S18 Ep.8:Duck and the Slip Coaches

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

DUCK AND THE SLIP COACHES

Written by

Mark Huckerby & Nick Ostler

Directed by

David Stoten

Produced by
Robert Anderson (Arc)
Ian McCue (HIT)

Air Date

3/09/14

Plot

It is high summer, when many tourists visit Sodor and The Fat Controller is concerned about getting them all to their destinations on time. Duck tells the other engines about the slip coaches they used on the Great Western Railway that can be uncoupled at stations without stopping. James then tells the Fat Controller and claims it as his idea. But James has never used slip coaches before and soon runs into trouble!

PRO:

- James' attitude towards Duck at the sheds
- Duck's flashback 
- It feels very Awdry like, the story
- The joke at the 'Emily replaces Duck theory'

CON:

- N/A

Of all the stories written by the duo writing team, this one would have to be their best one yet and probably the best story since 'Old Reliable Edward'. What's so good about the story is that it feels like like a RWS story that had never been used before. This is another example on how the characters act like children, James is more prominent example in this episode. Thinking that pulling slip coaches sounds rather easy but realises that its not. James' attitude towards Duck in the episode is kind of like how fans think how other fans praise Duck for just being in an episode and also that his Great Western passion was rather annoying, to be honest it does get annoying when people talk about the past, while it is great what a time we've lived through it's best to move on from it and keep it as memories. Plus the joke with Emily was rather funny and I've despised the whole 'eMILLY replased duk theory'. While it is funny that the writers and animators poke fun at it, the theory has been going for nine years since S8. If Emily really was the replacement of Duck she would've been given the same persona. The only reason why that happened is because the show has been criticised for years for being sexists by its lack of female characters and so Emily was given the eighth spot of the 'steam team' and that some of the models were out of service too at Shepperton studios in London. I love the flashback too, although it was Wellsworth that they've used, it was good that Arc had disguised it. I think it's one of the best episodes in S18 so far and hope we see more of the slip coaches in future

Rating: 10/10