S23 Ep.16: Thomas Makes A Mistake

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

THOMAS MAKES A MISTAKE

Written by

Camille Ucan & Rose Johnson

Directed by
Dianna Basso

Produced by
Ian McCue (HIT/Mattel)
Tracy Blagdon (Jam Filled)

Plot
Thomas causes confusion and delay by not seeking help when he makes a mistake. 

Air Date

11/09/19 - UK
31/10/19 - AUS

To me this more of a generic overused plot that we've seen for years when it comes to Thomas. One episode that comes into mind when it comes to this plot line is 'Who's Geoffrey?' Thomas creates an accident, covers it up and it escalates to the point where Thomas has to tell the truth. I get why an episode like this exists, to teach kids that it's better to ask for help. But considering that kids have access to episodes from four to five years ago through streaming, digital downloads, DVDs etc. they may have already learnt this plot. Plus the fantasy sequence is another redundant moment that chewed up the running time. I never saw this as the worst episode and I do understand that kids, the target range, will learn something from out of this, it's just an episode that really isn't worth a watch with an overused moral. 

Episode Ratings (So far):

Free The Roads - 10/10
Chucklesome Trucks - 8/10
Heart Of Gold - 9/10
Panicky Percy - 6/10

Crowning Around - 10/10
First Day On Sodor - 8/10
Rangers Of The Rails - 7/10
Lorenzo's Solo - 8/10
Deep Trouble - 9/10
Too Loud, Thomas - 9/10
Out of Site - 8/10
Gordon Gets The Giggles - 6/10
The Other Big Engine - 9/10
Batucada - 8/10
Diesel Do Right - 3/10
Thomas Makes A Mistake - 4/10

Series Rating (So far):
122/160

S23 Ep.15: Diesel Do Right

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

DIESEL DO RIGHT

Written by

Davey Moore

Directed by
Dianna Basso

Produced by
Ian McCue (HIT/Mattel)
Tracy Blagdon (Jam Filled)

Air Date
12/09/19 - UK
30/10/19 - AUS

Plot
When Diesel gets cross, he decides to get the other diesels into trouble by sending Rebecca to do their jobs, badly, but Diesel's trick is found out at the end.

Honestly I am not fan of the fantasy sequence of Diesel's unlike some fans. It was just a parody of the theme song and that's it and it doesn't make any sense in what Diesel was saying earlier. He wants to feel more important so why not make a fantasy sequence of him being a king at Ulfstead Castle and call the other diesels his loyal subjects it would make more sense with him wanting to be more important. Honestly the fantasy sequence in 'Diesel Glows Away' makes more sense than the one we got here, which will be explained later.

I think the episode could've been better if it was about Diesel taking advantage of Rebecca considering how she sees the good in everyone. Diesel could've been jealous of Rebecca getting praise from the Fat Controller while he didn't because he didn't his job right. With Diesel overhearing from say the other diesels or the steam engines that Rebecca is a great engine and sees the good in everyone, Diesel decides to take advantage of her and would get her into trouble by telling lies about her, after all Diesel is devious. This made the Fat Controller cross and Rebecca sad because she thought she was doing something useful but once she'd mentioned Diesel, the Fat Controller taught her that she shouldn't trust him, heck maybe throw Duck for continuity sake and of course this led Diesel into trouble. It would've taught kids that even though we see the good in everyone, we can't always trust someone like Diesel and we must be careful. But I also think that Diesel is getting a bit overused. It's nice to see Davey Moore having a bit of fun with him, but they're pretty much all the same story whether it's Diesel misbehaving or trying to be useful and that's basically it. I much prefer his stories like him trying to better himself or showing other sides to him. They feel fresh and different when it comes to Diesel. Having him as one-dimensional villain could get rather stale in my opinion.

