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"You okay, Percy?"
"It's even darker in here!"
"Well, you know..."
"I know. I know. Secret agents love the dark."
― Thomas and Percy

License to Deliver is the third episode of the first series of Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go.

Plot

Thomas is sneaking around the big station, avoiding being seen by Gordon, Annie, and Clarabel. He pretends to be a secret agent called Agent #1 and that Tidmouth Sheds is a top secret bad guy base. Then he sees Percy nearby with a covered flatbed and goes to investigate. Thomas asks Percy if he wants to play ‘secret agents’ with him, saying that Percy can be Agent 006, but Percy tells him that he has to deliver a new lightbulb to the lighthouse. He is scared because he will have to deliver it in the dark. Thomas reassures his friend by saying that secret agents love the dark and offers to help Percy with his ‘mission’ to deliver the ‘top secret cargo to their lighthouse headquarters’, fully embracing the secret agent role. Finding some old junk on the track, Thomas and Percy make themselves disguises so no one can recognize them, only for them to be immediately recognized by a passing James.

As the sun starts to set, Percy starts to grow worried. Thomas reassures him, saying all they need are super high-tech night gadgets; tools for getting around in the dark. They both agree that if they need tools, they should go see Sandy. At the Maintenance Yard, Agents #1 and 006 ask Sandy if she can make them night gadgets. She obliges, making them special steam signal smoke stacks and attaches a super slippery gloop spray to Thomas' front. Sandy also gives them a super secret gadget to Thomas on a tarp covered flatbed, telling them it is so secret that she does not even know what it is, just that it is only for emergencies. The two secret agents thank Sandy for the gadgets and head on their way.

As night falls, Agents #1 and 006 sneak past a Troublesome Truck sitting at Knapford Station and hide behind poles as Nia passes by. Once they reach McColl's Farm, they take off their disguises and sneak silently past the cows, only using their special steam signals to communicate. But they run into trouble at the junction leading to the lighthouse. Diesel (or "Doctor Diesel" as Thomas calls him) is there talking to the cows. Agent 006 hides in the bush making animal noises while Agent #1 uses the slippery gloop to pull the squeaky switch quietly so they can sneak away. They make their way through the dark tunnel and the dark forest even with faulty lamps and soon reach the lighthouse right on time. As they head back home, Percy thanks Thomas for coming with him, as it helped him feel really brave. Thomas simply says that is what secret agents and friends do for each other. The two friends then have a good laugh after finding out that the super secret gadget Sandy gave them was an emergency spotlight which they could have used the whole time.

Characters

Locations

Cast

United Kingdom UK

USA US

Song

Screenshot Title Composers Original release date
LicensetoDeliver158 Secret Agents Jonathan Evans 2 March 2022
24 September 2021 (Official YouTube channel)
Thomas and Percy are undercover secret agents in this fun and catchy pop song.


Trivia

  • According to Aaron Barashi's mother, this is his favourite episode.
  • The episode's title is a reference to the sixteenth James Bond movie, License to Kill. Percy's nickname "Agent 006" is a reference to Bond's codename, Agent 007. Diesel's nickname "Dr. Diesel" is a reference to Dr. Evil from the Austin Powers series. Also, the title sequence is a reference to the gun barrel sequence used in James Bond movies.
  • This episode marks the first of a few things:
    • The first episode of All Engines Go to have the same title in both the English and Spanish dubs.
    • The first episode of All Engines Go to feature a character other than Thomas in a leading role.
    • The first episode in which Carly and Kana do not make any sort of appearances since their introductions.
    • James, Annie, Clarabel and the Troublesome Trucks' first appearances in All Engines Go.
    • The first time since the original series episode, Tree Trouble that an episode was re-dubbed in the United Kingdom.
  • Luke Marty, Catherine Disher and Linda Kash join the voice cast.

Goofs

  • At the start of the episode, James has his lamp on the wrong side.
  • James is missing one of his smokebox frames when he greets Thomas and Percy.
  • In one scene, Thomas' cab overlaps with his coal bunker.
  • Percy is missing a wheel in one shot.
  • In Milkshake!'s airing, the US dub credits appear at the end as opposed to the UK dub.
  • In the UK dub, this episode is still titled as 'License to Deliver', even though it would normally be retitled to 'Licence to Deliver'.

Merchandise

Motorized

MotorizedAEGLicensetoDeliverThomas Secret Agent Thomas (discontinued)

Magazine Story

LicensetoDeliverpromo11 License to Deliver (2023)

Book

ThomasandPercy'sSpookyNight Thomas and Percy's Spooky Night

Home Video Releases

United Kingdom UK

GhostTrainDigitialDownloadCover Ghost Train

USA US

BestFriendsDVDCover Best Friends
GhostTrainDigitialDownloadCover Ghost Train
AllEnginesGo!FrontCover Season 25

Canada CAN

BestFriendsDVDCover Best Friends

Australia AUS

GhostTrainDigitialDownloadCover Ghost Train
Season1AustralianPrimeVideo The Complete Series 25

New Zealand NZ

Season1AustralianPrimeVideo The Complete Series 25

Japan JPN

ThomastheTankEngineSeries25Vol.1 Thomas the Tank Engine Series 25 Vol. 1

Germany Spain France GER/ESP/FRA

Season25GermanPrimeVideo Season25SpanishPrimeVideo Season25FrenchPrimeVideo The Complete Series 25

Episode

In Other Languages

Language Title
Albanian Liçensa për dorëzim
Dutch Geheim agent Thomas
Finnish Lupa kuljettaa
German Geheimauftrag für Geheimagenten
Greek Άδεια να Παραδίδεις
Hebrew רישיון למשלוחים
Hungarian A magányos mozdony
Italian Gli agenti segreti adorano il buio
Japanese ひみつのスパイ ナンバー・ワン
Korean 어둠 속 비밀 요원들
Polish Licencja na dostarczanie
Portuguese (Brazil) Licença para entregar
Russian Разрешение на доставку
Russian (Baltic Countries) Лицензия на доставку
Spanish (Latin America) Licencia para entregar
Spanish (Spain) Licencia para transportar
Welsh Trwydded i Ddanfon