Season Five Episode Reviews: Bloom and Gloom · 1:38am Apr 24th, 2015
Hello, and welcome to...another CMC episode.
...I'm going to start crying. I don't know if I will ever stop.
TECHNICAL SPECS:
Season: 5
Episode: 4
Written By: Josh Haber
First Aired: 4/18/2015
SUMMARY:
The Cutie Mark Crusaders have received glad tidings from their Manehatten counterpart, Babs Seed: she finally got her cutie mark! The filly's flank now sports a pair of scissors (with an apple motif in the handles), meaning she's going to be a hairstylist. The initial excitement wears off, though, when the three realize that Babs can't possibly be a Cutie Mark Crusader if she has her cutie mark, that they may end up getting saddled with a cutie mark they hate, and not only that, but everypony in Apple Bloom's family has apple-related marks, meaning her own cutie mark has to be apple-related.
This sends Apple Bloom into an existential dilemma: what if getting her cutie mark really stinks? Applejack tries to counsel her with a lullaby, and when Apple Bloom wakes up, she feels much better. When she comes downstairs for breakfast, however, she's astonished when Applejack announces that she has her cutie mark! And it's...a pesticide can spraying an apple. Turns out her destiny is to catch twittermites, foul things that vaporize entire buildings and replace them with lame and self-important hashtags. With her cutie mark, she's a pro at catching them, but it's not something she wants to do for the rest of her life. And when Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon show up, they start mocking her for having a lame cutie mark.
This upsets Apple Bloom so much that she runs into the forest, where a mysterious shadow offers to remove her cutie mark. She agrees, and is no longer capable of catching twittermites. Unfortunately, her earlier tussle with the bullies causes the tube containing the bugs to break, and they proceed to destroy all of Ponyville before turning their eyes on Sweet Apple Acres. Apple Bloom tries to use the capture device, but without her talent, she can't catch them, and they raze the barn with an Ion Cannon...
And then Apple Bloom wakes up. Turns out that was all a dream, and when she comes downstairs, she has her real cutie mark: a potion flask with an apple, obviously connected to the potion making she practiced with Twilight. This is a talent she genuinely loves, and she runs off to show it to Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. Misfortune strikes again, however, as the two promptly kick Apple Bloom out of the clubhouse (that is on her family's property, mind) because they can't be friends with somepony that has a cutie mark. Suddenly, Apple Bloom finds herself back in the forest, and again she is approached by the shadowy creature, who offers the same bargain as before. Soon enough, Apple Bloom is a blank flank again...but her friends have now gotten their cutie marks, and have become such snobs about it that they refuse to have anything to do with her anymore. Apple Bloom screams in the abandoned clubhouse...
And then Apple Bloom wakes up. Now very perturbed about what's going on, she goes downstairs, where Applejack again announces her cutie mark. This time, however, the tone is quite different, as Apple Bloom is now spouting a dolphin with no apple in sight. The rest of the family promptly disowns her, kicking her out of the house, cutting her out of family photos, and forcing her to remove the “Apple” from her name. Apple Bloom screams as the outside turns out to be a vortex of doom, and she is sucked into the darkness...
And then Apple Bloom wakes up. After losing her shield to the Like Like she woke up in, she looks in the mirror, and is relieved to see no mark adorning her rear...until she turns around, and suddenly the cutie mark changes every time she looks. The ordeal has turned Apple Bloom against the idea of cutie marks entirely, and she angrily charges through her door, which leads to the forest and the shadowy creature. She accuses the being of casting a spell on her, but it states that it did nothing of the sort; it just offered to help. Apple Bloom tries to run, but is finally stopped by the arrival of Princess Luna, who reveals that this has all been a dream: the shadow creature is literally Apple Bloom's shadow tormenting her with her fear of what will happen when she gets her cutie mark.
