Changes: Fortune Teller Schemer

Revision as of 01:48, 17 April 2017

Fortune Teller Schemer is the eighth episode of the third season.

Plot

A sudden frost has hit the Indian Valley Railroad, freezing the switches. As a result, the trains are unable to run until the switches are fixed, delaying the passengers at Shining Time Station.

Suddenly, Ginny rushes into the station and hugs Schemer, telling him that the fortune telling machine in his arcade has advised Ginny to take steps to avoid disaster. She therefore added protection to her tomato crop and sure enough, they are now safe from the sudden frost. After hearing of this, Schemer becomes convinced that his machine can actually predict the future.

Taking advantage of the stranded passengers, Schemer lures them all into the arcade to his fortune telling machine. Ginny, naturally, is the first to read her fortune, telling her to take advice from a trusted advisor, which Schemer interprets as himself. Ginny asks Schemer for his advice on whether she should get a new hairdo. After looking at her gray and boring hair, Schemer says, "Definitely."

Mr. Conductor meets with Dan and Kara and tells them that Jack Frost is the one behind the cold weather. Kara blames Jack Frost as the reason the passengers are believing what Schemer says, but Mr. Conductor explains that this happens when people get impatient. Dan asks if Thomas was ever impatient before, and Mr. Conductor replies that Thomas once got so impatient, he left his conductor behind, which he explains in the story "Thomas & the Conductor".

After the story is done, Kara says that at least Thomas was sorry for what he did while Schemer isn't, so Mr. Conductor decides to go talk to Jack Frost before the trouble gets worse. Meanwhile, Schemer is still talking advantage of the passengers, as he interprets one customer's fortune of supporting the arts as paying all his money to the jukebox. The Jukebox Puppet Band is displeased by Schemer's deceit, but still knows their duty lies and plays the song "Turkey in the Straw".

Later, Midge Smoot is taking to Stacy about Schemer predicting the future. As Stacy tries to explain to Midge that no one, let alone Schemer, can predict the future and that the prediction with the weather was just a coincidence, Schemer makes a grand entrance into the station. Dressed in a mystical turban and robe, and now addresses himself as the great and powerful "El Schemo." He convinces Midge to have her fortune told, and the machine says nature will submit to her design. Midge interprets this as a command to rip a troublesome patch of poison ivy with her bare hands, so she leaves to do just that. Stacy tries to convince the passengers of Schemer's deceit, but they are too blinded by their admiration to El Schemo to listen.

After Mr. Conductor another Thomas story "A Cow on the Line", Mr. Conductor plots with Stacy, Kara and Dan to stop Schemer's latest scheme. Things start to turn around when Midge and Ginny return, now furious at Schemer. Midge, in her attempt to pull out her poison ivy patch is now broken out all over in a rash, and Ginny's new hairdo went horribly wrong, turning her hair wild and purple. As Schemer starts to explain, Mr. Conductor possesses the fortune telling machine, exposing that Schemer has been manipulating the machine's messages to his own advantage, and that Schemer is a fraud. Now, the passengers realizing that they've been duped all storm out vowing to never use the arcade again, and they go to catch their trains, which by this time, are running again.

After they all leave, Stacy forces Schemer to admit that his latest scheme was completely out of line, and Schemer promises that he will never do it again, even though it was fun for him. Mr. Conductor possesses the machine again, to warn Schemer that he will be haunted if he ever does pull a scheme like that again. Schemer runs off in terror, but not before the machine makes a correct prediction that Schemer will take a trip, as Schemer falls, while he darts off.

Characters

Mr. Conductor
Stacy Jones
Schemer
Dan Jones
Kara Cupper
Midge Smoot
Ginny Johnson
Passenger
Tito Swing
DiDi
Mr. T
Slots
Billy Twofeathers (mentioned)
Thomas (mentioned)
Edward (mentioned)
Henry (mentioned)
Gordon (mentioned)
Percy (mentioned)
Toby (mentioned)

Thomas Stories

Thomas and the Conductor

A Cow On the Line

Jukebox Band Segment Song

Turkey in the Straw

Trivia

The Charlie McCarthy turkey from "Billy's Party" makes a return appearance in the Jukebox during the musical number.
In the Fox Family version, the Jukebox Band's song is cut out and the Thomas outro theme is added to the end of "Thomas and the Conductor".
Billy and Becky do not appear in this episode. Billy's absence is explained as being outdoors, presumably to repair the switches.
This is the first and only time Schemer interacted with Mr. Conductor (albeit in disguise).

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