Episode Ratings (So far):

Free The Roads - 10/10
Chucklesome Trucks - 8/10
Heart Of Gold - 9/10
Panicky Percy - 6/10

Crowning Around - 10/10
First Day On Sodor - 8/10
Rangers Of The Rails - 7/10
Lorenzo's Solo - 8/10
Deep Trouble - 9/10
Too Loud, Thomas - 9/10
Out of Site - 8/10
Gordon Gets The Giggles - 6/10
The Other Big Engine - 9/10
Batucada - 8/10
Diesel Do Right - 3/10

Series Rating (So far):
118/150

S23 Ep.14: Batucada

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

BATUCADA

Written by

Davey Moore

Directed by
Dianna Basso

Produced by
Ian McCue (HIT/Mattel)
Tracy Blagdon (Jam Filled)

Plot
Thomas finds a way to take part in the Brazilian carnival music.

Air Date

9/09/19 - UK
29/10/19 - AUS

This is a pretty simple episode but I did enjoy it. I like Davey Moore's episodes where he took one bit of culture and make a nice story around it like 'Thomas and the Dragon'. It's interesting as an older fan to learn about different cultures as well as I never heard of batucada until this episode. The fantasy sequence I feel wasn't too redundant but it was gimmicky, expect Thomas surrounded with musical instruments on your local toy shelf. Although this is a slight nitpick but I didn't like how Thomas forgot that he can whistle. How can he forget that he does that when he's a steam engine? In the end, a simple episode but not really anything bad. 

Episode Ratings (So far):

Free The Roads - 10/10
Chucklesome Trucks - 8/10
Heart Of Gold - 9/10
Panicky Percy - 6/10

Crowning Around - 10/10
First Day On Sodor - 8/10
Rangers Of The Rails - 7/10
Lorenzo's Solo - 8/10
Deep Trouble - 9/10
Too Loud, Thomas - 9/10
Out of Site - 8/10
Gordon Gets The Giggles - 6/10
The Other Big Engine - 9/10
Batucada - 8/10

Series Rating (So far):
115/140

S23 Ep.13: The Other Big Engine

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

THE OTHER BIG ENGINE

Written by

Davey Moore

Directed by
Dianna Basso

Produced by
Ian McCue

Air Date
5/09/19 - UK
28/10/19 - AUS

Plot

Thomas meets another big blue engine in Brazil that reminds him of Gordon.

When I first saw this episode after it aired in the US back in May 2019, I actually liked it and now five months since its debut I still enjoyed when it had aired in the UK. Gustavo didn't do much plot wise but character wise I do like how he's so different to Gordon, which was the intention of this story. The fantasy sequence even felt less gimmicky and felt like something that played along with the episode, almost feels like something maybe Micheal White can pull off. It's also a good message to teach kids that you shouldn't judge someone before you get to know them.

Episode Ratings (So far):

Free The Roads - 10/10
Chucklesome Trucks - 8/10
Heart Of Gold - 9/10
Panicky Percy - 6/10

Crowning Around - 10/10
First Day On Sodor - 8/10
Rangers Of The Rails - 7/10
Lorenzo's Solo - 8/10
Deep Trouble - 9/10
Too Loud, Thomas - 9/10
Out of Site - 8/10
Gordon Gets The Giggles - 6/10
The Other Big Engine - 9/10

Series Rating (So far):
107/130

S23 Ep.12: Gordon Gets The Giggles

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

GORDON GETS THE GIGGLES

Written by

Becky Overton 

Directed by

Dianna Basso

Produced by
Ian McCue (HIT/Mattel)
Tracy Blagdon (Jam Filled)

Plot
Gordon becomes worried when he gets a serious case of the giggles.

