| For other uses, see Percy Takes the Plunge (disambiguation). |
- “You need more determination, Percy. 'Water's nothing to an engine with determination,' you know. Perhaps you will like it better next time!”
- ― Henry
Percy Takes the Plunge, retitled Percy Takes a Plunge on some North American releases, is the eleventh episode of the second series. It is based on the story of the same name from The Railway Series book The Eight Famous Engines.
Plot
One day, While looking to rest at the Harbour, Henry finds Percy telling Bill and Ben about how he helped Thomas' passengers return home in bad weather. Percy claims that "water's nothing to an engine with determination," while the twins praise him for his bravery. Henry arrives and angrily sends them away, claiming that the shed is reserved for the Fat Controller's engines belonging to the Railway and calls them silly. Percy is annoyed at him because he was enjoying telling the engines his story. Henry also thinks Percy is also silly for his remark about water. Percy boasts that he is not afraid of water, and runs off, singing about the time Henry refused to leave a tunnel for fear of the rain ruining his paint, while Henry grumbles to himself that no one will ever let him forget about that incident.
Later, Percy finds Thomas looking at a "DANGER" board on the quayside. Thomas tells Percy that they must not go past it, recalling the time when he disobeyed one and fell into a mine. Unbeknownst to Percy, the quay's foundations have weakened, causing the tracks to sink downward into the ocean. Percy remarks that the board is stupid and makes a plan to pass it.
Thomas: "I went past danger once and fell down a mine."
Percy: "I can't see a mine."
One day, Percy is taking a line of trucks to the harbour. He secretly asks them to give him a bump once they get to the quay. The surprised trucks happily agree, having never been asked to bump an engine before. Percy thinks that he can stop the trucks whenever he likes, but every wise engine knows that trucks are never to be trusted.
"No, Percy, we cannot do that till high tide. I hope it will teach you to obey orders."
Upon stopping at the quay, the trucks bump Percy past the board, knocking his crew off the footplate and sending him sliding off the rails into the sea. The Fat Controller arrives and scolds Percy for his deliberate disobedience. Percy apologises and begs to be rescued, but the Fat Controller sternly informs him that rescue will not be possible until high tide, and hopes that this will teach Percy a lesson about obeying orders. It is dark by the time the tide is high enough for floating cranes to be brought in to rescue Percy, who by this time is too cold and stiff to move by himself.
The next morning, Percy is arranged to be taken to the Works for cleaning and mending on Henry's goods train. Henry finds the incident very amusing, telling Percy he needs more determination and suggesting that he will like it better next time. Percy however, is quite determined that there will never be a "next time".
Characters
- Thomas
- Henry
- Percy
- Troublesome Trucks
- Sir Topham Hatt
- Bill and Ben (not named)
- Diesel (cameo)
- Donald and Douglas (dropped)
Locations
- Brendam Docks
- New Harbour Bridges
- The Branch Line Cutting
- The Dual Bends
- Gordon's Hill (deleted scene)
- Henry's Tunnel (mentioned)
- The Lead Mines (mentioned)
- The Works (mentioned)
Trivia
- The story Percy tells at the beginning is a reference to Percy's Promise, which was not televised until the third series. This is because it was originally going to be the tenth episode of the second series before it was cancelled. Because of the original additional episode, in concept art of Brendam for the second series, this episode is noted as the twelfth episode instead of the eleventh.
- When Percy is pulled out of the sea, Diesel makes a cameo prior to his debut in the next episode. He can be seen driving past the scene in the background.
- This marks the first episode of a few things:
- The first time a diesel engine is seen in the television series.
- The first time that an engine falls into the sea and has to wait until the tide is high enough to be rescued; the second is the fifth series episode, Something in the Air.
- The first time that an engine slides downward to water; the second is the twelfth series episode Push Me, Pull You.
- In the original Railway Series story, Percy tells his story to his group of unnamed friends from the Other Railway. In the episode, Bill and Ben take their place due to the impracticality and high cost of constructing several single-use engines.
- In production notes for the episode, Donald and Douglas are noted for possible use as Percy's friends, along with Bill and Ben. Bill and Ben were likely chosen because they, like Percy's friends in the original story, are not owned by the Fat Controller.
- The events of this episode are mentioned by the narrator in the 2014 special, Tale of the Brave, by Percy in the 2018 special, Big World! Big Adventures!, during the song Where in the World is Thomas? and by James in the twenty-third series episode Chucklesome Trucks. Two different CGI recreations of the scene where Percy plunges into the water were featured in the latter; the first one would be in a fantasy and the other really happened.
- In the restored version:
- Bill and Ben leave the shed a few seconds earlier.
- Two alternate takes are used such as:
- The shot of Percy leaving the shed:
- As Percy looks at Henry throughout saying, "I'm not afraid of water. I like it."
- His speed is also a little slower.
- Henry looks up as Percy talks to him instead of at Percy and then to his right side instead of his left before the scene transitions to Thomas.
- The shot of Percy puffing through the valley, as he is moving at a slow pace.
- The shot of Percy leaving the shed:
- The "DANGER" sign is re-used from Down the Mine.
