S12 Ep.8: Excellent Emily

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

EXCELLENT EMILY

Written by

Paul Larson 

Directed by

Steve Asquith 

Air Date:

10/09/08

Plot:

With a terrible storm and the engines stuck, Emily was the only engine to finish her jobs and so the Fat Controller called her 'excellent'. But as she was to take Trevor to the airport to clear the runway, she began to be boastful since she's called 'Excellent Emily'. 

PRO:

- Moral: Nobody's perfect and always ask for help and listen 

CON:

- Of course, the three strikes. 

Meh, the episode is not bad but OK. But I believe the only reason why fans like this episode is because of, yes you've guessed it folks, character returns. I'll be honest, it was nice seeing Murdoch, Duck, Trevor and Bulgy in one episode, but I state it many times and I won't be doing it in this review of the episode. The episode was OK in general, Emily wants to be excellent, but like I said in 'The Spotless Record', the moral is 'nobody's perfect' and 'always ask for help', though I think it's more like 'Emily's Adventure' with the second moral.

Rating: 2.5/5

S12 Ep.7: Toby's Special Surprise

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

TOBY'S SPECIAL SURPRISE

Written by

Sharon Miller

Directed by

Steve Asquith 

Air Date:

9/09/08

Plot:

The other engines were sent away to do important work, aside from Toby. Toby thought they got important jobs because they discovered things. Toby decided to find something special so to have an important job. 

PRO:

- If you look in the background, you can see the original breakdown crane

- Moral: Not every important job makes you special

CON:

- Toby has made a discovery before, he found Bertram and the Scottish Castle

- 'Looks like Toby' yet a number can be seen on the sign

The episode is OK, in my opinion. But there are two flaws, Toby wants to find something to have a special job and yet in the past he had found Bertram and the castle with the Fat Controller back in S5, which was ten years ago at the time (2008) even though the new series doesn't reflect on the classic series. And with the sign, the model makers should've tried something better to make look like Toby and we see a number seven on the side on the sign, maybe it was taken from the statue from season nine? 

But even so, there are some positives, it was nice seeing the breakdown crane again, one of the original ones is seen in the yards, see the red cricle:

And the moral is good, telling the young audience that everyone can be special without an important job. 

Rating: 3/5

S12 Ep.6: Heave Ho Thomas

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

HEAVE HO THOMAS

Written by 

Sharon Miller

Directed by

Steve Asquith 

Air Date:

8/09/08

Plot:

A new American engine name Hank is coming to Sodor and so a welcome home party is arranged. Meanwhile, Thomas was to take some goods to various places and to show Hank around the Island. But when Hank says that Thomas is 'the finest little engine' he had ever seen, Thomas wants to prove that he can be strong until a problem happened. 

PRO:

- A nice ditty of 'Hail to The Chief' 

- I like MA's 'American accent' 

- Moral: Strength isn't anything

CON:

- Despite the moral of the story, Thomas should know by now about strength.

I have to say I like this episode, I think Hank is a good character, despite not having a reason to be on Sodor and that realistically, he cannot be on the loading gauge on UK rails due to his size. Though I do like the accent, even though it wasn't perfect, I remember hearing that the accent by MA makes it sound racist to some American audiences, I do respect their opinions and I'm not here to offend any American or Spanish readers here but Michael Brandon, for the American audiences, did it too as well as a hispanic accent for Hector in this season and I think I haven't heard one parent complaining about it. Plus we had past narrators doing the scottish accent as well in the past.

The moral of the story was good too about strength, but despite that, Thomas should know about that moral by now and I think a well more suiting character like say one of the stronger engines on Sodor took a dislike of him or a tank engine like Rosie, as her basis is from the USA. However, the episode is good and I do think it worth a watch. 

Rating: 4/5

S12 Ep.5: Henry Gets It Wrong

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

HENRY GETS IT WRONG

Written by

Abi Grant

Directed by

Steve Asquith 

Air Date:

5/09/08

Plot:

An old tree was broken and Henry was worried that the workmen would chop it down. So Henry blocked the line with trucks. 

PRO:

- Harold is full CGI

CON:

- Henry would know that an engine can push the trucks out of the way?

- Henry should also know that the Fat Controller and the workmen would never cut down the tree. 

The episode is bad, why is Henry scared that special woodsmen would cut down the tree? He was scared of it at first in 'Henry and The Flagpole' and even if the woodsmen cut down the tree, he knows it would be put for good use such as furniture, as stated in 'Henry's Forest'. The only good thing about this episode is Harold being in full CGI, he looks amazing with setting of the models. 

