As much I would've much preferred Molly returning instead, these changes might actually make me NOT hate Rosie. The fact her paint scheme is no longer a 'stereotypical girl' color is already an improvement, but let's see how the writers handle her as a character.

At this point in time, I'm not sure if Bachmann would be finished picking out color samples for the new Rosie model, so there might be a chance Rosie might be in this new scheme.

I think there are just as many Thomas fans who despise Lady as there are ones that like her, same with Thomas and the Magic Railroad movie itself.

I get that Lady is a female steam character, which back in 2000 was a rarity, but now in 2017 we have many wonderful female steam engines that have a lot more character and depth than Lady like Emily, Millie, and technically Marion. I actually like Molly more than Lady at this point, but that's just my opinion.

I agree that most of the returnees have been handled very, very well. But yes...still waiting for that Oliver episode, guys...

I'm not very strict if they bring another RWS exclusive character to the small screen, but if they brought an existing character back, I'd lean towards Stepney. I was always a Stepney fan, as I did love most of his episodes like Bowled Out and Train Stops Play, and if he did come back, it'd be the perfect opportunity to fix his background like it was in the Railway Series, similar to how they introduced the Flying Scotsman in the Great Race.

But if they brought a TV series exclusive character back, I again would vote for Molly. I know I've said this before, but I still stand firm on my feelings. Her prototype looked fantastic, her yellow paint stands out (especially for a tender engine), and she'd be the perfect shy/insecure character to allow good stories. She could easily work alongside Edward on his branch line.

In all honesty, Three Steam Engines Gruff is the worst episode of the season in my opinion. Yes, Trevor did get a crucial and speaking role in the episode, but other than that the episode fell flat. I'm not sure why Andrew Brenner is being so wishy washy. Toby's cowardice is one thing, but it feels like a 9 minute rehash of Tale of the Brave, which the latter was done a lot better by the same writer. The ending felt so predictable and Percy went backwards in character as well. I honestly wish we got a Small Railway episode in place of this. 1/10

On the other side of the coin, Mucking About is going to be another definite favorite this season. I loved everything about it - the Pack getting another episode after so long, Max and Monty's antics, the Free inspired rock music, Edward's role, and Thomas' accident. I must commend Davey Moore for being so consistent in his high quality of writing. 10/10

And I probably should talk about the Missing Breakdown Train. Much like the Glynn episodes, the attention to detail on why they've been absent all those years is to be praised, and I liked, again, how the Little Western and the Arlesburgh branch line engines were involved in the story. Those two groups have been crucial to some of the best episodes this season. Plus, I do like how the two cranes were able to interact with each other in an entertaining way. Although, I'm not sure how I feel about 'bird dropping' gags in the show.

This one and Cautious Connor I would give an 8. The latter did really good on expanding Connor's character, and makes me like him even more. I would criticize though that they could've made Connor's accident even worse to make the emotional scarring more impactful, but the way Stephen was handled to interact with him was excellent. The fact they mentioned locomotive explosions was pretty bold on Brenner's part. Of course, once again, I don't like Thomas being here, as it again feels forced, but it's still a far better episode than Three Steam Engines Gruff.

The Slip Coaches would be a great idea if Bachmann did them. Duck and the Slip Coaches would actually make an intriguing starter set at that.

And so another week of season 20 comes and goes.

Blown Away
Even though Skiff doesn't appeal to me as much as Ryan in terms of getting episodes, I was still having good hopes for this one. First off, I'm glad we had a CGI episode that takes place primarily on the Little Western and doesn't involve any member of the Steam Team at all. Yeah, that Thomas appearance in the beginning was unnecessary, but fortunately he doesn't speak or appear for long. Some might say that Duck and Oliver felt a little mean to Skiff, but I do think it was a mix of concern and their familiarly proud personalities. I do really like that both sides aren't black and white - Skiff IS scared and easily in trouble as Duck and Oliver said, but can be a hero at the same time. Even though engines screeching to a stop just in time is getting really excessive, here they made it work very well. I wish they could do more episodes at night that involved tension like this. I'm looking forward to the episode that continues on from the ending, where Skiff gets his 'reward.' 9/10

The Way She Does It
Brenner has gotten quite a bit of criticism since season 19 and the Great Race, and I can see why people give it. He does have pacing issues in many of his episodes, and this one does have that in some areas. Nonetheless, I still see that he can make good episodes. This is one of them, and Daisy gets yet another episode to herself. Whilst it's not quite as strong as the past two, there's still a lot to admire. First off, I love Brenner's meticulous attention to detail in the story - every mistake that Daisy makes is given a legitimately good reason to happen, unlike in the Barlow era where every mistake would happen by the the main character even thought he/she would know everything they should from the beginning. I must criticize again Thomas appearing even though there's no reason for it. I'm pretty sure Daisy represents the audience when she doesn't care what important stuff he says he's doing. But I did enjoy seeing Ryan, Duck and Oliver - engines that DO make sense for the story's setting. I love Duck's hilariously awkward moment of him trying to comprehend Daisy's bragging. I'm also guessing that bull is going to be recurring in all of Daisy's episodes now. All in all, a very very funny and smart episode, something we should come to expect from Brenner after Pouty James. 8/10

Daisy, along with Donald and Douglas, have definitely not had missed opportunity in their reintroductions this year. Since the former was pretty much ignored in the Allcroft era, the new writers are clearly not hesitating to exploit her for episode ideas, and I'm very satisfied with their efforts.

