Iiiiiit's....

EPISODE REVIEW TIME!

Wow I've fallen behind. Maaaybe I should work on these without waiting for each new chapter I do.

Oh well, for now it's time to go over the three episodes that have released since last time! Which one is firs--

Daring Don't

...

Oh.

I never been afraid to state where I stand when the fandom gets divided into two camps like this episode does. Congratulations non-fans of Daring Don't, I'm on your side this time.

I suppose it's not even the whole "Daring Do is real" thing I have a problem with in the end (though it does ruin something cute I had in mind for the Flipverse). It's how they executed it. There are soooo many better ways that they can have Daring Do be a real character that make more sense. The keypoint to my dislike for this being: Why is she writing these stories about her adventures?

First off, to explain as it stands in canon, I'm imagining it's a "Cassandra truth" kind of deal. Daring's stories are so fantastic and unbelievable that nobody believes that they're real. Pretty clear Twi and the others didn't after all. So she gets the word out about these powerful artifacts and everypony thinks that they're just fun little adventure novels... until the day comes that somepony needs to take up her mantle and follow in her hoofsteps. Then they'll realize that she's making a guide to future protectors of lost relics.

But there are soooo many ways it could have been done better.

What if, for example, Daring Do was getting up there in years? Maybe she was just writing about her adventures as a younger filly and when Dash and the others show up they realize this because Ahuizotl and his cronies have kidnapped her, trying to get those rings. I don't know much about Ahuizotl other than that he's based off some old Aztec God, but it could be he's immortal. Or at least long-lived. Or has a kid carrying on his legacy.

Or what about the stories just being exaggerations? A. K. Yearling is a real archeologist that writes stories inspired by her digs and jazzes them up as pulp novels. I haven't read all of the Manehatten-verse but I'm pretty sure that's more or less what's going on there. Or even just make it so Daring Do is totally fictional and Dash and the episode is about Dash bothering a writer that just wants to be left alone so she can work.

So many ways this can go, and they go with the one that requires some explanation that they never give us. My only hope for this is that Daring Do plays some roll in finding the keys to the Harmony Box. At least then that might make this whole thing worth it.

Flight to the Finish

Hell

Yes

This episode was gold! Great development and exploration of Scootaloo as a character, and finally addressing her issue of flightlessness. And best of all was how we did not get a definitive answer of whether her wings will let her fly or not.

I'm not even kidding about that, let me explain.

If Scoots managed to fly at the end, it would have cheapened everything. The entire thing was based around Scoots finding acceptance and accepting herself for who she is. Not necessarily for who she wants to be. Her finally managing to fly at the end would have been the laziest possible (coming from me that says something) ass-pull just to give things a happy ending.

On the other hand, if it were confirmed she can't fly... well, that's a step to far in the opposite direction. Scoots accepting that she can't fly now, but that she doesn't need to to be accepted by her friends and Rainbow Dash is a strong lesson. The fact that they don't care one way or the other about it says way more about Equestria than I can put into words and that other, better analysts have already gushed on about. Making it clear Scootaloo is flightless would change that acceptance of who she is, who she might be, and not caring either way into... well, into sympathy. The same kind of sympathy we see in any other "handy-capable" character in a kids show. Calling attention to how someone is different, but then saying "but you can still be awesome despite that!" is kinda demeaning. Isn't a nice simple, "You can be awesome!" just a better lesson to apply to everyone?

Being the optimist I am, I do hope Scootaloo will earn her wings someday. But that'll probably be when the kid gets her Cutie Mark so... you know, no time soon.

All that aside, I do have one negative point on this epsiode. Two if you want to be technical. And their names are Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara. My problem can be summed up in one word: *SNOOOOOOORE*

Seriously. These two have to be the flattest, most one-dimensional bully characters I've seen in a show. There's no interesting arc to their characters, and when you consider Luna and Discord it smacks of laziness. "We need the CMC to feel bad somehow!" "Eh, toss Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara at them." Even Scoots and the others are sick of these two ragging on them. Hey, Hasbro? Fair warning, there's a very fine line between a villain that fans love to hate, and a villain they just hate. DT and SS jumped over that line a while back for me, and it'll take a hell of a character arc for one or the other to pull themselves back. Such a shame when you consider that recurring bullies like this could have some interesting depth to them other than just being snobbish rich brats.

Power Ponies

Alright, more gushing, but I really enjoyed this episode. I've always loved superheroes. Power Rangers, Super Friends/Justice League, don't get me started on my City of Heroes account...

So the idea of Pony superheroes? Awesome. Canonically revealing that Spike is a comic nerd (something that I had thought would be a fun trait for him) also awesome. And the comic world that they're pulled into is pretty neat as well. Though it's somehow worrying about how the Mane-iac is the most competent villain the show has seen so far (I would say next to Sombra, but just look at my thoughts on the Season 3 opening for that... though they both made the same mistake of underestimating Spike).

Seeing the cast with super-powers was pretty fun too, though I kinda gotta wonder if Hum Drum in the comic is a dragon like Spike or if he just took the place of some costumed colt. Not important I suppose but after the episode a few little questions just niggled at me. How does an enchanted comic shop exist? Why doesn't anypony else seem to know about it? Or do the princesses know about it and allow it to exist despite the dangers? Why couldn't this have been the plot for Daring Don't (seriously!)?

All told, I'm gonna guess they did this episode to capitalize a bit on The Avengers phenomena. I can't blame them, and it was fun even if it didn't add too much to the world or the quest for the Harmony Keys. But hey, sometimes you just wanna grab some popcorn and enjoy some superhero action so I give this episode a B+/A-.

Though Flutterhulk is gonna haunt my nightmares for a while. Yikes, now I know what victims of Fluttershy's Stare see...

Agree, disagree, just wanna argue or pat me on the back? You know where the comment section is, let's talk.