Rainbledon: My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic Thread

[Lord Dominator]

epic battle

Twilight knows the town/castle better, she'd win

[Socialist Czechia]

the day equestria was destroyed

[Lord Dominator]

the day equestria was destroyed

It survived Nightmare Moon, Discord, Celestia for a thousand years, Sombra twice, Tirek twice, Chryssi who knows how many times, Twilight, Flurry Heart, and whatever else is in Celstia's cabinet of sealed evil in a can only to fall to that.
It was a good run

[Tokuopolis]

Fluttershy Better have some sweets ready for Nightmare Night, or she'll end up like poor old Mr Kreeg

[Frenequesta]

The episode was no washout certainly, but I can’t help but think they played it a little too safe here. Nothing earth-shattering, nothing too profound. But it still entertained with its flowing script and fine character interactions.

Perhaps the most remarkable thing here is Scootaloo’s flat-out admission that she can’t fly, which seems to be part of the root of her attraction to the Washouts. And yet the Washouts still fly. I’m not sure where she got the idea that flying by scooter would be within the Washouts’ style, but she has done quite a few stunts before, so it does seem a natural draw over “boring old... formation junk.” And looking back, the show has not exploited that part of Scootaloo’s character as so central to the story before. “Newbie Dash” comes closest with Dash’s use of Scootaloo to set off the lightning bolt, but that episode did not focus on RD and Scootaloo’s relationship as this does. In fact it is somewhat remarkable that Scootaloo didn’t pick up from the incidents in that episode how stunts can go wrong. At the same time RD may have thought that her protection of Scootaloo here would make up for her risky plan to be “awesome” in that episode.

One final note: Twilight’s appreciation of the Washouts work might seem a little strange. But especially with the announcer’s standard warning to not try the stunts at home, we do expect daredevils to have tested their stunts to some degree to ensure their safety. It is only later that we realize that Lightning Dust indeed has almost no regard for safety, and in Twilight’s case, she wasn’t even there when Lightning Dust say that the Washouts “basically ignore” safety.

Again, a safe episode.

[Ameriganastan]

Joy. It was a "Rainbow Dash has a bruised ego" episode. Always fun...

[Tokuopolis]

=

[Fascist PRUESSENS]

My Little Poland: Friendship is Blitzkrieg

[Frenequesta]

Despite its simple premise, one that had its parallel in Season 1, this one managed to pack in more interest at every turn that many episodes this season. Many of the vignettes could have been expanded to individual episodes in themselves, yet they all manage to flow logically into each other without any sense of rush, and with plenty of the best pathos.

Just as Twilight had to find a role in Ponyville in "Winter Wrap-Up," so does Rockhoof to Equestria as a whole. This one is far more poignant: While in "Winter Wrap-Up" Twilight's breaking point had everything to do with her own talents giving proof to prohibition of magic in the clean-up, Rockhoof's here is that even the natural world indicates that he does not fit in. (As a side note, I found it remarkable that the show incorporated a real astronomical fact at such a critical point in the story, given how the Equestrian universe seems to be geocentric. That said, either those stars that Rockhoof was using were particularly close or stars move much faster in this universe.) And when that happens, it is no wonder that Rockhoof wanted to become a statue. A character already larger-than-life in-universe, the stakes are much higher, and this resignation fits the character and the development.

Starswirl the Bearded already had his adjustment episode. Coming in, I wondered to myself: Rockhoof gets his own but we really don't get to know about the others (except for Somnambula's background cameo in "Road to Friendship")? Well, we find out why: most of the other Pillars have adjusted remarkably well. This, of course, makes Rockhoof's difficulties all the more poignant. And no one faults Rockhoof for being like the other Pillars (although one might argue that at that point Rockhoof didn't try hard enough to be like them). Yet it also indicates to me that Equestria hasn't changed all that much in the roughly thousand years that the Pillars have been gone.

Not only have the other Pillars adapted well to modern life, it seems that they all have kept in touch to an extent. Rockhoof's home is not just an island; it seems to be isolated from the rest of Equestria, further away, it seems, than the Crystal Empire is from Southern Equestria (and that is saying something because communication about the rest of Equestria or its culture doesn't reach Southern Equestria well, as we learned in "Daring Done?"). Outside of his exploits with the other Pillars, one wonders if Rockhoof was even "at home" in ancient mainland Equestria. After all, his style worked well in a place favoring hardy ponies with a rustic aesthetic, and wouldn't have worked in, say, Mistmane's old palace, with its grace and finesse. Again, this makes Rockhoof's difficulties deeper and contributes to our sympathies.

Top all that off with first Yona, and then all the school, realizing Rockhoof's knack for compelling storytelling, and you have a truly compelling story.

[Ameriganastan]

New episode was meh.

[Danceria]

I'm baaaackk~
memes for compensation

[Frenequesta]

There’s nothing like an light adventure at the bottom to teach you to not be afraid, that friends will be there for you, and that both are indeed possible with a little effort and sentiment. Although the pace of the Student Six’s fears and rescues seemed a bit fast to really take in what they had learned, it never drags or feels forced. Though it was abundantly clear from the beginning that the Tree of Harmony was behind the game, it was still wonderfully enlightening to see it revealed, and the humor and drama leading up to it.

