Swashbuckler | |
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"I prefer some peace and quiet, it just seems like I'm constantly thrust into perilous circumstances when it's the least desirable option." | |
Some attributes
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Date Aired | April 1, 2014 (first trailer) June 3, 2014 (second trailer) July 17, 2014 (full movie) |
Previous Episode | All the World's a Stage |
Next Episode | Dead End
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Swashbuckler is the twenty-fifth episode of the second season.
Plot[]
The Thin Controller, Miss Jenny Packard, The Small Controller, Carlo Debris, Walter Richards, Walter Sliggs, and Sir Frederick Aura have all received an invitation from The Fat Controller himself. It is written very vaguely, yet grandly, about some exciting developments in store with a time and place to be determined. The Thin Controller, once he has finished reading the invite, is intrigued. These exciting words remind him of a day 5 years in the past, where his swashbuckling adventures began.
At an abandoned D. Fusit Warehouse close to Arlesburgh (presumably a relic of the Mid Sodor Line), a motorcycle is seen bolting past the scene. The hooded driver cannot stop in time and skips into the roof of the ware house and falls into the chasm. The Thin Controller promptly arrives on Madge. He mentions that they had been in pursuit of the shrouded thief, and apparently he had stolen important maps from his office and bolted off. Determined to track him down, the Thin Controller departs to the chasm, but slips, and falls head over heels into trouble!
After a not so soft landing, the Thin Controller sees the run-down warehouse, unaware that he is being watched by his new found adversary. He calls out to him, asking him to show himself. The thief leaps from his hiding place and draws a sword. The Thin Controller, realizing he has no way of defending himself, tries to reason with his assailant. The figure backs down suddenly, when out of the blue, Proteus materializes behind the Thin Controller, and spookily opens a chest with a sword nestled within in, and it rolls in front of the Thin Controller. The figure is aware of how the sword presented itself, but the Thin Controller believes it to be nothing but serendipity, and uses it to defend himself.
The two men begin to spar, but they are evenly matched. The Thin Controller, exasperated, calls out wondering if the man is actually trying to kill him, shoves him down a staircase, knocking over an oil drum and causing a small explosion. The fire forges a schism between the two, and the Thin Controller cannot pursue the figure past the flames. The maps have been lost, but he gazes at the sword that had appeared before him, and ponders its significance.
Later, after Madge takes the battered Controller to the Skarloey Railway Sheds, he describes his adventure in the company of Vegard, Weaver, Rick Shay, Gregory Larson, Skarloey, Rheneas, Sir Handel, Bertram, and Duke. Sword in hand, he cannot describe what has come over him, but makes everyone promise to keep this new hobby of daring swordplay a secret, despite Bertram's grand enthusiasm and Sir Handel's attempt at blackmailing him. The engines all agree, and Sir Handel is sentenced to quarry detail for the rest of the week!
At Wellsworth Hospital, the scene returns to the present day. The doctor tells the Thin Controller that his leg is healing but not enough for him to drive. As the Thin Controller leaves, he passes some people looking for General Zen. They are told, however, that the General was not in the hospital.
Meanwhile, the Thin Controller finds Roxanne, who is still annoyed with him about his adventures. However, the Thin Controller manages to win her over by telling her how much he loves her, using the narrow gauge engines as examples. She is amused by this, but wonders why Duncan was left out of the profession of love. The Thin Controller scoffs, reminding her that Duncan has done a fair share of damage to the railway, causing a cannon fodder-related calamity, destroying the Sodor Shakespeare Company's Outdoor Theatre, and apparently pushing a line of trucks off a cliff. Roxanne reminds the Thin Controller that although Duncan makes mistakes, he means well in the end, meaning that he and the Thin Controller have more in common than he admits. The Thin Controller is reluctant to agree with this notion, but does not detest when Roxanne reminds him that Rick, Weaver, and Vegard got the punishment they deserved. They depart for Arlesdale.
At the Wharf, Skarloey, Rheneas, Sir Handel, Peter Sam, and Duncan huddle together as the area around them is busy. Sir Handel is still persisting that he really saw the ghost during the railway's production of Hamlet, and the other engines have just started to listen to him. Skarloey reminds the other engines of the story of Proteus, and says that there were two parts to the story. All of the engines begin to listen, especially a curious Peter Sam and Duncan, to the tale that Rheneas and Skarloey remember from the old days.
