A Friend in Need

"Spot on, Jack! You'd make a mother proud!" "And a tank engine grateful!"

- Miss Jenny and Thomas praising Jack

A Friend in Need is the eighth episode of the sixth season.

Plot
Thomas is taking some trucks along the line, thinking about his new friend, Jack, who hopes he has improved himself, after having broken the rules for jumping in where he does not belong. The Pack is at work widening the road near the Old Quarry Bridge. After loading Max with Alfie, Jack, having completed his first assignment for working hard, behaving well and following all the rules, feels proud for himself, but he is also worried that Miss Jenny still would not accept him into the Pack.

Meanwhile, Ned the steam shovel is cleaning up a pile of rocks and loads Max, who tries to warn him to be careful of his very full bucket. Thomas is excited to cross the Old Quarry Bridge, as he could see how Jack is doing and knows the Pack is working on the road construction below. Back at the site, the foreman orders Oliver to move a pile of topsoil. Jack initially attempts to jump in but just before he fills his bucket, he suddenly remembers Miss Jenny's warning to not jump in where anyone should not belong. Oliver arrives to do the job, and Jack tells him that the topsoil moving was actually for him. Oliver kindly thanks Jack, while Kelly, Alfie, and Isobella congratulate him. Later, Ned approaches the Old Quarry Bridge and tries to go as slow and cautiously as he can as he is going under it. However, he ends up not lowering his arm down far enough, and he accidentally knocks a keystone out of the bridge which begins to crumble.

Meanwhile, Thomas nears the Old Quarry Bridge, unaware that danger has unexpectedly laid ahead but is unable to stop. Before Thomas rolls onto the bridge, Jack jumps in and holds the bridge up with his scoop until Thomas can reverse to safety. Kelly rushes to Jack's aid, but Jack is unable to hold the bridge any longer, causing the bridge section to collapse before Kelly can help.

After Thomas brings Jack back to the yard, after having damaged his arms, and is very worried what Miss Jenny would say, but she is pleased with Jack's bravery and accepts Jack into the Pack. Jack is then sent to the works to get his arms repaired.

Thomas, now very happy, then returns home to Tidmouth Sheds and welcomes Jack to the Pack.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Jack
 * Alfie
 * Max
 * Ned
 * Kelly
 * Oliver
 * Isobella
 * Miss Jenny
 * The Foreman
 * Byron

Locations

 * Sodor Construction Company Yard
 * Cronk
 * The Quarry Bridge
 * Tidmouth Sheds
 * The Works

Trivia

 * Stock footage from Jack Jumps In is used.
 * Alec Baldwin's narration has only been broadcast on the Canadian television station TVO Kids, but was later released in the US DVD, Mud Glorious Mud in 2008.
 * This was the last episode of several things:
 * The last episode to date with three writers.
 * The last episode directed by Steve Asquith until the eighth season and Jack and the Sodor Construction Company series.
 * The last episode to feature only one engine and the Pack until the Jack and the Sodor Construction Company episode, A Visit from Thomas.
 * The last episode until the nineteenth season episode, Diesel's Ghostly Christmas to have a story arc span over more than one episode.
 * The last episode in the main series until the twenty-first season episode, Terence Breaks the Ice to feature only one engine.

Goofs

 * Thomas is stated to be puffing along a branch line, but he is passing through Cronk, which is on the Main Line.
 * When Jack and Alfie load Max, Max's right-rear wheel spins around. It spins again in the close-up of Jack loading dirt into Max.
 * Ned appears to have already gone underneath the bridge and is later seen going underneath the bridge again and knocking out two main keystone.
 * When Ned clears the bridge, his smokestack is missing. It may have been removed so Ned's model could go under the bridge.
 * In the shot of Jack emerging from under the bridge, the studio is reflected in his front window and the ground he travels over bounces up and down.
 * In between the shot of Jack's face turning from happy to sad, Jack's roof shifts slightly to the right.
 * When Ned says "Sorry," his eyes are wonky.
 * In the shot before Ned knocks the first keystone away, his crane arm goes under the bridge without causing any damage. Upon closer inspection, a gap is visible possibly so Ned's arm could hit the other keystone precisely.
 * When the bridge collapses, some batteries are visible inside the bridge.

Quotes
______________________________________________________________________________________________
 * (Ned loads Max excessively)
 * Max: Careful, bumble bucket!
 * Ned: Sorry!
 * [after Jack has saved Thomas from the damaged bridge]
 * Miss Jenny: Spot on, Jack! You'd make a mother proud!
 * Thomas: And a tank engine grateful!
 * Miss Jenny: It's off to the fitters with you tomorrow, Jack. The Pack can't have a front loader with bent arms.
 * Jack: You mean, I can stay?
 * Miss Jenny: I wouldn't have it any other way.
 * Kelly: We're a cracking crew!
 * Isobella: And all the better that Jack's being here!
 * Alfie: Welcome to The Pack, Jack!

Merchandise

 * Capsule Plarail - Old Quarry Bridge and Straining Jack
 * My Thomas Story Library - Jack (discontinued)
 * Magazine Stories - Jack Helps Out

Home Media Releases
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UK

 * Brave Little Engines
 * The Complete Series 6

DVD Boxsets

 * Classic Collection
 * Peep Peep Party/Brave Little Engines Double Pack
 * Brave Little Engines/The Chocolate Crunch Double Pack

WAL

 * The Brave Machines

US

 * New Friends for Thomas and Other Adventures (Michael Angelis' US narration)
 * Mud Glorious Mud (DVD)
 * Thomas & Friends Classic Volume 6

DVD Boxsets

 * New Friends for Thomas and Other Adventures/Spills and Chills and Other Thomas Thrills Double Feature
 * Totally Thomas Volume 4

AUS

 * Thomas and the Jet Engine (Australian VHS/DVD)
 * The Complete Series 6

DVD Boxsets

 * Complete Series 1-10
 * 60th Anniversary - Limited Edition Boxset
 * Series Five and Series Six Double Pack

PHL

 * A Friend in Need (Philippine DVD)

NOR

 * Scaredy Engines (Norwegian DVD)

JPN

 * Crash and Smash! Look Out!
 * Thomas the Tank Engine Series 6 Vol.3

MYS

 * Busy Going Backwards and Other Adventures
 * Harvey to the Rescue and Other Thomas Adventures

SWE/DK

 * The World's Strongest Engine (Swedish DVD)

SVN

 * Salty's Secret (Slovenian DVD)

ITA

 * Percy and the Haunted Mine (Italian DVD)

THA
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 * Thomas and Friends Volume 14 (Thai DVD)
 * Thomas and Friends - Volume 20 (Thai DVD)

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