Series 21: Cranky at the End of the Line

Cranky has never really been the most interesting character, but he did star in one of the better episodes from both series 5 and 6. And Kevin's Cranky Friend was great as well. But will Cranky at the End of the Line be as good, or better, as his previous starring roles?

Usually, I'm not as bothered about recycled story ideas as most fans as the writers do what they can to give those ideas something new to enjoy. This one, however, gave us... nothing new. At all.

The plot trope of "character fears they're being scrapped" has been done (ironically) to death. The idea of a character being overworked and needing help has been done (even with Cranky, back in series 17). Even Thomas and Edward's arc of not believing rumours has been done so often. These three feel tired enough as it is, but putting them all together really shines a spotlight on how old they all are.

I have let previous episodes off for that this series since they were entertaining enough to take my mind off the lack of originality. But this episode... didn't have that. It was fairly entertaining, granted. But the lack of originality elsewhere was so prevalent that it ended up detracting from the humour.

One unfortunate thing this had going against it though was predictability. The rails behind Cranky gave away the fact they were planning to get a new crane, it's just a case of what it would look like. The worst thing is this could be seen coming before this episode aired.

Stuck in Gear included some shots where the rails for a gantry crane were clearly visible. So it was less of a case of if there'd be a new crane, but when and how.

Also, (and this is more of a nitpick compared to everything else, this devalues Thomas' conflict in Journey Beyond Sodor even more than it already had been. Why could Henry not have gone to get the parts, deliver them to Wellsworth and have Thomas and Edward double head the train from there?

Speaking of Edward though, he was definitely the best aspect of the episode. In fact, he's felt so well written throughout the series. He's genuinely felt like his old self again, and I love it.

Also, Carly seems incredibly charming. I can't wait to see her again. Fans have said "she looks like a toy", which is hilarious considering Lady is so lauded. Then again, the Britt Allcroft era is beyond reproach and any company after that is the devil incarnate. Fans haven't been saying it. But the implications are so heavy that they may as well do.

I'll also admit that the scene with Thomas and Edward at Knapford was fantastic. They could easily have taken it down the "don't believe rumours" route again. I'm honestly surprised that they didn't go down that route considering how much the rest of the episode did reuse. But they had Thomas immediately brush it off, even though he had every reason to believe Edward. That was a nice little touch.

Final Thoughts

To answer the question I started with, it's one of Cranky's worst outings as the main character so far. And by far, it's my least favourite of the series up to this point. There's absolutely nothing new here; it's just an amalgamation of ideas that worked before thrown into a blender. It was fairly entertaining, and Carly seems incredibly charming. But I'm just hoping tomorrow's episode brings forth some new ideas. Otherwise it could be a sign that it's not just Cranky that's reaching the end of the line...

Episode Ratings

Springtime for Diesel: 10/10
A Most Singular Engine: 10/10
Dowager Hatt's Busy Day: 10/10
Stuck in Gear: 8/10
Runaway Engine: 9/10
P.A. Problems: 8/10
Hasty Hannah: 9/10
Cranky at the End of the Line: 4/10

Cumulative Total (So Far)

68/80