Season 22: Trusty Trunky

And back to mediocrity we go..!

This episode was the point that made me truly realise where the problem with these world-based episodes truly lie. It’s not just that they’d have to try and make different customs and cultures work within this world (which, to be fair, this did fairly well), but they have to make Thomas an interesting character since he’s going to be the character we spend time with the most. And here... he’s not. He’s inquisitive, but... that’s it.

Here’s the thing that the writers don’t seem to get: protagonists don’t have to be morally pure to be a) protagonists and b) interesting. Characters sometimes have to be in the wrong to get their comeuppance and properly learn their lesson. All Thomas learns here is... focus on the task at hand and things can be done differently. But wouldn’t he have learned that rescues can be handled differently in Rocky Rescue, as bad as that episode was?

This episode would’ve been so much better had Thomas been a cheeky, arrogant sod. And I’m not saying that because I’m nostalgia blind, I’m saying that because the episode’s lesson would’ve had much more of an impact if that had been the case. Instead, it feels like they’re condemning their own storytelling device, when most people know that these fantasy sequences aren’t going anywhere.

Because of that, the episode is boring. It’s an absolute slog to sit through because no one plays off of anyone. The only characters who seem to have any sort of chemistry is Rajiv and Jehan, and they only share a couple of seconds together. Ashima is still as boring as a slice of bread with no character to speak of, and as fun as Rajiv seems to be, he still feels like an Indian version of James.

Also, as cute as the scene with the cow was, it begs the question: how many trains in India are severely delayed by sleeping cows? Why didn’t Ashima just try and find a crossover rather than just stare at it? It doesn’t add too much to the story, so it’s not a huge deal.

The themes were... fine. As much as I criticised the writers for seemingly condemning their own storytelling device, it was nice that they showed the impact of daydreaming when doing something really important. And the main theme of “different ways of doing things” was relatively well handled.

Final Thoughts

I haven’t seen a 7 minute episode drag so much since season 10. It had its entertaining moments (the fantasy sequence was wonderfully bizarre and the elephant rescue was rather funny), but the characters were just so dull and uninteresting that it’s really easy to zone out.

Rating: Average (4/10)

Season 22: Confusion Without Delay

It’s fair to say that yesterday’s review was a bit of a shambles. Constantly changing throughout the day because I was so indecisive about whether it was a good episode or not. I was finally satisfied after the third edit, and decided to not release a review until I was confident in my opinion from now on. I can only apologise for the amount of edits you kept seeing of it.

With that out of the way, Confusion Without Delay!

This is the first episode that I can truly say was great this season. While was one was an uninspired story propped up by a good theme, and the other was a good story with a half baked theme, this was where they got it right on both counts.

First off, the story is really fun. The beginning conflict kicks in a couple of minutes in, which is its only real drawback, but considering they had to introduce Rebecca and give her a story as well, the pacing was bound to suffer somehow.

From there, though, the story really shines. Well, more the characters within the story. Ironically, this does fix the issue I had with yesterday’s episode that there were no positives offered to the changes made to the show (this doesn’t mean yesterday’s episode was better because of this, by the way. It still should have been dealt with in that story). Gordon was angry that he was getting help, but warms to it when the new engine helps fend off his brother. It’s a nice touch.

Also, Rebecca is just the most precious cinnamon roll in the show. Don’t get me wrong, I like Nia’s optimism and willingness to lend a hand, but I feel I gravitate to Rebecca more. Struggling to fit in, wanting to impress and making mistakes doing so are all things that kids can relate to. I know I worry about being late to meetings I have quite often, then getting impatient when I’m waiting. Plus, I have my own insecurities due to many factors that can be boiled down to “the world can be cruel sometimes”.

There were a couple of really funny moments. Rebecca and Diesel at Brendam (seriously, those two need an episode together) and the Fat Controller being in a situation where he couldn’t use his catchphrase.

The fantasy sequence really hit home for me as well, to be honest. I often think my friends are amazing, and I often feel like I’m left behind or in their shadow. So I can empathise a lot with why Rebecca would want to try and impress as much as possible.

The theme is... OK. The one they went with was “it’s OK to make mistakes so long as you learn from them”, which is fairly basic but still one that’s important for children. There were a couple of others that the episode didn’t focus on. There was the “change can be good” lesson which, while being an episode overdue, was well done. There was “patience is a virtue” and there’s one that, I feel, is rather important.

It’s a really subtle one: you don’t need to try so hard to impress, just let your personality shine through. That’s a lesson I can really appreciate, since I feel I’m trying way too hard to make friends (and searching for a boyfriend) by buying new clothes and thinking about changing my hairstyle. I just need to be more confident and show them who I am.

Final Thoughts

Davey Moore can write some real stinkers. But when he’s good, he knocks it out of the park. Confusion Without Delay is one of his absolute best. Is it perfect? No. The pacing at the start isn’t that great (understandably so, but still), and the constant glossing over why Henry moved is really starting to annoy me.

But the main story is good, the characters are great and the themes are varied and easy to digest for kids. Oh, and Gordon and Rebecca seems like it could be a really interesting, yet sweet, dynamic. What more could you ask for?

Rating: Great (10/10)

Season 22: Forever and Ever

Well, this is gonna be fun..!

