About a year has passed since the positive reception of both King Of The Railway and the seventeenth season of Thomas & Friends which started many things for the show. During April 2014, five episodes were previewed on a Walmart-Exclusive DVD known as Trouble On The Tracks. This was a preview for season 18 which aired later during the late summer of 2014, coinciding the release of Arc Productions' second feature-length special Tale Of The Brave. About everything was the same for season 18 as it was the last season. Mark Moraghan continued to narrate with the voice cast by his side while Robert Hartshorne continued with the score. A few characters also returned to the series. Seeing how well the previous season has improved to give the series a boost since the 1990s, was the eighteenth season any improvement? If you wanna know my answer to this, read and find out...

1. Old Reliable Edward

Wow! First episode in the season and it's so great. Best opener to season ever! It really seems like the new writing team have taken their time with bringing Edward into the spotlight and now we have Edward in his greatest moments since season 2. It's almost like a retelling of Edward And Gordon/Edward Helps Out from the characterization out Edward and Gordon and bringing Thomas into the fold is great. The episode was very well-written, especially the use of the term mixed-traffic, though one small nitpick from both the writers and the narrator was that it stated that Gordon was pulling the express up Gordon's Hill when it should have said his hill. Speaking of the express, it's nice to see Gordon hauling more coaches. It really proves his strength and it's a great addition from Arc Production. Anyway, back to the characters, the main characters are faired very well, especially Edward, though sometimes I don't get why Annie and Clarabel were laughing at Gordon for being stuck when it's stated in season 1's Down The Mine that they have "great respect for Gordon The Big Engine." Ah, well, maybe it wasn't that big of a deal and the writers did it just to maintain Gordon's role as the antagonist of the episode. Same reason for Emily teasing Gordon, though Percy, James or Henry also could have had that part since Emily's more of a kind engine who looks out for her friends. Anyway, Edward and Gordon maintain the same rivalry that they've had in season 1 and Thomas is his cheeky self, especially with the expressions that HIT have given him. I also like how he manages to speak back at Gordon for calling Edward old and unreliable:

"You're not going that fast yourself, Gordon."

You do feel a little sorry for Gordon when he was stuck on his hill and got teased by the other engines for mistaking the red trousers by for a red signal but you know deep down that it served him right for his attitude towards Edward. I quite liked the race between Thomas and Gordon and I guess the results of it were okay if neither of them took any passengers across the Island. Thomas getting Gordon stuck on his hill seemed like payback time for what Gordon did to Thomas in the pilot episode. Then Edward comes back into the fold and reminds Gordon that he is too old and unreliable to push Gordon up the hill. We have seen a bit of a sarcastic nature of Edward here but again, it was shown in season 2's Cows/A Cow On The Line at the very end so I can't complain about that. It's really nothing to complain about because it does nothing to hurt his character. He's just reminding Gordon about how rude he was to him and gives Gordon time to learn his lesson before he promises to never call him old or unreliable again. Than comes a few more chuckles when Edward gets to push Gordon up the hill.

"And what do you say?" (peep peep)

"O the indignity…"

"Sorry?"

"I mean…thank you. Thank you, Edward."

Those lines were put together well and give me a chuckle each time, even it comes by surprise but then it's so memorable, isn't it? It was an awesome episode and definitely Edward at his best since Edward's Exploit. There is a great moral from how the audience can learn from Gordon about saying thank you and from Edward about not letting others take advantage of you. Enough said, I'll give it a 9.9/10.

2. Not So Slow Coaches

Another great episode, though not actually on par with the previous. The relationship between Thomas, Annie and Clarabel brings back memories of Tank Engine Thomas Again and it's season 1 adaptation. I really love the lines at the beginning:

"He's doing it again, Clarabel."

"I agree, Annie. Much too fast, much too fast."

"I can hear you two." (chuckling)

That always makes me laugh. Plenty of humor packed there. The fact that Thomas is cheeky to them and going much too fast and then much too slow is really funny too. After that, Thomas has to take some empty trucks to the quarry and Caitlan comes into the story too. This is all getting a little interesting and Charlie's joke seemed a bit better than before. However, more laughs come in once Caitlan started puling her coaches along with Annie and Clarabel. They wonder if Thomas is back already but then they see Thomas who is calling out of them and Caitlan whistles, so Annie and Clarabel realize that they are not not being pulled by Thomas after all. They have funny interactions about whether or not it helps to keep their eyes closed and than Caitlan stops at Wellsworth Station and challenges him to a race.

"How about a race to Ulfstead Castle?"

"Please say no, please say no."

"You're on!"

"NOOOOOOOO!"

