: UK: 25 September 2002. AUS: 30 October 2002. CAN: 22 January 2003.

Thomas is taking some trucks along the line, thinking about his new friend, Jack, who hopes he has improved himself, after having broken the rules for jumping in where he does not belong. The Pack is at work widening the road near the Old Quarry Bridge. After loading Max with Alfie, Jack, having completed his first assignment for working hard, behaving well and following all the rules, feels proud for himself, but he is also worried that Miss Jenny still would not accept him into the Pack.

Meanwhile, Ned the steam shovel is cleaning up a pile of rocks and loads Max, who tries to warn him to be careful of his very full bucket. Thomas is excited to cross the Old Quarry Bridge, as he could see how Jack is doing and knows the Pack is working on the road construction below. Back at the site, the foreman orders Oliver to move a pile of topsoil. Jack initially attempts to help him once again by jumping in but just before he fills his bucket, he suddenly remembers Miss Jenny's warning to not jump in where anyone should not belong from last time. Oliver arrives to do the job, and Jack tells him that the topsoil moving was actually for him. Oliver kindly thanks Jack, while Kelly, Alfie, and Isobella congratulate him. Later, Ned approaches the Old Quarry Bridge and tries to go as slow and cautiously as he can as he is going under it. However, he ends up not lowering his arm down far enough, and he accidentally knocks a keystone out of the bridge which begins to crumble.

Meanwhile, Thomas nears the Old Quarry Bridge, unaware that danger has unexpectedly laid ahead but is unable to stop. Before Thomas rolls onto the bridge, Jack jumps in and holds the bridge up with his scoop until Thomas can reverse to safety. Kelly rushes to Jack's aid, but Jack is unable to hold the bridge any longer, causing the bridge section to collapse before Kelly can help.

Thomas brings Jack back to the yard, and after having damaged his arms, Jack is very worried what Miss Jenny would say, but she is pleased with Jack's bravery and accepts Jack into the Pack. Jack is then sent to the works to get his arms repaired.

Thomas, now very happy, then returns home to Tidmouth Sheds and welcomes Jack to the Pack.


Well, this episode shows a great moral of teamwork and helping a friend out. Especially with Jack helping Thomas the Tank Engine from falling off a bridge which Ned accidentally knocked a keystone out of.

And it was a great welcome Thomas the Tank Engine gave to Jack for saving him.


And in more recent years, we found out there was a character who was going to be a member of The Pack. And that character was Numbuh 1. Alright. Jokes aside. But his real name was actually going to be Nigel. I only called him "Numbuh 1" to make a reference to Codename Kids Next Door. Speaking of which, that show premiered the same year this episode was made. And also, I've made the decision. Next time I decide to use this blog, I'll start rereviewing that series.

Back on topic. A Friend in Need is another brilliant episode of the series, and Jack really developed here.

My rating: 10/10.

Season 6 scorecard:

1. No Sleep for Cranky: 9/10.

2. Salty's Secret: 9.5/10.

3. Harvey to the Rescue: 9/10.

7. Jack Jumps In: 10/10.
8. A Friend in Need: 10/10.

9. It's Only Snow: 9/10.

10. Twin Trouble: 10/10.

12. Scaredy Engines: 5/10.

14. Middle Engine: 3/10.

17. Gordon Takes a Tumble: 9.5/10.

22. Thomas the Jet Engine: 10/10.

23. Edward the Very Useful Engine: 8.5/10.

25. Rusty Saves the Day: 3.5/10.

Season 6 rating so far: 9/10. 

TTTE S6E07: Jack Jumps In

Here's an episode starring our favourite construction machines on Sodor.

Special thanks to Thomas the Tank Engine wikia for the image

137. Jack Jumps In.

Written by: Phil Fehrle, Jonathan Trueman, and Abi Grant.

Aired: UK: 24 September 2002. AUS: 29 October 2002. CAN: 21 January 2003.

Thomas is sent by the Fat Controller to pick up a special from Jenny Packard. He arrives to see that his special is an eager front-loader named Jack to help the Pack clear ground for railway lines at the quarry. Thomas drops him off there and Jack looks for someone to help. He asks Oliver the Excavator and Byron the Bulldozer, whom both decline the need for help and Byron tells Jack to try Kelly the Crane. When Jack introduces himself, a lorry named Isobella rudely tells him to mind her paint work, but apologises and welcomes Jack after Kelly scolds her. They advise Jack to see the Foreman.

The Foreman introduces Jack to his banksman and tells him to work with a small excavator called Alfie, and warns him to remember an important rule; "Safety First". Jack and Alfie were having fun until a dump truck named Max comes along and causes dust to fly over the machines. Jack could see that Thomas was right that he was trouble and Max was about to rush towards him, but stops just in time. Jack becomes furious and whilst refusing to move, scolds Max, who immediately races away in frustration.

Later, the Foreman orders Oliver to move a pile of rocks, but Jack tries to help him by foolishly taking over and picks some of the rock up a hill himself. His banksman tries to stop him, but Jack refuses to do so as he was too eager to help. However, when he approaches the top of the hill, he overturns and slides sideways downhill.

Once back upright, Miss Jenny is glad Jack was luckily unhurt but was disappointed of his foolishness due to disobeying her "Safety First" rule, meaning no one should jump in where they should not belong. Miss Jenny then thinks he may not be ready to join the Pack yet but gives Jack another chance to make sure he could do better the following day. After Miss Jenny leaves, Jack is sad for what he had done, but Isobella, Alfie and Thomas console him, which makes him feel better.


Well, this was a unique part of the series. Thomas the Tank Engine interacting with Sodor's own version of Bob the Builder. One difference between that series and Thomas is, since Thomas the Tank Engine is based on a series of books called The Railway Series, it's supposed to look and act as realistic as possible. Bob the Builder on the other hand, while it was supposed to act realistic, it was never meant to look realistic.

Alright, I'm getting off topic here. This was a very good episode, starring Jack the Front Loader, back when he had a round face as opposed to his more rectangular face he has now. And we were introduced to the following characters:

Jack the Front Loader: Sodor's own Scoop, only red and boisterous.

Alfie the Excavator: He's the closest of friends with Jack.

Isobella the Vintage Lorry: Just Elizabeth, but without the dumper and painted yellow. And she's kind of like James in a way. Not wanting to get her paint dirty.

Ned the Steam Shovel: The original Marion, only doesn't run on rails.

Oliver: And no. Not Oliver the Western Engine, Oliver the Excavator. He's a very good excavator.

Max the Dump Truck: He's a big bully. Always driving around dangerously like that.

Kelly the Mobile Crane: Sodor's own Lofty. Only Kelly's not so much a scaredy cat. He's the oldest of the pack, and is willing to do his work camly.

Byron the Bulldozer: Sodor's own Muck. Only Byron is proud and shows off how he does his work.

Miss Jenny: Well, this is an interesting owner of The Pack. Like Bob in a way. Leads the pack into construction work.


As for this episode, it was a very great way to make a semi-spinoff of the series. Focusing on The Pack. And Jack kept jumping in, eventually lifting too many rocks and falling over. The moral of this episode being Safety First.

I know, I've been comparing the Pack members to Bob the Builder characters, similar to how many Thomas fans compare TUGS characters to Thomas characters. But with this, it makes sense. And especially considering Bob the Builder was a massive hit by the time this season was in production.

But still, this episode was a very good one.

My rating: 10/10.

