Requisite pony thread (No creepers)
- Thread starter samdamandias
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- friendship is magic
Reposting from another user's post:
And adding my own cross-post:
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Edit:
Added a few more!
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Wow. 4 years...
I really didn't expect that, especially near the beginning of it all...
Anyway:
Remember the simulators?
Well...
Here's Discord!
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[URL='http://forums.spacebattles.com/posts/15919184/']Greifus_OnE[/URL] said:Mum and son bonds need more exposure, they are as precious as that between fathers and daughters...also cute, warm, and fuzziness overload. DX
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And adding my own cross-post:
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Source
Edit:
Added a few more!
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Wow. 4 years...
I really didn't expect that, especially near the beginning of it all...
Anyway:
Remember the simulators?
Well...
Here's Discord!
Larger image
Source
Last edited:
Harry Leferts
Suave Shadow Cabal Kaiju
So, someone posted this on SB and it is just plain awesome...
- Location
- New Hampshire
yeah, like I said it's not SOD-breaking for me or makes the episode bad. It's a fairly minor thing overall and doesn't detract from the enjoyment of the episode.
*Leans over to the closest SV member and whispers in their ear* What? I'm just starting some...
Bridle Gossip
We open in Ponyville, with a gorgeous day! They surmise Dash woke up early 'for once'. Everyone should be out enjoying the day... except the town's deserted. We even get a tumbleweed tumbling by. *Waves to fellow poster* It;s not a holiday. Spike's breath isn't any worse than usual. He wonders... zombies?
Okay... I seriously hope we never get zombies in the show. To be honest, although there's some I like, overall zombie-related media is really not my thing. I might need two hands to count the number of pieces of media I like, but there'd be fingers left over. So no zombies or else that would be a serious dent in my enjoyment.
Back to the show... Twilight says not likely, but Spike latches onto that. Suddenly Pinkie Pie pops out of Sugar Cube Corner and whispers REALLY loudly for them to get over there. Fortunately she doesn't pull a Scorpion. They race over and it's pitch-black inside. Until Pinkie turns on a flashlight. Spike scares her with zombie talk. Oh, thank god. It's not zombies! Twilight asks why she's alone in the dark. But she's not alone. The rest of the Mane Six and Apple Bloom's there, too. Twilight again asks what they're doing in the dark. Applejack says they're hiding... from her! We look out, see a cloaked figure pawing at the grass, bangles on her foreleg. Hmm, wants to Walk Like an Egyptian? Sorry, sorry. I love the Bangles. She turns, and in the darkness of her cloak she has spooky glowing eyes! Twilight is.... not amused.
After the credits Apple Bloom asks if she saw her and names her 'Zecora'. And apparently Zecora is Ponyvillian for Voldemort as Applejack tells her not to say the name. Twilight says they're flipping out for no good reason and I'm with her even before I saw the entire episode. Applejack is... definitely hitting some wrong notes, but in the right manner. The others say how weird she is, eliciting another eye roll from Twilight. Right there with you, Twi. She pulls down her cloak and... Missus T? She's got a mohawk Mister T would be proud of. Rarity insults her stripes and Twilight sets her straight. She's a zebra. Twilight tells her she was born that way and she faints, sans fainting couch. She is specifically not a pony, and from a faraway land. We also learn she lives in the... Everfree Forest! *Cue thunder* Oh, no. It's Spike making a racket getting snacks. Okay, that was good.
The Everfree's not 'natural'. Well, it is by human definitions. The nature's not managed by the ponies. And it freaks them out. She's so evil, Pinkie wrote a song about her! And cue 'Evil Enchantress'. Not her best, but she notes it is a work in progress. Good on Dash's "Here we go!" Twilight asks them specifically, what have they seen her do? She comes into Ponyville once a month and lurks around the stalls, digging at the ground. Twilight is taking the piss outta them, here. VERY snarky and very funny. She says maybe she comes to visit, or to buy stuff at the stalls. Apple Bloom begins supporting Twilight's side. Applejack tells her to let the big ponies talk. The ones with small brains, apparently. Dash says the digging at the ground's weird. Dash, meet Pinkie Pie. I'll let you two work on the definition of 'weird'. Even Fluttershy wonders if she's digging for innocent creatures and oh dear god... *Headdesk*
While Pinkie sings in the background Twilight says the only way to find out is to go out, which Apple Bloom does. She goes out but gets an attack of the nerves. She sneaks over, but Zecora is already leaving. Back inside the Corner Twilight's head is butting against a brick wall of ignorance and plain stupidity as Pinkie says she eats hay. Like... Twilight does. And like Pinkie does. Oh, no. It's the evil way she eats it. Weirdly, I'm getting frustrated with Pinkie, but I know I'm supposed to be getting frustrated with her. So it's actually okay. Applejack notices Apple Bloom's gone! They race out to find her and we see her trailing Zecora into the Everfree. She hesitates at an ominous shadow line, but she ponies up and keeps on going! The camera's tight on their legs and some 'mysterious' blue flowers. And suddenly Applejack calls for Apple Bloom!
And Zecora speaks, warning them about the 'leaves of blue'. Well, better than the Hands of Blue. And yes, her dialog's all in rhyme. Orange? Door hinge. They all act all macho while Zecora repeats her warning, vanishing in a convenient mist. All of the Mane Six, mind, are standing fetlock deep in those blue flowers. Hint, hint. Twilight's just about had it, and even says there's no such thing as 'curses'. Dash flies over. "That's interesting to hear, coming from Miss Magic Pants herself." Dash, taking this and how you heckled in Boast Busters, do you have a thing against unicorns or something? Twilight says her magic is 'real'. She's born with it, while curses are artificial or fake magic. Yeah... Twilight? You don't know everything about magic, kid. Or at least I don't think she does, or ever will. Hopefully never will. She says they're old pony tales. Ah... Nightmare Moon? Even though I am on Twilight's side, that still seems pretty high-and-mighty of her. Applejack says she'll learn some pony tales really are true. She already did in the pilot!
We cut to Twilight in bed, tossing and turning. Hmm, Freddy's having a field day here. Or she had a bad hay smoothie. Either or. She wakes up with a bad case of bed mane. She brushes and... oh, noes! Her horn's gone all limp!
...
Insert your own joke there, folks! Mine is, "She thought a bit too much about Trixie last night!" *Dodges rotten tomatoes* Sorry, sorry. But truth be told I'm legit laughing in RL at that one.
...
Anyway, now she's wondering if she cursed her horn! She goes into research mode! A 'real' reason. Spike holds up a book entitled 'Supernaturals', but Twilight dismisses it. Spike wonders if she's wrong. So do I. Like I said, she doesn't know everything. And Pinkie Pie comes in with a swollen tongue. A purse? No, a curse! Oh, why couldn't they have saved this for later seasons when she becomes genuinely annoying?! Dash... butts heads against a window, then the outer wall, then the door. She flies in upside down and dear god her wings are upside down! Holy shit that's some body horror, there. And... Rarity's trying out for Hair? And we have a toy-sized Applejack. But Fluttershy is... fine? Well, she's not speaking. Well, there's a bit of charades until Applejack tells her to say it. And...
We have Barry White as a pony, basically. Spike and I lose it at this point and he comes up with nicknames. Hairity, Rainbow Crash-who has her head stuck between the rungs of a ladder-, Spitty Pie, Apple Teeny, Flutter guy and... nothing for Twilight, who looks like she could kill him. You know, I'm legit surprised he mocked Rarity. She tells him to look for more books, but he's more focused on her horn flopping about. Dear god the jokes write themselves here. Dash thinks they'll find the answer at Zecora's. They begin arguing, while Apple Bloom blames herself. She goes out to fix it, but Applejack spots her and hops into her tail.
They argue some more about going, but notice Applejack missing. They wonder if anyone stepped on her or sat on her. Ohhai Sir Mixalot! Pinkie checks Rarity and Rarity is aghast. "Ever hear of personal space?" Pinkie's answer... "NO!" You know, that could be taken one of two ways, only one of which is good. They notice Apple Bloom is gone and go after her. Spike stays behind to look for a cure. But, no. He finally gets a good name. "Twilight Flopple!"
At the Everfree we see Apple Bloom racing to Zecora's. Applejack pipes up and orders her home, but Apple Bloom says no. She even puts Applejack onto a tree branch. "I'm the big sister, now!" Ooh, BURN! Applejack will tell Big Macintosh on you! The other five race in, but Rarity trips on her own coat and Dash is... Crash. She crashes into a tree and Applejack ends up inside her mouth. Okay... that's a bit weird. Applejack somehow rigs up a riding harness in about two seconds. Hmm, jump cut and/or time saving in animation. And she... mounts Dash with it. Not gonna go here, folks. Not this time. Dash is... still not flying too well.
At Zecora's hut and it's got tribal masks, candles and the whole nine yards. Zecora comes in and chants over a boiling cauldron. Pinkie accuses her of... stealing her song. Yeah, to this day I'm still not sure if that's what she said or if the others misheard it. So she begs Flutterguy to sing and...
Excuse me. I have to walk away while it plays I'll be laughing so hard. It's pure genius. Rarity confronts Twilight about all the things inside and even Twilight is beginning to be a bit doubtful. Or, maybe it's soup? But then Zecora says it's the perfect temperature for ponies and wonders where Apple Bloom is. Oh, god... They all scream just as Dash and Applejack fly in. Well, dive in. She crashes in and wrecks the place while Zecora loses it. The others barge inside while Applejack... wrangles Zecora's ear. Just as much sense in context, folks! The cauldron's knocked over, and Twilight accuses her of cursing them.
Zecora turns it on them of crashing into their home, and she's getting pissed. Zecora and Twilight even begin butting heads. Literally, too. They demand to know where Apple Bloom is, and here she is! Twilight joins the angry peasants, and I'm kinda surprised the animators don't have any of them wielding torches and/or pitchforks! But Zecora and Apple Bloom merely laugh. Twilight say she can't stand there and say it isn't a curse. Apple Bloom... well, she walks and says it isn't a curse. So half-point to each team?
Zecora reminds them about the leaves of blue. It's poison joke. The plant basically plays a practical joke on them, by inciting body horrors apparently. Applejack has no idea what she's saying, but Twilight figures it out. They ask about the cauldron, chanting and other stuff. They're from her native land, the words were a nursery rhyme, and the cauldron held a cure for the poison joke. Twilight asks which book has this remedy and it turns out to be the one she dismissed earlier. "Supernaturals, Natural Remedies and Cure-Alls that are Simply Super'. Oh, that's a good one. Good job, show. Twilight apologizes for them all. And we get the 'don't judge a book by its cover' Aesop. It fits.
Twilight asks if she can mix up another batch, but she needs an herb in Ponyville. However, whenever she goes all the shops are 'mysteriously' closed. Twilight thinks they can help. We fade back to Ponyville and the Flower Trio spots the group heading back. They panic and everyone bolts. Twilight knocks on Daisy's door and says they need to talk. We fade to our first shot of the spa. They're in a hot tub, and we see one of the Spa Twins. Holy cow, she speaks! I had completely forgotten that! She asks for the recipe, and we have one more scare about crushing Applejack before we see her kinda... sitting on top of a bucket, not tiny anymore.
Thoughts
The episode's about as subtle as a sledgehammer, but as the Trope Page says, some anvils need to be dropped. Yes, racism and judging people solely by looks is not a good thing. You can look pretty damned stupid. And I think this episode did a good job here.
I did find Twilight's whole 'no such thing as curses' to be a bit... I dunno. I don't think she's right in that. Like I said, I don't believe she knows everything about magic, or ever will know everything about magic.
I like Zecora. I don't like writing her, but I like her. I have rhymezone.com bookmarked so the few times she comes up in my fics I'm ready. We see the beginnings of Apple Bloom's relationship with her, which is nice. One of the Spa Twins speaks, the blue one.
My headcanon concerning Zebras is... they live in the Western Savannahs of the Equestrian Alliance, as it is called in the Hasbroverse. Zecora rhymes because of her training in the mystical arts. It helps her remember the difficult parts. Otherwise zebra don't rhyme. They use manticores as domesticated animals, for labor and warfare. Their land borders the territory of the Thirteen Dragon Clans. You are now imagining Zecora in a badass flowing cloak with a glowing magic staff riding Manny Roar, who is armored up, breathing fire and shooting laser beams from his tail. Again
Everyone should be out enjoying the day... except the town's deserted. We even get a tumbleweed tumbling by. *Waves to fellow poster* It;s not a holiday. Spike's breath isn't any worse than usual. He wonders... zombies?Okay... I seriously hope we never get zombies in the show. To be honest, although there's some I like, overall zombie-related media is really not my thing. I might need two hands to count the number of pieces of media I like, but there'd be fingers left over. So no zombies or else that would be a serious dent in my enjoyment.
Back to the show... Twilight says not likely, but Spike latches onto that. Suddenly Pinkie Pie pops out of Sugar Cube Corner and whispers REALLY loudly for them to get over there. Fortunately she doesn't pull a Scorpion. They race over and it's pitch-black inside. Until Pinkie turns on a flashlight. Spike scares her with zombie talk. Oh, thank god. It's not zombies! Twilight asks why she's alone in the dark. But she's not alone. The rest of the Mane Six and Apple Bloom's there, too. Twilight again asks what they're doing in the dark. Applejack says they're hiding... from her! We look out, see a cloaked figure pawing at the grass, bangles on her foreleg. Hmm, wants to Walk Like an Egyptian?
Sorry, sorry. I love the Bangles. She turns, and in the darkness of her cloak she has spooky glowing eyes! Twilight is.... not amused.After the credits Apple Bloom asks if she saw her and names her 'Zecora'. And apparently Zecora is Ponyvillian for Voldemort as Applejack tells her not to say the name. Twilight says they're flipping out for no good reason and I'm with her even before I saw the entire episode. Applejack is... definitely hitting some wrong notes, but in the right manner. The others say how weird she is, eliciting another eye roll from Twilight. Right there with you, Twi. She pulls down her cloak and... Missus T? She's got a mohawk Mister T would be proud of. Rarity insults her stripes and Twilight sets her straight. She's a zebra. Twilight tells her she was born that way and she faints, sans fainting couch. She is specifically not a pony, and from a faraway land. We also learn she lives in the... Everfree Forest! *Cue thunder* Oh, no. It's Spike making a racket getting snacks. Okay, that was good.
The Everfree's not 'natural'. Well, it is by human definitions. The nature's not managed by the ponies. And it freaks them out. She's so evil, Pinkie wrote a song about her! And cue 'Evil Enchantress'. Not her best, but she notes it is a work in progress. Good on Dash's "Here we go!"
Twilight asks them specifically, what have they seen her do? She comes into Ponyville once a month and lurks around the stalls, digging at the ground. Twilight is taking the piss outta them, here. VERY snarky and very funny. She says maybe she comes to visit, or to buy stuff at the stalls. Apple Bloom begins supporting Twilight's side. Applejack tells her to let the big ponies talk. The ones with small brains, apparently. Dash says the digging at the ground's weird. Dash, meet Pinkie Pie. I'll let you two work on the definition of 'weird'. Even Fluttershy wonders if she's digging for innocent creatures and oh dear god... *Headdesk*While Pinkie sings in the background Twilight says the only way to find out is to go out, which Apple Bloom does. She goes out but gets an attack of the nerves. She sneaks over, but Zecora is already leaving. Back inside the Corner Twilight's head is butting against a brick wall of ignorance and plain stupidity as Pinkie says she eats hay. Like... Twilight does. And like Pinkie does. Oh, no. It's the evil way she eats it. Weirdly, I'm getting frustrated with Pinkie, but I know I'm supposed to be getting frustrated with her. So it's actually okay. Applejack notices Apple Bloom's gone! They race out to find her and we see her trailing Zecora into the Everfree. She hesitates at an ominous shadow line, but she ponies up and keeps on going! The camera's tight on their legs and some 'mysterious' blue flowers. And suddenly Applejack calls for Apple Bloom!
And Zecora speaks, warning them about the 'leaves of blue'. Well, better than the Hands of Blue. And yes, her dialog's all in rhyme. Orange? Door hinge.
They all act all macho while Zecora repeats her warning, vanishing in a convenient mist. All of the Mane Six, mind, are standing fetlock deep in those blue flowers. Hint, hint. Twilight's just about had it, and even says there's no such thing as 'curses'. Dash flies over. "That's interesting to hear, coming from Miss Magic Pants herself." Dash, taking this and how you heckled in Boast Busters, do you have a thing against unicorns or something? Twilight says her magic is 'real'. She's born with it, while curses are artificial or fake magic. Yeah... Twilight? You don't know everything about magic, kid. Or at least I don't think she does, or ever will. Hopefully never will. She says they're old pony tales. Ah... Nightmare Moon? Even though I am on Twilight's side, that still seems pretty high-and-mighty of her. Applejack says she'll learn some pony tales really are true. She already did in the pilot!We cut to Twilight in bed, tossing and turning. Hmm, Freddy's having a field day here. Or she had a bad hay smoothie. Either or. She wakes up with a bad case of bed mane. She brushes and... oh, noes! Her horn's gone all limp!
...
Insert your own joke there, folks! Mine is, "She thought a bit too much about Trixie last night!"
*Dodges rotten tomatoes* Sorry, sorry. But truth be told I'm legit laughing in RL at that one....
Anyway, now she's wondering if she cursed her horn! She goes into research mode! A 'real' reason. Spike holds up a book entitled 'Supernaturals', but Twilight dismisses it. Spike wonders if she's wrong. So do I. Like I said, she doesn't know everything. And Pinkie Pie comes in with a swollen tongue. A purse? No, a curse! Oh, why couldn't they have saved this for later seasons when she becomes genuinely annoying?! Dash... butts heads against a window, then the outer wall, then the door. She flies in upside down and dear god her wings are upside down! Holy shit that's some body horror, there. And... Rarity's trying out for Hair? And we have a toy-sized Applejack. But Fluttershy is... fine? Well, she's not speaking. Well, there's a bit of charades until Applejack tells her to say it. And...
We have Barry White as a pony, basically. Spike and I lose it at this point and he comes up with nicknames. Hairity, Rainbow Crash-who has her head stuck between the rungs of a ladder-, Spitty Pie, Apple Teeny, Flutter guy and... nothing for Twilight, who looks like she could kill him. You know, I'm legit surprised he mocked Rarity. She tells him to look for more books, but he's more focused on her horn flopping about. Dear god the jokes write themselves here. Dash thinks they'll find the answer at Zecora's. They begin arguing, while Apple Bloom blames herself. She goes out to fix it, but Applejack spots her and hops into her tail.
They argue some more about going, but notice Applejack missing. They wonder if anyone stepped on her or sat on her. Ohhai Sir Mixalot! Pinkie checks Rarity and Rarity is aghast. "Ever hear of personal space?" Pinkie's answer... "NO!" You know, that could be taken one of two ways, only one of which is good.
They notice Apple Bloom is gone and go after her. Spike stays behind to look for a cure. But, no. He finally gets a good name. "Twilight Flopple!"At the Everfree we see Apple Bloom racing to Zecora's. Applejack pipes up and orders her home, but Apple Bloom says no. She even puts Applejack onto a tree branch. "I'm the big sister, now!" Ooh, BURN! Applejack will tell Big Macintosh on you! The other five race in, but Rarity trips on her own coat and Dash is... Crash. She crashes into a tree and Applejack ends up inside her mouth. Okay... that's a bit weird. Applejack somehow rigs up a riding harness in about two seconds. Hmm, jump cut and/or time saving in animation. And she... mounts Dash with it. Not gonna go here, folks. Not this time. Dash is... still not flying too well.
At Zecora's hut and it's got tribal masks, candles and the whole nine yards. Zecora comes in and chants over a boiling cauldron. Pinkie accuses her of... stealing her song. Yeah, to this day I'm still not sure if that's what she said or if the others misheard it. So she begs Flutterguy to sing and...
Excuse me. I have to walk away while it plays I'll be laughing so hard.
It's pure genius. Rarity confronts Twilight about all the things inside and even Twilight is beginning to be a bit doubtful. Or, maybe it's soup? But then Zecora says it's the perfect temperature for ponies and wonders where Apple Bloom is. Oh, god... They all scream just as Dash and Applejack fly in. Well, dive in. She crashes in and wrecks the place while Zecora loses it. The others barge inside while Applejack... wrangles Zecora's ear. Just as much sense in context, folks! The cauldron's knocked over, and Twilight accuses her of cursing them.Zecora turns it on them of crashing into their home, and she's getting pissed. Zecora and Twilight even begin butting heads. Literally, too. They demand to know where Apple Bloom is, and here she is! Twilight joins the angry peasants, and I'm kinda surprised the animators don't have any of them wielding torches and/or pitchforks! But Zecora and Apple Bloom merely laugh. Twilight say she can't stand there and say it isn't a curse. Apple Bloom... well, she walks and says it isn't a curse. So half-point to each team?
Zecora reminds them about the leaves of blue. It's poison joke. The plant basically plays a practical joke on them, by inciting body horrors apparently. Applejack has no idea what she's saying, but Twilight figures it out. They ask about the cauldron, chanting and other stuff. They're from her native land, the words were a nursery rhyme, and the cauldron held a cure for the poison joke. Twilight asks which book has this remedy and it turns out to be the one she dismissed earlier. "Supernaturals, Natural Remedies and Cure-Alls that are Simply Super'. Oh, that's a good one. Good job, show. Twilight apologizes for them all. And we get the 'don't judge a book by its cover' Aesop. It fits.
Twilight asks if she can mix up another batch, but she needs an herb in Ponyville. However, whenever she goes all the shops are 'mysteriously' closed. Twilight thinks they can help. We fade back to Ponyville and the Flower Trio spots the group heading back. They panic and everyone bolts. Twilight knocks on Daisy's door and says they need to talk. We fade to our first shot of the spa. They're in a hot tub, and we see one of the Spa Twins. Holy cow, she speaks! I had completely forgotten that! She asks for the recipe, and we have one more scare about crushing Applejack before we see her kinda... sitting on top of a bucket, not tiny anymore.
Thoughts
The episode's about as subtle as a sledgehammer, but as the Trope Page says, some anvils need to be dropped. Yes, racism and judging people solely by looks is not a good thing. You can look pretty damned stupid. And I think this episode did a good job here.
I did find Twilight's whole 'no such thing as curses' to be a bit... I dunno. I don't think she's right in that. Like I said, I don't believe she knows everything about magic, or ever will know everything about magic.
I like Zecora. I don't like writing her, but I like her.
I have rhymezone.com bookmarked so the few times she comes up in my fics I'm ready. We see the beginnings of Apple Bloom's relationship with her, which is nice. One of the Spa Twins speaks, the blue one.My headcanon concerning Zebras is... they live in the Western Savannahs of the Equestrian Alliance, as it is called in the Hasbroverse. Zecora rhymes because of her training in the mystical arts. It helps her remember the difficult parts.
