That's right, I'm starting the Christmas line of reviews a little earlier, but this is for a legit good reason. This episode has made its rounds around the holidays for one particular reason. We'll get into it in a little bit, but for right now, it's certainly a unique episode. Is all the attention worth it, however? Let's begin.
A snowstorm hits the island and Thomas and Percy are delivering packages to a mountain village, but with the snow making it difficult, the deliveries turn into a game of hot potato with the task being passed around to several others.
This episode has a bit of a similar vibe to Lady Hatt's Birthday Party, where a bunch of characters band together to get the job done. But what helps this episode stand out is the heart. It's made clear that Thomas cares about this village and its people, trying to live up to his promise, and it leads to a really wholesome ending where the villagers show their thanks. That, I'll admit, was sweet. It's also pretty cool how the humans get a lot to do in this one. In a series where the main characters are the vehicles taking people to and from their destinations, it's nice that we get to see the people give back to the engines. Also, there is a pretty funny exchange between Thomas and Percy about Santa. That was pretty charming.
But the big reason this episode is remembered is the US dub. The episode was edited heavily in the US to make it more of a Thanksgiving episode than a Christmas episode. Why this was done, I haven't the foggiest, but my guess is to make the episode more approachable for Western audiences. So, where do I fall into this debate? Do I consider this a Christmas episode or a Thanksgiving episode?
It's a Christmas episode...like, seriously, it's not even a debate. There's only so far an episode can be edited, and while the episode was completely rewritten, they didn't do squat with any other aspect. In fact, at the end, they show a Christmas tree in plain view while We Wish You a Merry Christmas is playing. They didn't add a drop of Thanksgiving imagery, it's like me randomly deciding Flour Power is a St. Patrick's Day episode - it's so obvious what the episode is. As a result, the US dub has perhaps some of the series' worst editing, especially in the second half where George Carlin's narration is completely out of sync. A great example of this is when he talks about the sheds being redecorated, but the camera focuses on Toby. Maybe it was just the copy I found, because there are copies of the episode with the Santa exchange cut out, but even then, a lot of the sound effects are additionally out of sync. This issue is something that could've easily been fixed with just a little more time in the editing room.
Overall, this episode is a little complicated. On one hand, the heart of the episode elevates it to make it a worthwhile watch. On the other hand, the US dub is a mess with sloppy editing and flimsy rewrites that weigh it down a ton. If you want my recommendation, I recommend you stick to the UK dub. But right now, I'm gonna do something a bit different here and give this two ratings. Thomas and Percy's Christmas Adventure gets a 4/5 while Thomas and Percy's Mountain Adventure gets a 2.5/5.
