Just back from a very blissful four days spent throwing a ball for this giant beast. Feeling very knackered as a result. Her paws are now honestly not much smaller than my hands.
It's the episode where Henry discovers that late stage capitalism and past voting habits of the older engines are the reason he can't go faster than Gordon the poster child of boomer express locomotives so Henry is forced to live in a converted disused train tunnel, the only place he can afford, which he has to rent off the fat controller, his buy to let landlord.
"Let me tell you, when yung Rouj had his Senna and Mansell Scalextric, Frank was the goddamn Professor X of F1."
I think you'll find all those poor bastards have been pwned by a series of shiny motor cars with faces. The Fat Controller is long dead from his lifestyle imposed by a toxic desire environment and a resentment of experts.
Note the absence of rails leading away from that bricked-up tunnel. Henry can never leave, even if the systemic barriers to progress are eventually removed. He’ll still be stuck. Social mobility is forever a pipe dream when you’re from the wrong side of the tracks.
I've got a really strong urge to watch it now, but I know I'd just end up watching the one where Mrs. Kyndly saves Christmas by waving a red nightie at Thomas again.