In the wake of Sir Topham Hatt's brush with the Lucky Lamp, some unsettling revelations come to light, concerning his past and the island's. Meanwhile, Duncan has to face some demons of his own.
Tropes:
- Ambiguous Situation: Whether the Dr. Anderson that Topham met at Carldon was a hallucination, or an actual ghost. On the one hand, Sir Topham has been dealing with the hallucination for some time, and it's entirely possible that it was just him talking to the version of Anderson that was based on his own perception of the man combined with Edward's revelation about him. On the other hand, Sodor has a long history of supernatural happenings, and it's entirely possible that the guilt-ridden ghost of Anderson did meet with Topham in order for both of them to get closure. Or it could be some combination of the two, where the doctor did try to contact Topham, but Topham's broken mental state combined with his justified reluctance to face his past trauma meant that the two couldn't resolve the issue until Topham had finally healed enough to do so.
- Armor-Piercing Question: Stuart directly asks Atlas, who still blames Duncan for Andreas' death, if the bear attacks were his own fault, as his carelessness with trucks resulted in her cubs being killed. Atlas argues that Stuart didn't do it on purpose and couldn't have known what would happen... only to realize that the same argument applies to Duncan.
- Answer Cut: When Stanley reveals that Sir Handel allowed Duncan to change his livery, James asks to what. Rheneas answers that he changed to "something a little unsettling." The scene transitions to Duncan in his yellow livery from the television series.
- Bad Boss: The people in charge of the Barnhill Railway were certainly this. They were corrupt as hell, treated their workers like slaves, and bribed the police to ignore their injustices.
- Bait-and-Switch: Big time. The Cliffhanger from the last episode, and throughout this one, it's implied that Dr. Anderson was a sadist. Turns out he was a Well-Intentioned Extremist who truly was doing what he thought would help. When he realized the true depths of his evil actions, he was absolutely horrified and gave himself up.
- Death Glare: Atlas gives one to Duncan in his first five minutes of screen time, and Mickey gives one to Atlas for being cavalier about Duncan's wellbeing.
- Drowning My Sorrows: During his therapy sessions, Sir Topham reveals he's been "keeping away from the scotch" for his health, implying that he started drinking following his encounter with the Lucky Lamp.
- "Eureka!" Moment: Skarloey has one after remembering that Duncan was bought during the Great Depression...shortly after the Barnhill Railway closed down.
- Freudian Excuse: The reason why Duncan was such a grumpy engine was because of his experiences on the Barnhill Railway.
- Jerkass Realization: The former Mid-Sodor engines go through this after spending months of blaming Duncan for Andreas' death, starting with Stuart. Atlas specifically is heard going through this when Stuart asks him if it was his fault for the bear attack when his trucks killed the mother's cubs.
- Meaningful Name: The Barnhill Railway didn't earn its nickname of the "Rotten Railway" for being pleasant. It was notoriously corrupt and it was every man for themselves. It's no wonder why Duncan turned out the way he did.
- Mythology Gag: Ivo mentions that Duncan used to "rock and roll like a pop star," words that were said by Sir Topham Hatt in "Home At Last."
- Out of Character Is Serious Business: Sir Topham's erratic behavior and sheer terror from his encounter with the Lucky Lamp and the revelation that the hospital to which he had been tortured in was on Sodor this whole time causes him to suffer severe hallucinations and act very uncharacteristically, much to the concern of everyone who knows him...and the piqued interest of rumormongers. Topham is entirely aware that if he doesn't get his situation under control, people will start to question his fitness as the Fat Controller of Sodor, but the deep scars of his trauma (and his reluctance to get psychological help due to the damage) means that he struggles to even get himself through the door of the therapist. He eventually concedes to the gentle coaxing of his wife that he needs the help badly.
- Pyrrhic Victory: The Barnhill Railway going under and the following scandal that came from it was a hollow victory. With the police booted for corruption, crime skyrocketed, and while Todd was happy he didn't have a horrid job anymore, it meant he had no job, and during the Great Depression.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: As it turns out, while Topham entirely understands that he desperately needs help to deal with his psychological trauma and his hallucinations of Dr. Anderson, due to said trauma and the horrors he suffered, it is very difficult for him to even consider going to therapy. Not helping is the rumors and fears of being seen entering such a place, due to the reputation psychology had at the time period and the fear that if people thought he was mentally compromised, then it would risk damaging his reputation and cause great harm to the railway.
- Wham Line: Sir Topham Hatt is shocked to learn from Edward that when Anderson was confronted by the gravity of his treatments, not only did he willingly give up his medical license, but he begged to be sent to prison.
