So the first half of season five was a mixed bag, and yet there was no middle ground episode. In general, the episodes were either really good or really bad, but how does the second half of the season fare?
Canterlot Boutique
Written by Amy Keating Rogers
If there's anything this episode is known for, it's the episode where Rarity finally starts to move up in the world by setting up another boutique in Canterlot. And with the help from Sassy Saddles, it becomes a success... but not in the way Rarity wanted.
When the Princess Dress (originally called Reign in Stain) became popular, Rarity felt dismayed that she had to make the same dress two hundred times, and the more she made, the less happy and creative she was feeling. Even when she tries to tweak the design to make it stand out more, she's still forced to go by the same design.
People would easily blame Sassy Saddles for Rarity's depression, but the latter brought it upon herself for not properly reviewing her partner's business plan. Both mares were in the wrong, and poor communication was the problem. Sassy may have had good intentions, but still.
Overall, there's not a lot to say about this. The moral about not losing your creative edge very relevant, especially if you're going through a creative slump, but it's also important that you stay happy as opposed to just doing a good job. After all, it takes time, love and couture in every project you make.
When the Princess Dress (originally called Reign in Stain) became popular, Rarity felt dismayed that she had to make the same dress two hundred times, and the more she made, the less happy and creative she was feeling. Even when she tries to tweak the design to make it stand out more, she's still forced to go by the same design.
People would easily blame Sassy Saddles for Rarity's depression, but the latter brought it upon herself for not properly reviewing her partner's business plan. Both mares were in the wrong, and poor communication was the problem. Sassy may have had good intentions, but still.
Overall, there's not a lot to say about this. The moral about not losing your creative edge very relevant, especially if you're going through a creative slump, but it's also important that you stay happy as opposed to just doing a good job. After all, it takes time, love and couture in every project you make.
Rating: Excellent (9/10)
Scare Master
Written by Natasha Levinger
Here's another episode that I've held a grudge against since it first aired. Considering that she also wrote It Ain't Easy Being Breezies last season, you'd think Natasha Levinger would do Fluttershy justice, right?
If you want a quick, blunt answer, absolutely not. Fluttershy's character reduced to how it was before Breezies, only way more flanderized and focusing on completely irrational fears.
You don't even need to watch the whole episode just to know this. By this point, she's faced against a cockatrice, Discord (pre-redemption, at least), a swarm of Changelings, Sombra's attack on the Crystal Empire, and heck, she even partook in the Equestria Games and in this season, exposed Starlight Glimmer! All of that is completely ignored just to allow this story to happen.
And her fears against everything Nightmare Night just borders on whiny instead of sympathetic. I mean, afraid of bobbing for apples and eating one piece of candy? Come on! Shaggy from Scooby-Doo isn't this cowardly!
The worst part about all of this is the ending, which basically renders the story as a whole completely pointless. Fluttershy hides once again from Nightmare Night and learns nothing from the experience. What's the point of telling a story - or worse, presenting a character arc - if your main character learns nothing?!
Bottom line, just watch Scaredy Pants from SpongeBob. The animation might be dated by today's standards and run at half the length, but the story never goes so far as to treat its main character like a wimp, and it's a lot more fun to watch.
If you want a quick, blunt answer, absolutely not. Fluttershy's character reduced to how it was before Breezies, only way more flanderized and focusing on completely irrational fears.
You don't even need to watch the whole episode just to know this. By this point, she's faced against a cockatrice, Discord (pre-redemption, at least), a swarm of Changelings, Sombra's attack on the Crystal Empire, and heck, she even partook in the Equestria Games and in this season, exposed Starlight Glimmer! All of that is completely ignored just to allow this story to happen.
And her fears against everything Nightmare Night just borders on whiny instead of sympathetic. I mean, afraid of bobbing for apples and eating one piece of candy? Come on! Shaggy from Scooby-Doo isn't this cowardly!
The worst part about all of this is the ending, which basically renders the story as a whole completely pointless. Fluttershy hides once again from Nightmare Night and learns nothing from the experience. What's the point of telling a story - or worse, presenting a character arc - if your main character learns nothing?!
