Series 20: Tit for Tat

Well, we're on the home stretch now. And we've reached the three adaptations of the original small railway stories. We never really expected to see the Arlesdale Railway to be introduced to begin with - and then Lost Treasure came along. And we never expected their stories to be adapted. But here we are! So here are my thoughts on the first adaptation: Tit for Tat!

The ideal adaptation takes the original story's essence and adding your own spin to it in some way. This is something Britt Allcroft did, to mixed success, during series 3 and 4, but Andrew Brenner and co seem to completely understand and, both times, have nailed.

Moving the focus from Bert to "the visitors", as they're known as here, was a brilliant decision as it allowed them to not only have Thomas in the episode without moving him away from his branch line, but it also gave "the visitors" more character. Not only were their interactions with the tank engine a lot of fun, but was really nice that they cared more about getting a photo with Toby, which was a lovely nod to the Awdry family history with the J70 tram, Toby's basis.

I also loved the engine and crew interactions. It's something that I've been hoping for since the current team took over, and now that they've added some, I want more. Their connection is just so charming and genuine, and the CGI gives both engine and driver much more expression, making their interactions feel more real whether the detractors want to admit that or not.

Speaking of dynamics, the small engines have such a fantastic one. They tease each other a lot, but you can tell that they have a real bond. Their friendship feels like the most genuine of the entire show currently. It's one that will never get old or stop being entertaining.

And then there's the Small Controller, AKA Fergus Duncan. I'm glad they emulated his outfit from the books as it makes him stand out more from the other authority figures in the show. He's also the best of the three controllers by far in the CG era. Don't get me wrong, the Fat Controller is entertaining as hell, but more often than not he lacks that authoritative aura. Meanwhile, the Thin Controller is barely seen since the Skarloey Railway gets so little attention.

But Fergus Duncan gets stuff done. He has that no nonsense attitude that it takes to run a railway. Sure, you could put it down to "following the book", but here's the thing: they didn't have to. They could've easily changed the scene and lessened the punishment - or let Bert get away with it. But they changed nothing, and the story (and Fergus Duncan) benefited enormously. Now if more serious punishments could be dished out in original episodes a bit more, some morals may have better sticking power for the characters and audience.

Speaking of morals, the theme played out really well here. The pacing is a bit slow (that's honestly an issue with all three, but with such short stories there's little that can be done about that), but the lesson still plays out really well, and seeing Bert punished for his actions gives it more of an impact than Thomas & the Emergency Cable, an episode with the same theme (two wrongs don't make a right).

Also, that little meta joke right at the end was brilliant. It was really funny (that knowing wink was perfectly timed) and it was nice that Andrew incorporated this style of humour (that he'd use again in Journey Beyond Sodor). Fingers crossed it's something that's here to stay.

One gripe I do have though (and I'll freely admit this is a nitpick, but it's still kind of annoying) is that the visitors, for all the screen time they have, are simply called "the visitors". Why couldn't they have been given names, even fictitious ones? Or why couldn't they have been referred to as clergymen like they were in the books? Yes, I'm gay and yes, I have issues with many religious people who use their beliefs to discriminate against minorities, but I'm not against religious figures being in a piece of fiction, especially when said fiction was created by a clergyman.

Final Thoughts

Andrew Brenner's stories have been rather... inconsistent as of late. But his adaptations have been spot on. It's obvious that he cares about bringing classic stories to life to a modern audience in the most faithful, yet entertaining, way possible. This was evident with The Adventure Begins, but this episode was proof that the special was no fluke.

There is that quibble I have with not referring to the visitors either by name or as clergymen, but the rest is fantastic. It was entertaining, the slow pacing was compensated really well by the visual atmosphere and the theme was handled better than it was in Thomas & the Emergency Cable. You can't really ask for more than that.

Episode Ratings

Sidney Sings: 8/10
Toby's New Friend: 7/10
Henry Gets the Express: 10/10
Diesel & the Ducklings: 8/10
Bradford the Brake Van: 9/10
The Christmas Coffeepot: 7/10
Over the Hill: 9/10
Love Me Tender: 10/10
The Railcar and the Coaches: 10/10
Letters to Santa: 9/10
Saving Time: 0/10
Ryan & Daisy: 10/10
Pouty James: 2/10
Blown Away: 10/10
The Way She Does It: 9/10
Engine of the Future: -2/10
Henry in the Dark: 9/10
The Missing Breakdown Train: 3/10
Hugo and the Airship: 7/10
Three Steam Engines Gruff: -3/10
Skiff and the Mermaid: 10/10
Mucking About: 4/10
Cautious Connor: 6/10
All in Vain: 10/10
Buckled Tracks and Bumpy Trucks: 3/10
Tit for Tat: 10/10

Series Rating (so far)

175/260