Thursday, 17 March 2016

Series 19: Den & Dart

Day 4 of Thomas Week! Here are my thoughts on Den & Dart!


In my last review, I said that the creative team really needed to ditch the Steam Team concept in order to let other characters shine. After all, that's what made the show, and The Railway Series, so great in the first place. Then along comes this episode to prove my point.

This was what Ol' Wheezy Wobbles should have been. No focusing on Thomas and his idiocy, no focus on trying to build fake tension with 'Arry and Bert, no repetitive, annoying nonsense. Just a simple, engaging story delving into Den and Dart's friendship and how much they really need each other.

It's not just those two who shine, though. This episode is another fine example of how far Mavis has grown under Toby's leadership, too. Her caring, empathetic side is wonderful, and while it would be nice to see more females on the show, characters like her, Annie, Clarabel, Henrietta, Caitlin and even Marion show that quality trumps quantity every single time. I'm just hoping they do well with Daisy in series 20..!

As for Toby, he finally feels like Toby, and I'm absolutely delighted! Granted, hints of his original personality returned in series 17, but I'm hoping this is the starting point for his characterisation remaining consistent, putting his fears behind him. They've done an excellent job with Edward, so there's no excuse for Toby not to be treated in a similar way.

But for me, the stand out character of the whole thing was Den - which is surprising as he had little going for him before this episode aired. I like the fact that he went from being an intimidated, shy character to a confident, no nonsense one. Granted, he was a bit flustered at the end of the day, but I don't mind that. As long as that confidence resurfaces, the ending shows that characters can't change completely in one day, but they can learn quite a bit about themselves.

Also, that musical interlude showing how Den and Dart were getting on was brilliant. One thing I really haven't liked throughout the HiT era is that we don't really hear enough of the episodes' scores due to the large amount of dialogue, reaching its nadir in series 13-16 when the music was vastly better yet the dialogue stifled it completely. But if these little interludes become a regular feature, I'd be all for it, especially if the story is continually told well with the visuals.

However, I think it's a shame that Dart didn't really get as much attention as Den. It would have been nice to see if he would have developed in his own way without Den rather than have him just feeling sad for a bit only to have Mavis cheer him up with a little speech. That said, throughout their appearances, Dart has been shown to be the more confident of the two, so it's only a minor gripe.

Fan Reaction






The Mad Controller's Corner

Final Thoughts
Has there ever been an episode that you didn't know you wanted until you had it? Well, after 4 and a half years of nothing for Den and Dart, this was that episode, and it turned out to be one of the best of this series. The story was great, the conflict lived up to its potential and it gave Den some great development. Here's hoping it's not the end for these two, as it would be a real shame if they didn't capitalise on the momentum they have now.

Episode Ratings

Series Rating (so far)
92/130
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Wednesday, 16 March 2016

Series 19: Salty All at Sea

Day three of Channel 5's Thomas Week, so here are my thoughts on Salty All At Sea!


I've said on a few occasions that some episodes from this era of the show have some sort of missed potential: The Frozen Turntable, Signals Crossed and Samson Sent for Scrap being the stand out ones. But... my God, does no episode drop the ball harder than this one.

This episode pretty much showed me that adding Porter was absolutely pointless. Why? Because throughout the entire thing, he says, and does, absolutely nothing. I had high hopes that he and Salty would create a really fascinating dynamic, with Porter's perfectionism and Salty's love of the sea, storytelling and overall jolly demeanour. And yet, when the ideal opportunity presented itself... nothing... This isn't really a case of me hating Porter now and more feeling sorry for how badly he's been neglected since Tale of the Brave.

Instead of Porter, they chose Thomas, the most blatant shoehorning of him that this era has ever had. I don't care whether his characterisation was spot on (that should be the default setting, not an accident), his role here was completely unnecessary. If you really wanted someone to lend a helping hand, send Edward, as he's old and wise enough to handle practically any situation. Also, it's his branch line they're working on!

How is Edward actually involved in the episode? Well, he appears for a few seconds wondering where his trucks (which we've no idea the purpose of, by the way) are and... that's it. At least Thomas & the Magic Railroad left him out completely since there was nothing for him to do there! That said, Arc adding a brake van behind him for his train was a nice touch.

Then there's the ending, which was basically there to say "this whole story was pointless. Thank you for wasting nine minutes of your time". Granted, Salty got over his fear, but the fact that they were too scared to actually end an episode with a side character away from the show for a while (I'd understand, somewhat, if it was a main character) is a huge disappointment. There was loads of story potential for Salty on the mainland and for the crew at Brendam with the diesel away, but... nope, they had to keep the status quo...

