ThomasNATION Reviews - Salty's Sea Shanty
September 13, 2025
Out of all the characters introduced in the model series, Salty is one that I would call underrated. Granted, at times he can be a little one-note as just "the dockside diesel who talks like a pirate", but there are some episodes like "Away From the Sea" and "Salty All at Sea" that gave him some great depth. So, when it was discovered that he was returning in All Engines Go!, I was pretty curious to see what they were gonna do with him. So, with that said, how does Salty transition into this world? Let's begin.
Salty tells Thomas and Percy about a hidden pirate treasure through a sea shanty, so the two decide to go it alone after their friends decline, leading to a whirlwind adventure through the depths of the island.
While this episode at its core does sound like a rehash of Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure with Thomas trying to look for pirate treasure, in execution, it is much different, mostly through the quest to the treasure itself. Of course, asking to recreate the thrills of Lost Treasure is an impossible ask, but this is a decent adventure in itself with a few decent laughs. I will admit, however, that the conclusion does go a little corny with what the treasure actually is. But, to its credit, it isn't "Thomas and the Rainbow" levels of corny.
As for the way Salty was introduced here, I'd say that he's portrayed...decently. His personality is consistent with the original series and I kinda like how they made him a world traveller, but in this episode, he's more of a dispenser of exposition if anything, he doesn't really serve a ton of plot relevance aside from the beginning. That, and while his sea shanty is pretty catchy, is it just me or does it sound exactly like Soon May the Wellerman Come? Seriously, listen to 'em back to back, the resemblance is so uncanny.
Overall, Salty's Sea Shanty isn't the most memorable episode, but it is a decent watch. While it's a little cheesy and a touch been-there-done-that, the execution is what makes it work. I won't call this a high priority watch unless you're a diehard Salty fan, but if you're curious, I can't stop you. I'm a guy on the internet, what am I gonna do? As for me, I'm gonna give this a 3/5.
Final Rating: 3/5
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