I had my reservations about this one, to be honest. Not because I’m insulted or annoyed by the changes, but because I know how bad episodes that seemingly attack the critics can be. Fame and Misfortune from MLP is a prime example on how to do it wrong. The episode was three years too late, it addresses criticisms that have already been addressed, it uses their purple mouthpiece (Starlight Glimmer) to pin the blame on the town (and, by extension, the fans) for their own mistakes as a writing team and the song was basically them sticking their fingers in their ears and saying “I’m not listening!”. And to top it all off, it supposedly bored its target audience.

This episode has none of those problems. Sure, you could argue that Nia is a mouthpiece for Mattel, but I disagree. Because they’re playing off what Nia is actually going through in her own mind, it feels much more natural to the story rather than having a character with no character spouting nonsense because the writers are incredibly petty.

But let’s be honest here, Gordon was absolutely amazing here. His reactions are the perfect caricature of conservatives (conservative Thomas fans especially), and anything that upsets them is perfectly fine in my book. They even had him imagine that the track was going to turn rainbow. I genuinely want that so much now!

The story itself is... fairly thin. It’s another plot about an engine learning to accept changes in their lives. Daisy had to go through the same in Daisy’s Perfect Christmas last year (which I’ve since found that fans have forgotten about, which is a shame). But, I feel this episode can be forgiven of that since they tweak it enough to make it feel fresher.

And... then we come to the theme. I’ve been going back and forth in my head before and after the review originally went up, thinking whether it was a good lesson to teach to children. I’ve now reached the conclusion that yes, it is a great lesson for kids. In fact, it’s an important one. Friendship never dies no matter how far away you are and how often, or little, you see of each of each other. My best friend and I haven’t been in touch that much since he started his new job last year. But every time we catch up, it’s like we were never apart from each other.

There are a few issues though. When Gordon realises there could be a new addition to the sheds, he acts the same way he did at the start of the episode. It makes his whole arc feel pointless and reinforces my idea that his behaviour needed to be dealt with in a more direct, less coddly way.

This also could’ve been fixed by them acknowledging the benefits of these changes as well. It’s all well and good saying “change happens, it’s OK to feel bad about it”, but when you’re not told what the plus sides of these changes are, and something else happens to change things further, the cycle will begin again. The episode does a good job of understanding change and its effects, but it doesn’t go into the acceptance of change and why that’s a good thing.

Also, Henry’s leaving is completely glossed over. After A Shed for Edward, I was thinking they’d do something similar for Henry. Heck, maybe that was the original plan before they decided to cut 8 episodes out of the last season. But to treat it as an afterthought for another character’s story is... well, kinda sad. I know Henry never really had a fair shake in the leading roles, but he deserved a far better send off than this.

It’s never explained why he wants to stay at Vicarstown, he just... does. It’s basically what fans thought A Shed for Edward’s ending was; something pulled from the writers’ backsides in order to accommodate a new character in the shed.

I was also a tad disappointed that they didn’t tackle the theme of toxic masculinity either. A lot of anger from people comes (apart from taking a book as gospel and using it as an excuse to be a terrible person, ignorance, stupidity or a combination of the three) from the terrible gender roles that society has arbitrarily placed on itself. But it’s a 7 minute episode that was focused enough as it is, so it was silly to assume they’d add something else to the mix, in hindsight. Although, considering the ending leads on to the next episode, there’s still a (slim) chance..!

Final Thoughts

After a lot of thought and rewatches, I think this one is... alright. It’s a good way to ease kids into the meta changes by making a story that they can relate to. But it simply doesn’t go far enough in saying why change will be beneficial.

I honestly still prefer Daisy’s Perfect Christmas in certain areas, especially in terms of the theme’s execution. But this is more entertaining, makes Nia more loveable and Gordon entertaining as hell. Seriously, writers, make fun of conservatives more! That’s the sugar daddy likes. Oh, and a rainbow railway would be lovely as well..!
Rating: Average (5/10)

Season 22: Number One Engine

Well, the time has come. After nearly a year of childish tantrums, racist, sexist meltdowns and cynical blog posts, Big World! Big Adventures! the series is upon us. With the movie not impressing me all that much, this season has a lot to prove. And starting with a world-based episode was a bold decision. But was it one that paid off?

In the biggest area, no. Not really. At least not this one.

Here’s the problem: they’ve made so many changes to the format (which I’ll talk about in a separate post), yet they’ve failed to fix the biggest problem the show had. It wasn’t that “Thomas never went anywhere”, it’s that the stories began to feel so similar to ones that have been told before. And this one feels incredibly similar to Thomas’ Shortcut.

However, in other areas, the new episode format helped significantly.

First of all, the main story clocks in at 7 minutes, like it did in series 8-12. So when they said “the stories would be faster paced”, what they meant is that they’d be shorter. That said, it works to their advantage. Since they have to be more focused with their storytelling, there doesn’t feel like there are any scenes that are wasted, nor do any feel that they drag. That is a big plus.

Second, I liked that the fantasy sequences actually showed us an insight into Thomas’ imagination, so we could enjoy his delusions as much as everyone else (and it was pretty funny that AnAn and Ling Yong were having none of it). It’s perfect “show, don’t tell” storytelling. Well, they do tell us as well, but that’s beside the point.

