Thomas The Tank Engine & Friends

A pretty nifty introduction for a new character! Mavis and Toby play well against each other, and this one maintains a pretty clear balance between plot and characterization, with a bit of humor even thrown in for good measure. The main flaw is that there isn't a great deal of action. Even the entire incident at the end with Mavis being unable to climb the icy rails with the heavy wagons is kind of long and slow. Of course, as this is a two-parter, this is just the exposition, the real action is saved for the sequel. Still, a pretty good episode.moreless

Mavis is a quarry diesel who has cow catchers and sideplates. She is free spirited and dislikes working for Toby and always mucks up his trains. Toby grows tired of this and lets her take his trucks. Mavis gets some wrong advice from Diesel and ends up ignoring a warning about the icy hill near the level crossing. She rolls down the hill, stops, and tries to move but can't! Toby gets word and he races to the rescue and helps her back up. Mavis is furious and shunts her trucks and scowls away.

We have another female diesel who is with Toby! Surely the Rev thought of some more expanding storylines? Anyway, this episode is an alright introductary episode for Mavis. It was funny enough so it gets props for that!moreless

Mavis is a young, new diesel engine who is sent to work at the quarry shunting freight cars. She is full of her own ideas, and keeps putting freight cars in places where she decides to do so. Toby is cross with this and scolds her, but Mavis just thinks he is just a fusspot. She complains to Diesel about it, to which he replies, "Whatever steam engines can do, we diesels can do better." Later, she must take some freight cars pass a level crossing which can be troublesome in winter. Toby tells Mavis that she must wait at the bottom of the hill for traffic to stop, then continue on, with the freight cars pushing her to get up the hill and pass the level crossing. Mavis ignores this, and the freight cars decide to play a trick on her. She stops at the top of the hill before the level crossing, where, it happens. The freight cars hold her back and Mavis is helplessly stuck. Everyone tries to fix the problem, but it's no good, so Toby comes to help. He pushes Mavis and her cars back to the bottom of the hill and then she takes them quickly to her destination.
After a break from writing reviews for "Thomas", I have come back to do one for this particular episode. After seeing the likes of Diesel, Daisy, and Boco from previous episodes, we are introduced to yet another diesel. Like I said earlier, Mavis is a young diesel engine who is full of her own ideas, as well as being adventurous. This episode, and the next one, and the only episodes which show Mavis with her true personality. It what makes her three-demensional and unable to hate. In future seasons, especially 6 and 7, she is too kind and acts like a big sister figure to Bill and Ben. It does show that she has matured, but in my view, she justs seems to be bland and one-sided, personality-wise. It not that I hate her in later seasons, but I wish her personality wasn't messed around with. Ah well, you just can't have everything you want. Toby is also good in this episode, for he is someone who doesn't want nonsense and can stand up for himself whenever he is put down by others.
Unlike other season 3 episodes based of Adwry's stories, this one wasn't altered all that much. However, the one problem I had with this episode is that Diesel is used instead of Daisy. Although he's more of a diesel that hates steam engines than Daisy, he feels out of place. He's supposed to be back on the Other Railway after his mishaps in "Diesel Does it Again".
Despite that, this was another fine season 3 episode. Intact personalities and the fact that the story was true to Adwry's make this episode hard to not like. Also, not many characters were introduced in season 3, but when it came to do so, at least it was done correctly.
I give this episode an 8.8/10.moreless

Mavis arrives on Sodor and is soon working in the quarry. She keeps arranging cars in different places and that is making Toby mad. One day, she decides to handle things on her own without listening to Toby. She stops at the wrong place at a level crossing and she cannot move. Toby then helps Mavis out. After that, she scuttles off to the sheds.