MLP Episode 714: Fame and Misfortune

So now we're finally onto the second half of season seven. The first half was pretty good for the most part; the only episodes I didn't like there were All Bottled Up and Not Asking for Trouble, and Parental Glideance was okay at best. Every other episode, however, ranged from pretty good to outright amazing, two episodes especially, making them a tough act to follow. Can Fame and Misfortune be a good start to the second half?

If I'm going to be blunt about it, absolutely not. Seriously, this episode is downright awful and has one of the worst themes the show has ever displayed! But where do I start with the problems?

I'm gonna say this outright; M. A. Larson is the most overrated writer of the entire show. I'm sure he's a nice guy in real life, but his writing for the show leaves a lot to be desired. Granted, he's written some solid gems like Amending Fences, The Return of Harmony, and Magical Mystery Cure, but then there's stinkers like Luna Eclipsed, The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000, Ponyville Confidential, Swarm of the Century, and of course, Slice of Life. And Fame and Misfortune can be added to that pile; it's the culmination of Larson's writing weaknesses jammed into a 22-minute episode.

The first item on that list is the premise; the initial idea was that it would've featured Pinkie Pie as the lead character and the towns ponies would've learned that they shouldn't be attacking the author of a work (yeah, I'm looking right at those who attack Sharon Miller for S13-16; she wasn't the only person who was writing in those seasons, you know!) I have to say, that is a much better premise than what Hasbro came up with.

Yeah, this episode is a straight-up satire of fans who have had complaints about the show for the last few years and it's handled with the subtlety of a sledgehammer to the crotch. It begins with Twilight deciding to have the Friendship Journal published after resolving a conflict between two fillies, but the publication of the Journal leads to disastrous results upon the Mane Six. Basically, they pull a Teen Titans Go! by coming up with an extremely flawed counterargument completely missing the point of the criticisms. Criticisms, I should point out, that aren't all that destructive.

Not only that, but a lot of the "jokes" - if you could call them that - are outdated. Rarity has gained a bigger fanbase since the show first debuted, Twilight has been an alicorn (within the show, at least) longer than she's been a unicorn, and the criticisms about Fluttershy constantly learning the same lesson (with subtle differences, I should note!) feel out of place post-season five. And since this episode was intended to be part of season five, why could they not bother editing the "jokes" to fit the Mane Six as they are now?

Speaking of season five, and to give this episode a tiny bit of credit, Starlight's role was fine, but she doesn't really display much character beyond being defensive of her friends. She very much said and did nothing Spike couldn't have done, and is absence is noticeable especially since he also wrote in the Journal!

Also, did anyone notice any contrivances with the townsponies? They have known the Mane Six for at least years (Lemon Hearts feels especially out of character since she's Twilight's friend), and you would think they would show more gratitude towards them since they've saved their stupid, sorry flanks multiple times! And how the hell did nopony notice that Daring Do and A. K. Yearling are the same pony?!

The third act is obviously the worst. On top of the outdated jokes, that newspony was stupid enough to think that the Mane Six don't line up with real life; it's like he tried putting two and two together and ended up with 22 instead of four!

And then there's the song and the moral it tries to teach, and that's my biggest bugbear with Larson and how he writes his morals. At best, they're shoved down your throat to the point you think the story was based upon it (Slice of Life). At worst, they go against what the episode was trying to teach, and he ends up sending mixed messages to the audience (The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000). The "song" is awful (it sounds like something you'd hear from Equestria Girls) and is just a convenience to teach the episode's "moral". Not only that, nobody being perfect is a lesson that comes naturally to most people! You don't need a Ph.D. in the Bloody Obvious to know this!

But the worst thing about the message is how insulting it comes off as. The two fillies Twilight met earlier were the only ones to take the Mane Six's lessons seriously, and whilst it's fine, it feels like a middle finger to the adult fans of the show (that, and it makes the entire scenario pointless). An episode of a kids' show should not just be written with the target audience in mind!

If you want a prime example as to why it can't just be for kids, take a look at the Thomas and Friends episode The Way She Does It. To a child's mind, they could simply see the episode either as amusing or bordering on annoying. An adult would look beyond the humor - it depends on how they view it - and look at the ending when Daisy gives up her vanity for the sake of the children by using side window as an impromptu stage. A child would see this as cute and funny, but an adult would think, "Wow, I never could've thought that myself! That's a good bit of critical thinking there."

The only characters that felt likable were the Mane Six (especially given the crap piled upon them), the Crusaders (it was also a nice build-up to Marks and Recreation, even if it was half-flanked), the two fillies having friendship issues (and from G3, no doubt!), and Starlight. Even if she was interchangeable with Spike.

Final Thoughts

If you want this type of plot done right, watch either Stranger Than Fan Fiction or Daisy's Perfect Christmas. The former contains humor that's actually really funny and has a stronger, if not understated, message; the latter is a very subtle reflection on the current state of the Thomas fandom, and it never talks down to the audience like they're stupid.

Fame and Misfortune is a complete disgrace to the series, and has literally no reason to exist at all. It's the worst episode of season seven, and it's also Larson's worst script, and the tragic part is that it didn't have to be! If they went with what he intended, it would've been fine, but it feels like Hasbro wanted to go for a not-so-subtle approach towards attacking people who have genuine criticisms toward the show by portraying them all as over-the-top negative jerks. And considering this came after the much beloved Perfect Pear, and that the adult fandom is the main reason the show is popular, that's a total insult.

Rating: -3 out of 10

MLP Episode 713: The Perfect Pear

And now we finally come to the episode that many fans have been waiting for; Applejack's parents. And it's got not one, but two guest stars as well! Would The Perfect Pear live up to its promise?

Yes. That's the long and short of it, really. I could link to other reviews that could do a better job than I could've done, but I'll see what I can come up with.

