Jitters and Japes

"Shake! Shake! Make me quake!" "Make me quake until I shake!"

- Thomas and Dowager Hatt crossing the Shake Shake Bridge

Jitters and Japes is eighteenth episode of the fourteenth season.

Plot
Dowager Hatt is visiting Sodor. Thomas puffs into Knapford Station and Sir Topham Hatt tells him to collect his mother from Maithwaite station and take her on a tour of Misty Island. Thomas guarantees that Dowager Hatt will have fun which prompts Sir Topham to warn Thomas that his mother is an elderly woman. Thomas then asks Toby, one of the oldest engines, what he would want to do. Toby tells Thomas that he would want to go slow and then rest to smile at the beautiful views.

So Thomas sets off to Maithwaite to collect the Dowager. Thomas tells Dowager Hatt that he has a plan for their day and Dowager Hatt tells Thomas that she has a few plans herself, but Thomas doesn't listen and sets off through the Misty Island Tunnel. Unfortunately, the mist is down over Misty Island which rather upsets the Dowager. Thomas then remember's Toby's idea of fun and stops to let Dowager Hatt admire the view, but she is not happy. She doesn't consider the view very fun at all. Thomas assures her that the next stop will be fun and they soon stop at the Misty Island Seashore. Dowager Hatt waits and waits, but she doesn't smile. Finally, the mist lifts and Thomas sets off again to have more "fun". Thomas, remembering Toby's advice, puffs slowly and steadily up and down hills. But Dowager Hatt is getting more and more annoyed until, finally, she demands Thomas to stop. He does and Dowager Hatt orders Thomas to take her home. Thomas tells her that he was only trying to be fun for her, but Dowager Hatt tells Thomas that she wanted thrills and spills, jokes and japes, jitters and flitters. Thomas doesn't know what those are so he decides to go home the quickest way possible.

Thomas chuffs through the Hollow Tree Tunnel, and to his surprise Dowager Hatt is clapping and laughing. Which gives Thomas an idea. He races faster and faster towards the Shake Shake Bridge. Dowager Hatt loves the bridge! Next, it's Old Wheezy's turn to impress. He throws logs all over the place - much to the Dowager's content. All too soon, it was teatime and Dowager Hatt had to go back to Sodor. Dowager Hatt tells her son all about the fun she's had and the Fat Controller praises Thomas, who now realises that different people have different ideas of fun - regardless of their age!

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Toby
 * Dowager Hatt
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Old Wheezy
 * Hee-Haw
 * Gordon (cameo)
 * James (cameo)
 * Diesel (cameo)
 * Annie and Clarabel (cameo)
 * Harold (cameo)
 * Lady Hatt (cameo)
 * Jem Cole (cameo)
 * Mr. Percival (cameo)
 * The bird watcher (cameo)

Locations

 * Misty Island
 * Shake Shake Bridge
 * Misty Island Tunnel
 * Hollow Tree Tunnel
 * Misty Island Seashore
 * Sodor
 * Sodor Search and Rescue Centre
 * Topham Hall
 * Knapford
 * Maithwaite

Trivia

 * Dowager Hatt calls Sir Topham "Bertram" again.
 * Part of Dowager Hatt's portrait is framed on the Fat Controller's mantle-piece along with a photo of himself and one of his granddaughter, Bridget.
 * This is the first time we see the road entrance to Knapford.
 * The Lion of Sodor can be seen in the middle of the roundabout at the road entrance to Knapford station.
 * Photographs from the episodes James Goes Too Far and Toby's Afternoon Off and one of Henry can be seen on the wall of the stationmaster's office at Knapford. In the picture of James, his face has been removed.
 * This is the first time Annie, Clarabel, and Dowager Hatt have visited Misty Island. It is also the first time the island has been seen without the logging locos present.
 * Mr. Percival and Jem Cole cameo at Knapford station in the scene with Gordon and James.

Goofs

 * There are no photos of Stephen Hatt on the Fat Controller's fireplace.
 * How could Thomas hear what Dowager Hatt was saying from inside Annie?
 * Dowager Hatt is shown as a thrill-seeker in this episode. However, in Gordon and the Gremlin she is shown to not like high speeds.