Series 18: Millie and the Volcano

Another day, another review! Yes, these are being done daily to ease the pressure on me to get them out and so I can review each Dinos and Discoveries episode as best I have done for the previous episodes of the series. Anyway, Millie and the Volcano!

I was rather surprised when I heard about this episode's title from the British Board of Film Classification's page on the DVD, especially since the book based on this episode is called Thomas and the Volcano. It was also a bit of a surprise since I'd have thought, out of all the episodes on the disc, this would have been the candidate for him to star. But he was only a cameo, and I'm glad about that, because this episode is better for it... sort of

This episode really made me connect with Millie, and it actually made me hate Rosie and Flora even more - but I digress. Whether it's due to her picking up tips from her short stint at the quarry in The Switch or because she didn't want to be belittled by a bigger engine, I love her feisty nature here.

Then there's Samson, who I can actually relate to here. I'll admit it, I hate being wrong. I'll sometimes argue that I'm right, even if I'm not, and I'll beat myself up (not literally) over something I got wrong. It's also very interesting that they're gradually introducing new aspects of his character with every appearance. His arc feels like a Railway Series book come to life in this respect.

Another thing I can relate to is Millie's attitude when Samson tried to belittle her. Yeah, I really don't like feeling belittled either, though that doesn't excuse when I do the same to others.

As for the actual plot, there's... not much to it, really. It's just Samson and Harvey helping to build the dinosaur park while Millie tries to get her own back on Samson. It's very basic, in that sense, but I wouldn't go as far as to say it was "boring".

That said, it is rather flawed. The main thing that I'm wondering is where did the volcano come from? It's stated that Samson had never been to Sodor before so he couldn't have delivered it before bringing the dinosaurs, and there wouldn't have collected it after since there wouldn't have been time to fetch it. Wouldn't it have been easier to add it to Samson's train in a few vans? It would have been more logical, and it wouldn't have created so much confusion! Oh, and a slight nitpick here, but volcanoes still exist today. They weren't exclusive to the periods of Earth's life in which dinosaurs lived.

Then, there was the fire. Why? I know the smoke coming from it would look more real, but did no one think of the consequences of what might have happened? A strong gust of wind could have torched the grass or the railway sleepers, which would have severely disrupted the Earl's plans or, worst case scenario, destroyed them completely! I wouldn't complain so much about it if it wasn't an Andrew Brenner episode. He was head writer for Fireman Sam for a period of time and he also wrote Too Many Fire Engines. There is no excuse for one of his episodes to be this lackadaisical about fires!

Also, how does the volcano actually work? That could actually have been a better way for Millie to get her own back and get some more interaction than what we had here! Off the top of my head, Millie delivers more plants and whatnot, when she sees some electricians around the site of the volcano. They tell her what they're doing and how the smoke machine (I'm guessing that's what's used) works. They reveal it hasn't been tested yet, so she gets the idea to test it on Samson and Harvey. It would have answered questions, it would have made sense, and it wouldn't have been as dangerous!

The ending with the Earl, Sir Topham and Dowager Hatt was pretty entertaining, but... that's about it. It wasn't humorous or anything, just entertaining. Maybe it's because the other characters were very strong? I don't know; it's one of those things I feel I should like more.

One thing I really found puzzling was them showing the models separate, especially since the last episode had them arranged because... reasons. Yes, I get why they were taken apart here, but why were they only taken apart here and not left separate for the actual journey?

As for the rest of the episode, it's pretty standard. The animation was spot on, the music was good and the voice actors did brilliantly. Although the groundsman sounded a bit like Salty, which was really distracting, even though he only said one line. Yes, I know Keith Wickham voiced them both, and that's the problem with having one person voicing many characters.