Season 6 scorecard:

1. No Sleep for Cranky: 9/10.

2. Salty's Secret: 9.5/10.

3. Harvey to the Rescue: 9/10.
7. Jack Jumps In: 10/10.

9. It's Only Snow: 9/10.

10. Twin Trouble: 10/10.

12. Scaredy Engines: 5/10.

14. Middle Engine: 3/10.

17. Gordon Takes a Tumble: 9.5/10.

22. Thomas the Jet Engine: 10/10.

23. Edward the Very Useful Engine: 8.5/10.

25. Rusty Saves the Day: 3.5/10.

Season 6 rating so far: 8.9/10. 

TTTE S11E10: Thomas and the Big Bang

Time to start off this year's reviews! They're going to go off with a bang!

Special thanks to Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia for the image.

272. Thomas and the Big Bang.

Written by: Abi Grant.

Aired: UK: 7 September 2007. US: 7 October 2007. AUS: 27 September 2011.

Thomas is very cheeky. He enjoys playing with his friends, like playing hide and peep with Percy or when James spins on the turntable. Despite his playfulness, he always works and gets the job done.

One day, Thomas gets a new whistle fitted, and he whistles it everywhere he goes. Mr. Percival makes Thomas do a job, which was to fill his trucks with bricks, flour and timber with the help of the narrow gauge engines. Thomas is really excited about this job that he blows his new whistle loudly, and scaring Rheneas, which makes the little engine knock his trucks of pilings. Skarloey and Sir Handel finds this very funny. The engines decide to scare Rusty next.

Rusty is pulling trucks full of bricks when the plan falls into place. Thomas whistles loudly and Rusty knocks his trucks, getting covered in red brick dust from the bricks.

The engines decide to scare Sir Handel, who is pulling flour trucks. The engines hide in The Wharf's Transfer station, and they all peep at him. Sir Handel bashes his trucks and gets covered in flour. Despite all the fun, nobody is doing any work.

Thomas now decides to scare Peter Sam. He is pulling a flatbed of timber. After the engines whistle at him, he pushes his flatbed so hard, the timber crashes through some oil drums and splashes into the canal.

Mr. Percival arrives, and is furious when he finds that there is a huge mess of bricks and flour, and that the timber is in the canal and that none of Thomas' trucks had been loaded. Thomas, seeing the error of his ways, works to get everything in order, getting everything in his trucks before teatime.

Thomas however plays one last trick on Mr. Percival and hides his trucks. When Mr. Percival does arrive, he asks where the trucks are. Thomas reveals the trucks filled with bricks, flour and timber. Mr. Percival laughs and declares that Thomas is "a very funny engine."


Well, time to start off this review. It'll start with a big bang. Ugh! Don't say that! I hate The Big Bang Theory.

Well, this episode is just...... dimwitted! The following reasons;

The title is misleading. Where was a big bang? All I saw was Thomas the Tank Engine making the narrow gauge engines jump upon blowing his whistle, making Rheneas knock his loads onto the ground, turning Sir Handel into a ghost, Rusty into a brick ghost, and making Peter Sam push his timber into the canal.

Why would Skarloey and Rheneas join in? They're supposed to be the wisest engines on the railway.

The main redeeming quality of this episode was James the Red Engine spinning on the turntable, like he did in Tenders and Turntables. And even Mr. Percival telling off Thomas. Of course Thomas' trick at the end was more sensible.

But still, this episode was silly in its own way.

My rating: 3/10.

Season 11 scorecard:
11. Thomas and the Big Bang: 3/10.

13. Don't Be Silly, Billy: 1/10.

Season 11 rating so far: 2/10.

My Top 11 least favourite Thomas characters

I've been wanting to redo this list for a long time. And now's the time for me to do it. I'm going to revise my Top 11 least favourite characters from Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. Why top 11? Because I'm a biased reviewer. Nah. There's just one character I wanted to add, so this is a Top 11 list.

Before I begin, I want to announce that I don't dislike all the characters I've listed.

Here are a couple of rules I'm adding to this countdown:

1. I won't be including Nia and Rebecca. Because I grew to like those 2.

2. Every character is allowed on this list.

So, get ready to send me to the scrapyard! Here are my Top 11 least favourite Thomas characters.

Dishonourable mentions:

Gordon (Season 19 onward): Now, before anyone throws a temper tantrum at me for adding him here, I do NOT dislike Gordon. At least not in Seasons 1-18. But The Little Engine Who Raced Ahead, Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure, Confused Coaches, and Forever and Ever, showed him as an asshole. The last one I mentioned showed him throwing a tantrum over Henry's pointless departure from Tidmouth Sheds. (I personally understand why Edward left. Because he has his own shed at Wellsworth, and I personally think that Thomas and Percy should've left the sheds because of Ffarquhar Sheds)

James (Season 20 onward): Again, I do NOT dislike James. Well, at least not in Seasons 1-19. But episodes like Pouty James, The Fastest Red Engine on Sodor, and the ever-so appalling Apology Impossible showed him to be a complete asshole. And now that I think about it, instead of making Henry leave Tidmouth Sheds, Fat Controller should've kicked James out of the sheds, especially for destroying the back of them out of carelessness and jumping to conclusions about his brakes.

Spencer (Hero of the Rails onward): Again, I don't dislike Spencer. But the way he behaves in Hero of the Rails, Spencer the Grand, Welcome Stafford, and Confused Coaches is just unsatisfying. I mean, always in his silly rivalry with Gordon, all because they're cousins. And even calling him "Slowcoach". I'm just going to have to call Spencer "Slowcoach".

Diesel: Again, I do NOT dislike Diesel. I just don't like how he was made a permanent resident of Sodor.... without an episode explaining why! This wouldn't have been like this had Thomas and the Evil Diesel been adapted.

Charlie (pre-Season 16): Yes, Charlie was redeemed in Season 17, but what he did in the seasons beforehand was pretty lame and annoying. Telling jokes and wanting to race other engines instead of doing his work like he's supposed to. That's not good.

Fred: Now I did say every character is allowed, right? I wouldn't have had a problem with Fred's appearance in New Little Engine.... if he'd actually APPEARED in that book. His potential was all wasted. He got no physical appearance at all.

Arry and Bert: I don't dislike these two, but what irks me about these 2 is that whenever they cause trouble, they almost never get punished for it! Especially in Stepney Gets Lost, Middle Engine, Thomas and the New Engine and Henry's Happy Coal. 

Old Stuck-Up: Talk about unoriginal. Old Stuck-Up is nothing more than The Bowled Out Diesel with 199's livery. All we got out of him was him thinking steam engines are inferior to diesels, and crashing through the back of Tidmouth Sheds out of slipping on oil.

Norman: I feel this recolour of Dennis is rather useless, and the potential he has keeps going to waste. We barely get anything out of him.

Sam: Sure, Sam has a great basis, but considering what he's based on, he's far, FAR too big to be working on a British Railway. And I don't find his voice and persona all that interesting.

Samson: This engine is a complete idiot, always in his little world and not caring about what's going on around him, and even thinking fresh inanimate objects are scrap!

Hong-Mei: I know people say she's a recolour of Rosie, but that's not the case, and that's not even why she's on this list. We barely get anything out of her except for the fact she's China's Numbuh 1 engine.

The nameless international engines: There's nothing to say about them, really, except for what lazy recolours they are.


Now, onto the real list.

Special thanks to Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia for the images

11. Spiteful Brakevan.

Though it was explained that this brake van took a dislike to Douglas, it wasn't explained why he took a disliking to him. And he does live up to his title. And it's a good thing he got what was coming to him. This is why I always exclude him whenever I say that Boco's the only character introduced in Season 2 who's yet to return. The Spiteful Brakevan is dead.