Bottom line, just watch Scaredy Pants from SpongeBob. The animation might be dated by today's standards and run at half the length, but the story never goes so far as to treat its main character like a wimp, and it's a lot more fun to watch.
Rating: Terrible (-3/10)
Rarity Investigates!
Story by Meghan McCarthy, M. A. Larson, Joanna Lewis and Kristine Songco
Written by Joanna Lewis and Kristine Songo
Written by Joanna Lewis and Kristine Songo
I wasn't all that fond of MMMystery on the Friendship Express, mostly because it seemed to lack a certain flavor. Then comes this episode.
Right out of the gate, I can say it's a lot of fun from start to end. Although I haven't watched a lot of noirs, the way the episode implemented the style and tone was brilliant. I might be alone on this, but Rarity's narrative tone and outfit feel like a cross between Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries and Carmen Sandiego. Hell, her method of flirting with the guards to get answers was funny; it's a wonder they got past with a TV-Y rating!
The story's antagonist, Wind Rider, did vaguely remind me of actor Willem Dafoe with hints of Henry Winkler, mostly it's the physical appearance and how he was voiced. He's protective of his record and does everything he can to preserve it, even if it means framing Rainbow Dash, but as we all know, as the cliche goes, crime doesn't pay.
But that's not the only message being learned here. Rainbow Dash was shocked at what Wind Rider had done and saw he wasn't as cool as she made him out to be. I'm not sure if that was the actual intention or how I'm interpreting it, but sometimes, your heroes may not be what you think they are. That's one of the most mature morals the show has ever taught; heck, the episode as a whole is fairly mature, but not in a dark, edgy manner. Just enough to be suitable for the target audience and enough for older viewers to be invested.
Out of the characters involved, I feel that Soarin was the best. He might be one of the more laid back members of the Wonderbolts, but he still knows when to take action, especially when Spitfire went missing. That was a nice touch by adding layers to his character.
Right out of the gate, I can say it's a lot of fun from start to end. Although I haven't watched a lot of noirs, the way the episode implemented the style and tone was brilliant. I might be alone on this, but Rarity's narrative tone and outfit feel like a cross between Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries and Carmen Sandiego. Hell, her method of flirting with the guards to get answers was funny; it's a wonder they got past with a TV-Y rating!
The story's antagonist, Wind Rider, did vaguely remind me of actor Willem Dafoe with hints of Henry Winkler, mostly it's the physical appearance and how he was voiced. He's protective of his record and does everything he can to preserve it, even if it means framing Rainbow Dash, but as we all know, as the cliche goes, crime doesn't pay.
But that's not the only message being learned here. Rainbow Dash was shocked at what Wind Rider had done and saw he wasn't as cool as she made him out to be. I'm not sure if that was the actual intention or how I'm interpreting it, but sometimes, your heroes may not be what you think they are. That's one of the most mature morals the show has ever taught; heck, the episode as a whole is fairly mature, but not in a dark, edgy manner. Just enough to be suitable for the target audience and enough for older viewers to be invested.
Out of the characters involved, I feel that Soarin was the best. He might be one of the more laid back members of the Wonderbolts, but he still knows when to take action, especially when Spitfire went missing. That was a nice touch by adding layers to his character.
Rating: Excellent (10/10)
Made in Manehattan
Written by Noelle Benvenuti
There are a lot of charming episodes in the series, this one included.
Community spirit is something everybody needs more of these days, especially when the world of politics is being ruled by the bad guys. (Some are worse than others.) So to have an episode tell the audience about making a big difference by doing something small is something to be admired. Especially in a big community.
The way they present the difference between small communities and big bustling cities by showing the bad attitudes of most of the Manehattan ponies was quite clever. In a small community, everybody's very friendly to everyone they know, but in a big bustling city, hardly anyone has the chance to socialize out on the streets with a few exceptions.
But it's only when Applejack manages to build a new stage after the old one collapses that the Manehattan ponies finally saw what they had lost since Charity Kindheart left. And although the park was still a mess, the ending hints that things will eventually get better, much like The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone.
Even though this doesn't relate to the main story, I can relate to Twilight's boredom here. Having to drop from my college classes due to financial problems meant that I had very little to do except household chores. I was practically cooped up inside with no idea as to what I should do. The weather we were having at the time didn't help at all.