Third, Thomas as the narrator. I love Mark Moraghan’s work as narrator to death. He’s the best the show has had. But I completely get why they’d have Thomas take over. If this is his story, it’s only right that he tells it. The only problem with this is he could, potentially, be forced into situations where he doesn’t fit solely so his role as narrator fits. Maybe if the other characters narrate their stories as well (especially the Sodor based ones), this would work even better.

You’ll notice I’ve spent a lot of time focusing on the storytelling changes. That’s because... well, the story itself doesn’t give me much to talk about. It’s like I said before, it’s just Thomas’ Shortcut, only in China. The different setting just means that Thomas is overcome by his new surroundings.

The characters were... fine. But I don’t think that Thomas and Hong Mei click as well as Thomas and Bertie do. I feel that the tank engine and bus is more interesting since Bertie knows how to push Thomas’ buttons. Whereas Thomas only wants to race Hong Mei... because she’s number one on the railway he visits. He’s annoyed at a convenience in the visual character design rather than something she says or does.

That said, I do like Hong Mei as a character. She’s energetic, she’s fun, but she’s also a bit reckless. That’s all that can be said about her, but that’s also all that needs to be said. She suits her role well, and that’s great.

Also, An An and Lin Yong were brilliant. They’re like the opposite of Annie and Clarabel, encouraging Thomas to be careless so that he can get into trouble, like Ace only they’re constantly there to drive the story along.

And, as much as I dislike how much the story takes from a previous one, the theme of fair play and “friendship is better than competition” is fantastic. If this is how the UN ended up contributing to the show, I’m all in favour of them doing so for as long as the show continues. It’s just on the writers to not botch the themes completely..!

Final Thoughts

Overall, this episode is a mixed bag. The story itself blatantly unoriginal, but I feel that the characters and overall theme stop it from being truly bad. It’s just... weak, really.
Rating: Average (6/10)

Important Update

I wouldn’t usually post something that’s happened in my personal life on here. But since this will have an effect on the blog, and with series 22 airing in English in two weeks, I thought this was important enough to share here. Plus, since I don’t want to bog down the next review, it’s better to share this in a separate post.

Unfortunately, my laptop is dead. It has been the backbone of this blog, writing every single post since its inception in 2011. But one errant spilling of Fanta and... well, it’s true what they say: fluids and electronics really don’t mix. I’m honestly surprised it lasted as long as it did, especially with how slowly it was running in later years. But it’s still a disappointing loss, and I will be getting a replacement eventually.

What will this mean for the blog?

Well, I’m writing this on the iPad, so I should be able to keep up with episode reviews the day they air, like I’ve always done. In fact, they could be posted quicker than before. However, it will mean more posts consisting of walls of text like this.

That’s because laptops are pretty expensive for someone who (just about) has enough to get by as it is. And because iPads aren’t that great with Blogger, especially when it comes to pictures, it does mean that it’s unlikely they’ll be included for the foreseeable future. The heavily edited pictures I’ve uploaded in the past couple of years are off the table completely.

It might also mean that there won’t be a running tally of episode scores throughout a season. But I may have removed that section regardless of what happened to the laptop. They were mainly there for my benefit so I could keep track by the time overviews came around. But I can do that in a notepad or something.

TL;DR

The laptop is dead, future posts won’t have the visual polish that previous reviews had since I can’t afford a new one. But there will be posts in the future, starting with Number One Engine on September 3rd.

Rosies Are Red; The Concept of Love in Thomas & Friends

This week, Cartoonito in Italy has started airing series 22. It's been a fairly decent bunch of them so far. And while What Rebecca Does provided a talking point with her thought sequences, Rosies Are Red completely eclipsed it. And since there's more to talk about here, and I don't want to bog down the review with this, let's talk about it.

So the episode is all about Diesel, Bill and Ben teasing Thomas and Rosie when the former helps the latter. Then, Thomas and Rosie make excuses to avoid each other only to meet up at the end only to realise that they're just friends. Also, the Fat Controller gives his wife a cat as a present. That's going to be important for a future point.

Anyway, fans hated this for a multitude of reasons. I don't really know all of them, but I'll go through the ones I've seen.

"It goes against Awdry's Vision!"

Yep. This old chestnut again.

I genuinely don't understand why fans constantly bring this up these days considering he was mocked endlessly when footage emerged of him lambasting Henry's Forest (an episode, I'll remind you, that is heavily praised by a lot of fans). There were memes all over the place of him saying "no" and "Rule 55".

Yet now you find an episode you don't like, you decide to bring a man's name (the name of a man who's been dead for 21 years, might I add!) into the mix? I've talked about confirmation bias before and here it is writ large. Not only that, but it showcases the blatant hypocrisy that fans are willing to put up with when they watch an Allcroft episode compared to a Mattel Creations one.Both of which are meant to be heartwarming and sweet, yet only one gets overwhelmingly positive recognition.

Other examples of this hypocrisy include:

• Rusty to the Rescue completely re-writing Stepney's story to one that's a lot less interesting, a lot less tense and a lot less original. That actively went against Awdry's vision since he wrote Stepney's backstory (based on reality) to begin with! That is an episode that a lot of fans like.
• Busy Going Backwards, Thomas the Jet Engine and Rusty and the Boulder (and Snow near the end) actively go against the laws of science. All three are liked by a lot of fans, even though Awdry's vision was more grounded.
• Magic Railroad included magic and a diesel with a massive claw. It's a film that many fans either love unironically or like for the sake of nostalgia.

