New and Latest Episode Thread

[CitricAcid]

These first two episodes get full points from me. Rarity made me laugh a couple of times, exposition was kept to a minimum, and I was engaged and entertained the whole way through.

Memorable moments for me:
- Spike stomping on the hologram of Pinkie's home.
- Rarity retching at the town's clothes.
- The stereotypical RPG party mentality that the Mane 6 exhibited on the hillside near the town. I found that hilarious, and I'm not even sure it was intentional.
- The balloons.

Nitpicks:
- The balloons were cool, but I was really hoping other ponies would have talents worth showcasing more. Party Favor stole the show.

[ph00tbag]

- The stereotypical RPG party mentality that the Mane 6 exhibited on the hillside near the town. I found that hilarious, and I'm not even sure it was intentional.

I thought this was pretty funny, too, especially as a reader of Friendship is Dragons. This part of the episode was very reminiscent of that whole comic's premise.

Nitpicks:
- The balloons were cool, but I was really hoping other ponies would have talents worth showcasing more. Party Favor stole the show.

What was Night Glider's special talent, anyway?

[Freewave]

Overall a pretty great episode and not one i was expecting. i mean who would expect the mane 6 dealing with communism, propaganda, and mind control in an episode let alone the premier? There were also a lot of mature and deeper themes that were introduced this time that i'd have to applaud. I did think it was a little slow paced overall but ph00t pointed out a lot of the small things that can really stick out on repeat viewings.

[ClaviSound]

Honestly I found Starlight Glimmer to be one of the most fantastic characters ever introduced as an antagonist. Some people cite the fact that she's a regular unicorn, unlike the fantastical beings we've seen previously, or even the fact that she's specifically an antagonist to Twilight and friendship, not Equestria or Luna and Celestia, and she's the first character to have a personal vendetta against the mane six as opposed to merely considering them an obstacle. But I think what makes her truly special is we have no explanation for why she's doing what she's doing. Because we have no background on why Starlight Glimmer does what she does, all we have is her out-of-left-field rhetoric to judge her by, which is important because it makes it so we can't justify calling her truly evil. If we had learned about some tragedy she experienced as a filly, then the reaction would be "oh so that's why she's a villain," and sit back and not pursue further. But we have none of this. Thus, what she represents isn't a personal approach or a moral one, but a purely ideological one. We have to face the idea, not the mare giving it. That alone deserves serious recognition for making the clash between Equality/Comradeship and Harmony/Friendship all the more worth consideration of each's pros and cons.

Starlight Glimmer's coming back. And when she does, even if it's not immediately, she's going to wind up apprenticing under Twilight Sparkle as her protege of Friendship. Calling it right now.

I agree with ph00t on most everything. The pacing in particular was flawless imo, and it really accentuated the psychological importance of the episode even if in exchange it didn't highlight the rising actions or climax as optimally as it could. In that vein, I didn't like how they played the chase scene with Starlight for laughs with the mane six just trotting at a medium pace behind everyone; I felt it could have been far more tense if they'd made the mane six more desperate than nonchalant or resigned that the others would have to help. But I still would tout this as the best premiere since season 2, and I actually prefer it over Return of Harmony because I love 1984-esque mind games in general.

Pinkie gets honorable mention this episode for returning to her pre-Filli Vanilli mentality of being aware of her surroundings. One of her biggest talents from the beginning was noticing things the other ponies didn't because of her capacity to think outside the box; as early as S1E2, she was the one who found the book on the Elements of Harmony. Seeing her immediately suspicious of the fake smiles and NOT let it go until they were ambushed was really satisfying to see and I'm hoping they don't revert her characterization back to a ditz after this, because my favorite kind of Pinkie is "nice but weird" and you don't need insensitivity to make Pinkie an interesting, deep, and funny character. Really refreshing to see her contribute meaningfully to the story.