If Daisy does get made by Bachmann, I'd actually prefer her CGI render. Her face looks much better now in all honesty, and her front buffer beam doesn't look like it's low riding.

At this point, if Daisy does get made, I would love if they made Ryan to go with her. He's not the most likely choice, no doubt, but with Rosie being made, Ryan doesn't seem too much of a far fetched idea now. Ryan has proven to be quite popular already, and I can see him getting made rather than Marion, Diesel 10, or even Hiro.

I'm well aware of the change in voice. Like I said, it's a minor disappointment.

And to answer, Arlesburgh Junction is the end of Duck's branch line.

Thanks to our friends in Canada, we got two more season 20 episodes already.

Ryan and Daisy
I've been a pretty big Ryan fan since his introduction in Lost Treasure as he is a really nice character, so I was pretty eager to see the first episode starring him. I'd say it worked out very well. Not as good as I thought, but still good. The story isn't really anything new or intricate, and it has been done in the series quite a few times already. It's rather straightforward, too, as is the moral, but definitely made quite good with Ryan and Daisy's different personalities playing off each other. I particularly liked how Daisy used her feminine manipulation to trick Ryan to do her jobs. You also have to admire Ryan's noble attitude, even if it's not healthy. I'm still a bit disappointed that Eddie Redmayne no longer voices him, but Steve Kynman still does a good job in the role. All the little nods of Daisy in the classic era from her not taking the milk train and not being able to shoo a bull off the line were nice touches. The moments with Sir Topham Hatt were definitely humorous, plus I did love seeing Arlesburgh West junction expanded, much like Knapford station in season 18. Davey Moore seems to have a good streak with writing the classic and newer characters, and while it's not quite as good or as entertaining as Railcar and the Coaches or Love Me Tender, it's still very solid. And thank goodness Thomas doesn't speak. 8/10

Pouty James
Andrew Brenner has done it again. It's clear that he just plain enjoys writing episodes with James - not that I blame him, since he's my second favorite member of the Steam Team. I'd go so far to say this is the funniest episode of Thomas yet. The animators must've had a field day making so many hilarious faces for the engines, and this episode proves how much Thomas can benefit with CGI. But not just with the faces, but with the quick cut juxtaposition humor. It's all edited perfectly. Not to mention the little bouts of dialogue sprinkled in. I also want to mention the new theme music by Chris Renshaw, which definitely feels like it pays tribute to his classic theme. In general, it definitely feels like a modern classic, and at times feels like a modern improvement over No Joke for James from season 3. Even though I'm not the biggest Stanley fan, I did like he was used with some significant speaking lines. The moral is also a nice fresh one that the series hasn't really touched on until now. Even though Andrew Brenner's writing quality sunk during last season, this one shows he's still got it. 10/10

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=M7soe8GNNXk

New preview up for the next DVD focusing on season 20. Bring on the thoughts, fans!

If they did do Daisy and wanted to hide the internal compartments like they do with the tank engines, it might be easier and more visually pleasing to use frosted window glass. It would definitely look better than big wide blackened windows.

I can't tell if his face is more model-era or more CGI era. To me, it looks like a happy medium of both.

This was definitely worth the extended wait. Oliver could very well be aesthetically Bachmann's best Thomas engine yet, and that's really saying something considering Skarloey, Duck, Donald and Douglas.

I love the headlight being added (how long has it been since a Thomas engine had a headlight?) and the detail under the chassis. That looks exceptional.

Thinking things through, I now feel Oliver might've been better suited for Diesel in the Ducklings than either Thomas or Duck. If there's one combination that I feel the writers haven't done before that could mix well it's Oliver and Diesel.

But back to Saving Time, it's a pretty solid episode. Not the best, but still pretty solid. Again, Thomas doesn't feel like the most needed character for the story. If I had to choose, it would be more interesting to have Paxton in the role. Now, although Paxton does appear for a couple of funny moments, if you took his role out of the episode, it would've ended the exact same way. If Thomas tried to help Samson up the hill by himself and that didn't succeed, Paxton's inclusion would've felt more necessary. I did like that Samson owned up to his mistake, which shows some development and maturity after his previous batch of episodes in season 18. Sure, he's still clueless, but maybe that's what's so endearing about him. I did like seeing Sir Handel and Peter Sam in prominent speaking roles, particularly the former. Sure, Sir Handel's still not the jerkish one we remember from season 4, but one must do with what one has I suppose. Not Brenner's best episode, but still a good one. 7/10

The only thing I hope is that Thomas isn't put into a main story that is cliched, forced, or one that feels like something we've seen before like in the Great Race.

