MLP Episode 811: Molt Down

This review was held back in honor of Memorial Day.

A couple of years ago in her follow-up review on Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep, Lily Peet sarcastically commented that she was looking forward to how My Little Pony would handle puberty... and then Molt Down came around. Will it actually be good?

The short answer is... yes, surprisingly!

One of this episode's greatest strengths is that Spike feels relatable and not being constantly brought down to size; in the case of the "molt," it's an inconvenience and he never knew it happens to dragons. Of course, I'm pretty sure Smolder wasn't scaring him on purpose and was simply joking with him, but then again, she didn't grow up around ponies and wouldn't understand how he was feeling.

What was also nice was seeing Twilight show genuine concern for Spike when he gets stone scales around his face. After a couple of episodes where she came off as an incompetent idiot, this is definitely a breath of fresh air. Though wouldn't Spike have known by now Twilight wouldn't abandon him?

Rarity and Zecora were also great; the former's brief deafness problems are pretty amusing, and the latter's guidance roles make me appreciate how lucky Zecora is to be a side character. She works best when she's playing off another character in, for example, A Health of Information and Magic Duel. It's also why I'm glad Edward is moving to Wellsworth because chances are he'll never be poorly written again, but I've explained why already, so let's move on.

But now let's talk about the main takeaway of the episode; Spike getting his wings. Well, it would be a nice surprise if A) it wasn't leaked by greedy fans, and B) Hasbro didn't reveal that information in a teaser! In the case of the latter, this is practically Magical Mystery Cure all over again, only this time, fans weren't thrown into a tizzy about the show being "ruined".

Personally, I'm glad and disappointed that Spike got his wings; glad in that after eight seasons, we finally get to see him physically grow up, and it looks as though there's big plans for him later in the season.

The disappointment comes when you consider that Twilight got her own wings at the end of season three. In the last five years, fans have adjusted to this so much that we tend to forget that Twilight started out as a unicorn (or maybe they don't, I'm not sure). Heck, the Crusaders got their cutie marks in the middle of season five, and that was an afterthought. With Spike? By the time Generation 4 comes to an end, it'll be too little too late to get fully used to him having wings.

That being said, it was nice to see Spike standing up to the roc to save Rarity and Zecora from its clutches, and the ending, though predictable, was pretty satisfying. Though it does make you wonder how everyone else reacted to his wings...

Final Thoughts

After a brief slump in the middle of the first half, it looks like season eight is back on track again. Spike is definitely growing as a character (we can't call him a baby dragon anymore) and getting his wings shows that there's a bit more story potential for him. Maybe have him stand up to Garble one day?

Rating: Excellent

MLP Episode 810: The Break Up Break Down

Season eight had a great start with School Daze, and the next five episodes were all really good for the most part, but then it faltered so suddenly with the last two episodes ranging from bad to terrible. Can The Break Up Break Down claw back some lost ground?

In some ways, it does. Others though? Not enough to be considered one of the best. This has a similar problem to The Parent Map; it primarily takes after a season seven episode (Hard to Say Anything) and three others from past seasons (Dungeons and Discords, All Bottled Up, and Hearts and Hooves Day).

However, unlike The Parent Map, The Break Up Break Down has some advantage over it. For one, the characters are actually entertaining, Discord and Spike especially. I definitely believe you could create gold with these two, and Confalone certainly did here (though, this may be down to having written Dungeons and Discords as well).

Another strong point is that it addressed a question a had since Hard to Say Anything aired; are Big Mac and Sugar Belle in a long distance relationship? As of this episode, we can see that she'll be closer to him by being an apprentice to Mrs. Cake.

The best character of the episode was, without a doubt, Big Macintosh. He's sensitive, he's slightly insecure, and even apologies when he takes his frustration out on those who didn't deserve it. Some may get some Ponyville Confidential vibes out of that, but it doesn't take longer than thirty seconds and like I said, he does apologize for yelling at Sweetie Belle. So let's park a bit of caution there, okay?

Speaking of which, the Crusaders' subplot felt useless and didn't have any impact on the main story. Sure, they helped Big Mac set up the barn, but that's it. It could easily be skipped over and you lose nothing.

The episode's theme was about jumping to conclusions... and communicating properly with others, which, actually, feels a lot more nuanced than what we've seen as of late in recent Thomas episodes like Engine of the Future. The fact that they used a few characters around that theme made it all the more better, though slightly anti-climactic since we know Sugar Belle wasn't going to break up with Big Mac.

