What I like about this episode is how different it is from the other episodes in season 1. For starters: usually in an episode where a new character is introduced they mainly get a secondary role while the lead role is given to an already established character. But here, the new character has the lead role and its one who would become a main stable of the show. The tone is also something I've come to appreciate in recent years. For the majority of season 1 the tone has been light hearted with a few sad or funny moments, but here it's consistently sad. You get that impression from the lines of narration at the beginning and get the idea that this railway is on its last legs. Then there's the lack of music in some scenes. It seems to have more of an impact that way. Had those scenes had maybe Thomas's sad theme or Henry's sad theme or even a sad variation of Toby's theme it probably wouldn't have the same emotional effect as it does without music.
I feel that S1 gets overlooked by fans as 'everything just happens and that's it' when really this isn't true. Because Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends is a slice-of-life show and world of escapism, not every action-packed moments are needed to drive the force of the story and characters and Toby & the Stout Gentleman is one of them definitely. While not high on my favorite episodes from this season, it is still an underrated gem and opens up more of the outside world than Sodor (at least in the books whereas here, it explores another part of the Island). Ringo Starr also sets the mood really well with his calm soothing tone which is another reason why he is my favorite narrator. And the scenery looks so gorgeously stunning and real! It really shows how much talent Britt and David had with the models and sets.
my favorite episode got a spot in my hs yearbook. Paint pots and Queens for what Gordon said in the beginning. I propose an alliance, united we stand, together we fall. You help me and I'll help you. And an extremely close second goes to You can do it Toby.
Whenever someone hears that I am still a fan of Thomas and wonder why I still enjoy it as a grownup, _THIS_ is the episode I tend to point them to for why. This episode just has so many feels, _ALL_ the feels! Whenever I recount the events of this episode to others willing to listen, they're usually fully invested by the end, right around Toby's mournful line of "Nobody wants me." And then when they think that it's gonna end on Toby being shut away forever, the cliffhanger ending suddenly comes in and they're like "AAUGH! How can you end it like that! Finish the story!" which leads me to continue with "Thomas in Trouble" to wrap things up with the happy ending for Toby, as well as surprising these people with the unexpecting a story of Thomas the Tank Engine practically being _arrested_ by a rude cop (as they just expected Thomas & Friends to be a bunch of silly dumb stories for babies instead of having any serious social commentary on, of all things, corruption and power abuse in the police department). And when I tell them the first story, I keep the stout gentleman's true identity a secret like the Railway Series version did, making the later revelation that he is Sir Topham Hatt a surprise twist that usually gets people right in the feels. It also really helps that both this episode and its second part "Thomas in Trouble" were part of what I consider to be the best episode of Shining Time Station's first season, "Ring in the Old", an episode that is themed entirely around nostalgia and finding respect and admiration for old things of the past. And then when George Carlin succeeded Ringo Starr as the US narrator and re-narrated these two Toby episodes, they were played again on Shining Time Station in its third-season finale, "How the Station Got its Name", which was a pretty significant episode, lore-wise, that went into the station's history, and in which the themes of Toby and Henrietta being old and historic fit right into quite neatly.
A very nice review. I feel like Toby is a character that one tends to appreciate more as they get older, and the same can be said for his debut episode. The classic seasons of Thomas were truly amazing when it came to experimenting with tone and offering a wide variety of set designs that made Sodor feel like a real place in the world. For me personally, I'd say my favorite episode is "Bulldog", which is another episode featuring lots of mountainous sets, some variations in tone, and a wise old sage at the center of it :)
This is very different. And I like it. I like hearing other people's thoughts and opinions on certain episodes and such. I wouldn't mind you doing these types of videos every now and again. Interesting for you to talk about pretty much Toby's introduction episode/story here. Perhaps you could do the other two TV adapted stories of Toby the Tram or something? Anyways a well done and interesting review here. Keep up the great work and take care.
Thanks. I'd definitely like to try more of these once in a while and I have a few more ideas I'd like to do. When they'll happen is up in the air at the moment.
This episode gave me an inspiration story basing on the scene where Toby's offence of being called "Electric" and I've always ponder myself why no one in the community wrote a story about Toby interacting to a electric Tram as I have done. - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-KZk38IGbd90.htmlsi=vs12-VT4DeeucRoi