Setting the stage, Skarloey and Rheneas reveal that Sir Handel and Peter Sam were not the first engines to help them on their line. In 1924, a yellow engine by the name of Proteus arrives on a flatbed. Skarloey notices an odd lamp on the engine's funnel, questioning whether it ever worked. He disregards his concerns, however, as Proteus proves to eager and courteous, and works in the Quarry all day. By the time night fell, his lamp would not light properly, and the journey home proved to be very difficult. In the dense fog, Proteus and his crew fell to their deaths on the Old Iron Bridge due to a twist in the line and no guard rails. The shocking realization: Proteus is the engine that fell from the Old Iron Bridge in the story Rusty told Duncan and Peter Sam long ago.
All of the engines are amazed by this. Sir Handel realizes that Proteus is the ghost back-stage, while Duncan is cross that Skarloey hid the fact that he knew the identity of the ghost from "Just Another Wild Goose Chase." Peter Sam urges Skarloey that the Thin Controller has to know, but Rheneas and Skarloey are hesitant. Skarloey decides that they need more proof before the Thin Controller can become involved, and that some evidence, like Proteus' lamp, is essential to getting point across.
As it turns out, Proteus' lamp had been found a few years ago by none other than Mike the Small Railway Engine during a search party, and is currently on the Small Controller's desk in his office. The Small Controller thanks the Thin Controller for the ride to the meeting, and the subject soon shifts to the Small Controller's dating life. Mike and Frank are eager to chime in, but are quickly hushed. The Thin Controller notices the odd headlamp, but the Small Controller explains the origins, and the Thin Controller thinks little of it, feeling the need to provide a background schtick on Carlo Debris, who is hosting the meeting. After they exit the offive, Roxanne, Madge, and the Controller's depart for the Lumberyard.
Just as they leave, Oliver and Toad pull into the Ballast Yard, wondering what the Controllers have planned for the future. Duck overhears, and extinguishes Oliver's hopes that whatever they were discussing had something to do with the Little Western Extension project. Oliver, discouraged, is still hopeful.
Eventually, the Controllers, Roxanne, and Madge arrive at the Sodor Logging Company via Last Haven, the main terminus of Carlo Debris' massive lumber operation. As the men enter the large and intimidating warehouse, Roxanne offers to wait outside until the men are through.
The meeting begins! Seated around a large table, The Fat Controller himself, along with Mr. Walter Richards, Mr. Walter Sliggs, Carlo Debris, Dex, Winslow, and Miss Jenny Packard, welcome the Thin and Small Controllers. As introductions are made, Carlo Debris makes sketchy and ambiguous comments about his lumberjack workforce secretly plotting to rise against him. Miss Jenny finds this very alarming, but things are interrupted when Carlo commands his bodyguards into action. Dex and Winslow point their rifles at Miss Jenny, but have no real intention of hurting anyone, and Winslow even has forgotten to load his gun! Dex thinks his gun is empty as well, and to prove it, fires his rifle at the ceiling, only to find out that it was loaded after all! Everyone is very unnerved and wants the meeting to commence, but just before it begins, Sir Frederick Aura has decided to attend the meeting as well, brining an aura of menace with him as he stands at the table besides Sliggs. The actual agenda of the meeting finally commences shortly thereafter, with the Fat Controller announcing, (through a concerning flashback that relays how much trouble this whole project has been for the railway and the safety of those who took part in it) that a special resort line has been completed, with a tourist terminus known as "Hotel de la Profecia Auto-cumplida." The Fat Controller is excited about his news, and tells the group that the invitation will be arriving shortly.
Silence follows. Although the Small Controller is excited, the rest of the group is very vocal about how self-serving this whole meeting was, with Aura calling the event "an invitation to an invitation." The Thin Controller asks if Miss Jenny had any idea of what was going on, and she claims to have known, although admitting the whole delivery was a bit too extravagant. Carlo describes the event as an "idiotic waste of time", as well as "time that would be better spent improving his employee relations." And he's right. Honestly, he's about to get murdered.