Also, this is minor, but why do they keep saying "girl" in place of "mare"? There's nothing wrong with saying "coltfriend" and "marefriend", so use that!

Final Thoughts

It's a step in the right direction for season eight; despite the re-use of elements from certain episodes, the characters and theme more than make up for that, so it passes into "good" territory, though only just. That being said, I hope they come up with some more original stories for the rest of season eight and nine, plus the yet-to-be released Generation 5. Otherwise, it's a sign the series is creatively stagnant and should be put to bed.

Rating: Good

MLP Episode 809: Non-Compete Clause

After seven episodes since School Daze, we're back to the School of Friendship! There's one thing concerning this Non-Compete Clause; will it actually be good and prove The Parent Map was merely a fluke?

Last time, I was hoping the writers could do something fresh lest the show become stagnant. Their best response? An episode about teamwork, and one where Rainbow Dash and Applejack are at odds with each other... again.

However, to be fair, this was seven seasons after Fall Weather Friends, so it's a bit more forgivable here. And the fact they had the Young Six reacting to their antics added a little more nuance to the story.

But that is what really kills the episode for me. You'd have expected after eight years that Rainbow Dash and Applejack would've learned not to behave like children over little things. Episodes like this where the lead characters are rewritten to suit the story can potentially harm their reputation and make them unlikable. It also says a lot that the Young Six, characters who are meant to represent a younger generation, have more maturity than two characters who have been a staple of the show since 2010.

On top of that, the moral is incredibly hammered in. Sure, it's one that kids need to learn, but here's the thing; this is a lesson Rainbow Dash and Applejack should know by now! We've seen in past episodes that they've worked well together, even in this season alone! Why they can't do this now is beyond me. Hell, the episode's ending gave off the implication that they learned nothing from the experience.

Twilight's role wasn't much better either. Sure, she scolded Rainbow Dash and Applejack for their behavior (something we need to see more of), but she still lets them lead the field trip anyway, despite the fact that Yona almost drowned because of their petty bickering! And Rainbow Dash and Applejack did nothing to help her! Imagine what Rutherford would say if he found out!

Yeah, this episode is riddled with unfortunate implications; would any student want to be taught by a pair of teachers who are constantly at each other's throats during a field trip? The students wouldn't feel safe, and their parents/guardians wouldn't trust them! I know what message the kids want it to be, but as I've said, Rainbow Dash and Applejack should've learned this lesson by now! And when they got tied up, I thought that it served them right for being careless.

Like I've also said, the Young Six are really good throughout, Yona and Ocellus especially. The former's aquaphobia could be an interesting character study in the future, and the latter's transformations into a seapony and a fish are really fun to see.

Final Thoughts

I know it's too early to call, but this is so far a candidate for worst episode of the season. It completely ignores character development that had happened in the past seven seasons just for the plot to happen, the moral comes off as extremely forced, and the ending makes the whole endeavor pointless. The episode as a whole provides nothing new or interesting.

I really hope this doesn't become a constant problem for season eight; otherwise, I'll be left with little to discuss. The writers really need to pick up their game lest this season becomes worse than the sixth.

Rating: Terrible

MLP Episode 808: The Parent Map

So far, season eight has had a pretty solid start. Despite the odd blip here and there, the episode quality has been nothing short of wonderful. But then there's The Parent Map, and given what I saw with Uncommon Bond, I was left worried that it wouldn't be that great. Was I wrong?

I don't mind retreads just as long as the writers do something fresh with the previous plot. But here? This is pretty much a retreading of Parental Glideance, only it's more annoying. Maybe it's not a beat-for-beat retreading, but it does contain a similar trope of Starlight's father and Sunburst's mother being overdoting to their respective offspring. And boy, does it get frustrating after a while...

Not only that, this took on elements of The Perfect Pear (the conflict between the parents, which came from nowhere and ended rather suddenly), Triple Threat (a friendship problem being initiated by Starlight and Sunburst), and Uncommon Bond (a revisiting of their past). I've let the other six episodes off the hook as they added more nuance to their respective themes, but this... doesn't.

In addition to the unoriginality, there's a crapload of wasted potential to explore Starlight's past. How did her father react to Starlight becoming an antagonist? What was Sire's Hollow like when she was little? What happened to Sunburst's father (he doesn't show up in the present day)? Why were Stellar Flare and Firelight fighting at the start? Too many questions and too few answers just make the episode feel overall like a jumbled mess.