"Engines can't love!"

"They [Annie and Clarabel] are both old and need new paint, but Thomas loves them very much" - Thomas & the Guard, series 1, 1984.

 ...you were saying? Also, for anyone wanting to invalidate the meaning of love in that instance (because, you know, Awdry and Allcroft bias), here's a list of definitions of "love" from the Oxford English Dictionary. The first of which I will draw attention to.

"An intense feeling of deep affection".

This is shown throughout the show as well. They sung little songs to each other in early episodes, Annie and Clarabel often worry about Thomas' safety and, in Not So Slow Coaches, Thomas literally tried to chase down two of the fastest engines solely to get his coaches back.

If that's not love, I don't know what is.

But if you really want to take that out of the equation, I'll ask this one simple question: why can't engines love? They can feel:

• happiness
• sadness
• fear
• excitement
• anger
• worry
• envy

Basically, the engines in the show can feel every single emotion that humans can. Love should be one of them.

Also, for anyone equating love to sex, take a seat and I'll teach you a little something: love and sex aren't inextricably linked to each other. Sure, you can have sex with someone you love, but you can also have sex with someone you don't. People have sex with each other for a multitude of reasons: stress relief, generally feeling horny, even as a horrible power play (see also: rape). Meanwhile, you can love someone you have no sexual attraction to them (see: asexuality. Although, if they do end up confirming that the engines are asexuals, that would be incredible since it'd be the first preschool show to have a fully confirmed LGBTQ+ cast. I think).

So for anyone dreading that this will lead to something more extreme down the line, the answer is no, mostly because a) it's a show for preschoolers, they'd never go that far and b) the engines have no reproductive organs. They're anthropomorphised, not actual humans. But that does lead me on to...

"It doesn't belong in a preschool show! It's inappropriate!"

This is in the same episode that features the Fat Controller giving his wife a cat. As a Valentine's Day present. How is that alright for kids and not Thomas and Rosie's dynamic that ends up teaching kids that it's perfectly fine to be friends with a character of the opposite gender?

Also, we're talking about a show that's included:

• Death
• Multiple crashes
• An actual wedding
• A woman kissing Percy
• An engine stalking another and being in the right for doing so (ironically the same two characters)
• Racist undertones
• Themes of toxic masculinity (I love Diesel & the Ducklings)
• Almost half of the things that happened in Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure (the abuse of Skiff, the use of dynamite - including Sailor John almost using a stick against Thomas, John whacking Thomas with an oar)
• An engine (Gordon) almost exploding
• Actual slavery
• An engine almost getting incinerated

But sure, an innocent story about two engines who may or may not be attracted to each other is totally inappropriate for preschoolers(!) As is every time a child sees their parents being affectionate to each other. Or random strangers being affectionate in the street.

This is why this manufactured controversy is so stupid: it relies on the rest of the fanbase not thinking about it for it to have any credence whatsoever. And while I'm one of those people who would rather fans think about why they like or dislike something more than just "because I don't", this is one example where I can make an exception.

All fans needed to say was "I don't like romance stories", which is perfectly fine. Hell, I don't like romance stories because of how tired and boring the cliches are. The only exceptions being this (they end up staying friends and being fine with that) and Love, Simon (because it's an LGBTQ+ romance, and one of the few romantic movies that constantly keeps the audience guessing and the pay-off actually feels earned).

Simply put, fans complaining about this really need to start re- evaluating their relationship with the franchise, because there's no going back from this point. You're choosing to make yourselves bitter and miserable, and fan sympathy is running out for you. Either stick to what you like or find something to do or watch that will actually make you happy. Life's too short to be this miserable over, essentially, nothing.

Worst to Best: Films and Specials

With the UK cinematic release, and my review, of Big World! Big Adventures! this week, I thought I'd take a look back at all the films and specials created since the show's inception and see where I'd rank them all.

Like the fans who have done a list like this on Twitter, I'll be focusing on the projects that Gullane/HiT/Mattel have marketed as movies or special features. That means that Bubbling Boilers isn't being counted. It also means there's 14 to get through. So let's get stuck in!

Worst: Day of the Diesels (-3/10 - Terrible)

You thought the worst would be the first ever film, right? While I've railed against that film constantly ever since the Thomas fanbase gained a larger online presence, I genuinely think this is the worst film the franchise has ever produced. Because it feels like a feature length episode in all the wrong ways. Seriously, it follows every single plot structure from series 13-16 beat for beat.

But that's not all that's wrong with this. The tone is depressingly boring (which further exacerbates the repetitive nature of the story), it's yet another steam vs diesel story (only with strong racist overtones), the ending feels unearned, Diesel 10 is far too menacing (I honestly prefer hammy, over the top Diesel 10, especially with his design) and the main motivation for Percy siding with the diesels is flat out copied from a far better special.

You could say that one positive is that another engine (Percy) gets the spotlight, but... well, so did a future special, and that was far superior. Also, if you looked at the DVD box art, you'd think that Thomas was the star of it. You'd also think that Mavis and Salty had major roles too, but... they don't.