Rating: 1/5

S17 Ep.10: Not Now, Charlie

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

THIS REVIEW CONTAIN SPOILERS, CAUTION IS ADVISED

NOT NOW, CHARLIE

Written by

Davey Moore

Directed by

David Baas

Produced by

Kallan Kagan (Arc)

Ian McCue and Halim Jabbour (HIT) 

Plot:

Charlie is a small purple engine who likes to tell jokes. One day Charlie discovers an elephant on the line and tries to alert the other engines. 

PRO:

- Charlie actually doing work

- The elephant

- Moral: Don't make jokes all the time or otherwise someone won't take you seriously during a serious matter.

 

CON:

- Charlie's jokes

 

 

Charlie may as well be slowly growing to be likeable. He's not actually being annoying and goofing off his work just to have fun. He just jokes around while he's doing work, doing work! Sure he may as well did some work in S14 and S15, but this time it looks serious. Looking at the elephant, it looks so real! I thought I was looking at a real elephant for a moment, well done to Arc on such great craftsmanship. It does have a nice moral about making jokes all time or no one will take you seriously. But the one con I have with this episode and that is of course Charlie's jokes. They're not great, but not many people can be a comedian. I was kind of hoping that there would be a slight mention of 'Henry and The Elephant' but I can't expect too much. Plus the episode has a bit of similarity of the S7 episode 'Percy Gets It Right'. So I believe the episode is OK. It did its best and I find better then any of Charlie's other episodes.

Rating: 3.5/5


So far Season 17 has shown some good sign of its new writing style. Sure it still has the three strikes in some places here and there, but it's not as irritating as what S9-16 shows us. Sure the episodes aren't perfect but I'm not one of those people who were expecting it to be like the classic series dumped right in front of me or expecting everything to go their own personal way. It takes time to write good quality episode and who knows when it'll get better? Right now the seventeenth series is now on hiatus in the UK and more episode reviews will come when Channel 5, the provider of the episodes on their kids hour 'milkshake', will announce more new episodes.  

S12 Ep.4: Mountain Marvel

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

MOUNTAIN MARVEL

Written by

Sharon Miller

Directed by

Steve Asquith 

Air Date:

4/09/08

Plot:

Peter Sam had found a lost statue of Proteus 

PRO:

- It was nice to see Proteus not forgotten 

CON:

- Despite him not being forgotten, he is still a pointless character

It would be better that instead of a statue it should be the engine itself. It would be made for a better episode and backstory for the engine on why he was there in first place, even though it sound like a 'Hero of The Rails' plot. It was still nice to see that Proteus is not forgotten but still he is a pointless character and the episode would be better if Peter Sam had found the engine and Peter Sam talking to Duncan, Freddie and Mighty Mac were repetitive. It's alright though, the episode. 

Rating: 3.5/5

S17 Ep.9: The Switch

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

THIS REVIEW CONTAIN SPOILERS, CAUTION IS ADVISED

THE SWITCH

Written by

Davey Moore

Directed by

David Baas

Produced by

Kallan Kagan (Arc)

Ian McCue and Halim Jabbour (HIT) 

Plot:

When Luke is sent to Ulfstead castle to deliver stone, he meets Millie, the Earl's private narrow gauge engine. They decided to switch jobs for the day.

PRO:
- Millie
- The Vocabulary like 'estate'.
- The Earl asking the Thin Controller permission 
- 'Peas in a Pod' bit of a reference to the classic series
- The castle grounds
- Moral: Respecting others jobs

CON:
- N/A

This episode is good, I like Millie, one of the new characters that will be making her debut in 'King of The Railway' this September. With Millie, she had a great french accent that teaches kids different words like 'bonjour' and 'au revoir'. The stare off she did with Luke was funny. I like it how when Millie and Luke were waiting for the Earl of Sodor, who will also make his debut in September as well, to see if the Thin Controller granted permission instead of Luke and Millie just puffing off without permission like in S17's predecessors. The Earl saying 'Peas in a Pod' is almost a reference to 'Thomas and Bertie' with "Like peas in a frying pan...", the castle grounds look amazing as well in CGI, it really reminded me of the castles that I've seen in Ireland and the UK, minus a narrow gauge railway. The vocabulary is being expanded well with words like 'estate' great thing to teach kids and the moral about respecting others jobs is a nice way to learn about other peoples jobs and that all jobs are important no matter what. It's a good episode and was directed well. 

Rating: 4/5