S12 Ep.3: Rosie's Funfair Special

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

ROSIE'S FUNFAIR SPECIAL

Written by

Andrew Viner

Directed by

Steve Asquith 

Air Date:

3/09/08

Plot:

Emily was chosen to take the funfair special and Rosie to be the back engine. But Rosie wanted to take the train. She then thought to take the funfair train and Emily can take the milk to high farm. But the trucks came loose as Emily was already coupled to the train. Then a few mishaps happened and Rosie put things right. 

PRO:

- Rosie having an episode to herself 

- An episode focusing on the two female engines

CON:

- Stepney's pointless appearance 

I find this episode to be enjoyable. It was interesting to see an episode focusing on two female engines without any sign of Thomas being shore-horned in for a pointless part of the episode. To me, I think Rosie is probably one of the best female characters the series had introduced. She's energetic, determined and wants to work hard and that is a good sign for a role model for the female audience from the target range of the show. I like Emily, around 7th series, though when you think about it Emily was pretty much the same before her persona was butchered up as a bossy and mean engine
(e.g - Thomas' Milkshake Muddle).

But there is one downside to the episode and that is Stepney cameo. It was nice seeing him return, but I'll be honest, it was pointless and they could've chose a different character for the cameo. I said before and I'll say it again, character returns do not make the episode or series great, only the story. I'm pretty sure most of the fans know that by now. But the writer is a fan of the RWS and I think maybe that's why he put him in?

But in the end, the episode was nice and enjoyable and much of a favourite to me. Hopefully there's an episode with female characters as the lead role in the new and improved series.

Rating: 4/5

S17 Ep.8: Luke's New Friend

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

THIS REVIEW CONTAIN SPOILERS, CAUTION IS ADVISED

LUKE'S NEW FRIEND

Directed by 

David Baas

Written by

Davey Moore

Produced by

Kallan Kagan (Arc)

Ian McCue and Halim Jabbour (HIT)

Plot:

Up at the Blue Mountain Quarry, Luke finds a scared young dear, so he tries to get the other engines to work quitely. Although that's not an easy thing to do.

PRO:
- The CGI for Ulfstead Castle, the deer's and the BMQ looks incredible 

- Moral: Belonging somewhere

- The adding of lamps on the NG engines

- The explosions.

- No name given to the deer.

CON:
- The error's of brake vans.

The episode was a sweet and cute episode and of course better then a so called episode were an engine is friends with some animals in a poorly written season. I'll say this, as much as I liked Nitrogen's work on bringing Thomas and his friends in CGI, Arc really added some extra detailing into the render, the castle park look amazing (the grass for example), the deer's as well, though they remind me of Nitrogen's render in 'Percy's New Friends' and the detailing of the BMQ, mainly the floor. Plus I may have noticed that Rusty has some extra detailing of smudge around his paint work. I believe the moral is, in the deer's point of view, about belonging somewhere. It belongs in nature not at a working quarry were it can actually get hurt. Plus the explosions were a nice touch so I think they'll have an excuse for those BMQ dynamite toys that the wooden railway has been releasing last year. There is one con I have for this episode and that is the brake van. First we see a standard gauge brake van behind Luke's train, then we see no brake van after that and then we see a NG brake van as Luke and his friend left the quarry. Though it is an animation error but it's still illogical to have a standard gauge brake van. I'm also glad that they didn't gave a name for the deer like 'Deer' or Mr/Mrs Deer, I hope they don't do that again in Thomas episodes though in future. Overall this is a nice episode, but not up in the standards of yesterday's episode or like 'Gordon Runs Dry'. But it's nice and sweet and defiantly a watchable episode.  

Rating: 4/5

S12 Ep.2: Steady Eddie

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

STEADY EDDIE

Written by

Sharon Miller

Directed by

Steve Asquith 

Air Date:

2/09/08

Plot:

Edward is to take a brass water wheel to Great Waterton on the express line. But Edward wanted to show off which lead to trouble for the water wheel. 

PRO:

- Oliver making a brief comeback

CON:

- Edward wanting to show off is not his true character

Despite the brief comeback of Oliver, which by the way as I said many times that character returns don't make the episode great, this episode is not good and that is because of Edward wanting to show off the water wheel. It's really not his persona; wanting to show off to children. 

As of Oliver's appearance it's not worth for the episode to be better, Oliver just passes Edward with Arthur and that's it. It was nice to see him back though.

Rating: 2/5 

S17 Ep.7: Henry's Hero

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

THIS REVIEW CONTAIN SPOILERS, CAUTION IS ADVISED

HENRY'S HERO

Written by

Paul Larson and Laura Beaumount 

Directed by

David Baas

Produced by

Kallan Kagan (Arc)

Ian McCue and Halim Jabbour (HIT)

Air Date:

11/06/13

Plot:

Henry and Hiro take on some bad coal and start puffing black smoke. Will Hiro be able to deliver their loads when Henry goes back to the shed?

PRO:

- Moral: Keep on trying
- The angles
- Duck's Somerset accent

CON:

- The moral seems to be shoving down the throat

The episode is good it has a good moral about keep trying even at the worse of times but the morals seem to be shoving down people's throats. The angles of Henry and Hiro pushing trucks were just amazing to look at and Duck's somerset accent, it had what I believe what Ringo was trying to do in Duck's debut. But as I said before character returns can't make an episode great only its story. In the end this was a good episode and I found it enjoyable and this is better then 'Steamie Stafford' of course.