Overall, this is the absolute worst movie because there's absolutely nothing to gain from it. Heck, you could listen to the song that accompanied the film, and not only would you get a more satisfying experience than watching the movie, but you'd have actually heard the whole thing play out its near 3 minute run time. So just listen to that rather than watch the movie.

13. Thomas & the Magic Railroad (-3/10 - Terrible)

Yeah, yeah. I've explained why I hate this film so often that it's probably become a meme at this point. But honestly? Some bits are so entertaining (pretty much any time Diesel 10's on screen, some of the really hammy acting) that I can't justify to myself that this is the absolute worst, even if I want to believe it.

Sure, Day of the Diesels has the more complete, coherent story. But when it's as terrible as it turned out to be, I'd rather a nonsensical plot that actually has some entertainment value. Also, yeah, this is the best acted and funniest Diesel 10 there's ever been. In hindsight, I shouldn't have been as harsh on him as I was.

12. The Great Race (2/10 - Bad) 

This had so many amazing sub-plots. Gordon's rivalry with his brother, Flying Scotsman. Philip and Vinnie's bullying story. Diesel being the funniest, yet most devious, he's ever been. And what was the main plot they decided to go with?

Thomas having self confidence issues and Ashima trying to set him straight. Or, to put it another way, the love child of Dream On and Tale of the Brave.

This was the first special I was truly disappointed by as I knew it could've been so much more than it was. If they'd have just focused on Gordon's sub-plot, I feel they could've gotten more character development and a far better, more interesting conflict. Heck, they probably could've tied that in with Gordon wanting to be streamlined. Sure, it probably would've gone down the "confidence issues" route the actual film went down, but it would've made a lot more sense.

Instead, we got something that ended up being far less interesting and so much potential that was left in the creative department.

11. Big World! Big Adventures! (3/10 - Bad)

Honestly, this one hurts to put as low as I have. But as good as some of the lessons are, as fantastic as some of the character interactions are, that lack of story kneecaps it immensely.

I won't go into too much detail as I've only recently reviewed it. But needless to say Nia's the best character in it because she's actually a character that happens to be female rather than being female spouting "I don't need no man" cliches that so many female characters seem to be saying these days.

10. Misty Island Rescue (3/10 - Bad)

This one has the opposite problems that Big World! has; terrible themes and really bad characters (and atrocious dialogue), but a really good story.

Because of that, it was tough to decide which was the better of the two. But I think this is better (slightly) because the story has higher stakes, actual tension and an actual flow to it throughout its run time. Also, that post credits scene is still fantastic. It didn't really lead to anything good, but it left you intrigued as to what Diesel 10 was planning.

9. Calling All Engines! (5/10 - Average)

If Day of the Diesels is a feature length episode done wrong, this is one done right. Mostly. I don't mind the learning segments that much, and I can understand why they were included. But I'm glad that no other special has any and I feel that the deleted scenes could've replaced them and nothing would change.

Overall, this was a steam vs diesel plot done right. And it's honestly where the rivalry should have ended, rather than being dragged on and on, being used as a crutch when the writers have no other ideas. It's also great that they actually show that not all diesels are bad, as Mavis helps Thomas try and sort the problem.

The only real issues are that the story, while good, is also unremarkable, the climax with Thomas, Diesel 10 and George feels tacked on solely to have Diesel 10's appearance have a point and (not an issue with the actual special, but still a shame) Daisy's appearance is never built on. Fans had to wait 10 years, a change to CGI and a change of production studio, for her to do anything.

Honestly, I can never hate this special. It was released, and I saw it, at a time where the staff at my school were hell bent on getting me to distance myself from the franchise (because why should schools celebrate individuality when they have targets to meet, am I right?) and this was the major factor that kept me attached to it. And while my liking of it has waned since I first reviewed it 7 years ago (I've since reverted the review to a draft state; I may re-review it soon), I still think it's alright. I'd go so far as to say it's slightly underrated, even if I understand that it's not everyone's cup of tea.

8. Hero of the Rails (6/10 - Average)

While I think Calling All Engines! is underrated, I think this is overrated. The story is fine, and it does a decent job of making Hiro seem sympathetic, I feel they go a bit too far at times, passing the line from sympathetic to annoying.

Not only that, but the dialogue is really bad at times. Not as bad as Misty Island Rescue, but it's bad enough to detract from the overall experience. Also, the ending was completely devalued since Hiro's been seen so often on Sodor since then (I hope Thomas goes to Japan in the future so we can see Hiro in his homeland).

That said, I really liked the story, I like that the main cast actually came together and worked as a team to help Hiro, I like the theme and lessons and I liked that Spencer was the main antagonist rather than a diesel (even if the turn came from nowhere).

It's an OK film overall, but definitely could have been better.

7. Journey Beyond Sodor (7/10 - Good)
Talk about an OK film made so much better with its theme and characters. Granted, Frankie's motivations could have been a lot clearer, but the new cast of characters here are far better overall than any other film so far (I'd have said it was BWBA, but we don't really get much time with any of the new characters besides Nia and Ace).

Honestly though, the film's fortunes really turn when Thomas sings I Want to Go Home. While I personally think Hottest Place in Town is better, that song is the one that makes you really care for Thomas as, up to that point, he was really selfish and - deservedly - paid the price for it.