Such funny writing there. I really enjoyed it. A few thing though: how could not have noticed Annie and Clarabel before coupling them up to Caitlan's coaches? There wouldn't have been a story if that happened. And how did Hiro get Thomas' coaches back so quickly like 10 or 15 seconds after Caitlan crossed the bridge to the mainland? Anyway, the ending was nice with Thomas resolving issues with his coaches and it was funny how they commented on how fast he was going right after saying that they'd never complain again, ending with all of them laughing. It was a nice episode, despite a few problems, so I'll give it an 9.1/10.

3. Flatbeds Of Fear

Two great episodes and now we have the worst episode of the season. From reading it, I could see similarities from Percy And The Monster Of Brendam and it was sort of based off that episode, only slightly better written. Other than that, it was repetitive and I didn't really like the characterization out of Henry. It was nice to hear Emily's season 8 theme again but the reasonable explanation part got very, very repetitive. The UK version was slightly more spooky with the SFX so I can't fault this episode too much. It's decent so that's why I give it a 6.8/10. Could have been much better but I wasn't expecting too much out of it.

4. Disappearing Diesels

Much better episode. Paxton and Diesel are both in perfect character for a protagonist vs antagonist comparison and I like the premise about Paxton having lots of friends. I especially like the interactions between Paxton and Cranky.

"Look, Cranky. I've bought your favorite again. Heavy stone."

"Oh, Paxton. You shouldn't have."

Andrew Brenner also handles Diesel's character very well of "not being an easy engine to be friends with." Though I do feel sorry for Paxton when the other diesels hide on him, though it was just a joke and it's nice to see that they are his friends since they were concerned about him. So the episode carries on and I found an animation error: children standing over the level crossing. That's really dangerous and hopefully kids won't learn to do that from Arc's visuals. Anyway, more laughs came with the part where Diesel hid behind Reg and did an impersonation of him. Now that way funny and so was the exchange between the two diesels:

"No! I'm a truckload of sausages!"

"Sausages?"

And so then we come to the part where Diesel runs out of fuel and Paxton helps him. That truly defines the two characters and so does the ending where Diesel doesn't feel like saying thank you. He would have done that, had Sharon Miller written this episode. The facial expression of Diesel putting away his smile was funny and well done by Arc. Great episode with a great plot, great character development and great animation, despite the one mistake from the level crossing. I also preferred the US version than the UK version because of Diesel's voiceover work. Overall, it's a 9.5/10 for me.

5. Crossed Signals

Second least favorite episode of the season but slightly better then Flatbeds Of Fear. I was so excited about Toby getting a lead role since he only had one speaking in season 17 and rarely appeared in Tale Of The Brave. However, I was a little disappointed. He is still out of character but compared to S9-16, at least he's being wise here about signals. He is bullied by the likes of Gordon and James which is not fair because of how little screen time he has had if you ask me. However, I do like Henrietta. It could have explained how she had been given a face like we were promised that an episode would show us that it's nice how she looks out for Toby. Her expressions to make James apologize were spot on. Even though I don't like how Sir Topham Hatt doesn't believe Toby about the signal, the part where his assistant whispered in his ear and he realized that Toby was right was quite funny. However, I didn't like how neither Stanley or Rosie spoke after making numerous cameos. Either of them could have been the lead instead of Toby. Enough said, it's a good watch and it teaches kids about being careful with signals and learning them so I think that this one deserves a 7/10. Could have been much better if Toby wasn't so scared or maybe if there was a different protagonist.

6. Toad's Adventure

Oliver makes his official return after cameoing in Tale Of The Brave and the previous episode and now, Toad's back as well. And I'd say he's in character but I don't know about Oliver. The writers need to know a bit more about him than to just make him so conceited to neglect Toad with his story of his scrapyard escape. Speaking of that, I loved the season 3 reference but I feel that it was just there for fan service since Douglas wasn't mentioned and didn't even appear. Ah, well. It helped to put the episode together and the runaway scene reminded me of season 5's Busy Going Backwards. But Toad already had an adventure in that episode so that's a continuity error. Unless it's an adventure which he tries to forget about. It's not explained how the branch got on the line but that's no big deal. James was pretty much in character. He was a jerk at the beginning but as the story continued, he was just full of himself, that's all. He seemed very hospitable towards Toad and this is something I'd like to see more in his character towards others. It's too bad that the Scottish Twins didn't return alongside Oliver and Toad. Douglas was the reason why Oliver's story even came into this episode. It would have been nice if Douglas got a mention. On the whole, it's another great watch. Just a few faults as explained above. The voiceover work is brilliant and Joe Mills is a great addition to the voice cast. Overall, it's an 8.5/10 for me.

7. Duck In The Water

What I mainly have to say about this episode is just…well…it's just brilliant. James and Duck are both perfectly in character, especially their interactions at the beginning:

"It's a shame you've been stuck with a goods train but I suppose someone has to pull cars."