Air Date

10/09/19 - UK
27/10/19 - AUS

It's not a favourite episode of mine but it really wasn't anything bad. I think for once it was nice to see Gordon showcasing a side to himself that isn't him belittling someone or being too boastful. I get it that it's his character but it's good to see a side different side to him for once. Watching the US dub, Kerry Shale had done a really good job for Gordon and I really do like him and Keith Wickham equally, the same can be said about Wickham's performance. The laughter he had done for Gordon was hilarious and honestly I do like the fantasy sequence in this episode too. Plus I gave out a chuckle when Gordon called himself 'Big G.' Something that you don't hear from the past but honestly it never bothered me. It's probably too kiddish for some but like I said earlier it wasn't great but it certainly wasn't bad, I tend to see this in line of 'Steamie Stafford'. If there's one nitpick I would say is that the coal hopper scene could've been cut, I think it would've worked better if Gordon was just puffing into the yard looking serious instead. But it's just a nitpick.

Episode Ratings (So far):

Free The Roads - 10/10
Chucklesome Trucks - 8/10
Heart Of Gold - 9/10
Panicky Percy - 6/10

Crowning Around - 10/10
First Day On Sodor - 8/10
Rangers Of The Rails - 7/10
Lorenzo's Solo - 8/10
Deep Trouble - 9/10
Too Loud, Thomas - 9/10
Out of Site - 8/10
Gordon Gets The Giggles - 6/10

Series Rating (So far):
98/120

S23 Ep.11: Out of Site

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

OUT OF SITE

Written by
Micheal White

Directed by
Dianna Basso

Produced by
Ian McCue (HIT/Mattel)
Tracy Blagdon (Jam Filled)

Plot

Brenda learns that it's important to work as a team and not just care about her own jobs.

Air Date

25/10/19

I love Brenda's motherly perfectionist attitude. While she'd cleaned the nice solid ground, the other vehicles who act like children started to make a mess of it and want them to avoid her cleanliness. Obviously the moral is about that everyone should use the site for whatever job they were assigned with. Also yeah Mrs. Jenny returned and when I first saw the pictures (above) on twitter, she gave Bob the Builder reboot vibes. I love her design more than her design she was given in S12 back in 2008. 

Episode Ratings (So far):

Free The Roads - 10/10
Chucklesome Trucks - 8/10
Heart Of Gold - 9/10
Panicky Percy - 6/10

Crowning Around - 10/10
First Day On Sodor - 8/10
Rangers Of The Rails - 7/10
Lorenzo's Solo - 8/10
Deep Trouble - 9/10
Too Loud, Thomas - 9/10
Out of Site - 8/10

Series Rating (So far):
92/110

S23 Ep.10: Too Loud, Thomas!

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

TOO LOUD, THOMAS!

Written by
Becky Overton

Directed by
Dianna Basso

Produced by
Ian McCue (HIT/Mattel)
Tracy Blagdon (Jam Filled)

Plot
Thomas wants to perform opera like Lorenzo and Beppe, but finds it a lot more difficult than he first thought.

Air Date
24/10/19

I'll say this, the bouncing in this episode shows why something like that can be needed to give the visual expression. When Thomas lost his voice, he was moving for Stefano to look at the clock and agreeing with about something. If the engines bodies were just static then it would just look awkward. Yes the bouncing isn't something that happened in real life, unless you see a steam locomotive going at speed, but the show was never that realistic for over two decades. 

Anyway, back on the episode, I think it was a really good international episode, especially one written by Becky Overton. Her stories from India, barring 'Tiger Trouble' were not good but I feel she had been improving to write stories within the smaller time frame now. The whole episode maybe annoying with Thomas' screaming but it's to showcase the message that you should not loose your voice and that we can't always be good at something and that's OK. 

I also like Lorenzo and Bepe in this episode when it comes to Thomas singing, especially around the first few minutes of the episode. Bepe doesn't like to hurt his feelings but Lorenzo was all open and honest as he just said 'yes' very bluntly to Thomas. It's a small detail but I just the different character they have. 

Some people might think that the autistic audience will not like this given the loudness. But I don't believe that it would cause controversy because parents and carers have the power to turn down the volume on their TVs, phones, tablets and computers when it comes to loudness. Given that many places of businesses have 'quiet hours' for children on the autistic spectrum.