It's a real shame, too, as the story itself doesn't have a bad concept. Delving into Salty's psyche for an episode's conflict is excellent. It leads to a humorous irony, and it shows how much it could affect you if you start to believe your own stories.

Also, Arc's shot variety really shines here, especially their wide shots circling the docks and suspension bridge. I know that, like the characterisation, good animation should be the default at this point, but it still really impresses me how much they improve year on year.

Fan Reaction






The Mad Controller's Corner

Final Thoughts
A few months ago, I re-wrote this episode (apologies for the self promotion) with the intent of showing how much potential it missed out on. The show is called Thomas & Friends, which is something I don't think HiT and Mattel realise. The show has a rich cast of characters with a wide variety of personalities, yet their obsession with the Steam Team - Thomas especially - is completely stifling that. I just hope that this is the final series that puts a heavy emphasis on that particular concept, because it needs to die so that other characters, old and new, can have a real opportunity to show how valuable they are to the show.

As for this episode? I don't like it, not the way it is. I love the idea behind it, and I like a few of the details here and there, but on the whole, it's the definition of a good episode completely ruined by poor choices and huge opportunities missed.

Episode Ratings

Series Rating (so far)
83/120
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Tuesday, 15 March 2016

Series 19: Very Important Sheep

Day two of Channel 5's Thomas Week, as well as my bumper eleven day marathon to review every episode released this week (including the ones from Start Your Engines!). Anyway, here are my thoughts on Very Important Sheep!


Over the past few years, Brenner, McCue and co. have taken concepts that didn't work before and tried to make them better. The Thomas Way improved on the basic concept of Up, Up and Away!, Too Many Fire Engines vastly improved upon Race to the Rescue's conflict and they tried hard to improve Charlie. But there was one concept that I thought they'd never get right: the one from Wonky Whistle and Muddy Matters.

Enter Helen Farrall, who produced this absolute gem. Everything about the story makes absolute sense; no one is made to look completely incompetent and the animals are well looked after by all the people they come in contact with.

I also really like that the whole thing took place on a genuine representation of the Ffarquhar branch line. Hopefully this is another step (like Toad & the Whale taking place on the Little Western) to give the engines their own distinguished roles on their own routes. Granted, Thomas may still be shoehorned into scenarios he shouldn't really have any business with, but at least we have a starting point.

Annie's characterisation really interested me. She's never really been shown to be anything other than Thomas' guardian, but here she's shown to care a lot about her own appearance which I quite like... as long as they don't make her really snobby in the future..! It provided some good comedy and a great opportunity to see how well she and Clarabel interacted with each other.

I think the only real issue I have with it is that it can get a bit dull and repetitive, but to Helen's credit, at least Percy's stoppages were all unique. Thomas' though? That's where things get predictable as you know where he'll stop, and you know he'll only be cleaning up Percy's mess.

Fan Reaction






The Mad Controller's Corner

Final Thoughts
Helen Farrall is fast becoming my favourite writer currently working on the show, and it really says a lot when I think that this, despite being excellent, is my least favourite effort from her. Despite it being a bit dull in areas, the story is still really strong with good pacing, understandable actions and a piglet that is absolutely hilarious yet adorable. Oh yeah, and I think a certain traction engine showed up somewhere..?

Episode Ratings
Who's Geoffrey?: 8/10
The Truth About Toby: 7/10
Lost Property: 9/10
Henry Spots Trouble: 8/10
A Cranky Christmas: 4/10
Snow Place Like Home: 8/10
The Beast of Sodor: 5/10
Diesel's Ghostly Christmas: 6/10
Wild Water Rescue: 8/10
Toad & the Whale: 10/10
Very Important Sheep: 8/10

Series Rating (so far)
81/110
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Monday, 14 March 2016

Series 19: Toad & the Whale

We're back in business! Well, to be fair, it's only been a five day gap..! But who cares? Channel 5 are finally airing new Thomas & Friends episodes in a special Thomas themed week! So here's my review of episode one of five: Toad & the Whale!


This is a very special episode. With HiT Entertainment in charge, Thomas Friends hasn't really... gone there, so to speak. There's been no real hint or inference that things could die on Sodor when people barely get injured. Sure, there have been more accidents in recent years and the Fat Controller has had black eyes and a broken ankle, but there's still been no hint that they'd go so far as to put death in the show. But this episode punched a big hole in that wall and pulled off something that's near perfect.

