TTTE S6E17: Gordon Takes a Tumble

Now I'm going to review another Thomas episode. This time, it's from Season 6.

147. Gordon Takes a Tumble.
Written by: Robin Kingsland.
Story idea: David Mitton.
Aired: UK: 8 October 2002. AUS: 12 November 2002. CAN: 4 February 2003.

None of the engines feels more important than Gordon. Salty rolls up teasing Gordon that pulling trucks is a silly job for an express engine. Gordon brags that it would not be dignified for an express engine to pull trucks. Gordon explained what it means to Percy, but Salty interrupted, saying that it means someone is too big for his buffers and Gordon puffed furiously away.

Later that night, the Docks is packed with trucks due to the fog covering the Island of Sodor causing confusion and delay. The Fat Controller came to the sheds and ordered Henry, Thomas and Percy to go to the Docks and Gordon to take the trucks somewhere where they will not be in the way, much to Gordon's shock. Gordon was waiting impatiently for his trucks, to show Salty how an express engine pulls trucks. Salty teased him again, but this time Gordon ignored him.

The next day as Gordon is puffing along the mainline, a signalman leaves the points onto an old, rickety branch line. The signalman sees Gordon going to the branch line, knowing that the express engines cannot go there, but it is too late. The branch line is weak and rusty and even has a "go slow" sign to warn trains, but Gordon ignores the sign and goes even faster. The old rails cannot hold his weight as Gordon tumbles off the tracks and ends up in a field. He ploughs through a dirt mound, a pile of tires and barrels (losing his tender in the process) and a barn, and finally halts in front of a scarecrow. Gordon felt very undignified wondering what the Fat Controller would say. The Fat Controller arrives and chews Gordon out, saying that he has only succeeded in showing Salty how silly it is to ignore "go slow" signs.

Gordon was repaired and returned back for work, but is still sad with himself. Thomas cheers him up by saying that everyone makes mistakes. James tells Gordon that Salty has apologised for all of his teasing, and Gordon apologises for being too big for his buffers. All three engines give a jolly toot, even Gordon.


All I can say about this episode is that it's got its ups. Mostly because of how funny it was when Gordon the Big Engine said that "Pulling trucks wouldn't be dignified!". Percy was all "Dingy-fried. What's that?" to which Gordon corrected him with "Dignified!" and Salty defined it as "Someone's too big for their buffers." That gave me a good laugh, since saying an engine's "Too big for their buffers" is like saying someone's "Too big for their boots." when you think they're arrogant like Gordon the Big Engine.

It was also funny when Gordon the Big Engine stopped in front of a scarecrow and was all "What will The Fat Controller say?"

But the down is how lazy the Signalman was to switch the points away from the weak branch line.

But even so, this is a funny episode.

My rating: 9.5/10.

Season 6 scorecard:

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

14. Middle Engine: 3/10.

17. Gordon Takes a Tumble: 9.5/10.

Season 6 rating so far: 8.3/10. 

TTTE S5E10: Toby and the Flood

At last, I'm reviewing another episode of Thomas. This time, it's from Season 5.

114. Toby and the Flood.
Written by: Britt Allcroft and David Mitton.
Aired: UK: 25 September 1998. AUS: 4 December 1998. CAN: 22 January 1999.

Several weeks of heavy rain have been coming down on Sodor. One day, Toby is feeling miserable not only from the inclement weather, his branch line that runs by a village is in danger of flooding from the rising river. The only component to prevent water from overflowing in the river was a dam. Percy arrives at the village beside Toby, who was just about to investigate the dam, for any concerns of damage. Percy informs Toby that his driver says that crossing the dam in heavy rain could be dangerous to cross. Toby is brave enough to try and heads off to investigate the dam.

Toby's journey to the dam took him over a wooden bridge at the end of the village where the river starts flooding dangerously beneath it. As Toby arrives at the dam, Harold is there inspecting the dam. Toby manages to cross cautiously but the dam begins to erode. Toby's driver is now concerned and must warn everyone and find higher ground.

