Character Discussion: Emily

Here we can discuss the only female member of the Steam Team: Emily. You can explain why you like her, or if you're one of those people out there, why you dislike her. And maybe just describe any of her best and/or worst moments since being in the show.

Since I just started this this topic, I might as well tell you all why I like her, and why I even used to briefly hate her:

Well, I like her for being a goody-good two shoes like Edward. Being a very sweet, kind, and helpful girl (which is what I like in one ). When she first arrived in Season 7, I instantly grew to love her as a result of that. Especially when she saved Oliver from having a nasty collision with Thomas.

She remained like that for the rest of Season 7 (with *What's the Matter with Henry* being the big crowner). When Emily was chosen to be a part of the Steam Team for Season 8, I was actually very happy for her... However, that didn't last for long. Because starting with Season 8, she underwent a complete personality change, which was one of the changes HiT Entertainment made that I did NOT like at all.

What was it? Easy. She became a bossy, impatient, arrogant, stubborn, short-tempered, you-know-what (can't say what it is because I'm not allowed to swear on the forum). Evidence of that personality change was present in the episodes *Spic and Span*, *As Good as Gordon*, *Emily's Adventure*, and especially *Thomas, Emily, and the Snowplow*.

It was thanks to those episodes that I actually hated her for the next little while. *Calling All Engines* didn't help with that problem, seeing as she was quite antagonistic in that one. For Seasons 9-12, she didn't get any better and played quite a few villain roles in some episodes of those seasons (*Molly's Special Special*, *Thomas' Milkshake Muddle*, *Thomas and the New Engine*, and *Thomas and the Treasure* to name a few).

However, come Season 13, as well as *Hero of the Rails*, there were signs that there was hope for her. Because she, slowly-but-surely, started to become more like she was in Season 7, starting with that special and season. It helps she was FAR less antagonistic in Season 13 (*Tickled Pink* for example, she was more lighthearted and playful rather than outright mean), and that's also why *A Blooming Mess* became one of my few favorite Season 8-16 episodes... Although there were still a number of slip ups (*Pingy Pongy Pick Up* and *Emily and Dash* to name a few) so I only became neutral towards her then.

But Season 17 (and *King of the Railway* to an extension) saw another change in Emily's persona, this time to one that I DO like. She FINALLY reverted back to her Season 7 self for good. Although I still wasn't so sure at the time, I was finally proven right when the episode *No Snow for Thomas* aired. At first I was worried because I thought she was gonna be mean and bossy and such , but I was super relieved that I was wrong about how Emily was portrayed in that episode. 

She got even better in the special *Tale of the Brave*. I can say that despite her very, very small role in the movie, I can safely say that it was easily the finest hour for her character to this point. First, she told James off for teasing Percy about a *monster* of some sort, and then teased him back when he forced to take the Flying Kipper. Then, when Percy came back to Tidmouth after claiming to have seen *a monster* while delivering the mail, she tried to get both James and Gordon to shut up when they picked on the poor green tank engine.

Then in Season 18 came *Flatbeds of Fear*, while many out there seem to say it was the worst episode of that season, I disagree. I actually think it was the best of the season (and it's my favorite episode of the season, too) due to how Emily was seen as the voice of reason in it when Henry claims to have seen the so-called flatbeds of fear (from Salty's story that is), and while she did get spooked at one point, she was still proven right about there being an explanation about it (although it was to her embarrassment though). *Emily saves the World*, however, I don't really have much to say on it. It was a bit *so-so* (good but not great).

Season 19? I haven't got much to say on it, but I have heard lots of good things about *Best Engines Ever*. I've seen it, and while I'm very happy with it, I'm also disappointed because it would have been the perfect episode for Rosie to have made a speaking appearance. Well, whatever, on with my discussion of Emily.

Season 20 didn't have very much for me to think...

Season 21... Despite it being one of my hated seasons (not as much as 8-16), the episodes *Emily in the Middle* and *Dowager Hatt's Busy Day* were also some of Emily's big crowners. For the former; she tried to peacefully kep Donald and Douglas from bickering and only finally snapped when she got derailed. The latter; she was the one who remained with a leveled head after STH's Mother ended up causing a ruckus with giving the engines their jobs for the day, and even managed to help Dowager Hatt set everything right. THAT is what I call a crowner for the Stirling Single.

Regardless, thanks to Season 17, Season 18, Season 21, and *Tale of the Brave*, Emily is now not only my favorite Steam Team member and female character overall (with Mavis, Rosie, Belle, Molly, Ashima, Gina, and Frieda all also being included), but is also my newest and current TV character crush, too. 

Her Best Moment(s):
1. Her role in *What's the Matter with Henry*, which officially cemented her as my all-time favorite character (at the time anyway).
2. Her small but memorable role in *Salty's Stormy Tale*. The part that made me smile was when she got mad and told Thomas and Percy both off for making fun of Salty.
3. As mentioned above, her small role in *Tale of the Brave*. It officially made her my ALL-TIME favorite character once again.
4. Her main role in *Best Engines Ever*.
5. Her roles in *Emily in the Middle* and *Dowager Hatt's Busy Day*.

Her Worst Moment(s):
- See almost any Season 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 she appears in. Many of them burn my blood quite badly. 

Well, that's all I have to say about Emily the Stirling Single. Do any of you out there on the forum want to talk about her?

You have a crush on Emily? Are you an engine?

I agree with you @railwayfan03, and what a well thought out and constructed article. Thank you.

I too went through the 'like her/loathe her/like her' scenario with Emily's character and think it depended on the writer of the episode/special as well.
Once HIT finally reverted her character back to how it originally was; we were again rewarded with a really well developed character.

