Air date: December 15, 2016 (US), December 29, 2016 (UK)
Daisy is a diesel railcar, the only one on Sodor, and as such, she can carry passengers inside her without having to pull any coaches. Daisy usually works on the Arlesburgh/Harwick branchline and is very popular at summertime, but as the summer season came to an end, fewer and fewer passengers wanted to be beside the seaside.
One winter day, Sir Topham Hatt is with Thomas and Daisy at Knapford Station with an important message. He tells Thomas that he will be putting him to work taking freight cars to and from the quarry for a while, and Daisy that he will be putting her back on Thomas' branch line. Daisy is excited upon hearing this.
The next morning, Annie and Clarabel are in their shed, waiting for Daisy to take them to work. Daisy tells Annie and Clarabel she doesn't need them today, and they can stay right where they are. Annie and Clarabel are shocked upon hearing this, and Daisy tells them that Thomas' passengers will be so pleased to be picked up by a high-sprung diesel railcar. She then tells the coaches that the passengers will also think she's more comfortable and call them lumpy, bumpy, and old. On his way to the quarry, Thomas overhears Daisy and tells her to be nicer to Annie and Clarabel, as she may need them one day. Daisy tells Thomas that she doesn't need them, as she's a diesel railcar, and never needs coaches. Daisy sets off, leaving Annie and Clarabel behind, much to their dismay. Thomas tells the coaches not to listen to Daisy, and that they're both really useful, and they at least have each other. As Thomas leaves, Clarabel tells Annie that he's right, they do have each other for company, and she'd rather be stuck in a shed with her than be pulled along by a dreadful diesel. To pass the time, Annie asks Clarabel if she'd like to play a game of I Spy. Clarabel doesn't find this a good idea, since she and Annie both face different directions, but Annie proceeds, and tells Clarabel that she sees something that starts with the letter "S". Clarabel looks around and sees snow. She asks Annie if it's snow, and Annie, suddenly becoming bored of the game, tells her it is. Both coaches find it very dull having to stay in the shed all day.
Meanwhile, Thomas' usual passengers enjoy travelling on Daisy for the first time. Daisy drops them off at Maithwaite Station, and they compliment her for her smooth ride. Daisy tells them that she's high-sprung, tip-top, and thoroughly modern.
That evening, Daisy continues to be rude to Annie and Clarabel. She asks the coaches if they've been in the shed all day, and it must be very dull for them. She then tells them that, as a diesel railcar, she can go wherever she wants whenever she wants, but as coaches, they need to wait for an engine to pull them. She calls them old-fashioned and out of date, and boasts about never needing coaches. Annie and Clarabel are both mad at Daisy, but realize she does have a point.
Unfortunately for Daisy, she had spoke too soon. The next morning, Sir Topham Hatt tells Daisy that he is very impressed with how popular she's become on Thomas' branch line. Daisy thanks him, and tells him she does her best. Sir Topham Hatt tells Daisy that she needs to take Annie and Clarabel so that she can carry even more passengers. Daisy is shocked when she hears this, but sets off to Annie and Clarabel's shed to fetch them anyway.
At Annie and Clarabel's shed, a workman couples Annie and Clarabel up to Daisy, then she sets off. Both coaches grin slyly, but an irritated Daisy is too proud to apologize for being rude to them. Annie and Clarabel now have a plan of their own to teach Daisy a lesson for insulting them. As Daisy travels along Thomas' branch line, Clarabel asks Annie if she hears a rattling. Annie says she does, and asks Clarabel if it's her. Clarabel says it isn't her, as does Annie, which causes Daisy to get concerned. Clarabel asks Annie where the rattling is coming from, and Annie tells her she doesn't hear it anymore over a creaking. Daisy asks what the creaking is, and Clarabel tells her the creaking sounds like rusty springs. Annie tells Clarabel the noise is dreadful, and Clarabel tells her it is terribly grating, enough to go right through her. Annie then tells Clarabel she's surprised that none of the passengers have complained about it. Both coaches continue to complain about the noise, saying that whatever's causing it is good for scrap, which only makes Daisy more and more concerned. Annie and Clarabel, confident their plan is working, chuckle to themselves.
Unfortunately for Annie and Clarabel, their plan to get back at Daisy works a little too well. When Daisy stops at Maithwaite Station, she tells all the passengers to get out. A workman uncouples Annie and Clarabel from Daisy, who rushes away, telling the coaches that she needs to speak a professional. Annie and Clarabel are surprised upon hearing this. Daisy's passengers complain to the Statiomaster, telling him what a bad railway it is. Thomas, who is on his way back from the quarry, tells Annie that he just saw Daisy rush by him. He asks her why she left them there, and Annie tells him she had to speak to a professional. Thomas asks her what about. Clarabel asks him, "Her highly sprung... springs?", and chuckles. As Thomas sets off again, he tells Annie and Clarabel that Daisy can't just abandon them and her passengers like this, and he's going to talk to Sir Topham Hatt about it. Annie and Clarabel are worried when they hear this.
That evening, Daisy is at Knapford Station, being looked over by Sir Topham Hatt and the workmen, who can't seem to find anything wrong with her. Daisy tells Sir Topham Hatt that Annie and Clarabel said she was grating, even though she couldn't hear any noises. Sir Topham Hatt couldn't hear anything from her, either, but before he can say what really happened to her, Daisy thinks she also has a problem with her hearing. She then heads off to the Dieselworks to find her fitter. As soon as she leaves, Thomas comes in. Sir Topham Hatt asks him what Annie and Clarabel have been saying to Daisy. Thomas tells him he isn't sure, but he does know that Daisy has been rude to them since she first arrived, and abandoned them at Maithwaite Station earlier that day, which he finds going too far. Suddenly, Sir Topham Hatt begins to figure out why Daisy's been acting so strange.
