Cranky Bugs

**Cranky Bugs** is the first episode of the fifth season and the 110th episode overall.

## Plot

Thomas and Percy enjoy working at Brendam Docks, but find themselves one day delayed when a new crane named Cranky starts pushing his weight around and calls them bugs. Thomas and Percy inform James and Gordon about Cranky and are surprised to know the big engines agree with him; while Gordon believes that cranes need a lot of attention like him, James tells Thomas and Percy to think about how Cranky feels - he is high up in the air and has to cope with inclement weather, and then looks down on the two engines annoying him.

Matters are made even worse when Cranky finds out Gordon and James agree with his ways, causing him to be more bossy. He tells Percy to shunt some trucks closer to him. Percy is too upset to concentrate and he pushes the trucks too far, leading Cranky to drop a crate of sand on top of Percy. Cranky then tricks Thomas by telling him to shunt his flatbeds to the outside line, so that it will be easier for Cranky to load up. As Thomas does so, Cranky leaves the loads beside the trucks, rather than in them. This series of setbacks causes confusion and delay, which makes the Fat Controller most upset with the aforementioned incidents. Unfortunately, he is unaware of Cranky's bad behaviour, so he assumes Thomas and Percy are responsible, and sends the two tank engines to their sheds to consider how they will improve themselves the next day. Thomas and Percy are both also upset, with Cranky.

That night, a terrible storm rages across Sodor. Henry, Gordon, James and Duck have taken refuge in the harbour shed. Duck is sure that they will be safe, but a tramp steamer loses control, runs aground into the dockyard and destroys some of the shed’s beams, causing the roof to fall in, trapping Duck and the big engines and knocking Cranky over in the process. When the storm is over, the Fat Controller tells Cranky that Thomas, Percy and Harold are coming to help him so that he can help the other engines. Cranky realises that he needs to apologise to the two tank engines and tells the Fat Controller to tell Thomas and Percy how sorry he is for being rude to them. The Fat Controller realises that Cranky is the culprit for the incidents and that he owes the two tank engines an apology as well.

Thomas and Percy come to the rescue, and with them straightening him into position with chains and Harold lifting him up from the air, Cranky is soon upright again and rescuing the big engines from what remains of the shed. Cranky then mistakenly calls his rescuers "mites" and Percy - offended that Cranky has reverted to his insulting attitude - attempts to leave. Thomas warns him not to move as he's still attached to Cranky, but Percy accidentally pulls him down again.

Cranky still looks down on Thomas and Percy, but ever since that stormy night, he never causes trouble for them again, knowing they may “*bite back*”.

## Characters

* Thomas
* Henry
* Gordon
* James
* Percy
* Duck
* Cranky
* The Fat Controller
* Harold *(does not speak)*
* Big Mickey (cameo)

## Locations

* Brendam Docks
* Tidmouth Sheds

## Trivia

* This episode marks the official introduction of Cranky in the series. Not to mention, this is also the first episode made without the help of the Rev. W Awdry himself since his death in 1997 or his son Christopher, plus Cranky is the first character to not be based on any existing characters from the Railway Series. From this season onwards, the crew would write their own original stories.