While this is most definitely one of the weirdest episodes on the series, I do appreciate how the show treats it with a level of gravitas and contemplativeness you wouldn’t necessarily expect from a show like this. Like the show could’ve easily just gone for the simple route of “wow, we almost got crushed by a boulder, isn’t that weird?!?” Instead, it goes for a more unique angle of “our ever-expansive industrialist mindset has put us on a direct collision course with nature, and our failure to reckon with that has brought untold devastation.” In a way, it almost calls the entire ethos of the show into question. Remember, for all of its sweeping landscape shots and intricate nature models, Thomas as a show is about industry. So much of the series, both the original books and the tv shows, are about the slow expansion of the Sodor railway and the various trains brought onto the island to help run them. And while the steam engines themselves are constantly fighting against one form of industrialization, that being the slow overtaking of Diesel engines, the series almost never calls into question their own role in the industrialization process. They’re simply presented as a natural default. A kind of unquestionable good that must be preserved rather than, as all railway technology is, a necessary market response to the gradual shift from an agrarian economy to a more urbanized, industrialized one. In that sense, it’s even more significant that Rusty was the one to first incur boulders wrath. As a Diesel engine, he represents the next phase in this industrial process: a new environmental threat that will continue to strip the natural resources away from the untarnished landscapes in order to promote the interests of capital. He recognizes, at least on a subconscious level, the culpability he has in this destructive system as an active participant in it. As a result, he manifests his guilty conscious into the face of boulder: a cold, judgmental God looking disapprovingly of him from up high. He sees the sins he has committed against the natural world and, after failing to heed his warning, strikes back against him. And for as much as it’s presented to be a serene, picturesque wonderland, Sodor cannot escape the slow march of industrial corporate interest, nor can it escape its own participation in it. All it can do now is become more mindful of the destructive technological might they now wield and how they should use it, if at all. Because the failure to do so will bring about not only the destruction of nature, but if themselves as well. For just as Sir Topham Hatt said, “We should’ve left this part of the island…alone.”
First of all, that was incredibly well-written, thanks for taking the time to leave your thoughts. I think seeing Boulder as a conscience is a very thoughtful way of looking at it, and it makes sense as it seems to appeal to Sir Topham Hatt's own. There's so much nuance in this early material that it really merits further analyzations.
I must say this… while it is possible that boulder is representative of nature… I feel as if it’s also just as likely to be a representation of carelessness in the workplace or arrogance of more experienced workers over less experienced ones (for example it’s entirely likely that Rusty’s driver is much older than rusty is and thus is more experience:)
One of my favorite episodes from season 5. I just find it absolutely hilarious that instead of making a brand new face for the boulder, they instead gave it Gordon’s worried face. Which I think is accurate as hell😂
It's okay, just that for a first full non-Awdry season, some episodes do feel ripped straight from the works of Wilbert Awdry's mind and could've easily taken place within the 1970s.
@@thesudriana016The only S5 episode that had a true story I've seen has been "A better view for Gordon". Which the crash was based on a real train disaster that happened in Paris. Not only did the episode inspire a true event, but in a dream sequence scene from the move "Hugo" show the actual event happening.
I will say, Rusty and the Bolder is a very... unique episode, not only for how intense and pretty spooky it is, especially with that bolder, but also the presentation and set work. Plus, I like to also believe this episode shows us many things that make the Island of Sodor a very... intresting and magical place, even if it is a land of make believe ✨️ Great video btw, and keep up the good work too And good day as well!!!
Absolutely, this series in particular I think was very exploratory, it was cool seeing a different part of the island being developed. The set-work certainly was on top form!
This episode feels like an Adventure Time episode disguised as a Thomas episode with a mix of Indiana Jones given the fact it's got one weird element we all know and love. The boulder's face appears in two scenes, and we don't know why it has a face. Okay, make that two. We don't know how or why the sheds exploded in a massive fiery explosion next to Percy. The sheds just blow up from inside after Boulder crashes into them. And fun fact: This is the only time a Thomas episode used pyrotechnics to show an actual explosion onscreen (unless you're bringing up the infamous Henry blooper from "It's Good to be Gordon", we're not talking about that since it does not count). Of course, the runaway Indiana Jones like boulder is an act of God telling the railway and Sir Topham Hatt to leave that part of the island alone. Uniquely, Season 5 just built up the runaway boulder episode in secret since they wanted to do that episode after making "Bye George" and "Duncan Gets Spooked." Two episodes that do feature that same one-off quarry. Now, that is quality and effort.
