Air date: September 20th, 2017 (UK), March 14th, 2018 (US)
In the early morning at Tidmouth Sheds, the engines are ready for work. But then the Fat Controller arrives with a nasty cold. Luckily, his mother, Dowager Hatt arrives, scolding her son for coming to run the railway while he is ill, and despite having no knowledge or experience with running railways, decides to substitute for him.
After Dowager Hatt orders her son’s valets to take him home, she starts the day’s work by giving the engines their jobs, but she orders Thomas to collect her new hat from Brendam Docks rather than pulling Annie and Clarabel on his branch line, tasking Emily with the job, who had to take scrap to the scrap yard. Dowager Hatt tasks Gordon with Emily's job, sending Edward to collect a cake for her friend Lady Toffington, Percy to pull Gordon's express, and the other engines to do some odd jobs such as balloons, animals, etc. This creates a lot of confusion and delay, as many of the engines end up stuck at Knapford Station Yard.
Emily tells Dowager Hatt that there are certain engines that have their certain jobs and other engines that do not. With Emily's help, Dowager Hatt puts everything right. She puts Gordon back on express duty and sorts the engines back to their regular duties.
In the afternoon, the Fat Controller soon gets back from resting, feeling a lot better. He was so impressed to see that his mother has run his railway very smoothly with Emily's help. However, Thomas arrives with the hat (after waiting at the docks all day), causing Dowager Hatt to push her son into his office to have a tea break before he can question Thomas. Emily is glad that everyone is back doing their proper jobs, except for Philip who is working at the Ulfstead Mine as the lights go off leaving him in the dark.
This episode contains examples of:
- Accidental Misnaming: When Dowager Hatt addresses the engines, she calls Emily "Emiline", "Emerald", "Ermentrude", "Elma", and "Esmeralda", and Gordon "Geoffrey", "Gregory", "Gerald", and "Gavin".
- Big Sister Instinct: The final straw for Emily is discovering Dowager Hatt charged Percy with pulling the Express, knowing he is ill-fit to pull such a heavy train.
- Butt-Monkey: Percy. Early in this episode, Sir Topham Hatt sneezes his tissue onto Percy's nose, and later in this episode, Dowager Hatt assigns Percy to pull Gordon's express, which Percy is seen struggling to pull up Gordon's Hill.
- Continuity Nod:
- Some of the jobs Dowager Hatt orders the engines to do are references to previous episodes, including James pulling a balloon on a flatbed, Salty delivering a giant globe, and Toby with two giraffes.
- When Dowager Hatt first speaks to Gordon, she calls him "Geoffrey," to which Gordon responds with "Who's Geoffrey?".
- A Day in the Limelight: The first for Dowager Hatt.
- Funny Background Event: When The Fat Controller sneezes, his tissue lands on Percy's nose, and when Dowager Hatt gives the engines their jobs, Percy is seen trying to get it off with no success.
- Gilligan Cut:
- Cranky questions, "What's next? Balloons?" Cue to the next scene which involves Emily pulling up to a giant balloon on a flatbed being pulled by James, who is halted at a traffic jam, which involves, among other things, Den pulling empty trucks, Paxton pulling trucks with elephants in them, Diesel pushing a flatbed with a dinosaur statue, and Toby pulling trucks with giraffes in them.
- Upon realising Gordon was sent to collect her scrap, Emily worriedly asks who was pulling the express instead of Gordon. Dowager Hatt then wonders to herself "Ah, now who did I ask to pull the express..." Cut to a shot of Percy desperately trying and failing to pull six large carriages up Gordon's Hill.
- Pointy-Haired Boss: Dowager Hatt, but she gets everything right with Emily's help.
- Shout-Out: Dowager Hatt calls Emily "Ermintrude," which is a reference to the television series and animated film The Magic Roundabout. She also calls Emily "Elinor," referring to the the 2012 film Brave.
- Sick Episode: Sir Topham Hatt catches a cold in this episode, which leaves Dowager Hatt to run the railway for him.
- Something We Forgot: The engines are back doing their usual jobs, except for Philip who is working at the Ulfstead Mine and the lights go out leaving him in the dark.
- Take That!: This episode is one to the Sharon Miller era, which featured episodes with odd jobs such as delivering balloons and cakes.
- Verbal Backspace:Dowager Hatt: I bet you thought I wouldn't be able to run your railway, but I think I've done a pretty perfect job!The Fat Controller: I have to admit, I have my doubts... [chuckles] I mean, well done, mother!
- Wink "Ding!": Dowager Hatt does this to Emily after the Fat Controller commends her for decently running the railway.