Overall, 10/10 and I'm glad they defined what Twilight would be using as the medium to exercise her status as Princess of Friendship. The S4 arc felt superficial to me because at the finale's culmination, Twilight didn't really do anything, she just learned that she was supposed to be doing something. Now that she's actually doing it, I'm much less worried that S5 is going to have additional filler to get Twilight to the point where she's acting on that knowledge.

[ph00tbag]

Starlight Glimmer's coming back. And when she does, even if it's not immediately, she's going to wind up apprenticing under Twilight Sparkle as her protege of Friendship. Calling it right now.

I have a feeling that the ideological conflict set out in this episode is actually going to be a recurring theme this season, and tha Starlight Glimmer is going to be the avatar of sameness for a couple episodes to come. At least, that's what I'm hoping for

[CitricAcid]

Another good episode today (Castle Sweet Castle)! This one almost gets full points from me. I hate episode recaps; they're the most useless form of exposition ever. The handful of them at the end were unbearable for me.

Memorable moments:
- One of the spa ponies talked! (Which one was she? I don't remember which is which.)
- Spike sleeps with a Rarity plush. Most adorable thing ever.
- Twilight with a pancake on her horn! http://www.deviantart.com/art/Pancakes-515811101

Nitpicks:
- The arguing seemed a little out of character for everyone.
- I noticed one nasty auto-tune artifact on Applejack's voice in the song.

[Scooblee]

(other words and things here)

Nitpicks:
- I noticed one nasty auto-tune artifact on Applejack's voice in the song.

Heh, you noticed that, too? Funnily enough, I was thinking about how coincidental it was that all the voice actors just so happened to sound good singing as well when that happened.

Besides that, I'd say Citric's list pretty much sums it up for me. Great episode that had a couple of things 'meh' about it, but nothing that majorly detracts from the episode's quality much.

Btw, that pink spa pony's name is Aloe. The blue one is Lotus Blossom.

[Mr. Bigglesworth]

Not the most current one but I'm about 2 minutes in to Castle Sweet Castle and jeez I feel for Twilight. I clean obsessively (usually at 3 am) when something's upsetting me.

[Freewave]

I must say that the Rdash/Tank episode was the worst episode / most of out of character since the Over-protective Applejack one. I know they actually showed the 5 stages of grief through that episode if you look deep enough but they also just made her ridiculously thick headed over a hibernation (and not a death). Now imagine if there were some actual repercussions with this episode such as Rainbow Dash losing her weather pony status or ruining her chance of being wonderbolt material after such a stunt. Also it just feels weird them starting winter as we end it. I'm not sure they will actually show that season through the next couple of episodes to continue that theme or not (as they should).

The Applebloom episode was ok. A bit of an Inception+ Groundhog Day + Story of the Blanks going on. I liked that Applebloom's cutie mark concerns led to an interwoven web where she created her own fears and problems that she couldn't escape. But i just didn't think it went quite dark enough or made it apparent that most of the episode was all a single dream. Not sure how they are going to address the cmc getting their marks this season if no one got it this round (or if they won't even have that occurred). Nice to see Luna and some true concerns if they get a crappy mark.

[CitricAcid]

Bloom and Gloom
I'm glad I encountered one or two spoilers before seeing this episode. Seeing her wake up from that first dream sequence would have been really jarring if I didn't know it was a dream. I liked how confidently she wielded the pest control contraption while that was her cutie mark. And I'm sure I wasn't the only one waiting for her to use it to suck up DT and SS.

Luna is so boring. Why does everyone like her so much?

Tanks for the Memories
My only complaint is that RD saw no real punishment for destroying the weather factory. I agree with Freewave that she was also a bit out of character, but that didn't really bother me. Her motivations were clear, and that's all that was really important to me. Who did the voice (yawn) of Tank? It didn't say in the credits.

[Gnarrkhaz]

I wonder what my favorite MLP critics (read: Silver Quill) will think of the following episodes this season because i have a feeling they won't like the ones i think are the best. Haha, i love it.

So far Tanks For The Memories is definitely the best for me and the only one i wanted to see twice.