In my timeline, she's on Sodor very early on, and Emily's New Coaches isnt canon

In my canon timeline Emily arrived around the events of Season 3 shortly after Oliver like in late 1967 or early 1968 which is when the events of Emily's New Coaches would of occurred as Escape is set in 1967.

I did bring up elsewhere that I do not like Emily; this is what I said:

At first, it was because she single-handedly replaced so many of the characters I knew and love... namely Bill and Ben, BoCo, Duck, Donald and Douglas, and Oliver. (Not going to count Daisy since she only had three episode appearances)

Since all but BoCo have come back, I can look past that now. However, looking at her as a character, I realize there is not much to like about her. She's stubborn, rude and arrogant. In another thread, I compared Emily to Duck to show where I am coming from, so that does apply here too:

Duck once prevented a worse accident from happening when he stopped the runaway trucks on Gordon's Hill (A Close Shave), while Emily caused accidents by pretending to be a queen (Emily Knows Best), and ignoring the advice of others (Excellent Emily)

Duck stood up for Percy and himself when the big engines were pushing them around (Duck Takes Charge) while Emily tried to run off and hide when she was seen with Whiff when he first came to Sodor (Emily's Rubbish)

And finally, Duck does any job he is given, without question, whether it is shunting (Duck takes Charge), being a banker (Fish) or even just a regular train. Emily on the other hand, will do what she can to get out of a job she doesn't like (Pingy Pongy Pick Up, Emily's Rubbish)

I guess what I'm trying to say is I tried to warm up to Emily, but when you have episodes like Excellent Emily, Emily Knows Best, Emily's Rubbish, Emily's Adventure, Pingy Pongy Pick Up, and Emily and Dash, its impossible.

Her character is better in Season 7 and 17 onward.

Don't forget that there were some S13-16 episodes where she acted like she originally was in Season 7.

I do not deny that her character has improved; however I am yet to see an episode that "redeems" Emily for me.

Frankthetriviaman wrote:I did bring up elsewhere that I do not like Emily; this is what I said:

At first, it was because she single-handedly replaced so many of the characters I knew and love... namely Bill and Ben, BoCo, Duck, Donald and Douglas, and Oliver. (Not going to count Daisy since she only had three episode appearances)

Since all but BoCo have come back, I can look past that now. However, looking at her as a character, I realize there is not much to like about her. She's stubborn, rude and arrogant. In another thread, I compared Emily to Duck to show where I am coming from, so that does apply here too:

Duck once prevented a worse accident from happening when he stopped the runaway trucks on Gordon's Hill (A Close Shave), while Emily caused accidents by pretending to be a queen (Emily Knows Best), and ignoring the advice of others (Excellent Emily)

Duck stood up for Percy and himself when the big engines were pushing them around (Duck Takes Charge) while Emily tried to run off and hide when she was seen with Whiff when he first came to Sodor (Emily's Rubbish)

And finally, Duck does any job he is given, without question, whether it is shunting (Duck takes Charge), being a banker (Fish) or even just a regular train. Emily on the other hand, will do what she can to get out of a job she doesn't like (Pingy Pongy Pick Up, Emily's Rubbish)

I guess what I'm trying to say is I tried to warm up to Emily, but when you have episodes like Excellent Emily, Emily Knows Best, Emily's Rubbish, Emily's Adventure, Pingy Pongy Pick Up, and Emily and Dash, its impossible.

Didn't Bill, Ben, Donald, Douglas, Duck and Oliver appeared at different points in the New Series? And what about No Snow for Thomas, her portrayal in Tale of the Brave, and Emily Saves the World?

I'd need to rematch them; but perhaps those are the episodes I am looking for

Her role in Tale of the Brave is small, but it holds up greatly.

No Snow for Thomas, she's actually kind for once and has a decent sense of humor. As for Emily Saves the World, it's pretty interesting.

And High-speed Emily or whatever

I didn't really like when Emily was bossy or rude starting with season 8. But when they fixed her personality in Season 17, she became one of my favorite characters.

It would be interesting to see an episode where we learn more about Emily, like why she acted bossy during Seasons 8-12. I read a fanfic where it says she had been bullied into acting that way.

Yeah but that's not exactly canon since it's a fanfic.

To be honest it would be sort of interesting to see but I don't think it'd be a good idea; it'd be like trying to explain why Edward was mean or why Thomas was an idiot.

True. That was Sharon Miller's fault.

And whoever was the main writer of Season 8.

The biggest one to sort out is why Skarloey and Rheneas reverted into immature children.

This is why I count every era of the TV Series as it's own timeline. Everything's too hard to sort out. If an episode from the new series or nitrogen era is mention in the current era it's rebooted so the events of that episode occurred in the same writing style as the current era kinda like that one if an episode was in a different season game there use to be.

RiddleJa wrote:It would be interesting to see an episode where we learn more about Emily, like why she acted bossy during Seasons 8-12. I read a fanfic where it says she had been bullied into acting that way.

I actually know what fanfic you'e talking about. It's one of my favorites on fanfiction.net too.

railwayfan03 wrote:

RiddleJa wrote:It would be interesting to see an episode where we learn more about Emily, like why she acted bossy during Seasons 8-12. I read a fanfic where it says she had been bullied into acting that way.

I actually know what fanfic you'e talking about. It's one of my favorites on fanfiction.net too.

Great!

What's the name of the fanfic? Is it on fanfiction.net?

Frankthetriviaman wrote:What's the name of the fanfic?  Is it on fanfiction.net?

It's called Thomas and Emily's Relationship. And yes it's on Fanfiction.net.

For me it has too much shipping for me to really enjoy it but it does sort of explain why she was bossy...sort of...

Explaining a character being out-of-character for me can either be a clever move that ties things together or it could just destroy the character period.