| A Challenge for the Controller | |
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• Season: |
8 |
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• Episode: |
108 |
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A Challenge for the Controller is a double-length episode and the third episode of the eighth season.
Plot[]
The episode opens showing Max and Monty 'up to no good'. They are racing to the Quarry, and barely nudging in front and slowing behind every second. When the two Dump Truck Twins finish at the Quarry, they have no idea who won. So they decide to extend the racing and have a tiebreaker. The Pack, Madge, Butch and the other road vehicles, however, are annoyed when Max and Monty swoop in. Alfie then asks Max and Monty if they can race somewhere else, because the Road Vehicles are working there. But Max and Monty do not care who is in their way and plow through Madge's flatbed, run right though a pile of gravel, make Butch hit Lorry, and cause Byron to damage a foundation. Boulder falls off of his mountain, tipping over Terence and Trevor and causing mass destruction. Jack proceeds to yell at Max and Monty as they dart off.
Sir Topham Hatt later catches Max and Monty and scolds them for their racing. Sir Topham Hatt makes the dump trucks clean up their mess, but not before they state that Sir Topham Hatt's car can, as they quote, "Barely top 40!". Sir Topham Hatt snaps back that he could beat them in a race any day, but Monty takes it even further and he and Max challenge Sir Topham Hatt to a race. Sir Topham Hatt then drives away without saying a word.
Madge is horrified at the thought of Sir Topham Hatt racing Max and Monty, but Terence says he isn't sure. He says Sir Topham Hatt has done some pretty amazing things as a Controller, and that he might be able to win.
When the cleaning up was done, everyone retreats to an open field which was yet to be built upon. Terence and Trevor had made a track for Sir Topham Hatt, Max and Monty to race on. Bertie is the grand marshall. After Bertie gives a verbal tour of the course, Bulgy says the command and the three racers start off with a roar.
Max and Monty pull ahead, but Sir Topham Hatt draws behind, as his car does not accelerate very fast. After Sir Topham Hatt gets up to speed, Max and Monty form a plan to sandwich Sir Topham Hatt. But when they try, Sir Topham Hatt brakes hard and Max and Monty slam into each other. Max spins around and tips over as Sir Topham Hatt and Monty race away.
The racers go by the Sheds, close to finishing the first lap. Sir Topham Hatt gets ahead of Monty and leads the first lap. But then, Sir Topham Hatt discovers his car was slowed down to a lower top speed when he braked hard and crashed Max. Suddenly, Monty rams Sir Topham Hatt and sends him flying into Max. Max rolls over and lands on his wheels, not knowing Sir Topham Hatt was laying upside-down in his bucket!
Monty yells at Max to slow down, who hits him with a hard 'No!' (Figuratively) Max thinks Monty just wants to win the race and is playing a trick. After explaining more, Max finally believes Monty after a short pep talk and stops. Sir Topham Hatt then flies out, landing right in front of Max and speeds away. Max calls "After him!" and he and Monty fly away.
Sir Topham Hatt leads the second lap and is doing very good, but oil is leaking out of the back of his car. Max and Monty keep dodging the patches of oil. Back at the finish line, everyone is very excited. Some vehicles think Sir Topham Hatt will win, and some don't. Back in the race, Max decides to cut a corner and turns low. However, his fender catches the rear end of Monty, spinning him out. Monty drifts into Sir Topham Hatt starts to spin as well. Monty hits a rock, flips over, and is out of the race.
Sir Topham Hatt then gets his car to stop spinning and speeds up to try and overtake Max. Max cuts a corner and weaves through Lorry, but has to slow down. This allows Sir Topham Hatt to catch up. Max and Sir Topham Hatt are neck and neck as they charge towards the finish. Trevor claims the race will be to close to call, and Madge grumbles about them having to run another race. But when the racers are about 50 yards from the line, Max swerves right and clips Sir Topham Hatt's rear end. Sir Topham Hatt spins out of control again!
Sir Topham Hatt spins so fast that the air gets underneath his car, causing his door to dig into the ground, making him roll sideways. Max speeds through the finish line, with Sir Topham Hatt bucketing in from the rear. Max declares himself the winner, and goes to get Monty. All the road vehicles' attention, though, is on Sir Topham Hatt, who rolled more than 50 yards across the finish line. Bertie is horrified and asks Sir Topham Hatt if he is alright, but Sir Topham Hatt is amazed that his car rolled such a distance and the radio still worked.
Sir Topham Hatt then answers that he is alright, but says he did not win, did he? Madge says sorry that he didn't win, and Max and Monty rush in a few minutes later to celebrate Max's victory. Max goes on to taunt Sir Topham Hatt about his loss. Max then asks what he won, and Sir Topham Hatt replies with... nothing. The race wasn't official, so there was no prize. The race just took place to prove a point. Then, Harold lands and stops everyone in their tracks. Harold exposes the fact that Max cheated, and Sir Topham Hatt was the winner.
The vehicles all cheer for Sir Topham Hatt's victory, and Max and Monty say that the race was fun even though they lost. The episode then ends.
Quotes[]
"It would be nice if you two would go race somewhere else. We're trying to work here" -Alfie
"LOOK WHAT YOU TWO HAVE DONE!" -Jack
'Be prepared to lose!" -Max and Monty
"I have a race to win!" -Max
"I just rolled my car a dozen times and the radio still works!" -Sir Topham Hatt
Characters[]
- Terence
- Bertie
- Trevor
- Harold
- Bulgy
- Butch
- Jack
- Alfie
- Max and Monty
- Madge
- Sir Topham Hatt
- George (does not speak)
- Lorry 1 (does not speak)
- Thumper (does not speak)
- Byron (does not speak)
- Boulder (does not speak)
- Thomas (cameo)
- James (cameo)
- Toby (cameo)
- Annie (cameo)
- Henrietta (cameo)
- Cranky (cameo)
- Tiger Moth (cameo)
- Sodor Bay Tugboat (cameo)
Trivia[]
- This episode marks Terence's last speaking role until Claw of the Law as well as his last speaking role in an episode until the sixteenth season episode, Bowler Strikes Again.
- Sir Topham Hatt's flip at the end of the second part is most likely a reference to real life very bad NASCAR crashes.
- It is unknown how Sir Topham Hatt survived his flip, because his car had an open roof that completely exposed his head.