[ph00tbag]

I haven't really said much on the last four episodes, it seems. Not much to say, since they didn't blow me away, but I've got some impressions:

Castle Sweet Castle
I thought it was odd that the Remane 5 thought, at all, that the things that made home home for them would do the same for Twilight. Seemed like they'd at least know enough about Twilight that they wouldn't jump to that conclusion. I did like that they immediately realized their mistake, though. Signs of growth, no matter how small.

Bloom and Gloom
The song was cute. The progression of surreality was super well-done. Good episode, although I ultimately found the lack of real change to the CMC arc a little frustrating.

Tanks for the Memories
So I looked up tortoise hibernation after this episode (and learned that tortoises and turtles are literally the same thing, biologically, and the distinction is really just lay convention), and holy shit who let Rainbow Dash take care of a tortoise!? Judging by the care manuals I've seen online, these are some really difficult animals to care for, and if you hibernate them the wrong way, they can die. Even four years into the show, Rainbow Dash just isn't that responsible right now. How is Tank still alive. Also, apparently, Tank is just able to walk on clouds. No magic necessary.

I also felt somewhat off-put by how heavy-handed the whole "stages of grief" thing was. I mean, it's not like Dash isn't given to hysterics here and there, but it felt like rather than the slow build-up we usually see in her, she was just dashing from one emotional extreme to the other, and I wound up getting kinda dizzy. I get it, these were meant to be caricatures for the sake of illustration, but it still felt weird. Pinkie Pie was, for once, adorable in this episode. Kudos for that, at least.

Appleoosa's Most Wanted
So, what? Trouble Shoes is a horse? Like, just a full-on horse? He looks like a horse. The guy is fucking huge. I love how helpless Braeburn is with kids. Also, is it just me, or does Applejack's tail get longer when it's wet? Would that be considered toyetic?

[Gnarrkhaz]

Appleoosa's Most Wanted would have been really interesting if Troubleshoes had to learn how to live with the fact that he's actually talentless at rodeo and that he'd be more happy if he lowered his expectations in life.

And next episode's topic: Suicide!

[Freewave]

Communism, Pet Death, Depression, Suicide, and living with a terrible Cutie Mark. Season 5 y'all (the year of the pancake).

[ph00tbag]

Can I just say that, for all I find the comparisons between Communism/Marxism and Glimmerism amusing when they're used as jokes, it really irks me when people take them seriously?

Communism and Marxism are certainly both flawed philosophies, but Glimmerism is, in fact, anathema to their core ideals. They are philosophies that encourage individuals to develop skills in manufacture and service for their personal edification, and give of their skills according to need, without the need for government intervention. Neither philosophy works, because society is just plain too big, but that's neither here nor there.

Glimmerism, on the other hand, is something of a Totalitarian Liberalism* (holy shit, talk about contradictions in terms), in that a strict principle of equal perceived value to society is achieved through a tightly enforced rule of equal skills and abilities, and thus equal contributions, which itself is enforced by a single ruler and her small, insular inner circle. In much the same way that Stalinism is a Totalitarian spin on Communism, or Oligarchy is a Totalitarian spin on Capitalism, Glimmerism is a Totalitarian spin on the Liberal ideal of equal value to society. But where Liberalism simply strives to have a society where all people are valued because we're all decent people who value everyone equally despite their differences, Glimmerism forces equality by removing those differences.

Personally, if I were to offer a one-word takeaway from Cutie Map, it would be Dystopia, because this frames the episode as a singularly sophisticated primer on the value of Dystopian Literature in philosophical discourse. The episode really is a Dystopia, depicting an undesirable society brought about by the overzealous pursuit of a particular ideal at the expense of all others, usually involving a totalitarian government. And it does it in a way that's really mature and doesn't treat kids like they have no capacity for nuance.

*For the purposes of this post, I'm talking about Post-Modern American Liberalism

[CitricAcid]

Today's episode was probably one of the best Discord episodes in my opinion. In general, I have disliked Discord and his episodes.

