Season 18

[seanrail]

Well seeing as how most of us witnessed the Season 18 episodes from the Trouble on the Tracks DVD, here are my thoughts so far:

Thomas the Quarry Engine
This was a great start to the season, as we see Thomas taking the lead role in an episode that was by all means worth watching.  I loved how Mavis actually had a role in an episode.  We haven't had this since around the classic era!  On top of that the way how Diesel manipulates Mavis while taking her further away from the quarry was actually pretty clever.  It made me feel like I was watching some high school football player trying to steal a girl's attention, but not so much in the romantic sense.  It was great seeing Toby with Henrietta picking up the workmen from the quarry, it was a nice touch to the railway series.  Though admittedly I did not like Henrietta's voice at all, it got annoying hearing her speak after a while too.  But I'll give it some time to grow on me, but her voice by no means affected the episode for me.  The crash with Thomas in the siding was a lot of fun to watch and it was one of the most suspenseful moments we have had in the show for a long time.  Plus I like how the troublesome trucks spoke dialogue as opposed to "biff bash" or "on on on".  I honestly see no fault with this episode whatsoever and it was a great start for the season.  10/10

Not So Slow Coaches - Two fun episodes in a row.  It was interesting to see Connor and Caitlin both having a role onto the show again, as well as seeing Charlie actually working in the yard.  Yes, Charlie actually was working and not just pulling some train in the background or ran around the Island accomplishing nothing.  That could be more than said for Rosie, Neville, the logging locos, and a few other characters.  Annie and Clarabel's reactions to Caitlin pulling them around as well as them hoping Connor wouldn't say yes to the race was what made the episode worth watching.  Plus, it was nice to see Hiro come back while bringing Annie and Clarabel back from the Mainland.  The episode itself was enjoyable but it did have one flaw and it was a big one... how on earth did no one notice that Annie and Clarabel were coupled behind Caitlin's coaches and not acknowledge it?  I mean really, Clarabel opened her eyes wide enough to at least recognize it was Charlie pushing her.  The men at the yard could have noticed something to, so it was a unrealistic on how this incident had happened in the first place.  Nonetheless, it was an episode worth checking out.  8/10

Flatbeds of Fear - This was a pretty good episode too, but it didn't quite make the cut for me like how other episodes so far did.  To get the worst out of the way, I did not like how Henry was portrayed in this episode (which was a complete wimp).  It never worked for Henry in the past and it did not work well here, regardless of how the writing has improved.  Plus hearing Henry repeating himself "I don't want to hear the flatbeds of fear.." got really annoying.  Especially when he thought a cow would be the flatbeds of fear.  This episode would have worked so much better if Percy had Henry's role since he's more gullible in that sense than Henry is.  For what worked in this episode worked really well though.  Emily having a role was great, and I loved the bit with her season 8 theme, it was a nice touch.  Salty and Cranky were both very humorous in this episode as well, Salty especially at the end.  Bill and Ben were the perfect engines to be the next ones to listen to Salty's story at the end of the episode.  The animation with the mist was also done very well, as well as the visuals for Salty's story.  It's definetely the weakest out of the first five I've seen so far, but even this episode proved to be fairly enjoyable nonetheless.  6/10  

Disappearing Diesels - Yet another perfect episode!  It seems like any role Paxton is involved with is usually very amusing and this episode is no exception.  This episode really shows how much of a well developed character Paxton has become since his role in Blue Mountain Mystery.  Plus seeing Sidney appear again was also a nice touch.  Diesel was great in this episode too, and I love how despite him not showing any gratitude for Paxton his utter look of confusion when Paxton still helps him out anyway is a nice touch.  Much better than what we've seen from Diesel in a certain season 14 episode.   The scene with Reg was very funny and easily one of the best moments, especially when Diesel is trying to sound like him while hiding behind the cars.  It was an all around great episode and easily another one of my favorites.  10/10

Toad's Adventure - We now come to a close with the final episode of the DVD, the one that I am sure everybody was anticipating for the most, purely and simply for the return of Oliver and Toad.  And it was great seeing them both in CGI form.  I found myself happy with Oliver's voice and design (despite its flaws).  While I liked Toad's design I found his voice to be extremely annoying.  He sounded like that one old man from that movie Eight Crazy Nights (forgot his name) and hearing that regularly throughout the episode did get a little tiring, but that doesn't affect my view on the episode as a whole.  I would have been a lot happier if we had a voice similar to the one Alec Baldwin gave him in season 5.  As far as the episode itself goes, I will just say right now that this episode was definitely worth watching.  Escape was referenced, Toad gets a lead role, the 'Little Western' was referenced, and James playing a role in this episode was great!  On top of that I loved seeing Thomas taking Sir Topham Hatt and Dowager Hatt in express coaches, and the moment when Dowager asks STH to sing in front of him and STH seemed extremely hesitant was really funny!  In the Nitrogen era, I didn't find Dowager Hatt funny or interesting, but here it worked perfectly.  I guess if there is one flaw I have to point out it is how Oliver was treating Toad throughout the episode.  He sounded just a tad too concieted while focusing on himself while telling Toad his stories, and how he was snooty right in the middle of Toad telling his story in some ways felt a little mean.  Normally I wouldn't have minded it but it's Oliver and his trusty brake van Toad, to see Oliver act so inconsiderate like that and didn't make me connect to the character like how I normally would have, despite how much I love this character.  Despite that flaw it's easily one of the best, and I think it will be hard to top off.  9/10

