S17 Ep.4: Gordon Runs Dry

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

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILER, CAUTION IS ADVISE 

GORDON RUNS DRY

Written by
Andrew Brenner

Directed by

David Baas

Produced by

Kallan Kagan (Arc)

Ian McCue & Halim Jabbour  (HIT) 

Air Date:

6/06/13 (UK)

Plot:

Gordon's boiler is damaged but is to impatient to get repaired and to make frequent stops at water towers due to a leak. 

PRO:
- 'The local train' and how the way Gordon explained it 
- A Station announcer 
- Thomas, James and Percy's cheekiness
- Percy shunting coaches
- 'Big engines don't fetch their own coaches' 
- No pointless introductions

CON:
- N/A

This is one of the best episodes of Gordon's I've ever seen since season 11, I love how they mention 'The local', something that was never heard in the television series at all and how the way Gordon was saying about local trains, albeit in a boastful way, teaching kids the differences between express and local trains. The station announcement was a great feature too and I love the revival of Thomas, James and Percy's cheekiness and Percy shunting coaches as well and Gordon mentioning that tender engines don't get their own coaches, in canon with the classic series. The story was great as well, I love how Gordon mentioned all the station names as well, even the ones that were never mention nor seen in the past. Plus the episode's introduction, all we know that it was a hot day and Thomas was helping with the local and that is were our story begins. Much more better then 'On the Island of Sodor, there are lots and lots of trees...' all the awful tripe that was under the Miller era of the show. 

Everything in this episode was just great and hardly not one flaw in site, though it is repetitive of Gordon to stop at Water towers, but it wasn't as annoying as S17's predecessor like an engine messing up their jobs three times and then realised what needs to be done. Here it's just Gordon stopping for water because he was running low and it would've been better if Gordon just moved on just after the stone hit his boiler, but I tend not to make a big deal of that. Besides there is an episode like 'The Sad Story of Henry' that has the three strikes formula and yet I don't hear any complaints about that episode, despite it's from the classic series but that can't be an excuse. But I've enjoyed this episode very much. Plus this would have to be the only episode, in my personal view, that has a solid 5/5. That goes to show that the new and improved Thomas series is working well for many of the older fans of the series with its good stories. Kudos to Andrew Brenner for making his debut as head writer with a good episode. 

Rating: 5/5