Air date: November 23rd, 2016 (UK); May 15, 2018 (US)
James the Red Engine likes being the center of attention, and is always showing off to the others. This often leads to him overshooting the platform or undershooting it. One day, the latter happens to James, and he is told off by the Stationmaster, but James just shrugs it off. He continues to show off for the rest of the day, and The Fat Controller has had enough. He tells James that it is time that he can change his attitude and taking his coaches away. James is horrified.
At the sheds, the engines are settling down for the night. They notice James' pouty face and proceed to make silly faces to mess with him. Percy thinks that whatever is bothering James will be better in the morning, but Percy is wrong; James is still pouting. The Fat Controller tries to persuade James to work, but James refuses to move. Emily explains to him that it is not fun to stay in the sheds all day, and the engines continue to make faces at him.
It's not much fun sitting in the sheds, so when The Fat Controller comes back, James apologizes for his grumpy mood, and tells The Fat Controller that he will be on his best behavior. That is, until he sees that he has to pull dirty waste trucks to Whiff's Waste Dump. James wants his coaches instead of trucks. Stanley explains to him that Edward took his coaches by The Fat Controller's orders. For the rest of the day, James not only returns to his pouty mood, but takes his time to get from place to place. The Fat Controller finds him down at the docks and once again tells him to change his attitude. Everyone starts making faces again, but James soon finds it amusing. Thomas and Emily see that James is changing his attitude.
Whenever James began to sulk again, they reminded him with a silly face to brighten his spirits. He begins to enjoy himself, even without coaches. However, this doesn't last long before he goes back to his old ways again.
This episode contains examples of:
- Actually Pretty Funny: James ends up laughing at the funny faces the engines make.
- Attention Whore: James is described as liking being the "center of attention" in the beginning.
- Death Glare: The Fat Controller gives James one for sliding past the platform.
- Description Cut: James promises the Fat Controller that he'll stop being pouty. Fast forward to the scene where he learns he has to pull waste trucks.
- "Everybody Laughs" Ending: James and Thomas have a laugh over the latter telling the former to stop sulking.
- The Freelance Shame Squad: The other engines laugh at James for having a pouty face.
- Funny Background Event: All throughout the episode. One of the first is Percy rolling his eyes at James as he goes past him in the first scene.
- "Oh, Crap!" Smile: James when The Fat Controller glares at him for overstepping the platform.
- Perpetual Frowner: James makes a pouty face after being sent to the sheds.
- Running Gag: The engines making faces to tease James.
- Shout-Out: James' bitterness, sharp stops, overshooting and coming up short of the platforms are reminiscent of a fireman/trainee engine driver in another railway themed series.
- What the Hell, Hero?: James gets this a lot. First the stationmaster calls him out for showing off by undershooting the platform, though James shrugs it off. Then The Fat Controller tells him off for all of his showing off and later for being pouty.