"Oh, I thought you sometimes pulled cars too."

James and Duck playing the foil to each other, it's awesome. And it's also nice to see how later, James' arrogance gets the better when Sir Topham Hatt comes into the story and that's where more laughs come in.

"Oh, no. I hope he's not here to give me ANOTHER job."

And Sir Topham Hatt's reaction to James' joke:

"Huh! I thought ducks LIKED being in the water."

"James!"

Such priceless expressions there and the ways that both voice dubs delivered them were spot on. So the episode carries on and James continues to be impatient as he rushes Rocky to the state of emergency and we get an element from the RWS story Crossed Lines from James And The Diesel Engines when the signal was knocked over. Then we get to see more of Oliver and it's just great. Thomas is nowhere to be seen and Sharon could have easily put Thomas in Oliver's place if this episode were written between S13-16, which it doesn't have the mediocrity to live down to. Anyway, it's nice to see some different kind of characterization out of James in the end when he owns up for the accident and shows more maturity by agreeing to pull Duck's truck until his firebox dries out. It's a great episode and James' greatest episode since season 8's James Goes Too Far. Therefore, it's a 9.4/10 for me.

8. Duck And The Slip Coaches

Best episode of the season, hands down. Duck and James are perfectly in character and, like the previous episode, manage to go well on screen together with the rivalry that they maintain. There is a great premise and plenty of chuckles to be had, especially where the swimming falls all over Sir Topham Hatt. I couldn't help but laugh at how annoying James found Duck and his stories. Definitely relates back to Pop Goes The Diesels where the big engines grow tired of Duck's stories, only here James was the only one affected by them. It was so nice to see Duck in Tidmouth Sheds for the first time in years since season 7 but you do feel sorry for Emily, especially after how her character was handled in Tale Of The Brave, that little joke at the Emily replaced Duck might offend Emily fans but it's not that big of a deal to me. Just a joke to shut those journalists up. Sir Topham Hatt could have arranged for her to sleep somewhere else, maybe even her old home Knapford Sheds but if that happened, there would have been no joke right? Anyway, enough about that. Back to the episode itself, I loved James' attitude towards Duck at the sheds and how his arrogance increases as the episode moves along. First, he informs Sir Topham Hatt about the slip coaches and what he knows about them, even if not much, and you feel sorry for Duck when he doesn't get to claim that it was his idea and confused that the engines congratulate James for the idea even though they know it wasn't his. Maybe for the fact that he started the whole slip coach ordeal and saved the railway conflict, his friends felt happy for him. I really like the voice acting of the slip coaches, and speaking of the slip coaches, they're a great idea to add to the series since they seem realistic in actual railway life. Overall, it's an awesome episode and probably HIT's greatest triumph by far. The only problem I had with it was that Duck had his #8 while on the Great Western railway and this is a small animation mistake from Arc. Not too big of a deal, it doesn't save the episode from being so outstanding so I'll give it a 10/10. Definitely my favorite episode from HIT Entertainment and the best I've seen since season 6's The Fogman and up to part with it too.

9. Thomas The Quarry Engine

Not actually on par with the previous two episodes but for my first S18 watch from the Trouble On The Tracks DVD, I gotta say that I was impressed. It has a very interesting premise with Mavis working in the quarry and wishing to see the rest of Sodor and that gave her the right attitude to put Thomas and Diesel in their place from bickering. Speaking of Diesel, he is, again, in perfect character and the fact that he mentions diesels being "revolutionary" was a great reference to Pop Goes The Diesel. The trucks also work great as antagonists but why would Mavis leave Thomas at the quarry with all those trucks? She must have a clue that Diesel's a schemer though the two of them were on the same side in Mavis' season 3 debut. However, she should have known better then to leave Thomas on his own like that. But without it, there would be no conflict, or even a story. The runaway scene was brilliantly animated and bought back memories of the classic series and how well the runaway scenes there were directed by David Mitton. Would there have been an ending without Sir Topham Hatt scolding all three engines instead of Devious Diesel. I mean, I bet he relies on Mavis a lot nowadays to be in charge of the quarry but rebuking Thomas was understandable since he left without a back engine. Now that was just clumsy and more of Percy behavior if you ask me. I mean, trusting the trucks to behave? Come on, Thomas. You're wiser then that nowadays aren't you? Enough about that, the episode was pretty good from the way it was written though again, I prefer Diesel's voiceover work in the US dub then the UK dub. And why did Mavis wear balloons? Where did those come from? Anyway, despite the few flaws that the episode presented, it didn't have to be perfect from the way it was thought of and I enjoyed it anyway so I'm giving this one an 8.8/10.

