Series 21: Daisy's Perfect Christmas

We're back on the Little Western extension to Harwick again with Daisy in the starring role! She's been a delight whenever she's showed up, but would Daisy's Perfect Christmas be just that?

Well, it was certainly surprising! Whenever this show tackles "old vs new", they so often teach that old is still useful at the expense of destroying the new. But we actually have an episode where traditions are broken and it's treated as a good thing. And I absolutely love it.

I also like that they gave Daisy the starring role. Not just because she's become one of my favourites due to her portrayal, but because she's one of the few characters it would have worked with. She's been known to like things "just so". So to have her struggle with the changes... well, it actually feels like an allegory for whiny, petty fans complaining about every single change of the show up to this point (the latest being Edward's move to Wellsworth).

The fact that they added children strengthened that allegory further. With every single complaint that the overgrown manchildren moan about, they care only for themselves. The fact is, however, the show is for children.

The funniest thing about this episode though isn’t the Troublesome Trucks (although they were superb). It’s that Jerome and Judy were given more character development here than they were in The Missing Breakdown Train - the episode they starred in! I really liked it, and they’ve suddenly become more charismatic than Rocky’s ever been.

Diesel may only have had a small role, but I love that he’s still conflicted about his feelings. It’s obvious that it will take a while for Diesel to fully reform and develop. He genuinely feels like a more layered character than most at this point.

Final Thoughts

This is yet another lovely episode. It's a fantastic showcase of how great the dynamic is between the four characters at Harwick. The theme is brilliant, the story is great. It's just another episode that I have no complaints about.

The big takeaway from all of this is that change can be good. Yes, some of the toys are terrible. But rather than moaning because you don't like them, just... don't buy them? Or, if you are going to whinge, think about what the kids think? Same goes for the show. If you can't give the changes a chance, don't bother watching it.

Episode Ratings

Springtime for Diesel: 10/10
A Most Singular Engine: 10/10
Dowager Hatt's Busy Day: 10/10
Stuck in Gear: 8/10
Runaway Engine: 9/10
P.A. Problems: 8/10
Hasty Hannah: 9/10
Cranky at the End of the Line: 4/10
New Crane on the Dock: 5/10
Unscheduled Stops: 4/10
Philip's Number: 10/10
The Fastest Red Engine on Sodor: 10/10
A Shed for Edward: 10/10
Terence Breaks the Ice: 9/10
Emily in the Middle: 10/10
Daisy's Perfect Christmas: 10/10

Cumulative Total (So Far)

136/160