10. Smudger.

Let me get this clear. While Smudger is among my least favourite characters, I do not dislike him. I just find him overrated by fans. Fans keep begging for HiT to bring him back. Well Smudger can't return. For one reason and one reason only. He's dead! And also, Smudger kept coming off the rails out of carelessness. 

9. Colin.

There's nothing to say about Colin except how forgettable he is. All he wanted was a party, one that was around him. And that's all we got out of him. And not to mention, you can't move him anywhere else as easily as Cranky, Carly, Merrick, or Beresford since they can be dismantled and moved to other places. 

8. Ashima.

Let's get this perfectly clear. I do not dislike Ashima. I'm just neutral over her. The reason she's here is because we barely get anything out of her apart from that development she put Thomas the Tank Engine through. (one he didn't even need to go through) I will admit, I do like the song You Can Only Be You she sang with Thomas the Tank Engine.

7. Ivo Hugh. 

Yeah, a fitting place for him. And it proves that every character's allowed. I wouldn't have any problems with his role.... if he'd actually had a proper role in his book. Look, I know it takes time to build an engine, but in Jock the New Engine, Jock was fully built within the 3rd story, and was speaking too. But Ivo Hugh.... he didn't say or do anything. (and they say Bertram, Thumper, and Lady did nothing)

6. Beresford.

We didn't get very much out of this blue Merrick except for the fact he is often lonely. And also, Beresford dangerously hid Thomas the Tank Engine in the canal when James the Red Engine, Hurricane, and Frankie were looking for him. Though I will admit his song Who's Thomas? was entertaining. I just wish there was more they could do with Beresford.

5. Isla.

While I don't hate Isla,even though she's my least favourite female character, I just feel she's a forgettable female Jeremy. She made Thomas the Tank Engine too determined to best her in getting doctors to injured people. So yeah, I don't find Isla that interesting of a character. 

4. Beau.

I will admit, Beau has a nice design and a well done accent, but he's very disrespectful to engines who have derailments, especially with Thomas and an engine who was scrapped. Just leave them to rust until there's no more of them! When Thomas the Tank Engine asked for a breakdown train, Beau told a lie that there are no breakdown trains in the wild west. Very disrespectful you are, Beau.

3. Billy.

I know a lot of people will agree with me on this one. All Billy did was act like a brat to Thomas the Tank Engine's advice on taking on coal and water, always being "Stop telling me what to do!" and accusing Thomas the Tank Engine a "very bossy engine". Billy even unknowingly biffed Percy the Small Engine under the coal hopper. And he never got punished for his actions.

What's even worse is that on Twitter, people keep making this hashtag called "BillyGang", always consistently disrespecting the fact people dislike him. Makes me glad I don't have a Twitter account.

2. Vinnie.

Yep. Vinnie is no longer my least favourite character in the series, but he's still my least favourite villain in the series, and I still can't stand him. He's such an arrogant brat, throwing his weight around like that. And what he did to Philip was uncalled for! Trying to push him into a turntable, and all for a coal accident! Man! Talk about toxic! Sure, Diesel is a bully, but he has charisma. Vinnie on the other hand does not. But it was lucky for Thomas the Tank Engine and Ashima to have given him what was coming to him.

And my new Numbuh 1 least favourite Thomas the Tank Engine character is.....

I was going to keep Vinnie at Numbuh 1, but according to my research, and some reviews and memes, I see a lot of people hate a character more than him. It made me realise a lot of stuff about this particular character. This character is a common law breaker. And that character is none other than.....

1. Ace.

Yes. I hate this yellow Fast Talking Lightning McQueen more than Vinnie. While Vinnie was such an unlikable character, you're not expected to like him. Ace on the other hand, ugh! Even if his Free and Easy song was cool, and even if he was voiced by Peter Andre, Ace is a common law breaker! He broke so many driving rules when going to Sodor. And even went on the tracks. Almost veering into Sidney, who was going on the mainland. And he kept lying to Thomas the Tank Engine that "there aren't any tracks on the Sahara" (well what do you call the stuff Thomas the Tank Engine was moving on while in Africa?)

Ace was also an asshole, making Thomas abandon Nia and their job while in America, all to do a dimwitted stunt!  This meme sums it up. Also, it's making me lose respect for Big World! Big Adventures!. This review sums it up too.

If you have any thoughts you want to share on any of my choices, feel free to do so. 

My future with Thomas and Friends

Welcome to my first blog post for 2019, everyone! Hope you all had a merry Christmas.

This time, I am going to say how I feel about Thomas the Tank Engine now.

As you all know, I am mixed on Season 22. There were some good episodes, like Hunt the Truck (I was hoping Boco would return in that one, but I guess you can't have it all), An Engine of Many Colours, Outback Thomas, Thomas' Animal Ark, What Rebecca Does, Counting on Nia, and School of Duck. There were some mediocre at best episodes like Banjo and the Bushfire (I was personally hoping that Banjo would be a bear to reference Banjo-Kazooie, but he was actually a bear-like marsupial known as a koala), Numbuh One Engine, Forever and Ever, and Trusty Trunky, and even some atrocious episodes like Thomas Goes to Bollywood, Thomas in the Wild, Thomas and the Monkey Palace (And this is coming from a monkey lover), The Water Wheel, and the ever-so-appalling, putrid, rancid, toxic, anger-inducing atrocity Apology Impossible, which proves that the series has been on for too long!

I have been looking through all the tweets on Twitter, comments on rants about Thomas' revamp, and even comments on the episodes. I have been looking very deep into those comments and realised how many people have been taking the series so seriously. It made me realise I've been taking the series for granted too. Just like how I've been taking The Simpsons for granted (Trust me. I've given up on that series after that Apu controversy).

And here is the announcement I'm going to make. It's going to shock a lot of you.

After reading what Season 23 is going to be like, having an episode in Italy (regardless of how exciting that might be to you guys), and more episodes in China, India, and Australia, I've made the real decision.

I am not going to be watching anymore future episodes of Thomas the Tank Engine ever again. Not for the sake of any of you, but for the sake of not adding so much stress on my life. That's it.

I did plan on reviewing episodes of Season 23, but after I made this realisation and done my research, I decided, stuff it! I'm not reviewing that season.

One of my main problems with the newest series is the Around the World episodes. Most of them are really pointless. Thomas went around the world in Big World! Big Adventures!, so why is he travelling around the world again? And they're focusing too much on animals.

Next problem. Where's the variety? Why is Thomas travelling to Australia, India, and China again? He's seen those parts of the world already!

What does Fat Controller think of Thomas travelling the world again? Wouldn't he think that overkill?

And also, who is doing Thomas' work while he's away in China, India, Australia, wherever else in the world? He can't just leave his work and get back to it once his international adventures are over!

Or better yet, why not make a spinoff just focusing on the international engines?

It's too much for a small 6 wheel tank engine to do all of this! Thomas has already travelled the world! He's seen the world already! So this series shouldn't even exist!

We all know that this series does exist for one reason. Mattel's fake reason being "A kid said "Thomas never goes anywhere"". I'm calling it fake because I doubt that kid even exists. Besides, if Thomas never went anywhere, Thomas would just be stuck in the shed all the time, or stuck in a siding all the time. That would be downright boring to watch.

And another problem with this series. I've been feeling this way since Andrew Brenner took over as head writer. And it sucks that he's left the series, and that Season 23 will be his last season with the show. I've been feeling that many Thomas fans have been taking the series for granted. Overexcited to see characters like Terence, Bulgy, Duck, Oliver, Daisy, Donald, Douglas, etc. return to the series. It's great that they're back in the series, but do we really need to be this crazy about it?