Otherwise zebra don't rhyme. They use manticores as domesticated animals, for labor and warfare. Their land borders the territory of the Thirteen Dragon Clans. You are now imagining Zecora in a badass flowing cloak with a glowing magic staff riding Manny Roar, who is armored up, breathing fire and shooting laser beams from his tail. Again For the pic, the characters here all have a spiritual bit to them.
personally, the explanation I've always preferred for zecora's speech comes from this image:yeah, like I said it's not SOD-breaking for me or makes the episode bad. It's a fairly minor thing overall and doesn't detract from the enjoyment of the episode.
*Leans over to the closest SV member and whispers in their ear* What? I'm just starting some...
Bridle Gossip
We open in Ponyville, with a gorgeous day! They surmise Dash woke up early 'for once'.
Okay... I seriously hope we never get zombies in the show. To be honest, although there's some I like, overall zombie-related media is really not my thing. I might need two hands to count the number of pieces of media I like, but there'd be fingers left over. So no zombies or else that would be a serious dent in my enjoyment.
Back to the show... Twilight says not likely, but Spike latches onto that. Suddenly Pinkie Pie pops out of Sugar Cube Corner and whispers REALLY loudly for them to get over there. Fortunately she doesn't pull a Scorpion. They race over and it's pitch-black inside. Until Pinkie turns on a flashlight. Spike scares her with zombie talk. Oh, thank god. It's not zombies! Twilight asks why she's alone in the dark. But she's not alone. The rest of the Mane Six and Apple Bloom's there, too. Twilight again asks what they're doing in the dark. Applejack says they're hiding... from her! We look out, see a cloaked figure pawing at the grass, bangles on her foreleg. Hmm, wants to Walk Like an Egyptian?
After the credits Apple Bloom asks if she saw her and names her 'Zecora'. And apparently Zecora is Ponyvillian for Voldemort as Applejack tells her not to say the name. Twilight says they're flipping out for no good reason and I'm with her even before I saw the entire episode. Applejack is... definitely hitting some wrong notes, but in the right manner. The others say how weird she is, eliciting another eye roll from Twilight. Right there with you, Twi. She pulls down her cloak and... Missus T? She's got a mohawk Mister T would be proud of. Rarity insults her stripes and Twilight sets her straight. She's a zebra. Twilight tells her she was born that way and she faints, sans fainting couch. She is specifically not a pony, and from a faraway land. We also learn she lives in the... Everfree Forest! *Cue thunder* Oh, no. It's Spike making a racket getting snacks. Okay, that was good.
The Everfree's not 'natural'. Well, it is by human definitions. The nature's not managed by the ponies. And it freaks them out. She's so evil, Pinkie wrote a song about her! And cue 'Evil Enchantress'. Not her best, but she notes it is a work in progress. Good on Dash's "Here we go!"
While Pinkie sings in the background Twilight says the only way to find out is to go out, which Apple Bloom does. She goes out but gets an attack of the nerves. She sneaks over, but Zecora is already leaving. Back inside the Corner Twilight's head is butting against a brick wall of ignorance and plain stupidity as Pinkie says she eats hay. Like... Twilight does. And like Pinkie does. Oh, no. It's the evil way she eats it. Weirdly, I'm getting frustrated with Pinkie, but I know I'm supposed to be getting frustrated with her. So it's actually okay. Applejack notices Apple Bloom's gone! They race out to find her and we see her trailing Zecora into the Everfree. She hesitates at an ominous shadow line, but she ponies up and keeps on going! The camera's tight on their legs and some 'mysterious' blue flowers. And suddenly Applejack calls for Apple Bloom!
And Zecora speaks, warning them about the 'leaves of blue'. Well, better than the Hands of Blue. And yes, her dialog's all in rhyme. Orange? Door hinge.
We cut to Twilight in bed, tossing and turning. Hmm, Freddy's having a field day here. Or she had a bad hay smoothie. Either or. She wakes up with a bad case of bed mane. She brushes and... oh, noes! Her horn's gone all limp!
...
Insert your own joke there, folks! Mine is, "She thought a bit too much about Trixie last night!"
...
Anyway, now she's wondering if she cursed her horn! She goes into research mode! A 'real' reason. Spike holds up a book entitled 'Supernaturals', but Twilight dismisses it. Spike wonders if she's wrong. So do I. Like I said, she doesn't know everything. And Pinkie Pie comes in with a swollen tongue. A purse? No, a curse! Oh, why couldn't they have saved this for later seasons when she becomes genuinely annoying?! Dash... butts heads against a window, then the outer wall, then the door. She flies in upside down and dear god her wings are upside down! Holy shit that's some body horror, there. And... Rarity's trying out for Hair? And we have a toy-sized Applejack. But Fluttershy is... fine? Well, she's not speaking. Well, there's a bit of charades until Applejack tells her to say it. And...
We have Barry White as a pony, basically. Spike and I lose it at this point and he comes up with nicknames. Hairity, Rainbow Crash-who has her head stuck between the rungs of a ladder-, Spitty Pie, Apple Teeny, Flutter guy and... nothing for Twilight, who looks like she could kill him. You know, I'm legit surprised he mocked Rarity. She tells him to look for more books, but he's more focused on her horn flopping about. Dear god the jokes write themselves here. Dash thinks they'll find the answer at Zecora's. They begin arguing, while Apple Bloom blames herself. She goes out to fix it, but Applejack spots her and hops into her tail.
They argue some more about going, but notice Applejack missing. They wonder if anyone stepped on her or sat on her. Ohhai Sir Mixalot! Pinkie checks Rarity and Rarity is aghast. "Ever hear of personal space?" Pinkie's answer... "NO!" You know, that could be taken one of two ways, only one of which is good.
At the Everfree we see Apple Bloom racing to Zecora's. Applejack pipes up and orders her home, but Apple Bloom says no. She even puts Applejack onto a tree branch. "I'm the big sister, now!" Ooh, BURN! Applejack will tell Big Macintosh on you! The other five race in, but Rarity trips on her own coat and Dash is... Crash. She crashes into a tree and Applejack ends up inside her mouth. Okay... that's a bit weird. Applejack somehow rigs up a riding harness in about two seconds. Hmm, jump cut and/or time saving in animation. And she... mounts Dash with it. Not gonna go here, folks. Not this time. Dash is... still not flying too well.
At Zecora's hut and it's got tribal masks, candles and the whole nine yards. Zecora comes in and chants over a boiling cauldron. Pinkie accuses her of... stealing her song. Yeah, to this day I'm still not sure if that's what she said or if the others misheard it. So she begs Flutterguy to sing and...
Excuse me. I have to walk away while it plays I'll be laughing so hard.
Zecora turns it on them of crashing into their home, and she's getting pissed. Zecora and Twilight even begin butting heads. Literally, too. They demand to know where Apple Bloom is, and here she is! Twilight joins the angry peasants, and I'm kinda surprised the animators don't have any of them wielding torches and/or pitchforks! But Zecora and Apple Bloom merely laugh. Twilight say she can't stand there and say it isn't a curse. Apple Bloom... well, she walks and says it isn't a curse. So half-point to each team?
Zecora reminds them about the leaves of blue. It's poison joke. The plant basically plays a practical joke on them, by inciting body horrors apparently. Applejack has no idea what she's saying, but Twilight figures it out. They ask about the cauldron, chanting and other stuff. They're from her native land, the words were a nursery rhyme, and the cauldron held a cure for the poison joke. Twilight asks which book has this remedy and it turns out to be the one she dismissed earlier. "Supernaturals, Natural Remedies and Cure-Alls that are Simply Super'. Oh, that's a good one. Good job, show. Twilight apologizes for them all. And we get the 'don't judge a book by its cover' Aesop. It fits.
Twilight asks if she can mix up another batch, but she needs an herb in Ponyville. However, whenever she goes all the shops are 'mysteriously' closed. Twilight thinks they can help. We fade back to Ponyville and the Flower Trio spots the group heading back. They panic and everyone bolts. Twilight knocks on Daisy's door and says they need to talk. We fade to our first shot of the spa. They're in a hot tub, and we see one of the Spa Twins. Holy cow, she speaks! I had completely forgotten that! She asks for the recipe, and we have one more scare about crushing Applejack before we see her kinda... sitting on top of a bucket, not tiny anymore.
Thoughts
The episode's about as subtle as a sledgehammer, but as the Trope Page says, some anvils need to be dropped. Yes, racism and judging people solely by looks is not a good thing. You can look pretty damned stupid. And I think this episode did a good job here.
I did find Twilight's whole 'no such thing as curses' to be a bit... I dunno. I don't think she's right in that. Like I said, I don't believe she knows everything about magic, or ever will know everything about magic.
I like Zecora. I don't like writing her, but I like her.
My headcanon concerning Zebras is... they live in the Western Savannahs of the Equestrian Alliance, as it is called in the Hasbroverse. Zecora rhymes because of her training in the mystical arts. It helps her remember the difficult parts.
For the pic, the characters here all have a spiritual bit to them.
also, there's also a little detail that the writers added in that was really cool to see. specifically, when the ponies mention Zecora pawing at the ground. In real life, that is a behavior that a zebra will do when it's idle - digging at the ground to find water - while for ponies that means that they are very angry and ready to attack anyone who gets in their way
it's a really cool detail that definitely puts that scene in a different light.
Harry Leferts
Suave Shadow Cabal Kaiju
Go on Twilight, just put the head on top.
You know that you want to...
- Location
- Interstellar Space
V Solidus
Friendship is Magic
Pony Thread?
Awesome!
Awesome!
Great job, though I think that Dash's point made far more sense in context. Liked how they did research for that episode.yeah, like I said it's not SOD-breaking for me or makes the episode bad. It's a fairly minor thing overall and doesn't detract from the enjoyment of the episode.
*Leans over to the closest SV member and whispers in their ear* What? I'm just starting some...
Bridle Gossip
We open in Ponyville, with a gorgeous day! They surmise Dash woke up early 'for once'.
Okay... I seriously hope we never get zombies in the show. To be honest, although there's some I like, overall zombie-related media is really not my thing. I might need two hands to count the number of pieces of media I like, but there'd be fingers left over. So no zombies or else that would be a serious dent in my enjoyment.
Back to the show... Twilight says not likely, but Spike latches onto that. Suddenly Pinkie Pie pops out of Sugar Cube Corner and whispers REALLY loudly for them to get over there. Fortunately she doesn't pull a Scorpion. They race over and it's pitch-black inside. Until Pinkie turns on a flashlight. Spike scares her with zombie talk. Oh, thank god. It's not zombies! Twilight asks why she's alone in the dark. But she's not alone. The rest of the Mane Six and Apple Bloom's there, too. Twilight again asks what they're doing in the dark. Applejack says they're hiding... from her! We look out, see a cloaked figure pawing at the grass, bangles on her foreleg. Hmm, wants to Walk Like an Egyptian?
After the credits Apple Bloom asks if she saw her and names her 'Zecora'. And apparently Zecora is Ponyvillian for Voldemort as Applejack tells her not to say the name. Twilight says they're flipping out for no good reason and I'm with her even before I saw the entire episode. Applejack is... definitely hitting some wrong notes, but in the right manner. The others say how weird she is, eliciting another eye roll from Twilight. Right there with you, Twi. She pulls down her cloak and... Missus T? She's got a mohawk Mister T would be proud of. Rarity insults her stripes and Twilight sets her straight. She's a zebra. Twilight tells her she was born that way and she faints, sans fainting couch. She is specifically not a pony, and from a faraway land. We also learn she lives in the... Everfree Forest! *Cue thunder* Oh, no. It's Spike making a racket getting snacks. Okay, that was good.
The Everfree's not 'natural'. Well, it is by human definitions. The nature's not managed by the ponies. And it freaks them out. She's so evil, Pinkie wrote a song about her! And cue 'Evil Enchantress'. Not her best, but she notes it is a work in progress. Good on Dash's "Here we go!"
While Pinkie sings in the background Twilight says the only way to find out is to go out, which Apple Bloom does. She goes out but gets an attack of the nerves. She sneaks over, but Zecora is already leaving. Back inside the Corner Twilight's head is butting against a brick wall of ignorance and plain stupidity as Pinkie says she eats hay. Like... Twilight does. And like Pinkie does. Oh, no. It's the evil way she eats it. Weirdly, I'm getting frustrated with Pinkie, but I know I'm supposed to be getting frustrated with her. So it's actually okay. Applejack notices Apple Bloom's gone! They race out to find her and we see her trailing Zecora into the Everfree. She hesitates at an ominous shadow line, but she ponies up and keeps on going! The camera's tight on their legs and some 'mysterious' blue flowers. And suddenly Applejack calls for Apple Bloom!
And Zecora speaks, warning them about the 'leaves of blue'. Well, better than the Hands of Blue. And yes, her dialog's all in rhyme. Orange? Door hinge.
We cut to Twilight in bed, tossing and turning. Hmm, Freddy's having a field day here. Or she had a bad hay smoothie. Either or. She wakes up with a bad case of bed mane. She brushes and... oh, noes! Her horn's gone all limp!
...
Insert your own joke there, folks! Mine is, "She thought a bit too much about Trixie last night!"
...
Anyway, now she's wondering if she cursed her horn! She goes into research mode! A 'real' reason. Spike holds up a book entitled 'Supernaturals', but Twilight dismisses it. Spike wonders if she's wrong. So do I. Like I said, she doesn't know everything. And Pinkie Pie comes in with a swollen tongue. A purse? No, a curse! Oh, why couldn't they have saved this for later seasons when she becomes genuinely annoying?! Dash... butts heads against a window, then the outer wall, then the door. She flies in upside down and dear god her wings are upside down! Holy shit that's some body horror, there. And... Rarity's trying out for Hair? And we have a toy-sized Applejack. But Fluttershy is... fine? Well, she's not speaking. Well, there's a bit of charades until Applejack tells her to say it. And...
We have Barry White as a pony, basically. Spike and I lose it at this point and he comes up with nicknames. Hairity, Rainbow Crash-who has her head stuck between the rungs of a ladder-, Spitty Pie, Apple Teeny, Flutter guy and... nothing for Twilight, who looks like she could kill him. You know, I'm legit surprised he mocked Rarity. She tells him to look for more books, but he's more focused on her horn flopping about. Dear god the jokes write themselves here. Dash thinks they'll find the answer at Zecora's. They begin arguing, while Apple Bloom blames herself. She goes out to fix it, but Applejack spots her and hops into her tail.
They argue some more about going, but notice Applejack missing. They wonder if anyone stepped on her or sat on her. Ohhai Sir Mixalot! Pinkie checks Rarity and Rarity is aghast. "Ever hear of personal space?" Pinkie's answer... "NO!" You know, that could be taken one of two ways, only one of which is good.
At the Everfree we see Apple Bloom racing to Zecora's. Applejack pipes up and orders her home, but Apple Bloom says no. She even puts Applejack onto a tree branch. "I'm the big sister, now!" Ooh, BURN! Applejack will tell Big Macintosh on you! The other five race in, but Rarity trips on her own coat and Dash is... Crash. She crashes into a tree and Applejack ends up inside her mouth. Okay... that's a bit weird. Applejack somehow rigs up a riding harness in about two seconds. Hmm, jump cut and/or time saving in animation. And she... mounts Dash with it. Not gonna go here, folks. Not this time. Dash is... still not flying too well.
At Zecora's hut and it's got tribal masks, candles and the whole nine yards. Zecora comes in and chants over a boiling cauldron. Pinkie accuses her of... stealing her song. Yeah, to this day I'm still not sure if that's what she said or if the others misheard it. So she begs Flutterguy to sing and...
Excuse me. I have to walk away while it plays I'll be laughing so hard.
Zecora turns it on them of crashing into their home, and she's getting pissed. Zecora and Twilight even begin butting heads. Literally, too. They demand to know where Apple Bloom is, and here she is! Twilight joins the angry peasants, and I'm kinda surprised the animators don't have any of them wielding torches and/or pitchforks! But Zecora and Apple Bloom merely laugh. Twilight say she can't stand there and say it isn't a curse. Apple Bloom... well, she walks and says it isn't a curse. So half-point to each team?
Zecora reminds them about the leaves of blue. It's poison joke. The plant basically plays a practical joke on them, by inciting body horrors apparently. Applejack has no idea what she's saying, but Twilight figures it out. They ask about the cauldron, chanting and other stuff. They're from her native land, the words were a nursery rhyme, and the cauldron held a cure for the poison joke. Twilight asks which book has this remedy and it turns out to be the one she dismissed earlier. "Supernaturals, Natural Remedies and Cure-Alls that are Simply Super'. Oh, that's a good one. Good job, show. Twilight apologizes for them all. And we get the 'don't judge a book by its cover' Aesop. It fits.
Twilight asks if she can mix up another batch, but she needs an herb in Ponyville. However, whenever she goes all the shops are 'mysteriously' closed. Twilight thinks they can help. We fade back to Ponyville and the Flower Trio spots the group heading back. They panic and everyone bolts. Twilight knocks on Daisy's door and says they need to talk. We fade to our first shot of the spa. They're in a hot tub, and we see one of the Spa Twins. Holy cow, she speaks! I had completely forgotten that! She asks for the recipe, and we have one more scare about crushing Applejack before we see her kinda... sitting on top of a bucket, not tiny anymore.
Thoughts
The episode's about as subtle as a sledgehammer, but as the Trope Page says, some anvils need to be dropped. Yes, racism and judging people solely by looks is not a good thing. You can look pretty damned stupid. And I think this episode did a good job here.
I did find Twilight's whole 'no such thing as curses' to be a bit... I dunno. I don't think she's right in that. Like I said, I don't believe she knows everything about magic, or ever will know everything about magic.
I like Zecora. I don't like writing her, but I like her.
My headcanon concerning Zebras is... they live in the Western Savannahs of the Equestrian Alliance, as it is called in the Hasbroverse. Zecora rhymes because of her training in the mystical arts. It helps her remember the difficult parts.
For the pic, the characters here all have a spiritual bit to them.
- Location
- New Hampshire
Ooh, nice one.personally, the explanation I've always preferred for zecora's speech comes from this image:
also, there's also a little detail that the writers added in that was really cool to see. specifically, when the ponies mention Zecora pawing at the ground. In real life, that is a behavior that a zebra will do when it's idle - digging at the ground to find water - while for ponies that means that they are very angry and ready to attack anyone who gets in their way
it's a really cool detail that definitely puts that scene in a different light.
And yeah, I think I forgot to mention that bit. Anyway, time for the Trouble with... tiny terrors? Meh, alliteration can be overrated. So...
Swarm of the Century
Any relation to Sale of the Century? Old game show.
We open with Fluttershy... good lord, she's about 85% Disney Princess in these episodes so far. Has she sung an 'I Want' Song yet? I kid for the most part. She's gathering flowers while humming. A squirrel comes up with a dandelion and she exposits these are for Celestia. A convenient wind comes up and blows it away. Aww. I kinda feel bad for him, now. She goes up to a barrel of apples and a rock... trills? It sends her panicking, natch. And from behind the rock emerges a little bal of blue, with wings, stick-legs and huge eyes. It's a parasprite! And it's so... I don't think I found it cute when I first saw this episode, actually. Fluttershy is smitten and crushes an apple for it to eat. And it consumes the entire barrel. "I guess you were hungry!" Oh, god. *Headdesk* It nestles into her hair. She walks off while we get ominous stinger and close-up of the empty barrel.
After the credits we see Twilight freaking out. She chews out Spike for not cleaning up her mess fast enough. Twilight, use your head and the horn attached to it! Celestia's visiting tomorrow. Spike wonders about all this since it's an unofficial casual visit. "There's nothing casual about a visit from royalty!" Twilight, it's called decaf or tranquilizers. Use one or the other. NOW! Spike is actually working while Twilight chews him out. Again, she's starting to tick me off here. It's her mess and for me this isn't too funny. Again, four season's worth of this, but it's still irritating. He suggests one person clean, so she leaves him to it. She'll go and supervise. Spike, I share your pain/urge to kill.
Out in Ponyville we see everyone getting ready. A banner is raised. "Welcome Princess Celest." Okay, this time I'm on Twilight's side here. Berry Punch, Carrot Top, that really is bad form. Bonbon's watering flowers. She goes to Sugar Cube Corner and finds the cakes' making a banquet. They're hard at work and Pinkie is... eating half of it. Bad form, Pinkie! BAD FORM! she tries to justify it as 'taste-testing', but she's simply gorging herself. No excuse, here.
Fluttershy interrupts before Twilight can let Pinkie have it. She shows them the parasprite. S. There's two more. She doesn't know where they came from. The first one... gave birth in her mane. By spitting the other two out. How in the-never mind. Twilight's smitten, but tries to pass it off as more for Spike so he doesn't bother her while studying. Fluttershy asks if Pinkie wants one, but she's disgusted. She names them, too. Parasprite. Fluttershy and Twilight act out-of-character concerning her attitude to them.
What? they do! They really, really do! The second Pinkie showed such behavior Flutter 'red tooth and claw' and Twilight 'need more information' Sparkle should've corralled her and asked her the 411! And I know some of you are gonna say, 'then we wouldn't have an episode', but it's still wrong. It's still out-of-character for the both of them.
Anyway, Pinkie goes in search of a trombone and we have our first-second maybe-miscommunication. "Typical Pinkie." Ah... no? She knows their NAME! She shows utter disgust at them. That's not typical Pinkie!
We cut to carousel Boutique and Rarity putting Dash into an absolutely hideous outfit. Seriously, it really looks like something out of 17th or 18th century court life. Dash finds it to be so boring. I find it to be so eyesoring! They hear the parasprite's trill and it's reproduced. Again. Twilight's stumped, while Rarity and Dash take one each. Good lord Twilight, Pinkie's got info on them! And just in time Pinkie comes by for an accordion. She's going on a date with Cheese Sandwich, methinks. They're ignoring her, and runs off. Why am I siding with Pinkie Pie here...
Back at Golden Oaks it's sparkling. Literally. Twilight worries a bit, then sees Spike napping with... Buggy, I guess, and seals their doom. ""What's there to worry about?" Oh, ho. Don't worry, Twilight. The list is coming! *Evil grin* She turns in, and we fade to morning. And she wakes up to see a small swarm of the buggers. Spike wakes up, briefly thinking he's blind. Twilight wonders where they came from, and he says he gave them a snack in the night. And they begins trashing the library. Twilight attacks them with feather duster! It's so pathetic I don't even have words! We pan over to Spike, who has a pile of them in a basket. Okay, that's a good gag. Spike takes her line away and we cut to Dash's house/mansion.