I found it refreshing that nopony was compelled to bring a "date" to the Gala. In fact they were exclusively preoccupied with bringing friends or relatives. If this were any other show, you can bet that wouldn't have been the case. I know the fandom will read all kinds of shipping into this, but lo que será será.

Smooze was cute, Discord hid in a box, Rarity covered her nakedness when Discord took her dress, Rarity then had a backup ensemble, and no one batted an eye at the fact (or if it was mentioned, then I missed it). And I love how simply the Smooze threat was quelled: just reach in and pull the shiny's out; easy peasy.

The writing this season has been top notch.

[ph00tbag]

Wait... Tree Hugger wasn't Fluttershy's date? Then what was up with all the mooning Fluttershy was doing?

Jokes aside, though, I did rather enjoy this episode. This was something of a revisiting of Discord's problems with jealousy, and his difficulty expressing negative emotions to his friends in a constructive manner. This episode was actually sent up last season in Three's a Crowd, where Discord was jealous of Twilight's relationship with Cadence, although in that episode it was even worse, because Discord hadn't even gotten around to communicating directly to Twilight that he wanted to be her friend. Three's a Crowd hinted at the absurd lengths to which Discord will go to externalize his jealousy, and this episode is the payoff. Where Discord's hissy fit in Three's a Crowd is completely unexplained, and he is punished with Twilight and Cadence instead becoming even closer, and him being even further shut out from there relationship, in Make Friends, etc., Discord ultimately comes clean to Fluttershy, and is ultimately rewarded with an even closer relationship, not only with her, but with The Smooze as well (I think?).

What's actually kinda cool about this, is that I don't think this topic has really been discussed so directly in the show. Discord's fight with jealousy is genuinely novel ground for the show, which is really cool.

I liked how Discord would interact with doors just to flash in and out. I liked how AJ cried when she saw AB come out of her dressing room. I liked how Discord was in the box and an exclamation mark appeared when he was discovered. I liked how Celestia giggled when Discord made fun of Twilight's flying ability. I liked how Discord is still really not comfortable around Pinkie Pie. I, too, liked how Rarity had a spare gown for the Gala, just in case. I liked how it turns out Celestia chose Discord as her plus one (oh god, KP is going to be unbearable), pretty much just to troll the Gala. I loved Maud's righteously incisive zinger. I liked how Twilight emoted a feeling that she was responsible for Discord's not causing a ruckus.

Discord's comedy show was painful to watch, but I think it was worth it for the payoffs (Celestia giggling and Maud's sick burn). Everything else was just well-written and fun to watch. This was a pretty damn good episode. A highlight in a generally excellent season, so far.

[Gnarrkhaz]

Did Discord call Fluttershy Sluttershy in this episode? XD

Also Treehugger was kind of annoying though she did have a funny line or two.

[ChocolateChicken]

I thoroughly enjoyed this episode! Discord was great and Pinkie Pie's bits were really cute and hilarious, especially her reactions to Discord ordering all the cake and then her interactions with Maud. Discord's home was absolutely perfect and I'm really glad we got to see that whole sequence (RIP Mail Pony). Underrated moments included Discord scaring the hell out of Spike and leaving him completely spooked and Celestia laughing at Discord's joke about how Twilight sucks at flying right next to Twilight. We almost never get to see Celestia having any kind of merriment or personality so those little moments with her this episode were wonderful. And Smooze was so adorable! He was like a happy kid who just wanted to have a good time! The joke where Treehugger remains completely chill even when she is about to be thrown into another dimension by Discord. And I think Treehugger might be the only character that any of the mane six are really friends with outside each other and their relatives haha.

The lesson was a really good one and something that I know lots of young kids struggle with at some point, and they tackled it very well in this episode. It was awesome that Fluttershy's explanation to Discord at the end was done assertively and aggressively because she was so tired of Discord's shit at that point haha. I was expecting her to confront him all nice and calm like she usually does but nope not this time!

(oh god, KP is going to be unbearable)

lol yeah, you're right.

I also love how this episode was actually told from Discord's point of view and gave him a lot of depth to his character. In all the other Discord eps, we only see him through the eyes of the other characters but we never became much acquainted with him until this episode and they executed it perfectly!

