Don't say you weren't warned.
"Sodor is and never was always so happy. The writers of The Railway Series and the TV series only explore the optimistic and upbeat plots, very rarely did they steer otherwise. This film your about to watch explores these uncharted territories without any restraint. You may saddened, offended, angered or a mix of the three. Please, watch with discretion."
— Opening narration, first video
Sodor: Dark Times is a Thomas & Friends fan video series that shows Thomas and Friends from a different perspective, exploring sadness, anger and Offense.
The series was made using Trainz and released in the summer of 2009. The reimagining created by YouTuber Trainz4Days
, called Sodor's Dark Times: A Frenzy Payback, was released in 2019.
Sodor: Dark Times provides examples of:
- Adaptational Villainy: While 98462/ Alfred was said to have been sent away for being rude and nasty, here, he's more of a a psychopath who kills other engines.
- Animation Bump: The 2019 remake upgrades to
TRAINZ 2019, resulting in much more photorealistic imagery than the original. Unfortunately not all of the necessary models and elements were available for the new software in time for the tenth anniversary, so the remake has a few special effect failures such as Alfred having no face, Edward still being a 2012 model and ground textures missing. - Ax-Crazy: Alfred.
- Big Bad: Alfred murders most of the engines on the North Western Railway as revenge for the Fat Controller banishing him back when he was 98462.
- Big "NO!": Gordon yells out a
heartbreaking one as he helplessly watches as Alfred’s bomb destroys Knapford Station and kills Thomas, Percy, Edward, and James. - Breakout Character: Alfred became a very popular to use in Trainz-based Thomas videos after this series was created.
- Darker and Edgier: This is far more dark then the show it was based on, as it includes a darker and more depressing tone, little if no humor, and characters being outright Killed Off for Real.
- Character Death: Henry dies in the first episode, Thomas, Percy, Edward and James all die in the second episode, Gordon, 87546 and Alfred all die in the third episode.
- Death by Adaptation: Henry, Thomas, Edward, Percy, James, 87546, Alfred/98462, and Gordon all die. 87546 and 98462’s fates after being sent away are canonically unknown, and of course, Thomas, Edward, Henry, Gordon, James, and Percy are alive and well in canon.
- Downer Ending: Gordon finally kills Alfred once and for all, avenging the deaths of Thomas, Edward, Henry, James, and Percy, but he tragically dies alongside Alfred. Since the Fat Controller had already resigned, Toby, now the Sole Survivor of the North Western Railway, is sent to live on the mainland, and the North Western Railway is closed down forever.
- Green and Mean: Alfred.
- Hero Killer: Alfred kills Henry in episode 1, and five years later, he blows up Knapford Station with Thomas, Edward, James, and Percy still inside.
- It's All My Fault: Both Gordon and The Fat Controller blame themselves for the destruction of Knapford in addition to the deaths of Thomas, Edward, Percy and James, to the point where the latter resigns as controller.
- Killed Off for Real: In that order, Henry, Thomas, Edward, James, Percy, 87546, Gordon, and Alfred.
- Mad Bomber: Alfred.
- No Sympathy: In the first episode, when Henry tells James that he's feeling sick and asks him to take his trucks for him, he tells Henry no and tells him to do his own work.
- Nightmare Sequence: Gordon has one in the 2nd episode implying that Alfred had something to do with Henry's death. It all turns out to be true.
- Parting-Words Regret: James feels this because he rudely dismissed Henry’s sickness and never got to apologise before Alfred killed him.
- Sole Survivor: Toby is the only train from Sodor still alive at the end.