10. Thomas And The Emergency Cable

This was a good watch. It teaches kids about the importance of emergency cables and the necessary time to use it. You feel sorry for Annie when she develops her flat tire and frustrated with the man for pulling the emergency cable at an unnecessary time. Though at one point, the guard sounded a lot like Sir Topham Hatt and that must have been a voice acting mistake. A plot mistake was Annie having a flat tire when in the description, it said that Clarabel had one. I did have a few laughs, like how the bird watcher's reason for pulling the emergency cable was delivered

"I saw a rare bird and got excited."

And the reaction of all the passengers when they are cramped around the man. Now that was just funny. Though it was quite irresponsible for Thomas to not stop at the station. May be a little lessons to younger children who wish to grow up and be engineers that you must stop at every station and it's very important for railroaders in early stages of engineering to see that. You really felt the lady's frustration there and the exchanges between Thomas and Annie at the end were very funny.

"Thanks for getting me a new wheel, Thomas. But how did you manage to get one so quickly?"

"I told him it was an emergency."

Boy, that makes me chuckle and it adds plenty of humor to the episode too. On the whole, this was another good episode with an important moral so I give it an 9/10.

11. Duncan And The Grumpy Passenger

Well, well, well. What do you know? Duncan's back for the first time in six years since season 12. This is a good way to return him to the series but I liked the Christmas episode better. I loved the shots and it's so nice to see so many locations back since season 4. The episode itself has a great moral of not being able to please everybody but it was definitely in Duncan to do and act the way he did. He's not actually adventurous like he was in the HIT series but not rude and resentful towards others like he was in S5-7. He was in his season 4 persona but this time, he tries to make the grumpy passenger stop complaining. Not much to say, it's a great return for a great character and that earns it an 8.8/10 in my book.

12. Marion And The Pipe

Bit of a boring episode. Marion's a nice character and I liked her interactions with Bill and Ben but she's also quite bumbling and she should have had more common sense just to do what she did at the beginning. I just don't know. This episode was not a favorite of mine. It was a good episode but it was so sluggishly paced. It was mysterious though and Thomas played a pretty good role being the wise character he is. There's just not much more to say about this episode so I'll just end by giving it a 7.1/10.

13. Missing Gator

Best episode of the week so far. There were some really nice references to Tale Of The Brave, even if it almost seemed like an advertisement for the movie. There was also a good reference to King Of The Railway and I loved how, instead of immediately having an episode about Gator coming back, we have Percy getting over the departure of his old friend, a feeling that pays off later on in the season. There was a little rhythm but again, not as annoying as S13-16 and the music while Percy kept himself sounded beautiful. It was a very touching episode and teaches viewers how to get over the absence of those you care about because it's just like Salty said at the end

"One day, he might come back."

Enough said, this episode gets an 9/10 in my book.

14. No Steam Without Coal

Another good step-up and a great way to see some development out of the four key characters: Timothy, Bill, Ben and Marion. It doesn't really make sense that Timothy is the only "oil-burning engine on Sodor"unless if you want to forget about the Logging Locos. Timothy has great characterization and you do feel sorry for him when he is teased by the likes of Bill and Ben and you feel for the twins when they run out of coal yet you also feel that they've learnt their lesson to rely on Timothy. I don't see why they can't respect engines they don't know so well but they're really in their classic personas. It really seems though like Andrew Brenner is portraying his favorite characters like James and the twins as antagonists towards other engines but that's his choice I guess. The plot reminds me of Mud Glorious Mud from the Jack And The Pack series only with different and newer characters. Again, Thomas is nowhere to be seen so the fact that he isn't shoehorned into any episode gives me much more respect for the character and his appearances are always necessary for me to gain his full respect back, even if it's not in episodes like this. Now onto Marion; the writers are using more female characters as role models for younger female audiences and that's great. I like Marion here much more then the second episode this week. She's a motherly figure to the twins and keeps them well in order, not bumbling and kind of careless like she was in Marion And The Pipe. Enough said, it's a great episode with a great moral about respecting others for their differences and kids could learn this in order to stop bullying in school life so the writers portrayed the message quite well. On the whole, it's a 9.1/10 for me.

15. Spencer's VIP

Best episode of the week by a long shot. Best one since Duck And The Slip Coaches. The music and the shots at the beginning were top-notch and well put together and I got a few laughs from Spencer's race around the Island at the beginning. The character development out of everybody was great, though Percy should know what a VIP is by now. That part really confused me but HIT might have done it to teach kids about what a VIP though it's a continuity since Percy has had experiences with VIPs. I loved the writing, especially with the Services To Transport part though I think Spencer pronounced schedule wrong. Spencer's short reactions with Edward bought back memories of Edward The Great, especially with the attitude he puts towards him and I liked how signals and the branch line were both mentioned. The part at the Clay Pits with Bill and Ben was hilarious. As much as Spencer deserved his comeuppance for being careless, you do feel sorry for him a little bit despite being an antagonist because he has matured since Hero Of The Rails and it's nice seeing some remorse out of him, being allowed a second chance at the end. The moral of seconds chances was very well-put there. The interactions between Gordon and James at Wellsworth were very funny and quite well-written

"Oh James! Your poor passengers! You mustn't stop so quickly!"