Heck, if it was like Tale of the Brave and Thomas took a back seat, more power to them.

Considering that the guys behind the show ARE listening to what fans have to say to some degree (Duck is now correctly sized for example), maybe they'll learn from the mistakes in the last special.

Well, we now have the 5 Christmas episodes out thanks to Amazon. And boy, were they well worth the wait.

SPOILERS BELOW:

Letters to Santa
First off, I really enjoy that this episode calls back to the Percy vs. Harold rivalry of the classic era, something we really haven't seen since season 6, and that's probably the best aspect of this episode. It's definitely nice to see that cheeky, headstrong side of Percy's personality again since Tale of the Brave. That flashback to Percy Proves a Point was a great touch. The episode doesn't quite have the same sense of tension that season 18's Last Train to Christmas had, yet it feels like Helen Farrell was trying to. Though, I feel the Percy and Harold aspect ended too quickly, whereas the part with Harold getting to Hiro went on a little longer than need be. The ending was very sweet, and felt like a nice callback to A Bad Day for Harold. In all honesty, it's a pretty straightforward episode, but still has some good aspects to make it stand on its own. 8/10

The Railcar and the Coaches
After 16 seasons, Daisy once again takes center stage in an episode, and she really feels true to her original personality. Of all the classic Awdry characters, I feel she got the least amount of attention she deserved, so I'm more than enthusiastic to see the new team use her. I like the voice Tracy Ann Oberman gives her. She really gives that sass and swagger we know of her. To see her play off Annie and Clarabel felt like an expansion of her actions in her debut episode, and in turn it was a great episode to flesh out the two coaches. Though, it also feels a bit ironic that they learn the same lesson from Thomas and the Emergency Cable from season 18. I can happily say that this is an episode Thomas wasn't shoehorned in, but at the same time the ending with Diesel felt a bit forced. I guess one could say it was the best form of catharsis, but I would've been a bit happier seeing Ryan in his place instead. Plus, I kind of felt the apology between the two and Daisy was necessary. Still, it's a very great episode and I look forward to seeing Daisy pop up in a starring role again. 9/10

The Christmas Coffeepot
This one was a bit of a disappointment. I do like that Glynn hasn't been forgotten by the team (at least not anymore), but it does feel a bit too much like Hero of the Rails. Thomas and Percy find him, he thinks he's going to be scrapped, they hide him, and then get him restored. We've seen this already, and made it kinda dull. What did make it unique and alright for me was Marion and Sir Robert Norramby. Those two are some of the best Arc characters they make any scene they're in entertaining. The tree gag though with Marion I feel should've been wrapped up at the end, like with her subplot in Legend of the Lost Treasure. Probably my least favorite episode of the season so far, but still passable. 6/10

Over the Hill
This episode did a lot of good things. First off, having Glynn playing off Stephen benefited both characters to a degree. One of the problems I had with Glynn in the previous episode was that he was kind of bland. Here, while that problem still surfaces, they did make him a bit more like Stephen with his old, wise nature, which could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on perspective. In my opinion, it's like two elderly friends hanging out together like they were young again. Their bit with James and Gordon was probably my favorite scene, though I think the slowing down trains up front gag is wearing out its welcome. For me, it was especially nice to see Stephen show some jealousy as well as his competitive side again. The music referencing Eye of the Tiger was definitely unexpected, but was definitely funny. The humor in general was quite fresh for the episode. Also, more points for Thomas not being more than a cameo when he didn't need to be. Plus, with the Earl mentioning of building a railway museum...I see next year's special on the horizon...8/10

Love Me Tender
And now we come to Donald and Douglas' first episode in the CGI era - the episode everyone was waiting for. I'm not going to say this is my favorite episode of season 20 so far just because Donald and Douglas are in it. I will say it IS my favorite episode of season 20 so far because of how it was written. It definitely takes notes (and dialogue) from Twin Trouble, which is one of my favorite episodes of season 6. The Twins' headstrong personalities butting with each other feel very true to their original characters. This episode works great because it definitely puts the twins in a light that anyone with siblings can relate to, and I, in all honesty, feel they do this aspect better than Bill and Ben: brothers may argue, but they always stick together. The way it was handled as well didn't really make you side with one twin more than the other - they both have pros and cons in their decisions. But in the end, when Donald realizes he was wrong, you're really rooting for him to save Douglas. The dialogue during then is particularly sweet and satisfying. I have to admit, when I heard the title for this episode, I thought the twins were going to swap tenders like in the Missing Coach, and while it didn't really do that, I still feel the episode did that point of Douglas losing his tender quite well. The callbacks to the Deputation and the cocoa bit from the Flying Kipper were nice touches. I guess my only nitpick would be, once again, Thomas appearing. It's not as blatant a shoehorning as some other episodes, but again it's still a nagging thing. Nonetheless, this is definitely a huge highlight of season 20 and definitely worth the hype of seeing Donald and Douglas again in a starring role. 10/10