I've been feeling that many fans are forgetting what they really did like about Thomas in the first place. Taking the series far too seriously, even forgetting it's a children's series.

And also, I feel people are overrating this series like Spongebob, Teen Titans Go!, Frozen, etc. Especially those people who are involved in that appalling Thomas Creator Collective! A series which I really hope will get cancelled soon!

What I've heard about Mattel is that we don't know what they'll do with Bob the Builder. And I heard they ended the ugly CGi Fireman Sam reboot (Thank goodness!). Probably because they want to focus more on Hot Wheels, Barbie, and even Big World! Big Adventures!. 

Also, I've been realising this for the last couple of years. A lot of people overrate certain things like this. Just about everything that gets made nowadays is all quantity over quality. Especially when it comes to Nickelodeon (Especially Spongebob and The Loud House (I still refuse to get into that series)), Cartoon Network (Especially Go!), The Simpsons, Family Guy, and even shows targeted towards small children. This is why I don't plan on having kids of my own, or if I do have kids of my own, I'll just expose them to what I grew up with and pretend they're from the present.

Speaking of TV, I'm only going to be using it to play video games from now on. There's mostly reality shows, talk shows, news reports, soap operas, and dimwitted commercials on TV nowadays. That's why I don't watch TV anymore. When it comes to entertaining myself by shows, I just watch whatever I want online nowadays.

So there you have it, folks. I am not going to be sticking around for future Thomas episodes, especially with the lack of variety in their international episodes and overuse of fantasy sequences (regardless of how funny they can be). But if you are going to be sticking around for future Thomas, that's fine by me, but don't expect me to.  Besides, I've had it up to here with Mattel's dimwitted marketing ideas (being the reason their sales are going down,  and the Trackmaster Push Alongs replacing Adventures may just as well be the final nail in the coffin for them). As a company, Mattel has lost my respect as a Thomas fan.

I'm just going to go back to Seasons 1-7, maybe a bit of Seasons 8-12, and Seasons 17-21. I am also going to be sticking with fanmade projects, like fanfictions and made up episodes. Plus, I have more interests apart from Thomas!

So there. I'm done. And this time, I mean it! I really do mean it this time.

TTTE S7E24: Not So Hasty Puddings

I thought I would do a review to celebrate this year's festive season. With some puddings.

Special thanks to Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia for the image

180. Not So Hasty Puddings/Not So Hasty Cakes/Thomas and the Avalanche.
Written by: Robyn Charteris.
Aired: UK: 6 November 2003. US: 17 October 2004. Aus: 12 November 2004.

It is Christmas time on the Island and snow is lying heavy on the ground. When Elizabeth delivers Thomas' snowplough, he refuses to wear it and Elizabeth states that he cannot be reliable without it. Thomas grumbles about how rude Elizabeth was and that his snowplough makes his buffers ache.

When Thomas arrives at Maithwaite, he sees Sir Topham Hatt talking to Elizabeth that the Sodor Pudding Factory is snowed in and that the puddings must get to the Docks before the ship leaves for the Mainland. Thomas volunteers to do it, but Sir Topham Hatt needs Thomas to work on his branch line, and gives the job to Elizabeth because she is very reliable. Thomas states that he is reliable too, but Elizabeth says that he is not reliable enough, making Thomas cross as Elizabeth leaves.


Thomas arrives at every station on time, while Elizabeth is having a hard time driving on the slippery road. Thomas arrives at the Docks to pick up Terence and sees that Elizabeth has not returned. Sir Topham Hatt orders Thomas to find her. Elizabeth is filled with Christmas puddings and is on her way to the docks, but the slippery roads and the weight of the cargo get her stuck in a snowdrift. Thomas and Terence are stopped by her driver and Terence pulls her out. Thomas helps Elizabeth deliver the puddings just in time and Elizabeth understands that Thomas is a reliable engine.


While this episode did show Elizabeth being rude to Thomas the Tank Engine, it was still a nice way to show her doing her job. Delivering the puddings, but she eventually got stuck due to the snowdrift she crashed into. And it was lucky of Terence to save her.

One fact about this episode was that this was Terence the Tractor's last appearance in an episode until Terence Breaks the Ice. 

The only major problem with this episode was the stock footage. Maybe it was because they used some of the time for the season to film the Jack and the Pack spinoff? But oh well. And it was nice to see Thomas' blue snowplough return.

My rating: 8/10.

Season 7 scorecard:

2. Percy Gets it Right: 9.5/10.

3. Bill, Ben and Fergus: 7/10.

9. The Spotless Record: 10/10.

12. Rheneas and the Roller Coaster: 5/10.

15. Something Fishy: 10/10.

16. The Runaway Elephant: 9.5/10.

17. Peace and Quiet: 10/10.

18. Fergus Breaks the Rules: 7/10.

19. Bulgy Rides Again: 9.5/10.

22. Best Dressed Engine: 9/10.

24. Not So Hasty Puddings: 8/10.

26. 3 Cheers for Thomas: 10/10.

Season 7 rating so far: 9.1/10.

TTTE S9E26: Flour Power

Ho boy. I'm going to be reviewing an episode from Season 9. One where Thomas the Tank Engine works with Diesel.

Special thanks to Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia for the image

234. Flour Power.

Written by: Abi Grant.

Aired: UK: 25 November 2005. US: 27 November 2005. AUS: 2 March 2007.

On Halloween night, Thomas is alone at the sheds when Sir Topham Hatt assigns him to collect the flour from the mill and take it to the bakery. He also tells Thomas that he must work with Diesel which makes Thomas upset.


Thomas arrives at the docks where he is suppose to meet Diesel, but he is not there. He does not know that Diesel is sneaking behind him and gives Thomas a fright by biffing some oil tankers out of way. Diesel teases Thomas for being a scaredy engine and they set off for the flour mill. When they pass the woods, Diesel says it is the haunted forest and calls out to Thomas in a spooky voice. Thomas crossly tells Diesel to stop it. When they arrive at the abandoned mines, they hear a banging noise and Diesel teases Thomas that it is a ghost engine looking for a steam engine to scare. Thomas says he is not scared, but secretly he is. When Thomas and Diesel stop at a signal, Thomas hears a strange cry and feels something touch his coal bunker which was a tree, but he does not know. Diesel cries out to Thomas that it is the ghost engine after his funnel. Thomas is so scared he peeps frightfully and Diesel calls Thomas a scaredy engine twice. Thomas is so cross with Diesel that he wants to find a way to pay him back.


When they arrive at the flour mill and Diesel goes ahead of Thomas, Thomas has an idea to show Diesel who is the scaredy engine by biffing the trucks out of the way and gets covered in white flour looking like a ghost engine. Diesel is so frightened he runs out of the flour mill before he can hear that it is only Thomas. Thomas buffers up to the flour trucks and sets off for the flour mill. While heading for the bakery, Thomas realises the thing Diesel said that was used to scare him is just a tree that touched him, the strange cry was an owl, the banging at the abandoned mine was just a door and that the forest he passed earlier was Henry's Forest.


Diesel is with Sir Topham Hatt at the bakery when Thomas arrives and Diesel gets scared again and tells Sir Topham Hatt that the ghost engine has come to get him, but Sir Topham Hatt says it is only Thomas. Sir Topham Hatt praises Thomas for his hard work and rewards him a special washdown. Thomas is looking forward to telling his friends everything that has happened.


