Air date: November 22nd, 2016 (UK)
Daisy the Diesel Railcar shares the Arlesburgh/Harwick branchline with Ryan the Tank Engine. Although the two engines work on the same branch line, they are very different indeed. Most of the time, Daisy tackles passenger runs, while Ryan pulls freight trains. Daisy doesn't like pulling freight cars, as she prefers to do just what work she chooses, and no more.
Early one morning, Ryan wakes up, ready for work, and asks Daisy if she's ready as well. Daisy tells him that early mornings are bad for her swerves, and decides to sleep in for ten more minutes, leaving Ryan to set out on his own.
Ryan meets up with Sir Topham Hatt at Arlesburgh West Junction. Sir Topham Hatt tells Ryan that he is very impressed with how hard he and Daisy have been working on their branch line, and has decided to give them both extra work to do. He tells Ryan that he'd like him to help Toby deliver the freight cars from the quarry to Harwick, which Ryan is happy to do. Sir Topham Hatt is about to give Daisy her new job, when he notices she isn't with Ryan. He asks Ryan where Daisy is, and Ryan tells him that if he has a message for Daisy, he can pass it on to her. Sir Topham Hatt tells Ryan that he doesn't just have a message for Daisy, but he also has a mail coach, which Stafford brings in. As a workman couples it up to Ryan, Sir Topham Hatt tells Ryan that starting tomorrow morning, Daisy will pick up the mail from Arlesburgh before she starts her passenger run. Sir Topham Hatt also tells Ryan that since summer's here, he also wants Daisy to work later into the evening. He asks Ryan if he can remember to tell Daisy all that, and Ryan tells him he can.
When Ryan meets up with Daisy, she is shocked to find him pulling a mail coach. Ryan tells Daisy that the mail coach isn't for him, it's for her, as she is to pick up the mail from Arlesburgh West first thing tomorrow morning, as well as work later into the evening. Daisy tells Ryan that she's a diesel railcar, and as a tank engine, he'd make a much better job of delivering the morning mail. She tells him that pulling a mail car is going against her fitter's orders. Ryan tries to tell Daisy that Sir Topham Hatt wanted her to pull it, but Daisy interrupts, saying that Ryan looks great pulling the mail coach, and really useful as well. Flattered by Daisy's comment, Ryan thanks her for it and decides to pull the mail coach after all. Daisy is quite pleased with herself for tricking Ryan.
The next morning, Ryan is coupled up to the mail coach as Daisy sleeps in, and sets off to pick up the mail. As a result of doing Daisy's work for her, Ryan ends up being late to meet up with Toby at the quarry. Ryan apologizes to Toby, who tells him not to worry, but to try to be on time tomorrow.
Later that day, as Ryan meets up with Daisy again, he asks her where she's going. Daisy tells Ryan that she's going back to her shed, as she's exhausted. Ryan reminds Daisy that she's supposed to work later into the evening, but she asks him if he can do it for her, as all the extra work is bad for her swerves. Ryan tells Daisy that she's a diesel railcar, and he's just a tank engine. Daisy then points out a pair of passenger coaches near her, and tells Ryan that he could pull them and do her a huge favor. She also adds that he'd be really useful. Once again, Ryan is flattered by Daisy's comment, and decides to help her after all. Daisy chuckles to herself, quite satisfied with tricking Ryan twice in a row.
That evening, Sir Topham Hatt, who is dressed in a Hawaiian shirt, is at the station, about to eat his ice cream, when he hears Ryan's whistle. He is quite surprised to see Ryan pulling passenger coaches. He asks Ryan why he's at the station, and Ryan tells him he's just helping out. While Sir Topham Hatt is pleased with how useful Ryan's been as of late, he was expecting to see Daisy at the station. He tells Ryan that since she's done such a good job with her passenger runs, he wants to extend them down to Knapford. Ryan tells Sir Topham Hatt that he'd be happy to tell Daisy, and Sir Topham Hatt thanks him for it. He then tells Ryan that he'd tell Daisy himself, but he's a very busy man... right before sitting down in a beach chair and licking his ice cream. As soon as he licks the top scoop, it falls onto the floor, much to his horror.
That night, when Ryan returns to the shed, he finds Daisy already asleep. He decides to wait until morning to talk to her, only to find out she's still asleep the next morning. Not wanting to wake Daisy up, knowing early mornings are bad for her swerves, Ryan decides to tackle all of Daisy's extra work by himself. He backs up to his passenger coaches and tells the workmen to couple both them and Daisy's mail coach up to him, which the workmen find unusual, but do so anyway.
