William (episode)

William

Season 4, Episode 2
Vital statistics
Air date	June 1, 2016
Dates of Episode	Sometime in 1954 (possibly)
Written by	Turtlesandthomas
Episode guide
Previous	Next
Lineage	Mid Sodor

William is the forty-sixth episode of Sudrian Conflict.

Plot[]

The episode begins with a flashback. A young Robert Stewart is watching TV in the living room when his father, a policeman, enters. He admits to Robert that he never intended to be a cop; his father was a military officer and he wanted to be one too. He tells Robert to pay attention in school, and maybe one day he'll be somebody.

Flashing forward to 1954, Amos Aardman is leaving Sodor on a ship after the events of the previous episode while Robert, Michelle, and Phil say goodbye. Robert then says that he and Michelle are going to look at houses.

Meanwhile, at the Transfer Yards, S.C. Ruffey is laughing about the success of his most recent plan, which was a crash he caused in the previous episode while being pulled by Ryan.

At the harbor, William arrives to take a train for Ryan, who is at the Steamworks being repaired. He speaks about how he is less "fuel-guzzling" than an ordinary diesel as he leaves. Percy admires his charisma, but BoCo believes he is somewhat absent-minded. Meanwhile, Robert and Michelle argue about houses. Robert wants to move into a pizzeria, despite Michelle's objections.

William delivers his trucks and finds 'Arry and Bert, who mock him for being a steam-diesel hybrid. They plan to take him for scrap, but he leaves before they can do so. When he arrives to fill up on fuel, he meets Henry. Henry admits his jealousy of William; Henry had previously had problems with coal to the point that he had to be rebuilt. However, he is glad to see that where he used to suffer, William is flourishing. William admits that he does not get along with the other engines, as he is "too perfect". Henry advises him to keep the Troublesome Trucks in order. William says they have never given him trouble, to which Henry replies that he must not have pulled a train with S.C. Ruffey.

Later, William and Henry meet at Kirk Machan. William says that the trucks have not given him any trouble, which Henry finds peculiar. That evening in the sheds, the engines are speaking about the day's events when Henry changes the subject to William. James admits to not liking him, as he does not believe the railway needed another big red engine. BoCo and Percy believe that he is too perfect and over-bearing. BoCo thinks he comes off as condescending, as he never has issues with the trucks. Henry says that perhaps William just doesn't bother the trucks, so they behave. James jokes "maybe because he bothers us instead." Henry is not amused by this.

The next day, Henry suggests that William should try and act more like the other engines. He suggests arriving a little late occasionally and bumping the trucks more. He also suggests that William should talk about things other than himself. The first thing that pops to Henry's mind is "trees." However, William then begins randomly stating facts about trees to the other engines, which they find equally as annoying. Henry decides to take a different approach with helping William.

Later, S.C. Ruffey returns to the yard after his accident, where he is hailed by the other trucks. He and the other trucks begin plotting a comeback, as the trucks have been behaving in his absence. William arrives to collect a train that S.C. Ruffey is a part of. The trucks behave at first, but S.C. Ruffey tells them to push William all the way to Kirk Machan, where he meets Percy. Percy explains that S.C. Ruffey is a notoriously badly behaved truck and is the main reason the others misbehave. He also says that the engines have tried to get Phil to get rid of him, but he cannot do so because S.C. Ruffey is owned by a ballast corporation belonging to Sam Ruffey, where Phil gets all of Sodor's ballast from, so getting rid of S.C. Ruffey would cause tension between them. William suggests that they could get rid of him if he was badly damaged, but Percy says he is always rebuilt after accidents. William decides that with S.C. Ruffey's poor condition, he is going to stage an accident that will get rid of S.C. Ruffey while also keeping the ballast corporation on Phil's side.

William goes to speak with Phil at Knapford Station. Phil is hesitant to get rid of S.C. Ruffey and tries to downplay his misbehavior. Ryan then returns from the Steamworks with a black eye from his accident with S.C. Ruffey, which causes Phil to change his mind. William tells Phil his plan. The next day, S.C. Ruffey is sitting on a siding when William comes up behind him, telling him that he is part of a recently-ordered special train that he claims is "long overdue". William begins pushing S.C. Ruffey down the Little Western at high speed until they reach a cliff where the points are set to a siding. William brakes, launching S.C. Ruffey over the edge of the cliff to his death. Sam Ruffey and Phil arrive at the site of the "accident", where Sam asks if Phil can put S.C. Ruffey back together like he always does. Phil, however, says that he is in unsalvageable condition. Sam understands, but decides to cease all business with Phil. Phil protests, as Sam is the only source of ballast on Sodor, but Sam refuses to go back on his decision and leaves.

William is sitting alone on a siding when Henry arrives and invites him to come to Tidmouth Sheds, where the other engines and Phil all congratulate and thank him for getting rid of S.C. Ruffey. Robert and Michelle then arrive and say they cannot agree on any houses on Sodor, so they are not going to stay. Phil then says that his neighbors just moved out, so Robert and Michelle decide to move to Suddery to live next door to Phil.

In a flashback scene after the credits, Sir Topham Hatt and his son Charles visit a younger Sam Ruffey, where Sam has just finished a truck for the North Western Railway. Charles notices the letters "S. C. Ruffey" on the side of the truck and pronounces them as "Scruffey". He is surprised to learn that this is not the truck's name, but rather Sam's initials and last name. Sam likes the name and gives it to the new truck.