Sodor United was playing a football match.
Male engines such as Thomas were given the exciting role of collecting the players for the match.
Emily the steam engine was given the job of taking the dirty washing to the "washing woman".
Emily decided this was not an important enough job for her to do.
So she tried to help the male engines with their jobs, which made them cross and tell her off for interfering with them and that she should be concentrating on her own job.
Then when the players arrive for their match there are no clean uniforms [as Emily has not taken the dirty washing to be cleaned].
She is glared at by her boss the male fat controller and the male players all look very put out indeed. Thomas just looks shocked by her behaviour.
Thus Emily learns that all jobs are important and she chuffs away to get the washing done and arrives back with it draped all over her [as she has been drying it on the journey back].
DS1 & 2 watched episode with interest. I sat there with mouth open thinking either I am very paranoid or this seemed to have some sort of anti-feminist subtext to it. A bit "woman know your place", don't be interfering with important men's work, don't think for yourself and don't deviate from what you are told by the male fat controller!
Yes, I know it is just a kiddie cartoon... perhaps it was just the hammering home of a female character [albeit a train engine] and her job being dealing with the dirty washing that set my teeth on edge!
AIBU?