S20 Ep.17: Buckled Tracks and Bumpy Trucks

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

BUCKLED TRACKS AND BUMPY TRUCKS

Written by

Lee Pressman

Directed by
Dianna Basso

Produced by
Ian McCue (HIT)

Air Date

16/01/17 - CAN
26/02/17 - JAP

Plot

It's the hottest day of the year on Sodor and the sun is causing the tracks to buckle and bend; Dowager Hatt arrives with a present for the Fat Controller.

PRO
- A good message about what reflects and absorb heat
- Flynn and Belle's role don't feel forced

CON
- The title could've been more better 

I think what makes the episode strange is its title. In Japan it was called 'Really Useful Hat' and with a title like that it makes sense given that the whole episode was pretty much focused on the Fat Controller and his white safari hat. The episode does have a good educational message about what reflects and absorb heat and with the tracks being painted white, which can happen in real life so very good piece of realism there.

However the title here in the western world just seems odd. Of course their were buckled tracks but they weren't really the main focus as it felt like it was here and there and it felt more like the focus was just on the summer season, another title that might've worked could've been 'Heat Wave'? Although the whole episode just felt awkward and clunky in places with the focus on that hat, then the tracks. However I feel that Belle and Flynn weren't really forced into the story as they did have their use when it comes to fire and there were some funny moments with the Fat Controller and his hat.

But as I said before, the story felt clunky and awkward in places that I don't consider it as bad but not the best episode I've seen this season.

Rating: 7/10

Episode Ratings:

Sidney Sings - 8/10

Toby's New Friend - 7/10
Henry Gets the Express - 10/10
Diesel and the Ducklings - 8/10
Bradford the Brake Van - 10/10
Saving Time - 6/10
Ryan and Daisy - 7/10
Pouty James - 5/10

Blown Away - 9/10

The Way She Does It - 9/10

Letters To Santa - 8/10
Love Me Tender - 7/10
The Railcar & The Coaches - 9/10

Mucking About - 9/10
Cautious Connor - 10/10
All In Vain - 10/10
Buckled Tracks and Bumpy Trucks - 7/10

Overall Rating:

139/170

S20 Ep.16: All In Vain

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

ALL IN VAIN

Written by

Helen Farrall 

Directed by
Dianna Basso

Produced by

Ian McCue (HIT)

Air Date

16/01/17 - CAN
26/02/17 - JPN

Plot

James is delighted to be picked to take the Mayor and Sir Topham Hatt to a ball at Callan Castle and promises to do all his jobs without complaint; James is horrified at the end of the day when he finds a tiny scratch on his paintwork.

PRO
- James' character is tolerable and less flanderised
- James willing to sacrifice his own vanity for a special job 
- The little thumbs up from the painter
- Edward was the right choice

CON
- Edward sound a bit whiny at the start.

This is 'Pouty James' done right! James' character is definitely growing from his previous episode and he is less flanderised than what the previous did for him. He was vain but he did try his best to sacrifice his own vanity just to do a special job that he was given to by the Fat Controller. You don't see him complain or worry about it. Even with the small scratch he knows that he messed up and learned that he should've ignored it. I also love the choice of using Edward to help him and it gives that chemistry between them like the early classic series. You can see his helpful persona and it feels more natural to see him helping James rather than a forced Thomas role. However there are some small things about him that I don't like, Edward. I see that he was a bit whiny about him not taking the mayor usually he wouldn't mind if another engine had taken a job that he would be good with. But to be honest, his 'Here's Edward' line to most fans was considered as cringey even though that it is a part of Edward's character to tease another engine's trait. It shows in 'Cows' and 'Old Reliable Edward'.

There's pretty much one flaw I see in this episode but it I think it can be ignored easily. It had good character growth for James and some good comedic value in it as well. I do like the little thumbs up from the painter, it's small but it brings a bit of a chuckle out. I hope they keep on developing him, James, but I won't hold my breath for it considering a few certain branch line engines had an episode against that.

Rating: 10/10

Episode Ratings:

Sidney Sings - 8/10

Toby's New Friend - 7/10
Henry Gets the Express - 10/10
Diesel and the Ducklings - 8/10
Bradford the Brake Van - 10/10
Saving Time - 6/10
Ryan and Daisy - 7/10
Pouty James - 5/10

Blown Away - 9/10

The Way She Does It - 9/10

Letters To Santa - 8/10
Love Me Tender - 7/10
The Railcar & The Coaches - 9/10

Mucking About - 9/10
Cautious Connor - 10/10
All In Vain - 10/10

Overall Rating:

132/160

S20 Ep.15: Cautious Connor (600th post)

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

ALSO 600TH POST!!

PLEASE NOTE FROM 'MUCKING ABOUT' ONWARDS THESE REVIEWS ARE BEING RELEASED DURING THE JAPANESE AIRING OF THE SHOW. SOME EPISODES THAT AIRED IN JAPAN MAY HAVE ALREADY BEEN REVIEWED.

CAUTIOUS CONNOR

Written by

Andrew Brenner

Directed by

Dianna Basso

Produced by

Ian McCue (HIT)

Tracy Blagdon (Jam Filled)

Air Date

5/12/16 - CAN
19/02/17 - JPN

Plot

While going at high speeds, Connor breaks his coupling rod and fears going fast will break it again.

PRO
- Connor's character development
- Stephen's pep speech
- The camera angles during the pep talk

CON

- I think Edward or Rheneas would've been another good choice

- It would've been better if Caitlin helped Connor

 

When I first saw this I said it was not only Brenner's best script in this season but probably one of the best of the series. It was great to see Connor having some character development and a main role rather than being a secondary character with traits that he just likes being fast. The development that Brenner gave to him was just great to see with Connor actually worried about being fast after an accident which can happen to people in real life. 