Right of the bat, I'm gonna say that there's a lot of similarities to Romeo and Juliet. MLP is no stranger to adapting classic stories - A Hearth's Warming Tail, for example, was an okay if slightly forgettable take on A Christmas Carol. With Romeo and Juliet, it is seen as a tragedy but alternates with the usage of comedy. Some adaptations, however, are straight up comedic.

With The Perfect Pear? Whilst it's an episode from what's generally a comedy show, this plays the Romeo and Juliet tropes a little more seriously than what you'd normally expect. Whilst there are little comedic moments like Applejack's reaction to the pear jam and Goldie Delicious' entrance (...or was it an exit? You decide.), for the most part, the flashbacks are taken seriously and they hit the right emotions, especially in the third act.

Pear Butter - er, sorry, Buttercup - has been given the bombshell that the Pears are moving to Van Hoover, but she doesn't want to leave Bright Mac. He makes the decision, with the help of the mayor, to marry Buttercup, regardless of the feud. You feel sorry for Buttercup at the thought of never seeing any of the Apples, much less Bright Mac, ever again, and you appreciate how determined he is to make sure they're never apart.

Much to the disgruntlement of their respective parents. One can imagine how long it took for Mother Smith (I doubt she'd have been called "Granny" back then) to get used to having Buttercup around. And the reason Grand Pear returns to Ponyville is because he feels remorse for falling out with his daughter, but it's too late as she's already died along with his son-in-law.

Bringing me onto the episode's theme - holding onto grudges for a long time isn't healthy. You never know what may happen to those you've hurt in the past, and if they die without you knowing, it may end up haunting you for the rest of your days. But even then, there's the possibility they may have been willing to forgive you and would want you to be happy - the past is in the past.

Though, this is the only negative I have with the episode; they don't explain how the parents died. Granted, this is a children's show and death is an intense subject, but I think it's better than Bright Mac and Buttercup revealed to be alive in the end. If that were the case, fans would be in a rage...!

Back to the positives; the continuity is perhaps at its strongest in the flashbacks, from Luna's face on the moon, to the Mayor having pink hair and keeping track of the records of Ponyville, to an implication that, if Hard to Say Anything is... well, anything to go by, Big Mac seems to take after his pa when it comes to being around the mare he loves. Same with Applejack taking on her dad's honesty and Apple Bloom her mom's helpfulness. And, no pun intended, this is almost what they mean by the apple not falling far from the tree.

For how small their roles are, the other characters like Burnt Oak and Mrs. Cake (a.k.a. Chiffon Swirl) are serviceable for the story, the latter in particular. Don't ya just love when minor characters get some backstory to them? I mean it seriously, by the way.

And you can't talk about the episode without mentioning the performances of William Shatner and Felicia Day. Only Shatner could've fit the role of Grand Pear and pull off a phenomenal performance. The same goes for Felicia Day as Buttercup; oh, and the song she performs is season seven's best - though given the other songs this season, there isn't much of a contest, is there? - and I swear that tears welled up in my eyes listening to it. I don't usually bring up voice acting, music, or animation in these reviews anymore since A) there's so long you can praise them before it gets old, and B) they're more or less standards in making an episode or movie great.

The other time tears welled up in my eyes was the ending. Just... the ending itself is bittersweet. In fact, I dare you to go watch this episode and say you weren't close to crying.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to Joanna Lewis and Kristine Songco, I think they were the right people to act as script editors for season seven. When Josh Haber was editor for season six, it didn't really work out. The two ladies are far more natural replacements for Meghan McCarthy, though it would be a shame if she didn't return to the show following the movie given her current duties.

As for the episode? Well, sometimes, I do actually agree with the general consensus; this is one of the best episodes of the show, let alone this season. Does it beat A Royal Problem? No, but it's still in my Top 5.

I also want to extend my thanks to Joanna and Kristine; they didn't have to write this episode, let alone act as script editors for the season. They could've let someone else take the reigns and chances are that someone may have screwed them up. So thank you, ladies, for bringing us a wonderful episode. Keep up the good work, and I know you'll make even the lamest ideas work, so please don't let the fans, young and old, down.

Rating: 10 out of 10

MLP Episode 712: Discordant Harmony

The Magical Movie Night trilogy might be behind us, but now, I'm gonna get back into reviewing the remaining fourteen episodes of season seven so I can make that Emotions' Corner episode on the Top 10 Best of My Little Pony Season 7. (That, and my solo overview on the season as well.) So let's kick things off with Discordant Harmony, shall we?

In the Dance Magic review, I said it was possible to take a simple idea work as long as there was great humor, strong characterization, a good moral, and that the pacing was strong. This episode proves my point.

So much of the humor is derived from Discord; whenever he's literally speaking to himself, using his fingers to eat (and scolding one of them for burping), his initial indifference to fading away (it's like Bender from Futurama operating for a long time without beer), and the irony on how being normal isn't... well, normal for him.

Every other character is brilliant; the aforementioned Disclones (my personal name for them), Pinkie  giving Discord advice for his tea party (every episode he's played a major role in thus far has had Fluttershy featured), the old mare's confusion, and the clerks ponies questioning his friendship with Fluttershy.

But once again, Fluttershy is the standout character; for the last four years since Keep Calm and Flutter On, she knows Discord inside and out (please don't take this the wrong way), and her confusion over his Mr. Rogers-esque persona is great to see. And that leads me onto the themes.

Yeah, I've got some issues with the "be yourself" moral being overdone, but it makes sense for Discord to learn it. The same goes for the theme about differences. People will judge others for being different from their friends, but those who are different - like Discord - shouldn't let those words get to them. The fact that the clerks ponies questioned him and Fluttershy being friends further added to that message.

Final Thoughts

There's not a whole lot I can say in regards to the episode; it feels like the Discord take on Fluttershy Leans In and On Your Marks, as well as bits from Futurama's Hell is Other Robots. It's fun to watch, has some really good themes, and continues the development to Fluttershy and Discord (as long as you ignore Scare Master and What About Discord).

