"Thomas' Frosty Friend" is the twentieth episode (the nineteenth in production order) of the tenth season.
| "Thomas' Frosty Friend" | ||||||||||||||
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 "Mr. sNoWmAn, I ToLd yOu to gO BaCk tO ThE ChIlDrEn! WhY ArE YoU StIlL FoLlOwInG Me?" - Thomas
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Plot
When a snowman balloon gets blown away by a gust of wind, its ropes coil around Thomas' buffers; he pulls it everywhere he goes.
Why It's Not Our Frosty Friend
- The episode, lasting seven minutes, overly attempts to elicit laughter with a plot centered on a snowman balloon chasing Thomas, rendering it one of the most nonsensical concepts in the show's history.
- The episode is not offensive or entirely insulting; however, it's worth mentioning that the "joke" where Thomas mistakes the snowman balloon for a real, ambulatory snowman seems foolish, as it portrays him as the only one acting senselessly to escalate the absurdity to the rooftop.
- In the episode, Thomas mistakenly believes the snowman balloon is alive and following him, when in fact, it's merely a balloon. Thomas could have simply informed his driver about the situation and returned the balloon, but he does not return it until the end of the episode, seemingly to extend the episode's runtime.
- He also should have seen the chains attached to the snowman balloon.
- Additionally, since Thomas sincerely believes that the balloon is alive, his concern is not for his own safety, but rather for the balloon's return to the children.
- Plot Hole: James, Farmer McColl, and Emily should have realized Thomas was pulling a balloon before he leaves them.
- Like several other winter-themed episodes in the Miller era, it uses the term "Winter Holiday" instead of "Christmas".
- Just like the wind in "Topped Off Thomas," Thomas refers to the snowman balloon as "Mr. Snowman".
- It is unexplained why the balloon is situated in a random field, adjacent to a railway line amidst the countryside, and why the children, who are unsupervised, have congregated around it.
- Lazy Writing: Thomas says, "Mr. Snowman, I told you to go back to the children! Why are you still following me?" three times.
- When James, Farmer McColl, and Emily see Thomas, they each say these exact lines: "Thomas, what are you doing with that snowman?" when he arrives and "Thomas, why do you have a giant balloon tied to your buffers?" as he leaves.
- The narrator says the snowman balloon "dances" in front of Thomas, but it simply floats in front of him.
- Contrary to most episodes that follow the three strikes pattern, this particular episode employs a four strikes formula, which only serves to make it more repetitive and irritating to endure.
- Numerous instances display a disregard for logic and realism by the writers:
- Firstly, the balloon should not have flown away in the first place since it was secured to the ground with stakes, unless the wind was severe, which it was not. Additionally, it improbably attached itself to Thomas' back buffers while he was in motion, preventing it from floating off into the sky.
- The ropes tied around Thomas' buffers appear too loose to be securely coiled, rendering it illogical for the balloon to continue trailing him. The ropes could easily detach from his buffers, allowing the balloon to drift away.
- When Thomas finally brings the snowman balloon back to the field, it looks like it is looking and waving at the children as if it were a cartoon character, despite being just a balloon. This peculiar behavior is not only bizarre, but it prompts several questions.
- The snowman balloon has a face that appears eerie and unsettling, particularly as it drifts past Thomas.
Qualities That Are Our Frosty Friend
- Aside from its face, the snowman balloon is well-designed.
- Aside from Thomas, the other characters are likable and actually have common sense knowing the snowman is just a balloon.
- This is also one of the few times in the HiT Model and the Sharon Miller eras Emily has her original personality.
- Thomas finally realizes the snowman is a balloon at the end.
Reception
The episode is widely hated among the Thomas fandom scoring a 2.7 out of 10 on IMDb and is considered the worst episode of the model era alongside "Edward Strikes Out".
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