Thomas And Friends: The Last Episode

I have loved Thomas The Tank Engine for most of my life. I remember when the pilot "Thomas Gets Tricked" first aired back in September of 1984. My favorite season of the show is the 2nd season. So you can only imagine my excitement when I won a ticket to tour the place where that very season was produced, Shepperdton Studios, over the summer about 2 years ago.

Oh, how I wish I had lost that raffle.

It was towards the end of the tour that I found myself needing to use the bathroom. At one point, I noticed a strange opening in the wall with some writing on it that said the following:

""" To open this safe: 1-9-8-4"

I looked closer, only to find a safe. I used the intended combination, and it came open. In it, there was a piece of paper and an ENORMOUS cardboard box. I read the piece of paper. I soon realized this was the missing will of the deceased director, David Mitton! I read the will over and all I remember is the following words:     "''To whom it may concern, I leave..."  There followed a large list consisting of so much, from the master tapes for every season of Thomas The Tank Engine'' up to season 6, deleted scenes, individual tapes of each episode from seasons 1-6, footage of the cancelled episode "The Missing Coach" and so much more. However, two things caught my eye: Mitton's personal VHS player, and something called "The Last Episode". What was strange is I had heard reports that Mr. Mitton had been mumbling something about a supposed "Last Episode"  in the weeks prior to his death. I decided to investigate this tape further when I got back to the house I was staying at.

I got back to the Airb&b I was staying at in London and set up the player and decided to look for the supposed Last Episode tape in the box. Sure enough, there it was. I popped it in, not knowing what I was in for.

The 1st thing I noticed was the opening segment was completely different. The music was oddly "funkier", for lack of a better word. Thomas himself also looked completely different. He was smaller, squatter, and was green with yellow stripes and "NWR" and the number 1508 painted on separate side-plates. Then after about 25 seconds of this, the episode began. It started with a shot of Tidmouth Sheds, with Sir Topham Hatt and all the engines except Edward were there. "Thomas, you are to take some wood and oil to help build my new harbor." The engines all burst out into protest. "The only way to get to the harbor is over the viaduct, which is unfinished!" shouted Gordon. "Thomas would-" Percy tried to say, but Sir Topham Hatt cut him off with anger in both his eyes and his voice. "Quiet, all of you, or you will suffer like Edward did!" he said. The engines all fell silent.

The tape then got too damaged to make anything out for about the next 45 seconds. The next shot was of sparks flying from Thomas's brakes. The narrator than said that Thomas was trying to apply his brakes, but the Troublesome Trucks were giving him trouble. "Please, let me stop!" moaned Thomas. What the Trucks said next still chills me to this day. "We will not stop. We will take you to the grave at the bottom of the viaduct as so many of your friends have done to so many of our comrades!" They then started laughing like they usually did, but after what they had said I was quite unnerved. The next shot showed sparks leaping from Thomas's wooden brakes and onto a leaking oil car. It then showed Thomas's whole train setting on fire and the trucks laughing getting lower pitched and faster paced. The next thing I remember was seeing Thomas puffing at full speed towards the unfinished viaduct. Duck, Donald, and Douglas were sitting on separate tracks with shocked looks on their faces. Duck tried to say something, but due to a low buzzing, I couldn't make out what he said. Thomas let out one last whistle and burst through the barrier along with his trucks. I did not see any footage of Thomas falling due to static, but I got one brief shot of Edward's faceless, blackened and rusted body before Thomas made contact with some jagged rocks with oil spilled all over them and an enormous explosion destroyed the bridge's supports, taking Duck, Donald, and Douglas to an early grave. Then there was static for about a minute, and then the credits.

I let the credits roll, then forcefully ejecting the tape(probably damaging the case in the process) and I buried it deep in the box of VHS tapes. As I was getting ready for bed, I heard a sound in the distance. It sounded like Thomas's last whistle from the episode before he died, only more drawn out and very slightly lower pitched. I stood there for about 30 seconds, then shook it out of my mind. I got into bed, thinking of the treasure trove of lost media had found. Little did I know how much trouble I would cause for myself by finding it....