Smash! Kurt the Jungle Cutter smashes through the warehouse wall, and angry, armed lumberjacks reveal themselves from every nook and cranny. It becomes apparent that Carlo's mutterings from earlier are spot-on indeed, as the lumberjacks, led by Moxie Balderdash, are very displeased with their employer and some wish to take his life. This startles the entire conference group, especially as Carlo, Dex, and Winslow casually arm themselves and take the whole development rather nonchalantly, as if it happens very often. It becomes clear that Moxie is determined to show Carlo that shooting someone in the foot is a very innapropriate thing to do to an employee, and will seek revenge on him even if she is still in love with him. To add to the confusion, Kurt's driver arrives on Brammo to discern how Kurt got involved in the whole uprising. Kurt, although clearly not opposed, insists the whole uprising "was not his idea." Clearly, even the lumberjacks themselves are divided on the situation, and a massive brawl erupts in Last Haven.
Gunfire and fistfights control the scene, and Walter Richards flees the scene after smashing a champagne bottle over a lumberjack's head. Walter Sliggs, in an attempt to overpower the brawlers, slams his tennis racket over another's head, but is swiftly out-matched. He tries to use smart-talk to reach friendly terms with the disgruntled lumberjacks, but realizes he is prodigiously outnumbered. He flees cowardly.
The Thin Controller tries to make a break for it, as he is still injured, but everyone else is still pinned down. The Fat Controller demands an exclamation from Carlo, but Carlo is much too busy trying to mow down his own workforce with a pistol and a Sub-machine gun that was concealed on his person to really provide an accurate assessment of what triggered the event. Meanwhile, an angry lumberjack holds the Small Controller at swordpoint. The Small Controller, terrified, cries for help, and is rescued by Miss Jenny, who promptly beats several rowdy lumberjacks to a pulp, which leaves him to call her "enchanting."
As the chaos continues, the Thin Controller runs up to the central catwalk where Aura is demonstrating his skills in hand to hand combat, crobar wielding, and injuring everyone in the immediate area just as Moxie shoots a crate of fireworks marked "Property of Mr. R.S." After the fireworks explode inside the warehouse and everyone "oohs and aahs", Sir Frederick Aura throws a flagpole to the Thin Controlller, saying "I know what you can do with it." The Thin Controller is confused, but realizes that there are several lumberjacks charging at him! He uses his weapon to knock them clear off the catwalk. The two cover each other's backs as they fight off the insurgence of disgruntled lumberjacks.
Unbeknownst to the brawlers, a random lumberjack has gotten a hold of a bazooka and fires it into the central furnace of the warehouse, moronically assuming that this act will calm things down. The explosion is so large it is seen from outside the warehouse, to the dismay of Roxanne and Madge. Determined to intervene and save her husband, Roxanne boards Madge and floors it straight into the now blazing warehouse, as the few sane lumberjacks make their escape. The Thin Controller boards quickly, but is amazed at his wife's quick-thinking, (and borderline adventurous!) actions.
As Madge leaves the scene and the fire begins to spread, Moxie shouts at Carlo that the whole reason she orchestrated this entire uprising in the first place is because she loves him despite how poorly he treats everyone around him. Carlo ponders, tosses his automatic weapon onto a nearby peon, and professes that despite how much he loathes her and cannot stand the sight of her, without Moxie his life would be incredibly empty. To the utter confusion of everyone present. Moxie orders everyone to stand down and the two embrace and their lips "co-exist in an excessively ammorous fashion." Everyone around is disgusted, and the Small Controller, abashed, remarks that "love is so weird."
Outside Last Haven's warehouse, as Belle, Flynn, and the fire brigade draws near, Roxanne berates the Thin Controller for unwittingly getting caught up in another dangerous adventure. He begins to become quiet, and she wonders what is wrong, and he admits that he is still not completely sure if he had handled the issue of Rick, Weaver, and Vegard well the previous summer. It is revealed that the Thin Controller was the smartly dressed gentleman who inquired about the bail in the first place, and that he visited Rick, Weaver, and Vegard in the Vicarstown Jail shortly after the "Blunderbuss" incident at Crovan's Gate Works. Although the three are confident that the Thin Controller had arrived to bail them out, they begin to suspect that he only arrived to tell them that they would serve their punishment for the dangers they brought upon the railway.