In just 22 minutes, the episode skillfully combines motifs from two two-parter season openings: “Return of Harmony” and “The Crystal Empire,” with the former contributing the separation of protagonists to get something out of a labyrinth and doubts of friendship, and the latter the spectre of failure and facing one’s biggest fears. But it goes further by sequencing the events as symbolic of personal development in itself.

The first ones out are Gallus and Smolder, who come from more individualist cultures from the other Student Six. Gallus, interestingly, is the only one who solely relies on himself to get out of his “cage,” although one might say he’s certainly motivated by wanting to see the others again as well as claustrophobia. Smolder, meanwhile, has to learn how to cooperate with others, but it’s clear she only really did it for herself and has no intention to let it have a meaningful impact. But it did in a different way—she at least admitted that she does kind of like girly things.

Yona is perhaps the purest case of coping with one’s own fears through friendship, and unlike Smolder, she genuinely accepts her newfound openness once she realizes not all spiders are scary. Her fear came out a little of the blue for me, but at least it’s a common fear enough to be credible.

The last three’s two fears (and one hope) are turned to their “outer selves” (i.e. their cultures) and they are solved by tapping into the inner selves and outer selves as reformed through friendship. Of the first two we see those from collectivist/conforming outlooks both getting help from more individualist outlooks. Silverstream, in facing the her culture’s collective fear of the Storm King, in fact doubles down on her fear by channelling it to assertiveness with the help of Gallus, while Smolder helps Ocellus not fear her culture’s sordid past and embrace its more individualist future. (I especially liked how Ocellus’ dwelling on the past keeps her from changing, as it even comes in conflict with her own self-identity—the subtle lesson her is that change can help preserve one’s identity.)

Finally we reach what appears to be a happy medium of the individual values and group values in Sandbar, who soon realizes how much inherent conflict there is between the two values. His is the only “cage” Just as the others are about to rescue him, he asserts himself by facing down his idols and choosing values more universalist. He does come off a little too strong denouncing the RD and Rarity illusions, but I don’t think anyone doubts that he still has a lot of respect for his fellow ponies and the good parts of their culture.

So when the Tree of Harmony says that it, like all living things, changes as it grows, its meaning is truly bolstered by the episode’s development.

I cannot end this review without a few words on Cozy Glow, that sneaky altruistic bastard. If Diamond Tiara disappeared after her redemption in Season 5, she came back meaner than ever in that curly-haired pegasus. Disguising bigotry as concern for the minority is a classic strategy for reinforcing stereotypes and maintaining unequal power structures. It’s no wonder her words were so effective at sowing the doubt in the Student Six’s minds. I think there is some inkling of sincerity in her apology, but it’s clear that whatever she’s got, she’ll lose it quickly. She’s already starting to lose her altruism; as her desire to cover up what happened beneath the library seems solely due to her own self-interest, and she sacrifices nothing in her white lie.

In sum, a surprisingly deep episode, again treading what has gone before, and strengthening it.

[Ameriganastan]

...Cozy Glow is totally the bad guy of this season.

[Socialist Czechia]

okay, now my favourite comics are the ones about Mane Six falling to the Dark Side because of some evil water.

Evil Twilight was a pure excellence.

[Socialist Czechia]

not ancient pony

predictable end

end of phase

AJ so kawaii

best pegasi warrior

[Frenequesta]

Hello Cutie Map, old friend... or maybe I should keep silent on this one. Just kidding; as usual I have a lot to say.

The cutie map episodes of this season have been of good quality, and this one is no exception. Although the lesson that emotions are natural and are at their best when moderated is good on its own, one should not ignore the greater themes that run through the map episodes this season: the problems of either-or thinking and the idea that solving social problems must first start with self-reflection. Time permitting, I’ll write a separate essay comparing how these episodes treat these themes.

For now I will provide a teaser on the either-or point: I found it interesting that Applejack, who has long been the most levelheaded of the Mane 6 but most prone to black-and-white thinking, ends up not accepting the Kirin’s framework of peace and silence versus talking and strife. Of course, she only does this because she can’t seem to accept anything other than words (and a couple of gestures here and there) as a source for her information. Meanwhile, Fluttershy, who is more sensitive to emotion and nuance, ends up accepting that framework hook, line and sinker, partly because it corresponds to her own deeply-held worldview (don’t want to harm nature, right?). The episode shows that not only emotions, but worldviews are tools as well, and they can both help solve problems and ignore problems. The episode thus almost turns around what we know about the characters, and uses it to bolster the either-or theme.

It’s also interesting how the episode takes on the “role model” motif previously seen in “Non-Compete Clause” and “The End in Friend.” This time, their virtues are clearly connected to their Elements, and as a result, AJ and Fluttershy demonstrate them without letting disputes get in the way. (I am still unsure, however, how being a loud, somewhat annoying questioner has anything to do with Honesty.) It is too bad the Student Six weren’t able to see it.

