Thomas & Friends TV Series "The Refreshment Lady's Tea Shop" Review

To say that it's been more then a good while since anything from Thomas & Friends was last covered on this blog would be a huge understatement. Well as look would have it I think that i've found a nice solid episode to review for you all and so then join me as I review the episode that shows us that even the simplest of stories can be done and done well with the episode in question being called simply just "The Refreshment Lady's Tea Shop" enjoy.

The plot of this episode is when the refreshment lady is looking for a new place to put her tea shop it's up to Peter Sam to find her a new place to put it. Now then interms of what I personally thought / felt about the actual plot that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode well then in all honesty I in all honesty personally thought / felt that the actual plot that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode was in all honesty no that bad as it was just the right kind of story that works best not only for the character of Peter Sam but also for the era of this show at this point in time and that is the fact that this episodes plot is simple and that's it and that's all it really needed to be just a simple story about a train trying to find a new place for the refreshment lady to put her tea shop and that's really it and that is something that works best for this show as this show is at it's heart a simple show and because of that it doesn't need to have deep , dark and complex stories to make it's episodes great as all it needs are enjoyable characters and simple stories and that's really it and that's something that this episodes has on both accounts as the characters are really likable as well and the story is also really simple and easy to follow along with as well with the plot of this episode also being really rather entertaining and as well as being really rather engaging as well in my freaking opinions anyways / at least.

Starring in this episode is Michael Angelis who did the UK dub for not only this episode but this series and alot of other Thomas series and media as well. With him perhaps being the most well known out of all of the storytellers that worked on this show and is most certainly one of if not the most liked as well and it's not that hard to see why as he does have a soothing and calming voice that is perfect for this show and it is something that does come into great effect for not only this episode but this series as well which too a more calming and soothing approach to it's stories and while yes the stories in this series can be a bit hit or miss alot of the time when they get it right they really do get it right and one of the people who nearly always got it right was Michael Angelis himself as he is just that good and that pleasing to listen to that it wouldn't be all that surprising if people just stopped what they were doing just to listen to him in this show and while yes this is the kind of story that would have been helped by having another person alongside Angelis provide voices for certain characters it's not really something that was really needed as Angelis does alot of really distinctive voices that nearly all stand out from one another and while yes some of his voices do start to blend together in this episode those are in the minority and are not in majority with alot of his voices fro this episode being instantly recognisable as that's just how good that they are.

Now then interms of what I personally thought / felt about the actual acting that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode well then in all honesty I in all honesty personally thought / felt that the actual acting that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode was in all honesty not that bad. With Michael Angelis of course being the only actor in this episode as he is in all of the episodes and there for he is by default the best actor in the episode but at the same time tho he doesn't do enough to make alot of his voices standout as while the voices for both The Fat Controller and The Refreshment Lady do have very distinctive voices for the rest of the episodes cast of characters they really don't alot of the time even Skarloey who does usually have a slightly distinctive voice to him here just sounds generic with the same thing also being said for th rest of the narrow gage engines as well as there's nothing about them vocally to make them standout from each other and while that's not really needed as there aren't as many of them as there are the main cast of characters there still should have been some effort into giving them voices that do standout from one another even if it's something that's just as simple as giving them all unique English accents with the acting that's in this episode also being helped by the fact that this episodes script is just so good that all this episode actors really have to do is just say the lines as they are written and a good performance really will come out of them which is something that really does help to raise the overall quality of the acting that's in this very episode.

As is common place with alot of the model seasons of Thomas & Friends but this episode does have some really nice looking scenery to it. With this episode really being no exception to that as this episode from a visual standpoint does look really nice and relaxing which is perfect for a show about trains as it means that you get to see parts of this world that we don't normally get to see given that we don't normally spend alot of the time with the smaller engines and yet at the same time tho alot this episodes visuals do feel flat alot of the time like you can just tell where the edge of the set is alot of the time and that's something that does take you out of the episode and remind you that your just watching a TV show and while the models look as good as they've done the makers of this show should have put just as much effort into alot of the backgrounds to make have there own unique look to them then what they did th shows model engines and while it does make alot of sense that the modes get alot of the attention as they are afterall the stars of the show without the backgrounds looking as good as they both can and have done in the last then it doesn't really matter how good the models are looking because we the audience will always be distracted by episodes lack of a good background and while some of this episodes backgrounds do look nice they also start ti merge into one as they don't have there own unique look to them and while that's not something that a kid would notice it is something that people who watch this show as an adult would notice.