This episode is pretty much a rehash of Halloween, but at least it didn't try to copy it. Diesel consistently scaring Thomas the Tank Engine like that was pretty scary. But luckily, Thomas the Tank Engine gave Diesel a taste of his own medicine, by covering himself in flour and turning into a ghost.

Though surely, Thomas the Tank Engine could've figured out about the banging door and the owl, and Henry's Forest while going to the Flour Mill with Devious Diesel.

And one bit of dialogue I have to question. The branches "touched Thomas' tender". Tender?! Thomas doesn't have a tender! He has a bunker. What part of "Thomas the Tank Engine" do you not understand?

Oh well, I'll just give my score to this episode.

My rating: 4.5/10.

Season 9 scorecard:

26. Flour Power: 4.5/10.

Season 9 rating so far: 4.5/10.

TTTE S8E21: Halloween

Here comes a spooky episode. One with the appropriate title.

Special thanks to Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia for the image

203. Halloween.

Written by: Dave Ingham.

Aired: UK: 10 October 2004. US: 14 November 2004. AUS: 7 December 2006.

It is Halloween and the engines excitingly hurry to finish their work. That evening at Tidmouth Sheds, Sir Topham Hatt tells Thomas and Emily to pick up a delivery of iron from the smelters. Percy, worried for them, warns them to watch out for ghosts. Though they both tell him ghosts do not exist before setting off.

On their way there, Thomas and Emily discuss what is scarier: ghosts or the smelter's yard. By the time they get there, night has fallen and both are spooked. Unbeknownst to them, 'Arry and Bert are hiding behind the Breakdown Train and plan to scare them knowing they are afraid. Moaning and bumping a flatbed, they successfully scare Thomas and Emily, who race to the main shed. Both start to wonder if there are ghosts as they enter where the chains, falling sparks, and several noises make it more scary. As Emily turns around on a turntable, the sparks cause a white tarpaulin to fall onto her, though she is convinced a ghost has got her. Emily races away while Thomas, who is in front of her on the same track races away too. 'Arry and Bert get frightened and run away with Thomas and Emily following them, also thinking she is a ghost.

All four engines race through Henry's Tunnel and head back to Tidmouth Sheds. As they arrive, Percy tells them to stop before they crash while Thomas informs him of what is happening while the tarpaulin flies off Emily after she steams under a signal gantry. After Sir Topham Hatt comes to see what the noise is about, Bert admits the trouble he and 'Arry caused and they are sent back to the Smelters to do Thomas and Emily's work as punishment.


Nowadays, whenever Thomas or Emily return to the Smelters, they know there is nothing to be scared of and that ghosts do not exist, or so they think...


And so, we come to an episode centred around Emily and Thomas working together. And it is even spookier when Arry and Bert keep spooking the 2 engines.

Emily becoming a ghost when covered in tarpaulin was pretty scary and funny at the same time, even scaring Thomas the Tank Engine, Arry, and Bart.

Fortunately, this episode doesn't focus on the children going trick or treating. It's just a simple story, and it gave Arry and Bert a hilarious comeuppance, and getting them into trouble in the end. And that ghost at the end was pretty funny. One of the better of Season 8.

My rating: 10/10.

Season 8 scorecard:

15. Squeak, Rattle and Roll: 8/10.

21. Halloween: 10/10.

22. You Can Do It, Toby!: 5.5/10.

24. Chickens to School: 6.5/10.

Season 8 rating so far: 7/10.

TTTE S6E13: Percy and the Haunted Mine

Another scary review coming your way. One focused on some Gnawty gnomes.

Special thanks to Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia for the image

143. Percy and the Haunted Mine.
Written by: Robyn Charteris.
Story by: David Mitton.
Aired: UK: 2 October 2002. AUS: 6 November 2002. CAN: 29 January 2003.

The stations are preparing for a Best Dressed Station competition and Percy has to collect some trucks from Maithwaite. On the way, he has to stop by an old mine. He is spooked when he sees a mine chimney sinking into the ground and when he tells Donald and Douglas, they claim it is the naughty gnomes which makes him feel even more scared.

Later, when Percy is to collect garden gnomes for a station, he sees the warehouse sink and is convinced it is the naughty gnomes. He bumps some trucks and garden gnomes fall out. Percy is terrified and runs back to Lower Tidmouth station, where the Fat Controller explains that in fact the gnomes were garden gnomes and that the buildings were just sinking into old mine shafts. Percy then returns to the mine to pick up the gnomes, learning that they were not scary like he thought they were. The next day, Lower Tidmouth wins the Best Dressed Station competition, due to the fact that they had the garden gnomes.

This is another episode that showed Percy the Small Engine's scaredy side, especially when Donald and Douglas told him about the Gnaughty Gnomes that steal their wheels.

To be honest, I think Bill and Ben would've suited this role when it comes to telling tall tales about gnaughty gnomes.

I will admit, I did find it funny when things at the mine started to sink, and when Percy the Small Engine crashed into the van and gnaughty gnomes started falling out. Don't know why, but I found that a bit funny when I was a kid, but the sinking buildings I found scary as a kid, but as an adult, I find it both scary and funny.

My rating: 7/10.

Season 6 scorecard:

1. No Sleep for Cranky: 9/10.

2. Salty's Secret: 9.5/10.

3. Harvey to the Rescue: 9/10.

9. It's Only Snow: 9/10.

10. Twin Trouble: 10/10.

12. Scaredy Engines: 5/10.

13. Percy and the Haunted Mine: 7/10.

14. Middle Engine: 3/10.

17. Gordon Takes a Tumble: 9.5/10.

22. Thomas the Jet Engine: 10/10.

23. Edward the Very Useful Engine: 8.5/10.

25. Rusty Saves the Day: 3.5/10.

Season 6 rating so far: 8.7/10. 

TTTE S6E12: Scaredy Engines

Time for some real Halloween reviews. Ones that are really scary.

Special thanks to Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia for the image

142. Scaredy Engines.
Written by: Robin Kingsland.
Story by: David Mitton.
Aired: UK: 1 October 2002. AUS: 5 November 2002. CAN: 28 January 2003.

One Halloween, after Edward tells the other engines a story of a ghost engine that returns to the Smelters in search of his lost whistle, Thomas, Percy, and Duck are sent to collect a special from the smelters. Thomas delights in teasing Percy about Edward's ghost engine and, when an engine is needed to get another load, Duck volunteers Thomas to give him a taste of his own medicine. Thomas is not so confident when he is all alone, and ends up reversing into smelting shed. When he runs into some chains and sets off an old whistle, he is petrified and runs away.

Percy is concerned when he cannot find Thomas at the Halloween fireworks display and goes looking for him. He eventually finds Thomas at Tidmouth Sheds and forgives him for his teasing, and they both agree everyone can be scared some of the time. The two, happy to be friends again, watch the fireworks together.

If the moral of Thomas, Percy and the Dragon was that sometimes, we get scared, this episode shot that moral in the foot. It just showed Thomas the Tank Engine being cheeky to Percy the Small Engine, by taking Edward's scary story seriously.

And speaking of the ghost engine, I find it a bit lazy, since it's either Donald's or Douglas' model.

But then again, this episode shows that America's not the only country that celebrates Halloween.

It was funny when Thomas the Tank Engine felt chains like fingers, I will give it that.

My rating: 5/10.