It's a shame this episode doesn't get the recognition it deserves; the message it presents is relevant in today's society. It's because of that alone that it can truly get one rating from me.
Community spirit is something everybody needs more of these days, especially when the world of politics is being ruled by the bad guys. (Some are worse than others.) So to have an episode tell the audience about making a big difference by doing something small is something to be admired. Especially in a big community.
The way they present the difference between small communities and big bustling cities by showing the bad attitudes of most of the Manehattan ponies was quite clever. In a small community, everybody's very friendly to everyone they know, but in a big bustling city, hardly anyone has the chance to socialize out on the streets with a few exceptions.
But it's only when Applejack manages to build a new stage after the old one collapses that the Manehattan ponies finally saw what they had lost since Charity Kindheart left. And although the park was still a mess, the ending hints that things will eventually get better, much like The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone.
Even though this doesn't relate to the main story, I can relate to Twilight's boredom here. Having to drop from my college classes due to financial problems meant that I had very little to do except household chores. I was practically cooped up inside with no idea as to what I should do. The weather we were having at the time didn't help at all.
It's a shame this episode doesn't get the recognition it deserves; the message it presents is relevant in today's society. It's because of that alone that it can truly get one rating from me.
Rating: Excellent (10/10)
Brotherhooves Social
Written by Dave Polsky
This is going to be fun! Dismissing this episode solely based on the fact that Big Macintosh dressed up as a lady are not only shallow, but they're also completely missing the point and theme of this episode.
So what if he spent half of the episode disguised as Orchard Blossom? It made him feel a bit more confident in himself, even if it meant making him look like a fool in front of Apple Bloom. But Big Mac did this because he loved his youngest sister and wanted to spend time with her. He felt as if they never spent enough time together and that she always hung out with Applejack.
In fact, this episode completely destroys the stereotype that men are strong and don't show their emotions to the world, but that's completely untrue for the most part. Those who follow this stereotype are the exception and not the rule. Big Mac was open about his feelings to Apple Bloom, and it made him feel more human.
The ending is one of the sweetest of the entire series, let alone this season, and it makes Big Mac's and Apple Bloom's bond feel even stronger despite being disqualified from the Sisterhooves Social. It's like how that guy created the Mrs. Doubtfire persona because he was desperate to be with his kids. If those actions aren't what a man would do, then I don't know what is.
Heartwarming moments aside, there's still a lot of humor to be found when Big Mac and Apple Bloom partake in the events of the Social. Especially when he gets carried away at the race, relying on brute force just to win. And even though I don't mention voice acting that often, this is Peter New's best performance of the show, no hyperbole.
It goes without saying, but this is one of the most heartwarming episodes of the whole series. But sadly, it's also one of the more unappreciated... Oh well. It deserves all the love it can get.
So what if he spent half of the episode disguised as Orchard Blossom? It made him feel a bit more confident in himself, even if it meant making him look like a fool in front of Apple Bloom. But Big Mac did this because he loved his youngest sister and wanted to spend time with her. He felt as if they never spent enough time together and that she always hung out with Applejack.
In fact, this episode completely destroys the stereotype that men are strong and don't show their emotions to the world, but that's completely untrue for the most part. Those who follow this stereotype are the exception and not the rule. Big Mac was open about his feelings to Apple Bloom, and it made him feel more human.
The ending is one of the sweetest of the entire series, let alone this season, and it makes Big Mac's and Apple Bloom's bond feel even stronger despite being disqualified from the Sisterhooves Social. It's like how that guy created the Mrs. Doubtfire persona because he was desperate to be with his kids. If those actions aren't what a man would do, then I don't know what is.
Heartwarming moments aside, there's still a lot of humor to be found when Big Mac and Apple Bloom partake in the events of the Social. Especially when he gets carried away at the race, relying on brute force just to win. And even though I don't mention voice acting that often, this is Peter New's best performance of the show, no hyperbole.
It goes without saying, but this is one of the most heartwarming episodes of the whole series. But sadly, it's also one of the more unappreciated... Oh well. It deserves all the love it can get.