Luna calms Apple Bloom's terror by telling her that a cutie mark is just a representation of who a pony is, and that if she accepts herself, then others will too. Apple Bloom feels embarrassed by the mess, so Luna shows her that Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo are having the same fears about a singing career-turned-janitorial service and becoming a stuntspony-turned-baker respectively. The four then meet in a dream representation of the clubhouse, where they still kick Babs out of the group, but this time offer to send her a care package to show the shallowness of their friendship.
You can tell I didn't care for this episode, can't you?
REVIEW:
You ever have one of those moments where you see something, and you know that it's technically pretty good, but you still can't stand it? Because that's my reaction to this episode.
The episode is one giant dream sequence, unlike the previous two “Luna visits the Crusaders” entries, and doubles as a Groundhog Day-style loop. To the show's credit, it does a good job increasing the inherent wrongness of each loop, from the pancakes changing to actual cakes to a rooster laying an egg (and later turning into Pinkie Pie in her chicken costume). The story itself is played out very straight, but background details such as this help to give it a bit more flavor.
The story follows a checklist set out from the beginning. Apple Bloom first confronts a cutie mark that she doesn't want, which in her nightmare forces her into a career she has no interest in. Second is a cutie mark when none of her friends have them (or no mark when both of her friends have theirs), which causes her to be ostracized for being different. And lastly, there's the fear of not living up to the family motif, meaning she'll have to change her name and get kicked out of the house. All three fears are representative of natural insecurities about failing the family, having to assume responsibilities you don't want, and the end of childhood. It's likely none of this was intentional, but it's still interesting to notice.
The episode also continues the cutie mark theme from the premiere. Apple Bloom's fear of her best friends leaving her over cutie marks reflects Starlight Glimmer's belief that special talents will ruin friendships, and her frustration with the marks by the end of the dream feels like it was plucked out of a “Start of Darkness” routine for the villain. Of course, Starlight turns out to not be involved, but this does appear to be the theme they're sticking with. More interestingly, Luna provides a pretty clear refutation to the idea that cutie marks represent “destiny,” as in being assigned and controlled by a higher power, and instead promotes the original idea that they are simply representations of a pony's character and dreams. After so many episodes (especially “Magical Mystery Cure”) that pushed the idea of destiny and cutie marks, it's nice to see a return to that original, perfectly fine concept.
The repeating dream plot does wear thin over the course of the episode's run time, mostly because the script adheres very strictly to the previously-mentioned checklist. And while having Luna show up is fine, the resolution still feels a bit weak. In particular, I'm bummed that Sweetie's singing audition is just a nightmare and won't be an actual event, as it would have, you know, probably led to her getting a cutie mark. And as always, the fillies make no progress towards getting their butt tattoos. I know I've complained about this a lot, but it has been five seasons. This plot has completely overstayed its welcome. So I shall give the creative team a choice: they can give the CMC their cutie marks, or they can have them get ran over by a train. Either option will save us from any more of these freaking episodes. Pick one before you realize I have no means of backing up any sort of threat or demand.
All that said, the episode is a fairly enjoyable little romp...except it does the ONE THING I NEVER WANTED THE CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS TO DO. When Babs gets her cutie mark, the CMC immediately eject her from the Manehatten branch of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. It takes three nightmares and a princess entering their dreams to get them to even send her a care package, and as someone who's been fired via Fedex, that empty gesture pissed me right off. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo kicking Apple Bloom out was obviously just part of the nightmare, so it won't happen that coldly in-person, but it's still very shallow for fillies who banded together because they were different from everypony else to start kicking members (one who, I remind you, was bullied so hard she had to go from Manehatten to Ponyville and change schools when she got back to get away from it all) the minute they actually hit magic pony puberty.
I'm sorry, but that one thing ruins this entire episode for me. And I know it's completely personal, but...seriously, why?
CONCLUSION:
If you can get past the consternation of the CMC kicking Babs out, this is an enjoyable, albeit typical, CMC episode. I do, however, stand firmly by my belief that they need to start giving them the freaking marks, because this plot thread cannot sustain itself any longer.
Next time, Rainbow Dash tries to stop Winter from happening. Hey, ponies control the seasons. Another thing everyone just remembered.