She wakes up and the parasprites all emerge, latching onto her. She flies off, but they follow. First lining the underside of her arms, then on top of her head, then a bikini, and I laugh. Then they form a mighty beard! Or one long booger. We cut to Carousel Boutique and Rarity has charmed them into being her little helpers! She scritches one under its... body? Kinda/sorta chin? But it scrunches up, and hocks up another one, right into her eye! Okay, that's pretty gross. Funny, but gross. And it turns into another parasprite. And more begin hocking up. Outside, Pinkie's got a harmonica from Applejack. She notes the saddlebags stuffed with the buggers and Rarity tells her she's busy. Pinkie is, too. She needs instruments! She tries to recruit Rarity for her little quest, but she pushes her off. She's got a real problem! Pinkie's response? "And a banjo is the only answer!"
Twilight is galloping along, her own saddlebags stuffed with the living hoover vacuums. She encounters Rarity along the way, and Dash flies by. Twilight says they should go see Fluttershy, since she knows everything about animals. No... she doesn't. She didn't know what their names were, Twilight! Pinkie Pie does, though! They go to her cottage but we're entering biblical plague territory merely inside. She's tried everything she knows, begging, pleading beseeching and even asking politely! And then Twilight has an imagine spot of Celestia flying in on her chariot and a swarm carrying her way.
I... am kinda speechless, there. It's funny, but shows Twilight has some... issues. Applejack rolls into the episode with a wagon of apples for Fluttershy. By request! The parasprites make quick work of them, and Twilight has an idea! Applejack's the best herder of them all! She'll need help, though. They all work together, and it's a great scene. They all work together to a great little country tune, forming them into a big ball that's rolled right into the Everfree. But Pinkie shows up, asking for help getting maracas. Twilight is a bit shocked, since Pinkie's ignoring the giant ball of bugs. And Pinkie realizes they need a tuba! She runs off, then runs back backwards. Dash flies down for an epic, "You are SO random" burn, but Pinkie says they're stubborn! Anyway, Applejack pulls a Gil Favor from Rawhide and they get them there!
The five go back to clean up the mess. They open Fluttershy's door and another swarm flies out. Fluttershy... kept one. They give her death glares. I give her a death glare. That's just... dumb. And ignoring what was happening five minutes ago! "They're just so cute." I... have no words. Dash flies down with goggles and 'takes out the adorable trash.' she flies around, forming a small tornado that sucks them all up. But Pinkie comes along with a pair of cymbals tied around her neck. They snap off the tether and nearly slice Dash to ribbons! She's flung out of the tornado and the parasprites fly to Ponyville. Twilight chews out Pinkie, but I... gotta stick up for her, this time. She didn't do anything on purpose. It was an accident the cymbals flew off. The two argue about trying to save Ponyville and it's just... TALK TO EACH OTHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They run off to Ponyville as the adorable plague of locusts descend and begin eating all the food in sight. Twilight decides to... cast a spell to make them stop eating the food. She casts a hastily-devised spell on a creature she has NO knowledge of with little/no preparation. In the background, Pinkie gets frustrated and runs off. The bugs stop eating the food, but instead eat everything else!
TWO!
Dash turns the sarcasm to twelve and I feel like slapping Twilight upside the head with an Oldsmobile. Rarity runs for her store and we see it's a disaster. She tries, but quickly hops onto a stool and begins crying. Poor dear. But Pinkie Pie comes in, backlit and with a heroic theme! She runs over and gets a flute. And Rarity screams.
We cut to Sweet Apple Acres and they're ready for action! The swarm flies right by them and... eats the barn. "Didn't see that coming." At the library Spike is cowering while the bugs are... eating the words of the books. Or the ink. Twilight runs to Zecora's hut and interrupts her... balancing head-first on a pole. Methinks Zecora needs locks for her hut. Zecora IDs it immediately and tells Twilight they eat up crops. If they're in Ponyville, they're doomed. Twilight rushes out and spots Celestia on her chariot, descending. It's an utter disaster in Ponyville. There's a snapping sound effect and Twilight loses it. She tells Rainbow Dash to distract them, which she does by flying for her life! "We need to build an exact copy of Ponyville right over there. We've got less than a minute!"
They're doomed. But suddenly we hear the Parasprite theme and see Pinkie doing her best Piped Piper of Hamlin, leading the buggers away. It's a good scene. The others follow her as Celestia lands. Twilight and the others race ahead to try and... make small talk, but Pinkie and her parade prance by. Celestia's single eye follows the action while Twilight asks if she hit much traffic. *Snort* Okay, good one. A bug lands on her wing and Celestia apparently has never seen one before. She calls it 'adorable', and Dash disagrees. Celestia's 'honored' that a parade was organized, much to Twilight's shock. But an 'emergency' has sprung up in Fillydelphia. There's been some sort of infestation.
Okay, my take on this? Celestia's trying to help Twilight save face. Body language and tone of voice, here. There's no infestation in Fillydelphia. She's just trying to not have Twilight be embarrassed. Legit good on her, here. Before she goes, she asks for a friendship lesson. It's about listening to others, natch. Eh... it kinda works. Not fully,but kinda. I'll get to it. And she rides off while Pinkie finishes.
Applejack figures out that Pinkie knew what they were, and yup. So did the audience when she named them! She tried to tell them... but she didn't really. Twilight apologizes and the others chime in. They don't always understand her. But she doesn't always understand herself. But hey, she saved Ponyville! Or what's left of it as we survey the disaster. And we end on a sad trombone, the first instrument she asked for! Hah...
Thoughts
I know. I didn't get it. This is supposed to be a wacky, zany episode full of insane stuff and a Trouble with Tribbles/Gremlins homage/parody/satire/insert appropriate word here. And... I laughed. I did find it zany, with good buildup and insanity and all that. But... I just have problems with it.
Pinkie names the damned things right in front of Fluttershy and Twilight. Their response is confusion and dismissal. The confusion, alright. But 'typical Pinkie'? No. It really wasn't. At the same time, Pinkie going around getting the musical instruments, while funny, still just leaves me a bit cold. "It's just Pinkie Pie" barely flies for me, here. And I mean barely. Her not saying anything really useful was starting to bug me towards the end.
And there was no infestation in Fillydelphia. It was Celestia trying to spare Twilight embarrassment.
So... while I like this one, it's not by much. Good scenes, but it just doesn't hold together hugely well for me.
We open with Fluttershy... good lord, she's about 85% Disney Princess in these episodes so far. Has she sung an 'I Want' Song yet? I kid for the most part.
She's gathering flowers while humming. A squirrel comes up with a dandelion and she exposits these are for Celestia. A convenient wind comes up and blows it away. Aww. I kinda feel bad for him, now. She goes up to a barrel of apples and a rock... trills? It sends her panicking, natch. And from behind the rock emerges a little bal of blue, with wings, stick-legs and huge eyes. It's a parasprite! And it's so... I don't think I found it cute when I first saw this episode, actually. Fluttershy is smitten and crushes an apple for it to eat. And it consumes the entire barrel. "I guess you were hungry!" Oh, god. *Headdesk* It nestles into her hair. She walks off while we get ominous stinger and close-up of the empty barrel.After the credits we see Twilight freaking out. She chews out Spike for not cleaning up her mess fast enough. Twilight, use your head and the horn attached to it! Celestia's visiting tomorrow. Spike wonders about all this since it's an unofficial casual visit. "There's nothing casual about a visit from royalty!" Twilight, it's called decaf or tranquilizers. Use one or the other. NOW! Spike is actually working while Twilight chews him out. Again, she's starting to tick me off here. It's her mess and for me this isn't too funny. Again, four season's worth of this, but it's still irritating. He suggests one person clean, so she leaves him to it. She'll go and supervise. Spike, I share your pain/urge to kill.
Out in Ponyville we see everyone getting ready. A banner is raised. "Welcome Princess Celest." Okay, this time I'm on Twilight's side here. Berry Punch, Carrot Top, that really is bad form. Bonbon's watering flowers. She goes to Sugar Cube Corner and finds the cakes' making a banquet. They're hard at work and Pinkie is... eating half of it. Bad form, Pinkie! BAD FORM! she tries to justify it as 'taste-testing', but she's simply gorging herself. No excuse, here.
Fluttershy interrupts before Twilight can let Pinkie have it. She shows them the parasprite. S. There's two more. She doesn't know where they came from. The first one... gave birth in her mane. By spitting the other two out. How in the-never mind. Twilight's smitten, but tries to pass it off as more for Spike so he doesn't bother her while studying. Fluttershy asks if Pinkie wants one, but she's disgusted. She names them, too. Parasprite. Fluttershy and Twilight act out-of-character concerning her attitude to them.
What? they do! They really, really do! The second Pinkie showed such behavior Flutter 'red tooth and claw' and Twilight 'need more information' Sparkle should've corralled her and asked her the 411! And I know some of you are gonna say, 'then we wouldn't have an episode', but it's still wrong. It's still out-of-character for the both of them.
Anyway, Pinkie goes in search of a trombone and we have our first-second maybe-miscommunication. "Typical Pinkie." Ah... no? She knows their NAME! She shows utter disgust at them. That's not typical Pinkie!
We cut to carousel Boutique and Rarity putting Dash into an absolutely hideous outfit. Seriously, it really looks like something out of 17th or 18th century court life. Dash finds it to be so boring. I find it to be so eyesoring! They hear the parasprite's trill and it's reproduced. Again. Twilight's stumped, while Rarity and Dash take one each. Good lord Twilight, Pinkie's got info on them! And just in time Pinkie comes by for an accordion. She's going on a date with Cheese Sandwich, methinks. They're ignoring her, and runs off. Why am I siding with Pinkie Pie here...
Back at Golden Oaks it's sparkling. Literally. Twilight worries a bit, then sees Spike napping with... Buggy, I guess, and seals their doom. ""What's there to worry about?" Oh, ho. Don't worry, Twilight. The list is coming! *Evil grin* She turns in, and we fade to morning. And she wakes up to see a small swarm of the buggers. Spike wakes up, briefly thinking he's blind. Twilight wonders where they came from, and he says he gave them a snack in the night. And they begins trashing the library. Twilight attacks them with feather duster! It's so pathetic I don't even have words!
We pan over to Spike, who has a pile of them in a basket. Okay, that's a good gag. Spike takes her line away and we cut to Dash's house/mansion.She wakes up and the parasprites all emerge, latching onto her. She flies off, but they follow. First lining the underside of her arms, then on top of her head, then a bikini, and I laugh.
Then they form a mighty beard! Or one long booger. We cut to Carousel Boutique and Rarity has charmed them into being her little helpers! She scritches one under its... body? Kinda/sorta chin? But it scrunches up, and hocks up another one, right into her eye! Okay, that's pretty gross. Funny, but gross. And it turns into another parasprite. And more begin hocking up. Outside, Pinkie's got a harmonica from Applejack. She notes the saddlebags stuffed with the buggers and Rarity tells her she's busy. Pinkie is, too. She needs instruments! She tries to recruit Rarity for her little quest, but she pushes her off. She's got a real problem! Pinkie's response? "And a banjo is the only answer!"Twilight is galloping along, her own saddlebags stuffed with the living hoover vacuums. She encounters Rarity along the way, and Dash flies by. Twilight says they should go see Fluttershy, since she knows everything about animals. No... she doesn't. She didn't know what their names were, Twilight! Pinkie Pie does, though! They go to her cottage but we're entering biblical plague territory merely inside. She's tried everything she knows, begging, pleading beseeching and even asking politely! And then Twilight has an imagine spot of Celestia flying in on her chariot and a swarm carrying her way.
I... am kinda speechless, there. It's funny, but shows Twilight has some... issues. Applejack rolls into the episode with a wagon of apples for Fluttershy. By request! The parasprites make quick work of them, and Twilight has an idea! Applejack's the best herder of them all! She'll need help, though. They all work together, and it's a great scene. They all work together to a great little country tune, forming them into a big ball that's rolled right into the Everfree. But Pinkie shows up, asking for help getting maracas. Twilight is a bit shocked, since Pinkie's ignoring the giant ball of bugs. And Pinkie realizes they need a tuba! She runs off, then runs back backwards. Dash flies down for an epic, "You are SO random" burn, but Pinkie says they're stubborn! Anyway, Applejack pulls a Gil Favor from Rawhide and they get them there!
The five go back to clean up the mess. They open Fluttershy's door and another swarm flies out. Fluttershy... kept one. They give her death glares. I give her a death glare. That's just... dumb. And ignoring what was happening five minutes ago! "They're just so cute." I... have no words. Dash flies down with goggles and 'takes out the adorable trash.' she flies around, forming a small tornado that sucks them all up. But Pinkie comes along with a pair of cymbals tied around her neck. They snap off the tether and nearly slice Dash to ribbons! She's flung out of the tornado and the parasprites fly to Ponyville. Twilight chews out Pinkie, but I... gotta stick up for her, this time. She didn't do anything on purpose. It was an accident the cymbals flew off. The two argue about trying to save Ponyville and it's just... TALK TO EACH OTHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They run off to Ponyville as the adorable plague of locusts descend and begin eating all the food in sight. Twilight decides to... cast a spell to make them stop eating the food. She casts a hastily-devised spell on a creature she has NO knowledge of with little/no preparation. In the background, Pinkie gets frustrated and runs off. The bugs stop eating the food, but instead eat everything else!
TWO!
Dash turns the sarcasm to twelve and I feel like slapping Twilight upside the head with an Oldsmobile. Rarity runs for her store and we see it's a disaster. She tries, but quickly hops onto a stool and begins crying. Poor dear. But Pinkie Pie comes in, backlit and with a heroic theme! She runs over and gets a flute. And Rarity screams.
We cut to Sweet Apple Acres and they're ready for action! The swarm flies right by them and... eats the barn. "Didn't see that coming." At the library Spike is cowering while the bugs are... eating the words of the books. Or the ink. Twilight runs to Zecora's hut and interrupts her... balancing head-first on a pole. Methinks Zecora needs locks for her hut. Zecora IDs it immediately and tells Twilight they eat up crops. If they're in Ponyville, they're doomed. Twilight rushes out and spots Celestia on her chariot, descending. It's an utter disaster in Ponyville. There's a snapping sound effect and Twilight loses it. She tells Rainbow Dash to distract them, which she does by flying for her life! "We need to build an exact copy of Ponyville right over there. We've got less than a minute!"
They're doomed. But suddenly we hear the Parasprite theme and see Pinkie doing her best Piped Piper of Hamlin, leading the buggers away. It's a good scene. The others follow her as Celestia lands. Twilight and the others race ahead to try and... make small talk, but Pinkie and her parade prance by. Celestia's single eye follows the action while Twilight asks if she hit much traffic. *Snort* Okay, good one. A bug lands on her wing and Celestia apparently has never seen one before. She calls it 'adorable', and Dash disagrees. Celestia's 'honored' that a parade was organized, much to Twilight's shock. But an 'emergency' has sprung up in Fillydelphia. There's been some sort of infestation.
Okay, my take on this? Celestia's trying to help Twilight save face. Body language and tone of voice, here. There's no infestation in Fillydelphia. She's just trying to not have Twilight be embarrassed. Legit good on her, here. Before she goes, she asks for a friendship lesson. It's about listening to others, natch. Eh... it kinda works. Not fully,but kinda. I'll get to it. And she rides off while Pinkie finishes.
Applejack figures out that Pinkie knew what they were, and yup. So did the audience when she named them! She tried to tell them... but she didn't really. Twilight apologizes and the others chime in. They don't always understand her. But she doesn't always understand herself. But hey, she saved Ponyville! Or what's left of it as we survey the disaster. And we end on a sad trombone, the first instrument she asked for! Hah...
Thoughts
I know. I didn't get it. This is supposed to be a wacky, zany episode full of insane stuff and a Trouble with Tribbles/Gremlins homage/parody/satire/insert appropriate word here. And... I laughed. I did find it zany, with good buildup and insanity and all that. But... I just have problems with it.
Pinkie names the damned things right in front of Fluttershy and Twilight. Their response is confusion and dismissal. The confusion, alright. But 'typical Pinkie'? No. It really wasn't. At the same time, Pinkie going around getting the musical instruments, while funny, still just leaves me a bit cold. "It's just Pinkie Pie" barely flies for me, here. And I mean barely. Her not saying anything really useful was starting to bug me towards the end.
And there was no infestation in Fillydelphia. It was Celestia trying to spare Twilight embarrassment.
So... while I like this one, it's not by much. Good scenes, but it just doesn't hold together hugely well for me.
By the by, those are tribbles around Twilight. They're the closest parasprite analogue I've got before breaking out my Insecticon hordes.
Workable Goblin
Equestrian Fleet Command
- Location
- Low Equestrian Orbit
- Location
- New Hampshire
Awesome, Goblin.
Okay. *Doffs hat and gloves, tosses snow shovels into the gabage* No, seriously. After 2013's winter all four of my family's shovels were damaged. But it's time to sing and dance because
Winter Wrap Up
has arrived!
Okay. *Doffs hat and gloves, tosses snow shovels into the gabage* No, seriously. After 2013's winter all four of my family's shovels were damaged. But it's time to sing and dance because
Winter Wrap Up
has arrived!
We open with Twilight and Spike sleeping. She then wakes up without an alarm clock. God I wish I could do that. And exposits it's Winter Wrap-Up Day. Spike wakes up and asks if it's his Mommy. "You're not my mommy." Some people read into this. I see a dragon not even fully conscious yet. Spring is tomorrow, so everyone in Ponyville has to clean up winter. God, I so wish I could clean up winter in one day! Spike grouses about cleaning up winter. Apparently in Canterlot they use 'magic' to change the seasons. I'm down for that even more! Twilight says Ponyville was founded by earth ponies, so they don't use magic to clean up winter. I am... not down with that. At all. Twilight meanwhile has gotten on cute booties and a fur-lined saddle. Without her magic. Spike says it's ridiculous. Again, agreeing with the dragon here. She checks off everything, goes out and... it's still night.
After the credits and a time-skip we see her galloping to City Hall and everyone gathered outside. We see them all wearing vests denoting their teams. Blue for weather, green for plant and tan for animals. She wonders what vest she'll get. Spike wants blue, same color as his blanky. Hah! Mayor Mare makes a speech, which is about all she's good for. Twilight does adorkable jumps. Lyra jumps up too with a slasher smile. But everyone splits up and Twilight doesn't know where to go.
And... we get our first mass song. 'Winter Wrap-Up'. it is... my favorite song of the series, bar none. Maybe it's part of where I live, maybe it's first installment wins. I don't know, nor care. I love it. We get our first glance of Doctor Whooves, Dinky Doo... it's just a great feel-good song for me. Not much more I can say. But at the end, Twilight's conflicted. Still no clue what to do or go! She doesn't know what to do without her magic. Yeah, that bit irks me. Not from the song, but overall. More thoughts later...
She tries the weather team. Dash is the leader. She's sent flight crews to retrieve the birds that flew south for the winter. There's also clearing out the clouds. Twilight asks if she can help, but Dash... uses tact and flaps her wings with a sheepish expression. Dang, too bad you chased Trixie outta town. She could've helped with the clouds! Dash flies off, and Spike decides to take a nap. Twilight is determined to do her part!... Somehow.
We come back from commercial and see Rarity making nests for the birds coming back. Without magic. They're gorgeous! Twilight tries and... WAIT! Rarity uses telekinesis to move the basket! Lock her in chains!!!!!! She instructs Twilight on how to make a nest, which happens offscreen. Complete with odd sound effects. Rarity's voice becomes a bit frantic as we pan over and see Twilight's bird's nest, which looks more like a 'real' nest than Rarity's nest/basket. Spike mocks her, and for once I'm not on his side. He even calls it an outhouse! Bad, Spike! Bad! Rarity shoves Twilight aside as her OCD kicks in. And Twilight is embarrassed and needs a hug. *Hugs* And she goes nuts. Twilight hangs her head and walks off.
She finds Pinkie doing her best Nancy Kerrigan. She's ice-skating over the frozen lake, which will make it easier for the weather team to break the ice and get to know one another. And she's got some legit skills, too. Twilight tries to help, but we get the typical ice-skating fail. It's kinda stock, but expected. Spike pushes her and she goes nuts. And he's still a jerk, too. Boo! Pinkie tries to spare Twilight's feelings, but when pushed admits she was nowhere near as bad her first time around. She suggests Fluttershy.
Twilight goes to find Fluttershy waking up all the animals. It is as adorable as it sounds. It's her favorite task. And we get a bit of clumsy educational content about hibernation. Porcupines come out, hug and sting themselves. Okay, that's good. But she's stressed at all the work she's got! Twilight volunteers to help. This one can't go wrong! But it does. First she wakes up snakes! Then she backs up into a cave and wakes up bats, maybe some robins too. She flails over and knocks down a bee's nest, inciting Nicholas Cage and Amazons Attack jokes. And finally, skunks. Ugh!
Back at Golden Oaks she's bathed in tomato juice. Spike says to use magic. I agree with Spike! But no, TRADITION! Which is bullshit! Twilight says they've never needed magic to wrap up winter. I'll get back to that little lie later on. He keeps on saying to use magic, and she says no.
We cut to Applejack sorta managing the clearing of the fields. It's... haphazard at best. Twilight comes along and Applejack does some exposition about them clearing the fields for planting. First they clear the fields, then plant and water. Twilight asks to help, and Applejack is doubtful at best. Twilight tries one of the plows, but she can't even make it budge. It's just so... pathetic. She remembers Spike's words and decides to use a come-to-life spell on the plow. It begins and at first works, much to Applejack's shock. Spike spots the horn's glow and cheers her on. But the plow begins getting away from her. And as much as I don't want to...
Two.
She speeds by a group of plows headed for the exact same point, splatters Blues Noteworthy, then runs right into Applejack and Spike. Applejack accuses her of magic and then it hits a hill. A huge snowbank comes loose and covers half the field. Applejack is pissed. Apparently more about the magic than the extra work they'll have to do! "That's not how we do it around here, Twilight. And especially not on my farm!"
Oh, really?! Then next time you need help during Applebucking Season don't ask Twilight for help, you jackass! Don't ask Rarity for help, either!
Spike turns on Twilight and I am legit hating on him. Spike, I defend you a lot. Here, I toss you in front of Darkseid. Twilight tears up and gallops off. I feel like punching Applejack and Spike at this point.
Twilight's in a bush while Spike tries to save himself from my wrath by sucking up. Spike, I have a Darkseid toy. And more than one toy of yours, too. He says she has a lot of skills, but makes her feel worse. We overhear Applejack telling Dash to melt the snow. She's on it! But Fluttershay says to wait. The animals' homes will be flooded! Melt! Stay! Melt! Stay! Dash tells them to make up their minds, and Mayor Mare comes in and says this is why they were late last year, and the years before that! She was hoping her speech would've inspired them, but now they'll be later than ever. We see the ice chunks are too big, Rarity's gone insane on fixing Twilight's nest. There are also clouds in the skies, icicles in trees. Big Mac comes along and says Caramel lost the grass seeds. Ditzy went north to get the southern birds. Last year she went west as a large argument breaks out. Mayor Mare says they'll be late again. And wishes they were more organized!