Rating: 9 out of 10

Equestria Girls: Mirror Magic

Two down, one to go. It's the Equestria Girls special that I declared as the worst of the three. Now we can finally find out if I still think that in the review proper, and hopefully quell a non-troversy on DeviantArt regarding a certain "fan". Without further delay or ado, here's Mirror Magic!

Surely I cannot be the only one who's sick of the bad guy redemption trope? Crusaders of the Lost Mark was the first to make it obvious that it was becoming overdone whilst season six and Legend of Everfree were more blatant about it, and it feels like the writers are using this cliche to "take the easy way out" of punishing the bad guy.

Not only that, this special is practically a half-baked attempt at getting Sunset Shimmer and Starlight Glimmer to interact. I'm sure most of you know this by now, but there's been a fandom rivalry between both characters ever since The Cutie Re-Mark, and it doesn't look like it'll end any time soon. Also, Sunset's presence in Equestria is completely contrived to set up the "plot".

The dynamic between the two characters is very anti-climactic; they barely display any personality whatsoever. Sunset constantly stresses over magical dangers and Starlight is enthusiastic about the human world - that's as far as it goes, and it says nothing about either of them. I'd rather they get into an argument as to whose motivations were worse; yes, it feels like fan pandering, but I'd rather have that than what we ended up with.

And another thing - how do they even know each other? This is a case where the timeframe doesn't do the special any favors; Legend of Everfree was a 22 minute story stretched into a 73 minute "film". This is a 70 minute story squashed into a 22 minute "special". Because of this, we don't get any depth to any of the characters or motivations and it all just comes off as tired, shallow, and uninspired.

Which brings me onto Starlight Glimmer. Her role in Mirror Magic is completely redundant. I was willing to defend her presence in A Royal Problem, but I can't say the same thing here! Yes, she snapped Juniper out of her rage, but Sunset and Sci-Twi could've done so as well! Heck, any of the Human Five could've asked her to let go of her anger and you'd have the same end result! Just like the previous two specials and Legend of Everfree, the whole plot feels like it was contrived to make Starlight the hero, just like To Where and Back Again.

Actually, that's not fair; at least the season six finale had the dignity to have proper pacing, a real reason for the heroes to worry, and it was 44 minutes long, tops! That being said, it still reeks of bad fan-fiction, but I digress.

And speaking of rehashed ideas...! Starlight's arrival is basically Princess Twilight's from the original Equestria Girls movie, except it's used for a one-off joke and never brought up again. At least in Rainbow Rocks, Twilight was still struggling to survive being in a human body - it makes you wonder how Sunset handled being in one, doesn't it?

Then there's the ending, which is basically the one from The Cutie Re-Mark, except this is more illogical and stupid. Starlight convinces Juniper to wish to make up for her mistakes and like the season five finale, forgiveness is handed to her on a silver platter.

What makes even stupider is that the Human Seven were never in any sort of danger. Given how much they have survived in four movies, are we expected to think that they could end up dying? No, of course not. It just comes off as artificial, and the tension is completely nonexistent. Oh, and Pinkie saying how forgiving the group is was just groan-worthy. It's true, and you don't need to lampshade the problems in your script when your viewers and critics can see for themselves! And attacking the adult fandom for having legitimate problems with certain episodes makes you look immature and petty - and yes, I will get to that soon enough...

Along with the villain redemption and the main cast being in "danger", the other overused cliche by EG standards is the antagonist having a monstrous form. Seriously, do they have to make all these designs this tacky? And they only do five minutes' worth with Juniper's monstrous form!

But the thing I hate most about this special is that the plot descriptions lied to us. They implied that Starlight and Sunset would both fight against Juniper together, but instead, it's just Starlight who saves the day because of course it is. Even I would've preferred to see both former antagonists attack the villain of the week, but it feels like false advertising to gain artificial interest.

I'd make suggestions for improvement, but instead, I direct your attention to the first film and Rainbow Rocks. They have a similar structure to Mirror Magic, even if things didn't happen in the same order. The difference is both films combined did it better, and with a longer runtime.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Mirror Magic gives us nothing new. At all. It's also a sign that Equestria Girls has reached stagnation. Writing for it should not be that difficult; just write it with the mindset of the characters being ponies, turn them into humans, and you're done. How difficult is it for the writers to understand that? It says a lot that fan-fiction writers can do the world more justice than the actual writers of the series.

It's also a special kind of sad that the spinoff actually had a lot of potential hiding behind it. I'm serious; if they tried tackling more mature themes with the high-school setting, handle it in a subtle manner, and written by competent writers, that'd be great!

As it stands, however, they just continue to use an idealized view on friendship by sugarcoating the harsh realities, and if the Summertime Shorts and the digital series Better Together (most ironic title ever!) are anything to go by, Equestria Girls has nothing left to offer. It is officially dead. It is the Hasbro equivalent to The Fairly OddParents where they constantly force in stupid gimmicks to try and manufacture audience interest.

I know there are some of you EG fans out there who are gonna be screaming "U SUK 4 HATIN DIS SERIEZ ABOUT SUNNY AND TWILY!!! I KILL U!!!" or something like that. Look, I get your frustrations to those who hate it because of course they can, but there are people out there who have legitimate concerns about its current state, and I've listed a few myself.

Bottom line, you can't automatically declare the person is negative for hating something you like, you can't go off on some mindless tirade as to how "wrong" they are, and you especially cannot say that a specific person ruined your life because they were doing they right thing by telling you off for your stupidity and recklessness! (I'm looking at you, Nichole Williams! Seriously, she got upset with Thomas fans on Twitter "bullying" her when they were calling her out for her idiotic beliefs.)

So... yeah. Mirror Magic is awful, plain and simple. It's got no reason to exist, and is very much the culmination of every bad MLP cliche jammed into 22 minutes. If you're a fan of EG, stick to the McCarthy films... and maybe add Friendship Games if you want a trilogy (it's up to you, really). But now? The charm has been killed, and it's time we moved on and left the spinoff in the dust with whatever dignity it may have left.