[Freewave]

Man this season is doing very little for me (and i hate being THAT guy)...

[Gnarrkhaz]

Man this season is doing very little for me (and i hate being THAT guy)...

That's what i thought too when it started. The first few episodes were okay but they lacked something. I didn't expect the lack of epicness. It's the fifth season already after all (and i'm still bummed out that Twilight being a princess didn't really have all that much consequence in the fourth season). The first two episodes weren't as adventurous as the other two part episodes though they were kind of clever and the theme was brilliant. The premise of the third episode would have worked better as a first season episode. I've been warming up with it again since Tanks For The Memories though.

[ph00tbag]

For my part, I loved the Cutie Map, and think it's one of the best premiers in the series. I will say, most of the episodes following that have been episodes I can describe as fun, diverting, or enjoyable at best, but none have really been bad, just not exceptional. But I did really find Make New Friends etc. to be an incredibly memorable episode, mostly because of how it ties into Discord's growth arc.

[CitricAcid]

Still good writing, still good episode. I really don't have any new good things to say. I took notes this time on the things I liked, so I wouldn't forget. Ahem...
- Gummy's falling over after being given the whisk. Grinch reference I think?
- RD wanted to be a griffin in season 4. Now she wants nothing to do with them? Make up your mind!
- RD having Twilight's hair was the most hilarious moment of the episode.
- I enjoyed the Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade reference.

[ph00tbag]

- RD having Twilight's hair was the most hilarious moment of the episode.

This was the main takeaway for me.

This episode was mostly cool for worldbuilding on a truly epic scale. I feel like for all the fanon that was well and thoroughly Jossed by this episode, a wealth more will be born. But it's not just the history of Griffonstone; it was nice to have some background and context to Gilda's actions in Griffon the Brush Off. When that episode came out, Gilda was just generically brusque, irritable, and ill-spirited. For no real reason alluded to in the episode, she was at best stand-offish, and at worst cruel and abusive. This wasn't even really a bad thing in the original context, she was as effective an antagonist as any for Pinkie, and a damn good foil for Rainbow Dash's relatively mild insensitivity. The episode didn't need a context for her actions. It didn't really matter why she was such a bitch because the story wasn't about her.

But this episode provides context for the episode, and even shores it up in the process. Inexplicable actions on Gilda's part are explained. A few mild coincidences become deeply linked. Why were Gilda and Dash able to be friends so long ago, but so incompatible later on? Gilda went back to Griffonstone, and grew up surrounded by, well, you saw the crucible in which she was smelted. Others were only worth the bits they could exchange. Irritability was a baseline state. Indifference to others' well-being bordered on cruelty. All of Gilda's characteristics were rooted in her upbringing. But she did still carry a fondness for her friend from Flight Camp.

When Gilda got to Ponyville, she was at once taken aback and off-put by the gregariousness and unity of the ponies there. Perhaps simultaneously suspicious and jealous of the idyll she had stumbled upon (an attitude in line with her actions in Lost Treasure of Griffonstone), and maybe even remembering that Hoops and the gang were assholes to her at Flight Camp, she decides to test its limits. She threatens ponies, steals food, pulls selfish pranks, and insults the ponies she's around, but the flow of the town's goodwill just parts around her like a stream around a rock dropped in its bed. When she bumps into Fluttershy, she reacts as any griffon would upon bumping into another griffon, but I think she's also a little angry. Nothing riles these ponies. Not in any meaningful way. It's not right that anyone would be so fucking nice all the time. Sure you can make them cry and holler, but you can't make them mad.

The party becomes a lot more tragic as a result of all of this. Gilda obviously doesn't understand why she's getting a party in her honor, but she gets presents and sweets for free, which is just dandy by her. But then the pranks start. Here's the thing; I said earlier Gilda's prank was selfish. But the griffons of Griffonstone don't share. There is no unselfish prank. They are all selfish by nature. Gilda gets nothing out of the pranks pulled on her, but the ponies at the party get a couple laughs. Slowly, the party becomes inherently transactional. Gilda gets her goodies, and in return, she gets made a laughingstock. No bits are involved, but they needn't be. Worst of all, she was lured into the trade with candy, but not told the cost would be her dignity. At least a griffon would be up-front about dicking you over to get a few bits.

