ThomasNATION Reviews - Nia and the Unfriendly Elephant
July 06, 2020
To start off, I’ve made it clear that I think Nia isn't necessarily the best character, particularly in her debut. But I will admit, as time went on, she did kinda grow on me. As I said in my Big World! Big Adventures! review, having her be a part of the Steam Team gives her room to develop as a character. But her defining trait is, of course, being good with animals. But how does this episode fare out? Let’s begin.
Nia is sent to collect a new elephant for the Animal Park, but there’s one major problem with that: the elephant doesn’t like her. So Nia has to use her ingenuity to get the elephant to trust her.
To begin, I have to say that I like the continuity displayed in the opening when we’re shown all the individual animals of Sodor, such as Luke passing a deer, Diesel admiring some ducklings, and Daisy’s tracks being blocked by a bull. Those are some little touches that I can’t help but admire. Another little nugget of continuity is Nia singing to lure the elephant onto her flatbed, which is in the tune of Enda Ulale.
If I had to name this episode’s strongest attribute, it would be that this is perhaps the best portrayal of Nia we’ve had yet. I love the ideas she has to entice the elephant, as they really utilise her knowledge of animals really well. I also like the idea of having her work primarily at the Animal Park, since it gives her a good amount of purpose to be on the railway, something she sorely lacked prior to this episode.
If there is one major criticism I have, it would be that it just reeks of missed potential. I feel that the episode would’ve been much more interesting if we saw Nia get frustrated with the pachyderm and learning not to overestimate her abilities. But no, she’s just confident and determined throughout the episode, which I don’t find really relatable. Another area of missed opportunity is with the elephant. At first, I thought the elephant was only grouchy because she was pregnant, but that’s not the case.
So to conclude, Nia and the Unfriendly Elephant is an okay episode. It may have a lot of missed opportunity, but thanks to a strong portrayal of Nia and some decent references, it makes out for a somewhat enjoyable episode. I recommend watching it, but don’t expect anything spectacular, and on that note, this episode earns a 3.5/5.
Final Score: 3.5/5
About the Author: JF the LOLZOR
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