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.
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
No comments:
Post a Comment