And Twilight SPRINGS into action! She sends Spike to get her clipboard and checklist. STAT! She... squeezes a bird to get their attention. She says they need organization! So we get a omtage of her directing everyone to get stuff done. And it's a lot better than before. And it's set to a great instrumental of 'Winter Wrap-Up'! It ends with the birds flying in. And Spring has sprung! The ponies gather to sing Twilight's well-deserved praises. Mayor Mare is shocked and I am about to impeach her. Twilight says it's a team effort, and she gets a special vest. All three colors. "All-team organizer"! Yay!
And we see Spike asleep on the last chunk of ice in the middle of the lake. I laugh at him and his ensuing cold. He falls alseep.
Thoughts
I am... of two minds with this episode. It's funny. It's heartwarming to see Twilight struggle and then come out in triumph. It's a good lesson. There's a role for us all, and we all can help. It's great worldbuilding. It's great teamwork. But, well, lemme quote InserAuthorHere from his own review of the episode:
In other towns, at least Canterlot, Winter Wrap-Up is done with magic. With Ponyville it's a bit... simpler. No magic. Well, no unicorn magic. It's a tradition dating back to the old times! Except this isn't the old times anymore! Unicorns are there. And one day a year they're told, "You can't use your natural talents to make this task a hell of a lot easier." Of course the pegasi can use their wings and magic and earth ponies can too. Okay, shoo off all the pegasi and get some ladders and scissor lifts.
And here's the thing, the 'traditional' way doesn't work! They've been late who knows how long. Right then and there that tells me to stop with the TRADITION! and try something new.
So at first glance, and second or third this is a great episode. But there are some bad implications lying underneath.
After the credits and a time-skip we see her galloping to City Hall and everyone gathered outside. We see them all wearing vests denoting their teams. Blue for weather, green for plant and tan for animals. She wonders what vest she'll get. Spike wants blue, same color as his blanky. Hah! Mayor Mare makes a speech, which is about all she's good for. Twilight does adorkable jumps. Lyra jumps up too with a slasher smile. But everyone splits up and Twilight doesn't know where to go.
And... we get our first mass song. 'Winter Wrap-Up'. it is... my favorite song of the series, bar none. Maybe it's part of where I live, maybe it's first installment wins. I don't know, nor care. I love it. We get our first glance of Doctor Whooves, Dinky Doo... it's just a great feel-good song for me. Not much more I can say. But at the end, Twilight's conflicted. Still no clue what to do or go! She doesn't know what to do without her magic. Yeah, that bit irks me. Not from the song, but overall. More thoughts later...
She tries the weather team. Dash is the leader. She's sent flight crews to retrieve the birds that flew south for the winter. There's also clearing out the clouds. Twilight asks if she can help, but Dash... uses tact and flaps her wings with a sheepish expression. Dang, too bad you chased Trixie outta town. She could've helped with the clouds!
Dash flies off, and Spike decides to take a nap. Twilight is determined to do her part!... Somehow.We come back from commercial and see Rarity making nests for the birds coming back. Without magic. They're gorgeous! Twilight tries and... WAIT! Rarity uses telekinesis to move the basket! Lock her in chains!!!!!! She instructs Twilight on how to make a nest, which happens offscreen. Complete with odd sound effects. Rarity's voice becomes a bit frantic as we pan over and see Twilight's bird's nest, which looks more like a 'real' nest than Rarity's nest/basket. Spike mocks her, and for once I'm not on his side. He even calls it an outhouse! Bad, Spike! Bad! Rarity shoves Twilight aside as her OCD kicks in. And Twilight is embarrassed and needs a hug. *Hugs* And she goes nuts. Twilight hangs her head and walks off.
She finds Pinkie doing her best Nancy Kerrigan. She's ice-skating over the frozen lake, which will make it easier for the weather team to break the ice and get to know one another.
And she's got some legit skills, too. Twilight tries to help, but we get the typical ice-skating fail. It's kinda stock, but expected. Spike pushes her and she goes nuts. And he's still a jerk, too. Boo! Pinkie tries to spare Twilight's feelings, but when pushed admits she was nowhere near as bad her first time around. She suggests Fluttershy.Twilight goes to find Fluttershy waking up all the animals. It is as adorable as it sounds. It's her favorite task. And we get a bit of clumsy educational content about hibernation. Porcupines come out, hug and sting themselves. Okay, that's good. But she's stressed at all the work she's got! Twilight volunteers to help. This one can't go wrong! But it does. First she wakes up snakes! Then she backs up into a cave and wakes up bats, maybe some robins too.
She flails over and knocks down a bee's nest, inciting Nicholas Cage and Amazons Attack jokes. And finally, skunks. Ugh!Back at Golden Oaks she's bathed in tomato juice. Spike says to use magic. I agree with Spike! But no, TRADITION! Which is bullshit! Twilight says they've never needed magic to wrap up winter. I'll get back to that little lie later on. He keeps on saying to use magic, and she says no.
We cut to Applejack sorta managing the clearing of the fields. It's... haphazard at best. Twilight comes along and Applejack does some exposition about them clearing the fields for planting. First they clear the fields, then plant and water. Twilight asks to help, and Applejack is doubtful at best. Twilight tries one of the plows, but she can't even make it budge. It's just so... pathetic. She remembers Spike's words and decides to use a come-to-life spell on the plow. It begins and at first works, much to Applejack's shock. Spike spots the horn's glow and cheers her on. But the plow begins getting away from her. And as much as I don't want to...
Two.
She speeds by a group of plows headed for the exact same point, splatters Blues Noteworthy, then runs right into Applejack and Spike. Applejack accuses her of magic and then it hits a hill. A huge snowbank comes loose and covers half the field. Applejack is pissed. Apparently more about the magic than the extra work they'll have to do! "That's not how we do it around here, Twilight. And especially not on my farm!"
Oh, really?! Then next time you need help during Applebucking Season don't ask Twilight for help, you jackass! Don't ask Rarity for help, either!
Spike turns on Twilight and I am legit hating on him. Spike, I defend you a lot. Here, I toss you in front of Darkseid. Twilight tears up and gallops off. I feel like punching Applejack and Spike at this point.
Twilight's in a bush while Spike tries to save himself from my wrath by sucking up. Spike, I have a Darkseid toy. And more than one toy of yours, too. He says she has a lot of skills, but makes her feel worse. We overhear Applejack telling Dash to melt the snow. She's on it! But Fluttershay says to wait. The animals' homes will be flooded! Melt! Stay! Melt! Stay! Dash tells them to make up their minds, and Mayor Mare comes in and says this is why they were late last year, and the years before that! She was hoping her speech would've inspired them, but now they'll be later than ever. We see the ice chunks are too big, Rarity's gone insane on fixing Twilight's nest. There are also clouds in the skies, icicles in trees. Big Mac comes along and says Caramel lost the grass seeds. Ditzy went north to get the southern birds. Last year she went west as a large argument breaks out. Mayor Mare says they'll be late again. And wishes they were more organized!
And Twilight SPRINGS into action! She sends Spike to get her clipboard and checklist. STAT! She... squeezes a bird to get their attention. She says they need organization! So we get a omtage of her directing everyone to get stuff done. And it's a lot better than before. And it's set to a great instrumental of 'Winter Wrap-Up'! It ends with the birds flying in. And Spring has sprung! The ponies gather to sing Twilight's well-deserved praises. Mayor Mare is shocked and I am about to impeach her. Twilight says it's a team effort, and she gets a special vest. All three colors. "All-team organizer"! Yay!
And we see Spike asleep on the last chunk of ice in the middle of the lake. I laugh at him and his ensuing cold. He falls alseep.
Thoughts
I am... of two minds with this episode. It's funny. It's heartwarming to see Twilight struggle and then come out in triumph. It's a good lesson. There's a role for us all, and we all can help. It's great worldbuilding. It's great teamwork. But, well, lemme quote InserAuthorHere from his own review of the episode:
In other towns, at least Canterlot, Winter Wrap-Up is done with magic. With Ponyville it's a bit... simpler. No magic. Well, no unicorn magic. It's a tradition dating back to the old times! Except this isn't the old times anymore! Unicorns are there. And one day a year they're told, "You can't use your natural talents to make this task a hell of a lot easier." Of course the pegasi can use their wings and magic and earth ponies can too. Okay, shoo off all the pegasi and get some ladders and scissor lifts.
And here's the thing, the 'traditional' way doesn't work! They've been late who knows how long. Right then and there that tells me to stop with the TRADITION! and try something new.
So at first glance, and second or third this is a great episode. But there are some bad implications lying underneath.
Bridle Gossip
I think reacting to unfamiliar magic by loudly denying what's happening is supposed is supposed to be a Twilight thing.
The Parasprites one
Winter Wrap-Up
A real problematic thing is that there is a real problem with making the idea of this episode work without the racist tradition. In order to make the plot work, Twilight has to be less able to contribute to any of the tasks than a random townsfolk. They already committed themselves to Twilight's moment of awesome lifting a giant bear earlier, so at the minimum she'd be able to work on the plow team carrying large amounts of snow, even if they were willing to give her magic large conceptual limitations stopping her from deus ex machina any problem later - which they also were never willing to do.
I don't think I've actually seen fanfiction come up with a headcannon that would make Winter Wrap-Up not racist without willfully contradicting things. Best I've seen is I think from the Readingverse, with the prohibition being on using too-advanced techniques by any race, such as Rainbow Dash clearing all the snow with tornadoes.
Shouldn't thinking about Trixie only make her horn harder?Insert your own joke there, folks! Mine is, "She thought a bit too much about Trixie last night!"
One weird thing about this episode is that we're clearly supposed to think about racism while the ponies were xenophobic but racial prejudice isn't actually involved, they didn't know she was a different race and didn't even know about her race's existence.
I think reacting to unfamiliar magic by loudly denying what's happening is supposed is supposed to be a Twilight thing.
The Parasprites one
I am suddenly reminded of "Twilight makes first contact", where she planned ahead for being too excited and taught Rarity a sleep spell specifically to be hit with it.
Winter Wrap-Up
Season 1 had more bad implications than Season 4 had tentacles.
A real problematic thing is that there is a real problem with making the idea of this episode work without the racist tradition. In order to make the plot work, Twilight has to be less able to contribute to any of the tasks than a random townsfolk. They already committed themselves to Twilight's moment of awesome lifting a giant bear earlier, so at the minimum she'd be able to work on the plow team carrying large amounts of snow, even if they were willing to give her magic large conceptual limitations stopping her from deus ex machina any problem later - which they also were never willing to do.
I don't think I've actually seen fanfiction come up with a headcannon that would make Winter Wrap-Up not racist without willfully contradicting things. Best I've seen is I think from the Readingverse, with the prohibition being on using too-advanced techniques by any race, such as Rainbow Dash clearing all the snow with tornadoes.
Last edited:
- Location
- New Hampshire
Premature spellcasting can be a problem for younger unicorns.
And I'll still call her out on it.
Yeah, this 'tradition' has unfortunate implications written all over it. Like you said, there's some big obstacles of making it work without the 'no unicorn magic'. And that's not even taking Twilight into account.
Anyway...
*Phone rings. Striker picks it up* Oh, hello. What's that? Worst characters in show are introduced this episode? Okay. *Hangs up* oh, sorry. I just got the...
Call of the Cutie
We open on the Ponyville schoolhouse. Or possibly elementary school. I am NOT going to try and tackle the Equestrian educational system. I could barely make heads or tail of my own back when I attended school, for Primus' sake! Oh, those were some bad memories. So, the school bell rings. Inside we see the students, hay on the floor. Some think that's in case of 'accidents' and you know what? I can kinda see that logic. We have a semi-disturbing tracking shot of the foals' rumps and their cutie marks, shooting up to the introduction of Cheerilee, the teacher. Today is the lesson on cutie marks! She slides a piece of paper off an easel, revealing several. One... student says it's boring. Apple Bloom, though, is studiously taking notes, using her mouth to manipulate the pencil. And I have just died of diabeetus from that.
We get some info on their cutie marks. Ponies aren't born with them. "my flank was blank." And an insult... no. Not yet, Striker. Rein it in for later. A filly with glasses says she's precious, lisping. This is Twist. She likes to shout. Cheerilee shows us an image of her from the Equestrian equivalent of the 1980's, with cutie mark. Like far out, man! Now let's go to the Orange Julius and listen to Tiffany at the mall! Apparently that's how they were all wearing their mane back then. Apparently she decided to become a teacher, and the flowers symbolized hope that she could help her students bloom. The smiles represented the cheer she wanted to bring. In other words, cutie marks can be really interpretative. And their 'special talents' are not always inline with them. Nor do, IMHO, special talents 'dominate' like how some people I've seen think about them. If so, well, Rarity would be in a mine. Twilight would be at a fireworks company. Pinkie Pie would be in the air even more than usual. So on and so forth.
Sorry. Little bug of mine. *Ahem*
Cheerilee asks when ponies get their cutie mark, and Twist... twists her head while saying it happens when a pony discovers a certain something that makes her special. Am I in the Exorcist all of a sudden? It's a certain 'something' that makes them different from every other pony. And while Cheerilee is trying to impart an Aesop for a later episode, a filly with a tiara on her head but nothing between those ears is pssting at Apple Bloom. Doing it rather loudly, too. Hey, Cheerilee! Walk like an Egyptian over there and stop that! The filly hands Apple Bloom a note while a remote drone in the shape of another filly motions for her to pass it over. Apple Bloom does and FINALLY Cheerilee notices it. Head, meet desk at supersonic speeds. But the note, has nothing on it. And the tiara-wearing bitch laughs about it.
*Cracks knuckles* Almost time...
After the credits school is let out. Twist hops along while Apple Bloom is sad. I want to hug her and wave a lightsaber around. Twist tries cheering her up while...
Okay, I gotta say this. Some people think, with good reason, that I completely hate Pinkie Pie and think she's worst pony. And that I hate Discord. Well... actually? With Pinkie Pie, yes. There will be moments I want to throttle her. There will and have been moments she made me genuinely laugh, be surprised by her sensitivity and maturity, and cross the fourth wall to give her a hug.
Discord is... yeah. I hate him, but in the best way possible. To me, he's like Ted DiBiase or Roddy Piper. Yeah, I'm gonna pay to see him get beat. But I'm gonna PAY to see him get beat. However...
We are now properly introduced to Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Folks, I've said this before, but it needs repeating. Factoring in screentime, we have the flattest, least-developed characters in the whole damned show. I am dead serious when I say this. They flank Twist and Apple Bloom, talking about what a 'waste' of a lecture that was. They've all got their cutie marks. Well, 'almost' all of them. God I wanna punch them with the boat sword. *Checks* Ah, damn! I don't have a Gypsy Danger, only a Cherno Alpha! They rub it in, and say they're invited to the cute-cenera. And they do this insanely dumb butt-bumping thing. And they coin the 'blank flank' insult. Yeah, urge to kill rising! Urge to hug also rising.
At Sweet Apple Acres Apple Bloom is venting while Applejack tries to reassure her. She says she was the last to get her mark. She rubs her rump and it sparkles. Yeah, to quote Spike, that's creepy. Granny Smith and Big Mac were last in their classes, too. I know she legit means well... and Apple Bloom outright says that. Then she gets an idea. "Runs in the family!" No, no. The Running of the Leaves is the next episode. She gets the idea that her talent has to do with apples. She jumps for joy and crashes into a barrel.
We cut to Applejack hawking apples. *COUGHBOASTBUSTERSCOUGH* Sorry, something in my throat, there. Apple Bloom tries channeling an informercial, but it's not too effective. She uses a tennis racket to volley one and apparently almost hits someone offscreen. She fires off another one at a canvas, splattering it and the pony next to it. She even breaks the fourth wall a bit. She tries up Doctor Whooves, but it's no go until she gets creepy assertive. He buys it and runs off, home to Ditzy, Dinky and Sparkler. Applejack's not too pleased, natch. she does the 'you touch it, you buy it' routine on Berry Punch, and apparently there's credit in Equestria. Then she dumps apples into Bonbon's bag and tries to charge her for it. Bonbons' voice, btw, isn't too pleasing to the ear, IMHO. Four bits for a lot of apples. Applejack gives some, no charge. Bonbon makes out pretty nicely, and Apple Bloom's sent home. Applejack asks if others have their cutie marks, and Apple Bloom's reminded of Twist. Safety in numbers, after all.
Apple Bloom goes to Twist's house and asks about the party. And it turns out Twist has a cutie mark! It's a pair of candy canes crossed. It's 'pretty sweet'. And Apple Bloom's kinda crushed. Diamond Tiara and her shadow conveniently wander by to be grade-Z assholes. Apple Bloom makes that face. You know the one. We come back from commercial and see her sitting next to a well. Dash pops down and says someone's got a dark cloud hanging over their head. So she pushes it aside. Okay, that's a good visual pun. Dash asks what the matter is and Apple Bloom spills about everything in one long gulp of air. Dash says she can get her one like that, even snapping her tail like we'd snap our fingers. Okay, that's a good effect. Apple Bloom says that Applejack says it takes time, and Dash rebuts by saying she should make it happen. We also learn Dash was the first in her class to get her cutie mark. It was during her first race she discovered her need for speed. That's... a line of video games? And another butt-shot.
Montage time! Cue up either the A-Team theme or something from Survivor! The band, not the show. Never seen the show. Eye of the Tiger, perhaps. Dash is rocking a serious mullet and I'm afraid she'll tell my achey-breaky heart. Her plan is try as many things as possible. It's... not too bad a sounding plan. But since I don't even have any RL tattoos I can't comment fully. Juggling.... ends with stock balls hitting head. Hang-gliding... ends with her tripping and tumbling head-over-hooves. Karate, and we see Dash with a Black Belt?
Okay, little bit of headcanon from the Hasbroverse. Dash's teacher is named Iron Butterfly. He is basically Bruce Lee as a pony. He also becomes Apple Bloom's teacher in Lánjié tí fāngshì -Way of the Intercepting Hoof.
Back to the much more interesting show, Apple Bloom kicks a sand bag and breaks her leg. Kite-flying... ends about as bad as Charlie Brown's attempts, with the kite disintegrating as it lands. Roller derby... ends with her causing a four-foal pileup! We cut to Dash doing her best Twilight Sparkle impression as the two... TOS violations walk by. Apple Bloom hides while they still manage to be condescending pieces of slag. I wish to throttle them. Wash, rinse and repeat. Diamond Tiara is also balancing a rather large package on her back. Bigger than she is! Apple Bloom laments, and Pinkie Pie appears outta nowhere! She'd be good at eating cupcakes! Well, I'm good at eating cupcakes! Apple Bloom ditches her mentor for the sweets.
At Sugar Cube Corner, Apple Bloom cheers on a cupcake-eating cutie mark. I ponder that, then I realize I'm hungry. She searches for the cupcakes, but doesn't find any. Pinkie Pie plops a chef's hat onto her. She would like some help making cupcakes. No, Pinkie Pie! Remember the Baked Bads with Applejack! And we get the 'Cupcakes' song. It's, pardon the pun, a sweet little ditty. Nothing special about it but nothing too bad. We fade to Apple Bloom's 'attempts' at baking. She pulls out some charcoal from the oven, her best attempt yet! Pinkie eats some and we get some interesting shades of Maud here... foreshadowing this early? Nah. Maybe. Apple Bloom's crushed. We get a mild hope spot of something on her flank, but it's flour. Pinkie... now's not the time for guessing games.
Twilight comes in... for some reason. She declines the briquettes. Apple Bloom asks for Twilight to magic up a cutie mark. Twilight says that it's something a pony must discover for herself. Apple Bloom begs and Twilight reluctantly tries, and fails. For the record, I really hope she never gains the ability to do that. she's also exhausted at the end. Apple Bloom decides not to go to the party... and wanders out into the party.
We see a pony eating frosting-covered charcoal, and Apple Bloom hides. She berates herself for forgetting while Pinkie... puts a party hat on her. Not helping, Pie. Not. Helping. Apple Bloom does a Solid Snake to get to the door. Berry Punch gains the 'alcoholic' meme. Apple Bloom almost makes it... and bumps into Applejack, who pretty much shoves her back into the room and is about as oblivious as you can get. I am facepalming here and not in a good way. It's just so obvious and badly-written. So the Doublemint jerks stalk their prey. Apple Bloom MacGyvers a dress out of a tablecloth and tries to bluff it hiding an amazing cutie mark. We learn Diamond Tiara needs to be the center of attention. Natch. Apple Bloom almost makes it, but trips again. She knocks into the record player. It skips and they zero in for the kill.
Did I mention how much I loathe these two? I really, really do.
They restart being assholes. But Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo to the rescue! Also, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo for the proper introductions! They emerge from under a table. Literally. Wiat, what were they doing under there?! Silver Spoon drops about half a dozen 'likes' and not in the good Facebook way. She's so Valley Girl she's hit rock bottom. Sweetie Belle says she's full of potential. Scootaloo says she could be anything and mocks Silver Spoon's 'like' overuse, which I sincerely love. All but two listen and take it to heart. And we see two shots of them being blank flanks. Twilight says she's still got the joy of discovering who she is. And Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are upstaged in their own party. Silver Spoon tries the rump thing, but it fails. And I laugh at them.
There's formal introductions, and we cut to everyone rocking out, save two. And the Cutie Mark Crusaders is formed! The tree sap shall flow! And we get one more rump shot. Because we have to.
Thoughts
Okay... I love this episode. Cutie marks are explored. We get some cool worldbuilding/cultural stuff. Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Cheerilee, Twist and two/one others is introduced. Some good comedy, a heartwarming ending. Points are deducted for Applejack, Cheerilee and Pinkie being pretty oblivious. The show should be better than that! The CMC is formed. Sir Mixalot looked on with pride. But...
Like I've been saying throughout this episode. I loathe Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. They are generic alpha bitch bullying assholes. Over the next four seasons they'll display, what one decent moment apiece? And they're so small as to be almost nonexistent. I took great pleasure in writing out Megan's OC daughters, Danielle and Michelle, chewing them out. Between the two of them, they might form enough of a personality to be one fully-realized character.
We get some info on their cutie marks. Ponies aren't born with them. "my flank was blank." And an insult... no. Not yet, Striker. Rein it in for later. A filly with glasses says she's precious, lisping. This is Twist. She likes to shout.