Meanwhile, Percy is waiting on the other side of the wooden bridge which is in danger of collapsing due to the eroding dam when Toby's driver warns Percy and his crew about the dam and needs to find higher ground immediately. Toby begins to cross the bridge, but as soon as he is halfway across, disaster strikes; the eroding dam Toby was crossing earlier begins to collapse and the bridge Toby is crossing sweeps away. Toby calls for help but Percy reverses to follow the river in an attempt to rescue Toby from any further danger. Harold, having seen the collapsed dam, flies off to help rescue Toby, who floats helplessly along the flooding river. However, there is further danger as a sign warning anyone on the river to "beware the waterfall," meaning that they will face very troublesome consequences from going over it. Harold urgently comes to the rescue to drop a rope to be tied to Toby's bufferbeam and gives the other end to Percy, who then pulls Toby back to safety.

When the floods subside and the dam is repaired, a party is held in Toby's honour by the villagers and hosted by the Fat Controller, who is very impressed with Toby and Harold's bravery. Percy could not have been so brave, but would not until he tried, as stated by Toby. Percy then hopes he would never have to be so afraid again.


Okay, this episode isn't without its flaws. First of all, why did Toby the Tram Engine stop on the middle of the bridge instead of crossing it as fast as he could? Did he run out of coal or something?

Though it was brave of Harold the Helicopter to help Percy to save Toby, I feel it would've been better if Washout! had been adapted in this episode's place.

So overall, this was kind of a weak episode when you think about it, especially with Toby stopping in the middle of a bridge that was about to break.

My rating: 5.5/10.

Season 5 scorecard:

10. Toby and the Flood: 5.5/10.

12. Double Teething Troubles: 9.5/10.

25. Snow: 3.5/10.

Season 5 so far: 6/10.

RWS No. 12. The 8 Famous Engines

Here comes my first Railway Series review of the year. The very book that was supposed to be the last book of the series.

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

12. 8 Famous Engines.
Written by: Rev. W. Awdry.
Illustrated by: John Theodore Kenney.
Published: 1957.

Here we go. I'm reviewing the first book that was illustrated by John Theodore Kenney, and the book that was originally going to be the last of the series. How does it turn out? 

Foreword:

Dear Friends,

The Fat Controller's engines are now quite famous. They have been on the radio and had many other adventures. But he had another plan, too, for his engines, and this book will tell you what it was.

The Author

37. Percy Takes the Plunge.

Adapted by: Britt Allcroft, David Mitton and Robert Cardona.
Aired: UK: 29 October 1986. AUS: 2 May 1988. US: 28 May 1989.

At Barrow-in-Furness, Percy is telling some tank engines about the time he braved bad weather when Henry arrives, he tells the tank engines to go away, and calls Percy silly. Percy responds by reminding Henry about the time he stayed in a tunnel and runs off to Knapford, where he sees a board saying "Danger." Thomas tells him to obey it, but Percy wants to know more, and persuades the trucks to push him past. They do so, but go too far and Percy falls into the sea. After being scolded by the Fat Controller, he is "fished out" and sent to the Works.

Percy's Promise should've been adapted before this in Season 2, or this episode should've been held off for Season 3. The main problem with this adaptation being adapted before Percy's Promise is that it ruins continuity and confuses little kids, especially coming from a woman who said The Missing Coach would confuse little kids. This adaptation would've worked better if, instead of Bill and Ben who weren't supposed to be introduced until The Diseasel, they made some actual other railway engines.

So overall, even if this adaptation is faithful to its source material, it's still going to confuse little kids.

RWS rating: 9/10.

TV rating: 8.5/10.

Gordon Goes Foreign.

Planned to be adapted by: Britt Allcroft and David Mitton.