Rating: -10 out of 10

Equestria Girls: Movie Magic

So, Rarity's starring role in Dance Magic was a complete snore-fest, but could Rainbow Dash do any better with Movie Magic?

If you've read how I felt about Juniper Montage back in June, then this review and the one for Mirror Magic won't shock anyone. However, I'm gonna take her out of the equation so I can discuss everything else, seeing both specials for what they are. And Movie Magic is another bland, paint-by-numbers special.

Not only that, this is the kind of plot you'd expect to see on Scooby-Doo. Hell, the whole thing is a Scooby-Doo rip off, right down to the talking dog - in this case, Spike. And that makes Sci-Twi, Pinkie, and Rarity Velma, Shaggy, and Daphne, respectively, and I figure Sunset and Rainbow Dash both take the role of Fred, meaning Applejack and Fluttershy are once again just there to complete the cast.

But honestly, this flops as a Scooby-Doo parody because... well, look at this part in the description for Mirror Magic, and notice what I've marked in bold:

...while Sunset Shimmer was away, a revenge‐seeking Juniper Montage finds a beautiful hand mirror enchanted with Equestrian magic...

In Movie Magic itself, they tried to make Chestnut Magnifico (you know, the actress playing Daring Do) the red herring, but the description of Mirror Magic very much spoils that it's Juniper Montage who's the real bad guy in the former. It becomes less a case of "who wants revenge", and more a case of "why she wants revenge".

On top of that, you can already tell Juniper is the bad guy the moment she's introduced. What makes it worse is that no one suspected her to be the true culprit. Sure, Sci-Twi did in the third act, but she and the others could've just asked Chestnut for her true intentions rather than investigate on their own. Yes, I know that "if they did this instead of that, you'd have no story", but I counter with how I feel about the ending to Legend of Everfree: if the solution is simple, then it makes your story feel pointless. (The same could apply for Mirror Magic, which I'll get to next time.)

Speaking of pointless, the Power Ponies bit is exactly that. It bears no impact on the plot, and could be cut altogether. It exists purely for fanservice.

One final point of contention is Canter Zoom scolding his niece; some say he's the true villain of the trilogy, but I don't agree. Like Sir Topham Hatt in Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure, Canter Zoom is just doing his job, trying to get everything ready for the Harwick extension and the Daring Do movie, respectively. Not only that, Juniper brought this upon herself and refused to accept responsibility for her actions. She deserved to be punished for being petty.

However, this brings up a double standard - try and ruin your uncle's movie? You get banned from the studio. Capture those who exposed your crimes in a mirror, gain power and wreak havoc a the mall? That's perfectly okay as long as you have friends by your side! Seriously, this cannot be one rule for Movie Magic and another for Mirror Magic, especially since it makes Juniper worse than she is!

Final Thoughts

If you want this plot done properly, watch either an actual Scooby-Doo episode or MLP's Rarity Investigates!. Even if they fall into predictable territory, they at least have a certain degree of charm that Movie Magic wished it had. The lack of tension makes the EG special a waste of time, and it's a sloppy, sluggish build up to Mirror Magic.

Rating: -2 out of 10

Equestria Girls: Dance Magic

Finally, after five months, I get to tackle the three Equestria Girls specials! These could be some of my most anticipated reviews to date, especially since I sounded off against one of them by quite a bit, and I'll let you figure out which one it is. Anyway, here's the first of them, Dance Magic!

I don't care for the Shadowbolts. At all. They had potential to create an anti-Mane Six in Friendship Games, but all they just did was stand there to look pretty and taunt the Wondercolts at every opportunity. Before the special came out, I was hoping they'd actually be given some depth, but here? They pretty much cared about nothing but winning... again. And their personalities come off as shallow... again. And they're reduced to four... wait, what?

Yeah, why Indigo Zap (you know, the loud one, the supposedly anti-Rainbow Dash) isn't there is because, according to Ishi Rudell and Gillian Berrow, she was on vacation. It's fine and all, but why couldn't they have at least given an acknowledgement to her absence in the actual special? I know it wouldn't affect the story that much, but still.

Back to the remaining Shadowbolts; they basically steal Rarity's idea for a music video and when they're stuck on what to do for a song, you're supposed to root for them, but I don't. Why? Because they needed the money for their spring dance on a yacht. Never mind how ludicrous their goals are, but stealing someone else's idea out of desperation is not a sympathetic reason; it makes you look petty!

You'll notice I haven't talked about the story yet. My biggest problem with it is that it's incredibly thin and tries to rely on its characters to pull through. However, it doesn't work since the characters featured barely display any personality beyond a few basic traits.

In fairness to Rarity, she has a more nuanced personality than the one Legend of Everfree gave her, where she constantly preaches fashion to the point it's become her sole obsession, lacking any depth her pony counterpart has. Fans complain about Daisy being an idiot in The Way She Does It, but least there, the railcar actually had a nuanced personality, and the themes were a lot stronger and had a hint of subtlety to them.

But I digress; the rest of the Human Seven just feel really bland. Applejack likes baking, Rainbow Dash likes action, Pinkie Pie is... Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy, Sunset, and Spike just stand there and barely do a thing. The only other character with some degree of depth is Sci-Twi, and even then, her character is still awful after the events of Legend of Everfree.

Ah yes, speaking of which, if you're not aware, Dance Magic was supposed to take place before Everfree - why do you think the song in the former was on the Friendship Games soundtrack? The special was produced prior to the film and was meant to be about the girls raising funds to attend Camp Everfree, but it was held back and some dialogue was edited to take place after the film.

Which brings me onto the EG timeline - it is incredibly confused as to when everything is. Dance Magic seems to take place in the spring, and yet Everfree is implied to take place in the summer. This has been an issue in productions prior, but it was never this obvious!