The Kirin’s natural history seems as mysterious coming out of this episode as coming in. Rockhoof’s legend is at least a thousand years old, yet the Kirin’s vow of silence arose only recently. One wonders why nopony apparently found out that the Kirin and Nirik were the same species before AJ and Fluttershy did—not everypony shies away at the first sign of danger (as Daring Do demonstrates). Perhaps there has long been a crazy conductor to scare anyone who dares to find out the truth of the Kirin, but he was easy enough to ignore, and he seemed to be little more than a one-off joke.

One wonders, too, about the general psychology of the Kirin: why do, as the episode seems to imply, only words trigger anger, or any emotion for that matter, for them? I thought emotions were pre-verbal and need no words to be expressed. Babies certainly express anger, joy, and sadness before they can talk. Would Kirin force their babies into the Stream of Silence as soon as they are out of the womb? Or would they just wait until they speak? The first time they speak in anger (which is probably inevitable)? At the very least, it is fortunate that AJ and Fluttershy nipped the vow of silence, not quite in the bud, but before the Kirin would lose their language and capacity to even feel altogether with generational attrition.

It was a pleasure to watch, and I didn’t get too burned. (Upvotes for those who get the reference.)

[Ameriganastan]

New episode was good.

[BeetleBoi]

Hi I like pastel colored horses too.

[Frenequesta]

Hi I like pastel colored horses too.

Wonderful! Several questions:

How long have you been in the fandom?

How far along are you in the show, and if applicable, what do you think of the more recent seasons?

And of course, who is best pony? Never mind, saw your sig. Good choice.

[BeetleBoi]

Hi I like pastel colored horses too.

Wonderful! Several questions:

How long have you been in the fandom?

How far along are you in the show, and if applicable, what do you think of the more recent seasons?

And of course, who is best pony? Never mind, saw your sig. Good choice.

I’ve been in the fandom ever since the show started. I’ve been with it the whole time.

I’m currently waiting to watch most of season 8, but i’ve seen every other episode more than once. oof that sounds sad

And obviously Starlight





Or Celestia. I like Celestia too.

[Dragoria]

Haven't caught up on the show in ages, I've been too busy with work.
But I did buy some eggnog at our local grocery store earlier this week. Thought y'all'd wanna' know.

[Socialist Czechia]

when you know that you're adult:

[Frenequesta]

At best, this one was a pleasant, if somewhat pedestrian, little breather between two whirlwinds (that is, the string of remarkable episodes from “Road to Friendship” to “Sounds of Silence,” and what I’ve heard about the finale). At worst... it was just okay, if awkward at times.

The real star of this episode is Smolder, who, if everything else she said about dragon culture is correct, shows how much she has developed since coming to Twilight’s school. Particularly, while Smolder claims that dragon parents wouldn’t take advantage of their children, the story she told in “Hearth’s Warming Club” seemed to elevate exploitation of the weak as a prime value. To be fair, dragons might indeed draw the line at exploiting their own children, but we didn’t have any reason to think so given how easily dragon families kick their children out when the children are going through a quite stressful time of their lives (which she took for granted as a fact of life). It’s certainly not surprising Sludge believed himself justified. (Ironically, the episode’s impact would have been heightened if Sludge was Spike’s father, but just a exploitative slob.) She might in fact have reevaluated her relationship with her family in the meantime, if not those of dragons in general.

However, I see at least one other way of looking at it: Sludge himself seems to be partly a parody of the Season 1 adult dragons—greedy, not really caring for anyone else, and perhaps downright unsociable (except when taking advantage of others). Likely he lives alone like those S1 dragons, and I would go further to say that he was a reject of dragon society for more than just smelling bad in his adolescence (if his apparent direct connection with the Dragon Lord is true). Looked in this light, Smolder was just confirming a divide between more-socialized and less-socialized dragons, which unfortunately would diminish Smolder’s character development here. In any case Smolder was more empathic to Spike’s problems than in “Molt Down,” and certainly more willing to help him through it. I had wondered why Smolder didn’t appear at the end in that episode, and her role here allayed that oversight to me (which is not too much of a surprise since Haber wrote that episode too).

Still, one can’t help but think that the whole episode was a moot point. Even if we see this episode as sort of a “Molt Down, Part 2,” Spike shouldn’t have been all that worried about being too much like a pony and not enough like a dragon. If anything that episode should have put the identity doubts to rest for good (if it wasn’t already in “Dragon Quest”). Twilight’s innocently insensitive remark in the cold open certainly didn’t help; it seemed a little too artificial a way to set up the conflict. It unfortunately wasn’t clearly acknowledged at the end, especially when that remark was the real catalyst to Spike’s anger towards Twilight. At least the open acknowledgment of Twilight as his real family was heartwarming.

And I also liked Spike using the song to expose what a liar Sludge is. Other than that, this one was as “eh” as the show can get.

[Ameriganastan]

Wow, he wasn't really his dad. What a shock...

[Socialist Czechia]

or 'don't visit creepy looking house in the woods'