| This article is about the episode. You may be looking for the magazine story. |
- “Are you ok, Paxton? Do you need a little push?"
"It's not me. It's Thomas."
"It's not me. It's Philip."
"It's not me. It's James. So, you need to say sorry! Please.” - ― Rebecca, Paxton, Thomas and Philip
Apology Impossible is the fourteenth episode of the twenty-second series.
Plot
On a morning on the Island of Sodor, James stops quickly at the Docks and bumps into a flatbed of crates. This scares Philip, causing him to bump his trucks and accidentally knock a barrel of oil on the tracks. James runs over it, spilling it and covering both of them in oil. Annoyed, Philip tells James he should say sorry, but James refuses to care. Later, Philip is waiting at the washdown when James cuts in front of him. When the Fat Controller wants an engine to deliver a train of sardines, Philip tries to trick James into taking it, but he leaves, so Philip is forced to take it instead.
The Fenland Track is under repair, and Philip makes sure his track is clear before going on. Meanwhile, James ignores the workman waving a flag, and James and Philip end up on the same line. Philip refuses to give way, but so does James, leaving them at a standstill. As Philip lists James' mistakes, Thomas, Paxton and Rebecca stack up behind Philip. Paxton realises there are a lot of engines on the bridge and worries it could collapse. Philip decides he does not want an accident to happen, so he, Thomas, Paxton and Rebecca make way for James. However, the engines are cross at James for holding them up, and James starts to feel guilty. Later, the Fat Controller makes James apologise to Philip and the other engines for the delay, and Philip accepts his friend's apology. Despite this, James still has to take trucks to the Waste Dump as punishment for his actions.
Characters
- Thomas
- James
- Rebecca
- Paxton
- Philip
- Annie and Clarabel
- Sir Topham Hatt
- The Divers (fantasy)
- Henry (cameo)
- Nia (cameo)
- Troublesome Trucks (cameos)
- Cranky (cameo)
- Carly (cameo)
- Big Mickey (cameo)
Locations
- Brendam Docks
- Crosby Washdown
- Knapford
- Road and Rail Runby and Road Bridge
- The Fenland Track
- Whiff's Waste Dump (mentioned)
Cast
UK
- John Hasler as Thomas
- Rob Rackstraw as James and a Dock Worker
- Rachael Miller as Rebecca
- Steven Kynman as Paxton and a Rail Worker
- Rasmus Hardiker as Philip and a Rail Worker
- Teresa Gallagher as Annie and Clarabel
- Keith Wickham as the Fat Controller
US
- Joseph May as Thomas
- Rob Rackstraw as James and a Dock Worker
- Rachael Miller as Rebecca
- Steven Kynman as Paxton and a Rail Worker
- Rasmus Hardiker as Philip and a Rail Worker
- Teresa Gallagher as Annie and Clarabel
- Keith Wickham as Sir Topham Hatt
Trivia
- Going by production order, this is the twentieth episode of the twenty-second series.
- This episode marks:
- Philip's final episode with a leading role.
- James' last episode with a leading role until the twenty-fourth series episode, James the Super Engine.
- The third time The Fenland Track bridge collapses. The first being in Hero of the Rails, and in second being in the fifteenth series episode, James to the Rescue. But it collapses in a fantasy sequence.
- The first episode in which the term “rubbish” is used in the US dub since the sixth series episode, Jack Frost.
- The fourth time an engine gets covered in oil. The first being the eighth series episode, Percy's Big Mistake, the second being Calling All Engines! and the third being the seventeenth series episode, Away From the Sea.
- The title is likely a reference to the Mission Impossible film franchise.
- Apart from Thomas reading the title aloud, this episode does not include any narration.
- The UK Netflix promo uses a screencap from Who's Geoffrey?
- In the US dub, quite a few audio bits were taken from previous episodes:
- The audio of James gasping before he almost crashes into Philip in the US dub is taken from the twenty-first series episode, The Fastest Red Engine on Sodor.
- The second, shorter gasp is, in turn, taken from the twentieth series episode, Pouty James.
- The audio of James laughing in the end is taken from the twentieth series episode, All in Vain.
- James and Philip almost crashing into each other is similar to Gordon almost crashing into Percy in the first series episode, Percy Runs Away, and Emily almost crashing into Toby in the twenty-first series episode, The Big Freeze.
- Rasmus Hardiker uses an American accent for the rail worker who warns James that the available track to the Fenland Track is not clear, much like he does for Count Duckula in the Danger Mouse reboot.
- On the Nick Jr. US airing of this episode, it was paired with Thomas and the Monkey Palace.
Goofs
- When Paxton begins to back up, his lamp goes missing. It then returns in the next scene.
- In the US dub, The Fat Controller uses the UK term “rubbish” at the end of the episode.
Merchandise
- Magazine Stories - Apology Impossible (2021/2023)
In Other Languages
| Language | Title |
|---|---|
| Brazilian Portuguese | Desculpa Impossível |
| Czech | Omluva není možná |
| Danish | Undskyldning umulig |
| Dutch | Lastige Excuses |
| Finnish | Anteeksipyytöminen |
| German | Sich entschuldigen ist schwer |
| Greek | Μια δύσκολη συγγνώμη |
| Hebrew | התנצלות בלתי אפשרית |
| Hungarian | Nincs bocsánat |
| Italian | Scuse Impossibili |
| Japanese | あやまってよジェームス |
| Korean | 사과는 참 어려워 |
| Norwegian | Ingen unnskyldning |
| Polish | Przeprosiny Niemożliwe |
| Portuguese | Pedir desculpa |
| Russian | Извинения принимаются! |
| Serbian | Nemoguće izvinjenje |
| Spanish | Disculpa Imposible |
| Swedish | Omöjlig ursäkt |
| Turkish | Hınçal Surzartur |
| Vietnamese | Lời xin lỗi thật lòng của James |
Home Media Releases
UK/AUS
GER
| #01 Number One Engine | #10 Outback Thomas | #19 Cyclone Thomas |
| #02 Forever and Ever | #11 School of Duck | #20 Kangaroo Christmas |
| #03 Confusion Without Delay | #12 Tiger Trouble | #21 Thomas and the Dragon |
| #04 Trusty Trunky | #13 Seeing Is Believing | #22 Rosie is Red |
| #05 What Rebecca Does | #14 Apology Impossible | #23 The Case of the Puzzling Parts |
| #06 Thomas Goes to Bollywood | #15 The Water Wheel | #24 Banjo and the Bushfire |
| #07 Thomas in the Wild | #16 Samson and the Fireworks | #25 Counting on Nia |
| #08 Thomas and the Monkey Palace | #17 Runaway Truck | #26 Hunt the Truck |
| #09 An Engine of Many Colours | #18 Thomas' Animal Ark | |