Yes, I know the whale didn't really die, but it's heavily implied that that's the worst case scenario in this situation. And that, to me, took some real guts. And while I don't think they'll ever include death in the show to its fullest extent, this is another sign of how much the show is growing with the current team in charge, even if the series, as a whole, is a mixed bag so far.

Beyond that, the story itself is excellently paced. There's a natural flow to it and there are no points where you think "that part was unnecessary". One character might have been, and I'll get to that in a bit, but no plot points felt out of place or left up in the air.

Oliver has been... a disappointing return for some fans solely because he hasn't been the star of an episode, obviously forgetting that characters don't need to have starring roles to be great characters. They're also rather surprised that Toad has had more starring roles than him, not realising that Toad himself has had so much more development in two years than he's ever had from series 3-16. Point is that Oliver was great here. He and Toad played off each other really well, and the Great Western engine's reactions actually made sense. It would be hard to believe that a whale would wash up on shore until you saw it yourself, and you would probably trust professionals more than someone who has no experience in a certain subject, even if they have a great idea.

And, again, it's excellent seeing the rescue team working as a team throughout the entire operation. It makes the island truly feel safe and it shows that they can take something seriously when they need to.

However, there are still a couple of issues. First, it feels a bit weird that the closest harbour that they could find, from the Little Western, was halfway across the island at Brendam. What about Arlesburgh? Tidmouth? Elsbridge? I suppose Brendam could have been the safest harbour to release the whale, but that wasn't really made clear.

Second is Thomas' role. Now, him being at Knapford I've no real issue with; if anything, it was a brilliant use of his character. But wouldn't it have made more sense for Duck to fetch Rocky as the whole incident took place on his branch?

Also, and this is rather nitpicky and more an animation issue, but why was Rocky's arm up, and stabilisers hanging out, when he set off? It made sense in Duck in the Water as... well, James was being impatient and pompous. But here?

Fan Reaction






The Mad Controller's Corner

Final Thoughts
Well, it's finally happened. I never thought it would, but Helen Farrall, nearly 30 years after the airing of Edward's Exploit, has written my favourite episode of the show. Yes, it has its little problems, but so did the series 2 episode. This has an excellent story with fantastic characters, suspense, drama and a lot of heart, and that's all I really ask for in a Thomas & Friends episode.

Episode Ratings

Series Rating (so far)
73/100
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Tuesday, 8 March 2016

Series 19: Wild Water Rescue

Viacom are finally bringing the remaining series 19 episodes they have to TV screens! Well, five (out of seven) of them... in a special "Thomas Week"... Diesel's Ghostly Christmas won't be aired during that week, or any time in the near future, nor will this episode. So, here are my thoughts on Wild Water Rescue.


Despite her previous attempts, I think that Becky Overton is a good addition to the show's staff. Even though The Beast of Sodor was a rip-off that did little to distinguish itself from Henry Spots Trouble, she did try to add a few bits to try and make it feel fresh, and I probably would have been given it a better rating had it been discovered first. And although Diesel's Ghostly Christmas was hugely contrived, it was still a fun watch. With this episode, however, I think she proved what she can really do when given a bit of breathing space.

First off, let's talk about Percy. Now I don't really want to dwell on characters that much in reviews any more as "getting them right" should be the default setting rather than a freak occurrence. But since Tale of the Brave and series 18, Percy has been brilliant. For the first time in about 17 years, he hasn't been treated like a wimpy idiot and more like a cheeky, naive youngster, like he was originally depicted in the first four series and in The Railway Series. And in this episode especially, he really shone.

Partnering him up with Diesel was also a great move as they play off each other really well. Adding Thomas as the "go between" was fine as well; his more mature roles show how well he's grown as a character, too.

The whole episode actually did feel character driven. The plot itself was nothing to write home about; some argument could be made that they mashed two plots together with the ceremony being the first part and finding Percy the second. But I was invested due to the strength of the characters, from Diesel's inability to apologise and admit the truth to Percy's reactions to being given the job originally and his thanking Diesel for the rescue.

Also, it's nice to see the rescue team actually work as... well, a team, which is a rarity. How they've managed to hit 1,000 rescues due to their incompetence (oh, we'll get to that eventually..!) I'll never know, but there you go.

