The Way She Does it

"Hello Thomas, guess what I'm going to be doing tomorrow?" "Sitting in your Shed?" "No!" "Working at the Waste Dump? Taking Monkeys to the Animal Park? Ooh, I know. Going to Misty Island?" "No! I am picking up a group of Entertainers and taking them to Harwick to put on a show."

- Daisy asking Thomas for questions

The Way She Does It is the tenth episode of the twentieth season.

Plot
One morning, the Fat Controller asks Daisy to take some special passengers to the holiday town of Harwick the next day. He tells her that the special passengers are a troupe of entertainers and that she should look her best. Daisy, excited by the prospect, happily accepts the job and is eager to tell the other engines about it. During her passenger run, she tells Thomas, Ryan, Duck and Oliver all about her special job, remarking on how important the entertainers are and that she was chosen especially. As the day goes on, her excitement grows and she can hardly sleep that night, imagining what sort of grand performance the troupe will show.

The next morning, Daisy heads off to Knapford to collect the entertainers whilst also doing her passenger run. At her first stop, she notices a family about to board with their pet dog. Remembering the Fat Controller's words about looking at her best, she refuses to let the family on board and leaves them behind. At the next two stations, she spots a family eating ice cream and another family fresh from a visit to the beach, and she refuses to pick them up too.

Daisy arrives at Knapford without so much as a grain of sand in her and awaits for her special passengers when a man with a bowler hat and a woman with a suitcase approach her. Daisy is surprised to learn that they are, in fact, the entertainers she was due to collect. As she laments the fact that they were not what she was expecting, Stafford shunts a parcel truck behind her. Daisy, horrifed at the prospect of pulling a truck, leaves before it can be coupled. Stafford tries to stop her, but knowing his battery will not get him to Harwick, he is forced to give up.

Daisy sadly sets off to Harwick, disappointed that her passengers were not as grand as she thought they would be. She is so upset that she fails to pick up any of her passengers again. Once she arrives at Harwick, the entertainers are surprised to discover that there are no children. They then explain to a surprised Daisy that they were going to perform a puppet show, but all their luggage was in the parcel truck except for the puppets, which the woman had in her suitcase. Daisy realises that she had let her imagination get the better of her and had not considered that it was simply a puppet show.

Just then, Bertie arrives carrying all the passengers Daisy left behind, as well as the Fat Controller. He scolds Daisy for her actions and explains he had to get a special bus service to pick up the children. Daisy apologises for her actions and accepts the blame for letting the entertainers and children down, as without a puppet stand, the show cannot go ahead. Luckily, Daisy then has an idea; the entertainers can use one of her windows as a stand. The show is a big success and despite the entertainers making some jokes at her expense, even Daisy cannot help but laugh.

Characters
Some passengers also speak. They are voiced by Keith Wickham and Teresa Gallagher in both narrations.
 * Thomas
 * Duck
 * Oliver
 * Ryan
 * Daisy
 * Stafford
 * Annie and Clarabel
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * The Puppet Show Entertainers
 * The Blond-haired Boy
 * A Workman
 * Bert (cameo)
 * Rex (cameo)
 * Mike (cameo)
 * Toad (cameo)
 * Bertie (cameo)
 * The Ginger-haired Boy (cameo)
 * The Teacher (cameo)
 * The Great Composer (cameo)
 * The Great Railway Show Judge (cameo)

Locations

 * Arlesburgh Yard
 * Arlesburgh Yard Shed
 * Arlesburgh West
 * Arlesburgh West Shed
 * Arlesburgh Harbour
 * Bluff's Cove
 * Knapford
 * Harwick
 * Whiff's Waste Dump (mentioned)
 * Sodor Animal Park (mentioned)
 * Misty Island (mentioned)

UK

 * Mark Moraghan as the narrator
 * John Hasler as Thomas
 * Steven Kynman as Duck and Ryan
 * Joe Mills as Oliver
 * Tracy-Ann Oberman as Daisy
 * Keith Wickham as Stafford, the Fat Controller, the Male Puppet Show Entertainer, a workman and some passengers
 * Teresa Gallagher as Annie, Clarabel, the Female Puppet Show Entertainer, the Blond-haired Boy and some passengers

US

 * Mark Moraghan as the narrator
 * Joseph May as Thomas
 * Steven Kynman as Duck and Ryan
 * Joe Mills as Oliver
 * Tracy-Ann Oberman as Daisy
 * Keith Wickham as Stafford, Sir Topham Hatt, the Male Puppet Show Entertainer, a workman and some passengers
 * Teresa Gallagher as Annie, Clarabel, the Female Puppet Show Entertainer and some passengers
 * William Hope as the Blond-haired Boy

Trivia

 * The episode's title is most likely a reference to Mr. Punch's catchphrase, "That's the way to do it!" The male entertainer also says this line at the end of the episode.
 * When Daisy is telling Duck and Oliver about her special, it is revealed that she is most likely familiar in French as well as English, as she uses several French terms to describe the entertainers.
 * The first time since the sixteenth season that Misty Island has been mentioned.
 * It's possible that the episode was based off the annual story "That's the Way to Do It!"
 * The Fat Controller was wearing the same clothing at the end from the episode Ryan and Daisy.
 * This episode marks Bertie's only appearance in the twentieth season.

Goofs

 * Andrew Brenner is credited for writing this episode at the beginning of the Family Jr. airing instead of Davey Moore. This was corrected in the UK airing.
 * Daisy referred to the truck that was carrying the puppet stand as a van, when it was really an open-top wagon.
 * After the Fat Controller says "Let's get the show started," he freezes for the remainder of the shot, although he can be seen blinking his eyes.
 * Matt Wilkinson is credited in the UK credits despite none of his characters speaking in that dub.
 * There are no tracks leading to the Miniature engines' shed.

UK

 * Team Up With Thomas