(Be warned: UK users may not be able to watch this episode on YT. If that's true, you can hopefully check it through this Daily Motion page.)

Unlike last year, Series 18 began much later. Kevin's Cranky Friend debuted Series 17 in June 2013, while Old Reliable Edward opened the UK's Thomas season earlier today. And what a better way to start than with Edward's first episode as the central character since Series 16's Salty Surprise. Head Writer Andrew Brenner reintroduces him with a refreshing twist of great backbone with the need to teach Gordon a much needed lesson.

Strengths:

1. During the later years of the model and Series 13-16 of the CGI Era, Edward was relegated to the concept of "being old = being weak." The wise engine who took no shit from anybody was flanderized into a very weak, useless character. Fans of Edward remember him as a warrior who triumphed all the troubles to get his job done like Old Iron and Edward's Exploit.
    
   Here, his old character returns. Although kind and very useful, he took pride in not only his job on his branch line (between Wellsworth and Brendam Docks), but his capability of being a very reliable back engine, too. The dialogue he speaks is extremely natural and very in character of Edward from the first six series of the show and The Railway Series.
    
   On top of that, he also displays a bit of sass, especially when Gordon got embarrassed at Tidmouth Sheds and later stuck on his hill thanks to Thomas's trick. No way did he allow Gordon to get away with his boastfulness.
   
2. Speaking of Gordon, the consequences he suffered were very deserving. After teasing Edward for his age and poor performance record for such time, the mixed-traffic engine was becoming pretty impatient. The express engine loves to boast about and prove how strong and reliable he is, but when he can't get up the steep hill, it bites him on the tender, as it should. Gordon's arrogance went into his head, and this episode knocks him down a peg or two.
   
3. There are two really small, yet fantastic mentions here:
    
   a. Use of train vocabulary. The revival of the term "mixed-traffic engine" (from James Learns a Lesson/James and the Coaches) is one of them. The other occurs at Wellsworth as the stationmaster flagged him:
    

   
   Stationmaster: Gordon is stuck on his hill! He needs a banker engine to give him a push.

   "Banker engines" ("bankers," for short) are engines designed to assist other trains up inclines or banks. If I recall correctly, this is the first time the proper term is used on this show. By utilizing it, you expand the vocabulary and inform both kids and their guardians of the proper jargon. As Series 17 and 18 are very reliant on using the terms correctly, this is a big plus. Here's a Wikipedia article describing bankers.
    
   And to deviate a bit, allowing the stationmaster dictate Gordon's troubles is a great way to progress the story for two reasons. The audience is reminded by how much the humans are a part of the island minus The Fat Controller. It makes the start of the conflict organic.
    
   b. There are very important continuity nods:
    
   From the very beginning of ORE:

   
   Edward: But I haven't broken down in ages.

   Edward doesn't need to go to the works all the time and is more independent and reliable than Gordon's repetitive allusions.
    
   And after the stationmaster told Edward he's stuck on the hill:

   
   Edward: *sigh* Not again.

   Edward & Gordon/Edward Helps Out and Edward the Very Useful Engine.
   
4. One of Series 17's biggest problems is the animation's very glaring mistakes, mainly in the junction points. Here, it's much more refined. When Thomas pulled onto Gordon's track, the points were correctly animated.
    
   Nighttime is where the animation really improved. Not only does it look like nighttime, but the lighting from within the shed illuminated very nicely with the sharp contrast of light and dark. King of the Railway and Series 17 helped really shape the luminosity at Tidmouth, but this season made it look more natural and — dare I say? — better.
    
   Speaking of the animation, two crucial components to making it a better viewing experience are the facial expressions and camera angles.
    
   Some of their faces really demonstrate the cheekiness, angst, annoyances, urgency, and despair. How?
    
   a. When Thomas suggested to teach Gordon a lesson to Edward, his sly grin widened, and his eyelids shut halfway. That night, Thomas winked at Edward just before the scene transitioned to early next morning.
    
   b. Edward's eyes and eyebrows changed sizes here and there to drip the obvious "I told you so!" sarcasm after Gordon keeps getting stuck on his hill.
    
   c. As Gordon nearly caught up with Thomas, he really smirked. When he couldn't roll up again, he became very desperate with his "NOOOO!" and subtle apology to Edward.
    
   The camera angles make the whole episode extremely engaging. When the red trousers waved near the main line, the camera created the illusion that it truly was a flag. Then when he stopped, you saw the pants fly directly towards him before it switched again. Then when Gordon crawled up the hill, the camera swayed to act like he was looking from side to side impatiently. These little things show the audience how much Arc and the writers at HiT are teaming up to take what could be a decent or good episode and make it look better than what it should be.
   
5. Kudos to Arc and Brenner for allowing Gordon to pull more than four coaches. By pulling six, Gordon's dilemma is more reasonable: Despite being strong, express coaches are still very heavy.
   
6. The best part, however, is the dialogue. It's extremely tight here, and the narrator isn't overly relied on. When Moraghan speaks, it's only when needed, like filling in dead space to not slow down the pace or to emphasize the comedy. (With the way the trousers landed on his mouth, Moraghan was obviously having fun with the story, and the charm in his accent creates speculation that he was trying hard not to laugh.)
    
   Gordon, Edward, Thomas, Annie, and Clarabel have some really great lines that don't feel contrived, stifled, or out of character. The voice actors for all five molded the characters, and their organic lines were very alive and energetic. Whatever they said, it felt exactly like them.
    