In the end, this episode was really good and it such good comedy too when it comes to Thomas and opera singing.

Episode Ratings (So far):

Free The Roads - 10/10
Chucklesome Trucks - 8/10
Heart Of Gold - 9/10
Panicky Percy - 6/10

Crowning Around - 10/10
First Day On Sodor - 8/10
Rangers Of The Rails - 7/10
Lorenzo's Solo - 8/10
Deep Trouble - 9/10
Too Loud, Thomas - 9/10

Series Rating (So far):
84/90

S23 Ep.9 :Deep Trouble

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

DEEP TROUBLE

Written by
Micheal White

Directed by
Dianna Basso

Produced by
Ian McCue (HIT/Mattel)
Tracy Blagdon (Jam Filled)

Air Date
23/10/19 - AUS

Plot
It's down to Darcy to rescue Monty when he falls down an old mine shaft.

This episode probably has the funniest fantasy sequence in any of the BWBA episode's to date. Just love the punch line of Monty landing in Australia. Anyway the rest of the episode was very good too and I especially love the continuity for 'Down the Mine' and Thomas learning common sense over a past incident is something rare too, perhaps the writers should do that in future episodes to give Thomas some development. It also has a nice message about safety, something that kids should learn about all the time and it really gave me some S6 'Jack and the Pack' vibes. In the end, a solid episode from me! 

Episode Ratings (So far):

Free The Roads - 10/10
Chucklesome Trucks - 8/10
Heart Of Gold - 9/10
Panicky Percy - 6/10

Crowning Around - 10/10
First Day On Sodor - 8/10
Rangers Of The Rails - 7/10
Lorenzo's Solo - 8/10
Deep Trouble - 9/10

Series Rating (So far):
75/90

S23 Ep.8: Lorenzo's Solo

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

LORENZO'S SOLO

Written by
Becky Overton

Directed by
Dianna Basso

Produced by
Ian McCue (HIT/Mattel)
Tracy Blagdon (Jam Filled)

Plot
Lorenzo plays a little trick on his loyal coach, Beppe, 
but he discovers that taking the legendary opera star Dame Bella Canto to the music festival 
by himself isn't as fun as he thought it would be.

Air Date
22/10/19 - AUS

This episode does show that an international episode can work without Thomas. Show him a little bit so kids would know he's there and know that they are watching a Thomas episode. Yes naturally he is a lead character but other characters need their shine in the spotlight too after all it is called 'Thomas & Friends'. Heck he wasn't in the end of the episode too! 

It's nice to see a story focused towards the two, especially more towards Lorenzo who was a bit egotistical and cheeky towards Bepe. Also Dame Bella Canto shows she has a bit of sassiness and ego too that was until both her and Lorenzo know that a duo can be better than a solo. 

I also like how in the fantasy sequence, as it also fits in well in the episode's opera theme and it wasn't as over the top as some previous fantasy sequences were, Lorenzo and Dame Bella Canto were singing 'Funiculì, Funiculì' which was a neapolitan song from 1880 to commemorate the opening of the first funicular railway on Mount Vesuvius in the region of Campania. So it's quite fitting to see the production team placing that in a kids show about railways. 

In the end, the episode was a good one. It's nice to see that the current team are steadily improving a lot more than last season in my opinion.

Episode Ratings (So far):

Free The Roads - 10/10
Chucklesome Trucks - 8/10
Heart Of Gold - 9/10
Panicky Percy - 6/10

Crowning Around - 10/10
First Day On Sodor - 8/10
Rangers Of The Rails - 7/10
Lorenzo's Solo - 8/10

Series Rating (So far):
66/80

S23 Ep.7: Rangers Of The Rails

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

RANGERS OF THE RAILS

Written by
Davey Moore

Directed by
Dianna Basso

Produced by
Ian McCue (HIT/Mattel)
Tracy Blagdon (Jam Filled)

Air Date
21/10/19 - AUS

Plot
Emily longs for a bit of adventure and it's not long before her wish is granted.

