Season 17 - Bill Or Ben?

Pros:

-Bill & Ben's new liveries

-Bill & Ben's tricks

-Characters being in personality

Cons:

-Shoehorning Thomas in

-Characters in the incorrect places 

Final episode of season 17 part 2 week 1! This episode was quite good, but had a few glaring flaws in it. Here is the review:

Firstly, Bill & Ben's new liveries, although (probably) not permanent, looked smart on them. The shade of blue suits them well, as does the yellow lining! I had expected it to be green as a reference to their real-life counterparts (Alfred & Judy) but the blue looks good on them too. Even if this shade was just a marketing scheme, I would honestly get models of the twins in this shade!

Secondly, Bill & Ben's tricks were quite nice too. They seemed like their earlier ones from season 2, I even expected a remastered version of 'the diseasel' (the music, not the episode) to appear when Bill & Ben tricked Connor. Their trick on Kevin at the end was quite funny too!

Final positive, the characters were all in personality. Sir Topham Hatt scolding the twins and being concerned about safety, Connor being concerned about a race with Bill being unfair due to his speed, Kevin being gullible to Ben's trick and Bill & Ben playing tricks on the other engines.

Now onto the cons. Firstly, the scene with Thomas felt shoehorned in. It could've been another engine, Edward particularly as I feel that the scene would fit him quite well.

Last point, the incorrect placing of characters. It seems as though Connor was either on the branchline (which he would've been too heavy for even if he was British. Yes I am suggesting he is already too heavy for Sodor anyway. I don't care if the animators shrunk him, big American engines don't go on British railways, it's common sense) or Bill and Ben being on the mainline, when they belong on Edward's branchline.

Overall, this episode wasn't perfect, but it was still better than what we've endured for the past 8 seasons.

Rating: 3.5/5