They do try making up for the lack of cohesive plot by adding in some humor with the ponyfolk of Sire's Hollow, and to be fair, there are a few actually funny moments with the baker pony and his rock bread. It's also funny that they have more humor and charm in this episode than Sunburst ever did since his debut.

Yeah, speaking of whom, I still don't like Sunburst. He's so boring that he makes Mudbriar look like Capper in comparison. If you aren't going to do anything interesting with Sunburst, then what was the point of creating him in the first place? At least Flash Sentry has (or rather, had) potential. Sunburst has absolutely nothing.

It says a lot that Starlight Glimmer, someone who's given tons of hate even after three years, actually has more character than Sunburst. And again, in fairness, she does what she can to give the episode some weight, and seeing her snap at her father for treating her like a baby was a good moment for her. Whilst Starlight reminding Twilight where she messed up was good, her scolding Firelight was great, and it holds more weight than Rainbow Dash being a bit petty with her parents (which, I'll admit, improves on Parental Glideance slightly). Same for Sunburst and Stellar Flare, surprisingly (even if I don't like the former). Heck, even Twilight and Spike had some great moments despite their small roles.

But there is a glaring issue with Starlight's role; how did she and Sunburst not know what the problem was earlier? Heck, the cold open pretty much shows a pile of Stellar Flare's letters to Sunburst, and you figure out the issue about ten to fifteen minutes before the pair do, making them feel stupid.

Here's what I could've done to fix the episode; have Sunburst go to Sire's Hollow where he learns about what happened to his father whilst making amends with Stellar Flare. And while you're at it, have Starlight be there to provide some moral support whilst thinking about her checkered relationship with Firelight. And on top of providing more insight into their past, you give the audience more of a reason to care for their plight. It's basic on paper, but I'm sure it'd be a lot better than what we were given.

A number of people are bringing this up, and damned if I didn't; the Cutie Map can randomly call up anyone now. That sends off some catastrophic implications if it were to call up a villain...!

Final Thoughts

In answering the question I started off this review with; no. I wasn't wrong. It's unoriginal as hell and has loads of wasted potential; by far, it's my least favorite of season eight and it's a great shame that it had been great up to this point. I just hope that the next episode can bring forth something new; otherwise, it may not just be Equestria Girls that's reaching the end of the line...

Rating: Bad

MLP Episode 807: Horse Play

Happy Mother's Day! To celebrate, here's my views on Horse Play.

Prior to Celestial Advice, there have been complaints that Luna had received far more screentime than Celestia did, and the latter was fairly prominent during season one whilst the former... wasn't. Even though it took them seven seasons to do it, at least the writers have addressed the issue. So how does this one stack up?

Well, it's not as good as A Royal Problem, but it is definitely within the range. Celestia is an absolute delight throughout the entire episode, especially when she has her "squee" moment over being the lead in a play, as well as her bad acting.

Twilight's role... was a mixed bag. I understand why she doesn't want to upset her former mentor, but this is the fourth time in the last year alone (the first three being Shadow Play, The Movie, and School Daze) that she ignored her friends' advice! Does she suddenly not trust her friends? You'd think after eight years she'd have learned to trust her friends by now.

Another issue was with Pinkie Pie; her antics were more annoying than funny, and she didn't get any consequences for making problems worse for Twilight. There is more to her character than the writers seem to be letting on, and you don't need to watch just The Movie to understand that!

However, everyone else in the episode more than makes up for that. Applejack being the voice of reason was nice (at least she learned something from a past experience!), the return of the Method Mares from season five was pretty serviceable, but the standout was Fluttershy, no question. She looks absolutely cute dressed as Celestia.

Besides the theme about being honest with your criticisms, there was a nice theme about working with the problems you've landed in in regards to the final play. I dunno if that was the intention or my interpretation of it, but that was a nice touch.

Final Thoughts

So far, no episode has been able to match School Daze, but Horse Play has come pretty close. It's mostly down to the issues with Twilight and Pinkie's characterization, but despite this issue, it's a solid episode featuring Celestia as a major player.

Rating: Excellent

MLP Episode 806: Surf and/or Turf

Ever since The Movie, I was hoping we'd get to see the hippogriffs again, especially Princess Skystar. And when this episode was announced, I was excited. But how does Surf and/or Turf fare?

Actually, I'd have been more excited if stupid, greedy people that call themselves "fans" didn't leak this episode (and a few others) in an unfinished state and spoiling the surprises for the true fans because they've nothing better to do with their lives... But whatever.