Sir Topham Hatt is in Winston, drinking tea from a thermos. When he sees Ryan pass by him, pulling his passenger coaches and pushing Daisy's mail coach at the same time, he spits his tea out on Winston's windshield in surprise. Ryan then reaches Arlesburgh West Junction, but because Daisy's mail coach is in front of him, he can't see where he's going and Duck nearly crashes into him. Duck scolds Ryan, who apologizes to him.After delivering the mail, Ryan sees the clock at Knapford station. He realizes he's late to meet Toby at the quarry, so he rushes to the quarry as fast as he can, taking all of his passengers with him. The Stationmaster tries to stop him, but to no avail. When Ryan reaches the quarry, the passengers try to get off, but the foreman tells them they can't leave without hard hats. Ryan feels very embarrassed trying to handle both Daisy's work and his own by himself.
That evening, Sir Topham Hatt scolds Daisy for not doing her run down to Knapford like he asked her to. Daisy tells him that she didn't know about it. As Ryan returns to the shed, Sir Topham Hatt tells Daisy that he saw Ryan pulling passenger coaches yesterday, and pushing her mail car this morning, and that Ryan seems to be doing all the extra work he gave her. Daisy tells Sir Topham Hatt that Ryan offered to help her, and wanted to be really useful. Sir Topham Hatt then tells both Ryan and Daisy that they were given the branch line so they could work together on it, and as such, they should be helping each other. He then tells Ryan that while he appreciates him helping a friend, his friends should help him as well. Daisy apologizes to Ryan, telling him she hasn't been a good friend to him. Sir Topham Hatt agrees, and tells Daisy that since she doesn't like pulling the mail coach, she can do something else for him instead. Tomorrow, she can have all of Ryan's extra duties. Daisy tries to weasel her way out of it, but Sir Topham Hatt glares angrily at her. Realizing it's no use arguing with him, Daisy decides to do as he says, for her friend.
The next morning, Daisy awakens, telling a sleeping Ryan that she's going to pick up his freight cars, and then go to the quarry. Ryan thanks Daisy and tells her to have a good day. As Daisy sets off, Ryan tells her she's a good friend. Daisy tells him she is, and so is he.
This episode contains examples of:
- Aesop Amnesia: Despite being called out for her laziness back in "Percy's Predicament", Daisy reverts back to her old ways, at least until Sir Topham Hatt calls her out for it again.
- Bait-and-Switch: The narrator says, "The Fat Controller was not happy with...", but just when it looked like Ryan was going to be reprimanded, it turns out the Fat Controller yells, "Daisy!".
- Big "NO!": The Fat Controller shouts out this after his ice cream ball drops on the floor.
- Continuity Nod:
- Near the beginning of the episode, Daisy tries unsuccessfully to shoo a bull off her line.
- Twice in this episode, the narrator mentions that Daisy likes to do "Just what work she chooses, and no more". In addition, Daisy once more manages to weasel her way out of pulling milk tankers.
- A Day in the Limelight: For, well, Ryan and Daisy.
- Death Glare: Sir Topham Hatt gives this to Daisy when she tries to weasel her way out of doing Ryan's work.
- Gleeful and Grumpy Pairing: Ryan and Daisy have this respective dynamic. Ryan is cheerful, hard-working, kind to everyone he meets, and doesn't care what work he does. Daisy, on the other hand, is a classy, sassy diesel railcar who prefers to do just what work she chooses and no more, spends a lot of her time resting in her shed, and doesn't like pulling coaches or trucks.
- Laziness Callout: Near the end of the episode, Sir Topham Hatt scolds Daisy for not doing her work like he asked her, and tells Ryan that although he appreciates him helping Daisy, she should have done the same for him. He then makes Daisy take Ryan's freight cars to the quarry as punishment for overworking Ryan.
- Lazy Bum: Daisy once again, until Sir Topham Hatt calls her out for it.
- Name and Name
- Not a Morning Person: Daisy doesn't like waking up early, as she claims early mornings to be bad for her swerves. This results in Ryan having to do her work as well as his own. Near the end of the episode, Daisy reluctantly gets up early to do Ryan's work after Sir Topham Hatt scolds her for not doing her work.
- Spit Take: Sir Topham Hatt drinks tea and spits it out on Winston's windshield when he sees Ryan pulling his passenger coaches and pushing Daisy's mail coach at the same time.
- Taking Advantage of Generosity: Daisy tricks Ryan into doing all her extra work for her.