The one word that can be best used to describe this episode is simple as that's exactly what this episode is it's simple and while that could be read as being a very bad thing. In this case and in the case of pretty much everything to do with this show it's a good as everything about this episode is just simple and there's nothing wrong with that at all  as sometimes just having a simple episode that's just there to take up a few minuets of running time is just what you need to get you through the day and that's exactly the case with this episode and to this episodes credit that's all it needs to be as even just having a refreshment lady is a very old fashioned and simple thing to have and it's so old fashioned that not alot of trains here in England have them anymore and yet here in this little show they do and that is something that does remind you of a much more simpler time be it when your an adult thinking about to being a kid or when your kid and the only thing that you had to worry you was what your going to have for tea tonight this episode is just filled to the brim with this kind of simple nature that reminds you of those much more simpler and in alot of cases happier times as well and that is something that not alot of shows take the time to do as there all busy having a deep and complex story and yet here's a show that's telling you to stop and smell the roses and just enjoy yourself every once in a while and that is something that is very sadly missing from alot of childrens media today.

What is something that does let this episode down quite a bit is the fact that it doesn't really have a moral as all Peter Sam wants to do be useful and that's it. While this is fine for the episode and it does go with the episodes more relaxed nature this episode could have done with Peter Sam learning that he doesn't have to do this one task to feel useful as just by doing the job in the first place he already is being useful as that would be a good message to sent out to this shows target kid audience and yet by not having a moral at the end of the episode it's saying that no matter what you do you'll be useful as long as things go your way anyway and that's simply not the case in the first place and nor is it a good thing to be teaching kids anyways as it saying that the kid should be lazy and as long as things go there way then it doesn't really matter how it turns out and that is just bad writing and is the worst example of this episodes writing being bad and while this episode doesn't use the three strikes and your out rule where a character does something bad three times in an episode before setting things right here it is something that could have been used to get across the episodes moral of you can be useful just by doing the job that your meant to be doing and that is something that is a good lesson for kids to learn in the first place as kids will encounter situations where just doing what there told to do is the best thing for them to do.

One of the things that this episode does get wrong is that even for a simple episode not much actually happens in the episode. With alot of the episode just being Peter Sam showing the tea lady some possible locations for her new team room and that's really it and while that;s fine for a scene or two it's not something that's fine here as this is meant to be a key plot point in the episode and yet it's something that doesn't work in it's current form as something like this would have worked better if there was some form of built up with tea lady visiting each of the locations that she sees in the episode only for her to brush them off and then you have it revealed that she likes all three locations as then you could have Peter Sam struggle to come up with a new idea for a location to show her which would then feed into his character arc for the episode of learning that just doing the job that you've been asked to do would make you useful anyway and it would make the episode as whole seem alot more interesting and entertaining then what it already is and heck you could even have thrown in some jokes in there as well just to keep the kids entertained and that is something that could have been in character for Peter Sam as well and yet because of the fact that the makers of this episode chose not to go that route we are stuck with an episode where once you really boil it down not alot actually happens in the actual episode itself.

Now then this episode has / had an exact grant total running time of exactly five minuets and thirty four seconds. Which is pretty much the bogstandard running time for this show at this point in time with this episode really having just the right amount there interms of pot to really cover that amount of running time but at the same time tho due to how short this episodes running time really was it can't really take as full advantage of it's running time as it could have dine if this episode was produced when the show extended an episodes running time to ten or more minuets and that is something that really does harm this episode as it means that we the audience just aren't allowed to become as sucked into the episode as we perhaps really could have done as the episode has to give us so much plot details all in one go and while this episodes plot is really easy to follow along with if this episode did have a longer running time even if it was just five or ten minuets it would mean that we could get see Peter Sam truly struggle to find the tea lady her new location and it would mean that we could get some built up to the storm instead of having it appear out of nowhere despite it being another key plot point in the episode as both things are needed to make the episode work as is the fact that we barely get to see Peter Sam and the tea lady have any sort of interactions with each other which does make it hard to gage just what it is that there friendship is meant to be like but I really will admit that this episode really does have some really good pacing to it tho.