Dance Magic's ending is just disappointing, really. Sure, the song is nice, but it could've been a music video on its own. Sure, the moral is good, but the buildup to it is rather flimsy and it comes out of nowhere, only to be hammered in during the third act. Sure, all the technicals - voice acting, music, and animation (bar some goofs) - are great, but they're all standards by now, not a freak accident.

Final Thoughts

It's easy to make a simple idea work. You need to give that premise some good humor, strong characterization, a well-paced story, and a message being based around it. With a bare-boned plot, the characters not feeling relatable, an out-of-nowhere whilst fine message, and some rehashed gags, I can safely say that I don't like Dance Magic. I appreciate that it tried being a sequel to Friendship Games, but it came way too late and feels out of place this far in. It just comes off as pointless.

Honestly, you're better off watching Rarity Takes Manehattan, which has a similar premise, and is far more interesting on every level. Plus, it has a moral which actually connects to the main plot.

Rating: 0 out of 10

MLP Episode 711: Not Asking for Trouble

Okay, this was an episode I was dreading even before it came out. I never liked the episode Party Pooped and that was down to how the yaks - especially their pathetic excuse for a leader, Rutherford - acted in that particular episode. But could Not Asking for Trouble prove my fears wrong?

Oh boy... where do I begin?

For a start, the plot was painfully sluggish. They try adding humor, but the jokes are extremely forced and... actually, it's the same joke they recycle because they thought it would be funny if they used it over and over again by doing it differently each time. It doesn't make an episode funny, it makes it tedious to sit through. Heck, even the animation feels a bit lazy there.

And like Party Pooped, Rutherford is an incompetent ruler who can't even build a hut to save his hair. Seriously, did he not think that many young yaks could eventually die of hypothermia and starvation? And given who we have in the White House, that feels frighteningly accurate.

Another problem is a bit on the minor side, but I'll mention it anyway; why did Pinkie not think about going to the Crystal Empire than all the way back to Ponyville since, you know, it's closer to Yakyakistan than Ponyville? I know it has no affect on the plot, but it's just another example of continuity being cherry-picked.

But the episode's biggest downfall is the moral. Pinkie insists that the yaks should ask for help, which is what the episode seemed to take until the ending where... well, I don't know! It comes off as a stupid joke and it sends mixed messages to an impressionable audience!

Final Thoughts

I apologize if the review is incredibly short, but the episode was so boring it very much gave me little to talk about. It felt like there was no heart put into the story whatsoever and that they relied on humor as a crutch. At least with All Bottled Up, I can actually see where the episode was going with its message, but Not Asking for Trouble? I really don't know, nor do I care. It's a bad episode not worth watching again.

Rating: 1 out of 10

MLP Episode 710: A Royal Problem

After seven years, we're finally getting a Celestia and Luna episode! Of course, some fans weren't too happy that it was also a Starlight Glimmer episode; could A Royal Problem be anything but, you know, a problem?

I'm gonna come out and say this; A Royal Problem might possibly be my most favorite episode. Not just my favorite of season seven, not just my favorite episode of the post-Kingdom era, but possibly my favorite episode of the series, hooves down. There's a lot I could say about this episode, but for now, I want to talk about the episode itself. Everything surrounding it will be an individual review in itself, but I will refer to some of it in the episode review.

First off, there's Starlight's role. It's perhaps her best overall, but given how the majority of her roles in season six were bad, that's not saying much. Here, she's perhaps one of the few characters who could've filled in this role. If it was Twilight, her character would backpedal from Lesson Zero. If it was Rarity, it would feel extremely off-putting. If it were Spike or any of the Remane Four... it would feel pretty stupid.

Another point of discussion is Celestia and Luna; the only times we ever saw them being sisterly toward one another was the ending of Elements of Harmony (that is, the second part of Friendship is Magic) and a small one-off gag in Slice of Life. Never had there been a full episode about that aspect of their relationship... until now.

And they pull it off fantastically. One could argue that they should've resolved their fight by now, but look at the prologue in the series premiere; Luna was envious that her moon was overshadowed by Celestia's sun - ponies played at day and slept at night. Luna wanted appreciation, but Celestia tried reasoning with her and had no choice but to banish her to the moon for a millennia.

The conflict in the present day feels more nuanced; Luna thinks that Celestia's duties are easier than her own and vice-versa. Like I mentioned earlier, adding Starlight to the conflict was a great move. Yes, her actions could be seen as impulsive, but if an argument is about to get bad, you might have no choice but to interfere before it gets worse.

Not only that, both sisters end up realizing on their own that the other's duties were not as simple as they initially believed. It feels a lot like Freaky Friday, where a mother and daughter (or two sisters, in this case) had a fight and were forced to live each others' lives until the end, when they understand that they should accept each other for who they are, not who one wants the other to be. The themes alone in this episode are brilliant; I could go on about them all day!

Oh, and you can't review the episode without talking about Daybreaker. Seriously, is this evil form of Celestia a badass or what? She is the day equivalent of Nightmare Moon, only the insanity levels are cranked up to eleven... times ten. Bit of a shame that she may never appear again, but it's still a great addition to an already great episode.

Final Thoughts

It's a borderline miracle; after To Where and Back Again, I didn't think there could be a good Starlight Glimmer episode, but then A Royal Problem came around and, ironically in a positive way, turned out to be no problem at all! I'm very happy this episode turned out the way it did, especially from the pen of Joanna and Kristine, and especially after the failure known as Legend of Everfree.

I will admit the review is a bit short, but there is so much positive I could say about the episode before it gets stale. Even if you're not the biggest fan of Starlight, you might still like it for Celestia and Luna. Give it a shot and see for yourself!

Rating: 10 out of 10

MLP Episode 709: Honest Apple

Well... last post went down better than I initially anticipated! But now, let's get back to the actual show and share my personal feelings on Honest Apple. Is it as bad as some people say it is?