I can totally understand personal feelings ruining an episode for you. It's impossible to separate out the things associated with the episode that ruin it for you which just makes it a chore or a drain to watch.
I personally found this pretty good, but that was on rewatch. I've been finding my first impressions of horse episodes lately to be fairly lackluster sadly...
3011503
We've been through like 4 years of ponies. I'm not surprised that the general excitement is fading in this fandom. =/
3011580
Haha, as someone who started MLP a little before Season 2 started, it's probably more impressive that I /was/ into it for as long as I was. Idk, just don't feel that intense fannish joy like I used to.
3011589
Same here. I've been following this show since I was a sophomore in high school. I guess getting older means less excitement?
3011610
I was of a similar age myself. I bet that's it. Getting older, interests change over time and stuff.
With regards to the CMCs...I do wonder what ever happened to Twist.
Actually, I suspect that was entirely intentional. One of the things I think this episode was about, is that Applebloom's fears are shifting from the "childish" desire to grow up as soon as possible, to the more "mature" insecurities of what growing up will actually mean. Which mean she is growing up. I'm not sure I would put my money on it this season, but after this episode, at least one of them might actually snag it.
I also kind of got the feeling at the end, that they felt more like Babs' membership in the Crusaders was more a moot point (That they are all friends, butt tattoo or not, and the Crusaders club is irrelevant. Possibly another sign of maturity, depending on how you read it), than that they were still kicking it out.
Also, Twittermites were awesome and I kind of hope they are real. Even if they are an Ion Cannon waiting to happen.
3011683
She moved to Philadelphia... or her voice actor did, rather.
--arcum42
They didn't throw Babs out, they talked about how she wouldn't be able to lead the Manehattan branch now no? It's not like they have an official structure or anything.
3011610
3011642
Enthusiasm naturally wanes, and that is perfectly fine. I've been in a lot of fandoms where I was super-passionate and following everything, and gradually just dimmed out because other things caught my interest or I was just growing older and more refined in my tastes. FiM is still a good show, and I still enjoy it, but I don't obsess over every Equestria Daily update like I used to, or spend hours browsing Fimfiction and Derpibooru for fan work. Life happens, tastes change, and so forth. The important thing, and all this is about, is to have fun.
That's quite a limb you're going out on there.
First off, when the CMC find out about Babs' new cutie mark, it's not as though the CMC immediately write up a notice kicking Babs out of the CMC. Their reaction is the automatic assumption that Babs simply isn't one anymore...because she obviously has her cutie mark, so she's clearly moving on to bigger and better things. They didn't draft a letter telling her to get lost. They didn't drum her out by proxy. They just kinda assumed that she...wasn't. Yes, Scootaloo does say rather matter-of-factly that Babs obviously can't be a crusader if she's finished her crusade, or so to speak. It's relatively childish logic, as espoused by children. Their discomfort for that logic is what fed directly into Apple Bloom's dreams about Sweetie and Scootaloo rejecting her once she gets her cutie mark. Yes, there's still the assumption that she's not a crusader anymore at the end, but that's based on the fact that she got what she wanted and doesn't need to be a crusader, no insistence that she can't hang around and help the other crusaders in Manehattan find their marks, nothing remotely about "kicking her to the curb," as you so eloquently put it.
As for the care package...
Um...what were you expecting them to do...hop the next train, ride straight to Manehattan and give a grand pronouncement to Babs to profess their eternal ongoing friendship? Maybe if Pinkie Pie was involved... They're kids with limited means in a long-distance relationship. There's a limit to what they can do. A care package with assurances that they aren't forgetting about Babs now that she's essentially graduated from being a crusader and are still friends with her is one of the better things that's within their capabilities.
Your irritation with this episode mostly seems to stem from sticking words in the writers mouths and making a lot of unsupported assumptions.
Well I'll briefly repeat what we spoke about privately, that I never really felt like the show had forgotten what cutie marks meant.. the fandom maybe, but not the show.
