S18 Ep.15:Spencer's VIP

 THESE ARE SOLEY MY OPINIONS AND NOT FROM THE THOMAS & FRIENDS FAN BASE

SPENCER'S VIP

Written by

Andrew Brenner

Directed by

David Stoten

Produced by

Robert Anderson (Arc)

Ian McCue (HIT)

Plot

Spencer brings a VIP back from the mainland, but is so intent on doing a good job that he does not notice that he has been sent down the wrong track. By the time he arrives, they are so late that the passenger refuses to travel back with him and the other engines all compete for the privilege.

PRO:

- Percy's questioning on VIP
- Moral: Showing off can lead to bigger mistakes and everyone deserves a second chance
- Gordon and James' banter at Wellsworth
- Oliver and Duck's little argument
- Seeing remorse from Spencer
- A deputy minister

CON:

- Edward missing his coaches in one shot
- Why are there two signal boxes at Wellsworth junction?

Yes the episode's unrealistic but there is a time where some rules have to bent, just don't make it very unrealistic. When it comes to Percy's questioning, it's usually out of his own stupidity, but when it comes to his question of VIP in this episode, it feels like his questioning in 'Thomas and his Friends' when he was wondering about the word, 'auspicious'. I have a feeling the scene between Gordon and James was a little jib at the size of the station, despite the amount of coaches, just a thought but it's rather funny to see Gordon and James have a jib at each other. Oliver and Duck's scene was funny too and you can clearly see that Oliver doesn't get 'The Great Western' way stuck in his smokebox. I think the highlight of the episode is seeing another side of Spencer learning his lesson and showing remorse from him, another interesting character development coming from him. Despite that Spencer can be a show off he knows when he makes his own mistake, which leads one of the morals that everyone deserves a second chance and with the engines' showing off, it shows the moral that showing off can lead to bigger mistakes. Great morals that children will easily understand. I also love it how it's a deputy minister and not a railway inspector, a nice breath of fresh air. 

There are some little nitpicks though, why at Wellsworth junction there be two signal boxes? Plus Edward's coaches are missing, Arc Production should be learning by now about these errors, but in the end everyone makes mistakes. I've enjoyed this episode and find it as Andrew Brenner's best script yet.

Rating: 9.5/10