SPOILERS! Mariusioannesp Reviews: "Three's A Crowd" · 12:07am Jan 26th, 2014
WARNING!!! The following contains SPOILERS for today's MLP episode "Three's a Crowd".
Now without further ado, here is my review of "Three's a Crowd". 
Twilight Sparkle is looking forward to spending some quality time with her sister-in-law Princess Cadance when she comes to visit. However, her best-laid schemes gang aft agley when Discord shows up with a case of the blue flu demanding that she take care of him in his time of illness. (Fluttershy is unavailable because she's on a trip to observe the Breezies.) Fed up with Discord's outlandish demands, Twilight seeks a more immediate cure which leads to Twilight and Cadance going on a journey that will test the limits of their renewed friendship. Will they succeed in time before Discord dies!? No wait, he's not going to die.... Will they succeed before he becomes even more of a pain in the flank?
So, what’s my verdict.
I really liked this episode.
I mean I think I can finally forgive “Keep Calm and Flutter On” because without it, we wouldn’t have this episode. That’s how much I liked it.
The best thing about this episode is obviously Discord. Discord seems to steal the spotlight every time he shows up. Now you may be aware that I was not too fond of Discord’s reformation in “Keep Calm and Flutter On”. However, in this episode and in “Princess Twilight”, Discord is still the chaotic Draconequus we all know and love, except much more reigned in. He still kind of acts villainous while the schemes he now undertakes are not remotely threatening to the fate of Equestria. I enjoy how Discord’s modus operandi remains making the Mane 6’s lives as difficult as possible. In a way, Discord is starting to remind me of Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. Spike also began with a short stint as a villain, moved on to become a reluctant anti-hero, and eventually became a full-on hero. (I’d rather not see Discord as a full on hero, but if he follows closely enough in Spike’s footsteps, I think I could accept it.) Anyway, that’s not the best part though.
Discord sings in this episode.
Let me repeat that.
Discord sings in this episode!
Discord offers us a rendition of a little ditty called “Glass of Water” where he lists off his multitudinous and extravagant demands all beginning with just a teeny, tiny glass of water. The musical number that accompanied it was just incredible! Discord’s ability to bend reality to his will allowed there to be all kinds of amusing backdrops and references to things like Harry Potter and Flashdance of all things. I’m not sure if all of that was actually happening, but in the end everypony was wet. Who knew John De Lancie could sing.
Moving right along. I like how this episode opens and sets up simultaneously two important facts for this episode. First is obviously that Cadance is coming to visit Twilight. Second is that Fluttershy has been asked by some group whose name I can’t remember to go on a trip to observe the Breezies. Now, I’ve blogged already about how a future episode of MLP in March may feature the return of the Breezies. It seems that episode is already setting us up for that one and hinting that it will be a Fluttershy episode. In fact, given Season 3 episodes “Just for Sidekicks” and “Games Ponies Play”, it’s probably not unreasonable to believe that “It Ain’t Easy Being Breezies” might show us what Fluttershy was up to during the events of this episode. Although the way Fluttershy vaguely described it, it sounded to me that Breezies were more like animals than people, and so it kind of works against my theory so far that these Breezes will be more of an amalgam between G3 Breezies and G1 Flutter Ponies. Anyway, the fact that Fluttershy is away on a trip clears up a potential problem this episode would have had. That being why wouldn’t Discord go to Fluttershy for help.
In fact, when Discord first arrives in Ponyville, he claims he’s there to ask Fluttershy to take care of him while he’s sick. When the others inform him that Fluttershy is on her trip, he then remembers that Fluttershy had mentioned that along with Princess Cadance’s visit in a letter she wrote him. That’s another thing I liked. Fluttershy and Discord write letters to each other. That’s kind of cute. Speaking of the Mane 6, as in many previous episodes, they all show up here. However, once Discord arrives, he shoos them away in one way or another so they don’t end up hanging around and not really doing anything for the rest of the episode. They show up at the end though. I like how it’s very obvious that Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Rarity still don’t trust Discord. And there is reason to.