You are right about the use of personification in this episode. This entire series is based around it. Putting a face to engines helps the audience sympathize with them when they are in danger or could be scrapped. Nature isn't personified in this series, usually, its used as a passive scenery to see or a resource to use. By personifying nature, it brings attention to the effect of industrialization on nature that it inherently changes and that industrial growth is not inherently a good thing (also none of the workers bothered to check the boulder anyways which shows how humans not caring leads to problems). Even the ending of Rusty thinking the boulder is looking up at the mountain. Also, last thing I like is how the narrow gauge engines were the ones in danger here. Makes the boulder feel more threatening to such small engines. Even we are small against such large things.
That's exactly it, taking that step further by personifying nature. Your note about the smaller engines contrasting more with Boulder, I completely agree with as well!
Guess there was a very good reason why the Unlucky Tug made "Rusty and the Boulder" the standout episode in his Series 5 Retrospective video. Also, on the imagination aspect that also played over in "Thomas and the Magic Railroad", it's kind of reminding how the late puppeteer Jim Henson played with that element during the mid-1980s beyond his fame with the Muppets, from shows like "Fraggle Rock" to movies such as "The Dark Crystal" and "Labyrinth". Very method.
It's definitely a really cool medium to explore that concept with, something about the live action capture, whether it's puppets or models, that really makes it work on another level
If I could also give the episode extra credit, is that it leaves the motives and intentions of Bolder completely ambiguous, despite what Bolder has done in the episode, it doesn't appear to be stated if Bolder is good, or evil. It's motives are a mystery, just as Bolder itself is too. I find that quite intresting, and who knows? Maybe Rusty is right, maybe there is more to Bolder than meets the... face, I guess. Just something to think about, but it is certainly something.
Very intriguing point! Boulder isn't presented in any kind of moral light, it just does what it does. I think in a funny way, the less said about it, the more sense it makes
Definitely one of the series’ most outlandish episodes. I probably will still hate it but I kind of like the idea that things only got crazy because Rusty thinks it did.
This is such a weird episode but in glad they did it the way it did if it was explained a lot of what makes it so good would've been taken away I think. Nothing being explained makes it so much better because it makes it spookier and leaves a lot to interpretation
@Calebtrain same here. I'm someone who loves trying to figure out why something happened in a show like this but sometimes as much as I want answers I also want it left ambiguous. That really brings my interest into it so much more because I ADORE mysterys and if it's left ambiguous that means the mystery will never end canonically which makes it spookier but also more interesting to me
Maybe the boulder has Gordon's face in Rusty's eyes because Gordon is one of the biggest standard gage engines, so to the narrow gauge engines Gordon is a giant, and when Rusty starts seeing the giant boulder as something alive, he associates it with Gordon
Caleb: "Why does it have Gordon's face?" Me: Eh, maybe Rusty has a crippling fear of Gordon 🤷♂️ I mean, we've never seen the two interact, so maybe Gordon just scared the Motor oil out of em at some point off screen 🤷♂️
This episode scared me like no other ever could. I still urks me now. I don't understand why the boulder has a face identical to Gordon... Gordon of all characters.
The Boulder is Possessed by an old ancient Sudrian spirit. Also, just to let you know, but not explaining things is the whole purpose of the Episode’s Rusty and the Boulder & Duncan Gets Spooked.
I think Thomas does tend to go for subtly over explanation, though usually leaves enough to let the viewer come to their own conclusions. I would say out of any story though, this one is the most ambiguous.
I was a big Thomas fan as a kid, but some episodes freaked me out for reasons I don't really understand. Percy Runs Away is a standout one. Just has the weirdest off-kilter vibes (and I dont just mean the obvious part with angry-faced Gordon rushing towards Percy). I was too old for Thomas by the time Season 4 came out, but had I seen it as a kid, I think I would have felt similar about this one too
That episode had some dark undertones for absolutely no reason, I know what you mean about the vibes being off. I think this episode is at least unnerving with some intention haha
I enjoyed the original film, and your comments on it too. I must admit, as a 70 year old Thomas fan, who still has his original books, I enjoyed the stories based on the Awdry tales more than some of the more recent ones - don't get me wrong, the stories are still great, but they take rather too many liberties with real railway practice, plausibility and indeed possibility to be totally acceptable. Awdry got letters from railwaymen saying that his were the only tales they could read to their children without being embarrassed over unrealistic events. Now we have Hino and US streamliners running on Sodor - Japanese track gauge is narrower than ours, and the loading gauge too small for those big Hudsons! (If you want to be over-pedantic.......)
