Series 1 - Episode 3 - The Sad Story of Henry

The Sad Story of Henry introduces Henry, who looks very similar to Gordon apart from his green paint. The episode allowed the filmmakers to try something new, rain. The water comes off well and is quite visible on the screen. The Sad Story of Henry also introduces The Fat Controller (a.k.a. Sir Topham Hatt).

This episode, like Edward and Gordon before it, features many "zoom in" and "zoom out" shots. It is also in this episode that we see the first interior shot of the series. It was executed well and gave the viewer an excellent close-up on the fantastically designed Sir Topham Hatt.

The episode is based on the original story from The Three Railway Engines and is a well-executed adaptation.

My favorite part of The Sad Story of Henry is the bit of comedy injected into the episode when the Fat Controller insists that his doctor has forbidden him to push or pull. Shortly after this scene, the longest stop-motion sequence we would see for a long time in the series occurs: the building of the wall.

Like Edward and Gordon, this episode firmly establishes a locale: Henry's Tunnel. But, unlike Gordon's Hill, the tunnel would only appear in a few more episodes after The Sad Story of Henry.

I appreciate this episode because it doesn't have a fake "happy ending." It is quite grounded in reality, rather than in fantasy.

Rating:

4/4