When a foreign engine visits, an argument ensues between him, Gordon, and Duck over, of all things, the name of London's big station. Gordon wants to find out, but is not allowed to pass Barrow. However, when the engine taking the Express to the mainland derails, Gordon jumps at the chance to take the train, and the next day the Fat Controller reads in the paper that Gordon received a hero's welcome. However, when he returns, Gordon is upset, having discovered that it is St. Pancras.

It's too bad this story never made it to the official canon of the TV series. It would've been a brilliant adaptation. The reason was because it was too expensive to make. They planned to paint Henry's model into Big City Engine's model. It would've been wiser to actually make a new model for Big City Engine. Too expensive? Bull! Britt was a millionaire at the time! It's a pity since this is one of the best stories of the books. 

My rating: 10/10.

55. Double Header/Time for Trouble.
Adapted by: Britt Allcroft and David Mitton.
Aired: US: 26 December 1991. UK: 17 March 1992. AUS: 17 February 1993. 

Gordon is exhausted from his trip to London, so James does his work, and when Toby visits him on his way to the Works, James brags to him about his importance. When Toby later tries to get a drink at Killdane, the signalman, who is new to the line, tells him he has to clear the line, and Toby struggles on to Kellsthorpe Road. However, Toby's tank was nearly empty to begin with, and he soon runs out of water. The fireman goes back and asks James to push Toby to the Works. When they get there, some boys think Toby has been helping James, who, furious, disappears in a cloud of steam.

Because Gordon Goes Foreign's adaptation was cancelled, Gordon the Big Engine was tired for no reason. Though this adaptation is faithful for the most part, except Percy taking Toby's fireman back to the station, it could've had the previous story adapted to make this feel more complete. 

RWS rating: 9/10.

TV rating: 8/10.

100. The Fat Controller's Engines/Thomas and the Special Letter.

Adapted by: Britt Allcroft and David Mitton.
Aired: US: 23 September 1995. UK: 14 November 1995. AUS: 21 May 1996.

Thomas arrives at Knapford to see some foreign engines arrive and Percy and Toby tell him the Fat Controller has something planned. At Tidmouth, the Fat Controller tells them they are going to England. The next day, Thomas is showing one of the engines, Jinty, around when he brags of his race, and dents his front when he runs into some buffers. Luckily, he is repaired in time for the trip.

Of all the adaptations in Season 4, this is without a doubt the best one. Sure, the original engines like Jinty and Pug weren't present, but at least they gave Mavis, Boco, Bill, Ben, Donald, Douglas and Oliver some screen time in Season 4. Too bad Fat Controller didn't tell Thomas to go to the back of the cavalcade, would've taught kids how being overexcited about something can lead to consequences. But overall, for the 100th episode of the TV series, this is a well done adaptation. And if it was the final book of the Railway Series, this would've been a perfect conclusion. 

RWS/TV rating: 10/10.

Stray observations:

The Rev. W. Awdry originally intended this to be the last book of the Railway Series. I wonder what would've happened if this had been the final book. 

Thomas and the Special Letter was partly the inspiration for Thomas and the Magic Railway. I wonder how it inspired Britt to make that movie. 

Final thoughts:

This book, for the book that was intended to be the last of the Railway Series, was brilliant. Sadly, not all of its stories were adapted, but I guess you can't have it all. And if this was the final book of the series, the Railway Series would've gone out on a high note. 

My rating: 9.5/10.

RWS scorecard:

6. Henry the Green Engine:

8. Gordon the Big Engine: 9.2/10.

10. 4 Little Engines: 9.5/10.

11. Percy the Small Engine: 9.7/10.

12. The 8 Famous Engines: 9.5/10.

13. Duck and the Diesel Engine: 9.2/10.

16. Branch Line Engines: 9.6/10.

18. Stepney the Bluebell Engine: 9/10.

21. Main Line Engines: 9.3/10.

22. Small Railway Engines: 9.8/10.

23. Enterprising Engines: 9.9/10.

24. Oliver the Western Engine: 9.3/10.

25. Duke the Lost Engine: 9.8/10.

26. Tramway Engines: 9.8/10.

27. Really Useful Engines: 9.2/10.

30. More About Thomas the Tank Engine: 8.8/10.

40. New Little Engine: 5.7/10.

RWS rating so far: 9.4/10.