Season 6 scorecard:

1. No Sleep for Cranky: 9/10.

2. Salty's Secret: 9.5/10.

3. Harvey to the Rescue: 9/10.

9. It's Only Snow: 9/10.

10. Twin Trouble: 10/10.

12. Scaredy Engines: 5/10.

14. Middle Engine: 3/10.

17. Gordon Takes a Tumble: 9.5/10.

22. Thomas the Jet Engine: 10/10.

23. Edward the Very Useful Engine: 8.5/10.

25. Rusty Saves the Day: 3.5/10.

Season 6 rating so far: 8.8/10. 

TTTE S5E24: Duncan Gets Spooked

Another scary episode of Thomas. One that frightened me! Even as a kid, I was frightened.

Special thanks to Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia for the image

128. Duncan Gets Spooked.
Written by: Britt Allcroft, David Mitton and David Maidment.
Aired: UK: 15 October 1998. AUS: 24 December 1998. CAN: 11 February 1999.

After Rusty helps Peter Sam to the water tower with his train, Peter Sam's trucks break away and fall off a bridge into a ravine. The Fat Controller punishes Peter Sam by making him work in the yards until he can trust him again. Duncan chortles that Peter Sam's trucks will return to haunt him, so Rusty tells him of an engine who long ago, tried to cross the same bridge over the ravine and fell into the swamp below. And ever since that night, his spirit has haunted the bridge. Duncan is dismissive, but Peter Sam's driver gets an idea. He and Duncan's crew plan to teach Duncan a lesson and take him to the bridge. That night when Duncan was just about finished with his work, he is halfway across the bridge and then stops. He begins to see flickering lights that looked like an engine in front of him, (though it is actually just an engine formed by fireflies) then Duncan's crew secretly throws a large rock from the cab and into the ravine below. Duncan, thinking it is the ghost of the engine, gets scared and quickly runs back to the safety of his shed.

This episode was very scary. Considering the title, it's no surprise it's scary. Especially considering the talk of ghosts, especially with Peter Sam's trucks falling into the ravine.

And many have already noticed the ghost engine was simply Skarloey's model.

I do think the US dub did better with one thing. In the UK dub, when the trucks broke away from Peter Sam, a boing was heard. But in the US dub, it was a snapping sound.

But still, this episode is scary, and suitable for Halloween.

My rating: 9/10.

Season 5 scorecard:

3. A Better View for Gordon: 10/10.

4. Lady Hatt's Birthday Party: 10/10.

5. James and the Trouble with Trees: 8.5/10.

6. Gordon and the Gremlin: 9/10.

7. Bye George!: 9/10.

10. Toby and the Flood: 5.5/10.

11. Haunted Henry: 10/10.

12. Double Teething Troubles: 9.5/10.

17. Thomas and the Rumours: 9/10.

19. Happy Ever After: 8/10.

22. Make Someone Happy: 9.5/10.

24. Duncan Gets Spooked: 9/10.

25. Snow: 3.5/10.

26. Rusty and the Boulder: 7.5/10.

Season 5 so far: 8.9/10.

TTTE S5E11: Haunted Henry

It's time for me to do some Halloween reviews. Starting off with the first episode to have Henry scared.

Special thanks to Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia for the image

115. Haunted Henry.
Written by: Britt Allcroft, David Mitton and David Maidment.
Aired: UK: 28 September 1998. AUS: 7 December 1998. CAN: 28 January 1999.

One evening, Henry is working late with Edward and an owl hoots. Edward warns Henry that when the owl hoots, a mist will roll in soon, along with a ghost. Henry scoffs at the story and sets off with his goods train, but later to his surprise, a mist does roll in. He has to slow at an amber signal and after seeing a closed crossing gate, a red signal, a coat discarded on a tree branch and a light flickering at a station, Henry's crew decide to turn back. The next day, they discover that a nearby viaduct was unsafe and would have collapsed if they had tried to cross. Later, Henry's driver informs him that the viaduct has been repaired and they can try to cross again that night.

While preparing to leave with his train, Henry gets spooked after hearing an owl hoot and Gordon speed by. The trucks tease him, but later down the old line, they see the crossing gates close and a signal turn red by themselves and they become spooked too. Regardless, they charge forward through the gates and an anonymous figure monitors Henry. Worse still, ahead is a landslide on the line. The trucks run over the rubble and plunge into a ravine. Soon, Old Bailey the fogman arrives on a handcart and reprimands Henry and his crew for not heeding his warnings. Henry's driver apologises and to make up for it, Sir Topham Hatt reopens the station and Old Bailey is made the stationmaster.

A lot of diehard Henry fans love this episode, and I can see why. It's perfectly fitting for Halloween, especially considering the atmosphere. And the trucks laughing at Henry the Green Engine being spooked is hilarious.

And by the way, for those of you who like to scapegoat HiT for making Henry scared, it was this episode that was the first sign of Henry being scared. Though this was for the right reason.

And the way Old Bailey the Fogman was introduced was pretty interesting too. And the mist was the right setup for the scary stuff.

Plus, another funny moment was Henry saying the owl had a low I.Q.

My rating: 10/10.

Season 5 scorecard:

3. A Better View for Gordon: 10/10.

4. Lady Hatt's Birthday Party: 10/10.

5. James and the Trouble with Trees: 8.5/10.

6. Gordon and the Gremlin: 9/10.

7. Bye George!: 9/10.

10. Toby and the Flood: 5.5/10.

11. Haunted Henry: 10/10.

12. Double Teething Troubles: 9.5/10.

17. Thomas and the Rumours: 9/10.

19. Happy Ever After: 8/10.

22. Make Someone Happy: 9.5/10.

25. Snow: 3.5/10.

26. Rusty and the Boulder: 7.5/10.

Season 5 so far: 8.9/10.

TTTE S22E14: Apology Impossible

Ho boy! I'm going to be reviewing an episode of Season 22 now. Here we go.

Special thanks to Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia for the image

526. Apology Impossible.

Written by: Becky Overton.

Aired: UK: 20 September 2018. AUS: 21 September 2018.

One morning, James stops quickly at the Docks and bumps into a flatbed of crates. This scares Philip, causing him to bump his trucks and accidentally knocks a barrel of oil on the tracks. James runs over it, spilling it and covering the both of them in oil. Annoyed, Philip tells James he should say sorry, but James refuses. Later, Philip is waiting at the washdown when James cuts in front of him. When The Fat Controller wants an engine to deliver a train of sardines, Philip tries to trick James into taking it, but he leaves, so Philip is forced to take it instead. The Fenland Track is under repair, and Philip makes sure his track is clear before going on. Meanwhile, James ignores the workman waving a flag, and James and Philip end up on the same line. Philip refuses to give way, but so does James, leaving them at a standstill. As Philip lists James' mistakes, Thomas, Paxton and Rebecca stack up behind Philip. Paxton realizes there are a lot of engines on the bridge and worries it could collapse. Philip decides he doesn't want to cause an accident, so he, Thomas, Paxton and Rebecca make way for James. However, the engines are cross at James for holding them up, and James starts to feel guilty. Later, The Fat Controller makes James apologise to Philip and the other engines for the delay, and Philip accepts his friend's apology. Despite this James still has to take trucks to the Waste Dump as punishment.

Who would've thought James would stoop to his lowest here? And he even made Philip give up to make way for him. James proved himself too selfish for his own good, only caring about his paintwork, showing he was flanderised far too much. And he kept saying "I don't make mistakes!"

Wait! You don't make mistakes?

Is crashing into tar wagons not a mistake?

Is crashing into a field not a mistake?

Is crashing into Tidmouth Sheds not a mistake?

Is bashing into a tin of black paint and splattering it all over Philip not a mistake?

James, you do make mistakes. You've proven yourself to be a big liar here.