"Well, at least my passengers can stop onto the platform, Gordon!"

(looks back) "Oh!"

Quite a few chuckles there which increased in the next scene with Duck and Oliver:

"Oliver! What are you doing on MY track?"

"YOUR track? Who says this is YOUR track?"

"There are two ways of doing things, Oliver, the Great Western way and…"

"…the wrong way! I know! And you're doing it the wrong way!"

I also got a few laughs out of Thomas allowing coal to pour over Annie and Clarabel. All of the things mentioned above were just priceless and made this episode so great. On the whole, it's a 9.6/10 for me.

16. Toad's Bright Idea

Another pretty good episode here. I liked how the episode took place during the events of Tale Of The Brave, even if the part with Percy and Gator checking to see if James was alright after his accident was omitted to save time. It was nice to see the episode focusing on the importance of lamps, though I felt that it was foolish of Gator to leave Toad out on the line like that and why would the shunter uncouple Toad? Would there have been a resolution with it? I don't know. I like the use of terminology like "contradict" for example which supports Toad's persona very well and Oliver when he says

"See you later, Gator. In a while, um…Toad."

The part from Tale Of The Brave with James getting scared of Gator was very well put in. This episode is not perfect but it's not really bad in any way but I really like it so I'll give it a 9/10.

17. Long Lost Friend

Hmm, for a start to the Christmas run for the season, I really like this one. Gator makes an official return to the series and I could tell that he was going to be the "old friend" from reading the description on The Christmas Engines DVD because Percy was mentioned in the plot. You feel sorry for both Percy and Gator when they miss each other and have the feeling that they don't want to see each other. You know what I also found touching? Not just the reunion between Percy and Gator at the end but the reunion between Thomas and Gator. It was funny to see Thomas pass Gator but then he realizes he's there and puts on his brakes. What I did find confusing though was that Owen at the Blue Mountain Quarry knew who Gator was. Maybe Gator worked there before meeting the Steam Team and that could explain it. I quite liked the interactions between Gator and his driver. We haven't had much engine/crew interactions in ten years, have we? It was a great episode, even if not perfect, and it had beautiful music and animation and great voice acting. Despite a few problems with how the story was structured, it was a touching episode so I'll give it a 9/10.

18. Last Train For Christmas

Now, this was a brilliant episode. In fact, I liked how, for the first time since season 3's Thomas And Percy's Christmas Adventure/Thomas And Percy's Mountain Adventure, the events are close to Christmas. For once in 23 years, in the UK at least, the story takes place on Christmas Eve, though it's odd since we have two Christmas episodes to follow after this. Anyway, back to the story. Again, I can't fault the animation, except for that part with the mainland station being Crovan's Gate, and the music was catchy and perfect for a Christmas episode. It totally set the tone of the story and kept me going the whole way through. It was nice to Duck and Oliver make regular appearances throughout the season but I found it a bit confusing that Diesel tried using a sense of logic and Sir Topham Hatt almost listened to Diesel before listening to Thomas and Percy. It was nice to see determination out of Connor and Thomas and there's a great moral about being home for Christmas and the effort put in at Christmas time. Best episode since Duck And The Slip Coaches. It was great episode with an awesome story and a quite simple yet amazing moral so it's a 9.8/10 for me.

19. Duncan The Humbug

I never got the timing of this episode as compared to the last two episodes. The previous episode took place on Christmas Eve yet this one took place randomly around Christmas time. Maybe Christmas was still being celebrated after the 25th, who knows? Anyway, this an awesome story, almost on par with the previous one. Duncan is perfectly in character, not lacking the capability to work but just a grumpy engine who didn't mean to hurt his friends. I don't get, though, why Thomas was there instead of another standard gauge engine but his appearance was relevant to increase Duncan's jealousy about getting a fresh coat of paint. I loved the shot of the viaduct. It was just beautiful. However, one minor nitpick with the plot was how the summary was handled before the episode's release. The synopsis clearly said that Victor promised Duncan a new coat of paint if he could take on the challenge to stop grumbling for a day yet it was Mr. Percival/The Thin Controller who made that deal with him. Speaking of Mr. Percival, I loved the character development out of him. I got quite a couple of laughs as the episode progressed anyway, like the first shot of Duncan after the narrator singles him out of the Christmas spirit and the expressions of Duncan trying not get cross were priceless. There was a bit of a three strikes near the end where Duncan controls his temper twice but then loses it as he and Luke are stuck on the hill. You can't help but feel sorry for both Duncan and Luke here: Duncan for forgetting to control his temper and Luke for his empty sandboxes and his feelings getting hurt. But it was nice to see a change of heart out of Duncan who manages to help Luke up the hill while his driver drops sand on the rails. That helped get my full respect back for Duncan. I liked his inquisitive nature in S9-12 but I like this even better. There were two outstanding morals to this episode: Duncan to not be a humbug at Christmas and Mr. Percival for accepting his engines the way they are when being really useful. Both characters learned a lesson here and that makes it a great watch for kids and adults alike to raise their Christmas spirits. Almost on par with Last Train For Christmas, this is my second favorite episode out of the Christmas run and that gives it a 9.6/10 in my book.