Season 2 scorecard:

1. Thomas, Percy and the Coal: 6.5/10.

6. Thomas and Trevor: 9/10.

7. Percy and the Signal: 9.5/10.

8. Duck Takes Charge: 9/10.

9. Percy and Harold: 10/10.

10. The Runaway: 9/10.

11. Percy Takes the Plunge: 8.5/10.

12. Pop Goes the Diesel: 9/10.

13. Dirty Work: 8.5/10.

14. A Close Shave: 9.5/10.

15. Better Late Than Never: 9/10.

18. Thomas Comes to Breakfast: 10/10.

19. Daisy: 9.5/10.

20. Percy's Predicament: 8.5/10.

21. The Diseasel: 10/10.

22. Wrong Road: 9/10.

23. Edward's Exploit: 10/10.

24. Ghost Train: 10/10.

25. Woolly Bear: 9.5/10.

26. Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree: 9.5/10.

Season 2 rating so far: 9.3/10.

Season 3 scorecard:

1. A Scarf for Percy: 9.5/10.

2. Percy's Promise: 9.5/10.

3. Time for Trouble: 8/10.

4. Gordon and the Famous Visitor: 9.5/10.

5. Donald's Duck: 9.5/10.

6. Thomas Gets Bumped: 10/10.

7. Thomas, Percy and the Dragon: 9.5/10.

8. Diesel Does it Again: 7/10.

9. Henry's Forest: 9.5/10.

10. The Trouble with Mud: 6/10.

11. No Joke for James: 7.5/10.

12. Thomas, Percy and the Post Train: 10/10.

13. Trust Thomas: 10/10.

14. Mavis: 9/10.

15. Toby's Tightrope: 9/10.

16. Edward, Trevor and the Really Useful Party: 8.5/10.

17. Buzz, Buzz: 9/10.

18. All at Sea: 10/10.

20. Tender Engines: 6/10.

21. Escape: 10/10.

22. Oliver Owns Up: 8/10.

23. Bulgy: 9.5/10.

24. Heroes: 10/10.

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

Season 3 rating so far: 9.3/10.

Season 4 scorecard:

1. Granpuff: 8/10.

2. Sleeping Beauty: 6/10.

3. Bulldog: 8.5/10.

4. You Can't Win: 9/10.

5. 4 Little Engines: 9/10.

6. A Bad Day for Sir Handel: 8/10.

7. Peter Sam and the Refreshment Lady: 10/10.

15. Rusty to the Rescue: 5/10.

16. Thomas and Stepney: 5.5/10.

17. Bowled Out: 9.5/10.

18. Train Stops Play: 9/10.

20. Toad Stands By: 8.5/10.

21. Bulls Eyes: 8.5/10.

22. Thomas and the Special Letter: 10/10.

23. Paint Pots and Queens: 9/10.

24. Fish: 10/10.

26. Mind That Bike: 5/10.

Season 4 rating so far: 8.5/10.

TTTE S7E02: Percy Gets it Right

Thought I'd whip up my first actual review for the year. This time, it's an episode focused on everyone's favourite green caterpillar with red stripes.

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

158. Percy Gets it Right.
Written by: Paul Larson.
Aired: UK: 7 October 2003. AUS: 13 October 2004. US: 24 October 2004.

During the autumn, Percy is puffing along Toby's old line with a train of tomatoes to take to market. But suddenly, he crosses over a wobbly section of track. His driver inspects the line, and sees that the earth under the track is crumbling. Percy decides to tell the Fat Controller.

