"Wake up, lazybones! Why don't you work hard like me!"
U.S. Title: Thomas Gets Tricked
Air date: October 9th, 1984
Adapted from: Thomas the Tank Engine, "Thomas and Gordon"
Thomas, a blue tank engine working at Knapford Station, thinks himself as more hardworking than the other bigger engines and constantly teases them by blowing his whistle, with a blue tender engine named Gordon also not being spared. Annoyed by Thomas abruptly waking him up from his nap after pulling his train, Gordon plots to get back at the tank engine.
One day, Thomas's crew has a hard time starting him up, owing to his fire going out and not enough steam being generated. Thomas eventually gets going to pick up Gordon's train, but Gordon enacts his plan, reverses to couple up to his coaches and departs Knapford before Thomas can be uncoupled from the express, dragging Thomas along at breakneck speeds.
When Gordon arrives at his destination, Thomas is left worn out by the sheer speed he and Gordon went to get there. As Gordon teases Thomas about being hardworking, Thomas pays no attention to him, get a drink and wearily trundles his way home, having learnt to not be so cheeky again.
Tropes featured in the episode:
- Adaptational Early Appearance:
- While Thomas debuts in this story from The Railway Series, it aired before the stories of The Three Railway Engines (which he later cameos in) so this episode revolves around the title character.
- James, who made his debut in the story "Thomas and the Breakdown Train" from the books, made his first appearance here before being properly introduced six episodes later.
- An Aesop: Never tease others to make yourself feel important.
- Space Whale Aesop: ...or you'll end up being dragged along the express by another engine.
- Bowdlerise: A few examples.
- In the UK, the narration states that Thomas "likes to whistle rudely at him [Gordon]." while in the US, it's "Thomas likes to tease Gordon with his whistle."
- In the UK narration, it states that Gordon began making his plan and says "Yes, I will." while the US narration states that Gordon began making his plan to teach Thomas a lesson for teasing him.
- In the ending the UK narration states that Thomas returns home slowly learning never to be cheeky to Gordon again, but in the US narration, it’s dubbed "'Maybe I don't have to tease Gordon to feel important,' Thomas thought to himself".
- Bratty Half-Pint: The narrator describes Thomas as a "cheeky" and a "fussy" little engine.
- Break the Haughty: Gordon does this to Thomas, taking him along on an unwilling high-speed express run to show him how hard he really works.Gordon: (chuckling) Well, little Thomas! Now you know what "hard work" means. Don't you?
- Bullying a Dragon: Thomas teasing Gordon can be seen this way, which leads to Gordon getting his revenge.
- Department of Redundancy Department: The narrator introduces Thomas this way:"He's a cheeky little engine with six small wheels, a short stumpy funnel, a short stumpy boiler and a short stumpy dome."
- Digital Destruction: The restored version is notorious for the number of errors present:
- Either studio equipment or the top of the set is visible when James and Henry leave Knapford.
- The edge of the set is visible as Thomas leaves Tidmouth Sheds and when the Express crosses the Viaduct.
- Studio equipment is visible when the Express rounds a bend.
- In Gordon's closeup while pulling the Express, there is studio equipment and the edge of the set behind him; additionally, Thomas and the Express are nowhere to be seen, and his tender is bouncing.
- A camera stand is visible when Thomas heads towards the turntable at Wellsworth. The 2016 US digital release of the episode attempts to fix this, only to cause a new problem as for this shot only, the narrator changes from George Carlin to Ringo Starr.
- The end of the track is visible just before Thomas moves to the water tower.
- Downer Ending: Not so much for Gordon, but certainly from Thomas' point of view. After getting tricked by Gordon into going on a long, fast-paced journey that makes him realize just how hard the express engine works, Thomas is left exhausted and thoroughly humbled by the experience. He takes a very long drink and slowly returns home, learning his lesson not to be that cheeky to Gordon again.
- Establishing Character Moment: What you all need to know about Thomas is that he's a cheeky engine who teases other engines, especially Gordon.
- Exact Words: Gordon knowingly replies "Yes, I will" to Thomas telling him to "Hurry [himself]". In other words, precisely what he does to get Thomas coupled to his express train and accompanying him on a long, exhausting trip to pay the smaller engine back for being rude to him.
- Insulted Awake: This happens with Gordon after Thomas disturbs his sleep for the second time. After Thomas mocks him and claims Gordon doesn't work hard like he does, Gordon comes up with his plan to get him back.
- Karmic Trickster: Gordon when pulling Thomas with the Express to pay him back for teasing him. His gleeful reaction to Thomas begging him to stop makes it even more apparent:Thomas: Peep, peep! Stop, stop!Gordon: (laughing) Hurry, hurry, hurry! You can't get away, you can't get away!
- Laser-Guided Karma: Gordon takes Thomas on a long, exhausting journey as part of his express train after being teased once too often; especially so when Thomas earlier claimed that Gordon should "work hard for a change".
- Name and Name: The original title, but averted in the US version.
- No, You: Happens when Thomas arrives late to prepare for Gordon's express.
- The Prankster: As the narration puts it, Thomas thinks no engine works as hard as he does, and likes to play tricks on the others while he's working as a station pilot, especially Gordon.
- Theme Song Power Up: Gordon's theme
is heard for the first time in-series when the big engine gets Thomas exactly where he wants him, with it swelling triumphantly when they're going together at full speed. - Small Name, Big Ego: Thomas thinks no engine works as hard as he does, and makes sure to let Gordon know whenever he finds the big engine snoozing in the sidings. After Gordon's trick, however, he definitely ends up knocked down a peg or two.
- Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonist: Thomas played this in his constant teasing of Gordon.