And that's it. That's the proof she needed that underneath it all, ponies are fucking assholes, and are even worse than Griffons. They don't get mad because they get even, and they're real damn insidious about it, too. To say it upsets is an egregious understatement. She reacts just about as you would expect a Griffonstone to react. She gets mad. She spouts invective. She breaks shit. She accuses Pinkie Pie of exactly what she suspects her of, and says she'll have no more of it. And now that she's exposed Rainbow Dash's friends as the frauds they are, she knows Rainbow Dash will get the hell out of there with her. Because Rainbow Dash is the one decent pony she knows.

But then a weird thing happens. The pranks had nothing to do with the party, or even Gilda. They were icebreakers, meant to lighten the mood, and dispel discomfort with the cultural differences that were sure to arise. And they worked, inasmuch as everypony else felt more comfortable after seeing the proud griffon laid low. It sucked, though, that nopony else got hit with the pranks. And the party really was entirely for Gilda, with nothing expected in return. The total selflessness of this vexed and baffled Gilda, and feeling even further humiliated, she cuts her losses and leaves.

None of this was in the original episode. The Junior Speedsters were hinted at, but Gilda didn't even seem especially enthusiastic about it, in contrast with Rainbow Dash's zeal, which made her seem even more disingenuous, really. And that was it. This episode took a generic antagonist, and made her real, like rotating a portrait to find that it's actually a diorama. And that's not even the point of the story!. Maybe five minutes is dedicated to establishing A: Griffonstone culture, and B: Gilda's experiences at Flight camp. Tops. And even then, it's framed as its pertinent to the actual story at the episodes core: Gilda and Rainbow Dash's rapprochement. It's just so... efficient. It tells an effective story and makes another story more effective in one swoop. Pretty awesome if you ask me.

I agree with Citric that Rainbow Dash's distaste for Griffonkind in general, as opposed to one griffon in particular, seemed a little... sudden? Unestablished? It definitely didn't jive with the fact that she wasn't ruffled at all by Gustave LeGrand, or that she wanted to be turned into a Griffon in the breezy episode, or that she didn't make ugly faces at the griffons participating in the Equestria Games. I felt like this could have been handled better. Dash doesn't need to generalize her opinions of griffons. Just explain she knows Gilda's from Griffonstone, and she's still pissed enough at her old friend that she doesn't want to go. Although who knows. Maybe that was the point. Maybe She doesn't have a problem with most griffons, and only resents one in particular, and she's so out of touch with her emotions (surprise!) that she externalized that resentment to anything having to do with that one griffon. It doesn't help that her friends go and say that one griffon's name. It's not like she's trying to avoid the topic. She just wants to take her nap. Why are you looking at her like that?

Maybe I'm reading a shitload into it, but that's really the only option with Rainbow Dash. She wears her heart on her sleeve, sure, but she doesn't spell it out or anything. There's no filter between her emotions and her actions, but there is a translation algorithm running, so you have to run her actions backward through that algorithm to get to the feelings at the core. Conveniently for her ego, that algorithm runs recursively when she's not comfortable with those emotions and wants plausible deniability. That explains why she gets so defensive when Twilight and Pinkie suggest that Gilda may be at the root of Rainbow's unwillingness to go to Griffonstone, and it also shows how well these two know her, that they intuitively get it, although they probably don't suspect that it's such a literal thing--that Gilda actually is at Griffonstone, and Rainbow Dash literally doesn't want to see her.