   That strength came to play at the sheds. From 4:20 to about 5:14, the narrator was silent, giving Brenner the ability to let the characters direct the scene and subsequent climax.
    
   Some of my favorites overall are:
    

   
   Edward: Gordon claims to be fast and…reliable…but he still needed my help to get over the hill.
    
   Gordon: I didn't really need your help, Edward. You just happened to be there…that's all. I'm very reliable and exceedingly fast.
    
   Thomas (cheekily): Is that so? Ha! I'd like to see you go faster than me!

   
   Gordon: *whistle blares* Pull onto the other track, Thomas! Express coming through!
    
   Thomas: Oh, no. That's not what we agreed, Gordon. You said you'd follow me across the island.
    
   Gordon: Follow you? But…but…oh. Can't you go any faster?

   
   Gordon: Noooooo! I am stuck again!
    
   Thomas (cheekily): *laugh* It looks like I'm going faster than you, after all! *laugh*

7. You may not spot the moral, and you're right. There is very little emphasis of it. If there's one, it's either "Just because you say one thing doesn't make it true" or "Be more appreciative for letting others help you." By not shoving the moral in everyone's faces, you let the script roll and not rely on it as a backbone.
    
   Lastly, Edward response to Gordon's apology was the perfect place to conclude ORE, for the episode made its point and didn't need to overextend it.
   

Weaknesses:

1. The climax is contrived. Just before Gordon races after Thomas, he suddenly switches onto Gordon's line. Switching of tracks is actually quite dangerous because if you go too fast, you risk derailing the train. It's even worse because Gordon is puffing very quickly down the main line. Like what Christopher Bouchard from the Sodor Island Forums said in his short comment about the episode, if Gordon didn't immediatlye act, then he would've rammed into Clarabel, destroying her and killing a lot of innocent passengers. What Thomas, Annie, Clarabel, their crew, and the signalman did was actually quite dangerous. You don't need to put your passengers in danger just to teach Gordon a lesson.
    
   Even if it didn't, Thomas's willful slug down the main line risks delaying the other trains that are bound to leave. If one train is delayed, so are the others. There's no need to cause confusion and delay.
    
   Now, did Gordon learn his lesson? From how embarrassed he was in front of Thomas and Edward, he definitely did. But thanks to an obvious plot convenience, the lesson he learned and overall moral are undercut.
    
   If you want to do a better approach, have Gordon pass Thomas. But as he approached Gordon's Hill, he sees what looked like a flag. But because it was sort of close to the track, it isn't waving that hard, and he stopped only to see the red trousers, he keeps going. But when he realizes it is a flag, he applies the brakes just before he crosses it. It turned out to be a yellow flag instead. Unfortunately, he can't motor himself up the hill because the six heavy coaches haul him back. Thomas slowly passes him, and Gordon gets embarrassed again. Edward and Gordon would do that same exchange to end the episode. It's a bit anticlimactic, but it's more natural.
   
2. This episode parallels Edward the Very Useful Engine and Edward Helps Out very closely, only twice as long. Can you use the same plot from twelve years ago? Since this season is trying to invite new kids into the fandom, perhaps. And that plot has been very successful. But by using the same structure very closely, you risk ripping off those two episodes and making ORE feel like a retread. Those little wiggles to differentiate ORE from them aren't quite enough, especially since Gordon apologized to Edward in EtVUE. You need way more variety than that.
   
3. Because Gordon is so boastful, ORE risks making him appear unlikable. One great way to create fans of the character is to make him or her likable. Gordon is very in character, and he learned his lesson the hard way. However, arrogance is a major turnoff to many people, and making him too in over his dome creates the gimmick of the lovable and boastful express engine into an antagonist, thus turning fans against him.
    
   In ORE, his arrogance is balanced by his pride, embarrassment, and the overall consequences he suffered (all without The Fat Controller scolding him). Personally, I'd like to see that arrogance scaled back just a tiny bit so he doesn't risk becoming flanderized.
   
4. Edward's sass risks making him minutely out of character someday. He may be wise and kind, but also very firm. His self-deprecation and dry sarcasm are justified thanks to Gordon's constant mocking, but there's a risk of overdoing it in the future. While he doesn't cross the line here, it may not be overly welcoming to others. Edward is many things, but he's not an elder mishmash of Thomas and James.
   
5. Read this once more:
    

   
   Gordon: *whistle blares* Pull onto the other track, Thomas! Express coming through!

   This line implies that Thomas and every other engine can independently switch from one line to another even though he obviously can't. Remember, the driver (and fireman, if steam) is responsible for running the engine, and the signalman alters the points. It may be a bit picky of me here, but because railway realism is emphasized lately, it's be daft to not call it out.
   
6. In the beginning, Gordon chuffs up Gordon's Hill (to Vicarstown) on the right side, similar to how trains operate in America. The Island of Sodor is located near the mainland of the UK, so Gordon would run up the hill on the left instead. Again, a bit picky, but I like to see British railway representation to be more accurate.
   

The United Kingdom kept their episodes somewhat of a secret by not having them air as early as last season. Sure, America received an early taste of what was to come via the Walmart DVD, but there were twenty-one other episodes coming up and Tale of the Brave (Australia and the UK recently aired them in select theaters, and it's supposed to be on sale in early September). Andrew Brenner took the pen for Old Reliable Edward and reintroduced him in a way that was in character and believable of him, Thomas, and Gordon. For the first S18 episode in the UK, it's off to a really nice start with some important railway jargon, a very important lesson for Gordon, and a VERY obvious contrivance. Overall, a good episode.