There has been a awful lot of drama in recent days concerning steam teams and mattels and all sorts of crap, and given all of this I think that I want to throw my two cents worth of opinion on what state the show is in. full disclosure, I have not seen every episode this season. I have seen the latest Thomas special however, and it bears mentioning.

now, lets get my opinion out of the way. as someone who got back into the show based on the return to form following Andrew Brenner taking the wheel, Who honestly Enjoyed seasons 18- 20 and so far likes what he has seen of season 21, I think that Thomas is about to go back into a second dark age and I expect the both the next special and season 22 to be actively bad and I think that the show will go into if not a state of permanent death, then at least hibernation.

now, let me explain my reasoning on this. basically, It all goes back to Mattel, and decisions made by men in suits that detract from the quality of the show and are made for reasons that have nothing to do with what makes the show pretty enjoyable for adults. the decisions that they are have made that are ruining the show are as follows.

1. the addition of new characters not for the sake of making new situations and betterment of the show, but to check boxes on a diversity list.
next season there will be two new engines. one is Nia, a female locomotive from Africa, and the other is Rebecca, a female locomotive from England. there is nothing wrong with new characters, there is nothing wrong with female engines. there is something wrong with throwing them in for reasons of checking off a box, because that immediately says that they are being thrust upon the writing staff without any real plan of how to utilize them. a case in point is daisy's reintroduction. I really feel like they knew what they wanted to do when the reintroduced her. she got quite a few episodes, and they are all pretty quality as far as i'm concerned, and the fact that it was a bit of a surprise with the news not being told about how diverse sodor is convinces me she was added because the writers thought they could do some fun things with her and her established character. Now the reason that we know that they are being thrown In for political reasons is the way that they are being added. with daisy, it was no fanfare. but here, oh man, Edward and Henry left they shed. they're off the team! WHOS GONNA JOIN THE STEAM TEAM!?! and then the news comes on and says "WOAH! MATTEL IS ADDING NEW FEMALE CHARACTERS TO THOMAS TO BE INCLUSEIVE! HOW BRAVE!"
and to be clear, I think that the steam team is made up garbage that really has no weight apart from what people give it. the only reason I think it is important now is because it adds some extra zing to the announcement of these new characters. without "Changing the steam team", adding in Rebecca and Nia would just be adding in engines. but by removing two of the three oldest characters from the team, Mattel can say that they are changing with the times and point to this as proof positive that they are... I guess inclusive?
and these characters may turn out well, but because of how they are being added I doubt it. again, it is not the characters, it is the circumstances under which they join.

2. the decision to take Thomas around the world is bad because it will make the show look shitty.
when I watched Legend of the Lost Treasure I was constantly please with just how good it looked. and there was a reason for that. most of sodor, the main sets where most of the action takes place, is already rendered as settings. they've had a lot of time spent on them, and added with how detailed the character models are, it makes the show look pretty good. but what happens when you add in a new setting? one that isn't rendered? you have to build it from the ground up. and what happens when you are on a schedule? it looks like shit! it looks like Thomas on the mainland in "Journey Beyond Sodor" it looks like cheap trash because it is cheap trash. look at these clips.

now maybe its just advertising, maybe it will look better, but when Nia helps Thomas up a desert hill, its just gordons hill but with a tan filter on it. maybe it won't look bad, but what I see of china in these clips is not inspiring.

3.dumb stuff that has nothing to do with the writers.
Andrew brenner and his team can most likely make Rebecca and nia work. yes, they were likely saddled upon him and the team, but they are talented, and they can work with it. they can not work with the producers telling the director and animators to "make the trains bounce around like those Pixar Cars do, make the trucks hop around like crazy. why does Thomas have all his wheels on the ground whe he goes around a corner? he should DRIFT!" basically all of this happened in the most recent special, and there is no reason for me to think that it will stop.

and finally, the most important thing.
4. the United Nations is telling Mattel how to write their show and what Thomas needs to teach the kids.
this is the killer. this is the end of the line. this is the death of the writers control over the show. now, all episodes need to give a predetermined moral based on the UN Sustainable Development goals. Nia was made basically by the UN. episodes will now be 7 minutes of the show, and 4 minutes of either music videos or Thomas telling you what the moral was. all this means that the show will be unrecognizable and will most likely have none of the things in it that you liked to begin with. yes, I think Brenner is still on board, but I also think that he can only do so much. I mean, look at the new opening

Thomas is no longer being driven by people who want to share stories. it is being driven by people who want to sell toys, and pedal Ideas. and because of that, my official diagnosis is as follows. replace the word 'Rock' with the name 'Thomas'

yeah, Thomas is dead. Mattel killed it.

but Thomas has been dead before. but then, someone brought it back. and I'm sure, in five years, in ten, maybe in one or two if this goes really poorly for them, but mattel will turn control back to people who want to make a good show. I think that sales are downstream of story as far as these sort of shows go, and I hope the free market will prove that. but until then, all I can do is thank Andrew Brenner and the writers and everyone for giving my childhood a extension. its been real, its been fun, its been real fun. but I guess all things have to end.

RIP Thomas

Would the Island Song make anyone feel better?

6180560
Sadly, I have to agree with every point you've made. Oh well, at least we still have the original episodes.

6180560
-frustrated sigh- for goodness sake people! we are not entering another dark age for Thomas and Friends just because of what Mattel is doing! all we know is that the only dark age of Thomas and Friends was back during the Awful Sharon Miller era!!

and anyways, seeing as people keep complaining about what Mattel is doing to Thomas and Friends..... two things:

and

WE ARE NO LONGER THE TARGET AUDIENCE! got that? get it through your heads people >:(

6180577
Is that Jack Nicholson?

6180569
make me feel better implies that I feel bad. and I don't. I'm just pointing out what I believe are warning flags for the new season.
6180577
well, I hope you are right about this not being a second dark age, but... If I was a betting man...
and this isn't about who the target audience is so much as it is about the feel of the show. either it can feel Awdry-esque like the source material, or it can feel like... some trash? and I like it when it feels Awdry-esque.

6180623
It wasn't for only you. ANYone. Another thing... IT'S JUST ONE SEASON PEOPLE!

6180626
I think this change will be around for a long time.

6180607
maybe.....

I was trying to find a good Deal with It gif btw

6180623
okay then.... :T