Season 16 - Episode 16: Whiff's Wish

March 2012 saw the sixteenth episode of Season 16 of Thomas & Friends...

...but before the review, the usual disclaimer:

The views below are entirely those of the author and not representative of the Sodor Island Forums as a whole.

On that note, it's time to get this review underway...

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Whiff's Wish

Writer: Andy Bernhardt

Whiff would so like to be as fast, strong and loud as Spencer. He thinks he is a very grand engine indeed. But Whiff's dreams lead to his undoing.

Overall Thoughts

“Henry pulls the Flying Kipper”.

It’s taken four years of the CGI era, it’s been even longer than that I suspect since we’ve heard it, but we finally have another strong link back to the roots of the Awdry series. It is also rather telling that we have yet to hear about Henry’s special coal either this series (thankfully!)

New vans for the Flying Kipper train. Nitrogen, you done good.

I just wonder why the only other decent thing about this episode, was the lack of the lead character. It certainly felt a lot less forced for having a lack of Thomas, but the extremely convoluted and rather strange requests by the Fat Controller of Whiff.

I just found the whole episode rather disjointed and not quite knowing what the moral is. I think my compatriots on the SiF staff make some good points this evening, one in particular from Christopher highlighting that it would have been better if Spencer had been shown by Whiff that engines can be grand in their own way.

I just can’t get enthusiastic about this episode at all. There’s little plot to it, the characters are fairly misplaced, and whilst the voice acting, as always, is good, the overall dialogue doesn’t match what’s being shown. Percy’s collision with Whiff is very underwhelming, as is much of this episode.

Thoughts From Other SiF Members

Eric (SiF Second in Command)

This one, also started out really great. The first two minutes were very strong. Just look at Whiff's face when he pulls up to Spencer. That is the look of a little kid looking up to a big brother. And you could feel the embarrassment as STH walks up and gives Whiff the most ridiculously convoluted and improbable job to do.

Whiff's face says it all, and that is Nitrogen at their finest. The rest of the episode, writing-wise, is pretty forgettable. Random cars just sporadically tossed all over, with no rhyme or reason is about as logical as shunting on Gordon's Hill. I remember Thomas not being in this, which was great. But the first two minutes were very charming.

Christopher (ERS Mod):

In just about eight minutes, Andy Bernhardt managed to undo EVERYTHING that made Whiff a good character already: From "Emily's Rubbish" to even "Misty Island", he was an engine who never minded what others thought of him and even had a degree of common sense. But here...he was relegated into a role that would have easily fitted Thomas or Percy for the umpteenth time.

Rosie or Scruff would have been better suited actually, at least to give them some more screentime.

Also: why in the name of Awdry weren't the rubbish trucks left in a siding off the Main Line?? What's the point of having sidings if no one's using them?

The episode would have been far better, I think, had Whiff shown Spencer how other engines, as mentioned in the opening montage, could be "grand and useful" in their own way. Then we would have seen and hear Toby, Percy and Henry themselves talk about their jobs, why they're important and other stuff like that. More Railway Knowledge for the kiddy-winks.

Even so, just hearing Angelis mention "The Flying Kipper" after 14 years was a tremendous delight - and Nitrogen's animation, particularly with Spencer's expressions, were still on top form. Again, little touches of gold such as the birds roosting on the signal arm being startled, and Whiff's Driver peering from the cab when reversing.

Really, had better thought gone into where to go with a particular non-Steam Team character - or for that matter deciding what sort of ideas could be based from their personalities - then it literally might have been a different story.

Ian (ERS Staff):

The first 5 minutes of the episode seemed to be given to explaining the jobs engines do- before moving on to get Spencer's job wrong. Nice to see Toby at the quarry though for what feels like the first time in years, not to mention Thomas (no speaking role, yay!) working a branch line.

Spencer's coaches were lovely, Wellsworth yard and the fishing village look great... but once again that's really it for good points.

A few bugbears in this one, then...

Trucks of rubbish randomly left all over the place- why? One was so heavy even Percy couldn't move it- instead he just sat there waiting for Whiff. Why wasn't Percy protected by signals and, perish the thought, detonators??

TFC and the Mayor randomly opening doors on the wrong side of the coaches.

Randomly splitting trains on the main line- why not just add the extra engine to the front? Why didn't Emily or Edward (or, even better, their drivers) ask Whiff why he wasn't doing his own job?

Note to the writing team- if you are going to do a rehash of an existing story, at least try and pick one of the stories that was any good in the first place.

Final Conclusions

It’s just another bland episode where very little of consequence happens, with a few tantalising hints of what could have been. I agree with my colleagues that the constant introductory sequences are unnecessary and it would make more sense to simply start the story from the word go without the title cards or Michael Angelis voiceover, but we did get a nice wink and a nod and a proper “Goods train” (not freight train) in the form of a much needed return from the Flying Kipper.

So not desperately awful as some episodes, but still nowhere near the level we want to see Thomas & Friends attain.

Individual Episode Score: 1/10 - Fiery Flynn 3/10 – Ol’ Wheezy Wobbles 7/10 - Express Coming Through 3/10 - Percy & The Monster of Brendam 2/10 - Ho Ho Snowman 8/10 - Flash Bang Wallop! 2/10 - Thomas & The Rubbish Train 1/10 - Thomas Toots The Crows 1/10 - Bust My Buffers 9/10 - Percy & The Calliope 2/10 – Thomas & The Sounds of Sodor 5/10 – Salty’s Surprise 1/10 - Sodor Surprise Day 1/10 - Emily's Winter Holiday Special 2/10 – Muddy Matters 4/10 – Whiff’s Wish

Total Season Score So Far: 52/160

Average Season Score So Far: 3.2/10

Quick Character Stats

Speaking Roles:

Whiff, Spencer, The Fat Controller, Percy, Emily, Edward, Farmer McColl

Cameos:

Rosie, Charlie, Salty, Henry, Gordon, Toby, Mavis,

James, Thomas