Also, I still love Theo. He's the most precious little cinnamon roll and deserves so much more attention than he's gotten.

But that's all I can really say. My opinions on it are still pretty similar to how they were when I wrote the review last year. It's an enjoyable enough adventure with a really strong lesson.

6. The Great Discovery (7/10 - Good)

My love for this has waned a bit over the years, but I still really like it. I think the problem this has had is one that's not really this special's fault: current specials just have better writing (for the most part) and stronger characters. Case in point: Ryan is a far better realised version of Stanley (even if I like both and like writing for both).

Another issue this has is that it's stuffed with so many characters that do absolutely nothing. I get why: it was the last project to only use the models, so they wanted to use as many as they possibly could. But I'd have  much preferred a smaller cast where every character has purpose.

The other thing that puts me off is the narration. Don't get me wrong, the fact it's narrated by Pierce Brosnan makes it feel even more special since the others (except BWBA which removed the narrator's role entirely) were narrated by Michael Angelis and, later, Mark Moraghan. But it felt like he was narrating a bedtime story too much. I think, for a project like this, it would've benefited more from a bit more enthusiasm.

Other than that though, this was a really good special. It had a good dynamic between Thomas and Stanley, the story was fairly solid and the theme was decent as well. Also, Thomas, You're the Leader was an excellent way to end it.

5. King of the Railway (8/10 - Good)

OK, now we've reached the big guns. Ordering these five was difficult, but I'm satisfied with the order. And this is what I've chosen to be number 5.

It's genuinely impressive that they managed to create a story that ended up branching off into different directions while still managing to tie itself together really well. It's why I'm really disappointed with BWBA, as this managed to do all of that in an hour yet they barely told one story (and left one character dynamic completely open ended) with 20 extra minutes.

Not only that, but they added so much world building and lore to the show and it didn't feel out of place whatsoever. They tied it into the story really well, and it led to a really fun adventure.

The only real negative is that Stephen and the Earl were the only new characters that got a good amount of screen time and a solid personality. Millie, Connor and Caitlin are just... there.

Overall, this was a really strong solo debut for Andrew Brenner. But his previous contribution is just that little bit better.

4. Blue Mountain Mystery (8/10 - Good)

It's difficult to pinpoint who made this special as good as it was, or how much of the original script that Andrew Brenner edited. But it was definitely the best special ever made up to that point.

Sure, Luke being the "mysterious engine" could have been seen from a mile away thanks to the marketing spoiling it. But the way the whole mystery played out on screen was fantastic. And the twist with Victor was really unexpected. It was also nice that they added more to a character that had been around for a few years.

Another nitpick is with Rheneas being painted yellow. It didn't look that great and it was really pointless in the long run. As much as it tied his "I want a repaint" sub-plot up, it felt like it was only done to sell toys. In fairness, it makes sense that they didn't use Duncan since the Talyllyn's Douglas was being repaired when Nitrogen went to the railway for research. But it's still a bit of a shame.

Also, I still think Paxton should've been introduced here. He had more of a point, more of a character and it felt like he belong in it far more than he did in Day of the Diesels.

Overall, this is the only Nitrogen special that still holds up. It's a well written mystery with great characters and it was a fantastic way to bring back the narrow gauge engines (unlike series 16..!).

3. Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure (9/10 - Great)

Oh boy...

Ever since this film came out, I've been torn about whether this or the actual number two should have taken that spot. But after so much deliberation, I feel like this is the best positioning for the two.

They're both good in their own ways. This has much better music and songs, it has far more action and drama, it feels like the only special so far that's truly belonged on the big screen and it had a really fun sub-plot with Marion, the small engines and the two Olivers. Also, Sailor John was a fantastic villain and Skiff was a really sympathetic character.

The only real issue? Thomas and Ryan's dynamic feels far too much like Thomas and Stanley's. Thankfully, Ryan has been given a more defined character now, but here he was a generic, happy go lucky character like Stanley.

Also, and this is going to sound slightly controversial... all the action makes it feel... less like a Thomas movie and more like an action movie with Thomas character. It kind of lacks some of the charm and heart that the show's known for. It's not something that turns me off completely like it did with Magic Railroad as this is a fantastically written story. But it's because of this that I feel that number 3 is the best spot for it.

2. Tale of the Brave (9/10 - Great)

Out of all of the 60+ minute films/specials (whatever you want to call them), this is the best one... just. Why? Because it feels like a Thomas & Friends film more than any other. Is it a perfect story? No. Is it the most action packed? No. But what it has is what the franchise should be known for: heart, charm and bags of character.

And even if the story isn't perfect, it's still great. It removes an aspect of Percy's character that really wasn't necessary (until Three Steam Engines Gruff at least) and his dynamic with Gator was simply amazing. Seriously, it was so great that the ending where the visitor leaves was the most emotional of the entire franchise (for a year at least). Even now, I get a bit emotional when watching it. It's such a good dynamic that they tried copying it two years later. And failed.

Also, James as the antagonist was great. It didn't feel out of character or out of place, he fit the role brilliantly and he genuinely felt remorse in the end. He's definitely one of the better antagonists of the franchise.