Sometimes you just can't beat the classics. The books are the core of anything that came later. Glad to hear you're still going strong as a fan! I'm 23, so I can't imagine what it was like to grow up with the books first and then see the television adaptation. I didn't get the books until later!
Nice video, man!! Personally, “Rusty and the Boulder” is my favorite episode of Season 5 mainly because I’m glad that the producers were able to push their limits of using the realism of rail transportations. To me, I feel like if the show focused too much on making the show realistic, it’ll most likely be boring and not interesting for little kids. I also appreciated you for adding the personification subject in this video, because when I think about the times when I visited junkyards that is filled with rusty old cars with my dad, I felt that they’re alive wanted to be saved.
They definitely made it very entertaining to watch! There's a tricky balance to be found with these stories. I was the same way, I attached a lot of meaning to things like cars and old things.
I like to suggest a video topic, how about discussing underrated episodes from the hit era of the series seeing as that era of the show was pretty bad in terms of writing it’d be nice to see someone shed some light on the few hidden gems from that era
I had this series on dvd. I would literally watch the dvd for this episode. I loved the explosion possibly more than a kid should. Yes there are many other amazing episodes from this series but this one was still is my guilty pleasure.
He's just a average diesel, with a average life. He works from 9 - 5. Hey hell he pays the price. All he wants is to be left alone, in his average shed. But why does he always feel, like he's in the twilight zone and he always feels like 1:05
Boulder did kinda scared me as a kid whenever his face would appear but most of time it was always the closeup front shots of the trucks depending on their moods that scared child me...
@@Calebtrain I couldn't watch Pop goes the Diesel, Busy Going Backwards, Put Upon Percy, Haunted Henry, and World's Strongest Engine because of how many shots of the trucks they had included... Theburiedtruck's story (The 13th Van) after watching it from Thebogieboy proves just how baby me couldn't handle those model faces. The episodes have the same faces, but with different shades of gray modeling clay and eye directions.
a very fun video mate :D really enjoy these little discussion/analysis videos I've got a suggestion on why the trucks are as troublesome as they are :) can give a hand if ya like
I don't think that the boulder is alive. But I do think something is "wrong" with the boulder. In your video, you didn't mention a certain part of the chase when rusty dips into a siting to wait for the boulder to pass, only for the boulder to seemingly vanish all together until it somehow gets behind rusty despite being ahead of him just seconds before. Your analysis is excellent, but I thought it be good to bring up that suspicious moment.
I really should have looked at that, completely forgot! You’re right, it is a very odd occurrence. There’s no rational way to explain how it moves like that.
I always thought it was a melted ball of scrap from a horrific passenger train crash which was so bad that the wreck brought hauntings with it wherever it went. So to prevent this scrap from being reused and causing trouble for others sir topham hat turned it into a boulder. The face is the face of the engine from the crash.
one thing i did notice, did it only or most of the time have a face when rusty was nearby? if so maybe it was just us looking through the eyes of a scared rusty imagining it having a face
What I don’t understand is after all that destruction Boulder why didn’t they just destroy him by breaking him up or something? Because that was such a HUGE mistake by Sir Topham Hatt to close the quarry considering Boulder essentially got rewarded for what he did not to mention the loss in business by closing it down.
In regards to your explanation to personification to the engines do you think that's why a lot of people also ship certain engines with others, like say for example Thomas and Emily? I'm also kinda asking this cuz we've seen sentient machines have relationships in other shows, Silverbolt and Blackarachnia come to the forefront due to growing up with Beast Wars
I mean even Wall-E does it--I can't speak to those other shows, but I think in Wall-E's case it's designed with the love element in mind. In regards to Thomas, I'm not sure it ever crossed Awdry's mind, haha. But I do think that when you view these characters as more people than machines, then you'll be more likely to apply human similarities, including romance.
