Series 21: New Crane on the Dock

So Cranky has been joined on the dockside by Carly, a really charming yellow crane with a Liverpudlian accent. But will they get on? Well, New Crane on the Dock answers that. The question is: will it be good and prove that Cranky at the End of the Line was just a blip?

I ended the last review hoping there'd be something fresh lest it be a sign that the show was becoming stagnant and either needed something fresh or it needed to end. The team's best answer to this? An episode all about teamwork. Again...

To be fair, they did add a bit of nuance by including the communication aspect, and it was a lesson they both needed to learn. The narrative also did a good job explaining the impact of what would happen if they didn't work together.

There is, however, a problem. Not necessarily with this story (although this did bring it to light more since the narrative was so stock) but with the show as a whole. Simply, things feel incredibly confused, especially when it comes to the humans. The team are getting so much comedy out of them. Yet when it comes to important story aspects, they're completely forgotten solely so cartoony shenanigans can ensue. I'm not as bothered about this as most fans, but it is an issue.

"If Mattel Creations want a really fun, cartoony show, why not just make a new IP?" fans ask. Well, the last IP HiT made was Mike the Knight. And, as far as I can tell, that show quickly became irrelevant. So the next "best" thing is to just put everything into Thomas.

With all that said, the ending is the biggest takeaway of the entire thing. I'm not a fan of TUGS. I was back in the day, but I was so desperate to fit in that I'd like anything. But even I got excited when Big Mickey spoke. The best thing about it though is that it fit the communication theme really well.

Final Thoughts

I apologise that this review is so short, but the fact is there's little to talk about with it. The plot and theme are so stock that there's little you can do to make it fresh. The comedy was fine, but it was also nothing to write home about. It's painfully average in every way.

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
New Crane on the Dock: 5/10

Cumulative Total (So Far)

73/90