Cranky Bugs

Cranky Bugs is the first episode in the 5th season.

Plot
Thomas and Percy have been enjoying working at Brendam Docks. One day, Thomas and Percy are feeling concerned and annoyed over something; a new crane named Cranky has arrived at the docks and is tending to cause trouble towards Thomas and Percy. Cranky insults them and guesses the 2 engines that placing their freight cars adjacent to Cranky wouldn't have so much distance from him, but Thomas thinks no crane has complained before, just before Cranky says that he is and drops his load.

Later, Thomas and Percy meet Gordon and tell them about Cranky. Gordon thinks that Cranky needs more attention and James tells them that they should look at this from Cranky's point of view, and he is actually being so annoying that he is willing to do anything. Thomas and Percy then return to work and have agreed to the 2 big engines and Cranky becomes extremely bossy for the remainder of the afternoon towards the 2 tank engines. Cranky begs Percy to move the freight cars closer but he is so upset with Cranky that he winds up pushing the freight cars far from him, causing him to drop his load on Percy. Cranky then decides to play a trick on Thomas; he orders him to put his freight cars on one of the lines away from Cranky, who actually drops his load adjacent to the freight cars. Sir Topham Hatt doesn't know what happened with Cranky so he sends the 2 to their sheds and recommends them to improve themselves when they are back to work.

Late that night, a severe thunderstorm rages across Sodor, endangering the engines trapped at the Docks. Duck thinks that he and the big engines are safe in the shed. But he is wrong; they are put in danger by a Tramp Steamer that accidentally runs out of control, destroying the shed and knocking Cranky over. As the storm ends, Sir Topham Hatt arrives at the scene of destruction and tells Cranky that Thomas and Percy are to help, and Cranky to help the engines trapped.

Cranky is soon back up and then Cranky frees all the trapped engines in the shed. Gordon thanks Cranky and he says that he wouldn't have been saved if it weren't for Thomas and Percy. However, Cranky calls them Mites and Percy lurches backwards. Due to still being attached to Cranky by a cable, Percy accidentally pulls Cranky down.

Although Cranky still looks down at the engines, he no longer insults any of the engines since the night of the accident.

Cast

 * Thomas (Voiced by Alec Baldwin in the US)
 * Percy (Voiced by Alec Baldwin in the US)
 * Gordon (Voiced by Alec Baldwin in the US)
 * Cranky (Voiced by Alec Baldwin in the US)
 * James (Voiced by Alec Baldwin in the US)
 * Duck (Voiced by Alec Baldwin with an Western accent in the US)
 * Henry (Voiced by Alec Baldwin in the US)
 * Sir Topham Hatt (Voiced by Alec Baldwin with an Yorkshire English accent in the US)

Trivia
The German title is "Useless Beetle". In Japan, this episode is called "Cranky the Crane". The Swedish title is "Stubborn as a Church Mouse". The Spanish title is called "Cranky's Rescue".
 * Stock footage from Henry's Forest is used.
 * Big Mickey from TUGS can be seen.
 * This was the first episode narrated by Alec Baldwin.
 * Just as the Tramp Steamer is about to crash into Brendam Docks, it honks in the US and the international versions.
 * There are some of the US version, some of the US version are:
 * In the first shot, the narrator says "Thomas and Percy enjoy working at the docks" in the US version.
 * In the US version, "Rubbish! We always arrange our freight cars like this and no crane has ever complained before!"
 * In the US version, "You should see the situation for Cranky's point of view."
 * When the storm hits Sodor, in the US version, the narrator says "Cranky and the engines were trapped at the docks.
 * In the US and the International versions, when the narrator says "The Engines had no idea that they are about to be put in great danger by an old tramp steamer," the Steamboat Honks, This Honking Sound Effect is noise.
 * In the US version, Cranky has a scream before he hits the ground and when the other Engines call for help and Cranky calls "I can't!".
 * At the End of the Episode when the Narrator says that Cranky doesn't insult engines, it is said that  "He doesn't call the Engines 'bugs' or 'mites' because he knows they might bite back" in the US version.
 * In the first shot of Brendam, there is a freight car that has "N. E." written on it. It has the Number 8 on it as well.
 * The barrel Sir Topham Hatt stands on at the end of the episode is the "The Best Quality Diesel Oil" barrel from Bowled Out.
 * Some rare concept art shows that Edward was originally going to be in the episode during the tramp steamer scene. It is now a deleted scene.
 * In Denmark this episode is named "A Heavy Crane".

Goofs

 * In one of the close-ups of Thomas and Percy looking at Cranky, Thomas' buffers are misplaced.
 * When Cranky complains about the load and the engines, Thomas and Percy both have flatbeds in front of them. But when Cranky bangs the load down and the camera turns to Thomas and Percy, the flatbeds are not coupled to them.
 * When Gordon says "Cranes are airy fairy things. They need a lot of attention-like me, in fact.", 1 of his Buffers is bent.
 * Percy and Thomas somehow move Cranky from one side of the shed to the other.
 * In some close-ups of Cranky, the eye mechanism is visible through his windows.