So now then as this is comedy that really does mean that I have to actually talk about the actual comedy that's actually feature / presented to us inn this very episode well then in all honesty I in all honesty personally thought / felt that the actual comedy that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode was in all honesty not that bad. As the episode does have some really cute jokes in it like the fact that Peter Sam thinks that something being as easy as cake means that there actually made from cake which is a decent enough joke and it is something that does work for his character but at the same time tho the episode really could have done with having some more jokes like that as the rest of this episodes jokes just aren't that funny and even The Fat Controller who was known for having some fat jokes made about him during this time on the show doesn't really get anything which is a shame as then we could have gotten another cute if somewhat dated joke out of it but to be fair tho this episode really doesn't have or even need that many jokes to begin with as all it needs is it it;s characters just being there wonderfully charming selves and that's exactly what this episode has got in droves and it is something that does work to this episodes advantage as it makes the episode feel very character driven but at the same time tho it would have been really good if this episode really did have some really funny jokes in it tho as that would have helped to make the episode more entertaining then what it already is in my freaking opinions anyways / at least.

Overall this episode really was a good episode of the show as it had the charm and simpleness that the show is known for and yet it's also an episode that really could have been more entertaining then what it was as what we have is an episode that on paper should have worked but in reality doesn't work as well as it really could have done in my freaking opinions anyways / at least. Now then i've talked about all of the good and as well as all of he bad things that are in this very episode in this very review and as such that really does mean that this very episode really does earn itself a grand old score of exactly a 6.5 out of 10 from me.

Now then as for where I personally got all of the images that I personally used in this very review well then boys and girls and as well as ladies and gentlemen I personally got all of the images hat I personally used in this very review from the official Thomas The Tank Engine fandom wiki page and Google Images. With my personally preferred website to use to get the images from this very episode that I used in this very review being the really great the official Thomas The Tank Engine fandom wiki page really simply just due to the fact that really alot of if not really all of the images that are all really from this very episode with alot of them being better quality then what you'd really think of and all of the images are really of course up and really on the official Thomas The Tank Engine fandom wiki page are also really all fairly high in quality and as well as them all being really fairly freaking high in definition.

Ultimate Spider-Man "Halloween Night At The Museum" Review

Crossovers are things that happen all of the time in TV shows and even more in comic books but there usually restricted to things that are in the same medium or make sense for both properties. The episode that i'm going to be reviewing for you all today does neither of those things as it's a crossover between an animated show and a live action and it doesn't even make sense for both properties to cross over in the first place and so then join me as I review the episode that asks more questions then it answers the more you think about it with the episode in question being called simply just "Halloween Night At The Museum" enjoy.

The plot of this episode is when Spidey decides to take the night of for Halloween he goes to visit a museum where he bumps into a bunch of kids and there nanny and when an evil sorceress is let loose it's up to both groups to team up and save the world. Now then interms of what I personally thought / felt about the actual plot that's actually featured d/ presented to us in this very episode well then in all honesty I in all honesty personally thought / felt that the actual lot that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode was in all honesty not that bad as it was a decent enough plot that did a good job of blending both shows together in a way that felt natural and organic but at the same time the very very idea of crossing over a live action comedy with an animated superhero show is always going to bring out a rather bizarre plot and that's exactly what we got here as while this kind of plot if perfect for Ultimate Spider-Man and there characters it's not something that works well for Jessie characters and as a result of that is that while this plot is indeed really good enough plot for a random episode of this show and that its purely meant to be advertisement for both shows it's also really quite clearly not either shows strongest plot line either with the plot of this episode really just being so really bizarre and weird that you really can't help but like and get caught up init with the plot of this episode also being really rather entertaining and as well as being really engaging as well in my freaking opinions anyways / at least.

Starring in this episode is Drake Bell as Peter Parker / Spider-Man and A Security Guard. Also starring in this episode is Descendants star Cameron Boyce as Luke Ross , Karan Brar as Ravi Ross , voice acting legend Grey DeLisle as Morgan Le Fey , Skai Jackson as Zuri Ross , Cobra Kai and School Spirits star Peyton List as Emma Ross and The Suite Life On Deck and Insatiable star Debby Ryan as Jessie Prescott.

