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"Who holds the old record?"
"I do! Haha!"
― Thomas and Gordon

It's Good to Be Gordon is the ninth episode of the tenth series.

Plot

One spring morning, the Fat Controller tells Gordon that if he is on time with the express and back, he will have set a new record. Gordon is happy about this and proceeds to go to the coaling plant to fill his tender. After his tender is filled with coal, the yard manager calls out for Gordon to stop as he has just been given Henry's special coal by mistake. Gordon knows Henry needs special coal, but he thinks that it will help him with his record, so he pretends to not hear the yard manager and leaves with the special coal. Henry arrives at the coaling plant to fill his tender with special coal to take some tar wagons to Knapford, but the yard manager tells him that there is no special coal left and that Henry will have to use ordinary coal today. Henry is worried as using ordinary coal will clog his firebox and therefore stop him from making steam, but he all the same does so as it is only for one day.

Gordon starts puffing around the island to set his new record. He is making good time and he feels good to be Gordon. But Henry is not at his best as he cannot go fast with his heavy tar wagons and dark steam is coming out from his funnel and he is also rattling and he did not feel good to be Henry. Thomas sees Henry and thinks he looks very ill. Gordon soon finds out from Thomas about Henry's illness and wishes he had not taken his special coal, but he continues to set a new record. Gordon feels upset as he leaves the station, and he did not feel good to be Gordon anymore. When Gordon arrives at Maron, he sees Henry taking on water and looking very poorly. Gordon feels guilty, but the stationmaster blows his whistle and Henry cheers for Gordon to set a new record.

Gordon is on time, but he stops just outside Knapford not caring for setting a new record and goes back to find Henry. Gordon finds him having a rest and tells Henry that he took his special coal. Henry forgives him and the two big engines swap tenders under Gordon's suggestion. Henry is filled with special coal and feels much better right away as they go to Knapford. Because Gordon was late with the express, everyone has left with Thomas being the only one there and the Fat Controller drives home in his car for tea. Gordon feels upset that he did not set a new record, but is cheered up when Thomas reminds him that he is still the current record-holder and the good friends laugh.

Characters

Locations

Trivia

  • Going by production order, this is the eighth episode of the tenth series.
  • This was the first episode of a few things:
    • The first episode where two tender engines switch their tenders. If The Missing Coach had been completed, this would have been the second episode to do so.
    • The first appearance of Gordon's guilty face.
    • The first episode to air on Milkshake! in the UK.
    • The first time Henry is seen using ordinary coal while needing special coal since the first series. This episode gives a new reason for Henry needing special coal in that ordinary coal clogs his firebox; he is shown to exhaust black smoke from his funnel while using regular coal. Previously, in his old shape, the problem was that his firebox was too small for regular coal, meaning he could not produce enough steam.
    • The first appearance of Henry's stuffed-up face since the first series episode, Whistles and Sneezes.
  • This was also the last episode of a few things:
    • The last episode where an engine driver has a speaking role until the 2011 special, Day of the Diesels and where one has spoken dialogue until the eighteenth series episode, Long Lost Friend.
    • The Coaling Plant Manager's last appearance, not counting a mentioned appearance.
    • The last appearance of Henry's stuffed-up face.
  • Henry's original plastic model was used for most of the episode, due to the need for a heavy volume smoke unit related to the story. The only scene that uses his first new model, is the last scene at Knapford. This is also one of only two times his whole plastic model was seen in the tenth series, the other being in the opening scene of Emily and the Special Coaches. Henry's plastic tender alone can be seen behind the first new Henry in the opening scene of Thomas and the Colours.
  • This episode is the only appearance of Henry's second wincing face, which was originally made in the eighth series.
  • The US dub of this episode was never released on home media.
  • From this episode until The Great Discovery, Henry gains a new astonished face which is similar to his original one from the second series.
  • During the filming of the Maron scene, the smoke mechanism used to make Henry puff black smoke overheated and exploded inside his tender.[1]

Goofs

  • When Henry says "The workmen are waiting! The workmen are waiting!" his siderods are going slower than his accurate speed as he is being pulled along too fast by the camera rig.
  • In the second close-up of Henry at Maron Station, a stone flies out his funnel and lands on his running board.
  • Henry's original plastic model appears to be damaged at the front on his left side. All shots of Henry were positioned in such a way where this damage would be least noticeable, so the viewer mainly sees his right side throughout the episode. This damage was later fixed as it is not present in the eleventh series episode, Henry's Lucky Day where the plastic model made its final appearance. The fix is still visible today and the original piece that broke off was glued back on, rather than that section being replaced with new plastic sheet.

In Other Languages

View content
Language Title
Bosnian Dobro je biti Gordon
Brazilian Portuguese É Bom Ser Gordon
Chinese Mandarin 能当高登真好
Croatian Dobro je biti Gordan
Czech Je fajn být Gordonem
Danish Det er skønt at være Gordon
Dutch Het is fijn om Gordon te zijn
Finnish Jorin Uusi Ennätys
French C'est bon d'être Gordon
German Es macht Spaß, Gordon zu sein
Hungarian Az Elcserélt Szerkocsi
Italian È Bello Essere Gordon
Japanese ゴードンでよかった
Korean 고든의 욕심
Latin American Spanish Es Bueno ser Gordon
Norwegian Det er godt å være Gordon
Polish Jak Dobrze być Gabrysia
Portuguese É Bom Ser Gordon
Romanian E Bine să fii Gordon
Russian Как хорошо быть Гордоном
Spanish Está Bien ser uno Mismo
Swedish Det är härligt att vara Gordon
Turkish Gordon Olmak Güzel Şey

Home Media Releases

UK

DVD Packs

AUS

  • The Complete Series 10

DVD Boxsets

POL

NOR/SWE/DK/FIN

DVD Boxsets

NL

THA

MYS

ARA

JPN

HUN

  • Thomas the Tank Engine 12 - The Most Important Task

SPN

DVD Boxsets

KOR

HK

TWN

References



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