MLP Episode review: Griffon the Brush-Off · 11:14pm May 18th, 2014
First off, a little mood music...
EXCELLENT!!!! *Flashes devil horns*
Griffin the Brush-Off
We open with Pinkie... having a spazz attack. No, she's describing some stunt Dash did.Twilight is ignoring her, reading a book. Smart, Twilight. Some people think this describes the events of 'Sonic Rainboom. I do not because for me, unless there's firm evidence, I take episodes in order as aired. And she falls back. And I laugh. She spots Dash and gives chase, much to Twilight's relief. Dash spots her and is most perturbed. She flies off, but Pinkie gives chase. Dash... I'm right there with you. And she flies into a mountain. Which is what Pinkie Pie was trying to warn her about. Cue sad trombone!
Then cue opening credits, then cue the 'skip' button! Wait, where'd the mountain come from?! Back to thew show and Pinkie's bouncing along. Dash is napping, and stuffs clouds into her ears. As someone who has problems with wax buildup so I have to go get them literally hosed out every three months, this makes me cringe a bit. She now burrows into the cloud. Twilight points her out and Dash zooms off while Pinkie Pie is pewtastic. It's a sight gag here, folks. Funny, though. Wash, rinse and repeat for a bit. Fortunately they cut it out before it gets old. Dash gives up and it turns out Pinkie needs a favor. It'll be fun!
We cut to Pinkie Pie directing Dash to move a cloud in front of City Hall . How do you move it leftish while staying righty? The world will never know. Now up and down. Dash loses it, and Pinkie gets the hint. Oh, Pinkie Pie. Why couldn't you get the hint more often in later seasons? Inside we see Spike getting scrolls and humming the theme. Pinkie signals, Dash kicks the cloud, Spike gets scared and begins hiccuping! Both mares laugh and... I gotta chuckle, too. Spike takes it in good humor, and then begins belching green flame. They ask if he's hurt, but he's not. So they laugh some more while he sends scrolls to Celestia. She gets buried and I laugh. Dash kicks the cloud and now Pinkie gets hiccups. She takes it in good stride and the two bond over pranking.
We also learn Dash thought Pinkie was annoying, which drives my headcanon that before Twilight, some of the Mane Six might've been friends, but not all of them. Hell, it's my opinion that Applejack and Rarity outright detested each other. They hang out as the hiccups propel Pinkie. We have a brief montage of them doing pranks. A bouquet of flowers for rarity, laced with sneezing powder. Backfires on Pinkie, though. Invisible ink on Twilight! And... somehow she heard them way outdoors through a closed window. I must remember that for the next episode... Over to Sweet Apple Acres and it's Zap Apple season! No, it's apples painted with water-soluble paint. And then...
To Fluttershy, and a squirting turtle. Except Pinkie says no. She's too sensitive. And Dash gets it. Remember this for next season, folks! It's gonna hurt like hell. ANyway, Dash thinks they need a new victim. Pinkie's got one in mind as Dash gets the old 'soot around the eye' gag. We also see Fluttershy playing with the toy and just being all, "Huh?"
You know, normally I'm not too fond of pranks, but these ones aren't too bad. They're pretty much harmless, and when they backfire the prankers can laugh at themselves. Good show! And good, show.
The next morning Pinkie is all pranked-out. Weird glasses, arrow-through-skull cap and a noisemaker. She goes to Dash's house, and I think this is the first we see of her palatial estate. Seriously, thing looks awesome! But...
Gilda rears her head as we get a guitar string.
DUUUUUUDEE!!!!!!!!!!!!! like totally gnarly, man! Dash introduces her, and Gilda is a bit standoffish already. Pinkie asks what a griffin is, and it's the classic eagle/lion mixture. And she's 'all awesome'. Oh, this is so 90's Toad the Wet Sprocket's gonna reform. Or maybe Frog the Dry Widget? They do a hoof/claw bump and we learn they met in Junior Speedster Flight Camp. Dash talks her into doing the speedsters chant, and it's a legit cute moment. Gilda thinks it's lame, but, "Only for you, Dash." Gilda's a bit... not too enthused.
Pinkie somehow gets her gear, which had fallen off, back on by hitting it with her head. Okay... Gilda likes pranks, but she said Dash promised her a flight and they fly off, leaving Pinkie in the dust. It's... kinda sad for her, but at the same time old childhood friend who, as of now, hasn't shown any of her future nastiness. We cut to the pair zooming around and having fun. And then... Pinkie's on a trampoline, flying up into the cloudbank they're on. She's so random! Gilda goads Dash into a race away from Pinkie. But she's got balloons! And she floats over. And we all float on okay, and we all float on anyway! Gilda's getting steamed. And honestly... I'm kinda on her side.