Anyway, once Discord finds Twilight and Cadance and he does his little song and dance number, Twilight seeks a more immediate cure for Discord’s illness so she can go back to spending quality time with Cadance. Discord reveals that there’s a flower at the edge of Equestria that if picked at the sunset, its leaves can be used to make a brew that can cure Discord. So Cadance and Twilight end up flying Discord to the edge of Equestria. (Yes Twilight competently flies in this episode. Since when can she do that?) They discover that the flower is in fact a giant tree-flower thing. When they pluck it, they are suddenly attacked by an eldritch horror! I giant worm with a tripartite mouth with three tentacle tongues! (According to Equestria Daily, Meghan McCarthy has already revealed that this Lovecraftian monstrosity is called a Tatzlwurm. Another obscure mythology reference. I thought it looked like a graboid from Tremors.)
Hold the phone! Ponies go to the end of Equestria to find a flower that will cure a sick friend and end up fighting a giant monster. It’s just like "It’s a Dangerous Business, Going Out Your Door"! My mind is officially blown!
Anyway, after fighting off the tatzlwurm, they bring Discord the flower and discover that Discord was faking his illness! Turns out Discord was in his thinking tree (Discord apparently has a thinking tree) when he realized that despite being his friend, Twilight never visits him or writes him letters even though she doesn’t know where he lives. So, Discord concocted this scheme to test if Twilight would go all the way to the edge of Equestria to help him thereby confirming that he is still friends with who he calls the most important pony in Equestria. I find that comment rather interesting. Makes me think Discord knows something that we don’t as of yet. Twilight worries that Discord ended ruining her day with Cadance. Cadance though assures Twilight that though it would have been great to spend a relaxing day with her, since the Crystal Empire can get pretty monotonous, she appreciates a little excitement once in a while. Just like the excitement provided on this day by Discord. It’s at this moment that the tatzlwurm shows up again and proceeds to sneeze on Discord, causing him to actually fall ill! It kind of surprised me that even Discord wasn’t even sure what that thing was.
Then comes the diary entry where Twilight explains that how as long as you’re with a friend even the most chaotic day could end being a great experience that ends up bringing you closer together. Another lesson I can stand behind. So at the end, the truly sick Discord is being cared for by Fluttershy now that she’s returned from her trip. The last thing he does is ask for a teeny, tiny glass of water.
Some other things I liked. Even though this is the first episode in a while to take place mostly in Ponyville, they manage to work in some world-building. This is mostly through mentioning the Breezies, the trip to the edge of Equestria, and the Tatzlwurm. But also Twilight and Cadance visit a traveling museum exhibit of artifacts belonging to Starswirl the Bearded. (Twilight even wears the costume again! Twilight's a cosplayer!) A poster for it appears to reveal that Starswirl the Bearded had a white coat. We also see a candle that he apparently used for… something. The Crystal Empire also has crystal trains. And apparently Crystal Pegasi guards. (I don’t know if that was an error though since all the Crystal Ponies seen so far are Earth Ponies.) I like also how Discord’s illness causes his powers to go on the fritz. Everytime he sneezes something weird happens in the background. I like all the costumes Discord ended up wearing in the course of the episode. It's apparently his thing now. I also like how the throne that Twilight and Cadance pull to bring Discord to the edge of Equestria looks like Xerxes’ throne from the comic book and movie 300. It’s not as big a surprise as Derpy showing up last week, but one of the guards that escorts Cadance off her train was FLASH SENTRY! It’s quite the pleasant surprise (for me at least) to see him again.
The only thing I can say that I felt was wrong with this episode is that I wish it was longer. The pacing was fine, but I just wish there was more of it.
Overall, “Three’s A Crowd” was great! I look forward to Discord’s future appearances where I’m sure he will continue to be a pain in the flank and hopefully sing more. Probably one of Discord’s best episodes so far. I also look forward to ILoveKimPossibleAlot fangasming all over it.
What did you all think of “Three’s A Crowd”?
A postcript. Tune in next week will where you can read me fangasming over the episode I’ve been waiting for already precisely a month for! “Pinkie’s Pride” guest starring the one, the only WEIRD AL YANKOVIC! They even featured a special promo specifically for that episode advertising his appearance. You know this going to be huge!
God bless you all. God bless America. And God bless Equestria.
I really liked this episode too for...pretty much a lot of the reasons you listed. It's always great to see Discord bringing some good, old chaotic fun to an episode.
"It's dangerous business going outside your door'
I see what you did there.