Season 22: Tiger Trouble

A story that’s let down by the first half, really.

I like the message and theme this is trying to convey. We really should do more to protect animals and punish the evil bastards wanting to hunt and kill them for fun. But that aspect got only half of the story’s focus.

The other was all about Thomas and Rajiv wanting to take the safari train... that’s never seen or mentioned after the story leaves the station. Heck, Rajiv even starts the episode with one train and ends it as a hired engine for the poachers. And there’s very little transition between the two, either. It feels like filler in order to get to the main meat of the episode, when they could’ve just gotten to that had more focus been on the latter plot line.

Maybe the story has Rajiv hired out from the start and, because of his high and mighty attitude, he doesn’t realise what he’s a part of until it’s too late. Maybe the poachers actually catch the tigers and Thomas and Shankar have to track them down. Then, Rajiv has to reflect on his actions so that he’s brought down a peg or two.

Also, that fantasy sequence was really random... but not in the right ways. Like the one in The Other Side of the Mountain, it adds nothing to the story and feels more like they’re wanting to sell a toy. It’s the only one this season I can say that I don’t like.

Also, Thomas’ tiger design looks off. If you’re going to make him look like a tiger, make sure the design also covers the running board as well. As it was, it just stood out like a sore thumb.

The poachers were also complete idiots. Which makes sense since real life poachers are also idiots (and evil). But... why did they run over the railway lines where everyone could easily have caught them? Why not turn around and run through the reserve where the trees would’ve hidden them better?

Final Thoughts

Nitpicks aside, I thought this was alright. The theme is incredibly important, and one that kids can easily grasp. But it would have been better had that been the entire focus rather than half of it. Since the other half was pointless, my rating can only be one that goes straight down the middle.

Rating: Average (5/10)