Not because it's Pinkie, but seeing an old friend after a long time and no real clue when she'll see her again? Then again she could 'share' Dash, for lack of a better term and let Pinkie hang out. I dunno. But, "Last one to that cloud up there is a gnarly dragon egg." Oh, Nineties Kid! She's the one for you! She lets Dash fly off and then... pops the balloons! Okay, Gilda? NOT COOL! A simple talk would've sufficed. And then Pinkie... has a gyrocopter. I own the toy this is based off of, actually. Well, sort of based off of. And no, I don't think Pinkie has one 'because she's Pinkie Pie'. :p Gilda asks Dash if she's got any new moves in her 'tricktionary' or if she's '100% old school'. And dear lord I must now put on a baseball hat backwards and cross my arms while leaning back. And no, I can't take a picture of it at the moment. Dash takes off and Gilda finally chews Pinkie out. But it's pretty damned harsh. It's not, "This is an old friend and I wanna hang with her!" It's, "You're a loser and I'm infinitely cooler than you!" She sends the copter into a spin and I am booing. More guitar riffs.
At Golden Oaks, Twilight is doubtful. We also learn Pinkie's never met a griffin... yet is a lot more accepting of her than Zecora. Not adding up, folks. Twilight thinks Pinkie's jealous. "Pink with envy", according to Spike. Twilight says that Pinkie might have to improve her attitude and... mark this down, I think she's wrong and Pinkie, while butting in a bit too much, wasn't acting too much in the wrong. Admittedly I have my omniscient-viewer's thing going on, so mileage varies. But Pinkie... storms off. She walks off, but actually reflects and thinks that she might be in the wrong!
Good lord, Pinkie Pie! You're being mature, thoughtful of others and reflective! I just... where did you go?
At main Street, or I think of it as Main Street, the two fly in. Dash has some work to do and tells Gilda to hang out. And we get this semi-infamous scene. Gilda decides to chow down. And she... uses her tail to prank Granny Smith into thinking it's a rattler. Pinkie Pie gets that this sort of joke wasn't funny. She tries to handwave it, though. Then Gilda commits what I believe to be petty larceny by stealing an apple. Hmm, not sure if it's a misdemeanor or felony. Pinkie Pie... tries to pass it off as she'll give it back. After eating it. Head. meet desk. And now...
We see Fluttershy escorting a duck family through the street. Gilda, seeing the group in full view walks right into her. Oh, fuck you, Gilda. Fuck. You. And Fluttershy runs off, crying. And I am pissed. Pinkie decides Gilda needs extreme measure, Pinkie Pie Style!
So she... throws a party for her. Twilight asks Fluttershy what Gilda's like, and Fluttershy's repressed rage gets more repressed. She asks Pinkie if it's a good idea, and we learn that Fluttershy's a year older than her. Gilda arrives and Pinkie hope she'll feel welcome. And we get a joy buzzer gag. I have... never actually been subject to one of those, thank goodness. Gilda's about to snap, but Dash thinks it's a riot, so Gilda joins in. Gilda threatens Pinkie, but Pinkie... doesn't get it too well. They cheer Gilda on and...
Lemon drops, except they're spicy enough to roast marshmallows on. So punch... except it's a dribble glass that gets all over her feathers. Gilda's not too pleased. Dash points out presents and it's snakes in a can! I am sick of these motherbucking snakes in this motherbucking can!
You knew I was going there. You. Knew. :D
Gilda blames Pinkie, but it wasn't. Now for the cake. Gilda tries blowing out the candles, but they're trick candles. This one I have had played on me. Pinkie is... really playing it up and being so fake oblivious it kinda hurts. Spike has also tunneled his way through the cake. Dash, methinks, sees that Gilda's a bit upset. And Gilda pulls Pinkie through the cake and is semi-strangling her. She says she's watching her like a hawk. "Can't you watch me like a griffin?" And Applejack has 'pin the tail on the pony' game. She's blindfolded, spun around and Pinkie tries to help her. But Gilda says no way, walks in the opposite direction, slips on some cake and slides into a door.
Okay, I'm not fond of Gilda, and she's a pretty big jerk, but this is getting ridiculous.