I don't like when people refer to dictionaries to pin down what the "definition" of a general word is. Dictionaries are a description of language, not an authority on it. Such definitions are themselves a lie, because that is not how language works. They can help you get an idea of what a word means, but it does not limit what it can or may mean in a conversation. Good video, just something that has started to rub me the wrong way over the years.
I suppose that's true, though what Duncan encounters is just a trick and some fireflies. In this episode, Rusty directly confronts something not explained.
I had nightmares about that boulder chasing me down as a kid I had to sleep with my toy Thomas at night then I wondered if the boulder was a real boulder as if the boulder was actually real and not in a show but now that I'm older the episode doesn't really match up with trains with talking faces just like the talking tumble weed was this episode even proven cannon?
Here’s my suggestion to you could you explain how the whole Thomas franchise went downhill from the models, CGI, and that dreaded baby cartoon in your next videos.
The real deep lore is that Rusty writes and produces an entire franchise about sentient talking rocks. It doesn't quite get off the ground however
Bernard the Boulder and Buddies was one of THE most under appreciated pilots period. I can't believe it didn't make it past a What a Cartoon! pilot.
THIS is the lost Thomas media we need to find
I heard they just had a new reboot! All boulders roll! It’s wayyy better than big Boulder big mountains.. I really hated that reboot.
HA
While this is most definitely one of the weirdest episodes on the series, I do appreciate how the show treats it with a level of gravitas and contemplativeness you wouldn’t necessarily expect from a show like this.
Like the show could’ve easily just gone for the simple route of “wow, we almost got crushed by a boulder, isn’t that weird?!?”
Instead, it goes for a more unique angle of “our ever-expansive industrialist mindset has put us on a direct collision course with nature, and our failure to reckon with that has brought untold devastation.”
In a way, it almost calls the entire ethos of the show into question. Remember, for all of its sweeping landscape shots and intricate nature models, Thomas as a show is about industry. So much of the series, both the original books and the tv shows, are about the slow expansion of the Sodor railway and the various trains brought onto the island to help run them.
And while the steam engines themselves are constantly fighting against one form of industrialization, that being the slow overtaking of Diesel engines, the series almost never calls into question their own role in the industrialization process. They’re simply presented as a natural default. A kind of unquestionable good that must be preserved rather than, as all railway technology is, a necessary market response to the gradual shift from an agrarian economy to a more urbanized, industrialized one.
In that sense, it’s even more significant that Rusty was the one to first incur boulders wrath. As a Diesel engine, he represents the next phase in this industrial process: a new environmental threat that will continue to strip the natural resources away from the untarnished landscapes in order to promote the interests of capital.
He recognizes, at least on a subconscious level, the culpability he has in this destructive system as an active participant in it. As a result, he manifests his guilty conscious into the face of boulder: a cold, judgmental God looking disapprovingly of him from up high. He sees the sins he has committed against the natural world and, after failing to heed his warning, strikes back against him.
And for as much as it’s presented to be a serene, picturesque wonderland, Sodor cannot escape the slow march of industrial corporate interest, nor can it escape its own participation in it.
All it can do now is become more mindful of the destructive technological might they now wield and how they should use it, if at all.
Because the failure to do so will bring about not only the destruction of nature, but if themselves as well.
For just as Sir Topham Hatt said,
“We should’ve left this part of the island…alone.”
First of all, that was incredibly well-written, thanks for taking the time to leave your thoughts. I think seeing Boulder as a conscience is a very thoughtful way of looking at it, and it makes sense as it seems to appeal to Sir Topham Hatt's own. There's so much nuance in this early material that it really merits further analyzations.
I really like that Rusty can see what he done. I bet Duncan couldn't see Boulder's face
I must say this… while it is possible that boulder is representative of nature… I feel as if it’s also just as likely to be a representation of carelessness in the workplace or arrogance of more experienced workers over less experienced ones (for example it’s entirely likely that Rusty’s driver is much older than rusty is and thus is more experience:)
This comment sums up my thoughts on this episode to a tee. Extremely well said.
I love your meme edits throughout this 😂 Such an interesting and memorable episode!
It still haunts me after all these years 😂 Gotta have the memes to balance it out hahaha
@@Calebtrain as if the episodes weren’t strange enough!