Cheerilee shows us an image of her from the Equestrian equivalent of the 1980's, with cutie mark. Like far out, man! Now let's go to the Orange Julius and listen to Tiffany at the mall! Apparently that's how they were all wearing their mane back then. Apparently she decided to become a teacher, and the flowers symbolized hope that she could help her students bloom. The smiles represented the cheer she wanted to bring. In other words, cutie marks can be really interpretative. And their 'special talents' are not always inline with them. Nor do, IMHO, special talents 'dominate' like how some people I've seen think about them. If so, well, Rarity would be in a mine. Twilight would be at a fireworks company. Pinkie Pie would be in the air even more than usual. So on and so forth.Sorry. Little bug of mine. *Ahem*
Cheerilee asks when ponies get their cutie mark, and Twist... twists her head while saying it happens when a pony discovers a certain something that makes her special. Am I in the Exorcist all of a sudden? It's a certain 'something' that makes them different from every other pony. And while Cheerilee is trying to impart an Aesop for a later episode, a filly with a tiara on her head but nothing between those ears is pssting at Apple Bloom. Doing it rather loudly, too. Hey, Cheerilee! Walk like an Egyptian over there and stop that! The filly hands Apple Bloom a note while a remote drone in the shape of another filly motions for her to pass it over. Apple Bloom does and FINALLY Cheerilee notices it. Head, meet desk at supersonic speeds. But the note, has nothing on it. And the tiara-wearing bitch laughs about it.
*Cracks knuckles* Almost time...
After the credits school is let out. Twist hops along while Apple Bloom is sad. I want to hug her and wave a lightsaber around. Twist tries cheering her up while...
Okay, I gotta say this. Some people think, with good reason, that I completely hate Pinkie Pie and think she's worst pony. And that I hate Discord. Well... actually? With Pinkie Pie, yes. There will be moments I want to throttle her. There will and have been moments she made me genuinely laugh, be surprised by her sensitivity and maturity, and cross the fourth wall to give her a hug.
Discord is... yeah. I hate him, but in the best way possible. To me, he's like Ted DiBiase or Roddy Piper. Yeah, I'm gonna pay to see him get beat. But I'm gonna PAY to see him get beat. However...
We are now properly introduced to Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Folks, I've said this before, but it needs repeating. Factoring in screentime, we have the flattest, least-developed characters in the whole damned show. I am dead serious when I say this. They flank Twist and Apple Bloom, talking about what a 'waste' of a lecture that was. They've all got their cutie marks. Well, 'almost' all of them. God I wanna punch them with the boat sword. *Checks* Ah, damn! I don't have a Gypsy Danger, only a Cherno Alpha! They rub it in, and say they're invited to the cute-cenera. And they do this insanely dumb butt-bumping thing. And they coin the 'blank flank' insult. Yeah, urge to kill rising! Urge to hug also rising.
At Sweet Apple Acres Apple Bloom is venting while Applejack tries to reassure her. She says she was the last to get her mark. She rubs her rump and it sparkles. Yeah, to quote Spike, that's creepy. Granny Smith and Big Mac were last in their classes, too. I know she legit means well... and Apple Bloom outright says that. Then she gets an idea. "Runs in the family!" No, no. The Running of the Leaves is the next episode. She gets the idea that her talent has to do with apples. She jumps for joy and crashes into a barrel.
We cut to Applejack hawking apples. *COUGHBOASTBUSTERSCOUGH* Sorry, something in my throat, there. Apple Bloom tries channeling an informercial, but it's not too effective. She uses a tennis racket to volley one and apparently almost hits someone offscreen. She fires off another one at a canvas, splattering it and the pony next to it. She even breaks the fourth wall a bit. She tries up Doctor Whooves, but it's no go until she gets creepy assertive. He buys it and runs off, home to Ditzy, Dinky and Sparkler. Applejack's not too pleased, natch. she does the 'you touch it, you buy it' routine on Berry Punch, and apparently there's credit in Equestria. Then she dumps apples into Bonbon's bag and tries to charge her for it. Bonbons' voice, btw, isn't too pleasing to the ear, IMHO. Four bits for a lot of apples. Applejack gives some, no charge. Bonbon makes out pretty nicely, and Apple Bloom's sent home. Applejack asks if others have their cutie marks, and Apple Bloom's reminded of Twist. Safety in numbers, after all.
Apple Bloom goes to Twist's house and asks about the party. And it turns out Twist has a cutie mark! It's a pair of candy canes crossed. It's 'pretty sweet'. And Apple Bloom's kinda crushed. Diamond Tiara and her shadow conveniently wander by to be grade-Z assholes. Apple Bloom makes that face. You know the one. We come back from commercial and see her sitting next to a well. Dash pops down and says someone's got a dark cloud hanging over their head. So she pushes it aside. Okay, that's a good visual pun.
Dash asks what the matter is and Apple Bloom spills about everything in one long gulp of air. Dash says she can get her one like that, even snapping her tail like we'd snap our fingers. Okay, that's a good effect. Apple Bloom says that Applejack says it takes time, and Dash rebuts by saying she should make it happen. We also learn Dash was the first in her class to get her cutie mark. It was during her first race she discovered her need for speed. That's... a line of video games? And another butt-shot.Montage time! Cue up either the A-Team theme or something from Survivor! The band, not the show. Never seen the show. Eye of the Tiger, perhaps. Dash is rocking a serious mullet and I'm afraid she'll tell my achey-breaky heart. Her plan is try as many things as possible. It's... not too bad a sounding plan. But since I don't even have any RL tattoos I can't comment fully. Juggling.... ends with stock balls hitting head. Hang-gliding... ends with her tripping and tumbling head-over-hooves. Karate, and we see Dash with a Black Belt?
Okay, little bit of headcanon from the Hasbroverse. Dash's teacher is named Iron Butterfly. He is basically Bruce Lee as a pony. He also becomes Apple Bloom's teacher in Lánjié tí fāngshì -Way of the Intercepting Hoof.
Back to the much more interesting show, Apple Bloom kicks a sand bag and breaks her leg. Kite-flying... ends about as bad as Charlie Brown's attempts, with the kite disintegrating as it lands. Roller derby... ends with her causing a four-foal pileup! We cut to Dash doing her best Twilight Sparkle impression as the two... TOS violations walk by. Apple Bloom hides while they still manage to be condescending pieces of slag. I wish to throttle them. Wash, rinse and repeat. Diamond Tiara is also balancing a rather large package on her back. Bigger than she is! Apple Bloom laments, and Pinkie Pie appears outta nowhere! She'd be good at eating cupcakes! Well, I'm good at eating cupcakes! Apple Bloom ditches her mentor for the sweets.
At Sugar Cube Corner, Apple Bloom cheers on a cupcake-eating cutie mark. I ponder that, then I realize I'm hungry. She searches for the cupcakes, but doesn't find any. Pinkie Pie plops a chef's hat onto her. She would like some help making cupcakes. No, Pinkie Pie! Remember the Baked Bads with Applejack! And we get the 'Cupcakes' song. It's, pardon the pun, a sweet little ditty. Nothing special about it but nothing too bad. We fade to Apple Bloom's 'attempts' at baking. She pulls out some charcoal from the oven, her best attempt yet! Pinkie eats some and we get some interesting shades of Maud here... foreshadowing this early? Nah. Maybe.
Apple Bloom's crushed. We get a mild hope spot of something on her flank, but it's flour. Pinkie... now's not the time for guessing games.Twilight comes in... for some reason. She declines the briquettes. Apple Bloom asks for Twilight to magic up a cutie mark. Twilight says that it's something a pony must discover for herself. Apple Bloom begs and Twilight reluctantly tries, and fails. For the record, I really hope she never gains the ability to do that. she's also exhausted at the end. Apple Bloom decides not to go to the party... and wanders out into the party.
We see a pony eating frosting-covered charcoal, and Apple Bloom hides. She berates herself for forgetting while Pinkie... puts a party hat on her. Not helping, Pie. Not. Helping. Apple Bloom does a Solid Snake to get to the door. Berry Punch gains the 'alcoholic' meme. Apple Bloom almost makes it... and bumps into Applejack, who pretty much shoves her back into the room and is about as oblivious as you can get. I am facepalming here and not in a good way. It's just so obvious and badly-written. So the Doublemint jerks stalk their prey. Apple Bloom MacGyvers a dress out of a tablecloth and tries to bluff it hiding an amazing cutie mark. We learn Diamond Tiara needs to be the center of attention. Natch. Apple Bloom almost makes it, but trips again. She knocks into the record player. It skips and they zero in for the kill.
Did I mention how much I loathe these two? I really, really do.
They restart being assholes. But Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo to the rescue! Also, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo for the proper introductions! They emerge from under a table. Literally. Wiat, what were they doing under there?! Silver Spoon drops about half a dozen 'likes' and not in the good Facebook way. She's so Valley Girl she's hit rock bottom. Sweetie Belle says she's full of potential. Scootaloo says she could be anything and mocks Silver Spoon's 'like' overuse, which I sincerely love. All but two listen and take it to heart. And we see two shots of them being blank flanks. Twilight says she's still got the joy of discovering who she is. And Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are upstaged in their own party. Silver Spoon tries the rump thing, but it fails. And I laugh at them.
There's formal introductions, and we cut to everyone rocking out, save two. And the Cutie Mark Crusaders is formed! The tree sap shall flow! And we get one more rump shot. Because we have to.
Thoughts
Okay... I love this episode. Cutie marks are explored. We get some cool worldbuilding/cultural stuff. Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Cheerilee, Twist and two/one others is introduced. Some good comedy, a heartwarming ending. Points are deducted for Applejack, Cheerilee and Pinkie being pretty oblivious. The show should be better than that! The CMC is formed. Sir Mixalot looked on with pride. But...
Like I've been saying throughout this episode. I loathe Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. They are generic alpha bitch bullying assholes. Over the next four seasons they'll display, what one decent moment apiece? And they're so small as to be almost nonexistent. I took great pleasure in writing out Megan's OC daughters, Danielle and Michelle, chewing them out. Between the two of them, they might form enough of a personality to be one fully-realized character.
- Location
- New Hampshire
And it's the Blue Bomber on the outstretch followed close behind by Awesome Apple! They're neck and neck folks! I've never seen a race be this tight! Get ready for the...
Fall Weather Friends
Fun fact, Dash's and Applejack's cutie marks on their toys are on opposite sides of their molds.
Fall Weather Friends
We open at Sweet Apple Acres and a horseshoe pit. It's Dash and Applejack playing, enjoying themselves. Nice. They banter a bit back and forth, Dash way overshooting on the target. Applejack gets a ringer, yay! Go, Applejack! Dash is... oddly devastated. Well, not oddly, considering how big her ego is. Applejack is a good sport, and tries cheering her up, which is good on her. But she does leave a little, "You're a good athlete. I'm just better." Ohhai Trixie! Dash asks if she thinks she's the top athlete in Ponyville, "I was gonna say all of Equestria," and she has got an ego inflation. Dash challenges her to an iron pony competition. Gonna fly now? They spit and shake hooves.
After the credits we see Twilight asking what they're doing while Dash stretches. Neither Twilight nor Dash know why she's here. Oh, she's the judge. Hmm, come a long way from 'Ticket Master'. Dash's ego grows. Again. We cut to a sports field and Spike doing his best Howard Cosell on top of Twilight while the running joke of, "Who are you talking to?" begins. We see the other three of the Mane Six walking/hopping/flying up. Three guesses as to who did what action. First is a race around barrels. Applejack gets a time of seventeen seconds, but a penalty of five seconds for nudging a barrel. Dash is nervous and Applejack reminds her it's all in good fun. Good on her! Dash zooms by while Applejack cheers her on. Heck, Dash is even showing slight self-deprecation at the end! Time is eighteen seconds, more than Applejack's but the penalty lets her win. Applejack teases her a bit as Fluttershy changes the scoreboard. Some more good-natured ribbing, which won't be so good-natured later on.
Next up is a test of strength, bell ringing! I sucked at this, btw. Dash is good, Applejack knocks it clear into the sky, followed by a bucking a 'shave and a hair cut, two bits' apple melody onto Dash's head. their egos are starting to show... more. The Apple Clan's out in force. All three of them. bronco bucking's next, with Spike. Dash wins this one... and I don't know why. Applejack's the one who uses her hind legs all day, after all. Dash really doesn't. Bah. Lassoing goes Applejack's way, natch. Spike once again is the butt monkey. Dash lashes herself to a tree. "Does this count?" Cue sad trombone!
Ball-bouncing is next, and as we saw in Dragonshy, Dash is a master. She even gets Applejack's ball going. We get one weird shot of a pegasus dropping a rose from a cloud and Fluttershy catching it in her mouth as she changes the score. Huh? Bale tossing, Applejack. Hoof wrestling... Dash? Again, I would've put my money on Applejack. Football kick, Applejack. It even changes the score for her! Spike does more Howard while Twilight is very oblivious to the huge crowd gathered. Push-ups and... Dash uses her wings to wing. Okay, for me? That's... cheating, or not playing fairly. It's the forelegs, not the wings. Applejack mutters to be a good sport to herself.
Long jump. I... sucked at this one, too. I suck at sports period. Dash flaots over and I call serious foul! Next is carrying chicks across a muddy path. Applejack's fly over to Dash's and... I'm not sure on that one. Final event, tug-of-war. Dash flies up, dragging Applejack up. I call foul, DQ Dash and lock her in the penalty box! She tricks Applejack into letting go of the rope and falling into the mud. We see the final score is... 15-5, Dash. Ouch! "I win by a landslide, or mudslide, in your case." Okay, egotistical and mean... but funny. "I am the Iron Pony!" So... she's either gonna get shrapnel lodged into her heart or bite the head off of a bird?
Applejack accuses her of cheating by using her wings. Dash says it's sour apples. She says Applejack never said she couldn't use her wings. And she says even without her wings she would've won. Ah... push-ups, tug-of-war, bird-carrying, long jump to Applejack without them. Don't know about the others. Applejack challenges her to the Running of the Leaves, no wings allowed. Dash's response is to buck Applejack away. "No wings? No problem!" Right...
They spit and shake again and their egos are drawing in black holes.
We cut to tomorrow and Twilght and Spike going there. Spike's impatient because he wants to be the announcer again. We also learn this race is only for ponies. Now I'm wondering what would happen if Zecora or Cranky tries to enter. *Evil grin* Spike starts announcing, but is overtaken by Pinkie in the balloon, which I own. Because I do. She's got an electric megaphone as Spike fumes. Right there with you. She gives some exposition on what this is. They run, so the leaves will fall in Autumn. Eh... okay. We see Bonbon and Berry Punch stretching, along with Applejack. Dash struts through, wings outstretched. Insert own joke, folks. Applejack says she's ready to run a good, clean race. Dash says she could win the race with both wings tied behind her back. Cue an evil grin of Applejack's and jum cut to her with her wings tied behind her back. Nice. "Trussed up like a turkey." Hmm, implications there are interesting.
Pinkie announces them to take their positions while Spike runs up. He tries asking if he can co-announce, but decides not to. Pinkie, channeling her season-one self, asks if he wants to help. Good on you, Pinkie! He climbs up and I smile genuinely. Applejack and Dash ready themselves, but look up in shock as Twilight steps up to the starting line. She's racing and... they mock her. Dash is particularly jerkassish here. Excuse me, I have to go ponder which Flash I should put her up against. Applejack at least wishes her good luck before snickering again. "See you at the finish line. Tomorrow!" Dash... *Slaps*
Pinkie Pie and Spike set them off and fly after them. Pinkie Pie is... random. In a gloriously funny way. No, I'm not gonna type out everything she says. We see the ponies running and a cascade of leaves falling behind them, used to good effect as a scene wipe. Spike is a little lost with Pinkie's rambling. Spike, even if you had a road map you'd be lost with her. Dash and Applejack are ahead. Applejack is not watching where she's going and trips over a rock, faceplanting as the other runners... run by. Twilight trots up as Applejack accuses Dash of tripping her. Twilight chews her out about watching where she's going. Applejack sees it and is cross with herself. She gallops off while Twilight tells her to be careful.
Ahead we see Dash. She looks back and sees nothing but empty road. She slows down, but Applejack appears out of nowhere and passes her. By the by, I love Spike's old-timey microphone. Applejack speeds ahead and Dash trips, digging out a small trench! She thinks Applejack tripped her... while Applejack was nowhere NEAR her legs. Twilight wonders if they ever look where they're going as she trots up. She points out the rather not-small stump while Dash accuses Applejack of tripping. What?! How the hell do you correlate that, Dash? Did Applejack plant the stump the night before, oh dear Sherlock? Twilight reminds her this is just a game, while Dash goes all sinister. "The rules have changed." Cue wacky shenanigans?
Back from commercial. We get a hot dog reference from Pinkie. It's the writers giving her something funny to say. Go with it. Below, Dash overtakes Applejack. They enter Whitetail Wood, and that place gets its first appearance. But Dash bends back a tree branch to knock Applejack down. BOO! HISS! Applejack uses another to do a Wile E. Coyote and catapult herself ahead. We get a short bit from the William Tell Overture to my admittedly-untrained ear. Applejack knocks down a bee's nest and Dash legs it. Applejack, not cool. I've got an aunt who's allergic to bee stings. Although this kinda backfires when Dash actually gets ahead. So instant Karma got her. Dash ducks into a bush, the bees make a question mark/exclamation point and fly off. Dash turns around a sign and Applejack goes onto a rather rocky and treeless path. Dash laughs and the other racers overtake her.
Twilight trots up. Dash does an odd derp face and her confidence level is 8,999. And we get the 'horse apples' swear. And somewhere, Sherman T Potter looks on with pride. We cut to Applejack reaching the edge of a cliff! The balloon floats by and Pinkie asks what she's doing here. Spike points out there's not even any trees. Applejack realizes it was Dash and asks for a lift. She does a Tarzan and swoops down to the head of the pack. Dash object. "You said no flying!" "No, I said no wings." EPIC BURN! And Dash, after some of the stuff you've pulled lately, I'm gonna give Applejack a pass. Although no pass for the beehive! We see tree taps for syrup, too. Nice touch. Applejack kicks down a bucket and Dash gets stuck. Wait... did Snidely Whiplash possess these two? Dash uses it like a whiplash and breaks free and... pardon the pun, 'dashes' ahead. She sends Applejack into a Tasmanian Devil spin which engulfs Dash and we've just hit wacky. Well, passed it. They go up a mountain and onto a cliff edge, which cracks and sends them sledding down and to the back of the pack. Twilight passes them and delivers a nice burn.
Dash agrees and runs off, Applejack following. We look ahead and see no more ponies racing, but also... we didn't see them pass anyone. Dash does a Ben-Hur into Applejack and we get a slightly dated, "Oh no she didn't!" "Oh yes she di-id!" from Spike and Pinkie. "You started it!" And now I'm gonna finish it!" MORTAL KOMBAT! Applejack goes for her old standby of biting Dash's tail. Damn, I should've kept track of that. Dash returns the favor. Applejack tries again, but this time bites the rope. Dash flies off, Applejack tackles her and we get them in a big ball of crazy. They cross the finish line and argue who won. Spike pipes up. "You tied!"
For last. Hah, hah!
Dash asks who won and... Twilight trots up with a gold medal. They're agog. Actually, she got fifth place. Show. legit props for that. They're shocked since she ran so slow. Turns out she paced herself. Just like her book said she should. Twilight, you get first place from me. We pan over and see three ponies all worn out, all pegasi, mind. Show, more legit props. Dash is even more agog, and Twilight gently rebukes them with a 'horsing around' pun. Applejack ponies up and apologizes, saying their behavior was terrible. Dash agrees.
And Celestia out of buckin NOWHERE! The ponies bow and she says an important lesson was learned. Very odd angle of her as she appears, straight ahead and her head's all bulbous and distorted. She came to celebrate the Running of the Leaves. Applejack apologizes to her, and Celestia's understanding. Anyone can get swept up in competition. Twilight says it's important to remember friendship is more important. Good lesson, here. Celestia agrees, and says that since they were so busy tricking each other, not all the leaves were shaken down. So they race off, smiling. And halfway down the path they pass out from overexertion.
Thoughts
A good episode overall, with some genuine laughs, a good lesson at the end too. Nice worldbuilding, Pinkie is funny and sensitive, Spike gets to announce the Race and this is just... good.
Interesting how Applejack legit tried to be a good sport at first, but got caught up in the whole thing with Dash. Dash was... Dash. Ego the size of a dwarf galaxy. I do find her use of wings in a few of those Iron Pony events to be wrong. Applejack was right. Also, again, legit props for Twilight not taking first place. Not much more I can say, methinks.
They banter a bit back and forth, Dash way overshooting on the target. Applejack gets a ringer, yay! Go, Applejack! Dash is... oddly devastated. Well, not oddly, considering how big her ego is. Applejack is a good sport, and tries cheering her up, which is good on her. But she does leave a little, "You're a good athlete. I'm just better." Ohhai Trixie! Dash asks if she thinks she's the top athlete in Ponyville, "I was gonna say all of Equestria," and she has got an ego inflation. Dash challenges her to an iron pony competition. Gonna fly now? They spit and shake hooves.After the credits we see Twilight asking what they're doing while Dash stretches. Neither Twilight nor Dash know why she's here. Oh, she's the judge. Hmm, come a long way from 'Ticket Master'. Dash's ego grows. Again. We cut to a sports field and Spike doing his best Howard Cosell on top of Twilight while the running joke of, "Who are you talking to?" begins. We see the other three of the Mane Six walking/hopping/flying up. Three guesses as to who did what action.
First is a race around barrels. Applejack gets a time of seventeen seconds, but a penalty of five seconds for nudging a barrel. Dash is nervous and Applejack reminds her it's all in good fun. Good on her! Dash zooms by while Applejack cheers her on. Heck, Dash is even showing slight self-deprecation at the end! Time is eighteen seconds, more than Applejack's but the penalty lets her win. Applejack teases her a bit as Fluttershy changes the scoreboard. Some more good-natured ribbing, which won't be so good-natured later on. Next up is a test of strength, bell ringing! I sucked at this, btw. Dash is good, Applejack knocks it clear into the sky, followed by a bucking a 'shave and a hair cut, two bits' apple melody onto Dash's head. their egos are starting to show... more. The Apple Clan's out in force. All three of them. bronco bucking's next, with Spike. Dash wins this one... and I don't know why. Applejack's the one who uses her hind legs all day, after all. Dash really doesn't. Bah. Lassoing goes Applejack's way, natch. Spike once again is the butt monkey. Dash lashes herself to a tree. "Does this count?" Cue sad trombone!
Ball-bouncing is next, and as we saw in Dragonshy, Dash is a master. She even gets Applejack's ball going. We get one weird shot of a pegasus dropping a rose from a cloud and Fluttershy catching it in her mouth as she changes the score. Huh? Bale tossing, Applejack. Hoof wrestling... Dash? Again, I would've put my money on Applejack. Football kick, Applejack. It even changes the score for her! Spike does more Howard while Twilight is very oblivious to the huge crowd gathered. Push-ups and... Dash uses her wings to wing. Okay, for me? That's... cheating, or not playing fairly. It's the forelegs, not the wings. Applejack mutters to be a good sport to herself.
