• Member Since 14th Jan, 2012
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RazgrizS57


With enough momentum, pigs fly just fine.

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Jan
19th
2014

Responding to S4E010: "Rainbow Falls" · 1:44am Jan 19th, 2014

You saw nothing.

Except for that new episode, perhaps. You know, the one whose name I posted in the blog title. Speaking of which, is this going to become a thing now? Where I do these episode followups and quasi-reviews of said episode, providing a somewhat insightful perspective while still being silly and providing silly pony pictures to look at? At least it's getting me writing, so that's a plus. Would anyone actually like me to continue filling their feeds with my unprocessed words? Like, do people actually want to read these sorts of things? Let me know and I just might keep doing them.


Heeeee movie jokes.


Let's start this off with a link to the new episode, that way you can pause from reading this and go watch that piece of glorious animation. These "response blogs" of mine are intended to be serious quasi-reviews of certain episodes with the occasional bit of asinine silliness spread throughout. So let's begin this thing the exact same way I started watching the episode: with zero expectations whatsoever.

Well, I came out of the episode having been blown away, so that's something to shoot for. I guess.

Rainbow Falls is my favorite episode of the season so far, and just like Rarity Takes Manehattan, I'm finding this one to be in my top-five of the series thus far. This season has, so far, enticed me in such a way the likes haven't been seen since the very first season. Season 2 was good, yes, and even Season 3 had it's gems, but it's widely perceived throughout the fandom that Season 1 is the season, the pinnacle of everything the show could be; it's the model example, and the past two seasons pretty much fall on their face when compared to it, one more forceful than the other. That said, Season 4 has certainly been shaping up to match the first season in terms of enjoyment, humor, writing, or anything else the fandom usually acclaims "Season 1 did right and the others did not." The animation of the season so far has been unquestionably amazing, and the writers continue to prove that there is still a fresh story somewhere to be written. And we're not even halfway through this season yet, and with a fifth already being confirmed, I can only expect the show's quality to be no less than stunning.

The episode opens up with everyone's favorite snowflake, along with Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash and a few others as they all ready themselves for the Equestria Games, more specifically the qualifying rounds so that these three pegasi will be able to participate. Bulk Biceps' voice acting is great, and it really made me smile to see he was chosen to be part of this trio over any other pegasus that could have filled the role. Though he's only had real minor appearances, I think it's great to see the staff giving the background ponies some much desired love.

The plot was more or less a recycling of Wonderbolt Academy with a bit of Sweet And Elite sprinkled on top. And for what this episode does, it needed both those elements, especially the former. When Wonderbolt Academy ended last year, we were left with some unanswered questions. Like, did Rainbow Dash ace her training? Was she going to be accepted to become a Wonderbolt? These things were implied, sure, but they never really went anywhere. Wonderbolt Academy just felt unfulfilled, but Rainbow Falls acts as a true sequel to that one episode, and while it may not have answered any questions either, it certainly gave direction. And that brings in another point:


Rarity in Rarity Takes Manehattan when she sees her friends are gone.


Rainbow Dash in Rainbow Falls when her friends leave her in the hospital.

Take a look at this fancy BBCoding! Fancy!

This show and its continuity is amazing. If anyone ever wants to know how to upset me, there's nothing more that bugs me than continuity errors. Since the show is in fact a cartoon, and cartoons by their very being are not exactly "level," I've come to never expect continuity from a cartoon, and it makes me smile with glee and surprise to see this show closing every door it goes through, or at least more so than the norm.

What's also worth noting is that, like Megan McCarthy had said at the very beginning of the season, is that this will have a story-long arc. Totally easy to see when the magic box in the opener unveiled there'd be six "keys" to acquire. Whether or not objects mysteriously disappearing has anything to do with this is anyone's guess, but I think it's quite obvious that this epiphanic buffering of the eyes (coining that) prevails to this continuity of the season. Exactly what that is, if it relates to the magic box and its set of keys, is not set in stone right now and is currently up for speculation. But, personally, I'd like to believe it so.

So yeah, something is definitely afoot, and I'll be damned if this is all just played off as the ultimate red herring.