One of my favorite episodes from season 5. I just find it absolutely hilarious that instead of making a brand new face for the boulder, they instead gave it Gordon’s worried face. Which I think is accurate as hell😂
It's such a bizarre choice, I think it's hilarious too lol
I'm so glad you mentioned it's Gordon's face because I literally never see anyone else mention that
I've ALWAYS seen it
0:36 Actually, they do prefer to stick to episodes based on real incidents in S5, hence the help of David Maidment as Railway Consultant.
I definitely need to do some more reading on him--thanks!
It's okay, just that for a first full non-Awdry season, some episodes do feel ripped straight from the works of Wilbert Awdry's mind and could've easily taken place within the 1970s.
@@thesudriana016The only S5 episode that had a true story I've seen has been "A better view for Gordon". Which the crash was based on a real train disaster that happened in Paris.
Not only did the episode inspire a true event, but in a dream sequence scene from the move "Hugo" show the actual event happening.
I will say, Rusty and the Bolder is a very... unique episode, not only for how intense and pretty spooky it is, especially with that bolder, but also the presentation and set work. Plus, I like to also believe this episode shows us many things that make the Island of Sodor a very... intresting and magical place, even if it is a land of make believe ✨️
Great video btw, and keep up the good work too
And good day as well!!!
Absolutely, this series in particular I think was very exploratory, it was cool seeing a different part of the island being developed. The set-work certainly was on top form!
This episode feels like an Adventure Time episode disguised as a Thomas episode with a mix of Indiana Jones given the fact it's got one weird element we all know and love. The boulder's face appears in two scenes, and we don't know why it has a face. Okay, make that two. We don't know how or why the sheds exploded in a massive fiery explosion next to Percy. The sheds just blow up from inside after Boulder crashes into them. And fun fact: This is the only time a Thomas episode used pyrotechnics to show an actual explosion onscreen (unless you're bringing up the infamous Henry blooper from "It's Good to be Gordon", we're not talking about that since it does not count).
Of course, the runaway Indiana Jones like boulder is an act of God telling the railway and Sir Topham Hatt to leave that part of the island alone. Uniquely, Season 5 just built up the runaway boulder episode in secret since they wanted to do that episode after making "Bye George" and "Duncan Gets Spooked." Two episodes that do feature that same one-off quarry. Now, that is quality and effort.
It's very true, it's a tie up of those lead-up stories! So much design went into this little show, it's always so fun to read into it.
You are right about the use of personification in this episode. This entire series is based around it. Putting a face to engines helps the audience sympathize with them when they are in danger or could be scrapped. Nature isn't personified in this series, usually, its used as a passive scenery to see or a resource to use. By personifying nature, it brings attention to the effect of industrialization on nature that it inherently changes and that industrial growth is not inherently a good thing (also none of the workers bothered to check the boulder anyways which shows how humans not caring leads to problems). Even the ending of Rusty thinking the boulder is looking up at the mountain. Also, last thing I like is how the narrow gauge engines were the ones in danger here. Makes the boulder feel more threatening to such small engines. Even we are small against such large things.
That's exactly it, taking that step further by personifying nature. Your note about the smaller engines contrasting more with Boulder, I completely agree with as well!
Guess there was a very good reason why the Unlucky Tug made "Rusty and the Boulder" the standout episode in his Series 5 Retrospective video. Also, on the imagination aspect that also played over in "Thomas and the Magic Railroad", it's kind of reminding how the late puppeteer Jim Henson played with that element during the mid-1980s beyond his fame with the Muppets, from shows like "Fraggle Rock" to movies such as "The Dark Crystal" and "Labyrinth". Very method.
It's definitely a really cool medium to explore that concept with, something about the live action capture, whether it's puppets or models, that really makes it work on another level
If I could also give the episode extra credit, is that it leaves the motives and intentions of Bolder completely ambiguous, despite what Bolder has done in the episode, it doesn't appear to be stated if Bolder is good, or evil. It's motives are a mystery, just as Bolder itself is too. I find that quite intresting, and who knows? Maybe Rusty is right, maybe there is more to Bolder than meets the... face, I guess.
Just something to think about, but it is certainly something.
Very intriguing point! Boulder isn't presented in any kind of moral light, it just does what it does. I think in a funny way, the less said about it, the more sense it makes
@@Calebtrain indeed! Certainly something to think about
Im loving this form of short commentary or retrospective videos on Thomas the movie and episodes with a funny twist great work as always
I'm glad you're enjoying these videos! I'm having a lot of fun making them!