Long jump. I... sucked at this one, too. I suck at sports period. Dash flaots over and I call serious foul! Next is carrying chicks across a muddy path. Applejack's fly over to Dash's and... I'm not sure on that one. Final event, tug-of-war. Dash flies up, dragging Applejack up. I call foul, DQ Dash and lock her in the penalty box! She tricks Applejack into letting go of the rope and falling into the mud. We see the final score is... 15-5, Dash. Ouch! "I win by a landslide, or mudslide, in your case." Okay, egotistical and mean... but funny. "I am the Iron Pony!" So... she's either gonna get shrapnel lodged into her heart or bite the head off of a bird?
Applejack accuses her of cheating by using her wings. Dash says it's sour apples. She says Applejack never said she couldn't use her wings. And she says even without her wings she would've won. Ah... push-ups, tug-of-war, bird-carrying, long jump to Applejack without them. Don't know about the others. Applejack challenges her to the Running of the Leaves, no wings allowed. Dash's response is to buck Applejack away. "No wings? No problem!" Right...
They spit and shake again and their egos are drawing in black holes.
We cut to tomorrow and Twilght and Spike going there. Spike's impatient because he wants to be the announcer again. We also learn this race is only for ponies. Now I'm wondering what would happen if Zecora or Cranky tries to enter. *Evil grin* Spike starts announcing, but is overtaken by Pinkie in the balloon, which I own. Because I do.
She's got an electric megaphone as Spike fumes. Right there with you. She gives some exposition on what this is. They run, so the leaves will fall in Autumn. Eh... okay. We see Bonbon and Berry Punch stretching, along with Applejack. Dash struts through, wings outstretched. Insert own joke, folks. Applejack says she's ready to run a good, clean race. Dash says she could win the race with both wings tied behind her back. Cue an evil grin of Applejack's and jum cut to her with her wings tied behind her back. Nice. "Trussed up like a turkey." Hmm, implications there are interesting.Pinkie announces them to take their positions while Spike runs up. He tries asking if he can co-announce, but decides not to. Pinkie, channeling her season-one self, asks if he wants to help. Good on you, Pinkie! He climbs up and I smile genuinely. Applejack and Dash ready themselves, but look up in shock as Twilight steps up to the starting line. She's racing and... they mock her. Dash is particularly jerkassish here. Excuse me, I have to go ponder which Flash I should put her up against. Applejack at least wishes her good luck before snickering again. "See you at the finish line. Tomorrow!" Dash... *Slaps*
Pinkie Pie and Spike set them off and fly after them. Pinkie Pie is... random. In a gloriously funny way. No, I'm not gonna type out everything she says.
We see the ponies running and a cascade of leaves falling behind them, used to good effect as a scene wipe. Spike is a little lost with Pinkie's rambling. Spike, even if you had a road map you'd be lost with her. Dash and Applejack are ahead. Applejack is not watching where she's going and trips over a rock, faceplanting as the other runners... run by. Twilight trots up as Applejack accuses Dash of tripping her. Twilight chews her out about watching where she's going. Applejack sees it and is cross with herself. She gallops off while Twilight tells her to be careful.Ahead we see Dash. She looks back and sees nothing but empty road. She slows down, but Applejack appears out of nowhere and passes her. By the by, I love Spike's old-timey microphone. Applejack speeds ahead and Dash trips, digging out a small trench! She thinks Applejack tripped her... while Applejack was nowhere NEAR her legs. Twilight wonders if they ever look where they're going as she trots up. She points out the rather not-small stump while Dash accuses Applejack of tripping. What?! How the hell do you correlate that, Dash? Did Applejack plant the stump the night before, oh dear Sherlock? Twilight reminds her this is just a game, while Dash goes all sinister. "The rules have changed." Cue wacky shenanigans?
Back from commercial. We get a hot dog reference from Pinkie. It's the writers giving her something funny to say. Go with it.
Below, Dash overtakes Applejack. They enter Whitetail Wood, and that place gets its first appearance. But Dash bends back a tree branch to knock Applejack down. BOO! HISS! Applejack uses another to do a Wile E. Coyote and catapult herself ahead. We get a short bit from the William Tell Overture to my admittedly-untrained ear. Applejack knocks down a bee's nest and Dash legs it. Applejack, not cool. I've got an aunt who's allergic to bee stings. Although this kinda backfires when Dash actually gets ahead. So instant Karma got her. Dash ducks into a bush, the bees make a question mark/exclamation point and fly off. Dash turns around a sign and Applejack goes onto a rather rocky and treeless path. Dash laughs and the other racers overtake her.Twilight trots up. Dash does an odd derp face and her confidence level is 8,999. And we get the 'horse apples' swear. And somewhere, Sherman T Potter looks on with pride. We cut to Applejack reaching the edge of a cliff! The balloon floats by and Pinkie asks what she's doing here. Spike points out there's not even any trees. Applejack realizes it was Dash and asks for a lift. She does a Tarzan and swoops down to the head of the pack. Dash object. "You said no flying!" "No, I said no wings." EPIC BURN! And Dash, after some of the stuff you've pulled lately, I'm gonna give Applejack a pass. Although no pass for the beehive! We see tree taps for syrup, too. Nice touch. Applejack kicks down a bucket and Dash gets stuck. Wait... did Snidely Whiplash possess these two? Dash uses it like a whiplash and breaks free and... pardon the pun, 'dashes' ahead.
She sends Applejack into a Tasmanian Devil spin which engulfs Dash and we've just hit wacky. Well, passed it. They go up a mountain and onto a cliff edge, which cracks and sends them sledding down and to the back of the pack. Twilight passes them and delivers a nice burn.Dash agrees and runs off, Applejack following. We look ahead and see no more ponies racing, but also... we didn't see them pass anyone. Dash does a Ben-Hur into Applejack and we get a slightly dated, "Oh no she didn't!" "Oh yes she di-id!" from Spike and Pinkie. "You started it!" And now I'm gonna finish it!" MORTAL KOMBAT! Applejack goes for her old standby of biting Dash's tail. Damn, I should've kept track of that. Dash returns the favor. Applejack tries again, but this time bites the rope. Dash flies off, Applejack tackles her and we get them in a big ball of crazy. They cross the finish line and argue who won. Spike pipes up. "You tied!"
For last. Hah, hah!
Dash asks who won and... Twilight trots up with a gold medal. They're agog. Actually, she got fifth place. Show. legit props for that. They're shocked since she ran so slow. Turns out she paced herself. Just like her book said she should. Twilight, you get first place from me. We pan over and see three ponies all worn out, all pegasi, mind. Show, more legit props. Dash is even more agog, and Twilight gently rebukes them with a 'horsing around' pun. Applejack ponies up and apologizes, saying their behavior was terrible. Dash agrees.
And Celestia out of buckin NOWHERE! The ponies bow and she says an important lesson was learned. Very odd angle of her as she appears, straight ahead and her head's all bulbous and distorted. She came to celebrate the Running of the Leaves. Applejack apologizes to her, and Celestia's understanding. Anyone can get swept up in competition. Twilight says it's important to remember friendship is more important. Good lesson, here. Celestia agrees, and says that since they were so busy tricking each other, not all the leaves were shaken down. So they race off, smiling. And halfway down the path they pass out from overexertion.
Thoughts
A good episode overall, with some genuine laughs, a good lesson at the end too. Nice worldbuilding, Pinkie is funny and sensitive, Spike gets to announce the Race and this is just... good.
Interesting how Applejack legit tried to be a good sport at first, but got caught up in the whole thing with Dash. Dash was... Dash. Ego the size of a dwarf galaxy. I do find her use of wings in a few of those Iron Pony events to be wrong. Applejack was right. Also, again, legit props for Twilight not taking first place. Not much more I can say, methinks.
Fun fact, Dash's and Applejack's cutie marks on their toys are on opposite sides of their molds.
Matsci
Grash itsh griah! Rwar arr rawrrawrarar!
Twilight blinked, 'Ohmygosh did I just... Oh no I had a premature casting!' cringed the lavender pony, blushing brightly. "I-I swear this never happened to me before!" she pleaded, 'I'm not a 14-year-old foal anymore, how could I lose control like that?' (...) Oh Celestia, I can't believe I cast all over Trixie's face like that!Premature spellcasting can be a problem for younger unicorns.
~ Ballad of Twilight Sparkle, chapter 2
Call of the Cutie
Call of duty... I only get that now? Geez.
Cutie marks being one's life's purpose is really just a cultural tradition. They pop in at a moment of great elation for a pony of a certain age, often after gaining a special skill, and their look is connected to that moment. But when Cheerilee can use interpretation to make flowers stand for teaching, anypony can claim their mark stands for whatever they decided to do in life.
And then the comics just go full hog and Cheerilee didn't think of teaching as an option until many years after her mark.
There are times when Pinkie needs to be throttled down to about 20%, yes.
Rainbow clearly learned her stuff from Diamond Axe, sister of famed miner and craftspony Diamond Pickaxe.
And the Season 3 and 4 finales are what?
Fall Weather Friends
Bite off Gilda's head again? Not metaphorically this time?
...And that's all I have to say, really? Quintessential slice of life here.
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- Location
- New Hampshire
Perfect.
I thought it was a riff on Call of Cth... that giant squid head.
Hmm, yeah. That makes a lot of sense to me, too.
Less throttle down and more me throttling the life outta her. It's coming.
Season four, I liked.
The season three finale, I hated.Not sure. There was some significant stuff happening here. The bits about cutie marks, the formation of the CMC and introduction of worst characters.
FASHION! Turn to the left! FASHION! Turn to the right! FASHION! Because since every girl's crazy about a sharp. Dressed. Man! It's time to get...
Suited for Success
God, those intros are lame.
We open on Carousel Boutique. Rarity is fantasizing about the Gala and going there in a new dress. She pulls a scarf off of a ponykin, sending Opal for a tumble. She... does not land on her feet, rather her belly. Myth... BUSTED! Rarity also talks to her and does a duck face to the camera. Opal paws at a length of cloth, which is yanked out from under her paws and I have to laugh, then wonder why Angel doesn't get more treatment like that. Rarity... kinda sorta abuses Opal while working. Her using her hooves to work the sewing machine is insanely adorable, as are the glasses. Opal's got a pincushion in her mouth and is now doing an act to get on the Ed Sullivan show with spools, glue and scissors. Opal rolls her eyes, hisses and thinks, "Tomorrow, I go in your closet!"
Back from commercial, Applejack and Twilight knock and enter, whispering rather loudly behind her back while trying not to disturb her concentration. Rarity wonders if she's fast enough to stab them with scissors before pulling her temper in and asking what they need. Twilight pulls out a plain red dress and asks for a button to be fixed. It's her Gala dress and Rarity nearly dies from shock. QUICKLY! Get Steven Magnet on the scene, STAT! She tells Twilight she needs a new dress for the Gala,. and she'll make it for her! Element of Generosity, indeed! Twilight tries to turn her down, but Rarity insists! Twilight thanks her, and we have a genuine feel-good moment here.
Rarity suddenly looks to Applejack down her muzzle and asks if she wanted a new dress or not. She was gonna wear her work clothes. I will admit... when it comes to formal wear, I'm mostly with Applejack there. And to her it's gonna be work-related anyway. Rarity nearly has a stroke from that. She offers to spruce up her 'duds', and Applejack accepts. "Just don't make 'em too frou-frouey." Exact from the closed captions.
And Dash drops in. Literally. As in through the roof. Insurance, claims, paying for that damage, Dashie?! She bounces and knocks over a display. "Sorry, new trick. Didn't quite work." Gee, you think?! Rarity gets the "i-dea!" meme. She'll make an outfit for Dash, too! Dash is confused. Or concussed. Both, possibly. Rarity will make dresses for everyone! All shall be fashionable and despair! Then they'll put on a fashion show... and I love this show. I really, really do. You know why? It's not a fashion show for being a show, but being a show for a boost for her business! YES!!!! She's already got a bolt of fabric out and has begun. Applejack has doubts about Rarity able to do this. Reasonable of her. Rarity's response?
"Oh, Applejack. You make it sound as if it's going to be hard!" Ooh, that's a bit... boastful.
We get the song 'Art of the dress', which is magnificent. There's almost nothing more I can say about it. It's putting it Together from Sunday in the Park with George. It's like a musical number from a big-budget Hollywood musical. Also shows Rarity really knows the others. Excellent use of equine anatomical terms, fashion terms. They're not thrown in, but used correctly. Just... wonderful.
We do get the mention of 'tank'. In the Hasbroverse, the Equestrian Armed Forces has a Royal Tank Corps, using tanks with the outer appearance/function of WW I designs. Big Mac was a former member before the death of his parents forced him to take a hardship discharge.
We cut to Rarity leading the others into her workroom, blindfolded. The dresses are revealed and... they're stunning. Even Opal approves! I know I do! Each one fits their personality perfectly. The others are speechless. From delight? Sadly, no. The dresses are... something. Something spectacular? Amazing? Incredible. Dash is blunt, saying it's not as cool as she imagined. Head, meet desk. According to Twilight, they're not what they had in mind. What did you have in mind? Rarity is crushed and I wanna hug her, but she's determined to make them better! Fluttershy says she doesn't have to do that, and I agree! They're incredibly awesome as-is! They're not perfect, but perfection doesn't exist in this reality. They're damned close, though! Also to be technical, the animation where Fluttershy says they're fine isn't too good.
Applejack says they don't want to impose while Rarity's spirit is dying before their eyes. They thank her again and walk off, leaving her with sinking hope. "What have I gotten myself into?" More like what have they gotten you into. We come back from commercial. Rarity's mane is frazzled as Fluttershy walks in. Rarity has her new-new gown ready. She... 'loves' it. And shows about as much enthusiasm as I do for... most zombie-related media. Rarity catches her BS. Rarity pushes her, pushes her... and we get Fluttershy's freaky technical knowledge of clothing. Note she has 'technical' knowledge. As we'll see later, she doesn't have much practical knowledge of the craft. Oh, and she mentions 'French' because the kids would get that. And she does this ultra-snobby little 'muzzle in air and foreleg crossed' thing at the end. Rarity's agog.
We get a reprise of Art of the Dress, Rarity a lot more frazzled. They're throwing insane demands at her that make no sense. We get the '20% cooler' meme. You can practically hear the people behind this concerning executive meddling. Each pony's demands reflect that. Twilight's wants technical accuracy above all. Pinkie Pie wants random shit. Applejack wants insane stuff for things that she probably doesn't need them for. Dash gives little input other than '20% cooler' and Fluttershy knows enough about dressmaking to sound impressive, but not really know enough to make it good.
At the end, in the mess that was once Carousel Boutique, Rarity laments these are the ugliest dresses she's ever made. Ho, boy. She's not just whistling Dixie, folks. We cut to her presenting the dresses. They're impressed while Opal wants to shred them. I say, let the kitty win. Rarity tries to be diplomatic about how much she loathes them. Suddenly, a wild Spike appears! He maybe kinda sorta mentioned the fashion show to Hoity Toity, a bigwig in the fashion industry in Canterlot. Okay, Spike? Normally, legit props to you. This time with those abominations... still legit good on you. Excuse me, five of the Mane Six. I must swat you with Sunday editions of the New York Times!!!! Applejack and the others think her business will boom! Rarity nearly has a stroke.
We cut to night. Suddenly, a shot rang out! Oh, no. Wait, Megan from Earth hasn't come back yet. False alarm, folks! They're all getting ready. And I gotta wonder how big this stage is compared to Trixie's wagon. And I know, but I'm still doing it. Hoity walks in and gets a pillow laid down. I'll admit, I actually really like the guy. Rarity tries to calm down. It works about as well as you'd expect. We get a brief shot of Vinyl Scratch and her turntable. The lights go on and Spike announces. It's a good setup, a shame what they came to see is so horrid.
The five strut their... stuff. Mares on film! This is the first time we see their outfits in all their hideous, gory glory. Ditzy's so shocked she's seeing straight! They all pout and do those runway looks and turns. I am still amazed at how bad these look. Dash's is the best, but that's like calling Moe the smart Stooge. Ponies in the crowd are literally sticking their tongues out at these outfits. Applejack wonders why they're looking at them so oddly, and Twilight realizes how badly they fucked up. Hoity rips into them, and he's got every right in the universe to. Rarity herself said how bad they were. He says it's a mishmash of everything but the kitchen sink! And Rarity... kicks a sink back. Okay, that's a bit too far for a joke. Hoity rips further and Rarity wants to hide... but Spike calls her out. And she does a Walk of Shame, head hung low. The others are left on that turntable at the front of the walkway, basking in humiliation.
We cut to Rarity... pulling a Susan Lucci, perhaps? Full-on drama queen mode, not that she doesn't deserve to. It's a nervous breakdown in a pink, frilly robe. Twilight tries to reassure her while Dash is an asshole. I have to punch Dash, now. *Punches Dash* Ah, much better! Rarity's so around the bend she doesn't even know what she's supposed to wallow in! Fluttershy thinks they should panic and Dash again makes me wanna smack her. God, at this point in the series I'm liking Pinkie Pie more than Dash!!!!! Pinkie says she'll become a crazy cat lady! "She only has one cat!" "Give her time..."
Twilight peeks in through the keyhole and spies Rarity's unfinished design. We cut to Rarity contemplating exile and pondering the intricacies of such an endeavor. She suddenly hears Opal, opens a window and spies the cat in a tree, clinging to a branch for dear life! Rarity shows what a good person she is and goes to rescue her. And she sees Dash there, who put her up there. Okay, good intentions... but still pretty rotten. We pan down to see the others around Rarity's finished dress! Rarity goes into mild shock. She gives it a critical eye. And no, she doesn't like it. After the wringer they put her through, she's earned this. And yeah, she loves it. Even got really freaky eyes and expression. No, Rarity! Put down the thread and needle, I'm sorry I bought your EQG doll!
The others admit the dresses she made were perfect. They apologize and admit their 'suggestions' were bad. Good on them! She forgives them, but her career's still RUINED! But maybe not... as Hoity stands there. We cut to inside Carousel Boutique. "Take two!" And Rarity's horn lights up and... it's the best fashion show I've ever seen! Literally, too. We see the dresses and Hoity's amazed. The dresses fit the ponies perfectly, not much more to say. It's a great sequence all around. I will say my favorite part of the background song is the clapping done at the beginning of Fluttershy's part. Hoity claps and wants to see the designer. Rarity takes center-stage and drinks in the praise, rightfully so.
We cut to the after-party and Twilight's very appropriate letter and Aesop. Don't be overly critical, and don't try to please everybody. Because that's pretty much impossible. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, which for me implies nothing more than something for the audience to latch onto. Hoity congratulates Rarity and asks if he can feature her couture in his boutique in Canterlot? He'll need a dozen of each dress by next Tuesday. Ohhai Captain Harriman! Rarity gets a twitchy eye and we go to black.
Thoughts
What can I say? This episode earned its rep as awesome. It's a great song, great moments, great lesson that fits the episode. You've heard it a dozen times over from people far more articulate than I am.
I mean... we have the character that screams 'prima donna' putting on a fashion show with her friends, other Technicolor horses. It should be so saccharine as to cause tooth decay, but it's pulled off wonderfully. Rarity shows her eye for detail, and that she knows her friends. The unsubtle message about meddling is great, too.
As for Hoity, I love the guy. He's pretty danged reasonable, all things considered. He came to Ponyville on Spike's invitation, saw abominations of fashion but still gave Rarity a second chance. Did he rip into the ones at the first fashion show? Yes. So did Rarity and everyone else. He praised the good ones and I just love him, and his design. Although one wonders how the heck Spike got him to go in the first place. The mind wonders, and ponders!
Back from commercial, Applejack and Twilight knock and enter, whispering rather loudly behind her back while trying not to disturb her concentration. Rarity wonders if she's fast enough to stab them with scissors before pulling her temper in and asking what they need. Twilight pulls out a plain red dress and asks for a button to be fixed. It's her Gala dress and Rarity nearly dies from shock. QUICKLY! Get Steven Magnet on the scene, STAT! She tells Twilight she needs a new dress for the Gala,. and she'll make it for her! Element of Generosity, indeed! Twilight tries to turn her down, but Rarity insists! Twilight thanks her, and we have a genuine feel-good moment here.
Rarity suddenly looks to Applejack down her muzzle and asks if she wanted a new dress or not. She was gonna wear her work clothes. I will admit... when it comes to formal wear, I'm mostly with Applejack there. And to her it's gonna be work-related anyway. Rarity nearly has a stroke from that. She offers to spruce up her 'duds', and Applejack accepts. "Just don't make 'em too frou-frouey." Exact from the closed captions.
And Dash drops in. Literally. As in through the roof. Insurance, claims, paying for that damage, Dashie?! She bounces and knocks over a display. "Sorry, new trick. Didn't quite work." Gee, you think?! Rarity gets the "i-dea!" meme. She'll make an outfit for Dash, too! Dash is confused. Or concussed. Both, possibly. Rarity will make dresses for everyone! All shall be fashionable and despair! Then they'll put on a fashion show... and I love this show. I really, really do. You know why? It's not a fashion show for being a show, but being a show for a boost for her business! YES!!!! She's already got a bolt of fabric out and has begun. Applejack has doubts about Rarity able to do this. Reasonable of her. Rarity's response?
"Oh, Applejack. You make it sound as if it's going to be hard!" Ooh, that's a bit... boastful.
We get the song 'Art of the dress', which is magnificent. There's almost nothing more I can say about it. It's putting it Together from Sunday in the Park with George. It's like a musical number from a big-budget Hollywood musical. Also shows Rarity really knows the others. Excellent use of equine anatomical terms, fashion terms. They're not thrown in, but used correctly. Just... wonderful.
We do get the mention of 'tank'. In the Hasbroverse, the Equestrian Armed Forces has a Royal Tank Corps, using tanks with the outer appearance/function of WW I designs. Big Mac was a former member before the death of his parents forced him to take a hardship discharge.
We cut to Rarity leading the others into her workroom, blindfolded. The dresses are revealed and... they're stunning. Even Opal approves! I know I do! Each one fits their personality perfectly. The others are speechless. From delight? Sadly, no. The dresses are... something. Something spectacular? Amazing? Incredible. Dash is blunt, saying it's not as cool as she imagined. Head, meet desk. According to Twilight, they're not what they had in mind. What did you have in mind? Rarity is crushed and I wanna hug her, but she's determined to make them better! Fluttershy says she doesn't have to do that, and I agree! They're incredibly awesome as-is! They're not perfect, but perfection doesn't exist in this reality. They're damned close, though! Also to be technical, the animation where Fluttershy says they're fine isn't too good.
Applejack says they don't want to impose while Rarity's spirit is dying before their eyes. They thank her again and walk off, leaving her with sinking hope. "What have I gotten myself into?" More like what have they gotten you into. We come back from commercial. Rarity's mane is frazzled as Fluttershy walks in. Rarity has her new-new gown ready. She... 'loves' it. And shows about as much enthusiasm as I do for... most zombie-related media. Rarity catches her BS. Rarity pushes her, pushes her... and we get Fluttershy's freaky technical knowledge of clothing. Note she has 'technical' knowledge. As we'll see later, she doesn't have much practical knowledge of the craft. Oh, and she mentions 'French' because the kids would get that. And she does this ultra-snobby little 'muzzle in air and foreleg crossed' thing at the end. Rarity's agog.