Later, Percy steams into the yard and announces that the track on Toby's line is wobbly. Gordon grumbles and tells him that the track being wobbly is not important news, and leaves. Percy thinks that Gordon does not like to listen to him.

Next, Percy tries to tell the Fat Controller, but he does not listen to him either as he is too busy talking to Thomas. The Fat Controller tells Thomas to go and collect the prize bull from the farm on Toby's line, which prompts Percy to warn the Fat Controller that the line is wobbly, but he dismisses this and says that it is fine. Percy begins to think that nobody ever listens to him.

Thomas collects the bull and sets off on his way. It is raining and the tracks are more wobbly then ever. Up ahead, a landslide occurs right in front of Thomas. He tries to stop, but runs into the soft dirt and gets stuck.

Later that night, Percy is worried that Thomas has not returned to the sheds yet. Gordon and James take no notice, but Percy's driver believes him and they set off to find Thomas.

The tracks wobble as Percy puffs along, but he is determined. At last, he finds Thomas buried under the dirt. The two friends are very happy to see each other. Percy pulls Thomas out and helps him get back home.

When they arrive at the station, the Fat Controller is waiting. Thomas announces that Percy saved him, and even the bull agrees. The Fat Controller apologises to Percy, and promises that everyone will do a better job of listening to him in future. Percy is very pleased to hear this.

There is only one word to describe this episode. It's nice. It has a great lesson of listening to others, like how Fat Controller, Gordon the Big Engine and Thomas the Tank Engine didn't listen to Percy the Small Engine about the weak track that ended up causing a landslide. The bull's "Moooo!" was funny.

The one flaw with this episode is how Fat Controller wasn't so concerned about the bumpy track. But then again, if they did listen to Percy in the first place, this episode would've been pointless.

It was very fortunate of Fat Controller to apologise to Percy for not listening to him about the tracks. This episode is very well done, and it shows how important it is to listen to others, especially if it's an emergency.

My rating: 9.5/10.

Season 7 scorecard:

2. Percy Gets it Right: 9.5/10.

9. The Spotless Record: 10/10.

Season 7 rating so far: 9.7/10.

My Top 5 least favourite Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi characters

While Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi had some great characters, it also had some not-so-great characters. This is why I'm counting down my Top 5 least favourite Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi characters. Why Top 5? Because I'm a simple-minded guy. No, I'm not. There's not that many characters that I came to dislike, not even close, so I decided to make this a Top 5 list.

So, get ready to throw me out of the band! Here are my Top 5 least favourite characters from Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi. 

5. Timmy.

I put Timmy on this list because of how much of a spoilt brat he was in Brat Attack. He's always trying to get what he wants, and even going as far as to play roughly with them, especially when he played roughly with Ami and Yumi. However, Ami and Yumi taught him how to play with friends, causing him to reform. This is the reason Timmy is so low on the list. 

4. Pierre.

Don't know why, but Pierre kind of bugged me. His name meaning he would be like Hercules, but instead, he's more of a creepy nerd kid, rejecting Ami's desire to be his girlfriend and going for Yumi instead. This is why Pierre is in 4th place in my least favourite character list.

3. Steve.

This hunk of fungus sure is too demanding for his own good. Even Ami knew when to give up on him. Just goes to show how tough it is to train a pet. Good thing Ami gave Steve a good talking too at the end of Fungus. Even Steve was too hyperactive and greedy, even going as far as to eating Yumi's junk food and funny how he didn't even want to eat Kaz. 

2. P.A.L.

P.A.L. was too malfunctioning for his own good. He even went as far as to neutralising Yumi, even though she owned him. He even went as far as to making a toilet try neutralising Yumi. Good thing Yumi killed P.A.L. by downloading a virus from Ami's computer onto P.A.L. 

And my Numbuh 1 least favourite Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi character is.....

