U.S. Title: Not So Hasty Cakes (or) Thomas and the Avalanche
Air date: December 24th, 2003
It is Christmas time on the Island and snow is lying heavy on the ground. When Elizabeth is given the task to deliver Christmas puddings, Thomas becomes jealous thinking he could do a better job. Elizabeth thinks Thomas is silly, but when Elizabeth is delivering the puddings, the slippery roads and the weight of the cargo gets her stuck in a snowdrift. Thomas and Terence come to rescue her and Thomas helps Elizabeth deliver the puddings just in time.
Tropes featured in the episode:
- Christmas Episode: Like all others before it, this episode takes place during Christmas with it serving as Elizabeth's first time seeing it. Bonus points for the episode airing on Christmas Eve.
- Deadpan Snarker: Elizabeth.
- Defeat Means Friendship: Thomas was infuriated by Elizabeth's attitude for most of the episode, though is sympathetic to her after rescuing her from the snow.
- Jerkass Has a Point: While Elizabeth was quite rude towards Thomas claiming he can't be useful without a snowplough, she is right to tell him that he needs one in the snow.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Elizabeth becomes much kinder to Thomas after her accident.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Happens to Elizabeth when she slides into a snowdrift.
- Not So Above It All: Elizabeth after being stuck in the snowdrift.
- Stock Footage:
- At the beginning of this episode, a scene of Henry pulling the Flying Kipper from the episode of the same name is shown, which is especially egregious since Henry has his old shape.
- A deleted scene of Duncan crossing the viaduct from the "Winter Wonderland" music video is used shortly afterwards.
- After Elizabeth leaves the level crossing at Maithwaite Station to go to the Sodor Cake Factory, a scene of Thomas plowing through the snow from "It's Only Snow" is used. This is egregious for several reasons; the snowplow Thomas wears in that episode is different from the one he wears in this episode, Thomas is pulling a flatbed with a Christmas tree on it instead of Annie and Clarabel, Toby is behind Thomas, acting as his back engine, and Thomas is happy despite being angry in the previous scene because Sir Topham Hatt chose Elizabeth to go to the Cake Factory instead of him.