So overall I think we are off to a really great start so far, and I am anxious to see how the other 21 episodes turn out.  Hopefully we will see more surprises like Donald and Douglas on the way.

my suggested Improvement for Toad's Adventure is to include Duck in the cast.

and I also feel sorry for Mavis being tricked by Diesel and her, Diesel and Thomas getting into trouble with The Fat Controller; there should have be a continuing episode that shows Thomas and Mavis getting their own back at Diesel like in Disappearing Diesels.

what do you lot think? what about you, Chaz?

[Chaz]

Personally I liked Thomas the Quarry Engine as it was.  It's easily my favorite out of all the season 18 episodes we have so far, one of the main reasons is because of how 'devious' Diesel was to Mavis throughout that episode.  Felt very much like a classic series episode.  That and I loved how very similar the accident was to a very classic episode:



Another nice Easter Egg from Andrew Brenner!  Same station, similar accident, water tower on the left side, eyes shut... I can't believe I didn't catch this when I first watched the episode! 

[seanrail]

Personally I liked Thomas the Quarry Engine as it was.  It's easily my favorite out of all the season 18 episodes we have so far, one of the main reasons is because of how 'devious' Diesel was to Mavis throughout that episode.  Felt very much like a classic series episode.  That and I loved how very similar the accident was to a very classic episode:



Another nice Easter Egg from Andrew Brenner!  Same station, similar accident, water tower on the left side, eyes shut... I can't believe I didn't catch this when I first watched the episode! 

i suppose, but that does not stop Mavis and Thomas getting into trouble with The Fat Controller because of Diesel's manipulative plan.

[thomasj219]

Kinda reading a bit much into it. I mean at the end of the day ya Thomas not Game Of Thrones. Punishments aren't that severe. And no they really didn't. Mavis did but Thomas didn't. Even Mavis he forgave and let work at the docks. I love that bad thing can happen to the engines again. Shows what real life is like. Which is what made the show so great before.

[seanrail]

Never the less, Hope Brenner writes a continuing story from this, inspire of disappearing diesels.

[PasqualeCS96]

Anyone else notice that in the end Mavis had balloons tied to her?

[seanrail]

Did anyone notice that in flatbeds of fear, the S.S. Roxstar changed position in some Brendam Docks scenes?

[DinoNTrains]

I'm going to be the umpteenth person to say, "I'm excited for these new episodes" It's great to see Toad return, and with Annie and Clarabel experiencing "some unexpected high-speed adventures", that reminds me of a Thomas story that I wrote in my free time a few years ago. Maybe this episode will be just like it?

Watch it and see.

Yes, it is similar to what I wrote

[Metal]

After watching "Toad's Adventure," I've forgotten how unique of a character Oliver is. People complain he's conceited, but he's been "puffed up in his smokebox" in the classic series as well. Oliver's character seems to influenced on whatever surrounds him. I actually prefer him this way as it makes him a less generic character.

Oliver and Toad's CGI voices sound like characters from some classic Disney animation. I'm not sure who, but I've heard several characters with accents very similar.

[seanrail]

Any episode title suggestions we should have for the rest of Season 18 and its synopsis?

here are some of my suggestions

Sprang a Leak: Diesel teases Thomas about his leaky tank after Thomas' siderods snap and punctured his water tank, but leaks turn on Diesel when he springs an oil leak.

The Boat Train: A boat train called 'The Brendam Ferry' has started up to take passengers to Brendam Docks to catch the ocean liners. When Henry is chosen to take the train, Gordon will do anything to pull the train, but it becomes a sail against time when the ocean liner, RMS Cunard of Sodor, is due early. (note: RMS Cunard of Sodor is recycled from TUGS' 'The Duchess' model.)

The Stephen Chief (based on Walt Disney's Peter Pan and the fairy tale by James M. Barrie): When Peter Pan is the chosen pantomime at the town hall, Bridget Hatt wants to see the pantomime, but her brother Stephen Hatt is scared of the Red Indians in the pantomime for an apparently grizzly reason. Can he overcome his phobia before the pantomime and before Bash, Dash and Ferdinand find out and use it as an advantage for mischief, which can result in a potential fire on Misty island?

What do you think of these story suggestions and ratings out of 10? what abut you, Chaz? and I do mean for every episode title suggestion, not all of them in a bundle.

[thomasj219]

You want us to rate your episodes?

[seanrail]

Just forget it.

[thomasj219]

Look man we don't mean to insult or offend you hit you seem to have the wrong idea of what this forum is about, and forum etiquette in general really. As for rating your episodes that would make me feel a little uncomfortable. Just be confident in your own work, write scripts, re write make it better. But you be the judge.

[TrainFan97]

I wish we knew when we'll have more Season 18 episodes. I'm also eager to see Donald and Douglas in full CGI.

[Zorran202]

Hah! I'm just hoping that Duncan can eventually show up soon.....

Not to mention it'll be nice to see who else will return