1. Nurse.

Yep, this nurse is my least favourite character from Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi. She's too strict for my liking. She's always throwing Ami and Yumi out of a hospital where they tried to visit Kaz, only revealed later that Kaz went to a pet hospital for the girls' cats. And Nurse was even stricter when Ami and Yumi became old and weren't allowed to have fun, the reason Oldie AmiYumi is my least favourite episode. Don't dislike it, it was just....somewhat weak. 

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

My Top 11 favourite Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi characters

I've been requested to do this a couple of times over the last half year. Now, the one person who asked me to do this will be pleased since I'm going to be doing it. This time, I'm going to count down my Top 11 favourite characters from the short-lived Cartoon Network series, Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi. Why Top 11? Because I'm taking inspiration from the Nostalgia Critic. No, I'm not. There's just one character I decided to add, so this is a Top 11 list.

So, get ready to join the band! Here are my Top 11 favourite characters from Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi.

11. Ami's grandmother

There is no way I could make this list without adding Ami's grandmother. She's a funny old lady, especially when she would hit Kaz with her umbrella, and it turns out her hair is actually a wig. She is very strong for her age, considering how worried Ami would've been if she found out Ami was a rockstar. 

10. Kaz Harada.

Kaz may come off as a jerk most of the time, but he sure is funny whenever the time is right. He's a greedy manager who just wants money. I say Kaz's best moment was in Were Kaz where he was fed up with being bald, and ends up turning into a werewolf with the Bald-B-Gone. 

9. Jang Keng and Tekirai.

These 2 felines are downright hilarious, especially when they interact with Kaz in a sort of a Tom and Jerry fashion, being the very reason Kaz loathes them. They are even more anthropomorphic than they seem, although they still talk like real cats. 

8. Atchan.

Atchoo--Oh, I mean Atchan, is one of those wannabe superheroes who is both action-packed and funny at the same time, especially when he tried to steal Yumi's cake slice, causing her to punch him. Something tells me Atchan has a crush on Yumi considering she saved him from a camp bully, being the possible reason they get shipped together. Funny thing about Atchan is, as a kid, he looked a lot like Mac from Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. 

7. Sunekura.

This was one devious snake who was just evil and dimwitted at the same time. Atchan was right to warn everyone about this serpent. The funny thing about Sunekura was that after Atchan, Ami, Yumi and Kaz escaped, Sunekura hit the cave ceiling and died. Silly snake. 

6. Vlad, Nicolai and Mitch.

These 3 vampires are no ordinary vampires. They don't suck blood, but talent. Nicolai is a funny idiot, or as Vlad likes to call him, Eediot, similar to how Ren from Ren and Stimpy calls Stimpy an "eediot". Mitch just grunts. These vampires are funny in their own way. The reason they suck talent is because their concerts are terrible instantly.

5. Julie.

This former member of Puffy is without a doubt insane. She always hurts Ami, even if it seems unintentional, and she's always calling her "Andy", "Annie" or "Arthur". This inspired me to, in my headcanons, have Ami call Julie "Juniper", not just for a tease, but as a reference to Lara Jill Miller, who voiced Julie, and the fact she also voiced Juniper Lee from The Life and Times of Juniper Lee. Sadly, due to this show's cancellation, we never got to see what Julie had planned for her revenge.

4. Harmony.

There is no way I could make this list without adding the psycho Numbuh One villager who is annoying in a good way. She's always saying "I'm your Numbuh One fan!" or "I'm your Numbuh One villager!". Her antics in Junior Tapeworm were silly and hilarious, making it unfair for the other Junior Tapeworms. I did like the way she screamed upon Jill interrupting her. She sounded a lot like Pinkie from My Little Pony Friendship is Magic when you think about it. 

3. Yumi Yoshimura.

You all saw this coming. Can't make this list without including Yumi. She looks cool, and though she's Gothic, she's caring, especially for her closest friend Ami. Her misadventures are funny, especially the time she thought of herself as Ami in Ami Ami, and the time she tried to get a Pink Palace Cheeseburger in Hungry Yumi. I wouldn't be surprised if Yumi was the inspiration for Luna from The Loud House, whom I always like to say was inspired by The Buzz on Maggie, a show that, strangely, premiered over half a year after Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi and ended a month before Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi. 

