Adam gets the bad news…
Adam falls ill and the diagnosis given to explain will rock him to the core, leading to the most important decision of his life.This episode contains the following tropes:
- Bittersweet Ending: Adam is diagnosed with Metal Fatigue and chooses the Final Firing rather than undergo a dangerous and often fatal overhaul. However, while his death is a sad one, the old engine does manage to make peace with his life and upcoming death, being allowed to say goodbye to two of his good friends, and his cancer-free former director Mr. Zorro.
- The Bus Came Back:
- Mr. Zorro attends Adam's final firing, and reveals he's cancer-free.
- On a lesser note, Molly is finally transferred to Sodor permanently.
- Call-Back:
- It is once again mentioned that Mickey is a professional counselor.
- Sir Topham Hatt says he would speak to head office about giving Adam an overhaul, as the latter feels indebted to the North Western Region over the Johnny Cuba incident from last episode.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: Metal Fatigue is directly compared to a terminal illness and treated as such by all of the characters, even the humans.
- The Dreaded: Bill and Ben have built a reputation for being infamous pranksters.
- End of an Era:
- With Colin and Lily dying years prior, Adam's death effectively ends the Wellsworth & Suddery railway. Though, their legacy will live on in the memories of the engines and people.
- It's also the reason why Adam chooses to die rather than take an overhaul. See Your Days Are Numbered below.
- Face Death with Dignity: On what is effectively his deathbed, Adam is cracking jokes.
- Foreshadowing: When Adam goes under the green water, snippets of chatter in between the sounds of machine-working mention hairline cracks, which are very fine and narrow. Followed by an ominous comment about needing to replace something that doesn't sound normal to be replaced. It's a hint that something is very wrong with Adam.
- Go Out with a Smile: Adam dies happily surrounded by his closest friends.
- Just Friends: It is revealed that Eric and Molly were never an item, having long ago agreed they were better off as this trope. Diesel and Adam joke that it was a mutual breakup.
- Killed Off for Real: Adam dies in this episode after developing Metal Fatigue and choosing the Final Firing over a dangerous overhaul.
- Last of His Kind: Adam is the last survivor of the Wellsworth and Suddery trio after Colin’s and Lily’s deaths in World War II. Sadly, he dies at the end of the episode, bringing about the end of the Wellsworth and Suddery Railway.
- Life/Death Juxtaposition: Adam undergoes a final firing. Mr. Zorro, at said final firing, reveals that the chemotherapy worked, and he is now enjoying his new lease on life.
- Living Relic: Adam claims to have met Queen Victoria. As of this episode, however, he’s no longer living.
- Mood Whiplash: The first half of the episode is much more lighthearted, detailing the arrival of Bill and Ben and their antics. Namely, them scaring people and engines with their whistles, bickering after one of them laughs at the other getting stuck a snowdrift, Sir Topham Hatt telling them off, pulling Eric from a snowdrift, and trying to con their work off onto Adam (keyword trying).
- Odd Friendship: Out of all the Nor'Easters, Adam liked Eric the most despite not being bright as he knew that he meant well; he also liked Colin for this exact reason.
- Older Than He Looks: Toby claims to be over seventy-five years old (older than Adam), though his real life locomotive class would only be in its forties by this point.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: Metal fatigue is portrayed as a dangerous illness, and it's not surprising that given the nature of non-faceless vehicles like Adam and the technology of the time, that any means of curing metal fatigue would not only be extremely expensive, but also likely to result in the death of the patient.
- Despite the Final Firing being an absolute right that any engine is entitled to, it still doesn't change the fact that it's basically death by assisted suicide. People's opinions of the matter are as divided as expected.
- Your Days Are Numbered: The other reason why Adam chooses the Final Firing.Adam: Toby, the days of steam are done. B.R (British Railways) is pumping out diesels like there is no tomorrow. I hear they'll be rolling out some mainline models this year. I know we won't be withdrawn and scrapped like the faceless engines, but how much longer do you think it'll be before it becomes impractical to support us? We can't go on forever; sooner or later, our time will come. This is my time, and I choose to go out this way. Do you understand?Toby: Yes, Adam. I do.
- Wham Line: From Adam, when he discovers he has Metal Fatigue and Sir Topham offers to arrange for him to be overhauled:Adam: Sir Topham? I request the Final Firing!STH: You WHAT?!
