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?
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
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