20. The Perfect Gift

It was cold and snow on the Island of Sodor as Christmas DREW NEAR. It drew near about two episodes ago. I think the Christmas episodes this year are out of order. On top of that, the episode had a decent script but it lacked plenty of action. It was a typical episode about special gifts but I guess Percy was good choice of character. It's a good episode but not as good as the others. It shows us the importance of sharing the Christmas spirit with your friends and you do feel sorry for Percy when he finds that Reg doesn't share the same way of celebrating Christmas as he does. I also think that the voice actor for Percy in the US dub of this episode tried harder then the UK dub did, as I find out on the episode's Boxing Day air date. Not really an average watch and still a good watch despite a few flaws with the pacing. I thought the music at the end was very peaceful though and gave it quite a Christmassy feel. Enough said, I think this episode deserves a 7.5/10.

21. Marion And The Dinosaurs

Hmm…for a start to the Dinos And Discoveries DVD run, this one was pretty good. A few similarities to Marion And The Pipe but it was quite better then that. I also loved Toby's confused but wise persona in this episode

"I thought it was SCIENTISTS who dug that up."

What I also enjoyed were the interactions between Stephen and Millie and how they mistaken Thomas for the important shipment. And then Marion came back into the story when she sees the dinosaur coming towards her. Speaking of dinosaurs, it's nice how the writers, despite the fact that they haven't as good of a job as earlier on the season or maybe even the previous season in some cases, have done plenty of research on dinosaurs and their history as proven from some of the interactions between Thomas and Marion.

"Dinosaurs? But dinosaurs aren't around anymore."

"I know! Dinosaurs lived a very, very long time ago. Millions of years before railways or people or digging was even invented."

It's a good thing that this history of dinosaurs continues on into the next episode. It's also very funny how Marion shouts "EEEEEEEEEK!" And when Stephen says that "there aren't any dinosaurs around anymore", it reminds me of his little joke about dinosaurs back in King Of The Railway, doesn't it to you? What really made me laugh was the Earl's cheer because Marion thought that the dinosaurs had gotten him. Boy, what a chuckle that was. And then we meet Samson but we'll be hearing more about him later on in the review. The funniest part of the script when Stephen's joke at the end

"Marion certainly isn't scared of dinosaurs anymore. In fact, you could says she really 'digs' them!"

Always gives me a chuckle. It's an enjoyable watch and is definitely a better way to expand on Marion's character than Marion And The Pipe was. Can't really explain why but I just feel it for some reason. Probably because this has better writing to it. It's an 8.9/10 for me.

22. Millie And The Volcano

Almost on par with the previous episode. The shots and the music at the beginning showed signs for a good episode and it's nice seeing Millie get an episode to herself in the lead. What was more eye-catching were the shots of the Dinosaur Park and the music that helped to introduce it at the beginning is always a pleasure to listen to. Then we cut to Samson and Harvey, who begin some sort of friendly bonding. It's nice to see Harvey back in a speaking role for the first time since Spills & Thrills but his attitude towards Millie is a bit out of character, even because he was a little frightened of the dinosaurs himself. Would there be a story without that? I don't know. Now onto Samson. I like how smart he is, even at defining dinosaurs, like the Lexovisaurus and Megalosaurus for example, but a little silly of him to mix up dinosaurs. Also, Samson's cheeky nature towards Millie might not give viewers a first good impression, would it? Surely there would have been no conflict without that, huh? However, I had a little more respect for Samson when he gives a full explanation on what a volcano is and it definitely raises the bar in teaching younger viewers terminology, even if older viewers know what a volcano is or maybe need a better understanding on how to define it. Back onto Millie, I think she was acting a little bit like Thomas or Percy in this episode. I don't know though about the groundsman setting up a bonfire in the middle of the park but the climax was well put together and so were Harvey and Samson's reactions to the volcano.

"Call Flynn! Call Belle!"

"Call the Sodor Search And Rescue Center!"