Reminds me of Cosmic's theory that Rusty is the god of narrow-gauge diesels, which I love for the sheer audacity of it.
Definitely one of the series’ most outlandish episodes. I probably will still hate it but I kind of like the idea that things only got crazy because Rusty thinks it did.
This is such a weird episode but in glad they did it the way it did if it was explained a lot of what makes it so good would've been taken away I think. Nothing being explained makes it so much better because it makes it spookier and leaves a lot to interpretation
Absolutely agree, it's definitely better left ambiguous. I think that's why I've kept coming back to it!
@Calebtrain same here. I'm someone who loves trying to figure out why something happened in a show like this but sometimes as much as I want answers I also want it left ambiguous. That really brings my interest into it so much more because I ADORE mysterys and if it's left ambiguous that means the mystery will never end canonically which makes it spookier but also more interesting to me
Maybe the boulder has Gordon's face in Rusty's eyes because Gordon is one of the biggest standard gage engines, so to the narrow gauge engines Gordon is a giant, and when Rusty starts seeing the giant boulder as something alive, he associates it with Gordon
That's actually a really great theory!
Caleb: "Why does it have Gordon's face?"
Me: Eh, maybe Rusty has a crippling fear of Gordon 🤷♂️
I mean, we've never seen the two interact, so maybe Gordon just scared the Motor oil out of em at some point off screen 🤷♂️
The boulder was the main Thomas and the magic railroad villan
This episode scared me like no other ever could. I still urks me now. I don't understand why the boulder has a face identical to Gordon... Gordon of all characters.
The Boulder is Possessed by an old ancient Sudrian spirit.
Also, just to let you know, but not explaining things is the whole purpose of the Episode’s Rusty and the Boulder & Duncan Gets Spooked.
I think Thomas does tend to go for subtly over explanation, though usually leaves enough to let the viewer come to their own conclusions. I would say out of any story though, this one is the most ambiguous.
Honestly psychic rusty was not the hot take i was expecting today and im living for it
I think David Mitton watched Raiders of the Lost Arc and got ideas.
and I'm so grateful he did
I was a big Thomas fan as a kid, but some episodes freaked me out for reasons I don't really understand. Percy Runs Away is a standout one. Just has the weirdest off-kilter vibes (and I dont just mean the obvious part with angry-faced Gordon rushing towards Percy). I was too old for Thomas by the time Season 4 came out, but had I seen it as a kid, I think I would have felt similar about this one too
That episode had some dark undertones for absolutely no reason, I know what you mean about the vibes being off. I think this episode is at least unnerving with some intention haha
4:32 Hey that’s angry grandpa’s theme song lol
lol I didn't even know haha
@@Calebtrain check out and grandpa’s channel he was a big UA-camr but then he died December 10, 2017
I enjoyed the original film, and your comments on it too. I must admit, as a 70 year old Thomas fan, who still has his original books, I enjoyed the stories based on the Awdry tales more than some of the more recent ones - don't get me wrong, the stories are still great, but they take rather too many liberties with real railway practice, plausibility and indeed possibility to be totally acceptable. Awdry got letters from railwaymen saying that his were the only tales they could read to their children without being embarrassed over unrealistic events. Now we have Hino and US streamliners running on Sodor - Japanese track gauge is narrower than ours, and the loading gauge too small for those big Hudsons! (If you want to be over-pedantic.......)
Sometimes you just can't beat the classics. The books are the core of anything that came later. Glad to hear you're still going strong as a fan! I'm 23, so I can't imagine what it was like to grow up with the books first and then see the television adaptation. I didn't get the books until later!
Rusty and the Boulder is one of my favorite episodes.
Nice video, man!! Personally, “Rusty and the Boulder” is my favorite episode of Season 5 mainly because I’m glad that the producers were able to push their limits of using the realism of rail transportations. To me, I feel like if the show focused too much on making the show realistic, it’ll most likely be boring and not interesting for little kids.
I also appreciated you for adding the personification subject in this video, because when I think about the times when I visited junkyards that is filled with rusty old cars with my dad, I felt that they’re alive wanted to be saved.
They definitely made it very entertaining to watch! There's a tricky balance to be found with these stories.
I was the same way, I attached a lot of meaning to things like cars and old things.