We get a reprise of Art of the Dress, Rarity a lot more frazzled. They're throwing insane demands at her that make no sense. We get the '20% cooler' meme. You can practically hear the people behind this concerning executive meddling. Each pony's demands reflect that. Twilight's wants technical accuracy above all. Pinkie Pie wants random shit. Applejack wants insane stuff for things that she probably doesn't need them for. Dash gives little input other than '20% cooler' and Fluttershy knows enough about dressmaking to sound impressive, but not really know enough to make it good.
At the end, in the mess that was once Carousel Boutique, Rarity laments these are the ugliest dresses she's ever made. Ho, boy. She's not just whistling Dixie, folks. We cut to her presenting the dresses. They're impressed while Opal wants to shred them. I say, let the kitty win. Rarity tries to be diplomatic about how much she loathes them. Suddenly, a wild Spike appears! He maybe kinda sorta mentioned the fashion show to Hoity Toity, a bigwig in the fashion industry in Canterlot. Okay, Spike? Normally, legit props to you. This time with those abominations... still legit good on you. Excuse me, five of the Mane Six. I must swat you with Sunday editions of the New York Times!!!! Applejack and the others think her business will boom! Rarity nearly has a stroke.
We cut to night. Suddenly, a shot rang out! Oh, no. Wait, Megan from Earth hasn't come back yet. False alarm, folks! They're all getting ready. And I gotta wonder how big this stage is compared to Trixie's wagon.
And I know, but I'm still doing it. Hoity walks in and gets a pillow laid down. I'll admit, I actually really like the guy. Rarity tries to calm down. It works about as well as you'd expect. We get a brief shot of Vinyl Scratch and her turntable. The lights go on and Spike announces. It's a good setup, a shame what they came to see is so horrid. The five strut their... stuff. Mares on film! This is the first time we see their outfits in all their hideous, gory glory. Ditzy's so shocked she's seeing straight! They all pout and do those runway looks and turns. I am still amazed at how bad these look. Dash's is the best, but that's like calling Moe the smart Stooge. Ponies in the crowd are literally sticking their tongues out at these outfits. Applejack wonders why they're looking at them so oddly, and Twilight realizes how badly they fucked up. Hoity rips into them, and he's got every right in the universe to. Rarity herself said how bad they were. He says it's a mishmash of everything but the kitchen sink! And Rarity... kicks a sink back. Okay, that's a bit too far for a joke. Hoity rips further and Rarity wants to hide... but Spike calls her out. And she does a Walk of Shame, head hung low. The others are left on that turntable at the front of the walkway, basking in humiliation.
We cut to Rarity... pulling a Susan Lucci, perhaps? Full-on drama queen mode, not that she doesn't deserve to. It's a nervous breakdown in a pink, frilly robe. Twilight tries to reassure her while Dash is an asshole. I have to punch Dash, now. *Punches Dash* Ah, much better! Rarity's so around the bend she doesn't even know what she's supposed to wallow in! Fluttershy thinks they should panic and Dash again makes me wanna smack her. God, at this point in the series I'm liking Pinkie Pie more than Dash!!!!! Pinkie says she'll become a crazy cat lady! "She only has one cat!" "Give her time..."
Twilight peeks in through the keyhole and spies Rarity's unfinished design. We cut to Rarity contemplating exile and pondering the intricacies of such an endeavor. She suddenly hears Opal, opens a window and spies the cat in a tree, clinging to a branch for dear life! Rarity shows what a good person she is and goes to rescue her. And she sees Dash there, who put her up there. Okay, good intentions... but still pretty rotten. We pan down to see the others around Rarity's finished dress! Rarity goes into mild shock. She gives it a critical eye. And no, she doesn't like it. After the wringer they put her through, she's earned this. And yeah, she loves it. Even got really freaky eyes and expression. No, Rarity! Put down the thread and needle, I'm sorry I bought your EQG doll!
The others admit the dresses she made were perfect. They apologize and admit their 'suggestions' were bad. Good on them! She forgives them, but her career's still RUINED! But maybe not... as Hoity stands there. We cut to inside Carousel Boutique. "Take two!" And Rarity's horn lights up and... it's the best fashion show I've ever seen! Literally, too. We see the dresses and Hoity's amazed. The dresses fit the ponies perfectly, not much more to say. It's a great sequence all around. I will say my favorite part of the background song is the clapping done at the beginning of Fluttershy's part. Hoity claps and wants to see the designer. Rarity takes center-stage and drinks in the praise, rightfully so.
We cut to the after-party and Twilight's very appropriate letter and Aesop. Don't be overly critical, and don't try to please everybody. Because that's pretty much impossible. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, which for me implies nothing more than something for the audience to latch onto.
Hoity congratulates Rarity and asks if he can feature her couture in his boutique in Canterlot? He'll need a dozen of each dress by next Tuesday. Ohhai Captain Harriman! Rarity gets a twitchy eye and we go to black.Thoughts
What can I say? This episode earned its rep as awesome. It's a great song, great moments, great lesson that fits the episode. You've heard it a dozen times over from people far more articulate than I am.
I mean... we have the character that screams 'prima donna' putting on a fashion show with her friends, other Technicolor horses. It should be so saccharine as to cause tooth decay, but it's pulled off wonderfully. Rarity shows her eye for detail, and that she knows her friends. The unsubtle message about meddling is great, too.
As for Hoity, I love the guy. He's pretty danged reasonable, all things considered. He came to Ponyville on Spike's invitation, saw abominations of fashion but still gave Rarity a second chance. Did he rip into the ones at the first fashion show? Yes. So did Rarity and everyone else. He praised the good ones and I just love him, and his design. Although one wonders how the heck Spike got him to go in the first place. The mind wonders, and ponders!
So, again, awesome episode. Now this time, no new picture since... I really can't take something 'new' with my toys that could be better than what I've got here. I don't have anything for my pony toys to wear, you see.
Tune in tomorrow when, *Checks DVD list* Ho, boy. From a peak to a valley. Tomorrow, we're Feeling Pinkie Keen.
I thought so too at first. Apple Bloom's mark is the Yellow Sign, that's why it's invisible.
Wait, is the Cutie a Great Old One who marks ponies for its own purposes? I'll take that for a part of the Pony belief system. Remember to mark your door with the Cutie Seal when the Moon enters Aquarius, to ward off malevolent attention and ensure good fortune for the year.
I was referring to having only one comment for Fall Weather Friends.
Best argument for Rainbow being loaded: paying all the constant fines for property damage. Most of Ponyville has newer roofs and walls than it would otherwise, paid by her. Notice how Rarity doesn't even comment on that, it's such an everyday occurrence.
Except of course for EXTREME KNITTING.
I've seen that attitude before, "friends don't let their friends not have taste", and I take umbrage to that. They loved these dresses, "exactly what I asked for". If they were just for them and not for a showcase of Rarity's fashion, it would have been all that mattered and the dresses could be safely declared perfect.
Overall:
The decision to use the fashion girl as a conduit to talk about the difficulties of work as a hired artist was the turning point in many fans' perception of Rarity, great execution, the song was perfect 10/10.
- Location
- New Hampshire
To be honest, I'm not that fond of Lovecraftian mythos. To the point where I like it best when it's getting its ass kicked by other franchises.
Ah, sorry. I had a long day yesterday.
Except it was for that fashion show. And they were all free dresses. If it was me, I'd be "THANK YOU!" and take it, grinning.
Okay, I'm tired, I've had a long day at work. I don't feel good, so I guess that means I'm in the best mood to be...
Feeling Pinkie Keen
Strap in, folks. We have a nice pan over City Hall before fading to Twilight and Spike. Spike has a stick, something green around his neck and a rock balanced on his head. Twilight, for some reason, is struggling to turn these into a top hat and tails with swaggerific cane. ZZ Top, take it away! And for some reason it seems that both of them need to concentrate on this, even though that's never been needed before. Pinkie Pie lets out a squeak and the top hat becomes a rock once more. Spike gets a concussion and... it's not really that funny. Twilight chews out Spike while he needs medical attention. Hey, Twilight?! Bite me! And again this sort of magic needs their full attention. When did it need Spike's attention before?! I am not even a half-minute in!!! And for this...
Four.
Spike points out Pinkie acting randomly. She's scooting about with an umbrella hat on. Twilight dismisses her, thank goodness! But for some reason Twilight goes over to ask her what's up. I... don't know why. She just dismissed it as her being Pinkie Pie. There's a Wide World of Sports reference. And... the tail is twitching, which means her Pinkie Sense is telling her stuff's gonna fall. Duck and cover! *Hides under desk* Wait, this isn't the 1950's in TV Land! Twilight says it's not gonna rain when a frog smacks into her face. Hello, my baby! Okay, that was good timing on the joke. And Pinkie Pie can talk Frog. Because why not?
Back from commercial and it's the same scene. Hmm, that doesn't happen too often. We pan up and we see Fluttershy with a cart of frogs. Because why not? Okay, the pond is getting over-populated, so she's moving some of them to Froggy Bottom Bog. Okay, that makes sense. Fluttershy mutters a muffled 'bye-bye' and it's actually pretty cute. Pinkie points out the frog and Twilight gets rather condescending. "Did your Pinkie Sense tell you that, too?" Okay, back off, Sparkle. The frog jumps off, Pinkie flits off and Spike hops onto Twilight's back, singing the praises of the Sense. Twilight's dismissive of it. And at this point, so would I. Then for some reason Pinkie speeds over from wherever the hell she was and says something else is gonna fall. Twilight is dismissive... and falls into a ditch that there's no real way she'd miss. Stars are spinning and this one isn't funny either. Spike says the blaringly obvious and actually asks if it's safe to help her. It is but he doesn't actually help her. Instead it's more praise for the Pinkie Sense. By now... I'd be a bit less skeptical. And then Applejack shows up with a cart of produce and asks why Twilight is hanging out in a ditch. Instead of helping her. Okay, Spike? Applejack? HELP HER OUT OF THE DITCH!!!!!!!
Twilight is still pretty dismissive, but one mention of the tail and Applejack gasps. She dives under her produce wagon, and it turns out she believes in it, too. Those who have lived in Ponyville a while, so I guess it's been observed over a period of time. And Pinkie pops up yet again with floppy ears. But they're not hanging low. What does it mean? She'll start a bath. Flat what. Twilight is dismissive, and suddenly a cart rumbles by and splashes her with mud.
Okay, this is becoming overly cruel. It's not funny, stop it!
For me, by now I'd be asking about the Sense.
We cut to Twilight in a bath. Pinkie walks in with a bottle and explains she gets these feelings, and each one means a different thing is gonna happen. Her shoulder's achey, so there's an alligator in the tub. Wait, alligator?! She reaches in and yanks out Gummy! Twilight is understandably freaked. She chews out Pinkie, and I'm on her side here. But Pinkie rolls her eyes because he's got no teeth. And he begins trying to gum her to death. It's... kinda funny?
Later Twilight and Pinkie are leaving. Twilight doesn't believe it and calls it mumbo jumbo. Twilight, at this point you've had several instances of the Pinkie Sense working. You live in a country with quantifiable, identifiable magic. Pinkie... says what I just said. "You do magic. What's the difference?" And Twilight stares at her, open-mouthed. And next she... I still can't believe it. She gets onto a literal soapbox. Apparently magic's something you study and practice. It's conscious and direct and dear god I am about to punch her with a Buick. Twilight, right now you are an elitist asshole. Get off your damned soapbox and realize that not everything fits into your little checklists.
Pinkie Pie gets angry, too. But she, being Pinkie Pie, says it's a bunch of random hings happening. Pinkie Pie calls them combos and now I'm hungry. Dammit, I just ate supper! She gets a combo and Twilight gets literally flattened against the door to Golden Oaks by Spike, complete with an audible backing-up beep. Not. FUNNY! This combo means look out for opening doors. Okay, show? Although Twilight is acting pretty high and mighty, the injuries are starting to make me sympathize with her. We are running into Boast Busters syndrome, here. And that's not a good thing!
Twilight says she doesn't believe this, and Pinkie buts in because she doesn't understand. Pinkie, she was referring to the injuries, methinks. We cut to the basement and some machine hooked up to Pinkie. I literally have no idea what it's supposed to be doing. Apparently when she gets a twitch, there'll be all sorts of 'scientific information'. Pony what?! It's a colander with all sorts of Christmas lights attached to it. No twitches after about... 20 seconds or so? Twilight's getting impatient. Still nothing and now Twilight's getting mad. Pinkie can't control them, though. It makes no sense! Wait, how? They've been pretty random all day, not to mention Pinkie said they were random earlier! And we get this...
"I will not believe in anything I cannot explain." That's a pretty loaded statement. Pinkie feels something. Her tummy growls, which usually means she's hungry. Hah, hah? Twilight yanks out the cables with her teeth and declares she doesn't need to understand it or care! Pinkie slips out of her hoof cuffs and bounces off. But at the top of the stairs she gets a combo and Twilight gets flattened by the door. Again. "Pinkie, have you seen Twilight?" "Uh, huh." And Pinkie bounces off. Okay, NOT funny! Spike notices and asks what Twilight's doing back there. UGH! Twilight asks if they planned this, and Spike is as confused as I am. Twilight says it makes no sense and says she has to figure it out!
We have a brief shot of Flutterhsy flying with her frogs before cutting back to Pinkie hopping about. Well, that was a pointless scene! We see a bush moving and it's Twilight, complete with binoculars, pith helmet and pencil in mouth. She begins scribbling while Spike wanders by and asks what's going on. Twilight pulls him in and chews him out for sneaking up on ponies. Spike asks if isn't that what she's doing. No, it's scientific research. Tomato, tomahto. But unfortunately, we can't call this off. She's observing Pinkie and comes up with some pseudo-Latin name for her, which actually seems vaguely insulting. The bush is bigger on the inside, mind. She's getting to the bottom of the Sense! We cut to Pinkie rolling around in the school's playground. Okay, creepy, much? Twilight observes an itchy nose and Pinkie diving for cover, which makes no sense. Because it's a twitchy tail that means something's gonna fall. And a bee swarm out of nowhere and heads straight for Twilight. She is now covered in band-aids, and observing Pinkie near/at Sweet Apple Acres. She notices the combo for opening doors. Spike dives for cover while Twilight is patronizing. She leans against the barn door and nothing happens. She trots off and falls into a door that opens in the fucking ground. It's Applejack's new apple cellar.
We come back to Twilight in casts, with a pulley system and wheelchair. NOT FUNNY! Spike ratchets her forelegs up. Twitchy tail and Twilight's forelegs are slammed into the armrest. Suddenly, flower pot, anvil, wagon of bales of hay, and finally piano. We pan up to see Ditzy and Raindrops and a moving van in the sky manned by pegasi. THIS makes no sense! And it's just damned cruel to Twilight! We cut to Applejack passing by, taking some apples to her new cellar. Pinkie reveals she knows Twilight is following her. Twilight, angry, asks why she didn't tell her. It would spoil the 'secret'. Twilight is about to stroke out at this point, and her injuries are NOT amusing. Pinkie suddenly shakes all over. "It's a doozy!" It's gonna happen at Froggy Bottom Bog! Applejack gasps out that that's where Fluttershy is! Applejack says they better go make sure she's okay. good call, Applejack! Twilight says for everyone to remain calm. Pinkie's got a case of the shivers. Everyone else has already galloped off. Twilight follows because she wants to basically rub it in Pinkie's face when nothing goes wrong.
We cut to Fluttershy letting the frogs out. We suddenly get a beast from below rising up while ominous music plays. The rest enter to rustic country twanging... for some reason. The swamp? Applejack's in the group? Why the country twanging?! Pinkie suddenly gets another doozy. Twilight is snarky. Spike asks what Applejack thinks happened. Applejack's trying not to think about it. Spike can't help it... which makes sense. Quick, don't think about your locker combo! We get the 'exploded twice' meme. Applejack rightly dismisses their insane rambling, as does Twilight. They spot the bog and go looking for Fluttershy, quickly finding her but not before Pinkie gets a faceful of mud. Eh... kinda not funny, but compared to earlier crap kinda passable. They're all relieved, and Twilight loses a ton of sympathy points by saying it's not nice to gloat, and then gloating. Twilight... ugh.
Ominous smoke rolls in while Twilight continues to gloat. The hydra rears up, one of the heads in front of Twilight, who continues to ignore it. Head, meet desk. At about mach 987! Spike points it out to her. She sees it, but doesn't believe it! The heads roar, one a bit too slow. Most run, except for Pinkie. Twilight runs back to save her. Some have mentioned the Stare, but in this case we can forgive Fluttershy for being too scared to use it. Fluttershy apologizes to a frog as she runs off, because! The hydra gives chase, but Spike gets stuck. Twilight runs back and snags him. And I gotta call her out for no use of teleporting. Unlike Fluttershy, we've seen that she can keep a much more level head. Twilight thinks they'll make it, but Pinkie's still shuddering. Oh, too much coffee. *Gives her decaf*
They come across a chasm, with several stone columns lining a path across. Twilight says to hop across, one at a time. Fluttershy, she can fly. Telekinesis, teleporting?! Spike asks if she can turn the hydra into a squirrel or something else. Nope! We get a callback to Dragonshy. God I wish I was watching that now. Twilight says she'll distract it while Applejack grabs pinkie by the tail and hops across. Twilight, the damned thing's pretty far away. Go with the others! she asks what a 'brave' pony like Dash would do, and charges. The hydra heads all got for her, but miss and follow. Under its belly. It flips itself over, one head being crushed.
Back at the other side of the chasm, Pinkie's shuddering. The hydra recovers and ambles after her, one head smashing one of the columns! All but the farthest two are demolished. Okay, teleport??!??!! Pinkie says to jump, which Twilight balks at. Pinkie says she'll be fine. "You have to take a leap of faith!" Oh, good effin' LORD! So Twilight backs up, jumps, comes up just short... and lands on some gas bubble. It pops, sends her bouncing along the last two columns, because we need more amusing injuries, and she slams into a rock wall, giving a squeaky smile of triumph. Yay!
Twilight doesn't know how it happened, but admits we had a doozy with a hydra. But... that's not the doozy! Pinkie's still shuddering! Twilight loses it and evolves into Rapidash. I half-expect her to start the killing. But no. She calms down and gives up. She doesn't understand the Pinkie Sense, but admits it's real. She believes in it. And THAT is the doozy, that she believes in the Pinkie Sense. What that's flatter than Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon's characterization! Pinkie trots off humming to herself and I need a drink. Well, I wish I drank alcohol so I could need a drink, but whatever. Let's wrap this one up STAT.
We cut to Twilight sending Celestia a letter. We see Twilight at an odd angle, head not visible. Gee, I wonder what that could mean. We cut to her wearing an umbrella hat. Hah, hah? Not really, actually. Pinkie's tail is twitching. The moral is that there are things that lack explanation, but they're not any less true. Ugh. And as the two ponies trot off, Spike goes to the top window to send the scroll, even though he's never had to do that before. And Celestia out of nowhere. The end, thank god!
Thoughts
Oh, this one was painful. The 'comedy' bit alone were wince-inducing. I do like physical, Loony Toons comedy... in Loony Toons or the Three Stooges. NOT in this show! It felt very out of place and just painful after the first few times. It was wince-inducing.
Twilight pings back and forth. She's a straw/physicist/scientist/atheist/insert appropriate word here, coming off as incredibly arrogant and dismissive, but the harm she was getting was making me sympathize with her. Then she has to open her mouth. The moral is misspoke, for lack of a better term.
There are things in the world that's not understood. But that's not the end of the journey, only the beginning. Twilight was being punished for trying to understand... and came off as an asshole while trying to understand it. She trashed the scientific method. the Pinkie Sense was observed in action, after all. Also, leap of faith? Really? Really?!
So, yeah. This episode was bad. Sun_Tzu didn't review it. And you know what? He was right not to. Now, for this pic, it's not a hydra, but the toy I do own that turns into one, Robots in Disguise Megatron, is a bit too complex for me to get it transformed in time for this to be done. Also, it's more effort than the episode deserves!
Four.
Spike points out Pinkie acting randomly. She's scooting about with an umbrella hat on. Twilight dismisses her, thank goodness! But for some reason Twilight goes over to ask her what's up. I... don't know why. She just dismissed it as her being Pinkie Pie. There's a Wide World of Sports reference. And... the tail is twitching, which means her Pinkie Sense is telling her stuff's gonna fall. Duck and cover! *Hides under desk* Wait, this isn't the 1950's in TV Land! Twilight says it's not gonna rain when a frog smacks into her face. Hello, my baby! Okay, that was good timing on the joke. And Pinkie Pie can talk Frog. Because why not?
Back from commercial and it's the same scene. Hmm, that doesn't happen too often. We pan up and we see Fluttershy with a cart of frogs. Because why not? Okay, the pond is getting over-populated, so she's moving some of them to Froggy Bottom Bog. Okay, that makes sense. Fluttershy mutters a muffled 'bye-bye' and it's actually pretty cute. Pinkie points out the frog and Twilight gets rather condescending. "Did your Pinkie Sense tell you that, too?" Okay, back off, Sparkle. The frog jumps off, Pinkie flits off and Spike hops onto Twilight's back, singing the praises of the Sense. Twilight's dismissive of it. And at this point, so would I. Then for some reason Pinkie speeds over from wherever the hell she was and says something else is gonna fall. Twilight is dismissive... and falls into a ditch that there's no real way she'd miss. Stars are spinning and this one isn't funny either. Spike says the blaringly obvious and actually asks if it's safe to help her. It is but he doesn't actually help her. Instead it's more praise for the Pinkie Sense. By now... I'd be a bit less skeptical. And then Applejack shows up with a cart of produce and asks why Twilight is hanging out in a ditch. Instead of helping her. Okay, Spike? Applejack? HELP HER OUT OF THE DITCH!!!!!!!
Twilight is still pretty dismissive, but one mention of the tail and Applejack gasps. She dives under her produce wagon, and it turns out she believes in it, too. Those who have lived in Ponyville a while, so I guess it's been observed over a period of time. And Pinkie pops up yet again with floppy ears. But they're not hanging low. What does it mean? She'll start a bath. Flat what. Twilight is dismissive, and suddenly a cart rumbles by and splashes her with mud.
Okay, this is becoming overly cruel. It's not funny, stop it!
For me, by now I'd be asking about the Sense.