It's nice to see an episode for Emily as a main character since S19, which was four years ago. Her last main centric role was in 'Best Engine Ever'. Plus her yearning for adventure seems pretty meta as well given as she hadn't had an episode to herself since then. Anyway this episode was pretty average but I pretty much enjoy it in the end. It's message that adventure can happen anywhere was nice, although I think some fans might use that and say 'So why not have episodes only on Sodor then?' while I understand that they would rather see more Sodor stories, it would not make sense if they keep it titled 'Big World, Big Adventures'. In the end, the story was average but it was a good watch.

                                                              Episode Rating (So far):

Free The Roads - 10/10

Chucklesome Trucks - 8/10

Heart Of Gold - 9/10

Panicky Percy - 6/10

Crowning Around - 10/10

First Day On Sodor - 8/10

Rangers Of The Rails - 7/10

Series Rating (So far):

58/70

S23 Ep.6: First Day On Sodor

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

FIRST DAY ON SODOR

Written by

Becky Overton

Directed by

Dianna Basso

Produced by

Ian McCue (HIT/Mattel)

Tracy Blagdon (Jam Filled)

Air Date

20/10/19 - AUS

Plot

Darcy makes some mistakes on her first day, but she soon makes up for it when everyone sees what she can really do.

I'll say this about the fantasy sequence. I hated it. I know it was a fantasy but it was the machine they made up and it was just the oddest thing coming out from Thomas. It felt like something out from 'Shed 17', watch it if you're OVER 18. It doesn't feel like something out from Thomas and it was really uncomfortable to watch it. Plus it feels a little jarring to hear a pop culture reference in Thomas as of course the machine was a reference to 'The Terminator'. Thankfully it was a fantasy sequence and not a real part of the show and while I do hate it, I'm not going to give this episode a low rating because of it.

But despite that, the episode was good as well. It's another 'prove there worth story' but it kind of reminds me of 'Harvey to the Rescue' with Darcy proving that she can dig tunnels more better than Alfie and Oliver. I think it could've been better if they have the other machines thinking they could do it better which would make Darcy a bit insensitive. It's also quite refreshing to see Nia being the moral guidance for Darcy instead of Thomas.

That's pretty much all I can say about this episode.

Episode Rating (So far):

Free The Roads - 10/10
Chucklesome Trucks - 8/10
Heart Of Gold - 9/10
Panicky Percy - 6/10

Crowning Around - 10/10
First Day On Sodor - 8/10

Series Rating (So far):
51/60

S23 Ep.5: Crowning Around

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

CROWNING AROUND

Written by

Camille Can & Rose Johnson

Directed by
Dianna Basso

Produced by
Ian McCue (HIT/Mattel)
Tracy Blagdon (Jam Filled)

Plot
Rajiv learns that he can be really useful with or without his crown.

Air Date

3/09/19 - UK
18/10/19 - AUS

To me, this is how an international episode SHOULD be! Give situational moments like these to the international character and show them some character development along the way too which is something I believe that did well for Rajiv. He learnt that he can be really useful without his crown despite it being found by the Indian railway controller. I mean yeah he should show some growth by not being all fussed about it but I think he deserves it anyway as a reward. Even the fantasy sequence works well here too, as it's more about Rajiv thinking about the reaction he gets for his crown and less about some random gimmicky moments to sell a 'Greatest Moments' track master pack or a new exaggerating set. I believe the new writers can do well with characters like Rajiv and I hope we see more of them.