Moving on, there's the nature of this episode being a Rainbow Dash episode. This excites me, because her character is without question the most progressed of the show. Season 4 Rainbow Dash is verrrry different than Season 1 Rainbow Dash, more so than any other. Like I said earlier, Rainbow Falls plays like a sequel to Wonderbolt Academy, and both brought obvious developments to her way of life. Beginning with the latter of the two, Wonderbolt Academy was all about Rainbow Dash coming to understand her limitations. Sonic Rainboom was about her needing to push herself; so now along the timeline, we're with a Rainbow Dash who knows what's enough and what is not enough. Rainbow Falls, however, is all decision making. A nonanswer, or in this case, a nonaction considering her faked injury, was detrimental to both parties involved and each would have wound up losing. Just because she couldn't decide, both Cloudsdale and Ponyville teams were threatened, and she was fully capable of saving one of them. Such dilemmas are incredibly frustrating to find oneself in, and I commend the writer Corey Powell (who I might as well add also wrote the great Sleepless in Ponyville) for undertaking such an endeavor. Spitfire's commending Rainbow Dash at the end only further progresses her character. In the end, adding Soarin' to the mix made both parties come out okay, which is great, if a bit clichéd for a cartoon to do. But you know about me and clichés by now, I'm sure.

So, yeah. All around amazing episode. Definite favorite of the season so far, which I thought was going to be tough to beat when I declared what my last favorite was. But now I'm holding no bets, because this season has been beyond every expectation I've had. I'm surprised—

Wait. Is that...

Oh, it is. And to think I almost got away without mentioning it.


The precise moment an entire fandom shared a skipped heartbeat and then proceeded to lose its shit.


Damn, I forgot how adorable this pone is. Wave that flag, girl. You deserve it.

So in case anyone doesn't know, Derpy is here to stay. Call it pandering, call it the apocalypse, but I personally couldn't be happier. From the very beginning, this show has never been about the fandom it created, and I highly doubt that will ever change. However, that isn't to say the references and gags the shows pulls towards the adult crowd are detrimental. As any author will tell you, it feels damn good to be acknowledged. Isn't that right, random follower? Derpy is in essence the fandom's OC—if there was ever one—as it was us who discovered her adorable wall-eyed face in the very first episode. To see her dropped throughout the seasons like a tip-of-the-hat from the animators to the fandom was touching. To see the controversy that arose in Season 2 after she stole Applejack's thunder was disheartening. Now that she's back, I can't help but see this as a sign that everything is alright. To just stop worrying so much and enjoy the damn pastel ponies we've come to adore.

So yeah. I think that's all I have to say. Great world building and some excellent background ponies, too.


Pinkie Pie is the best cheerleader.

Also, I'm totally stealing presentperfect's thing and ordering the episodes from most to least favorite. I call it the "Arbitrary Ranking System for Episodes 4000"

-Rainbow Falls
-Rarity Takes Manehattan
-Pinkie Apple Pie
-Castle Mane-ia
-Daring Don't
-Princess Twilight 1&2
-Power Ponies
-Bats!
-Flight To The Finish

Report RazgrizS57 · 455 views ·
Comments ( 4 )

Holy shit that took me an hour and a half to write. And I swear I didn't caption that picture.

An excellent writeup, I agree with pretty much everything you said. This was one of the stronger episodes of the series.

One thing I would like to bring up, though, is that the episode did something else that I am really liking... it's establishing that the Wonderbolts, Spitfire in particular, are not the idols that Rainbow Dash once made them out to be.

The whole Wonderbolts thing has been hanging over Rainbow Dash's head ever since the very first scene she was in in the first episode of the show. Originally her character was all about them. But note that while she still idolizes them, most of the times we've gotten up close and personal with the Wonderbolts (or more specifically, Spitfire), things have been portrayed pretty... negatively. Think about it:

-Hurricane Fluttershy had Spitfire outright refusing to help out with the big water tornado.
-Wonderbolts Academy may have redeemed Spitfire a bit by the end, but through most of the episode she was an angry drill sergeant who valued results over methods.
-Now we have Rainbow Falls, where she and Fleetfoot outright abandon one of their own as soon as he goes down so they can recruit someone else. Look at how Soarin's face is portrayed: he seems to be a bit older than other ponies, given the bags under his eyes. It implies that Spitfire wants results, so she's kicking the veteran to the curb in favor of the new blood, even lying to both of them to get what she wants. And while she's redeemed at the end, it feels like the second time she's gone through this lesson, as in she's not listening.

It's an arc that has been going through the whole show and I'm really enjoying how it has progressed.

But yeah, awesome episode. This season is already shaping up to be my favorite.

Yes. :derpytongue2:

YOU FORGOT ABOUT GRIFFONS!!11oneone

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