Air date: October 15th, 2006
James is shocked to discover Edward has been chosen to appear on a railway poster. He tries to be as good as Edward by treating his trucks nicely and being useful, but he is held up after being cleaned, and is afraid Edward will finish his passenger journey before him. James uses the main line to get ahead of Edward, but when he goes onto the same line as him he stops suddenly for a signal and Edward is unable to stop in time. Edward therefore bumps behind James and James is pushed forward, ironically, into Edward's railway poster. Although Thomas jokes he is the poster engine now, the Fat Controller is less than impressed and tells James the children will be unable to visit the seaside now that Edward is damaged. However, James acts as a back engine for Edward.
Tropes featured in the episode:
- Always Someone Better: Edward to James, especially from how the other engines describe him.James: I wonder why Edward was chosen instead of me.
Henry: Because Edward's always gentle with his freight cars.
Percy: And he doesn't mind doing the dirty jobs.
Thomas: And he's always on time.
James: (fuming) I can do all those things, too! I'll show you that I'm good enough to be on a poster! - Attention Whore: James when trying to get himself a picture on the camera until the Fat Controller tells him to move.
- Becoming Part of the Image: What happens to James in the episode when he tries to cut in front of Edward and Edward ends up ramming into him.Thomas: You're finally on a poster! Maybe you are good enough after all!
- Easily Forgiven: Edward to James, to the point he actually apologizes for shunting him into his poster.
- Mythology Gag:
- Edward being selected as the Engine to represent the Island of Sodor could be a reference to him being the first engine introduced in The Railway Series.
- An infamous goof in "Edward and Gordon" had Edward mistakenly use James' "Sad" face. This episode has James ram into one of Edward's posters replacing Edward's face with his sad one.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: James is so desperate to get on a poster he gets himself covered in coal dust, ruining his beloved red paint job so he can prove he's willing to get "down and dirty" like Edward.
- The Freelance Shame Squad: Thomas was quite amused to see James' face on the damaged poster.
- What the Hell, Hero?: The Fat Controller scolds James for ruining the poster and tells him that the children won't be able to visit the seaside since Edward is damaged.