Regardless, it's yet another episode I really enjoy, and I liked Terramar a lot. He is incredibly sympathetic and relatable, and there's the subtle allegory with his parents Sky Beak (a hippogriff) and Ocean Flow (a seapony) being divorced, and yet they're still friendly with one another. That is a bold move for MLP, and one that I'm sure kids with divorced parents will relate to. Though it does make one wonder how Silverstream is handling this...!

Seeing Scootaloo swim around as a seapony is just adorably charming. It's almost like she's finally achieved her goal to sort of "fly", even if she was underwater. And no, Apple Bloom exaggerating the story of the Storm King's invasion doesn't bug me; most likely she's exaggerating just to make it sound exciting.

That being said, the conflict between Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle felt rather shoehorned. Sure, they had their disagreements on where Terramar should live in, but it more or less comes from nowhere and is dropped just as soon as it starts.

Although this doesn't affect my views on the episode, I'll mention it anyway; why on earth is Madeleine Peters not singing? I mean, she's sung fairly well as Scootaloo in the past (the last time was in The Fault in Our Cutie Marks back in season six), and yet here, her singing voice is done by Arielle Tuliao. So... why the change?

Final Thoughts

Sometimes, the best episodes are those that give me little to talk about, and despite the problem with the leaks in December, this was yet another highlight to season seven. Though I was pretty disappointed that Skystar didn't make an appearance, much less receive a mention, it didn't ruin the viewing experience for me. It was fine the way it is.

Rating: Excellent

MLP Episode 805: Grannies Gone Wild

Don't fret, people; there's nothing pornographic about this episode, especially if you watch it, though there is a problem I have in regards to a certain reference, but more on that later. Anyway, here are my views on Grannies Gone Wild.

I'll start off with a question; when you think of Rainbow Dash episodes, who would be the first character on your mind to play off against her? I'm sure most of you wouldn't think up Granny Smith, am I right? You'd think, "Rainbow Dash and one of the grannies of Equestria? That's too ridiculous even by the show's standards!" And you'd probably be right.

But did Gillian Berrow pull that off? Absolutely. The fact that she even wrote it in Las Vegas might've helped.

What makes it better is Rainbow Dash. Lately, she's been treated as a butt monkey at best, and an unbearable idiot at worst. Whilst there are instances of her being insensitive, she at least has a reason to act this way; she wants to ride the Wild Blue Yonder roller coaster like Wonderbolts past have done before it closes down.

However, she's forced to look after Granny Smith, Apple Rose, Goldie Delicious, and Auntie Applesauce, with strict instructions from Applejack. And seeing poor Rainbow constantly bugged by an imaginary Applejack head was really funny and added to her paranoia. The grannies' antics didn't make Rainbow's behavior much better, but it was still funny to see.

Speaking of humor, the episode is remembered for a particularly awkward reason; not because of the characters, the story, or even the themes (which I'll get to in a bit), but because of this screenshot:

Two things:

1. It's blatantly obvious that this is pandering to the adult fans. Seriously, how many kids are expected to know what Rick and Morty is?
2. The R&M fanbase are making a huge deal over a one-second shot of a 22-minute episode. ONE SHOT that you could easily overlook if you were a casual viewer!

I won't go on about this, but the bottom line is, stop raising hell over small things! The world's already a toxic dumpster fire as it is, so think about your own damn lives for at least a minute!

Okay, getting back to the episode, and I like that there are two themes here; think about others' needs (it's not entirely new for the show, but I digress), and that people can have fun regardless of age (which is surprisingly new for the show). They are both lessons Rainbow Dash needed to learn, and the ride she got at the end on the coaster was pretty satisfying.

Final Thoughts

Need a bit of a laugh for twenty minutes? This episode is for you. It felt like it was an improvement over Somepony to Watch Over Me (after all, old people need a lot of attention) and the whole conflict all felt believable and relatable. It's practically the MLP equivalent to Dowager Hatt's Busy Day. Although, can we stop throwing in references that only older fans will get? Because the more you do it, the less you focus on your target audience.

Rating: Excellent

MLP Episode 804: Fake It 'Til You Make It

So School Daze was an amazing premiere, and yet The Maud Couple was a slightly disappointing follow-up to that episode. Let's see how Fake It 'Til You Make It holds up in comparison.

When was the last time Fluttershy and Rarity got an episode together? Season one? Wow, it feels like ages since that last happened, and it definitely feels more special compared to an annual Maud Pie episode. It's nice to get something like this once in a while rather than once a season.