But even that can be something of a layer of Rainbow Dash's little emotional processing algorithm; why was Rainbow Dash so dead set on getting the idol back? Well, it could be because she liked the simplicity of solving the friendship problem with a tidy in-and-out adventure. Gilda free. Who needs that bitch? But why go to all that trouble to help someone she supposedly can't stand? I have an alternative. What if, in her own way, Rainbow Dash is trying to make it up to Gilda? Think about it. Life in Griffonstone sucks, and with the idol back, not only would Rainbow Dash tidy up the map's little problem, but Gilda's life wouldn't suck so bad either, and maybe Gilda would appreciate that.

Why would Rainbow Dash need to make it up to Gilda, though? Think about it. Those pranks? At Gilda's Party? Rainbow Dash set them. And they all landed square on Gilda. In Rainbow Dash's mind, at least, that's what the party disaster was all about. Then, when Gilda got upset about it, Rainbow Dash effectively told Gilda she was welcome to leave whenever she was ready, and didn't even go after her to apologize for being a bitch. She actually just stayed at the party to have a good time while, for all she knew, Gilda was flying home to Griffonstone, alone, with nothing more than her anger and resentment to keep her company.

That'd make me feel like a total shithead, and I'd probably have a lot of guilt to work through about all that. It's reasonable to assume Rainbow Dash would feel the same way. The difference is, Rainbow Dash will utterly fail to internalize that guilt, because she sucks dick at emotional maturity. She'd convince herself it was all Gilda's fault, and that any misgivings she may have about seeing Gilda again would be just because she doesn't want to have to deal with such a heinous jerk. The heinous jerk is Gilda, by the way. Not Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash can deal with herself just fine. Besides, Rainbow Dash isn't a heinous jerk. She sure as hell doesn't, what was it, leave her friends hanging? Oooooooohhhhh...

Yeah, there's definitely guilt there, and avoiding that guilt is a much more compelling reason for Rainbow Dash to want to avoid going to Griffonstone. It also explains why Dash seems so conflicted about going there on the trip over. Finally, the fact that rather than confront the problem directly and just talk it out with Gilda to patch up their relationship, Rainbow Dash goes on some insane one-mare mission to recover an ancient relic that has nothing to do with friendship, totally aligns with Rainbow Dash avoiding her own uncomfortable emotions. To Rainbow Dash, the relic comes to represent the repair of her friendship with Gilda.

I particularly like this interpretation of the events, because it gives the episode a sense of balance. By the end of Gilda's flashback, it's painfully obvious that Gilda really misses Rainbow Dash, but is just too stubborn and incorrigible to admit it (as lampshaded by Pinkie Pie). But it's never really explicitly stated that Dash is even thinking about Gilda. But the truth is, she wants, just as badly, to fix things, she's just going about it in her own stubborn, incorrigible way, which makes both sides of the story about the same thing, and gives the two antagonists equal motive, with Pinkie Pie pulling them toward the middle. I don't remember if Dash apologizes to Gilda outright at the end of things. I don't think she does, but I think Gilda gets the message anyway.

I liked the Last Crusade reference (although I don't like to think too much about extrapolating who was who [Gilda was Indy, Pinkie was Sallah/Marcus, Rainbow Dash was... Elsa? Grandpa Gruff was... okay, this stops here]). I also liked the Seven Years in Tibet reference. Gilda has come to terms with Rainbow Dash's heterosexuality and just thinks of her as a friend, but totally has wanted to bone Greta for years, and just watching her from afar all this time has been unbearable. Twilight is a huge, huge nerd.

For that matter, I'm a huge, huge nerd. Good God, who let me write all of that?

[Gnarrkhaz]

@ph00tbag: Ahem, tl;dr

I think that Gilda's change of heart was a bit rushed but overall i like that she reappeared after such a long time.

- I enjoyed the Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade reference.

Only it was kind of dumb. She could have just waited until she pulled Pinkie and RD back up to retrieve the thing.

But then again, maybe her decision simply was dumb. It's not necessarily bad screenwriting.

Also, an idol that was made from the dust of golden sunsets, blown across the mountains by the north winds. That. Is. AWESOME!

Overall a really enjoyable episode with some really great views and scenery and some good world building. Almost gave me a movie vibe at some points actually.