Series 19: Reds vs Blues

Here are my thoughts on episode two of Start Your Engines!, Reds vs Blues!

I know that not many fans like this episode due to its heavy focus on football, but I think it's pretty good. It feels like a huge improvement on Thomas and the Colours.

Here, Thomas and James have similar duties, so it feels a lot more interesting to see who comes out on top and how, whereas the series 10 episode was just Thomas being a whiny, jealous character who was just trying to sabotage a job that James had earned.

I also quite liked how football rules were integrated into the engines' scoldings; it made them feel more unique. Granted, I do think the red card should have been explained as "you'll be sent to the sheds" as an actual consequence for their actions should they do it again.

It was also pretty funny when it wanted to be. Highlights include the Fat Controller kicking the ball. That was brilliant.

Also, Percy's line was just fantastic. I don't think it was a fourth wall break as such, but it was a great case of self awareness that was delivered fantastically by Nigel Pilkington.

And I also like that they used Thomas rather than Gordon. Why? Well, Gordon seemed an obvious choice, and it feels more like he's an obstacle for James to overcome than a genuine rival. Also, the match takes place around Dryaw, somewhere Gordon can't go. And finally, I think Thomas and James have much better chemistry than Gordon and James. When those two are on screen, especially these days, it feels like James is a mini Gordon, only with a red livery.

I do have complaints, though. First off, it seems really petty that football fans (who are general passengers usually) would be so biased based on who'll be taking them to the game based solely on their livery. It feels really odd. Then again, football fans can be a fickle bunch in reality anyway, so I can let that slide.

Second, while I love that Barrow's team was mentioned by name, why wasn't Sodor's native team? They're playing at Dryaw, why weren't they just called Dryaw FC? I'm getting a bit frustrated by one person, or a group of people, representing a whole island when in reality, and in The Railway Series, that isn't the case. If we're basing this on a real island, there's a fire service, hospital and fire service for every major county, a search and rescue service for every coastal area, a major for every county, city, borough, etc., and a football team (or more) per city, county, etc. I know that including too much could be confusing for kids, but if they're wanting to build on a realistic fictional world..! (sorry, I had to vent there. I know it's minor, but it annoys me somewhat).

Fan Reaction

#S19RedBlue A rather boring one I thought, Percy's 4th wall break was funny, and the racing elements were nice and all, just, pretty boring

— Dylan (@SodorR3D) March 20, 2016

Underrated episode if you ask me, the premise was well done and Percy was funny, all in all, a good episode #S19RedBlue

— Michael S (@MichaelSth1995) March 19, 2016

- football teams' reasons for liking Thomas and James respectively were dumb and biased. I don't like this episode much at all.

— Johnny (@BrownieRainbow_) March 19, 2016

Reds Vs Blues was a pretty fun episode, while not without it's flaws this was one episode that made me laugh very hard. #S19RedBlue

— RetroMagFan (@mag_retro) March 19, 2016

#S19RedBlue Honestly I think it's merely okay. It gets boring after a while and the racing isn't even much fun, despite some good humor.

— LOOK AT IT (@DDandT6) March 19, 2016

Final Thoughts

I know I'm probably in the minority, but I like this one. Whether people like it or not, football is a big thing in Britain, so to see it featured here is great as it helps to build that connection that the Awdrys liked to incorporate with their work. The story itself is just a fun, simple one for kids to teach them about teamwork, and I'm OK with that. As long as it's done well..!

Episode Ratings

Who's Geoffrey?: 8/10
The Truth About Toby: 7/10
Lost Property: 9/10
Henry Spots Trouble: 8/10
A Cranky Christmas: 4/10
Snow Place Like Home: 8/10
The Beast of Sodor: 5/10
Diesel's Ghostly Christmas: 6/10
Wild Water Rescue: 8/10
Toad & the Whale: 10/10
Very Important Sheep: 8/10
Salty All at Sea: 2/10
Den & Dart: 9/10
Helping Hiro: 1/10
Two Wheels Good: 7/10
Reds vs Blues: 7/10

Series Rating (so far)

107/160