MLP Make Your Mark: Father of the Bridlewood Review · 12:34pm Sep 24th, 2023
So...Misty's got a dad, the ponies have explored a whole new land, the series has complete revitalization, and we're all suddenly interested again...at least, I hope so. These final three episodes of Chapter 5 do a great job in layering the mysteries that Sunny, Zipp, and their friends all have to solve. Also, Opaline remains an excellent villain. Let's dive into the first of these three installments, shall we?
Plot: Alpha Bittle and Misty are absolutely giddy to be reunited as father and daughter. Alpha is especially thrilled, as it means no more lonely, grouchy nights running The Crystal Tea Room by himself. Now, he has his daughter back, and he'd love nothing more than for her to stay with him in Bridlewood forever and ever. Unfortunately, Misty is no longer a filly, and the things that he takes her to do on their first day back together just don't excite her anymore. What's worse, she realizes that her past is more of a mystery than ever before. This all culminates in a misguided, forced attempt at slam poetry and a sob fest with the young unicorn. She confesses all of her issues, her dad understands, and they come to an understanding that she's a grown pony and can make her own decisions. Meanwhile, Izzy introduces Sunny and Zipp to Elder Flower, the oldest storyteller in all of Bridlewood. They want to hear stories about Equestria's past, but all Elder's interested in is a trip to Zephyr Heights. Once there, Sunny and Zipp have a horrible time keeping track of her...but, once they take her to the old hangar where Zipp used to hang out, she comes alive with stories. One, in particular, surrounds the planting of Together Trees, which are all magically connected via a massive root network. In the end, everypony returns to The Crystal Bright House, where Sunny and her friends have made a place for Misty to reside. She happily accepts and everyone enjoys each other's company as the sun sets.
So...there was a LOT going on in this installment. I got worried at times that pacing was gonna become an issue again, but thankfully, they seem to have learned something. The storytelling is definitely smoother, though there are one or two bumps. But, overall, it all worked out nicely. I loved how they were able to intertwine two stories at once with almost no drawbacks. This was another problem that they were dealing with in earlier installments, but, again, with their improvements in pacing and tone, this is yet another delightful romp. Alpha and Misty share really solid chemistry together, but the real stars here are Sunny, Zipp, and Elder Flower. The three ponies bounce off one another brilliantly, especially when Elder is allowed to take the lead and Sunny and Zipp are put in some hilariously awkward predicaments. Not only that, but Elder is a great conduit for old Equestria (she even mentions having a great, great, great aunty Moon Dancer who drove everyone nuts). So, after quite some time, we're FINALLY getting some good clues as to what happened and why Equestria was driven to division.
On the downside, some of the parts with Alpha and Misty feel like they were completely recycled from the FIM episode Forever Filly. Just replace Alpha with Rarity and Misty with Sweetie Belle and you've basically got the same episode. Again, the chemistry between Alpha and Misty is enough to save the concept, but it is basically a rehash. On that note, the B-story is basically a redo of the FIM episode Grannies Gone Wild, only with one older pony and two chaperones. But, yet again, chemistry and an improved pace save the day. I actually like this better than the original FIM installments (and that's probably the only time you'll ever hear me say that about anything). The improvements are definitely there, though, and I've gotta give them massive props for that.
A 4...out of 5
I'm sorry, but this isn't the same as Forever Filly. The idea is that the time that Misty and Alphabittle have been separated have affected them greatly. Misty pretty much said it herself: she's doesn't know herself any more than Alphabittle does. Neither of them is at fault here. It's all just to do with the circumstances that have befallen them.