Episode Review: Twilight Time · 4:04pm Feb 28th, 2014
Busy week means late review. Sorry. Please find it after the beep.
*Beep*
The younger one is, the more important being popular around their peers is. As we grow older, thankfully, most of us come to realize that we honestly don't give two s***ts so long as we're making a living and getting by in life. But it's always hard to shake off those early notions. But what happens when someone close to you is really important or famous? Do you flaunt that connection in order to become more popular yourself? Will you keep it quiet because you know your famous friend doesn't see themselves as a big deal or wants the harassment? We will be tackling it this episode... and yes, this is different from Green Isn't Your Colour even if it sounds similar.
For one, it's about these ponies here.
Twilight Time begins with best pony/newest princess Twilight Sparkle in her library aiding the Cutie Mark Crusaders with various projects. Scootaloo is learning how to take apart and rebuilt a unicycle, Sweetie Belle is starting on her magic, and Applebloom is learning Apothecary/Potion Making to help an apple seedling grow. After the title, the CMC are playing in the school yard when Diamond Twat comes around and starts bragging about some dance moves she learned, only to have her butler do them FOR her because she's not feeling well *coughhorses**tcough*. The girls decide to back at her by using the skills they learned in 'Twilight Time' (the title drop in this episode is a lot, so I'm not going to mention all the instances), but when antagonized further by her and Silver Spoon, Sweetie Belle lets it slip that they are buddies with "Princess Twilight", which catches the bullying duo off-guard and subsequently has them asking the CMC to meet her. After a group huddle, and some more encouragement from Sweetie, the girls decide to bring them along.
At the next Twilight Time, the new alicorn is a little surprised to see the CMC invited guests to their special time, but rolls with it surprisingly easily. The next school day, Silver and Diamond are lauding the CMC and their connection to the princess, creating a stir that they take advantage of by signing foals up to go with the CMC to see her next week. Applebloom and Scootaloo are a little wary of this, but Sweetie says she can handle it, so they go along with it. Later, the girls meet Twilight at a fast-food restaurant (where Pinkie works?) and have lunch and a little chat with her, while all the while the other foals are gawking at the princess through a window and ask her for autographs when she emerges. But Twilight takes it in stride. Huh. Anyway, the girls are then invited to a lemonade stand opening by Pipsqueak where they all soak up the attention like a sponge.
They are then invited to Diamond Tiara's house for an exclusive pool party and question why the others have to watch from the gate. Diamond says it's because they're better than the others and because they all want to go to Twilight Time. However, the CMC begin to have second thoughts and deny the other foals, sending them all into a rage. They run for the library, only to be cut off. Twilight opens the door and is surprised by all the foals, but is willing to accommodate them and organize them. However, Pipsqueak rats the CMC out to Twilight, making the girls try to impress her by using the skills they learned only for them to fail. The princess then calls them all out on having no interest in learning and asks them all to leave. Shamefaced, the CMC demonstrate how much they learned while apologizing, making Twilight stop them from leaving. After that, Twilight Time becomes a secret thing and the girls learn a journal-worthy entry about not using a friend's position or status for their own benefit. The end.
Grr. Son of a f***! How am I going to eat all of these nachos!?
While it's nice to see Twilight Sparkle so calm and collected in the face of unanticipated circumstance, I'm beginning to miss her more neurotic tendencies, but I guess that is all just character development. Don't get me wrong, It's great to see Twilight taking the mentor role (student becoming the master and such) towards the CMC instead of passively giving them advice, but I feel she might have been a little too calm. On a similar note, Sweetie Belle has been spending far too much time around Rarity, or at least has been soaking up her more dubious traits. Here, she is manipulative and the most selfish filly of the group since she wants all the attention and the CMC were hesitant to exploit their sister's/pseudo-sister's friend. Still, at least she's starting to show sings of maturity by beginning to grasp basic telekinesis (see what I did there?). Also, it's great to see she can still check out of reality every so often.
Om nom nom nom nom nom~!
