ThomasNATION Reviews - Emily's Best Friend
June 29, 2020
Well, folks, Season 24 is upon us and the last week alone gave us a slew of new content. But for now, let’s see what the beginning has in store.
Emily’s Best Friend is the first official episode of Season 24, even if the two specials and Emily to the Rescue came before it. And since Season 24 is going to be an interesting season, how does this episode kick it off? Let’s begin.
The episode is about a giant sand sculpture at Tidmouth being unveilled, and Emily has to take one last shipment of sand for it to be completed. But she sees everyone hanging with their best friends, such as Thomas with Percy, and Gordon with Rebecca, so she tries to find a best friend in Philip, Marion, Henry and Edward. But there’s just one problem: she didn’t deliver that last order of sand.
To begin, I have to say that the idea of Emily having a best friend isn’t too unique, but I will say the execution of it all is what makes it work. The way she goes around trying to make a friend is pretty fun to watch, especially during the fantasy where it shows her having a good time with Edward. Also, in regards to Marion’s change in voice actress, I will say that Lucy Montgomery does a spot-on impression of Olivia Colman.
What I also like is that after being criminally underutilised in Season 23, Edward and Henry do get a semi-leading role in the episode. Heck, they have more screentime here than they did in Season 23! The episode also comes with a moral on how your true best friends are those around you, which is actually a pretty good message for the young viewers. I also like one gag of a bunch of kids playing on a merry go round, and then you get the Grumpy Passenger just alone, that was pretty funny.
If there is one spot of criticism here, it would be that Emily’s a bit out of character. Normally, she’s portrayed as the mature voice of reason in the Steam Team. Here, she constantly mopes because she doesn’t have a best friend, which I wouldn’t see her doing in any other episode. And again, the concept isn’t too special, but it does at least try and make it its own.
So to conclude, this is a pretty good episode. It may not be the best way to start a season, but for what it is, it’s pretty enjoyable. I recommend checking it out in any way you can, and on that note, I give it a 4/5. Maybe not Emily’s best episode, but it is a nice way to kick off the season.
Final Score: 4/5
About the Author: JF the LOLZOR
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