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