Well, it would be safe to say that this episode has an interesting reception in regards to Applejack's behavior. Sure, she's rather condescending when it comes to the young designers' fashion, but it actually works here. It's not the most ideal, especially since Rarity ought to know that fashion isn't Applejack's thing, but since the latter represents the Element of Honesty, it actually makes sense that the former would ask her to be a judge.

Speaking of which, I really liked the theme displayed here. Applejack believed she was being honest about what she thought, but she didn't realize she was also hurting their feelings. Did she cross a line? It depends on who you ask...

Which leads me onto the scene with Strawberry Sunrise. There's this trope called Laser-Guided Karma. Rarity brought Applejack to see Strawberry, who claimed she didn't like apples, despite Applejack arguing the positives about them, but Strawberry shoots her opinion down in flames, making Applejack realize that she went too far with her honesty and ended up doing what she could to apologize for her behavior.

The pacing is quite possibly the strongest aspect of the episode. The scene with the Apple siblings, for one, was useful in helping Applejack make the decision to judge alongside Photo Finish, Hoity Toity, and Rarity. Not only that, it even doubles as a sisterly moment between Applejack and Apple Bloom. That was great!

The emotions are also handled brilliantly; you feel sorry for Rarity when all of her hard work ends up in smoke, and you feel disappointed in Applejack for taking her opinions too far. And this may be where it affects my opinion, but I can relate to this episode very well. I, like Applejack, can be rather stubborn and abrasive when it comes to sharing my views, and I might've made some people mad over it without intending to. But of course, I know in the end where I should draw the line.

And speaking of endings, I didn't expect to see Rarity make an awful dress - one that's green, no doubt. It even showed how the lesson stuck with Applejack; she knows it's awful, and yet Rarity is the first to admit it is. Just goes to show how you can sometimes laugh at your own flaws.

Oh, and you can't review this episode without mentioning Rarity playing the guitar like crazy; so much so that it even shocks Pinkie Pie.

My only real issue with the episode is that the Applejack/Rarity dynamic feels extremely overused. In the last few seasons, they've had one episode where they're the lead characters - Applejack's "Day" Off, Made in Manhattan, and Simple Ways all featured them together. It's getting pretty old by this point, and we got the message that they're different ponies. We've seen them paired up with different characters before - Rarity with Rainbow Dash in Rarity Investigates! and Applejack with Fluttershy in Viva Las Pegasus, to name but a few.

Final Thoughts

Rewatching the episode and looking at other peoples' views on it, I think it's fair to say there is an interesting thread about it. I was going to give it a 7, but thinking about it more, I've decided to raise my score. It may not be in my Top 5 for season seven, but I still believe it to be in the Top 10 at least because of how much I can relate to it, especially in regards to how I feel about a certain spinoff that's very much dead.

That being said, I hope this is the last episode where Applejack and Rarity co-star. It would be a great shame if future episodes (as well as both characters) got hated simply because of an overused dynamic.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Flash and Sunset

Okay, so I was going to tackle Honest Apple following Hard to Say Anything, but the latter made me remember that I had a bit of unfinished business regarding a certain "shipping". Now I must point out from the get go that in no way am I saying why you hate this shipping; this is why I personally hate it. So here goes.

(Yes, I put the word dynamic in quotation marks; I'll get to that.)

Out of all the MLP shippings in the fandom, the one I absolutely loathe the most involves Flash Sentry and Sunset Shimmer (though Sci-Twi and Timber Spruce is a close second). The first movie stated that he was dating her before they broke up, a few weeks before the main events of the first movie. Right off the bat, there is a problem; it's only stated once and has no tie-in either with Flash's small role or Sunset's villainous ambitions. Hell, Twilight doesn't even bring her up when she and Flash are interacting, and the scene when he clears her name would've been a great opportunity to show what their relationship, but... nope.

The only hint of their past that we got in the next two films was that in Rainbow Rocks, Sunset said she used Flash just to gain popularity. Fair enough, except again, it's never brought up at any point after it's said, it's just... there. They don't even bother bringing it up at any point during Friendship Games! I know that there were more important matters at hand, but at least an acknowledgement would've been fine!

And then we come to Legend of Everfree. A lot of people are saying this is one of the better scenes of the film, but I honestly can't see it. If anything, it's the worst scene of the worst film in existence, and you better believe why that is.

First, Flash tries and fails connecting with Sci-Twi. We know, but he doesn't (at first), that they're different Twilights, and yet Sunset doesn't even bother explaining that to him! Even if she looked like she was helping him get over Princess Twilight, she comes off as extremely condescending and rude. And before you comment, just because it doesn't look like that, it doesn't mean it isn't plain as day! We were given no indication that she told Princess Twilight about how Flash feels about her, and it implies that she doesn't care, especially when she had no problem with them being together two movies ago!

Secondly, there's their dynamic. Or lack thereof. Neither Flash nor Sunset display any character in their second scene and they come off as incredibly bland. Not only that, all they even talked about was Twilight. Flash gives Sunset compliments, but that's literally as far as it went, and it's never brought up again for the ending. Hell, she just half-heatedly agrees to be friends again and just leaves him hanging there, not giving a second thought for his feelings! You see the problem with their dynamic? It's as shallow as a puddle on the ground.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg. I said that Sunset seemingly doesn't care for Flash's crush on Princess Twilight/Sci-Twi (and he and Sci-Twi seemed to have interacted on a semi-regular basis), and yet she's perfectly okay with Sci-Twi being with Timber, a person she's only known for a few days, and who practically behaved and acted irresponsibly in regards to his sister's actions?! I'm sorry, but if you feel your ex-lover is less worthy for your best friend than a person he or she has only just met, then your priorities are clearly skewed, especially when Sunset was suspicious of Timber to begin with!