I could honestly gush about this special for days. But all I'll say is that it's, by far, the most underrated film of the franchise. And the only reason why, I think, is because it focuses on telling a good story rather than adding lore like King of the Railway or being an orgy of action like Lost Treasure. Maybe it'll get the recognition it deserves some day, but all I know is that I'll always love it and will always sing its praises.

Also, the song Tale of the Brave is one of the best of the franchise, and the full version should've been released on streaming services.

Best: The Adventure Begins (10/10 - Great)
Could it be anything else?

Yes, it could be considered 40 minutes of fan service. But I tell you what, when the story is this good, I don't mind it feeling fan servicy-y (it's when it overshadows the story when it becomes a problem).

This is, to be blunt, the best adaptation to ever exist from any era of the show. It has the perfect mix of emulating the existing material and Andrew's own interpretations of Thomas' story. It develops Thomas fantastically well, and the ending is still best of any project in the franchise. Even though Thomas' branch still doesn't get much attention, and Thomas is seen everywhere, that ending still brings a tear to the eye solely because of how triumphant it is.

Also, this has Edward's best role since 1998. No joke, no hyperbole. He felt like the old, wise, patient guardian that he truly should be. And if taking him out of the main cast and putting him with Philip means we get more of that, I'll happily take it.

On the whole, this (and Lost Treasure) was an excellent way to celebrate the franchise's 70th anniversary. I'd go so far as to say this is the definitive version of Thomas' story. It's just incredible, and absolutely deserves the title of best Thomas & Friends special ever produced.

Big World! Big Adventures!: The Movie

It's been a long road to get to this point. So much fan vitriol, so many press releases, all the draft animation has all finally culminated with the release of the first of the major projects under the Big World! Big Adventures! umbrella this year; the movie itself.

And... it's not that good, to be honest. The sad thing is that's... pretty much all I can really say about it. Not due to the risk of spoilers, but because the film itself gives me so little to talk about.

The film allows Thomas to see the world, and when this was made known in the trailer, I posed the question: "OK, what now?". As it turned out, very little. The story becomes non-existent as soon as Thomas reaches Africa. Sure, Thomas tries to keep up with Ace (although why he'd want to after the car turned against him the second his rally friends were in the picture, I don't know), and then there's conflict between him and Nia, and then there's the Fat Controller looking for Thomas. But that's literally it.

There are absolutely zero stakes here as there's really nothing to obtain or lose. And the only time Thomas is in any real danger is when Ace leads him on when they near San Francisco. Well, Nia nearly dies due to a snowdrift and... admittedly, that was the one time I really cared because Nia is an absolute delight. She's the best character of the film solely due to how likeable and jolly she is.

The other thing I really liked is how Nia and Ace are like two sides of the friendship coin. Ace is pretty much the idea of what a friendship is, offering words of support but only being there when it's convenient for them. Meanwhile, Nia is an actual friend: someone you have disagreements with but is there when you need practical assistance as well as emotional support. It's genuinely some of Andrew Brenner's best character work ever, and was definitely the bright spot in an otherwise forgettable work. Seriously, if you hate Nia, you either hate positive characters or you're a racist. Although, this is the Thomas fanbase, so both are likely..!

The one issue is that Thomas and Ace's conflict is never resolved. There's never a moment of realisation for Thomas that Ace was a negative influence. The worst thing is that there was a scene on the way to the Utah salt flats that it would've fit in brilliantly. Instead, we get a quiet moment where we transition to the next day when they're rescued. It would've provided some great character growth for Thomas and would have made Ace realise that he needed to change his way.

I've heard some fans saying "maybe [certain aspects] will be explored in series 22", to which I say they had 80 minutes to work with here! If they can't tie everything up in that amount of time, they're either poor storytellers or lazy ones. This isn't a Toad's Bright Idea scenario where an episode took place within a special. They didn't need to do that since Tale of the Brave told a complete story as it was. They wanted to in order to develop Gator and tell another interesting story within that time frame.

Speaking of Ace, the controversial scene in Free and Easy with Carlos was cut. As much as I objected to the outrage of it, I can understand why it was removed in the final cut. Honestly, I don't get why it was even included having watched the special. It added nothing to the story or song it was in, and its omission actually helps the flow of the song.

Another thing I disliked was the pacing. For the most part, it was fine. I like how it went straight in to the story, and the first two acts flowed really well. Then the third one came along and... well, 6 minutes after Nia's rescue, the special came to an abrupt halt and the credits rolled. Europe and the countries within it were just skipped, only depicted as some basic visuals to accompany the We're Friends song, Nia revealed she was homeless and Thomas offered to let her stay (which is a wonderful theme about offering a hand to those who need it) and they skipped from the Vicarstown bridge to Knapford. They didn't even bring the Far Controller home. It all felt really rushed to me.

And now let's talk about the songs. Sometimes You Make A Friend is, by far, the best song of the bunch. The others are either mediocre or bad. The reason the one I mentioned is so beautiful is because it's so heartfelt and it actually fits with the minimal story threads the film has. Thomas knows he's screwed up with Nia and he wants to put things right. Plus, anything with a ballad-y tone is a weakness for me.

Free and Easy tries so much to ape something like Hakuna Matata it's actually sad and the others just feel really preachy and just plain bland.