When you do this to your characters, turning James into a massive asshole, and Philip into a wimp instead of an overexcited character, this is the perfect sign your show has gone on for too long. This further reaffirms what I've been consistently saying toward the end of last year. This series has to end!

So, Bottom line, this is the worst episode of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends since..... ever! Yes, I despise it more than The Christmas Tree Express and Sodor Surprise Day. You expect those episodes to be bad considering they came out in the dark era, but this episode you expect to have great lessons for kids, considering the revamp of the series.

I expected better from Becky Overton, but here, she managed to write, as Comic Book Guy would say, Worst Episode Ever!

I don't think I want to review the rest of Season 22, and this isn't the only bad episode. Though there were diamonds in the rough, this episode, and the other atrocious episodes, overlap them. And this episode gets the lowest rating I've ever given any episode.

My rating: -10/10.
(It really is that bad.)

TTTE S6E03: Harvey to the Rescue

Let's see the proper introduction of Harvey the Crane Engine.


Special thanks to Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia for the image

133. Harvey to the Rescue.
Written by: Jonathan Trueman.
Aired: UK: 17 September 2002. US: 24 September 2002. AUS: 23 October 2002.

A new engine with a crane on his boiler named Harvey has arrived. But before the Fat Controller keeps him, he wants to see Harvey demonstrate his worth to the Railway Board. But the other engines do not like him due to his looks, and are very rude to him in the sheds. Harvey is upset by this, but Thomas reassures him that the engines just need to take time to adjust to him. The next day, Harvey still feels discomforted and tells the Fat Controller that he does not think he should have come to Sodor in the first place. The Fat Controller replies by saying that him being different that is what makes him special, which makes Harvey feel better.

Meanwhile, Percy's trucks get out of control and derail at Bulgy's Bridge, blocking the road. Bertie is taking the Railway Board to the demonstration, but cannot get past the derailed trucks. The Fat Controller calls for Harvey who soon arrives to help, coincidentally creating a demonstration for the Railway Board. Harvey sorts out the accident scene so well, that the Board allows him to stay. Harvey is delighted, and even more when that night at the sheds all the other engines agree he is really useful just like Thomas said, and soon he is friends with all of them.

I find it very odd that Edward would be so rude to Harvey, considering he's supposed to be a kind engine. But it made sense for Henry, Gordon and James to say bad things about him considering their personas and Harvey looking different.

But Percy's accident and the rescue proved Harvey's worth. And it shows the moral. Being different is what makes you special.

And also, Bertie's "Varoom! Varoom!" was funny.

My rating: 9/10.

Season 6 scorecard:

1. No Sleep for Cranky: 9/10.

2. Salty's Secret: 9.5/10.

3. Harvey to the Rescue: 9/10.

9. It's Only Snow: 9/10.

10. Twin Trouble: 10/10.

14. Middle Engine: 3/10.

17. Gordon Takes a Tumble: 9.5/10.

22. Thomas the Jet Engine: 10/10.

23. Edward the Very Useful Engine: 8.5/10.

25. Rusty Saves the Day: 3.5/10.

Season 6 rating so far: 8.9/10. 

TTTE S6E02: Salty's Secret

Let's see the proper introduction of our favourite dockside diesel.

Special thanks to Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia for the image

132. Salty's Secret.
Written by: Robin Kingsland.
Aired: UK: 16 September 2002. US: 24 September 2002. AUS: 22 October 2002.

Salty is a new diesel who enjoys working near the sea. It is his first day working on Sodor and as the island is surrounded by the sea, he is hopeful he will be working near it. Naturally, he is disappointed when he is sent to work at the quarry to help Mavis, Bill and Ben with an important job for the Fat Controller. Bill and Ben think that they do not need help, and do not think Salty will be able to manage all of the trucks. However, when they see that Salty manages to win the trucks over with his tales and songs of the sea, they become rather jealous. But Salty still longs for the sea.

One night, Mavis, Bill and Ben see him alone outside. Bill and Ben call him names, but Mavis tries to comfort him. Salty wants to be near the sea, but he knows that the quarry work is important. And the next day, Salty tries to show Bill and Ben his secret with the trucks, which is singing a tune for the trucks to sing along with. Bill and Ben try singing a rhythm to get the trucks moving, but they could not make them move the way Salty could.

Later, the Fat Controller arrives at the quarry, and is surprised to see that the job has been completed. Mavis tells him that they could not have done it without Salty. Luckily for him, there is no further need for him at the quarry, and he is finally transferred to Brendam Docks, which is his dream place to work. It is where he feels really useful, and he sorts out the trucks better than any other engine.

Oh no! Salty just rolled off the set of the quarry! Oh no! He's going to crash!

Joking. Onto the actual review. We can all relate to Salty in a way, especially whenever we don't get the job we want to do, yet do a job we don't like. Like Salty wanting to work at the docks, but instead, work at the quarry.

And his question was funny.

"What kind of a quarry is it?" 

But all works out in the end when he's transferred to Brendam Docks.

Also, it shows that Mavis has grown as a character, especially when she cared about Salty's feelings. 

My rating: 9.5/10.

Season 6 scorecard:

1. No Sleep for Cranky: 9/10.

2. Salty's Secret: 9.5/10.

9. It's Only Snow: 9/10.

10. Twin Trouble: 10/10.

14. Middle Engine: 3/10.

17. Gordon Takes a Tumble: 9.5/10.

22. Thomas the Jet Engine: 10/10.

23. Edward the Very Useful Engine: 8.5/10.

25. Rusty Saves the Day: 3.5/10.

Season 6 rating so far: 8.8/10. 

TTTE S6E01: No Sleep for Cranky

I apologise for not using this blog for quite sometime now. Lots of things were on my mind.

1. Watching Season 22 of Thomas and Friends. 
2. Busy with people's requests, roleplays, and brainstorming how requests should look.
3. Busy writing my latest Robotboy/Pokémon crossover.
4. Busy writing my own Codename Kids Next Door fan fictions, and helping other diehard KND fans write their own KND stories by brainstorming ideas for them.
5. Just plain laziness.

I know, you were all expecting me to review Season 22. I will.... eventually, but not this time. This time, I'm going to review an episode focused on Cranky the Crane. Showing one reason I lacked motivation to use this blog for the last few weeks.

Special thanks to Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia for the image

131. No Sleep for Cranky.

Written by: Paul Larson.

Aired: UK: 18 September 2002. US: 24 September 2002. AUS: 21 October 2002.

Brendam Docks is one of the most busiest places on Sodor. Visitors come and go, and cargo comes to be unloaded. This causes trouble for Cranky the Crane, who is forced to work day and night without any breaks. The only company he has are the seagulls who rest on his crane arm. That is why Cranky is always cranky.

One day, Salty arrives late, and Cranky snaps at him. Bill and Ben pull up, and Cranky demands them to hurry up. The twins tell him he is no fun, to which he retaliates. The twins suspect that he is lonely, and Salty compares this hypothesis to an old, lonely Grand Banks lighthouse keeper, which to Cranky's dismay, leads to a story. This makes Cranky even more cranky, and he drops some pipes onto the tracks instead of the flatbeds. They roll into the shed, which collapses and topples on the ground, trapping everyone.

Sir Topham Hatt is being measured for a new suit when he gets the news. Knowing that any mishap at the docks can cause confusion and delay, he sets off. He reprimands Cranky for his actions, and tells the engines that they will have to wait for help. Cranky groans as Salty mutters those six fateful words: "That reminds me of a story!" All through the night, Salty tells sea stories, hurting Cranky's ears and delighting Bill and Ben.