Which leads me onto the unfortunate implications; would Flash seriously think about restarting a relationship with Sunset after she (unintentionally, I'll admit) behaved like a jerk to him? What if she decided to return to Equestria (yes, I know she lives in the human world, but she's an Equestrian native, much like Princess Twilight, which is laughable since she told Flash to get over her) for good? This could potentially lead to Flash going down a dark path, and honestly? I wouldn't blame him! As much as I'm a Sunset fanboy, I legitimately wanted to slap her for being so cruel like that.

That's another bullet point to the current problems with Equestria Girls; everything feels like it's been poorly planned and instead pulled out the backside. But do I blame Joanna and Kristine for how poorly written Flash and Sunset's "dynamic" was? No. I feel much of it, shockingly, goes to Meghan for not giving it much thought in the first two movies. You have 70 minutes to work with, so there's no excuse for not giving that development. Say what you want about Starlight Glimmer's roles during season seven, but at least right now, the writers have given her a bit of charisma (unless you consider Mirror Magic), and it almost feels... like she actually belongs.

But Flash and Sunset? Their past relationship has no effect on the series at all; if they were going to make it relevant, they should've outlined how an Equestria Girls trilogy would go before they wrote one line for the first movie. As it stands, it feels like an afterthought.

Another unfortunate implication is what would happen if they actually did get back together. Think about it; Sunset dated Flash back when she was a school bully. The way I see it, Flash is a representation of the old Sunset. If she even thought about dating him again, it would actually end up making things worse for both of them (as if her carelessness in Everfree didn't do so already), and would lead to depression at best and (potentially) suicide at worst!

In layman's terms, it's a lose-lose situation, and even more so from the fandom; Sunset will get flack from the TwiSentry fans (again, as if her actions in Everfree wasn't enough), and Flash will get flack from the Sunlight (that is, Twilight and Sunset, either Twilight doesn't matter) fans as well as those who ship themselves with Sunset. No matter which way you look at it, and regardless of all the fan art and fan fiction (those that occur post-Everfree, at least) you make...

They cannot get back together again. The relationship is dead.

Without proper planning or pacing to it, as well as the unfortunate implications surrounding it, this is why Flash and Sunset are the worst shipping in the MLP fandom. They can try and give Flash as much character as they like in the digital series, but it will mean nothing to me if the shorts are less than five minutes in length, are as appealing as wheat flakes, and that it took four years to try and get him to that point.

Now then; let's move on and look to the future than constantly harking on about a "relationship" that should stay well and truly buried.

MLP Episode 708: Hard to Say Anything

I'll be completely honest here; I was dreading this episode before it aired, and the fact that Legend of Everfree had similar themes didn't really improve my judgement. But could Hard to Say Anything prove me wrong, and most importantly, be better than Everfree?

Well, there's quite a lot of similarities between the episode and movie, so I'll get those out of the way first before talking about the episode proper.

First of all, Big Macintosh actually has a well-defined character than just being a one-dimensional crybaby. Not only that, he is almost willing to have the Crusaders help him out, even if their methods are ridiculously over the top, and his "No love potions!" line is absolutely hilarious; it seems he still hasn't gotten over the incident with Cheerilee...!

Secondly, his crush on Sugar Belle seemingly doesn't come from nowhere. You might disagree, but think about her presence in Celestial Advice. Perhaps she and Big Mac ran into each other at some point after Starlight's party and then he showed her around Sweet Apple Acres leading to... well, I'll let you figure out the rest for yourselves. Timber just gives Sci-Twi the "I want you" look the moment they meet... because of course he does.

Which leads me onto Feather Bangs. No, I don't care for the similarities to a certain musician that shall remain nameless. To keep it short, he's a better Timber than Timber himself, and perhaps it's no irony that Vincent Tong voices him. Yes, he comes off as a horse's ass (ha!), but the ending showed genuine growth for his character, unlike the Flash and Sunset "subplot" that comes off as a pointless distraction.

The fourth comparison is the pacing; Hard to Say Anything has a simple plot that worked surprisingly well within 22 minutes. Meanwhile, Legend of Everfree, with a longer run time of 73 minutes, had a multitude of plots that either A) led to nothing, B) come out of nowhere, C) send toxic messages to an impressionable audience, or D) all of the above. (In case you hadn't noticed, the answer to the Flash and Sunset "subplot" is D.) Because of the ten or so subplots taking place at once in Everfree, they're all thrown into a blender to the point you don't know what the main plot is supposed to be. Also, the cold open to Hard to Say Anything is a very good set up to the main conflict.

Lastly, there's the themes. Those in Everfree were either non-existent or send toxic messages. Meanwhile, Hard to Say Anything showed that there was a difference between fantasy and reality, which is something a lot of people - kids especially - can relate to.

That being said, it does reveal a huge problem with the Equestria Girls series as of late; the themes it displays are far too idealistic, cuddly, and just come off as shallow. Case in point, what's ironically titled Good Vibes. I get the message it wants to show, but it's made obvious within the first thirty seconds with its lyrics and the over-reliance of "good deeds" being done. On top of that, it's way too broad and may come off as slightly toxic. Doing good deeds for someone doesn't always mean you'll be rewarded; there's this theory called reward and punishment, something that the writers will gleefully ignore and would rather sugarcoat their "themes".

Oh, and did I mention that the "relationship" between Flash and Sunset needs to die a sad, pitiful, lonely death?

Back to the episode proper, and what else does it do on its own merits? Well, there's the relationship between Apple Bloom and Big Macintosh continuing the development from Brotherhooves Social. It's really nice to see them bond after all this time, and his expressions are funny. Well, except for when he tries to kiss Sugar Belle whilst she's sleeping. Not so funny.

Which brings me, awkwardly, to the song. It starts off okay, but then it starts to go over the top bad. That said, it may be what they were going for, and it gets the message across not just to Big Mac, but the Crusaders as well that they screwed up, so it wasn't entirely pointless.