Now then interms of what I personally thought / felt about the actual acting that's actually featured / presented to us in his very episode well then in all honesty I in all honesty personally thought / felt that the actual acting that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode was in all honesty not that bad. With all of this episodes turning in some really good performances in this very episode which is something that really does make alot of sense as all of this episodes actors had been playing there respective characters for some time at this point in time and so all of them really would know what kind of performance really would suite there respective characters and while of course the more trained voice actors like Grey and Drake do a better job then there live action actors that's not a knock on the live action actors as both Grey and Drake have had more experience at voicing characters at this point in time where as the same thing cannot be said for the cast of Jessie who are more used to live action acting and so while they do turn in a good performance in this episode there not able to get across the emotion in there vocals like both Grey and Drake can with the acting that's in this very episode really being helped by the fact that this episodes script is just so goo that all this episodes really have to do is just say the lines as they are written and a good performance really will come out of them naturally which is something that really does help to raise the overall quality of the acting that's in this very episode.

Doing the animation for this episode is the legends and the greats that are currently over at Moi Animation Studio. Now then interms of what I personally thought / felt about the actual animation that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode well then in all honesty I in all honesty personally thought / felt that the actual animation that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode was in all honesty not that bad with this episodes animation being a lot better then what it really had any right to be as nobody could have blamed this shows animation teams if they chose not to give this episode some good quality animation as let's be honest here this kind of episode really doesn't demand high quality animation in it and yet that's exactly what we got with this episodes animation looking really good and while granted it doesn't look as good as the animation from lets say Guardians Of The Galaxy for example considering this episode is a crossover episode with a live action show the animation is alot better then what it really could have been with it being clear as day that the animators where having alot of fun with the kids costumes especially when they get turned into magic costumes which is where the animation in this episode does get really fun to watch as you can just see all of the animators having a blast working on this episode as it is something that really does shine through in the final cut of the episode. 

As was mentioned near the start of this episode this episode is a crossover episode with the Disney Channel show Jessie. However after thinking about it for longer then anybody really should have it's actually crossover with more shows as Jessie had over crossovers as well with both Austin & Alley and Good Luck Charlie which in of itself had a crossover with Shake It Up with Jessie also having a sequel series with Bunk'd with had a crossover episode with Raven's Home ab sequel series to That's So Raven and Cory In The House with That's So Raven also being apart of multiple crossover episodes and even this show had a cross over with Phineas And Ferb which has a sequel show of it's own Milo Murphy's Law and several other Marvel Animated shows which means that technically everything from That's So Raven onwards barring Dog With A Blog and Girl Meets World including yes Wizards Beyond Waverly Place could all take place in this Marvel Animated Universe and while it is hopefully possible that this episode is considered non canon to the rest of both shows it i weird to think that technically all of the Marvel animated show that Disney was making at the time take place within the same universe as not only alot of there live action shows but also two of there animated shows as well and all of that came just from this one episode alone and really nothing more then that as just the idea of thinking about how these Marvel shows fit in with the rest of the Disney Channel shows is enough to give any one a Rita Repulsa sized headache.

To this episodes credit it does do a decent enough job of making sure that all of the characters get a time to shine. However it is still weird seeing a show that's mainly aimed at little girls crossover with a show where the target audience is mainly little boys and while both sets of characters do remain true to who they are on there respective shows the heroic elements of Spider-Man's character do feel toned down for this one where as the more comedic elements of Jessie also oddly feel toned down as well this is despite the fact that the crossover is taking place on this show and so it would there for make sense for Spider-Man to be acting his more heroic self but at the same time the audience coming over from Jessie will be expecting there characters to making jokes all the time and that's something that very sadly doesn't happen in this episode with Spider-Man getting alot of the jokes and the cast of Jessie especially Jessie herself getting more of the heroic moments heck it's even Jessie and not Spider-Man that ends up saving the day which is something that really doesn't make a whole lot of sense as Spider-Man out of him and Jessie is the one who's the hero and so it would there for make sense for him to be the one that saves the day while Jessie is doing her job and looking after the kids and heck this is something that could have been fixed with the makers of this show actually watched an episode or two of Jessie as then that way they could have Jessie save Spider-Man earlier on in the episode and then Spider-Man pays her back by saving her at the end of the episode instead going the route that they went down in the finished cut of this episode.

