Race to the Rescue (Thomas & Friends)

"Race to the Rescue"
Seriously, Flynn? Haven't you learned anything from the previous episode/season?
Series: Thomas & Friends Part of Season: 16 Episode Number: 1 Air Date: February 20, 2012 (UK) April 8, 2012 (US) Writer: Sharon Miller Director: Greg Tiernan Previous episode: Fiery Flynn (Season 15) Next episode: Ol' Wheezy Wobbles

"Race to the Rescue" is the premiere episode of the sixteenth season of Thomas & Friends.

Plot

Flynn is able to run on the roads once more, yet he feels anxious because his wheels wobble, and he fears being mocked.

Why It Needs to Be Rescued

1. Like the previous episode, "Fiery Flynn," this episode portrays firefighters negatively in a highly objectionable way. Flynn is depicted as equally inept, concerned more with avoiding ridicule for his shaky wheels on the roads than with extinguishing the fire at Sir Topham Hatt's shed and assisting Butch and Bertie.
   • Flynn is deeply insulted when Charlie teases him by calling him a "big red wobble on wheels," leading him to vow only to use the rails. Upon reaching the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre, Rocky informs him of a fire at Sir Topham Hatt's shed (the same one featured in 'Day of the Diesels'), and that the quickest route there is by road. Given the plot of "Fiery Flynn," one can easily predict the ensuing events.
   • The portrayal of firefighters as incompetent fools through one character in this episode is not humorous. It's offensively and reprehensibly unfunny. Moreover, the episode's failure to take itself seriously only adds to the disappointment, especially when compared to the already low expectations set by the CGI era Fireman Sam.
2. Like almost every episode in the Sharon Miller era, alliteration and narration are used extensively, which is annoying.
3. Many scenes are illogical and unrealistic throughout.
   • In the story's opening, Thomas passes over a switch, and James follows immediately without halting. The points switch too rapidly for this sequence of events to occur realistically.
   • Flynn asks Victor if his road wheels are fixed, even though the workmen are clearly fixing them.
   • The road/rail changeover track Flynn uses is too short and does not end in buffers.
   • Bertie asks Flynn to put water into the former's engine to cool it down.
4. Unfunny attempts at humour:
   • Flynn is unsteady and sways across the road when he tries out his road wheels for the first time.
   • When Charlie sees this, he calls Flynn a "big red wobble on wheels". This phrase is clumsy and is said 8 times in the episode. A better phrase would be "big red wobbler on wheels".
5. Plot Holes:
   • It is unexplained why Flynn is being repaired at the Sodor Steamworks instead of the Search and Rescue Centre.
   • It is also unexplained why Thomas is at the Steamworks besides shoehorning purposes.
   • Flynn could have easily battled the blaze from the rails.
6. It conveys a negative moral that one should not approach work with seriousness and urgency.
7. This episode marked the beginning of Season 16, starting an already disappointing season on a negative note.

Redeeming Qualities

1. The CGI animation by Nitrogen Studios is nice.
2. Good narration by both Michael Brandon and Michael Angelis, as usual.
3. There is less rhyming than usual.
4. Although not significantly better, this episode employs the two-strike formula instead of the typical three-strike approach of this era.
5. Flynn redeems himself in the episode's conclusion by battling the shed fire and assisting Bertie and Butch. However, his actions do not compensate for the rest of the episode's shortcomings.

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