ThomasNATION Classic Reviews - The Other Big Engine

January 28, 2023

So we all know Gordon as the titan of the Sudrian railways. He's big, he's strong and he's boastful, we all know that. In fact, I've gone on record to say that in every bad era of Thomas, Gordon's the one character they always manage to nail. But let's take a moment to imagine, what if there were another Gordon out there? Like, another engine who looks like Gordon, acts like Gordon, etc.? Well, that's what The Other Big Engine is for. Will Gustavo live up to the legacy of Gordon? Let's begin.


While working on the Brazilian railway, Thomas comes across Gustavo, a big blue express engine who occasionally expresses his indignity when things go wrong. Sound familiar? Yep, this guy's a blatant copy of Gordon...or is he?

One thing I like here is its message. It basically teaches that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover and to actually get to know a person before judging them.     Granted, this message has been done before, like in Thomas, Terence and the Snow (hell, they even had a song about it), but it really works here because of Gustavo himself and his dynamic with Thomas. 
Since Gordon just sees Thomas as a little bugger who he has free rein to boss around, it would make sense for Thomas to expect that from Gustavo. But no, he's actually more caring and almost kinda fatherly towards Thomas - essentially the inverse to Gordon. I'll also admit that making Gustavo an electric engine and giving him a specific express line is really clever and a legit good twist, not to mention that the line itself is quite a feast for the eyes - it's probably some of the best visuals to come from the season.
I don't really have too much to say about this episode, it's just a charming little episode with a good moral and a decent new character. My best recommendation for this episode is to watch it if you're someone who loves Gordon and wants to see a unique take on the guy. As for me, I've had my fun with Gustavo, so I'm gonna give this a 3.5/5.

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