The visual gags and little subtle things in the background (I see you, The Box schematic!) really add depth to this episode and give it a little flare that it rightfully needs. I liked how Twilight seems to have a thing for burgers (as previously referenced in Equestria Girls) and that Pinkie appears to have a second job, probably to pay off all the sweets she eats from the Cakes. The CMC were also very realistic and Sweetie served as both the foil for the group by digging the hole deeper and being the leader at the same time. It also brings about an interesting precedent that the group has no single leader all the time though they default to Applebloom. Spike with the nachos was great though, poor Spike. Oh, and I can't forget Twilight echoing the first episode with her "prove it" line. xP
Sadly, the episode is a little... stiff and predictable in how it will all turn out. Even if the specifics are a mystery, it's obvious that it will all go to their heads, Twilight finds out and gets upset, but they patch it up and things go to the status quo. Overall, I'd even go so far to say that this episode is even a little boring since it plays the tropes close and doesn't really take any risks. It was good, but it wasn't great, if you catch my meaning. This was not a bad episode, it was just a little tame and fun is all.
She looks oddly happy doing this, doesn't she? I mean, Tara Strong has experience with crowds wanting her autograph, but Twilight?
And so we come to that time once more. If you were to lock me in a room with a bunch of ravenous fillies and colts, I would give this episode 67/100. It is genuinely entertaining, but the story is predictable, safe, and a little boring when compared to the possibilities with the characters. That's about all I have to say on that, it was just a "meh" episode to me.
Next week (or rather, tomorrow), Fluttershy gets to meet the fabled Breezies. However, will the tiny insectoids take full advantage of her kindness when she helps them with their migration? Will fluttershy learn that It Ain't Easy being Breezies? Until then, this is Ciroton saying, "Isn't anyone else a little disappointed this one wasn't about time travel?"
Duck Face Pony Counter: 4
Little fillies get silly.
I'd put this episode a little "above average", if only because it was full of cute.
Otherwise, it's another example of how oblivious Ponyville is about their neighbors. Growing wings is kinda of a big deal and yet everypony's surprised when the newest princess is brought up.
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It's as if they're Sunnydale but with pastel equines. Perhaps in Season Five, somepony will finally ask the question "What do I have to do to get a REACTION out of you zombies?!"
Scootaloo's selfie-face duckie is what made the episode for me.
I really want nachos now.
personally i can take boring and safe if it is stil geninely entertaining. and that is what i found this episode. mainly because i always believe that it is fine so long as the characters themselves and experiencing it for the first time. one of mlp's strengths, is its ability to take often used tropes and scenarios and sitll make them interesting. slice of life is slice of life. just the lives of magic equine.
though i can see why some people might find it boring a bit. and really liked seeing that the crusaders are growing up in several ways, including at least using their cutie crusading to learn skills for them to use. the potion thing i REALLY liked, a nice throwback for applebloom.
also scootaloo's face............... diabetes inducing.
say it ain't easy being breezy............ i liked it. would place it around this episode on my list......... warning now revealing spoiler, if you have no seen wait to finish reading.
spoiler commencing- i think ultimately, as it is a key episode, it fits with fltutershy fairly well. not nearly as synced as pinkie pride, but it fits. while lacking as much visuals and excitement, it works with fluttershy's nature; be odd if her key episode was bombastic. its message, also, is perhaps fluttershy overcomering one of her element's greatest weaknseses. kindess can actually be harmful if one overindulges, both to the giver and the receiver. in her case, her want to nuture the delicate little breezies led her to unknowingly risk them. equistrai is very dangerous for the breezies. pony like though they are, breezies are not as tough as the ponies, who thrive is a technicaly death world.
the therat was more subtle than one would think, and greater too. though i kinda question the preemptive turning mane six into breezies thing. they were adorable, and sitll in a sense distinct from breezies (and showcasing tiwlight's magical might at the same time and, hopefully, opening for future possiblity), but many have been asking why. best i can say, toys but also to see their home......... and it was rather beautiful too and i am glad i could. also rainbow begging to be turned into a gryphon............ awesome.
spoilers and comment over.