- Two promotional pictures show Percy looking sad and covered in mud and his left (viewers' right) cylinder is loose while he is at the harbour with Thomas. The first one is from this episode's Buzz Book adaptation and it shows both at the quay in the same spot when they talked about the board. Another one from the viewmaster version shows them at a warehouse. These may have been deleted scenes towards the end of the episode.
- In the scene with Thomas and Percy at the harbour, a truck with the letters "LMS" on it can be seen. There is also a first series style truck right next to it.
- A barge has Terrey written on it; this is possibly a reference to crew member Terence Permane.
- This is the only second series episode with Henry's happy face, which is also from the nameboard image with Henry.
- Ringo Starr's US dub was first released on an audiobook cassette of A Cow on the Line and Other Thomas the Tank Engine Stories in 1992. It was not released on home video, however, until 2001, when it was included on the Best of Percy VHS and titled Percy Takes a Plunge.
- A rare picture, as seen on the viewmaster box, shows Percy in the sea with his train missing the last two trucks and the brake van.
- When George Carlin's US dub aired on the Shining Time Station episode, Schemer Goes Camping, the last few seconds of the episode were cut.
- The scene of Percy plunging into the sea and the Fat Controller scolding Percy was featured in an episode of the fourth series of the ITV drama series, Soldier Soldier.
- When a majority of second series episodes were repeated on Mondays in 1989 beginning with Bertie's Chase and Saved from Scrap on 6 March, this episode along with Pop Goes the Diesel somehow followed on 13 March, before reverting back to the normal order with Old Iron and Thomas and Trevor on 20 March. This led to a noticeable continuity gap on Easter Monday and May Day Bank Holidays when Thomas' sister show, Tugs, started on Tuesdays from 4 April-27 June 1989.
- When this episode was repeated on 2 July 1991, an image of Percy stranded in the harbour water was used for the sneak peak in Radio Times.
- The JEI TV version of the Korean dub added subtitles to inform viewers what a breakdown train is.
- This episode was never released on home video in South Korea.
Goofs
- Throughout the episode:
- Percy's left cylinder is loose.
- A piece of blu tack can be seen on below Percy's bunker.
- When Henry enters the shed:
- Ben's nameplate is peeling off.
- His tender bounces.
- In the restored version, because the beginning of Bill and Ben leaving the shed is cut out, the chuffing sounds is out of sync.
- The narrator says that Percy ran off to the harbour singing, but he is already at the harbour.
- When the camera pans down on Thomas, several trucks in the background are derailed.
- When Thomas explains to Percy about the sign, a studio light can be seen reflected off his smokebox.
- In the English dubs, when the narrator says "One day, he whispered to the trucks," both Ringo Starr and George Carlin read "one day" as if the dialogue was spoken by Percy.
- Percy looks cross when he chuckles about his driver not knowing his plan.
- During Percy's trip to the harbour, his brake van changes.
- Before Percy plunges into the sea, the shot of him at the quayside comes before the shot of him sliding past the board. Because of this, his facial expression also changes from shocked to smiling.
- In the close-up of Percy being pushed, a reflection of a hand can be seen in the water pushing the train. Additionally, Percy's eyes are also misaligned.
- Before Percy goes straight into the water, his brakes are applied despite his driver and fireman having jumped out. Then, right about when he falls into the water, his wheels are moving again.
- Just as Percy plunges into the sea, two of his trucks become derailed and one of them also bounces.
- During the rescue:
- A workman appears to have blu tack on his neck.
- Percy is not dirty when he is hanging from the cranes but, when he is placed on the flatbed he is.
- His face is dirty when he is sitting on Thomas' flatbed but, when he is sitting on Henry's flatbed, his face is not dirty.
- The second sound effect comes in late when Percy is lifted on Thomas' flatbed.
- In the close up shot of Percy, his face moves forward a bit.
- When Henry asks Percy "Did you like the water?", his eyes jitter.
Quotes
- The Fat Controller: You are a very disobedient engine.
- Narrator: Percy knew that voice.
- Percy: Please, sir, get me out, sir. I'm truly sorry, sir.
- The Fat Controller: No Percy, we cannot do that till high tide. I hope it will teach you to obey orders.
- Percy: Yes, sir.
In Other Languages
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Merchandise
- Wooden Railway
- Take Along
- Motorized
- Ladybird book - Percy and Harold and Percy Takes the Plunge
- Buzz Book - Percy Takes the Plunge
Home Video Releases
Episode
References
| #01 Thomas, Percy and the Coal | #10 The Runaway | #19 Daisy |
| #02 Cows | #11 Percy Takes the Plunge | #20 Percy's Predicament |
| #03 Bertie's Chase | #12 Pop Goes the Diesel | #21 The Diseasel |
| #04 Saved from Scrap | #13 Dirty Work | #22 Wrong Road |
| #05 Old Iron | #14 A Close Shave | #23 Edward's Exploit |
| #06 Thomas and Trevor | #15 Better Late than Never | #24 Ghost Train |
| #07 Percy and the Signal | #16 Break Van | #25 Woolly Bear |
| #08 Duck Takes Charge | #17 The Deputation | #26 Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree |
| #09 Percy and Harold | #18 Thomas Comes to Breakfast | Cancelled: The Missing Coach |
| Cancelled: Gordon Goes Foreign | ||