Fan Reaction

#MATV Great vocab & 2 morals for kids such as we can be scared of anything & despite teasing it's no excuse to tease back #ThomasSeries18
— Thomas Stansfield (@TommyStans1991) January 9, 2015

#MATV Excellent one. Great choice of characters, and we finally see the Earl and Dowager Hatt together #ThomasSeries18
— Alex (@SodorSteamworks) January 9, 2015

#MATV was one of the better eps on the DVD, but honestly Samson was too unlikably douchey in this particular ep. 8/10 #ThomasSeries18
— Nick (@NickN05L31) January 13, 2015

#MATV was another enjoyable episode I had ever watched, with a great moral and comical moments. Sizes don't matter. #ThomasSeries18
— Daniel Coffey (@DanCoffey1991) January 11, 2015

#MATV was a rather slow-paced episode. I liked it when I first watched it, but I found it a bit boring second time around. #ThomasSeries18
— SteamTeam (@SteamTeam3211) January 13, 2015

The Mad Controller's Corner

Oooh! There's going to be a volcano in today's episode! I hope it erupts! #ThomasSeries18
— The Mad Controller (@NWRMadMan) January 13, 2015

Not that bloody Millie again! I can already tell this episode will be a major let-down. #ThomasSeries18
— The Mad Controller (@NWRMadMan) January 13, 2015

@NWRMadMan And I should know. I once considered buying one to scare Percy! How funny that would've been! Ah, well. #ThomasSeries18
— The Mad Controller (@NWRMadMan) January 13, 2015

You are a silly little engine, Millie and that's final. I have spoken. #ThomasSeries18
— The Mad Controller (@NWRMadMan) January 13, 2015

Millie is only in charge of the Earl's estate railway because Sir Rob was once accused of being racist and sexist. #Fact #ThomasSeries18
— The Mad Controller (@NWRMadMan) January 13, 2015

I have an idea. Why not light the fire beneath Millie? #ThomasSeries18 — The Mad Controller (@NWRMadMan) January 13, 2015

I'd like to go for a drink with that groundsman. His voice alone would keep me entertained for hours! #ThomasSeries18 — The Mad Controller (@NWRMadMan) January 13, 2015

I took mother to the dinosaur park as I thought it would finish her off. I need her money. Another pointless endeavour. #ThomasSeries18 — The Mad Controller (@NWRMadMan) January 13, 2015

When I said "look at the size of that" Sir Rob got the wrong idea and told me which room of the castle he'd be in that night #ThomasSeries18
— The Mad Controller (@NWRMadMan) January 13, 2015

I didn't find that roaring dinosaur very amusing. I had to change mother after that. #ThomasSeries18
— The Mad Controller (@NWRMadMan) January 13, 2015

Another awful episode. It promised so much, but delivered so little. #ThomasSeries18
— The Mad Controller (@NWRMadMan) January 13, 2015

Final Thoughts

Millie, Samson and, to an extent, Harvey (he only wanted to fit in, so I can understand why he acted that way) had some great interactions, but this was, by far, Andrew's worst episode so far. And like other bad episodes recently, it could have so easily been fixed! Maybe it was because he wanted this out the door ASAP, I don't know, but I feel more effort should have gone into this one. A lot more.

Episode Ratings

Old Reliable Edward: 9/10
Not So Slow Coaches: 7/10
Flatbeds of Fear: 6/10
Disappearing Diesels: 9/10
Signals Crossed: 5/10
Toad's Adventure: 8/10
Duck in the Water: 7/10
Duck and the Slip Coaches: 10/10
Thomas the Quarry Engine: 9/10
Thomas and the Emergency Cable: 7/10
Duncan and the Grumpy Passenger: 8/10
Marion and the Pipe: 7/10
Missing Gator: 8/10
No Steam Without Coal: 9/10
Spencer's VIP: 9/10
Toad's Bright Idea: 8/10
Long Lost Friend: 7/10
Last Train for Christmas: 10/10
Duncan the Humbug: 10/10
The Perfect Gift: 8/10
Marion and the Dinosaurs: 7/10
Millie and the Volcano: 5/10

Series Rating (so far)

173/220