Rating: 4/5

S12 Ep.1: Thomas and The Billboard

Five years ago, 2008, was a big step in the history of Thomas the Tank Engine. Sodor Island had announced that the series will be turned into CGI with HIT's other brands due to money problems. Series 12 shows the progress of the CGI transformation of the show by Greg Tiernan, who is now former director of the show now since the animation was transferred to Arc Productions in 2011, and his crew at Nitrogen Studios. The last ever Thomas production to show case the models in its entire form was 'The Great Discovery' narrated by Pierce Brosnan, which brings the narrator. In 2007, HIT announced that Pierce Brosnan will become the new narrator for Thomas & Friends for three specials and seasons and so replace the long term narrator Michael Angelis and American narrator Michael Brandon. However, for some unknown reason, they've returned for the series. So let us finish off this nine month review with Season 12. I've done my S13-16 review last year, so you can view them in the 2012 category. Let's start with the first episode 'Thomas and The Billboard', but first, the usual:

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

THOMAS AND THE BILLBOARD

Written by

Mark Robertson 

Directed by

Steve Asquith 

Air Date:

1/09/08

Plot:

It was Knapford station's birthday and a special billboard is to be printed to celebrate the day. The billboard is to have all the engines all Tidmouth sheds. But as the photographer was taking the picture, Diesel accidentally moved right in front of Thomas. But Thomas thought he was moved right in front of him on purpose and so was cross. But in the end he lost the billboard in the water and a new photo was to be taken which made the engines late for their jobs.

PRO:
- The CGI looks amazing

CON:
- A billboard can't be made in a day.
- The accident with the billboard was unrealistic

Possibly one of the good Thomas openings for a new series in CGI. The faces aren't 100% perfect, but they were in the early stages and they were better when series 13 came into broadcast. But with the CGI it makes everything on Sodor more lifelike (the workmen are a notable one). But despite it being a good opening episode, there are the usual flaws with the episode. I know it's a kids show, but a billboard can't be made in just one day. The accident, I find it unrealistic, was the rope too weak? It would've been better if Thomas was diverted to a siding, not a branch line, a branch line is a singular track but it has stations, and a loose tree branch ripped up the poster? It would've been much more better.

But despite those two cons, it's still a good opening episode and I think it's worth a few watches.

Rating: 4/5

S17 Ep.6: Steamie Stafford

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

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILER, CAUTION IS ADVISE 

STEAMIE STAFFORD

Written by

Paul Larson and Laura Beaumont 

Directed by

David Baas

Produced by

Kallan Kagan (Arc)

Ian McCue & Halim Jabbour (HIT)

Air Date:

10/06/13 (UK)

Plot:

Stafford became jealous of steam engines because of all the noise they make and so he begins to act like them. But this caused a mess up. 

PRO:
- Edward hauling express carriages
- The story
- Moral: You are for who you are
- The music when Stafford was learning to be like a steam engine.
- Calling trucks by their name (e.g. Livestock trucks) 

CON:
- Farmer McColl's dog being outside the brake van 
- Stafford's basis can't run long distances 
- The noises that Stafford made

When I first heard of this episode I thought it was going to be bad. But after watching it, the US version back in April, I found this episode to be enjoyable and far more better then 'Welcome Stafford' in its term of writing, well obviously. I like the story and its moral, you are for who you are and visually, Edward hauling express carriages, when was the last time we ever saw that? Somewhere at the very early part of the television series. Though despite an episode I enjoyed there are the usual flaws. As a railway enthusiast, Stafford's basis can't run long distance trip and they explained that in his introductory episode last year and the noises, I honestly feel sorry for the voice actor to do that, but it is something for the target range to like and enjoy. But I don't like how Farmer McColl's sheep dog was outside the brake van. In real life that'll be dangerous! 

However, in the end, I don't really hate this episode but I know it's not great as well. But I enjoyed it and it was certainly better then 'Welcome Stafford'. 

Rating: 3.5/5

S11 Ep.26: Wash Behind Your Buffers + Overall

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

WASH BEHIND YOUR BUFFERS

Written by

Paul Larson 

Directed by

Steve Asquith 

Plot:

There's to be an Engine rally and Country show and Skarloey and Rheneas are to be leading the rally. Madge told them to 'wash behind their buffers' but even she got dirty in the end. 

PRO:

- The town square looks wonderful

- Skarloey and Rheneas' paintwork

CON:

- N/A

I find the episode nice. Despite the persona reversals for Skarloey and Rheneas in the series, Madge was a nice sort of mother figure to them. The town square just looks amazing in its model form and the paintwork of the two engines are just spot on in this episode. All in all it was a good episode. 

Rating: 4/5

OVERALL

S11 was a little bit of an improvement then S10, though are still the three strikes and some bad story lines and pointless merchandising characters, like Billy. The sets like the village square looks amazing! A big thumbs up for the team behind the modelling team. Characters like Madge can be likeable and to me, I think she's more of a motherly figure to the NG engines. I honestly hate Billy, a pointless and not a good character to see. I don't see any potential from him he's unlikeable and unmemorable, like all of HIT's merchandising characters, minus some.

The narration was OK. You can see Michael Angelis becoming a bit more coming to the end of retirement for the series, which happened in 'Railway Mischief' two months ago. I haven't seen much of Brandon's narration though.

The episode that I find the most enjoyable is 'Gordon and The Engineer', as I said before, it has some railway realism and no three strikes, something that was missing later on in the series, before S17. I like S11, despite some flaws, but it'll not be in the league of the classic series. Now on with S12, which was a big step in Thomas history.

OVERALL RATING

62.5/100