Again to be fair to this episode is does give a legitimate reason as to why Peter Parker is in his Spider-Man outfit. With that being that since it's Halloween and everyone else is dressed up already he doesn't a reason to change out of his outfit as everybody would think that his Spider-Man costume is lame anyways which is a fair enough to keep him in his Spider-Man costume for the whole episode but at the same time tho would have made it funny was if one of the Ross kids actually said that during the course of the episode just because it would have been in keeping with any of the characters to say something like that to him even if it's when they don't realise that he's actually a superhero it still would have been a funny joke but at the same time tho it does seem like a cheap way to keep in his costume as then they don't have to animate him taking it off and putting it on again with it also feeling that it was there just so that they could show this episode on the Disney Channel and not have the target audience of that channel be confused which really does make some sense in some respects but at the same time tho when Peter does reveal himself to be a hero it also would have made sense for him to reveal his real name yes it would have been cheesy as all heck but this is a cheesy episode and so it really would have made sense for him to do that especially since the cast of Jessie is also helping him defeat Morgan Le Fey as well.

Now then this episode has / had an exact grand total running time of exactly twenty two minuets and three seconds. Which is pretty much the bogstandard running time for both of these shows to begin with with this episode really having just the right amount there interms of plot ti really cover that amount of running time but at the same time tho this is an episode that could have been at the very least forty five minuets which is something that really would have helped to make the episode feel alot more like a special event episode which is how all crossovers really should be treated and with that extra running time it would allow the episode to get across just who both sets of characters are and how they act when there around there own minor characters which is something that would mean nothing to the fans of either shows but it would mean something to the people who aren't fans of either shows and just a fan of one show or the other and heck with that extra running time it would mean that we could get more characters from either show crossing over in this episode like for funny would it be to see an animated version of Bertram talking to someone from SHIELD just the amount of actually funny combinations that you could then have with both shows characters goes through the roof and yet because of the fact that this episode is only the bogstandard twenty two minuets it means that we just have to see the core characters and nothing more then that and while that does make sense as it means that every single scene has to be about the plot and pushing the plot forward it also stops the episode from being as fun and as funny as it really could have been but I really will admit that this episode really does have some really good pacing to it tho.

So now then as this is an action show that really does mean that I have to actually talk about the actual action that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode well then in all honesty I in all honesty personally thought / felt that the actual action that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode was in all honesty not that bad. As this episode action was where the episode got to be the most the must fun as we got to see Spider-Man teaming up with the cast of Jessie in some really creative and fun ways all of which help to make this episodes action feel fun and unique with it also being helped by the fact that the entire episode is set at a museum which does open itself up fr having some really unique as not alot of superhero shows animated or not have action sequences at a museum and while the action does boil down to either Spider-Man or Jessie rescuing the Ross kids neither of it feels out of character with the episode having so many action scenes in this episode that it's hard to pick a favorite one as there all just so good and fun to watch but that might also be problem as the episode does have far to many action sequences in it that there's not enough time to care for either sets of characters unless you happen to be a fan of both shows and this is something that really could have been fixed if this episode was a little bit longer then what it was as then you the episode could have alot of action sequences and the us the audience would the time to care about both sets of characters as well but that might also mean that the setting for this episode could get old really fast and that could make the episodes action sequences go from fun and exciting to dull and boring quite quickly in my freaking opinions anyways / at least.

Overall whilst this episode might not be the worst crossover episode out just due to the fact that it's an animated superhero show crossing over with a live action comedy and that idea alone does make it one of the more weirdest crossovers that both Marvel and Spider-Man have ever done in my freaking opinions anyways / at least. Now then i've talked about all of the good and as well as all of the bad things that are in this very episode in this very review and as such that really does mean that this very episode really does earn itself a grand old score of exactly a 6.5 out of 10 from me.

Now then as for were I personally got all of the images that I personally used in this very review well then boys and girls ad as well as ladies and gentlemen I personally used in this very review from the official Marvel Database fandom wiki page , the official Ultimate Spider-Man fandom wiki page , the official Disney fandom wiki page and Google Images. With my personally preferred website to use to get the images from this very episode that I used in this very review being the really great Google Images really simply just due to the fact that really alot of if not really all of the images that are all really from this very episode with alot of them being better quality then what you'd really think of and all of the images are really of course up and really on Google Images are also really all fairly high in quality and as well as them all being really fairly freaking high in definition.