The main highlight of the episode to me would have to be Stephen's pep talk. When I first saw this I thought it was inspirational with his words that the steam engines he knew in the past didn't give up when something bad happened, they get back on their wheels and try again. It makes you a bit pumped up and being proud of yourself for who and what you are. The swooping camera angles during the talk were amazing to see too so well done to Jam Filled on that, since they animated the episode. However I think there were some major missed opportunities for this episode. 

While I do love Stephen giving Connor the pep talk, I think it would've been better if you have engines like Edward or Rheneas. Those two engines went through some trouble like Connor went through. For Edward, you have 'Edward's Exploit' where he fought in the bad weather despite his faults to take his passengers home rather than giving up and for Rheneas you have the story 'Gallant Old Engine' where his valve gear was jammed and the Skarloey railway was suffering hardship at the time but Rheneas had brought his passengers home in the wet weather and everyone praised what a fine railway it was and it brought the railway back to popularity again. 

Also while Thomas is given another role in this season, I do see him fit in considering that Ulfstead is on his branch line, as Sam Wilkinson's map from 2014 had placed an extension to the castle. But I think what could've been better if Caitlin was the one that helped Connor to get back to himself again. After all they both love racing each other and they do share a close friendship and the ending of the episode would've been just been characters that were introduced from 'King of The Railway'. But despite that, I never felt bothered by it because the episode delivered very well. 

All in all though, the episode is probably one of the best I've seen. 

Episode Ratings:

Sidney Sings - 8/10

Toby's New Friend - 7/10
Henry Gets the Express - 10/10
Diesel and the Ducklings - 8/10
Bradford the Brake Van - 10/10
Saving Time - 6/10
Ryan and Daisy - 7/10
Pouty James - 5/10

Blown Away - 9/10

The Way She Does It - 9/10

Letters To Santa - 8/10
Love Me Tender - 7/10
The Railcar & The Coaches - 9/10

Mucking About - 9/10
Cautious Connor - 10/10

Overall Rating:

122/150



S20 Ep.14: Mucking About

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

PLEASE NOTE FROM 'MUCKING ABOUT' ONWARDS THESE REVIEWS ARE BEING RELEASED DURING THE JAPANESE AIRING OF THE SEASON. SOME EPISODES THAT AIRED IN JAPAN MAY HAVE ALREADY BEEN REVIEWED.

MUCKING ABOUT

Written by

Davey Moore

Directed by

Dianna Basso

Produced by

Ian McCue (HIT)

Tracy Blagdon (Jam Filled)

Air Date

5/12/16 - CAN
19/02/17 - JPN

Plot

Max and Monty are being so dangerous, they damage Oliver's arm and treads and cause Thomas to derail.

PRO

- I like how Oliver feels like the leader

- Max and Monty feeling sorry for Oliver, for a bit

- Moral: Don't muck about 

- Max and Monty's theme

CON

- Be good to see Mrs. Jenny scolding Max and Monty

So we finally got our first episode with the Pack over ten years after the 'Thomas' Trusty Friends' and 'On Site With Thomas' DVDs. Even though they had appeared in previous Thomas material it was great to finally see them having an episode for themselves in the CG era. 

To me the episode is good, I really like how Davey Moore had given a bit of personality towards Oliver. He feels more like the leader of the pack and the one that reassures everyone, like he did in this episode when his piston was damaged. Hope we see more of that in the future. I also like Max and Monty having a bit of depth as well. They weren't just one dimensional bully characters they do feel sorry for Oliver's damage even if it was shown for a short second of course you see Moore balancing out there dimwitted attitude which keeps them in total character.

The episode to me at least feels like this should've be called 'Saving Time' as Max and Monty dumped there rubbish onto Thomas' branch line to save time and that was some conflict in this episode too unlike the Samson episode. The moral was good too which is of course the title of the episode. It tells kids not to be foolish or getting carried away. Although I think it would've been great if we've seen Mrs. Jenny, it had been nine years since we've last seen her in S12 and you think it would've been better if it were her scolding the two dump trucks. But the policeman works as well too.

Both dubs, UK & US, have different voices and TBH looking at the UK dub that had aired in Japan when this review was published, I much prefer their UK voices as they sound tough whereas the US just make them sound like typical goofballs. The US voices aren't bad but they just don't suitable for them.

I know that Thomas had double side rods when he was derailed but let's be honest, errors are errors. The animators would've had deadlines to meet and much work to make for HIT Entertainment as well as their other clients. They're human beings and pointing out the errors are just nitpicks plus these types of errors are just a blink and you miss it kind of thing. 

I could go on and on and on about how great Renshaw's composition is but every time when there's a new theme for an episode, Renshaw delivered it very well that it deserves a full amount of praise. I pretty much like it more than his Diesel theme, Max and Monty's theme. In the end the episode was good and entertaining to watch.

Episode Ratings:

Sidney Sings - 8/10

Toby's New Friend - 7/10
Henry Gets the Express - 10/10
Diesel and the Ducklings - 8/10
Bradford the Brake Van - 10/10
Saving Time - 6/10
Ryan and Daisy - 7/10
Pouty James - 5/10

Blown Away - 9/10

The Way She Does It - 9/10

Letters To Santa - 8/10
Love Me Tender - 7/10
The Railcar & The Coaches - 9/10

Mucking About - 9/10

Overall Rating:

112/140