That said, there are a couple of issues. First, it seems a bit far fetched (not impossible though, considering how convincing Diesel sounded) that Percy would believe that the mayor would have gone to an old quarry of all places. It could've been better if Percy had realised before reaching the flood that Diesel had tricked him and he had confronted him about it. I feel that could have had a stronger climax, especially if the confrontation happened just as the ceremony was wrapping up.

Second, how did Diesel not know that water causes havoc with electrics? That's more a nitpick really as that scene was clearly there to bring karma on to him (and it's more an education for kids that water and electricity don't mix), but it's still a bit odd.

Fan Reaction





Final Thoughts
Overall, this was Becky Overton's best effort so far. It's not as funny as The Beast of Sodor, but between that, this and Diesel's Ghostly Christmas, it has the most original and engaging plot. The characters play off each other well and the voice acting really sells it, too.

Episode Ratings

Series Rating (so far)
63/90

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Monday, 7 March 2016

Series 19: Diesel's Ghostly Christmas

No, Viacom still haven't pulled their fingers out and are still holding off on airing the series 19 episodes they have for... whatever reason. But since some fans are uploading HD quality, UK versions of series 19 episodes, I may as well get those out of the way, because I'm sick of waiting for Viacom, and fans are probably sick of waiting to hear my thoughts on episodes that are now a few months old. So here are my thoughts on Diesel's Ghostly Christmas!


It's fair to say that adaptations of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol are nothing new: Disney has done quite a lot of them with several different properties throughout the years. A few British TV shows have attempted to do the same. Duncan the Humbug hinted at the story as well, but this double length episode is Thomas & Friends' true take of a full on adaptation. So, how did it do?

Well... it's mediocre at best. Why? Because it's just so contrived; you would need a rather large suspension of disbelief in order to believe that half of the things that happened here would really happen in a naturally flowing story. You can believe that ghosts would know where Scrooge would be because... well, they're spirits, so they could be pretty much anywhere. But here, we're really expected to believe that Thomas, Emily, Salty and Paxton would know where Diesel would be. And Diesel goes to said places because the plot demands it. Also, how long were Paxton, Emily and Salty just hanging around where they were? Did no one even notice or question anything?

All of the huge contrivances are ignoring the small ones, like Salty magically being able to move, even though he said, not 10 seconds earlier, that his fuel line had frozen up and he couldn't help Cranky in time. Not to mention that Diesel ended up being stuck in snow all night, yet managed to move under his own power the next day! (spoiler alert, this issue will pop up again in the future...)

Also, Thomas' plan against Diesel ends up being less of a "plan" and more capitalising on a convenient situation. Diesel rolled over the broken rail that was found earlier, and no one could have predicted that he would do so.

Was the episode all that bad though? No, absolutely not. The engines' ghostly disguises were actually really creative, which I feel is a great lesson for kids: you just need imagination and the tools you have, rather than huge budgets and expensive equipment, to be creative. I'm not sure if that was the intent, but it's a great moral to teach regardless.

Also, Diesel's portrayal not only felt like Scrooge, but like Christopher Awdry's portrayal in Thomas & the Evil Diesel. Granted, I don't think his reform will be permanent, but if he does end up doing kind things in the future, it won't feel as out of place as it did in Diesel's Special Delivery.

It's also pretty entertaining despite the contrivance. But... that's about it, really. Yeah, there are small details that are nice (a scene from Diesel Does it Again being remade in CG and used as part of Salty's flashback being a prime example), but they're not really worth bringing up as they had little impact on the story.

Fan Reaction





Final Thoughts
This episode is OK, but it feels more like an experiment in order to see if they could do a double length episode. In fairness, it was successful in the fact that it's well paced; it actually felt like the story needed to be nearly 20 minutes when some can barely validate being 9. The characters were good, it had a good festive spirit and it was entertaining enough to keep me invested.

That said, the contrivance is still a huge distraction. Yes, I know that you don't have a story without contrived bits in it somewhere, but this was a bit too much, especially when they weren't even hiding any of them. Maybe it could've worked better if Salty, Paxton and Thomas appeared as ghostly hallucinations? As it is, though, the episode is merely OK. Not bad by any means, but not great, and it's definitely not the best adaptation of this story that I've seen.

Episode Ratings
Who's Geoffrey?: 8/10
The Truth About Toby: 7/10
Lost Property: 9/10
Henry Spots Trouble: 8/10
A Cranky Christmas: 4/10
Snow Place Like Home: 8/10
The Beast of Sodor: 5/10
Diesel's Ghostly Christmas: 6/10

Series Rating (so far)
55/80
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