Thomas & Friends Season 21 - Springtime for Diesel (Review)

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

Season 21, Episode 1 - Springtime for Diesel (By Davey Moore)

After Season 20 had come to a close, I was craving for a good episode with Diesel again.
As we saw the end of The Great Race, I feared that the sequence happening in the closing credits was Diesel's final farewell, which would have been epic, but I'm glad he's still here.
I also didn't think Diesel and the Ducklings did much justice to the character...

The opening shot from the start got me excited, as Devious Diesel emerged from the Diesel-works shed, showered in a red vapour that made him look rather villainous and hellish.
Diesel is one of those characters that I have always been intrigued by.
His music, expressive faces and malicious nature got he hooked when I was little.
It seemed in the classic era of the show, he either won over the steam engines like Duck, but eventually got what he had coming.
Brenner-era Diesel however is a character with power-struggle.
He has big plans and ideas, getting lots of satisfaction by wreaking havoc, but soon learns that he has to be a better member of the working team.
We saw this in Diesel's Ghostly Christmas, which is another great story.

There is a lovely little bit of continuity tied to Diesel Does It Again from the third series of the show when he bumps Percy in the harbour shed.
The story begins with him bumping around Paxton and Sidney in very much the same spiteful yet playful tone.

And then it happened.
Oh, my goodness.

Ever since Daisy came back, I have really wanted to see an episode with her and Diesel.
The character dynamics are so different from one another, yet they are both diesel engines.
I love that the creative team are producing more politics between engines of the same kin rather than the ever-so-tiring Steamie versus Diesel rivalry.
We got a bit of this in Journey Beyond Sodor, when Hurricane was made into a sort-of antagonist, being one of the first proper steam engines with a bad means to an end.

The chemistry between Daisy and Diesel on-screen is tantalising and I would love to see more of it.
This episode also fitted really nicely in the Harwick Branch line arc, but it was super refreshing to see it all from an outsider's point of view and perspective.

Diesel is a character I am wanting to see more of in this different light, and this episode was a wonderful start to that.
Daisy too is always a welcome character to the screen and I love that she is being pushed as one of the primary cast members.

Episode Score:

7/10