2. Koi Fish.

Fish Face is not only a fortune teller and acting like a Magic 8 Ball, only a fish who answers truthfully, but he's hilarious too because of that. He's also hilarious because of his voice. I especially loved the way he said "THROWING FISH IS BAD!", and "Not on your life!" and "Cheese and pickle!" What's also good about him is he's invincible, shown when Ami tried to destroy him. 

And my Numbuh 1 favourite Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi character is......

You all saw this one coming, and I'll reveal it immediately. 

1. Ami Onuki.

That's right. Ami's my favourite from Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi. I can describe 5 good things about her. She's cute, she's an animal lover, she's kind, she's talented, and she only reveals the truth whenever she feels the need to. She's very good at defending the environment, probably even better than Captain Planet has ever been. Ironically, The person who voiced Ami also voiced Wand--oh, I mean Gi from Captain Planet. Speaking of which, Ami's voice is also a reason Sonia is my favourite female character from Codename Kids Next Door. Ami's design is also a reason Lola Mbola is my favourite from Robotboy. 

Ami also had some great episodes focused on her, like Collect All Five, Fungus, Granny, Number Please, etc.

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

My thoughts on Thomas' future Part 3

Okay, this is my first blog post for 2018. And this time, I'm going to rant about what I've recently discovered about Thomas the Tank Engine. Also, I've going to talk about how the fandom is acting because of this.

According to Sodor Island Forums, they said there'd be 26 episodes of Season 21, but it'd been cut down to 18, all because Mattel wanted to accommodate Big World! Big Adventures! What the hell, Mattel?! You really had to make Jam Filled reduce Season 21 to 18 episodes, just to get your precious pet project underway?!

I also want to further point out how illogical it was of that kid who said "Thomas is a train but he doesn't go anywhere.", the kid who inspired the idea for this. If Thomas didn't go anywhere, he'd just be stuck in the shed or siding all the time doing nothing! Is Mattel really that dumb to believe that?! Was that kid really that dumb to believe Thomas "Doesn't go anywhere"?

I heard about this fanmade project Journey Beyond Sodor: How It Should've Been. I haven't seen it, but all I can say is I furthermore recommend seeing the actual movie, especially since I've reviewed it last year.

I've also looked on Twitter showing proof that Thomas is trying to catch up to other flashy children's shows:
https://twitter.com/DieselD199/status/941908272230961152
This is downright plagiarism on Mattel's part! It further proves that Mattel is desperate.

You might be saying "Oh, of course Thomas is getting different! They updated it to appeal to a new generation of children!" Bullcrap! Thomas the Tank Engine doesn't need to be updated! It's timeless!

And also, looking back on Season 21, I really don't think it was that good of a season. Not solely because it was cut so short, but because it was foreshadowing all the bad things that are to come in the series.

Also, looking back on Hasty Hannah, New Crane on the Dock, Philip's Number, The Fastest Red Engine on Sodor and A Shed for Edward, I take back what I said about them in my reviews, they really aren't that good. For those of you who say Edward moving out of Tidmouth Sheds to Wellsworth Sheds is "Railway Series accurate", why aren't Thomas and Percy moving out of Tidmouth Sheds back to Ffarquhar Sheds?

And since it'd been confirmed that to become a member of the main cast, an engine has to reside in Tidmouth Sheds, Tidmouth Sheds have become my least favourite engine shed on Sodor.

You know what really sucks about what Mattel is doing with Thomas? This also applies to long running TV shows, it's quantity over quality. This is why, depending on the show, I prefer TV shows that have say a maximum of 8 seasons.