Vegard then produces a wild conspiracy theory about the gunpowder warehouses, and how a dark force deliberately placed them there so the Thin Controller would find them, extract them, and then unwittingly set the kindling for the rather catastrophic "Munitions incident." He then goes as far as to deduce that the stolen maps were used to track the old locations and make it impossible for the Thin Controller to keep track of where they would turn up. When the Thin Controller asks where Vegard is coming with all these conclusions, Vegard replies that he "has a hunch" and that his hunches are "never, ever, wrong." Fed up with appears to fabricated nonsense, the Thin Controller is convinced that the three must serve their sentence, and that he will not be fed rubbish that will put them all in even more unnecessary danger. He leaves without paying their bail.
As time passes, however, the Thin Controller has had second thoughts about his decision. Due to the fact that he feels conflicted, he is unable to determine whether he should embark on the adventure to discover if Vegard's claims are true. Roxanne assures him that Vegard's heart is in the right place and is trying to protect the Thin Controller, but he should not take his warning too seriously. The two embrace once more, but the Thin Controller wonders if simply avoiding the life of adventure has anything to do with the life of adventure avoiding him. The couple seems to have been uaware of the fire brigade has arrived, and the fire spreads. The survivors from the unexpected calamity rush outside as helicopters hover overhead and Flynn and Belle do their best do douse the flames.
Back at the wharf, Skarloey and Rheneas recount their recent discoveries. In addition to the mystery of Proteus slowly being unraveled, they realize that Sir Robert Norramby's "old map recently brought into his possession" that was crucial to uncovering King Orry's lost sword may have been one of the stolen maps. Since the Earl was abroad in 2009 preparing for the restoration of Ulfstead Castle, they realize that whoever the Earl got the map from was probably the person who stole it. Rheneas, quite shaken from all of the connections, insists that he and Skarloey keep the other engines in the loop more often, and that they should not leave them in the dark. Skarloey agress, and says morale has been a bit lower on the railway, but admits that is actually everyone except...
At the Blue Mountain Quarry, Bertram is parading around performing spoken poetry rendition of "Working Together" with Ivo Hugh, Alfie and Byron to the dismay of Foreman Okamoto and Scott. As the revelry commences, Max and Monty roll in and wonder what the heck is going on. Bertram is happy to explain, but everyone is embarrassed. Ivo Hugh is not ashamed to admit that he really enjoyed it!
The credits roll.
In a post-credit scene, Sir Frederick Aura has put on overalls and is reparing the infamous "grabber." 'Arry and Bert arrive with some machine parts and he orders them to go to the second level. As they leave, Walter Richards appears. Aura informs him of a "loose end" that is "far past it's expiration date." In a flashback, it is revealed that Sir Frederick Aura was the shrouded figure that stole the maps and attacked the Thin Controller in the D Fusit warehouse. As Aura vows to destroy his enemies and have them "cease to see the light of day" Proteus' lamp begins to glow in the Small Controller's office.