The boulder has a soul...
Spooky
very spook
I like to suggest a video topic, how about discussing underrated episodes from the hit era of the series seeing as that era of the show was pretty bad in terms of writing it’d be nice to see someone shed some light on the few hidden gems from that era
The HiT era definitely has some material worth going over, thanks for the suggestion!
It was like Michael Bay directed this episode.
LOL only the ending part
I always liked the episode. But even as a kid I thought , "Well.. the boulder has already rolled to the bottom, time to go back to digging!"
I had this series on dvd. I would literally watch the dvd for this episode. I loved the explosion possibly more than a kid should. Yes there are many other amazing episodes from this series but this one was still is my guilty pleasure.
You should totally make a diesel 10 model. That would be epic seeing him with Thomas.
I'm not saying no
amazing job caleb, I wouldn't mind seeing a video on what cause the every vehicle to speak
I'd love to do a video on that, but I have absolutely no idea what caused that xD
Great video dude 😁👍 and I absolutely love this episode
It's one of my favorites :)
@@Calebtrain yes sir 🙂, keep up the amazing content dude
He's just a average diesel, with a average life. He works from 9 - 5. Hey hell he pays the price. All he wants is to be left alone, in his average shed. But why does he always feel, like he's in the twilight zone and he always feels like 1:05
Love the gogglebox edit.
Glad to see someone point it out!
Boulder did kinda scared me as a kid whenever his face would appear but most of time it was always the closeup front shots of the trucks depending on their moods that scared child me...
Some of those close-ups of the trucks were definitely scarring! 😬
@@Calebtrain I couldn't watch Pop goes the Diesel, Busy Going Backwards, Put Upon Percy, Haunted Henry, and World's Strongest Engine because of how many shots of the trucks they had included...
Theburiedtruck's story (The 13th Van) after watching it from Thebogieboy proves just how baby me couldn't handle those model faces.
The episodes have the same faces, but with different shades of gray modeling clay and eye directions.
a very fun video mate :D really enjoy these little discussion/analysis videos
I've got a suggestion on why the trucks are as troublesome as they are :) can give a hand if ya like
Really happy you're enjoying these! That's a fun idea, I'd love to hear more about your thoughts on that :D
The Boulder really tried to bury them in a rock a lanch.
He’s a Rolling Stone
@@Calebtrain better be careful or Another One’ll Bite The Dust.
I am actually pissed that they blocked the episodes from the show on UA-cam
it’s unfortunate :/
1:40
I Always Thought It Looked Similar To Gordons Face As A Kid
I don't think that the boulder is alive. But I do think something is "wrong" with the boulder. In your video, you didn't mention a certain part of the chase when rusty dips into a siting to wait for the boulder to pass, only for the boulder to seemingly vanish all together until it somehow gets behind rusty despite being ahead of him just seconds before. Your analysis is excellent, but I thought it be good to bring up that suspicious moment.
I really should have looked at that, completely forgot! You’re right, it is a very odd occurrence. There’s no rational way to explain how it moves like that.
I always thought it was a melted ball of scrap from a horrific passenger train crash which was so bad that the wreck brought hauntings with it wherever it went. So to prevent this scrap from being reused and causing trouble for others sir topham hat turned it into a boulder. The face is the face of the engine from the crash.
that is certainly a theory, though I don't know how easy it is to turn melted scrap to stone
@@Calebtrain cover it in concrete
that bloody rock is my childhood nightmare demon i swear to god why did it have to have a face
they had absolutely no reason to do that
one thing i did notice, did it only or most of the time have a face when rusty was nearby? if so maybe it was just us looking through the eyes of a scared rusty imagining it having a face
@@Nightmare_52 100%! It’s never shown with a face around anyone else!
Our little diesel has quite the imagination then
Thomas’s true answer to personification
it's the core of the show!
I hope it's a reference to the sea monster episode of Patlabor.
4:19 I knew that was coming 😂
1:26 this part was my favorite🤣 and im sorry if it sounds a bit weird also i enjoyed the video
In some fan videos, they say that Boulder was brought to life by an ancient native tribe.
I can't say I've heard that, but that's a very interesting theory!
So like the Celtics then?
4:42 eh, i don't think so, i mean even if there was a railway and no quarry or other industries the rock would fall anyway wouldn't it?