Rating: Excellent (10/10)
Crusaders of the Lost Mark
Written by Amy Keating Rogers
Remember in my review of Frenemies where I focused on the implications surrounding sympathy for the villains and whether or not they deserve redemption? (Spoiler alert: They don't.)
Well, consider this revisit of Crusaders of the Lost Mark round two.
The episode begins by focusing on an election for Student President between Diamond Tiara and Pipsqueak. The latter wins by a huge margin, and the former gets only one vote, and it's not from Silver Spoon, who's finally had enough with her "friend's" behavior. All in all, it's a good enough start, but after Diamond Tiara's ego has been beaten down, we meet with her mother Spoiled Rich.
And all of a sudden, we're expected to believe she is responsible for Diamond Tiara being a terror to the Crusaders since day one and the daughter is completely innocent? Well, guess what? This does not excuse her behavior in the first four seasons at all!
If we're to believe that Spoiled Rich is fully responsible for the way Diamond Tiara is, then did she tell her daughter to put down any foal with a blank flank? Did she tell her to use blackmail against the Crusaders or mock Scootaloo's disability? Sure, Spoiled Rich might have been the one to tell her daughter not to associate with "blank flanks", but it was never implied at all that she was responsible for some of the events that took place in Ponyville Confidential or Flight to the Finish! Last I checked, Diamond Tiara acted of her own volition to put them down.
They try to give Diamond Tiara some redemption by agreeing to have the playground restored, but after what I've seen in four seasons and the first half of this episode, it's far too little, far too late to make up for that. This little bitch doesn't deserve any sympathy that she received. She only received it because the Crusaders took pity on her! Oh, and her saying they're her friends felt really forced.
This is emotional manipulation at its absolute worst. To sum up what I've said thus far, this episode expects you to feel sorry for Diamond Tiara for having an abusive mother, despite the fact that the show spent four years portraying her as an unsympathetic bully! To think that I used to see it as the best of season five like everyone else did, but no! Now I think it's the worst episode of the whole season! Yes, even worse than What About Discord?, and I'll get to that one soon enough...
You know what I think they should've done with the second half? Give Silver Spoon the spotlight. Yeah! I'm not kidding; if you pay attention to the likes of Call of the Cutie and Family Appreciation Day, she feels more like a follower instead of a genuine bully. It would've been the perfect chance to explore why she follows Diamond Tiara and why she chose to behave this way.
Now granted, her behavior in the first four seasons wouldn't be excused either, but if Sweet and Smoky is anything to go by, it would've been good to give a character study on Silver Spoon, and maybe give her a chance to display her more positive qualities. Heck, when she called out Diamond Tiara when the latter lost the election, I found it justified and a good moment for Silver.
But alas, we may never see what Silver Spoon's character is like away from Diamond Tiara, especially since both fillies never spoke again after this episode. My guess is that they wanted to get rid of Diamond Tiara - or at least, push her into the background - because so many fans (myself included) hated her. And considering what's happened to the majority of the Equestria Girls villains and, more recently, Chancellor Neighsay, it's not entirely off the table.
But even if you take Diamond Tiara's redemption arc out of the equation, this is basically the episode where the Crusaders' arc about getting their cutie marks comes to a close. Because so much time is spent on Diamond Tiara, only three or four minutes is dedicated to the Crusaders getting their cutie marks at long last.
Tell me; how does this actually relate to Diamond Tiara's story arc, and how exactly did they help her figure out her true talent? Her cutie mark is... well, a tiara. What does that even mean to her? This is basically what people accused Twilight getting her wings in Magical Mystery Cure as; something that was pulled out of the writers' asses just to complete a story arc. At least with the season three episode, we got some clear foreshadowing with where Twilight's destiny was going, but here? Nothing. Even if you watched Appleloosa's Most Wanted, it still feels extremely forced. And you can't say they were short for time since they had 22 minutes to work with! Yes, the writers aren't perfect, but working to a time frame is very important.
So yes, long and short, I now hate this episode. It's the most insulting way to conclude a story arc, the ending feels undeserved, and overall, a celebration in all the wrong ways. You'd probably be better off listening to the ending song by itself. Not only would there be a more satisfying experience just listening to the song, you'd have also heard the whole thing play out in one-tenth of the episode's run time.
Well, consider this revisit of Crusaders of the Lost Mark round two.