We cut to Twilight in a bath. Pinkie walks in with a bottle and explains she gets these feelings, and each one means a different thing is gonna happen. Her shoulder's achey, so there's an alligator in the tub. Wait, alligator?! She reaches in and yanks out Gummy! Twilight is understandably freaked. She chews out Pinkie, and I'm on her side here. But Pinkie rolls her eyes because he's got no teeth. And he begins trying to gum her to death. It's... kinda funny?
Later Twilight and Pinkie are leaving. Twilight doesn't believe it and calls it mumbo jumbo. Twilight, at this point you've had several instances of the Pinkie Sense working. You live in a country with quantifiable, identifiable magic. Pinkie... says what I just said. "You do magic. What's the difference?" And Twilight stares at her, open-mouthed. And next she... I still can't believe it. She gets onto a literal soapbox. Apparently magic's something you study and practice. It's conscious and direct and dear god I am about to punch her with a Buick. Twilight, right now you are an elitist asshole. Get off your damned soapbox and realize that not everything fits into your little checklists.
Pinkie Pie gets angry, too. But she, being Pinkie Pie, says it's a bunch of random hings happening. Pinkie Pie calls them combos and now I'm hungry. Dammit, I just ate supper! She gets a combo and Twilight gets literally flattened against the door to Golden Oaks by Spike, complete with an audible backing-up beep. Not. FUNNY! This combo means look out for opening doors. Okay, show? Although Twilight is acting pretty high and mighty, the injuries are starting to make me sympathize with her. We are running into Boast Busters syndrome, here. And that's not a good thing!
Twilight says she doesn't believe this, and Pinkie buts in because she doesn't understand. Pinkie, she was referring to the injuries, methinks. We cut to the basement and some machine hooked up to Pinkie. I literally have no idea what it's supposed to be doing. Apparently when she gets a twitch, there'll be all sorts of 'scientific information'. Pony what?! It's a colander with all sorts of Christmas lights attached to it. No twitches after about... 20 seconds or so? Twilight's getting impatient. Still nothing and now Twilight's getting mad. Pinkie can't control them, though. It makes no sense! Wait, how? They've been pretty random all day, not to mention Pinkie said they were random earlier! And we get this...
"I will not believe in anything I cannot explain." That's a pretty loaded statement. Pinkie feels something. Her tummy growls, which usually means she's hungry. Hah, hah? Twilight yanks out the cables with her teeth and declares she doesn't need to understand it or care! Pinkie slips out of her hoof cuffs and bounces off. But at the top of the stairs she gets a combo and Twilight gets flattened by the door. Again. "Pinkie, have you seen Twilight?" "Uh, huh." And Pinkie bounces off. Okay, NOT funny! Spike notices and asks what Twilight's doing back there. UGH! Twilight asks if they planned this, and Spike is as confused as I am. Twilight says it makes no sense and says she has to figure it out!
We have a brief shot of Flutterhsy flying with her frogs before cutting back to Pinkie hopping about. Well, that was a pointless scene! We see a bush moving and it's Twilight, complete with binoculars, pith helmet and pencil in mouth. She begins scribbling while Spike wanders by and asks what's going on. Twilight pulls him in and chews him out for sneaking up on ponies. Spike asks if isn't that what she's doing. No, it's scientific research. Tomato, tomahto. But unfortunately, we can't call this off. She's observing Pinkie and comes up with some pseudo-Latin name for her, which actually seems vaguely insulting. The bush is bigger on the inside, mind. She's getting to the bottom of the Sense! We cut to Pinkie rolling around in the school's playground. Okay, creepy, much? Twilight observes an itchy nose and Pinkie diving for cover, which makes no sense. Because it's a twitchy tail that means something's gonna fall. And a bee swarm out of nowhere and heads straight for Twilight. She is now covered in band-aids, and observing Pinkie near/at Sweet Apple Acres. She notices the combo for opening doors. Spike dives for cover while Twilight is patronizing. She leans against the barn door and nothing happens. She trots off and falls into a door that opens in the fucking ground. It's Applejack's new apple cellar.
We come back to Twilight in casts, with a pulley system and wheelchair. NOT FUNNY! Spike ratchets her forelegs up. Twitchy tail and Twilight's forelegs are slammed into the armrest. Suddenly, flower pot, anvil, wagon of bales of hay, and finally piano. We pan up to see Ditzy and Raindrops and a moving van in the sky manned by pegasi. THIS makes no sense! And it's just damned cruel to Twilight! We cut to Applejack passing by, taking some apples to her new cellar. Pinkie reveals she knows Twilight is following her. Twilight, angry, asks why she didn't tell her. It would spoil the 'secret'. Twilight is about to stroke out at this point, and her injuries are NOT amusing. Pinkie suddenly shakes all over. "It's a doozy!" It's gonna happen at Froggy Bottom Bog! Applejack gasps out that that's where Fluttershy is! Applejack says they better go make sure she's okay. good call, Applejack! Twilight says for everyone to remain calm. Pinkie's got a case of the shivers. Everyone else has already galloped off. Twilight follows because she wants to basically rub it in Pinkie's face when nothing goes wrong.
We cut to Fluttershy letting the frogs out. We suddenly get a beast from below rising up while ominous music plays. The rest enter to rustic country twanging... for some reason. The swamp? Applejack's in the group? Why the country twanging?! Pinkie suddenly gets another doozy. Twilight is snarky. Spike asks what Applejack thinks happened. Applejack's trying not to think about it. Spike can't help it... which makes sense. Quick, don't think about your locker combo! We get the 'exploded twice' meme. Applejack rightly dismisses their insane rambling, as does Twilight. They spot the bog and go looking for Fluttershy, quickly finding her but not before Pinkie gets a faceful of mud. Eh... kinda not funny, but compared to earlier crap kinda passable. They're all relieved, and Twilight loses a ton of sympathy points by saying it's not nice to gloat, and then gloating. Twilight... ugh.
Ominous smoke rolls in while Twilight continues to gloat. The hydra rears up, one of the heads in front of Twilight, who continues to ignore it. Head, meet desk. At about mach 987! Spike points it out to her. She sees it, but doesn't believe it! The heads roar, one a bit too slow. Most run, except for Pinkie. Twilight runs back to save her. Some have mentioned the Stare, but in this case we can forgive Fluttershy for being too scared to use it. Fluttershy apologizes to a frog as she runs off, because! The hydra gives chase, but Spike gets stuck. Twilight runs back and snags him. And I gotta call her out for no use of teleporting. Unlike Fluttershy, we've seen that she can keep a much more level head. Twilight thinks they'll make it, but Pinkie's still shuddering. Oh, too much coffee. *Gives her decaf*
They come across a chasm, with several stone columns lining a path across. Twilight says to hop across, one at a time. Fluttershy, she can fly. Telekinesis, teleporting?! Spike asks if she can turn the hydra into a squirrel or something else. Nope! We get a callback to Dragonshy. God I wish I was watching that now. Twilight says she'll distract it while Applejack grabs pinkie by the tail and hops across. Twilight, the damned thing's pretty far away. Go with the others! she asks what a 'brave' pony like Dash would do, and charges. The hydra heads all got for her, but miss and follow. Under its belly. It flips itself over, one head being crushed.
Back at the other side of the chasm, Pinkie's shuddering. The hydra recovers and ambles after her, one head smashing one of the columns! All but the farthest two are demolished. Okay, teleport??!??!! Pinkie says to jump, which Twilight balks at. Pinkie says she'll be fine. "You have to take a leap of faith!" Oh, good effin' LORD! So Twilight backs up, jumps, comes up just short... and lands on some gas bubble. It pops, sends her bouncing along the last two columns, because we need more amusing injuries, and she slams into a rock wall, giving a squeaky smile of triumph. Yay!
Twilight doesn't know how it happened, but admits we had a doozy with a hydra. But... that's not the doozy! Pinkie's still shuddering! Twilight loses it and evolves into Rapidash. I half-expect her to start the killing. But no. She calms down and gives up. She doesn't understand the Pinkie Sense, but admits it's real. She believes in it. And THAT is the doozy, that she believes in the Pinkie Sense. What that's flatter than Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon's characterization! Pinkie trots off humming to herself and I need a drink. Well, I wish I drank alcohol so I could need a drink, but whatever. Let's wrap this one up STAT.
We cut to Twilight sending Celestia a letter. We see Twilight at an odd angle, head not visible. Gee, I wonder what that could mean. We cut to her wearing an umbrella hat. Hah, hah? Not really, actually. Pinkie's tail is twitching. The moral is that there are things that lack explanation, but they're not any less true. Ugh. And as the two ponies trot off, Spike goes to the top window to send the scroll, even though he's never had to do that before. And Celestia out of nowhere. The end, thank god!
Thoughts
Oh, this one was painful. The 'comedy' bit alone were wince-inducing. I do like physical, Loony Toons comedy... in Loony Toons or the Three Stooges. NOT in this show! It felt very out of place and just painful after the first few times. It was wince-inducing.
Twilight pings back and forth. She's a straw/physicist/scientist/atheist/insert appropriate word here, coming off as incredibly arrogant and dismissive, but the harm she was getting was making me sympathize with her. Then she has to open her mouth. The moral is misspoke, for lack of a better term.
There are things in the world that's not understood. But that's not the end of the journey, only the beginning. Twilight was being punished for trying to understand... and came off as an asshole while trying to understand it. She trashed the scientific method. the Pinkie Sense was observed in action, after all. Also, leap of faith? Really? Really?!
So, yeah. This episode was bad. Sun_Tzu didn't review it. And you know what? He was right not to. Now, for this pic, it's not a hydra, but the toy I do own that turns into one, Robots in Disguise Megatron, is a bit too complex for me to get it transformed in time for this to be done. Also, it's more effort than the episode deserves!
- Location
- Interstellar Space
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Bah, I liked Feeling Pinkie Keen. As much as I like any Pinkie-centered episode, anyway.
V Solidus
Friendship is Magic
I did not like this episode. The episode seemed to have no idea what it was doing. Where the heck was Rainbow Dash the whole episode anyway?To be honest, I'm not that fond of Lovecraftian mythos. To the point where I like it best when it's getting its ass kicked by other franchises.
Ah, sorry. I had a long day yesterday.
Except it was for that fashion show. And they were all free dresses. If it was me, I'd be "THANK YOU!" and take it, grinning.
Okay, I'm tired, I've had a long day at work. I don't feel good, so I guess that means I'm in the best mood to be...
Feeling Pinkie Keen
Strap in, folks. We have a nice pan over City Hall before fading to Twilight and Spike. Spike has a stick, something green around his neck and a rock balanced on his head. Twilight, for some reason, is struggling to turn these into a top hat and tails with swaggerific cane. ZZ Top, take it away! And for some reason it seems that both of them need to concentrate on this, even though that's never been needed before. Pinkie Pie lets out a squeak and the top hat becomes a rock once more. Spike gets a concussion and... it's not really that funny. Twilight chews out Spike while he needs medical attention. Hey, Twilight?! Bite me! And again this sort of magic needs their full attention. When did it need Spike's attention before?! I am not even a half-minute in!!! And for this...
Four.
Spike points out Pinkie acting randomly. She's scooting about with an umbrella hat on. Twilight dismisses her, thank goodness! But for some reason Twilight goes over to ask her what's up. I... don't know why. She just dismissed it as her being Pinkie Pie. There's a Wide World of Sports reference. And... the tail is twitching, which means her Pinkie Sense is telling her stuff's gonna fall. Duck and cover! *Hides under desk* Wait, this isn't the 1950's in TV Land! Twilight says it's not gonna rain when a frog smacks into her face. Hello, my baby! Okay, that was good timing on the joke. And Pinkie Pie can talk Frog. Because why not?
Back from commercial and it's the same scene. Hmm, that doesn't happen too often. We pan up and we see Fluttershy with a cart of frogs. Because why not? Okay, the pond is getting over-populated, so she's moving some of them to Froggy Bottom Bog. Okay, that makes sense. Fluttershy mutters a muffled 'bye-bye' and it's actually pretty cute. Pinkie points out the frog and Twilight gets rather condescending. "Did your Pinkie Sense tell you that, too?" Okay, back off, Sparkle. The frog jumps off, Pinkie flits off and Spike hops onto Twilight's back, singing the praises of the Sense. Twilight's dismissive of it. And at this point, so would I. Then for some reason Pinkie speeds over from wherever the hell she was and says something else is gonna fall. Twilight is dismissive... and falls into a ditch that there's no real way she'd miss. Stars are spinning and this one isn't funny either. Spike says the blaringly obvious and actually asks if it's safe to help her. It is but he doesn't actually help her. Instead it's more praise for the Pinkie Sense. By now... I'd be a bit less skeptical. And then Applejack shows up with a cart of produce and asks why Twilight is hanging out in a ditch. Instead of helping her. Okay, Spike? Applejack? HELP HER OUT OF THE DITCH!!!!!!!
Twilight is still pretty dismissive, but one mention of the tail and Applejack gasps. She dives under her produce wagon, and it turns out she believes in it, too. Those who have lived in Ponyville a while, so I guess it's been observed over a period of time. And Pinkie pops up yet again with floppy ears. But they're not hanging low. What does it mean? She'll start a bath. Flat what. Twilight is dismissive, and suddenly a cart rumbles by and splashes her with mud.
Okay, this is becoming overly cruel. It's not funny, stop it!
For me, by now I'd be asking about the Sense.
We cut to Twilight in a bath. Pinkie walks in with a bottle and explains she gets these feelings, and each one means a different thing is gonna happen. Her shoulder's achey, so there's an alligator in the tub. Wait, alligator?! She reaches in and yanks out Gummy! Twilight is understandably freaked. She chews out Pinkie, and I'm on her side here. But Pinkie rolls her eyes because he's got no teeth. And he begins trying to gum her to death. It's... kinda funny?
Later Twilight and Pinkie are leaving. Twilight doesn't believe it and calls it mumbo jumbo. Twilight, at this point you've had several instances of the Pinkie Sense working. You live in a country with quantifiable, identifiable magic. Pinkie... says what I just said. "You do magic. What's the difference?" And Twilight stares at her, open-mouthed. And next she... I still can't believe it. She gets onto a literal soapbox. Apparently magic's something you study and practice. It's conscious and direct and dear god I am about to punch her with a Buick. Twilight, right now you are an elitist asshole. Get off your damned soapbox and realize that not everything fits into your little checklists.
Pinkie Pie gets angry, too. But she, being Pinkie Pie, says it's a bunch of random hings happening. Pinkie Pie calls them combos and now I'm hungry. Dammit, I just ate supper! She gets a combo and Twilight gets literally flattened against the door to Golden Oaks by Spike, complete with an audible backing-up beep. Not. FUNNY! This combo means look out for opening doors. Okay, show? Although Twilight is acting pretty high and mighty, the injuries are starting to make me sympathize with her. We are running into Boast Busters syndrome, here. And that's not a good thing!
Twilight says she doesn't believe this, and Pinkie buts in because she doesn't understand. Pinkie, she was referring to the injuries, methinks. We cut to the basement and some machine hooked up to Pinkie. I literally have no idea what it's supposed to be doing. Apparently when she gets a twitch, there'll be all sorts of 'scientific information'. Pony what?! It's a colander with all sorts of Christmas lights attached to it. No twitches after about... 20 seconds or so? Twilight's getting impatient. Still nothing and now Twilight's getting mad. Pinkie can't control them, though. It makes no sense! Wait, how? They've been pretty random all day, not to mention Pinkie said they were random earlier! And we get this...
"I will not believe in anything I cannot explain." That's a pretty loaded statement. Pinkie feels something. Her tummy growls, which usually means she's hungry. Hah, hah? Twilight yanks out the cables with her teeth and declares she doesn't need to understand it or care! Pinkie slips out of her hoof cuffs and bounces off. But at the top of the stairs she gets a combo and Twilight gets flattened by the door. Again. "Pinkie, have you seen Twilight?" "Uh, huh." And Pinkie bounces off. Okay, NOT funny! Spike notices and asks what Twilight's doing back there. UGH! Twilight asks if they planned this, and Spike is as confused as I am. Twilight says it makes no sense and says she has to figure it out!
We have a brief shot of Flutterhsy flying with her frogs before cutting back to Pinkie hopping about. Well, that was a pointless scene! We see a bush moving and it's Twilight, complete with binoculars, pith helmet and pencil in mouth. She begins scribbling while Spike wanders by and asks what's going on. Twilight pulls him in and chews him out for sneaking up on ponies. Spike asks if isn't that what she's doing. No, it's scientific research. Tomato, tomahto. But unfortunately, we can't call this off. She's observing Pinkie and comes up with some pseudo-Latin name for her, which actually seems vaguely insulting. The bush is bigger on the inside, mind. She's getting to the bottom of the Sense! We cut to Pinkie rolling around in the school's playground. Okay, creepy, much? Twilight observes an itchy nose and Pinkie diving for cover, which makes no sense. Because it's a twitchy tail that means something's gonna fall. And a bee swarm out of nowhere and heads straight for Twilight. She is now covered in band-aids, and observing Pinkie near/at Sweet Apple Acres. She notices the combo for opening doors. Spike dives for cover while Twilight is patronizing. She leans against the barn door and nothing happens. She trots off and falls into a door that opens in the fucking ground. It's Applejack's new apple cellar.
We come back to Twilight in casts, with a pulley system and wheelchair. NOT FUNNY! Spike ratchets her forelegs up. Twitchy tail and Twilight's forelegs are slammed into the armrest. Suddenly, flower pot, anvil, wagon of bales of hay, and finally piano. We pan up to see Ditzy and Raindrops and a moving van in the sky manned by pegasi. THIS makes no sense! And it's just damned cruel to Twilight! We cut to Applejack passing by, taking some apples to her new cellar. Pinkie reveals she knows Twilight is following her. Twilight, angry, asks why she didn't tell her. It would spoil the 'secret'. Twilight is about to stroke out at this point, and her injuries are NOT amusing. Pinkie suddenly shakes all over. "It's a doozy!" It's gonna happen at Froggy Bottom Bog! Applejack gasps out that that's where Fluttershy is! Applejack says they better go make sure she's okay. good call, Applejack! Twilight says for everyone to remain calm. Pinkie's got a case of the shivers. Everyone else has already galloped off. Twilight follows because she wants to basically rub it in Pinkie's face when nothing goes wrong.
We cut to Fluttershy letting the frogs out. We suddenly get a beast from below rising up while ominous music plays. The rest enter to rustic country twanging... for some reason. The swamp? Applejack's in the group? Why the country twanging?! Pinkie suddenly gets another doozy. Twilight is snarky. Spike asks what Applejack thinks happened. Applejack's trying not to think about it. Spike can't help it... which makes sense. Quick, don't think about your locker combo! We get the 'exploded twice' meme. Applejack rightly dismisses their insane rambling, as does Twilight. They spot the bog and go looking for Fluttershy, quickly finding her but not before Pinkie gets a faceful of mud. Eh... kinda not funny, but compared to earlier crap kinda passable. They're all relieved, and Twilight loses a ton of sympathy points by saying it's not nice to gloat, and then gloating. Twilight... ugh.
Ominous smoke rolls in while Twilight continues to gloat. The hydra rears up, one of the heads in front of Twilight, who continues to ignore it. Head, meet desk. At about mach 987! Spike points it out to her. She sees it, but doesn't believe it! The heads roar, one a bit too slow. Most run, except for Pinkie. Twilight runs back to save her. Some have mentioned the Stare, but in this case we can forgive Fluttershy for being too scared to use it. Fluttershy apologizes to a frog as she runs off, because! The hydra gives chase, but Spike gets stuck. Twilight runs back and snags him. And I gotta call her out for no use of teleporting. Unlike Fluttershy, we've seen that she can keep a much more level head. Twilight thinks they'll make it, but Pinkie's still shuddering. Oh, too much coffee. *Gives her decaf*
They come across a chasm, with several stone columns lining a path across. Twilight says to hop across, one at a time. Fluttershy, she can fly. Telekinesis, teleporting?! Spike asks if she can turn the hydra into a squirrel or something else. Nope! We get a callback to Dragonshy. God I wish I was watching that now. Twilight says she'll distract it while Applejack grabs pinkie by the tail and hops across. Twilight, the damned thing's pretty far away. Go with the others! she asks what a 'brave' pony like Dash would do, and charges. The hydra heads all got for her, but miss and follow. Under its belly. It flips itself over, one head being crushed.
Back at the other side of the chasm, Pinkie's shuddering. The hydra recovers and ambles after her, one head smashing one of the columns! All but the farthest two are demolished. Okay, teleport??!??!! Pinkie says to jump, which Twilight balks at. Pinkie says she'll be fine. "You have to take a leap of faith!" Oh, good effin' LORD! So Twilight backs up, jumps, comes up just short... and lands on some gas bubble. It pops, sends her bouncing along the last two columns, because we need more amusing injuries, and she slams into a rock wall, giving a squeaky smile of triumph. Yay!
Twilight doesn't know how it happened, but admits we had a doozy with a hydra. But... that's not the doozy! Pinkie's still shuddering! Twilight loses it and evolves into Rapidash. I half-expect her to start the killing. But no. She calms down and gives up. She doesn't understand the Pinkie Sense, but admits it's real. She believes in it. And THAT is the doozy, that she believes in the Pinkie Sense. What that's flatter than Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon's characterization! Pinkie trots off humming to herself and I need a drink. Well, I wish I drank alcohol so I could need a drink, but whatever. Let's wrap this one up STAT.
We cut to Twilight sending Celestia a letter. We see Twilight at an odd angle, head not visible. Gee, I wonder what that could mean. We cut to her wearing an umbrella hat. Hah, hah? Not really, actually. Pinkie's tail is twitching. The moral is that there are things that lack explanation, but they're not any less true. Ugh. And as the two ponies trot off, Spike goes to the top window to send the scroll, even though he's never had to do that before. And Celestia out of nowhere. The end, thank god!
Thoughts
Oh, this one was painful. The 'comedy' bit alone were wince-inducing. I do like physical, Loony Toons comedy... in Loony Toons or the Three Stooges. NOT in this show! It felt very out of place and just painful after the first few times. It was wince-inducing.
Twilight pings back and forth. She's a straw/physicist/scientist/atheist/insert appropriate word here, coming off as incredibly arrogant and dismissive, but the harm she was getting was making me sympathize with her. Then she has to open her mouth. The moral is misspoke, for lack of a better term.
There are things in the world that's not understood. But that's not the end of the journey, only the beginning. Twilight was being punished for trying to understand... and came off as an asshole while trying to understand it. She trashed the scientific method. the Pinkie Sense was observed in action, after all. Also, leap of faith? Really? Really?!
So, yeah. This episode was bad. Sun_Tzu didn't review it. And you know what? He was right not to. Now, for this pic, it's not a hydra, but the toy I do own that turns into one, Robots in Disguise Megatron, is a bit too complex for me to get it transformed in time for this to be done. Also, it's more effort than the episode deserves!
Her only job seems to be weather management so I'm surprised none of them ever came across her.
noben - deviantart.com - Sunrise-in-Equestria
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