It's also nice to see Samson showing a little bit of a compassion for Millie, no matter what she did to him and Harvey. The Earl may be too kind to consequence his engines the way The Fat Controller/Sir Topham Hatt does but the fact that she's a clever little engine with coming up with ideas probably saved her from getting in trouble. And then Dowager Hatt. Her appearance is more then necessary and the roaring noises from her and Sir Topham Hatt was funny to watch in the trailer and now. The ending was beautifully filmed and that's enough for me. This episode gets 8.8/10 in my book.

23. Timothy And The Rainbow Truck

Two great episodes and now we have a lesser achievement. This surely was no bad episode but not the best one either. It's my least favorite out of the six and I can think of quite a few reasons why. For one thing, kids and adults alike already know who Bill and Ben are but the introduction was probably done to save time, no matter how many chuckles I got out of it. The part with Bill and Ben racing Salty seems very similar to Bill Or Ben? and was therefore a little uninspired but there was still some humor out of Salty's reaction. Then there's a short but rehashed introduction to Timothy before we cut to the chase on the episode's main plot. You'd think that Timothy should know better then to listen to Bill and Ben but there would be no story if he didn't believe them. Bit similar to a certain season 9 episode but it surely Thomas And The Rainbow any day. Writing would be much worse and more of a three striker if Sharon Miller wrote this methinks. The animation of the rainbow-colored objects were eye-catching and surely made up for Timothy's continuous stroll across the Island. This episode seems a lot like a Paxton episode or maybe an episode with Bill and Ben going on a scavenger hunt for the rainbow truck. Sir Topham Hatt's characterization at the end was great and it's nice to see Bill and Ben get comeuppance for their trick on Timothy. "A fool's errand." Sharon herself couldn't have said it no better. Bill and Ben's argument at the end gave me a good chuckle. It's a good watch, though not up to par with the other two or the next three so I'll give it a 7.4/10.

24. Samson At Your Service

Now this a much better episode. A nice and simple introduction to Samson and a nice way of blending with Marion And The Dinosaurs at the beginning. Samson's a good character but not really as endearing as other characters introduced by the current writing. His characterization here reminds me of Thomas in the first season, Spencer in his debut and a bit of Percy in the second season with his arrogance and lack of knowledge on the world around him. Thomas' cheekiness towards Samson was a great touch.

"Well, don't get lost on the way."

And the lineup of Thomas, Percy and Duck reminded me of season 4's Toad Stands By. What's really great about this episode is Stanley spoke. However, Samson's arrogance of thinking that he knows what he is doing gets a little repetitive after a while. The part in the script that tank engines can't pull the express didn't make much sense from the writer's point of view but Gordon was the right character to state that philosophy, even he witnessed Duck and Stepney pulling the express in Bowled Out. One other thing, Gordon takes Annie and Clarabel and Thomas takes Henrietta? How do you suppose Toby will get the workmen home from the quarry? The writers could have made solution to that like Gordon taking orange coaches. I wish those were in CGI then the solution to Samson taking the express and Thomas, Gordon and Toby all having some sort of transportation would make more sense. Despite that, there is some humor to this episode like Gordon pulling Annie and Clarabel and Bill and Ben's joke about Samson pulling the express.

"What's this? The new express?"

I also love the sarcasm out of Bill and Ben and how it dumbs down Samson's character. There was also a bit of season 1 nostalgia when Samson realizes that he bought Gordon's express instead of empty trucks. An indirect but clear reference to Thomas' Train/A Big Day For Thomas there. Sir Topham Hatt's statement again but everybody making mistakes but making more but acting like a know-it-all clearly stated the moral of the episode and this would get across to kids and adults alike. I also loved the stones and express jokes out of the narrow gauge engines at the end. It's a pretty good watch despite a few faults from all that was explained above. I guess that Samson's a like-able character but he needs a little bit of maturing by the time the next season comes around methinks. It's an 8.5/10 for me.

25. Emily Saves The World

Favorite episode of the DVD, hands down. The shots at the beginning with Emily's theme put in was well put together and so were the references to seasons 7 and 9. Yes, they were references to one episode that wasn't all that great and one that was a bad episode and they were there for fan service but they were also there for a good reason: to support the plot of Emily's desire to have a special delivery. But one reference that was just pure gold came from Gordon.

"Well, umm…I've carried an opera singer on my express and some actors and even the Queen!"

Now that season 4 reference was well put there and the part that Emily got surprised supported the fact that she wasn't on Sodor around the time that the Queen was there. I also liked the season 6 reference that Thomas made and I guess that the season 14 reference that Emily made was well put there. All these references were there for fan service but they were necessary there. Anyway back to the episode and it's plot, well, it feels like a blend of Rusty And The Boulder and Percy And The Magic Carpet but it's much more well-written then both of those episodes put together, though living to the excitement and exhilaration of the season 5 episode. Yes, the laws of physics are ignored here but I guess that laws can be broken every once in a while. The interactions between Thomas and Emily after the globe rolls off Emily's flatbed are quite funny.

