Sodor's Darkest Days is a 2015 Youtube series by Bradleythethomasfan 1. It is a darker version of Thomas & Friends. and the The Railway Series.
Set in a fashion similar to the original show, this series goes into when everything goes to hell for our favorite engines starting with an accident Thomas goes through. Things then take more interesting as a newcomer named Eric appears to work on the island. His arrival, however, brings issues but that is the least of our engine's concerns for something sinister is brewing and almost no one knows it. Will the engines even survive their darkest days to get any answers? Or is this the end of the line? Can be viewed here
Sodor's Darkest Days provides examples of:
- Adaptational Villainy: While Diesel wasn't a saint in the tv show, he did have some moments when he was a nice guy and in the books, he redeems himself. Here however he tries and fails to get Thomas destroyed and make it look like an accident.
- Big Eater: The Fat Controller.
- Darker and Edgier: A given thanks to the title. though it still has a couple of lighter moments here and there to not have it as bleak as some other videos. To clarify:
- Engines (though only for the moment only a few engines are shown to be in life or death scenarios.) are nearly killed by their diesel rivals. Friendships fall apart with the engines shown in a full fight at the end of Episode 4 and at least two characters have difficult pasts.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Eric as revealed in "A Grim Past."
- Episodes 4 and 8 imply Henry has one as well before “Expiry Date” shows that past. It was his rebuild after his crash with the Flying Kipper.
- Death by Adaptation: Henry dies in an explosion set in motion by the actions of Arry and Bert in Episode 9, “Expiry Date”.
- Face Death with Dignity: After trying and failing to escape the fire, Henry decides to decline Thomas and Edward’s help, tells them to leave him to his fate right before Henry closes his eyes as the inevitable happens.
- Foreshadowing: Many things that appear on the table as the book containing the episode opens up alludes to later events.
- Episode 6 “A Grim Past” has two. The first one is in a form of a big named “The Big book” with “Diesels” in yellow letters foreshadowing both of the diesels Eric meets as both them and the book are blue and yellow.
- Notice how there are two red locomotives on the table and then in the next episode, one is knocked over. These locomotives are Eric and his brother William with the knocked over representing how William was done in by the diesels at the end of the sixth episode.
- The ninth episode “Expiry Date” has two more. The first one is a box of matches added to the seemingly mundane set of objects on the table and the second one involves the potted plant being bare and leafless. Both represent Henry’s death in different ways with the matches representing the way Henry dies and the potted plant representing Henry himself as in the credits, we see Henry burnt and bare just like the plant.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Eric may be rude and downright vulgar but he does try his best to be useful and helpful when he can.
- Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: At first, Gordon appears to regret what he said to Eric after the latter has an accident with the big engine's coaches... And then he curses Eric the next morning when he realizes what his consequences are.
- Killed Off for Real: Eric's brother William in episode 6.
- Henry dies at the end of the ninth episode which is appropriately named Expiry Date thanks to numerous factors which were set by Arry and Bert.
- Meaningful Name: Episode 9, Expiry Date, ends with Henry being Killed Off for Real.
- Sir Swears-a-Lot: Eric tends to do this quite a bit though it's not shown till episode 6. Heck in episode 8, Henry mentions to Eric that they should really work on his swearing as in Sodor, they don't swear as he does.
- Trademark Favorite Food: The Fat Controller loves his sausage rolls. He even complains in episode 8 that he can't eat one till he finishes his paperwork.
- Wham Line: He's dead.
