ThomasNATION Classic Reviews - Duncan Gets Spooked
October 09, 2021
Y'know what we often talk about on this website around Halloween? Engines being haunted by ghosts. We've seen Thomas and Toby's encounters with ghouls last year, and it was even the subject of our Halloween fan story with Mike encountering a haunted castle. So why not continue that tradition here? So now that we're starting up the spooky season, is this truly a good haunt or are its flaws as prominent as us running out of closers to this type of question? Let's begin.
Based on a story idea by David Maidment, after Peter Sam gets into an accident resulting in his cargo falling off a bridge, Rusty teases Duncan with a story of a ghost engine. Of course, Duncan, being Duncan, doesn't believe the tale, prompting his and Peter Sam's crew to teach him a lesson.
Of all the ghost episodes I've reviewed, I'll admit that this one starts off with a pretty dark twist. Sure, Rusty's ghost story is your standard ghost train fare, there's an engine, they disappear, you get it. But what's so impressive about this one? They show his demise. That, I'll admit, is pretty cool.
As for the episode itself, I'm a sucker for the type of "haunted trick" storyline in the series, and this has to be one of the more elaborate. The plot itself involves stopping on a bridge at a full moon, dropping rocks into the ravine and even having a group of fireflies take the shape of an engine. Sure, it's a little unrealistic and the whole firefly thing doesn't make a lick of sense, but it's still a lot of fun.
And that's the best way to describe this episode: it's a fun, spooky episode. Sure, the plot doesn't make a lot of sense, but thanks to the entertaining story and brilliant execution, it's still a nice way to kick off the spooky season. I know this has been one of my shorter reviews, but this is an episode that should be seen to be believed, and with that, I give it a 4/5.
Final Score: 4/5
About the Author: JF the LOLZOR
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