The episode begins by focusing on an election for Student President between Diamond Tiara and Pipsqueak. The latter wins by a huge margin, and the former gets only one vote, and it's not from Silver Spoon, who's finally had enough with her "friend's" behavior. All in all, it's a good enough start, but after Diamond Tiara's ego has been beaten down, we meet with her mother Spoiled Rich.
And all of a sudden, we're expected to believe she is responsible for Diamond Tiara being a terror to the Crusaders since day one and the daughter is completely innocent? Well, guess what? This does not excuse her behavior in the first four seasons at all!
If we're to believe that Spoiled Rich is fully responsible for the way Diamond Tiara is, then did she tell her daughter to put down any foal with a blank flank? Did she tell her to use blackmail against the Crusaders or mock Scootaloo's disability? Sure, Spoiled Rich might have been the one to tell her daughter not to associate with "blank flanks", but it was never implied at all that she was responsible for some of the events that took place in Ponyville Confidential or Flight to the Finish! Last I checked, Diamond Tiara acted of her own volition to put them down.
They try to give Diamond Tiara some redemption by agreeing to have the playground restored, but after what I've seen in four seasons and the first half of this episode, it's far too little, far too late to make up for that. This little bitch doesn't deserve any sympathy that she received. She only received it because the Crusaders took pity on her! Oh, and her saying they're her friends felt really forced.
This is emotional manipulation at its absolute worst. To sum up what I've said thus far, this episode expects you to feel sorry for Diamond Tiara for having an abusive mother, despite the fact that the show spent four years portraying her as an unsympathetic bully! To think that I used to see it as the best of season five like everyone else did, but no! Now I think it's the worst episode of the whole season! Yes, even worse than What About Discord?, and I'll get to that one soon enough...
You know what I think they should've done with the second half? Give Silver Spoon the spotlight. Yeah! I'm not kidding; if you pay attention to the likes of Call of the Cutie and Family Appreciation Day, she feels more like a follower instead of a genuine bully. It would've been the perfect chance to explore why she follows Diamond Tiara and why she chose to behave this way.
Now granted, her behavior in the first four seasons wouldn't be excused either, but if Sweet and Smoky is anything to go by, it would've been good to give a character study on Silver Spoon, and maybe give her a chance to display her more positive qualities. Heck, when she called out Diamond Tiara when the latter lost the election, I found it justified and a good moment for Silver.
But alas, we may never see what Silver Spoon's character is like away from Diamond Tiara, especially since both fillies never spoke again after this episode. My guess is that they wanted to get rid of Diamond Tiara - or at least, push her into the background - because so many fans (myself included) hated her. And considering what's happened to the majority of the Equestria Girls villains and, more recently, Chancellor Neighsay, it's not entirely off the table.
But even if you take Diamond Tiara's redemption arc out of the equation, this is basically the episode where the Crusaders' arc about getting their cutie marks comes to a close. Because so much time is spent on Diamond Tiara, only three or four minutes is dedicated to the Crusaders getting their cutie marks at long last.
Tell me; how does this actually relate to Diamond Tiara's story arc, and how exactly did they help her figure out her true talent? Her cutie mark is... well, a tiara. What does that even mean to her? This is basically what people accused Twilight getting her wings in Magical Mystery Cure as; something that was pulled out of the writers' asses just to complete a story arc. At least with the season three episode, we got some clear foreshadowing with where Twilight's destiny was going, but here? Nothing. Even if you watched Appleloosa's Most Wanted, it still feels extremely forced. And you can't say they were short for time since they had 22 minutes to work with! Yes, the writers aren't perfect, but working to a time frame is very important.
So yes, long and short, I now hate this episode. It's the most insulting way to conclude a story arc, the ending feels undeserved, and overall, a celebration in all the wrong ways. You'd probably be better off listening to the ending song by itself. Not only would there be a more satisfying experience just listening to the song, you'd have also heard the whole thing play out in one-tenth of the episode's run time.
Rating: Atrocious (-10/10)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRE23AnIvUY&list=PLty6ocCw1_L-Ul8gNTmPLGMwB4ZEK8eCs&index=39&t=0s
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The comics don't count as I don't consider them canon.
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