"Hello, Thomas! If you really want to see an exciting load, just look at this! What do you think? It's great! Isn't it?"

"Um...what's great, Emily?"

"Can't you see a giant globe on my flatbed?

"No. There's nothing very exciting on your flatbed."

Another humorous part was where the globe rolled behind Thomas, Annie and Clarabel.

"Excuse me, you two. You might want to hurry it along a bit."

"Why?"

"Because there's a giant globe heading right for us!"

Yes, it was similar to Rusty And The Boulder but it was better writing if you ask me. Now onto the giant globe, why is Antarctica missing from it? Arc made a bit of an animation error. Nothing else to fault about the animation, especially James' expression after he hits the giant globe. One last thing, how did Emily "save the world" if Captain was the one that bought it back to the docks. At least he got to speak and be put into action here. Maybe a more suitable title would been Emily And The Runaway Globe or Emily's Runaway Special. I don't know but that didn't stop me from liking this episode so much. It's totally my favorite from Dinos And Discoveries, even if it has nothing to do with the two aforementioned words, it's a simple story with not much of a clear moral but enough action to make it a favorite of mine and a good episode for Emily too. Therefore, I give it a 9/10.

26. Samson Sent For Scrap

For a closer, I'd say this is pretty good, though the introduction to Scruff was a bit pointless taken from the fact that he played a secondary role in the episode. However, it's nice to see some more development out of Samson. He isn't really matured yet but his actions are clear enough to teach young viewers to more mindful of the tasks that you are assigned. Yes, there is a three strikes but it builds it to the bicycle then the bus stop sign and then The Fat Controller's car. Scruff clearing his throat during Sir Topham Hatt's worrying statement was a good chuckle. The postman, or at least I think he was or maybe even Tom Tipper, I don't know, reminded me of Pee Wee Herman and the parody from Family Guy's It's A Trap when he kept mentioning his bike. I don't why but that just comes to my mind when I watch this. However, I'm surprised that Reg want to scrap such items that Samson picked up but the character Reg hasn't really had much development to realize that, methinks. I just don't know. Also, confusion and delay is being overused but Sir Topham Hatt saying my car is definitely not junk and him patting it before the headlamp falls off was just funny for some reason and shows his compassion that he always had for his car from the classic series until now. It's nice how the episode focus on the Steam Team whatsoever but instead on newer characters instead. Definitely not my favorite episode of the season but not a bad episode either. It's an enjoyable watch that just needed some smartening up out of some of the characters, Samson and Reg in particular, that's all. On the whole, it's an 8.4/10 for me.

Overall Views:

Overall, the eighteenth season of Thomas & Friends was very enjoyable and a good step-up to the seventeenth season. The stories and the morals were, again, simple and understandable for kids. The episodes from Dinos And Discoveries at the end was not as strong as the episodes before it but episodes like Marion And The Dinosuars and Emily Saves The World helped to compensate. Not as strong as Spills And Thrills but still better then S9-16 any day. The rest of the season was just pure gold despite a few problems with episodes like Flatbeds Of Fear and Crossed Signals but episodes like Old Reliable Edward and especially Duck And The Slip Coaches bring the best out of HIT with Andrew Brenner at the writing helm

Going onto the character development, it was great. The stories continued to develop each character to a fair degree, though I feel that Toby could have been handled better in the spotlight and Samson, well, he didn't' leave a lasting impression at first but I thought of other characters in their debut and then I started to think better of him. It's also nice to develop newer characters like Marion and Timothy and bring Duncan, Oliver and Toad. I was expecting Donald and Douglas but you can't have it all, right? Maybe they're next in line to return to the series. You can only dream, right?

Now about the writing for the season, Andrew Brenner continues to amaze us with the stories he writes. He has certainly made this season my favorite in the post-Awdry era yet. Enough said, I give season 18 an accurate rating of 8.8/10. I very much look forward to seeing what The Adventure Begins will bring us, followed by Sodor's Legend Of The Lost Treasure and season 19. Peace out, folks, and again, make sure to look at my favorites and least favorites lists below and leave comments! Stay tuned for my review of The Adventure Begins in the spring.

Top 10 Episodes:

1. Duck And The Slip Coaches

2. Old Reliable Edward

3. Last Train For Christmas

4. Spencer's VIP

5. Duncan The Humbug

6. Disappearing Diesels

7. Duck In The Water

8. Not So Slow Coaches

9. No Steam Without Coal

10. Thomas And The Emergency Cable

Top 5 Least Favorites:

1. Flatbeds Of Fear

2. Signals Crossed

3. Marion And The Pipe

4. Timothy And The Rainbow Truck

5. The Perfect Gift

WHAT ARE YOURS?