Pinkie says she pinned the tail on the wrong end and Gilda loses it. She roars and chews everyone out. They're all lame and losers, with weak pranks. Except Dash. She tells Dash they're leaving, but it turns out it was Dash who set up all the pranks. Ooh, not good. Gilda trys backtracking and Dash isn't pleased. And it turns out Pinkie set up the party to improve her attitude. Dash gives her the riot act and I am... feeling kinda sorry for Gilda. Dash didn't think this was how her old friend would treat her new friends. She says Gilda should go find some new friends, and Gilda bails. She says for Dash to give her a call. Existence of phones!
Dash apologizes. She didn't know she'd be so rude, and apologizes to Pinkie Pie. Then they both shake and buzz each other. We get the moral and even Twilight apologizes. They continue the party while Twilight does a Captain's Log with her friendship lesson, and it turns out someone slipped Celestia some disappearing ink. Hah! :D Or... maybe that's from Celestia's private prank pile? :p
Thoughts
Ah, Gilda. It's weird. On the one hand, with little prodding, she's a Grade-Z asshole. Witness her in Main Street, or with Pinkie earlier. Now... here's the thing. Yes, Pinkie was being a bit pushy, but Gilda, instead of explaining herself, insulted Pinkie and tried to cause grievous bodily harm. The way Pinkie was acting, if Gilda had said, "I understand you're friend, but I don't know when I'll be by this way again. Could you please give us some space?" I think Pinkie would've left her alone. I really, really do.
But the party... *Sigh* Gilda gets five pranks in a row and then slides into a door. She's humiliated at this party and I honestly can't blame her too much for lashing out. But then she blows off her lifelong friend and it's just very uneasy.
In the end I actually feel a bit sorry for Gilda. Yes, she's a massive jerkass who commits petty crimes, but in the end because of a misunderstanding she loses a lifelong friend.
Gilda is a griffin. We later learn that she's not an asshole because she's a griffin, but she's an asshole because she's Gilda. My own headcanon concerning griffins is formed by the Hasbroverse, my own extremely tiny corner of the fandom. ;) In it, there's a sizeable griffin population living in Equestria, but a larger Griffin Empire to the north. This was formed before any maps, mind. ;)
Also, I believe Rainbow Dash eats jerky and gained a liking of it through Gilda. And none of her friends are weirded out by it.
Tomorrow is the first really 'controversial' episode of the show, Boast Busters. For the record, I've seen this episode about 30 times or so. Spoilers-I side with Trixie and would love to shout, "Down in front!" to those rude jerks. And I don't think anything's changing my mind on that.
Gilda is one of those characters that would make a good episode of rekindling a relationship. I think enough time has passed that Rainbow Dash may give a pat to her back and say, "No biggie."
I'm still holding out hope.
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Gilda has only made one other appearance outside of this episode and that was in "Twilight Sparkle and the Crystal Heart Spell". And in that, she had not improved in the slightest (and in some ways being as she was trying to sabotage Twilight's friendships with the others, even worse). Grant you, the book had issues as Trixie was pretty bad and you get the feeling that the incident with the Alicorn Amulet had never happened with her at least.
I guess she went away with Lauren Faust.
That will never get old.
What does this episode have to do with "Smells Like Nirvana"?
What is this show all about? Can't figure any of it out.
2123410 You know Gilda alongside Trixie makes an appearance in the chapter book Twilight Sparkle and the Crystal Heart Spell. They serve as the story's antagonists though. I don't know if that is at all potential evidence that we will be seeing them in the future though.
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I didn't read that book but I've heard of those two appearing in them.
The Expanded Universe has some dodgy continuity. Basically, it's canon until the show itself says otherwise. It's weird.
Mah theory is that the routine Pinkie was describin' at the beginning a' this episode was the same one Rainbow Dash was workin' on in Applebuck Season.
IMO, it's less this and more that Rainbow Dash finally saw what Gilda was like and decided she didn't want to be friends with someone who acted like that. I have a hard time finding sympathy with Gilda compared to Trixie because it seems like Gilda just doesn't like ponies at all, with the exception of Rainbow Dash. I can give her a pass on trying to shove Pinkie out of the way. It's hard, though- Causing her helicopter to crash?
I can even give her a pass on lashing out at the party, because who doesn't do and say things in anger that they later regret?
I just can't find a way around that Mane Street scene, though. That's what Gilda is really like when nobody is watching Rainbow Dash isn't around. Gilda does this all in public, in front of a whole bunch of ponies, while Pinkie is sitting there trying to rationalize it to herself... and can't. I find myself in the same position.