ThomasNATION Classic Reviews - Best Engine Ever
May 16, 2026
In this modern day and age where everyone is obsessed with self-image, clout, hot takes, ratioing and subscriber counts, people tend to keep forgetting that we should be proud of who and what we are and don't need to be someone that we're not. Thomas has been no stranger to telling these types of stories rather it be with one of the veteran engines who have been here since the beginning or with one of the newer engines on the island. So, when talking about Season 19's "Best Engine Ever", I think it's safe to say I'll be very positive towards this one. I loved this episode when it came out ten years ago no matter what part of the world you saw it in and I still love it. It's great to see an episode focusing on the female characters of the show. Heck, we even got to see Marion outside of the clay pits even it was only for a few seconds! When was the last time we saw that?
And speaking of the ladies, it's good to see that Emily is envious about Caitlin, but I'm glad that it wasn't done in an aggressive way like Emily proving herself to be strong or fast like what we saw back in Season 11's "Dream On" and Season 16's "Whiff's Wish" but rather in a low self-esteem way. She just feels bad that she's not like Caitlin and wants to be just like that. It actually feels fresh and new in the show with a storyline like that which despite being one we've seen many times before brings a good message that everyone is different and that's good. Even if it's a cliche, it was nice to see it being in the show. I especially love the runaway scene with Caitlin and her failed brakes with the great angles and shots of the danger that her and Emily are in around the Ulfstead Castle area. And...okay, let's talk about the "Streamlined Emily" dream because I know that this is one moment that really got the fandom talking. I was kind of expecting it to be a little daydream scene of Emily racing around Sodor, but I think the clip which only lasted for a few seconds was okay. And while the face seems rather awkward on Caitlin's body, it does look rather nice. Heck, the paint job actually reminds me of the C38 class #3801 which is Australia's famous steam locomotive for those who don't know.
Personally, I know that many fans wish that they had added things for Emily like her being a premiere express engine back in her day, although I don't think that the production team wanted her to be "old" considering the time period that her class first rode the rails because they want them to be relevant to the younger audience. But at the same time, it would add more to her random breakdown. Like, let's say she tried to pull the express but broke down because she pushed herself too hard. Heck, if they had actually done this at that time, they could've added Pip and Emma into the episode to have an "old versus new" story. Then again, I think it would've hindered the experience as it would've become another one of those "fear of replacement" type of stories again. It's just a shame that after this episode, Emily barely got any more episodes to herself as a character. Don't get me wrong, I like her character here yet at the same time would've liked to see her bossy self from Season 8 again. But as we saw with later era of Thomas & Friends, that wouldn't happen.
But despite that, "Best Engine Ever" while maybe not one of the best episodes of the entire series when comparing it to other great ones before and after is certainly one of the best episodes from Season 19, and that is why I'm going to give this episode a rating of a 4.5/5.
0 comments