Episode Rating (So far):

Free The Roads - 10/10
Chucklesome Trucks - 8/10
Heart Of Gold - 9/10
Panicky Percy - 6/10

Crowning Around - 10/10

Series Rating (So far):
43/50

S23 Ep.4: Panicky Percy

THESE ARE SOLEY MY OPINIONS AND ARE INFLUENCED FROM THE THOMAS & FRIENDS FANBASE

PANICKY PERCY

Written by

Camille Ucan & Rose Johnson

Directed by
Dianna Basso

Produced by
Ian McCue (HIT/Mattel)
Tracy Blagdon (Jam Filled)

Air Date
17/10/19 - AUS

Plot
Percy causes confusion and delay by panicking over nothing.

I'm not all annoyed that Percy had reverted back to his fearful persona even though he was developed well from 'Tale of The Brave' but I often remember the line from 'Let's Be Brave'; 'You can be scared and still be brave.' Plus just because Percy can't be immune to fear all the time as well. I think Percy has the right to be scared for his friend because snow can be quite dangerous and fear is natural thing that we have to live whether it's something new or if we're not experienced. However despite that I think the episode should've gone with Nia. She herself never experienced with snow and you think after her encounter with it in China that she might be scared of it. It would expand with her inexperienced trope and would showcase to kids from other countries about learning something new. However since this episode is focused towards Percy, this should've been served as a sequel to 'Wish You Were Here', an episode I will review later on. It would make more sense for Percy's fear of Thomas' wellbeing given as how he goes around the world and the two episodes are written by the same writing duo.

There was one little moment that I like from this episode and that was Gordon thinking about Thomas first and his passengers second, honestly it's good to see Gordon and his caring nature shining more than his overused arrogant and boastful persona. In the end the episode was alright and it can be relatable to kids who do have anxiety.  

Episode Rating (So far):

Free The Roads - 10/10

Chucklesome Trucks - 8/10
Heart of Gold - 9/10
Panicky Percy - 6/10

Series Rating (So far):
33/40

S23 Ep.3: Heart of Gold

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

HEART OF GOLD

Written by

Micheal White

Directed by
Dianna Basso

Produced by
Ian McCue (HIT/Mattel)
Tracy Blagdon (Jam Filled)

Plot
Old Toby tries to stop two thieves from stealing King Godred's crown.

Air Date

6/09/19 - UK
16/10/19 - AUS

I honestly quite like it that the production team had been transforming Toby to an engine being concerned on how he looks rather than just being old. The latter makes him more similar to Edward in my view, episodes like 'Toby Feels Left Out' showcases that as an example. Toby had to deal with himself being told that he looks different ever since Awdry's lifetime so the episode does respect Toby's roots as a character. Sure it's another 'prove his worth' storyline but I feel there's more of difference here compare to Edward. Edward's stories are more focused towards engines like Gordon or James learning their lesson on not being terrible to him ('Edward and Gordon', 'Edward's Exploit' and 'Old Iron' are examples) whereas Toby learns that he should be proud of what he looks like despite the unfair shaming of his looks, something that I think kids with self confidence issues can relate too. It was a really good episode and I definitely applaud Micheal White here on creating such a great story about the old tram engine.

It's also nice to see Glynn and Millie again and I hope with the mention of Toby being 'put on display' from Diesel is a sign for the Earl's so called railway museum is coming but I won't grasp on such hope since now that the idea is now three years old. The two robbers didn't make such impact but I think what could've been better is to put them in disguise as the castle workmen or guards and reveal them later on as robbers it kind of brings the air of mystery to the plot. Plus this is a bit of a nitpick but the scene with the guard holding the suit of armour could've been cut as I feel that was unneeded but I presume it was added there for the sake of 'more comedy' for Mattel when they were doing test audiences over the years that lead to the series' transformation. 

In the end this was a very good episode and it made me love Toby as a character again. 