In the morning, Salty is still telling tales. Cranky is about to lose it when Harvey finally arrives. Cranky is happy and claims he will never be rude again in exchange for not listening to Salty's stories. Soon, Cranky is a happy crane, saying "please" and "thank you." Thomas and Percy are amazed, and Thomas says that this is new. Unfortunately, he speaks too soon, as Cranky cannot help dropping more pipes, blocking Percy. Thomas, Percy, and Harvey find this funny, but Cranky is just cranky.

This was a nice improper introduction to Salty the Dockside Diesel and Harvey the Crane Engine. And we can all relate to Cranky in a way. There are times where we just can't get to sleep. And even Cranky was frustrated with Salty's stories. "'cept my ears!" Funny Cranky should moan about that considering he doesn't even have ears.

And that story Salty told was stock footage from Cranky Bugs when Izzy crashed into the shed.

This story also shows that Cranky isn't named such for nothing.

My rating: 9/10.

Season 6 scorecard:

1. No Sleep for Cranky: 9/10.

9. It's Only Snow: 9/10.

10. Twin Trouble: 10/10.

14. Middle Engine: 3/10.

17. Gordon Takes a Tumble: 9.5/10.

22. Thomas the Jet Engine: 10/10.

23. Edward the Very Useful Engine: 8.5/10.

25. Rusty Saves the Day: 3.5/10.

Season 6 rating so far: 8.7/10. 

TTTE Special: Big World! Big Adventures!

Told you I'd changed my mind about this movie, didn't I? I am going to be reviewing this year's Thomas movie, Big World! Big Adventures! I wanted to see if Mattel were true to their word about this series having more fantasy sequences, Edward and Henry, despite not being "Steam Team" members anymore, still appearing in the series, being faster paced than before, and to see if the story holds up.

One of the reasons this special exists is because Thomas has been "losing steam" in recent years. Gee I wonder. Another reason it exists is because of some kid who said "Trains go to places. Thomas is a train, but he never goes anywhere.", giving Mattel the idea of Thomas going around the world.

Now, time to delve into this year's Thomas movie.

Special thanks to Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia for the image

14. Big World! Big Adventures!

Written by: Andrew Brenner.

Released: AUS: 5 September 2018. UK: 12 November 2018.

A racing car called Ace inspires Thomas The Tank Engine to become the first engine to travel the world, so Thomas sets off on an adventure which takes him to five continents, across deserts, through jungles and over dangerous mountains. On his journey Thomas meets Nia, an engine who teaches him that everyone needs a little help from their friends.

Animation:

I would like to say that Jam-Filled did wonders with the animation for this movie. With all the bright colours and all.

New characters:

Ace: I will admit, this Australian racing car seemed like a friendly racing car at first, especially when he encouraged Thomas the Tank Engine to travel around the world, but he was later shown to be a jerk near the end, making Thomas the Tank Engine trick Nia, making the orange African engine cross with him. Although, props to Peter Andre for voicing this yellow racing car. You can tell it's Peter because of the accent he has.

Nia: Now first off, all I have to say is, Nia is an interesting tank engine. The first African engine in the series. Bright orange, number 18, referencing this year, and she's voiced by a real Kenyan, Yvonne Grundy, and she does wonders with Nia's voice.

Kwaku: We now go to the first Garratt locomotive in the series. He's already an interesting locomotive.

Ace's friends: All I can say is these cars were just...... there.

Beau: We now go to an American engine who looks very similar to one of the locomotives at Disneyland. And his Wild Wild West accent is spot on, considering Kerry Shale voiced him. However, Beau was an asshole, saying that they let engines stay in the sand and rust away.

Natalie: This American Dart recolour was helpful at least. 

Chinese Diesel Shunter: Nothing to say about her, except she's got a great design.

Emerson: This Brazilian aeroplane did nothing but help Fat Controller get to California to look for Thomas the Tank Engine.

Multiple cranes: Nothing to say about them either, except I did mistake the American one for Colin.

There are so many other new characters, like recolours of Edward, Henry, Diesel, Oliver, etc. Although there was a Brazilian Class 08 who helped Fat Controller.

Songs:

Where in the World is Thomas?: My favourite song of the special. It's got references to Thomas and the Special Letter, Down the Mine, Percy Takes the Plunge, The Sad Story of Henry, Thomas Comes to Breakfast, The Great Discovery, Toby's Discovery, Misty Island Rescue, Percy Gets it Right, Thomas and the Magic Railroad, Tale of the Brave, Journey Beyond Sodor,Hero of the Rails and Thomas' Shortcut. It also had funny moments like Dowager Hatt saying "He wouldn't last an hour!" after Fat Controller mentioned Antarctica, Thomas "saying Hi! to a Moai!" to which the Moai said "Hi!", and when Fat Controller mentioned a gondola in Italy, to which Dowager said "Don't be preposterous! He's a tank engine! He can't fit on a gondola!". Feels a lot like Where oh Where is Thomas? from The Great Discovery. 

Wake Up: Everybody's wiggling! Oops! Sorry! Wrong preschool series! This song, sung by the Kenyan Troublesome Trucks and Nia had some African words, and it felt very much like a song from The Lion King. 

Enda Ulale: Just a song to calm a bull pachyderm about to charge at Thomas the Tank Engine, and funny how it roared like the elephant that appeared in Henry and the Elephant.

We're Friends: This song feels very carnival-like, with a little bit of a Lion King touch. Too bad it's too short.

Free and Easy: Now this is a song worth listening to! Peter did a grand job singing this, as did Carl. And Carlos making an appearance was unexpected.

Sometimes you Make a Friend: This is a pretty emotional song. Almost as emotional as I Want to Go Home.

Final thoughts:

UPDATE: 3/03/2019

Well, I've been revisiting this special, and...... I've realised I was too generous to it. I mean, Ace was a complete law breaker! Almost killing Reverend Awdry like that! And Thomas saying James was supposed to take the fish trucks? Where was Henry during those events?

Also, why was the ship Ace was supposed to catch in Sodor? Why wasn't it on the mainland somewhere? And furthermore, why was Ace training on Sodor? And he even kept saying there were no railway tracks on the sahara. Well what was Thomas the Tank Engine travelling on in Africa?

Also, while I will admit, it was generous of Thomas to offer Nia a home on Sodor, despite him saying in No Help at All, "Another engine, sir? But you already have so many!", Nia didn't even say why she doesn't have a home anymore. I mean she could've asked the workmen in Africa to build her a new one.

Also, the way Ace made Thomas abandon Nia like that in America was just..... ugh! And Beau was very disrespectful, lying that there aren't any breakdown cranes in America.

So bottom line, this is by far the worst special of Thomas the Tank Engine since........ ever! Yes, I now despise it more than The Terrible Race. There was so much in this special that Thomas did that was nonsensical, and the ending where Fat Controller and Ace were on a ship just stopped there.

The only good things to come out of this movie were the songs and Thomas' cheekiness.

I was too generous to this movie when I first watched it, and looking back on it, it's an even bigger mess than The Terrible Race. Looking back, it made me realise that I should've stuck to what I intended on doing when I heard the news about this mess and stayed off of future episodes. And it further proves that Mattel doesn't have to keep making specials every year! The model series never did that!

So yeah, that's my revised opinion on Big World! Big Adventures! I thought it was a meh movie at first watch, but after rewatching it, it's a big mess that makes Day of the Diesels and Misty Island Rescue look like The Adventure Begins and Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure. 

My rating: -7/10.
(It really is that bad looking back)