Back to Thomas. I know why Thomas sales have been going down in recent years, not solely because of how cheap most of them look. Because kids would much rather play with fire trucks from that ugly CGi Fireman Sam (a series that should've ended after its 4th season and a series that Gullane should never have purchased), atrocious pigs from Peppa Pig, puppies from that silly Paw Patrol, etc. Worse, they'd much rather play with tablets, computers and video games instead of toys. This is why kids today have low attention spans. This is a reason I am never having kids, or if I ever do, I'm just going to expose them to old kids' shows and pretend they're from the present.

All these complaints from fans about where the show is going this year, especially from that one obnoxious Oshawott woman who shan't be named continuously complaining about the changes, just go to show how bad the fandom is. Fans arguing about whether the CGi series is better than the classic series, new characters are better than old characters, have stooped this fandom to a new low.

This obnoxious fanbase getting into these fights, arguments and treating their opinions like facts is why I'll always prefer old Thomas. I am very slowly starting to lose interest in new CGi Thomas. The Brenner-era CGi episodes are already starting to age poor with me. But I've decided that if they confirm that Edward and Henry are going to sleep in the same shed, and if Toby will be getting decent roles, I will watch some episodes of Big World! Big Adventures!, and also to see if Thomas will meet all the Internationals, to see if Carlos will make puns along the way, and to see if Shane will be voiced by retired cricketer Shane Warne, but if any of the episodes do put me off, then I'm definitely not watching it anymore. Also, I still stand by what I said about the Big World! Big Adventures! movie, I will not watch it!

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Mattel and HiT, you really don't need to keep making specials every year! Why not just take a break every now and then?

I believe that these changes to the show will most likely fail the show and cause it to go back to what it originally was, like how Poochie was a big failure with Itchy and Scratchy and Itchy and Scratchy went back to normal afterward, even though I love Poochie. No Homer, you're not the only one who likes Poochie. And like how Blisstina, the "First Girl" from The Girls failed with audiences.

And to add to this, I've said it a million times before and I'll say it again, you really don't need to keep making new engines! Just stick to bringing back old ones like Arthur, Boco, Duke, Molly and Hank. And bring back old vehicles like George, Madge, Elizabeth and Isobella. It'd be much wiser to, instead of making up your own characters, just either bringing back old favourites and bringing in those from the Railway Series like Bear, Wilbert, Jock, the Peel Godred Engines and the Mountain Engines! You really don't need to keep going out creating so many new unnecessary engines!  Really? Is Sodor a galaxy now?!

Everything I've said right here sums up what I've been continuously saying over the last couple of months, especially since my last rant on the series. Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends should end!

Why should Thomas end? It's about to change for the worse, all because of the obvious that Mattel is going through, it seems as though the writers are repeating already done ideas, and the characters have become a bit unlikable, with Thomas, Gordon and James being prime examples. If Thomas has been "losing steam" in recent years, why not just end Thomas the Tank Engine altogether? Besides, it's been running for over 30 years now.

So there you go, everyone. I just wanted to say how I feel about the Thomas fandom and what should happen to Thomas and that I'll be avoiding most of future Thomas from now on and sticking with the old ones for the most part. That's right. To stop myself from adding so much stress to my life, I am going to be looking back on old Thomas much more often than checking out new Thomas. I've decided that I might give some Season 22 episodes a try depending on the news for it, but as I've said before with the rest of the franchise, I'm finished!

Instead of looking forward to Thomas the Tank Engine Season 22, I'm only going to look forward to something better, The Magic School Bus Season 6. (If that does happen) And yes, I'm calling The Magic School Bus Rides Again "The Magic School Bus Season 5 onward". Even if I'm disappointed by Phoebe leaving Walkerville Elementary, returning to Phoebe's Old School and getting replaced by Jyoti, I'll take Jyoti replacing Phoebe over Nia and Rebecca replacing Edward, Henry and Toby any day. I mean Jyoti's a good character, even if she's no Phoebe.