The animation has been the biggest sticking point for many fans since the stuff we'd seen up to this point was... mediocre. Happily, the final version is as excellent as it always has been. Although a lot of the assets used for the other countries were reused from pre-existing renders to save on time and cost. If that bothers you, then you won't like watching it. I'm personally not that bothered. I'm more bothered by the non-existent story.

That said, I did like that the special started in the summer and ended in the autumn. It was a nice touch to symbolise just how much time had passed since Thomas had left, and made the dialogue mean a lot more than if it had ended during the summer as well.

Also, yes, I liked the movements. Yes, they can be a huge distraction and I don't blame fans that don't like them (although those who bring "Awdry's vision" into it can really get lost). But they add a lot more expression to the characters, and that can only be a good thing as far as I'm concerned.

The only nitpick I have is that, as soon as the sun comes out in the Amazon after a huge downpour, the train suddenly becomes dry as though nothing had happened. I think the scene would've benefited had they just kept the rain soaked renders until they reached North America.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Big World! World Adventures! widens the scope of the show's world yet completely forgets that it needs to tell a story. While there are plenty of excellent character moments sprinkled throughout, and Thomas being torn between Ace and Nia is the strongest, best aspect of it, that's literally all it has to offer in its 80 minute run time.

Some can see this as a typical road trip movie with Thomas characters, and I agree with those who think that way. The problem, however, is that other road trip movies (even ones for kids) have far higher stakes, stronger - if simplistic - plots and something to actually gain by the end of the trip. This has none of those things. And as strong as the character moments are (I'll maintain they're some of the best until I'm dead and buried), they can only get you so far without a good story to back them up.

Film Rating: Bad

“Fan” Reaches New Low

For fuck sake...

It feels like this fanbase is intentionally trying to reach new lows at this point. This time, some utter twat (whose grasp of the English language is as poor as this... “decision” of his) thought it’s be a great idea to say this:

The hell, he saying the wrong stuff. I would say “WHAT IS THIS CRAP!!!!” pic.twitter.com/NyLG7tuQpI

— Thomasandfriendsfan101 (@ThomasPercy16) June 24, 2018

Now, normally, I’d pay this no heed. Another defensive fan acting defensively when something he hates is brought up in conversation. That’s nothing new for this fanbase. Hell, some fans indulge in it for the attention.

No, I bring this up because this particular cretin went after a child. A child who just so happened to like Big World, Big Adventures!.

Yes. You read that right. A child enjoying clips from a preschool show got a verbal lashing from an “adult”. I mean... what do you even say to that? Whether you like what you’ve seen from BWBA or not, the utter madness that has come from this fanbase has been fucking ludicrous. From the racist and sexist Nicole Williams to the death threat towards Peter Andre to... this.

Whatever you think of BWBA, I’ve gone beyond caring at this point. If you think behaviour like this is acceptable, stay well away from me and this blog. Frankly, your sycophantic behaviour is not welcome here. Nor is the behaviour you’re trying to defend.

Especially adults bullying kids. You have to be a special kind of arsehole to indulge in that behaviour.

Free and Easy; More Confirmation Bias

For God's sake...

So the official channel uploaded Free and Easy, the main song of Big World, Big Adventures: The Movie. The song itself is OK, and it's nice that they actually used a singer to showcase his singing talent in a movie he's also voice performing in (he's not bad at either, to be honest. And fuck Nicole Williams for wishing to send death threats to him. You're not just one of the most disgusting people in the Thomas fanbase, but life in general. Only Nazis and dictators are worse than you).

No, apparently the conversation is with this:

Now I know I'm probably missing something here since I've done as much as possible to remove myself from the franchise, but... what's the issue here? I've seen it in motion, I've seen this screenshot and... I don't get it. I mean, that mouth is uncanny valley-esque, and the mariachi music playing whilst this happens could be considered problematic with regards to cultural sensitivity. Also yeah,  even if I can forgive bad looking animation more than a lot of other people, the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy looks better than this.

Hell, the Spyro Reignited Trilogy looks better than it.

I'll be honest, I only included this because I love how it's looking and I'm really looking forward to its release in September

But from what I've seen, fans are only complaining due to how random it is? I could be wrong, but that's the biggest complaint I've seen on my Twitter feed. Because, you know, random stuff has never been shown in a musical number before:

Hey, it's OK because small engines! Am I right, lads, lasses and non-binary folks?

Seriously, how are these instances any different than the one in Free and Easy? My only conclusion is that fans want to hate and are willing to point to anything to satisfy their blatant confirmation bias. And before anyone points at me and says "hypocrite!", let me point out three things:

1. I don't hate it, I'm disinterested in it. There's a big difference between the two, mainly that the former is an emotional reaction while the latter is just "this thing exists; I don't care that much.
2. If you actually paid attention, my criticisms come from things that matter: boardroom decisions, the overall story and themes as well as the characters. They aren't being directed at every little thing, most of which have nothing to do with anything.
3. Even if I was a hypocrite, I'm still right. It's up to you to prove me wrong without using labels like lazy people.

Look, I get it. This special is different. It's trying to be more inclusive. It's borderline cynical. But here's the thing: what does it matter if the writing quality is still the same and kids enjoy it? That is all that matters. Fact. If you don't like it, fuck off and find something else to watch. Or just watch the stuff from the show that you actually enjoy.