Recap / Thomas And Friends S 3 E 4 Gordon And The Famous Visitor

aka: Thomas The Tank Engine S 3 E 4 Gordon And The Famous Visitor

Air date: March 24th, 1992 (UK), November 21st, 1991 (US)

Adapted from: Duck and the Diesel Engine, "Domeless Engines"

Dynnargh dhe Sodor!

City of Truro has come to visit the North Western Railway. All of the engines get along well with him, except Gordon who is jealous of his record of being the first engine to go 100 mph and claims that he's a domeless engine, which, in his own opinion, is neither trustworthy nor respectable. Gordon tries to prove his point as he went as fast as ''City of Truro'. Unfortunately, his dome is blown off at the viaduct and is made into a laughing stock at Knapford by the troublesome trucks. Gordon, heading back home, hopes that the shed will be empty, but to his dismay all of the engines are there.

Tropes featured in the episode:

• The Blank: City of Truro. Justified in that he's a real locomotive.
• Break the Haughty: Gordon's dome being blown off by the wind.
• Compressed Adaptation: Also a case of Series Continuity Error. This episode was supposed to take place before "Pop Goes The Diesel" from Duck and the Diesel Engine. Also, Duck's confession about only naming Gordon a "domeless engine" in "Dirty Work" would make logical sense, and unlike the novels, Duck's interaction with The City of Truro was diminished in favor of having Thomas saying part of his lines.
• Disneyfication: In the novels, Duck was infuriated with Gordon's comments about the City of Truro, but in this version along with the adaptation changes, he's merely nonplussed.
• The Freelance Shame Squad: The engines and trucks alike laugh at Gordon who has lost his dome.
• Go-Karting with Bowser: Despite being sent away in disgrace, Diesel attended the event with the other engines.

• Humiliation Conga: Gordon wasn't really pleased when the other engines were talking of nothing but domeless engines.
• Ironic Echo: At the start, Gordon says, "Never trust domeless engines. They're not respectable." At the end, another engine says this to Gordon after his dome falls off.

• Stock Footage: Footage of Gordon passing Wellsworth station and puffing along the viaduct in "Time for Trouble" is used.
• Tempting Fate: Gordon was hoping that the sheds were empty, but his words were wrong as he arrives with the grinning engines in front of him.

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