And this "once in a while" episode turned out surprisingly good given that Josh Hamilton wrote this. Parental Glideance and Triple Threat were okay, but Secrets and Pies was downright awful, one of MLP's worst episodes to date. Fake It 'Til You Make It was undoubtedly his diamond in the rough, though it's not much of a surprise given that this was a Fluttershy episode.

For once, the humor was actually quite funny and rarely comes off as forced. Seeing Fluttershy constantly changing into her vain, hipster, and goth personalities is so over-the-top that I find it impossible not to enjoy. And hey, where else do you hear her do a Rarity impression?

I also like the roles the raccoons had in assisting Fluttershy, and their interactions with Spike were quite fun; has he been taking lessons from the not-so-introverted-as-we'd-like-to-think pegasus?

But you can't outrun all the criticisms; for one thing, the rest of the Mane Six (barring Rarity of course) felt kind of useless. Sure, they helped Fluttershy get back to normal, but Rarity could've done it by herself as well and the plot wouldn't change. That being said, the moral about being yourself is a good one, but the fact it's overused does not bother me here...

No, the real problem is that it could've worked just as well with Coco Pommel, maybe better. She has a similar persona to Fluttershy, and we've yet to see her display a little more character. Heck, they don't even mention her at any point, which is a great shame.

Final Thoughts

Despite the missed opportunities and a rather awkward ending, it's still one of Josh Hamilton's better efforts - no, scratch that - his best effort so far. Although the lesson is nothing new, it was definitely one Fluttershy needed to learn, as well as being one that can resonate with kids. It's an improvement over The Maud Couple, but still not quite as good as School Daze; and believe me when I say it'll take a lot to beat that one.

Rating: Good

MLP Episode 803: The Maud Couple

Well, we're finally here! I could've posted this earlier, but I first wanted to get the video review for School Daze done for The Emotions' Corner on YouTube. Now that it's done, I can finally catch up on the rest of the season eight episodes that have aired by the time of posting. Starting with The Maud Couple.

I don't think this was as good as School Daze, but I do think that it has a very strong message within its context, and I will get to that in a bit.

The first complaint I have is that this is the third season in a row where Maud Pie is at the center stage near the start of a season. That was a complaint I had with Emily in the Middle feeling way too similar to Love Me Tender; however, unlike the aforementioned Donald and Douglas episodes, the Maud Pie episodes are actually very different story wise:

• The Gift of the Maud Pie is about Pinkie trying to get her sister a gift whilst in Manehattan.
• Rock Solid Friendship is about Maud moving to Ponyville and making a new friend in Starlight Glimmer.
• The Maud Couple is about Maud getting a boyfriend and Pinkie's reaction to it.

As long as each episode featuring a certain character is different, that's okay in my books. Just... don't have a Maud Pie episode near the start of every future season, okay? After all, familiarity breeds contempt. (I'm looking at you, Forgotten Friendship!)

Another problem is one that plagues Nick Confalone's writing; the plot is quite thin, and it almost felt like a few gags were being prolonged deliberately just to fill up 22 minutes. I mean, Pinkie reintroduces herself to Mudbriar three times. What do I think of him as a character? Well... I can honestly take him or leave him, but how often does he have to say "technically" and then over-correct a lot that Pinkie says? This can become annoying after a while.

Oh, and two more points where the plot feels thin; Maud Pie's stand-up comedy act and Pinkie's Opposite Day fantasy with the rest of the Mane Six. They're both funny in their own right, but they add nothing to the plot.

Now, the episode as a whole isn't terrible; one thing that actually stood out to me was that it looked like Limestone and Marble Pie seem to finally be gaining a bit more character. Limestone can be wise and helpful when she wants to be, and Marble even showed disapproval at Limestone cutting off Pinkie's explanation. That was really good! Can we have more of this, please?

Even more so was the theme, which raises my views on the episode a bit. It's what's inside that's most important. Not as strong as the theme of inclusivity in School Daze, but like the aforementioned theme, it's a big one for today's society as people will judge one another by skin color rather than looking past that.

Final Thoughts

It was a step down from School Daze, but The Maud Couple is still a good episode in its own right; just not as good as it could've been. Had it not been for the theme, it would've gotten a worse rating. Also, can we not have Pinkie acting like a spoiled child whenever she's with Maud? It's writing choices like that which can taint a character's likability and eventually lead to flanderization.

Rating: Good