Episode Rating (So far):

Free The Road - 10/10
Chucklesome Trucks - 8/10
Heart Of Gold - 9/10

Series Rating (So far):
27/30

S23 Ep.2: Chucklesome Trucks

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

CHUCKLESOME TRUCKS

Written by

Davey Moore

Directed by
Dianna Basso

Produced by

Tracy Blagdon 

Air Date
4/09/19 - UK
15/10/19 - AUS

First time I saw this episode it was released in Mexico back in May 2019 and like Japan, they too have the english dub albeit it's the US voice cast. Anyway, I really enjoyed this episode and it has a nice message too. Just because others had a problem with something doesn't mean that the same will happen to you. Although when I first saw it I felt a little bit off with it and that was with Thomas, James and Percy. I thought their accidents were caused by Rebecca and that she wasn't responsible. But watching it again, I realised Rebecca wasn't fully responsible and the three engines were responsible for their own doing albeit concerned about Rebecca. 

Some might say that Rebecca came off as perfect in this episode but I think she was more oblivious to the trucks and their behaviour. Rebecca is a new member of the railway and would not know everything about her new home. I hope this leads to an episode of her realising that the trucks are troublesome, give her some conflict to deal with by being too confident about it due to last time. The trucks and their reaction towards Rebecca's enthusiasm was funny when they reached Vicarstown. Oh yeah and there were references to the past episodes and while they are a bit of a treat to see a moment from the classic series being reimagined in CGI, I think a mere mention of Thomas, Percy and James' mishaps with the trucks from the past could work as well with the short running time. The flashback recreation does chew up the running time to be honest and I think maybe the production team should down play on the references. 

But in the end, this was a very good episode and I'd enjoyed it. 

Episode Rating (So far):

Free The Roads - 10/10
Chucklesome Trucks - 8/10

Series Rating (So far):

18/20

S23 Ep.1: Free The Roads

UPDATE 14/10/19: 
INCASE YOU'RE WONDERING WHY THE S23 EPISODES HAD MOVED TO OCTOBER IS BECAUSE THE SERIES HAD MADE ITS DEBUT ON ABC KIDS AUSTRALIA AND SINCE THAT ALL OF 23 WILL BE AIRING, I'LL FOLLOWING THEM AND THEIR LISTING ORDER IS DIFFERENT COMPARE TO THE US AND THE UK.

We are now in year 2 of the new 'Big World Big Adventure' series and while some are still bitter about the change, the series had seen some success. One of which is the show has a 40% increase of viewership in the UK and broadcasters around the world are demanding more Thomas content thanks to S22 and the BWBA movie, so the new format is here to stay. Season 23 had also started quite early compare to the usual September release. It had started in Mexico around May as well as the United States on Nick Jr the same month, despite that its still only exclusive to people who had paid for the channel. Now that it's September, the UK and Australia now have S23. Despite that S22 was a bit of a mixed bag, let's hope that the production team had learned from the mistakes and hope that S23 is an improvement to its predecessor. But first:

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

FREE THE ROADS

Written by

Michael White

Directed by
Dianna Basso

Produced by
Tracy Blagdon 

Air Date

2/09/19 -UK
14/10/19 - AUS

Plot 
Bulgy thinks that people should travel by bus instead of rail, until he learns that having so many passengers is not easy for the buses on their own.

It's good to see that Bulgy hadn't been forgotten by the production team since his return in S21. I think this was a strong opener for the new season and I find it to be such a refreshing plot give it that it's a 'road vs. rail' storyline instead of the overused 'steam vs. diesel' trope. Yeah the former had been done before in the past but it was barely used compare to the latter. It's also good to see Bulgy in character and the fantasy sequence I think was very funny and fits in well with the story. The new detailing that the characters were given may look odd at first but honestly it's quick getting used to. I especially love that the animators had given Bertie and Bulgy there license plate numbers that he given in the Railway Series book, a nice little easter egg for older fans. For those wondering what it means, Bertie's license plate is a reference to C. Reginald Dalby's initials and the year when Edward's book was released (1954). Bulgy's license plate is pretty much a shorten version of his name. The message that the episode shows was nice too about doing a job on our own maybe easy but it's better to have help instead despite the differences. 

Episode Rating (so far):

Free The Roads - 10/10

Series Rating (So far):
10/10