Spoilers! Testing, Testing, 1,2,3 · 5:31pm Apr 5th, 2014
Spoilers below!
We open on Dash flying very haphazardly past Twilight, ruining her book. Twilight gets very upset with Rainbow, commenting that she should be studying for her upcoming exam to join the Wonderbolt reserves. She decides to fly up to Rainbow and give her a piece of of her mind, only to be thwarted by Rainbow's keen observation of her approach and subsequent countersurprise.
Twilight expresses her concern that Dash is not even preparing for her test, and Rainbow blows her off, acting as if it's no big deal.
Twilight is shocked by this blatant disregard for all things important and booky, and decides that if Rainbow won't study, she will have to make her study.
In the library, Twilight starts off with the basics, reading and highlighting. She lectures Rainbow while Rainbow proceeds to highlight every line of text in the same uniform yellow, and then starts doodling.
So, that failed, next we try lectures with chalk drawings! Rainbow is bored until she finds out her stool can make a great backbeat, and suddenly Owlicious and Spike show up (Spike inexplicably has a drum) and they have an impromptu musical number while Twilight drones on. When asked to repeat what Twilight said, Dash just wobbles the chair. Twilight sits down heavily, to find Rainbow has pranked her with a bike horn.
Awww, Rainbow got left hanging on the high five. Not cool.
Next Twilight tries flash cards, and in true class clown spirit, Rainbow begins sniping the cards with spitwads, acting nonchalant when Twilight asks what just happened. After nearly getting a spitwad in the eye (btw, Twilight can catch a speeding spitwad in midair, that's awesome) Twilight finally decides to call Rainbow's bluff with a pop quiz.
Predictably, the class clown who doesn't studies knows none of these answers. Rainbow is finally able to see that her lack of study is going to cost her her dreams, and freaks out.
Dash is depressed, then begins to lash out at Twilight for not teaching her right. They begin arguing, and Fluttershy arrives to break it up.
Then... worst play ever. All of the pets playing the roles and... I'm with Rainbow. What?
Then... Pinkie raps.
I... I have no words.
Holy crap Rarity is Sergeant Pepper.
Then uniforms fashion show.
Applejack tells it like it is, Rainbow. You are up a creek. None of your friends can help you.
Rainbow does the sensible thing at this point and has a nice freakout, flying off to sulk. (Side note, touching a unicorn's horn just... stops their spell. Huh.)
Twilight gives chase, trying to encourage Rainbow. Only to be pushed out of the way of a... helicopter... Pinkie must have sold the patent for the candycopter. It turns out, when Dash is flying, she is Monk. Every sense is heightened, and she not only sees everything, she understands what is going on. In short, she would make an awesome recon flier. Too bad she is too dumb to retain anything she is taught...
Twilight has a eureka moment. She knows how Rainbow learns now, and calls the super friends together to exploit this power.
Twilight finds Rainbow, and takes her on flight, making small talk on the way. At the end of the flight, Twilight asks her what she learned... and somehow, Dash knows the complete history of the Wonderbolts!
The entire town was on on this one. During Rainbow's short flight, all of her friends and several townsponies were reenacting scenes from the history, and holding up flashcards, shouting out facts, doing everything they could to help Rainbow learn. And she retains all of it. Damn, she would really make an awesome spy.
So it comes down to the test, and Rainbow confidently turns it in, but the longer it takes to get a response, the worse she feels... until she gets the test back... 100%.
So... Rainbow is an eidetic. That's kinda cool.
Next week... We have a break in pony, sadly. See you again in two weeks for Twilight's key episode.
Nice episode. Loved the Pinkie rap and Rainbow being a bad student and finding her own way
Gave this depressed college student some hope.
1983587 Yup. Also, it looks like we'll have to call Rainbow Dash's mom something else. Because just Firefly isn't going to cut it anymore. Maybe we could just Mrs. Dash, Firefly IV or Firefly V, or even Firefly III, based on how long ponies live, and how the Firefly family line has changed over time.
1983606 Maybe her mom has been called like that in honor of the Wonderbolt Firefly. Sounds cool enough to me.
Lots of new world-building to work with in this one. Also, it appears Firefly is not Rainbow Dash's mother, unless she had her when she was like, a thousand.
1983626 Or The Firefly that is Rainbow Dash's mom is a descendant of the original Firefly. Like for example, maybe she's Firefly Jr. or Firefly IV.
1983626 Well, she could still be Firefly, just not the founder of the Wonderbolts.
XD that right there cracked me up. But personally I am sick of Dash she's been in way too many episodes and i feel like she gets way too much screen time and attention which is funny because people complained when pinkie got too much screen time but when its Dash its like YAY
Yeah she just above fluttershy as my least favorite sorry Dash.
It occurred to me while reading this that:
Is a nice hint towards the eventual solution. Even at the beginning of the episode they had Dash being observant while in flight.
I remember when Sweetie whacked Rarity's horn to distract her for a moment.
I missed the spell-cancellation moment in this episode, though. I'll have to look for it later.
1983745 Well, at that speed she had better be hyperaware of her surroundings or Ponyville would have one less weather pony and a suspicious red smear across a nearby mountain.
1983606
You would only need to give a number if they were related. For all we know Firefly could be a common Pegasi name especially if that Firefly was famous and so there could be many Fireflys out there.
Aw! Why no words on Pinkie doing 80's Rap? And I'm excited that Twilight learned to hack Rainbow Dash. Best hacker Princess ever. As always thanks for the review.
This one was pretty fun.
1. Dammit, Rainbow, it's all fun and games 'till someone loses an eye.
2. Gah! Fluttershy interrupted them right before the hot, angry makeout session.
3. Pinkie. Rapping. Yeah, umm...
4. Was that a Top Gun era Tom Skerritt pony grading Rainbow's test?
Okay. Um, the rap. So, 4:3. And lower res. And odd tessellating graphics. So it's a rap from MTV circa 1995. Then again, Pinkie Pie, so this makes perfect sense.
I felt the same way, but I had quite a few words to say on that in my review on my blog.
Except without all that germaphobic, OCD... Monkness. I made that connection as well. I use to love Monk.
I also suspect "Trade Ya" will be Twilight's key episode.
1984393
2) How it should have ended
Twilight Sparkle: Knowing history actually is beneficial, Rainbow.
Rainbow Dash: Beneficial for eggheads!
Fluttershy: Girls.
Twilight Sparkle: Well, this egghead knows history and can fly. Maybe I should become a Wonderbolt.
Rainbow Dash: Just 'cause you've got wings, doesn't mean you can fly!
Fluttershy: Girls!
Rainbow Dash: You're barely able to just get off the ground!
Twilight Sparkle: Are you as turned on as I am?
Rainbow Dash: Yeah!
Twilight and Rainbow sloppily make out.
Fluttershy: I guess that's one way to talk to a friend... with benefits.
4) That pony was also in "Wonderbolts Academy" back in Season 3.
One mystery is solved in this episode, and one toy now has a justified existence.
1984765
Comics. Only COMICS that fans make up or it's just idiotic.