And now, I get to what I wanted to talk about most in regards to the episode (and the show in general, in fact) - romance. Like bad guy redemptions, writing for romance in MLP is a two-edged sword; yes, it's a nice idea to try and add a few subtle mature themes (or at least, as subtle as you can get) in the show, but you have to consider that there are fans out there who aren't a fan of romance being in the show. There's a reason the show is called Friendship is Magic.

Also, if you do end up creating a pairing that fans were not hoping for - especially if it involves a new character - that may lead to, at worst, the character getting crap piled on them by the fans or, at best, outright shipping wars. Why do you think Flash became an outright butt monkey from Friendship Games onward, especially when he did nothing wrong, of his own volition?

Much as I'm a FlutterMac shipper, I'll say this outright when it comes to him being with either Cheerilee or (as of this episode) Sugar Belle. I, frankly, don't care about this whiny "NOT WHAT I WANTED" crap. And I know some of you out there are gonna comment that, as a TwiSentry defender, I'm being hypocritical in my statements, so let me explain.

When Twilight (that is, Princess Twilight, not that whiny bespectacled brat) first runs into Flash, he simply helps her up and moves on to whatever he was planning; they just interact like strangers and that's very much it. Later, she bumps into him again at the cafe, and he shrugs it off like it's no big deal, but it's when Twilight gets framed for wrecking the gymnasium that he proves himself worthy of being her date by proving she's innocent. (Try topping that, you green-haired loser! What have you done to prove yourself worthy of "your" Twilight?)

And then in the next film, Flash is wondering about Twilight's presence, implying that his feelings for her have grown a little more and vice-verse. My point here is that even though the romance between Princess Twilight and Flash is obvious, it's handled with subtlety and it's just an innocent crush. Between Sci-Twi and Timber, meanwhile, there was no subtlety or innocence; it just happened for no reason other than to serve as a distraction from their respective problems.

On top of that, Timber could've ended up in jail for his reckless behavior. Think about it; he knew what Gloriosa was doing was stupid, and yet he chose to sweep it under the rug whenever Sci-Twi is around him (she even does the same with the issue with Midnight Sparkle). Seriously, he's supposed to be a camp counselor, and hitting on a student younger than him makes him look extremely irresponsible. As well as that, Gloriosa could've also ended up being in jail for endangering the students.

Digression aside, the bottom line is, I'm not that bothered about Big Mac and Sugar Belle being together. Like Flash and Twilight, they started off having an innocent crush on each other (more so from his end, but still), but unlike Flash with either Twilight (sadly), they actually end up in a relationship, leaving Feather Bangs the third wheel, but I'm sure he'll find his special somepony one day.

Oh, and that Sci-Twi finally realizes how shallow Timber is...

Final Thoughts

Well, that was quite a lot to say about this episode and the things surrounding it...! Despite a couple of issues I have, I still enjoyed it, and would gladly take this over Legend of Everfree any day of the week. That being said, it does expose a genuine problem with how the actual show handles romance, so this is my advice to the writers - leave the romance to the fandom.

Rating: 9 out of 10

MLP Episode 707: Parental Glideance

Now this is one of those episodes inspired by headcanons I've seen around the internet; Rainbow Dash's parents. Sadly, they were not what many were wondering, let's what can Parental Glideance provide.

I'm a bit conflicted on this one. There's things I liked about it and things that I didn't.

For one thing, I liked Scootaloo's role in this one. Her reaction to seeing Rainbow Dash's parents for the first time was equally adorable and hilarious. Given that she's never met them before, can you blame her? Plus, their reactions to her squealing loudly (as well as the bombshell that their daughter is a Wonderbolt) are priceless.

Windy Whistles and Bow Hothoof (must've been an unfortunate foalhood for him!) are... alright, I suppose. I can see where Josh Hamilton is going with them; many of us have parents which love us to the point we find it embarrassing. Or, if you're a parent, you have a child who loves you to death. And honestly, I can relate to both scenarios.

That being said, I would never go so far as to keep shoving my support down their throats to the point it becomes childish. And that's their biggest problem; they're way too obsessive with their daughter and her achievements (especially in the second act), right down to memorabilia when it comes to Rainbow Dash's highlights.

And that brings me to the themes, which feel... kind of awkward. Rainbow Dash realized she took her parents' support for granted. Fair enough. And yet her parents don't apologize for embarrassing her? I don't know if it's actually happening or just my interpretation, but it feels confused as to who I'm supposed to root for. I mean, I know who I want to root for, but the narrative of the episode doesn't make it clear.

If there was an overall positive to the whole scenario, at least the Wonderbolts aren't as malicious as they were in Newbie Dash. Compared to how "in your face" it was toward Rainbow Dash, their teasing is a lot more subtle this time around.

Which leads me onto the biggest problem with the episode; continuity. Scootaloo recounts the events of Wonderbolts Academy, Rarity Investigates!, and the aforementioned Newbie Dash, yet Testing Testing 1, 2, 3 is skipped over... because reasons. But that isn't the problem. No, the real issue is the flashback.

Think about it; Spitfire, Fleetfoot and Soarin are already in the Wonderbolts when Rainbow Dash joins, yet in the flashback, they appear to be roughly the same age. Not only that, Lightning Dust and Rainbow Dash met in Wonderbolts Academy, yet this episode implies they knew each other before said episode. Couldn't you have replaced them with other Pegasi as foals like, say, Blossomforth, Thunderlane, and maybe Flash Sentry? I know this doesn't affect the story that much, but it's still incredibly baffling.

Final Thoughts

A step backward from the last two episodes. Not to say that Parental Glideance is without merit; I mean, it has a good idea, and Rainbow Dash learns something at the end (though she should learn she isn't the best at everything, but I digress), but the end result comes off as weird at best. All that said, the writers need to stop putting Rainbow Dash through the wringer when she gets a starring role; surely she deserves better?

Rating: 6 out of 10