Characters[]
- Duck
- Oliver
- 'Arry and Bert
- Den
- Dart
- Skarloey
- Rheneas
- Sir Handel
- Peter Sam
- Duncan
- Duke
- Ivo Hugh
- Bertram
- Proteus
- The Scrap Engine
- Mike
- Frank
- Toad
- Harold
- Alfie
- Max and Monty
- Byron
- Madge
- Kurt
- The Fat Controller
- The Thin Controller
- The Small Controller
- Walter Richards
- Jenny Packard
- Carlo Debris
- Dex and Winslow
- Walter Sliggs
- Roxanne Sam
- Sir Frederick Aura
- Dex and Winslow
- Sir Robert Norramby
- Scott Wallis
- Foreman Okamoto
- Vegard
- Weaver
- Rick Shay
- The Doctor
- Moxie Balderdash
- Lumberjacks
- Mighty Mac (does not speak)
- Fearless Freddie (does not speak)
- Luke (does not speak)
- Millie (does not speak)
- Rusty (does not speak)
- Gregory Larson (does not speak)
- Edward (cameo)
- James (cameo)
- Donald and Douglas (cameo)
- Bill and Ben (cameo)
- The Flying Scotsman (cameo)
- Emily (cameo)
- Fergus (cameo)
- Arthur (cameo)
- Murdoch (cameo)
- Molly (cameo)
- Neville (cameo)
- Stanley (cameo)
- Hank (cameo)
- Hiro (cameo)
- Belle (cameo)
- Stephen (cameo)
- Caitlin (cameo)
- Marion (cameo)
- Young Tucker (cameo)
- Diesel (cameo)
- BoCo (cameo)
- D261 (cameo)
- D199 (cameo)
- Derek (cameo)
- Diesel 10 (cameo)
- Splatter and Dodge (cameo)
- Dennis (cameo)
- Sidney (cameo)
- Paxton (cameo)
- Norman (cameo)
- Flynn (cameo)
- Stafford (cameo)
- Doc (cameo)
- Culdee (cameo)
- Old Slow Coach (cameo)
- Rocky (cameo)
- Hector (cameo)
- Catherine (cameo)
- Terence (cameo)
- Bertie (cameo)
- George (cameo)
- Butch (cameo)
- Elizabeth (cameo)
- Nelson (cameo)
- Jack (cameo)
- Kelly (cameo)
- Isobella (cameo)
- Patrick (cameo)
- Buster (cameo)
- Colin (cameo)
- Captain (cameo)
- Greg and Lars (cameo)
- Brammo (cameo)
- The Ballast Hopper (cameo)
- Ricky Mason (cameo)
- Rosamund Hatchet (cameo)
- Paul the Mechanic (cameo)
- Lola Lovefray (cameo)
- The Shepherd (cameo)
- Avon Sharp (cameo)
- Thomas (flashback cameo)
- Gordon (flashback cameo)
- Percy (flashback cameo)
- Stepney (flashback cameo)
- Mr. Hugh (mentioned)
- General Zen (mentioned)
- The Thin Controller's Children (mentioned)
Trivia[]
- This episode's promo is titled "The Stolen Maps."
- The part about The Thin Controller addressing his engines about his fencing, as shown in the episode promo, took place two years prior to the Double Whammy incident in 2009.
- Bertram's "spoken-word poetry" comprises of lyrics from "Working Together". Max and Monty make a reference to this, the latter mentioning that he's "sure [he's] heard it somewhere before".
- The legend about Proteus' magic lamp originated in the Thomas episode "The Magic Lamp". The story of an engine falling off the Old Iron Bridge and becoming a ghost originally appeared in "Duncan Gets Spooked", but the idea of Proteus being this engine is not from the original story.
- Skarloey also references the time Sir Handel and Peter Sam arrived on the railway in "A Bad Day for Sir Handel".
- This is the first episode that includes credits at the end, as well as a post credit scene, foreshadowing future events.
- References and flashbacks to Season 1 Episodes "Lift Bridge," "Stepney Makes an Entrance," "Search Party," "Double Whammy," "Scruff's Scaffolding" and "Cannon Fodder" are made, as well as "Just Another Wild Goose Chase," "Munitions," "Blunderbuss," "Luke and Millie's Blue Mountain Adventure," "Aura of Menace, "Henry and Kurt" and "All the World's a Stage" of Season 2.
- This episode marks the first appearances, albeit cameos, of Marion, Colin, Belle, Flynn, Captain, Hector, and Lola Lovefray. It is also The Scrap Engine's first appearance and speaking role, as well as Walter Richards' first speaking role.
- This episode was uploaded as four parts as well as one whole episode lasting 47 minutes long. Each part was given a name: Part 1 was "The Invitation", Part 2 was "The Story of Proteus", Part 3 was "The Battle of Last Haven", and Part 4 was "The Stage is Set".
- The Ballast Hopper gains a face in this episode. Due to its new status as a character, it is the first character to be shown smoking.
- It is mentioned that General Zen went missing from the hospital without a trace, seemingly after Sir Frederick Aura appeared in his hospital room at the end of "Munitions".
Goofs[]
- An insect walks across Bertram's face during his first closeup.