As for the CMC getting their cutie marks, as much as I'd like to see it happen, I'm not really ever going to be all that upset if it doesn't. Sure it might get tiresome if this who crusading thing had really become overplayed, but it hasn't as the writers have steadily been giving them slightly more diverse range in their episodes ever since season 2. It's still always their as something that informs their character, but this episode was the first one in quite awhile were the issue of cutie marks was the entire central premise.
Finally on the issue of Babs, much as I agree the way they seemingly wrote her out of the CMC bothers me too, especially since we already saw a much better version of what happens whine one of the girls gets their cutie mark before the others all the way back in Cutie Pox. The answer being genuine excitement and enthusiasm without is a moments hesitation or doubt that it in anyway invalidated there friendships. Conversely though this turn of events doesn't really surprise me either since it been my understanding for sometime now that Babs had become a retired character and so this episode was more so just making it official. It could have been handled better, but well good idea with uninted implications in the execution pretty much sums up my entire opinions with this episode as a whole.
3011683
Yeah, I've always wished the show would do a little more with Twist too. Notthat I think she ever needs to get a staring or even co-staring role in an episode. I just wish they'd throw us the occasional bone to suggest she and Apple Bloom are still friends -- nothing more than a name drop, or maybe the two walking/playing together in the background of non-CMC episodes.
3011610 3011589
Speaking as a somewhat older than average fan --33 when I started back near the start season 2-- I can sort of confirm this. Rather that is to say it can feel like passion dwindles over time. MLP was the first thing to come along in years to really ignite a fire in my belly and make me feel truly excited and... well, young again. I've held onto it ever since, but I admit the frequency with which I do things like check EQD has fallen off from multiple times a day to maybe every few weeks. Granted that's in part because I fell in with a crowd of like minded friend and get my pony fix hanging out with them, where I do still hang out multiple times a day. Even that, however, sometimes feel like something I keep at more out of habit than anything else.
Here's the thing though, that fire of passion, it never really goes away... more like it just goes to sleep, waiting for the right catalyst to call it back into action. For me, I've recently taken a couple steps with involving myself in some other aspects of the fandom outside my well established group, and doing so I've found I'm still just as passionate about this show as ever. It's just that I'd fallen into a rut, and needed something a little different to help remind me what got me started as a brony in the first place.
So if either of you I really struggling with your own passion and find it waning, my advice is to never let yourself fall into a rut, and instead actively peruse finding your own something new. Look around and experiment. New authors, new artists, or even entirely new ideas until you finds something that again speaks to you and brings all of your passion back with it.
The CMC have these awesome capes that cover the cutie mark of the wearer.
Why not just have any "graduated" CMC be required to wear said cape at all times when helping other CMC. Hell, it would make crusading easier if ponies with cutiemarks in said fields helped other CMC and wearing the capes would be like a sign of solidarity. A way to say "I have my cutiemark but I'm giving it up temporarily to help others earn theirs.
3011967
Well...
There has been a couple of instances where the kids manage to wander off to a different city, largely without adult supervision (For Whom Sweetie Belle Tolls, and the Spike episode with all the pets I can't think of the title of for some reason, specificially. Though there is also Applejack's childhood trip to Manehattan too.). Equestria takes the concept of "Free Range" kids and runs with it.
3011967
Considering what the CMC has done in the past and what the Mane Six has done, too, why not?
And also, if you passed it over...
This episode is kinda personal for him. And it was handled quite poorly, too.
3012066
Wait, 'retired?! Why? Why the hell would they 'retire' her? there's no reason to do that! What does that even mean?@
A generic dream based episode... Why am i not surprised?
3013184
I'm not sure, but I think it had something do with staff turnover in the production crew. It's why she never appeared in S4 either.
Why did I not notice the resemblance to an ion cannon? Now when I rewatch, I'll probably have "Units lost. Units lost. Units lost..." running through my head...
3013889
Then it seems my work here is done. *flies into the sunset*
3013543 That would really, really suck if true. I mean really suck.