Every time I see Boulder, it always looks like a Scotch egg
What I don’t understand is after all that destruction Boulder why didn’t they just destroy him by breaking him up or something? Because that was such a HUGE mistake by Sir Topham Hatt to close the quarry considering Boulder essentially got rewarded for what he did not to mention the loss in business by closing it down.
Because obviously, Sir Topham Hatt feels guilt for disturbing the natural landscape to build a quarry. Breaking the boulder wouldn't do anything
OK but...why is it a perfect sphere?
Because it makes it easier for it to roll along the track.......
John Davies here is right, but it still is worth acknowledging how unnatural that is lol
Why didn’t you get into the strange mountainous sets that don’t belong on the Skarloey railway? Could they have been planning the culdee fell railway?
Great job!
Thanks!
1:18 Found him
here is your cookie 🍪 you were first!
@@Calebtrain I shall cherish this cookie for always until it is time to eat it before getting stale. Thank you
In regards to your explanation to personification to the engines do you think that's why a lot of people also ship certain engines with others, like say for example Thomas and Emily? I'm also kinda asking this cuz we've seen sentient machines have relationships in other shows, Silverbolt and Blackarachnia come to the forefront due to growing up with Beast Wars
I mean even Wall-E does it--I can't speak to those other shows, but I think in Wall-E's case it's designed with the love element in mind. In regards to Thomas, I'm not sure it ever crossed Awdry's mind, haha. But I do think that when you view these characters as more people than machines, then you'll be more likely to apply human similarities, including romance.
@@Calebtrain gotcha
Rusty/He just runs away from the boulder,
Thomas look out, James is coming down the li- oo o oh oh no. thomas isn’t going to the sheds tonight.
uh oh
@@Calebtrain yeah, uh oh
I don't like when people refer to dictionaries to pin down what the "definition" of a general word is. Dictionaries are a description of language, not an authority on it. Such definitions are themselves a lie, because that is not how language works. They can help you get an idea of what a word means, but it does not limit what it can or may mean in a conversation. Good video, just something that has started to rub me the wrong way over the years.
And I thought Rosie Is Red was an odd episode. NGL😆
you aren't wrong tbf
@@Calebtrain Yeah, but I thought it was cute too.
but the same thing happends with duncan get spooked where we dont know that the ghost engine is real or not
I suppose that's true, though what Duncan encounters is just a trick and some fireflies. In this episode, Rusty directly confronts something not explained.
This episode scared me as a kid
I don't doubt that. It's my favorite
@@armorpro573 althought it kinda barley feels like a thomas episode
@@chavopatyfanstudios2005 Eh still better than the CGI seasons
@@armorpro573 what about brenner era
@@chavopatyfanstudios2005 Some episodes, yes. Other episodes, not so much
So I’m not the only one who thinks the boulder’s face looks like Gordon’s
absolutely not
I had nightmares about that boulder chasing me down as a kid I had to sleep with my toy Thomas at night then I wondered if the boulder was a real boulder as if the boulder was actually real and not in a show but now that I'm older the episode doesn't really match up with trains with talking faces just like the talking tumble weed was this episode even proven cannon?
I mean, the episode is largely ambiguous. It's up to the audience to decide whether the boulder is really alive or not
Nice theory
What? thumper died? 4:04
The only thing scary about this episode was Rusty’s large ass face
Eh
Here’s my suggestion to you could you explain how the whole Thomas franchise went downhill from the models, CGI, and that dreaded baby cartoon in your next videos.
That's a lot to cover, but I definitely think it'd be cool to do a broader scope look at the series
3:30
💥
Doesn't the boulder remind you of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson? as a kid I always wondered if Rusty was insane or if the boulder actually had a face
Was the boulder episode even supposed to be cannon? or just a silly episode that was released
I think it's technically canon, it closes Topham's expansion he starts in other episodes.
@@Calebtrain maybe its just a mystery waiting to be solved
You must watch the fan movie made by trainmodeller (railspin spliface
I have seen it! Very cool how it ties S5 together
I lyke boolder.
he rocks
@@Calebtrain Lots of people take him for granite.
WHY ARE YOU RUNNING
*WHY* ARE YOU RUNNING
Do a video about overrated thomas stuff
What do you think is overrated?
Boulder’s prop was a modified basketball
@@Calebtrain some thomas toys & characters
Chinese