That night, it looks as if Annie and Clarabel are going to be left at Maithwaite Station overnight. Just then, Clarabel sees Thomas backing up to her and Annie. Clarabel is happy to see Thomas again, and Annie asks him if he's come to take her and Clarabel back to their shed. Unfortunately for them, Sir Topham Hatt is onboard Thomas, and severely tells them he'd like to talk to them. He tells them that someone has been putting ideas into Daisy's head. He then tells them that Daisy has been at the Dieselworks all evening, and her fitter says there's nothing wrong with her. Annie and Clarabel begin to regret having played a trick on Daisy, and Sir Topham Hatt asks them if they have anything to say about it. The coaches ask him if two wrongs don't make a right, and Sir Topham Hatt tells them they're right; just because Daisy was rude to them, it doesn't give them the right to be rude to her in return. As a workman couples Clarabel up to Thomas, Sir Topham Hatt tells her and Annie that he expects better from them both. Annie and Clarabel apologize to Sir Topham Hatt, and Thomas sets off, with them in tow.
The next morning, Annie and Clarabel are ready to apologize to Daisy when they next meet, when Thomas arrives instead. Thomas has good news and bad news for them. The good news is that Daisy has gone back to the Arlesburgh/Harwick branch line, and won't be taking them out today. Annie and Clarabel are happy to hear this, and are excited to be working with Thomas again. Unfortunately for them, the bad news is that Thomas is still on quarry duty, but Sir Topham Hatt has sent another engine to pull them. Annie and Clarabel are shocked to find out that Devious Diesel is the engine Thomas was talking about. Diesel greets them, then bumps into them and billows out black smoke, making them cough. As a workman couples Annie and Clarabel up to Diesel, Diesel laughs wickedly. He then sets off, with Annie and Clarabel in tow. Both coaches dread having to spend the entire day with Diesel.
This episode contains examples of:
- An Aesop: Annie and Clarabel learn that just because Daisy was being rude to them, it doesn't give them the right to be rude to her in return.
- Asshole Victim: Although it was rude for Annie and Clarabel to break Daisy by talking, she's also a snobby Fantastic Racist who bullied them and didn't even attempt to apologize.
- Break Her By Talking: Daisy gets upset after getting dissed by Annie and Clarabel.
- Break the Haughty: Daisy, a textbook snob, gets broken by talking (courtesy of Annie and Clarabel) and ultimately wastes loads of her time at the Dieselworks.
- Call-Back: Daisy still has a low opinion of Annie and Clarabel, which causes the main conflict of the episode.
- A Day in the Limelight: For Annie, Clarabel, and Daisy.
- Downer Ending: Diesel gets the last laugh over Thomas, Annie and Clarabel when situations force him to take over the branch line for a while.
- Fantastic Racism: Daisy makes some very rude remarks about Annie and Clarabel for being coaches.
- Fighting Back Is Wrong: When Daisy says rude things about Annie and Clarabel, the two coaches decide to return the favor by saying rude things about her. This plan works too well, and Daisy abandons them at Maithwaite Station. The two coaches are eventually found by Thomas and Sir Topham Hatt, the latter of whom reprimands them for being rude to Daisy, telling them that even if she was being rude to them first, it doesn't give them the right to do the same to her.
- Gone Horribly Right: Annie and Clarabel's comments about Daisy's "condition" upsets her to the point of running to find out what's happening with her.
- Good News, Bad News: At the end of the episode, Thomas tells Annie and Clarabel that the good news is that Daisy has gone back to the Arlesburgh/Harwick branchline, and that bad news is that he is still on quarry duty, so another engine (revealed to be Diesel) has been sent to pull them.
- Here We Go Again!: Just when Annie and Clarabel think that they can finally work alongside Thomas again, Thomas is still on quarry duty, and Diesel is sent to pull them.
- Jerkass Has a Point: Although Annie and Clarabel are offended by Daisy telling them that she can go wherever she wants, whereas they have to wait for an engine to pull them, they do realize she's right about it.
- Laser-Guided Karma: For upsetting Daisy in their attempt at revenge, Annie and Clarabel get scolded by the Fat Controller and then have to be pulled by the ruder, smoke billowing Diesel.
- Luminescent Blush: Annie and Clarabel show one in guilt after the Fat Controller reprimands them for their treatment of Daisy.
- Not So Above It All: The is the first time that Annie and Clarabel got themselves in trouble with The Fat Controller.
- Punctuated! For! Emphasis!: "Good. For. SCRAP!"
- Revenge: After basically being bullied by Daisy, Annie and Clarabel try to get even with her via some Break Her By Talking.
- Something That Begins with "Boring": Annie and Clarabel attempt to play “I Spy” to pass the time while in the shed. However Annie is only able to see snow.
- A Taste of Their Own Medicine: After insulting Annie and Clarabel several times, Daisy eventually gets dissed by them.
- Team Rocket Wins: Despite having many losses, Diesel gets the last laugh on Thomas here as he temporarily got to take over his branchline.
- Tempting Fate: Daisy spends loads of time boasting about how, as a diesel railcar, she doesn't need to pull coaches, and Thomas tells her that she may need to one day. Sure enough, Thomas is right.
- The Unapologetic: Daisy refuses to apologize to Annie and Clarabel for her rude remarks towards them.
- What the Hell, Hero?: The Fat Controller scolds Annie and Clarabel for dissing Daisy to pay her back for her rudeness.
