Watch out, folks! There's a couple of serial killers on the loose.

Wanted on at least two counts of character assassination.

This episode ... ... I didn't like it. And that's one of the strongest terms I ever use for an episode of MLP.

Now, what do I mean about character assassination? Frankly, this episode kicks five seasons of Rainbow Dash's character development square in the teeth. I could see this as a Season 2 episode. ... Mainly because it is a Season 2 episode. It's "Mysterious Mare Do Well 2.0," plain and simple. And I don't hate Mysterious Mare Do Well like some other people in the fandom do. It was fine for when it aired. But this is Season 6. You know, Rainbow, I didn't see you laughing when the Wonderbolts thought it was funny to give you the nickname Crash. This is not a lesson you should need to learn at this point.

The second victim is Pinkie Pie. Back in "Griffon the Brush-Off," even spraying Fluttershy with water for a prank was going over the line. But here Pinkie defends Dash in the beginning, and then has a hard time telling her what she told her straight-up back then. Now Pinkie did turn it around in the end, but the set-up was still forced.

Characters aside, the story was not particularily clever or original. You could see the ending coming from a mile away, and it wasn't anymore satisfying than it was in "Mysterious Mare Do Well."

Now, I always try to find some redeeming quality in episodes that I didn't generally like. (For example Pinkie's visual gags in "The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows.") In this case, ... I find it really hard. I could point out the usually stellar voice work. When Ashleigh Ball and Andrea Libman laugh, I find myself laughing with them, even if I don't find the joke or scene all that funny.

I'm pretty sure fans of the zombie genre will find some delight in all the tropes. (Okay, Zombie Pinkie hiding in a closet was kinda funny. Even undead she'll break the fourth wall. I'll give you this one, episode.) But that's about all I've got.

So far I'm kinda disappointed by the second half of Season 6. We've had two episodes I didn't really like (Stranger than Fan Fiction and 28 Pranks) and an average episode that was only saved by a stand-out performance from Cheerilee (Cart Before the Ponies.)

Comments

[Twilight Best Pony]

Another time where I wish we could thumbs up a blog or favorite it.

[Daedalus Aegle]

Yeah, I suspected that was what the negative response would look like. I guess I just feel like we've been down this same road so many times now that I just accept it as part of the show. Yes, it did all that... but it was entertaining to me, and that's the biggest plus.

And I have a soft spot for genre pastiches in general and gothic horror pastiches specifically, so that helps.

[Naughty_Ranko]

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If you enjoyed it, good for you.

I've noticed lately that I tend to be harsher on episodes that make their mistakes in the first few minutes. If there's character inconsistency or plot convenience in the first act, I can't seem to turn off my critical mind.

I'm more willing to overlook cliches and let myself be entertained if the problems happen later in the story, assuming I've enjoyed myself up to that point.

I guess my point is, suspension of disbelief has to be earned in my case. It can't just be assumed to be there from the start.

[Daedalus Aegle]

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First impressions are very important, yes. A bad one can easily ruin an episode. I'm sorry you didn't like it.

As for the character assassination issue, the way I look at it is that while Rainbow fell HARD into bad old habits she should have outgrown... that is itself in character for her. And meanwhile, every other character stood their ground and showed what they were good for.

Pinkie is conflicted between her instinctual desire for fun and her desire to stand up against insensitive jokes, which in my opinion is just as it was in Griffon the Brush-Off and totally in character, Fluttershy stands up for herself and calls Rainbow out on her BS ("No offense" "None taken"), and Twilight, Applejack and Rarity all take the conflict seriously.

And unlike in Mare-Do-Well, the cast does tell RD about their concerns *before* bringing out the big guns, their cause is a lot more reasonable, and their response is a taste of her own medicine rather than a sustained assault on her sense of self-worth that also puts other ponies in danger.

So yeah, I liked it. If one character having her flaws exaggerated is what it takes to make the episode work (rather than three characters being made completely one-dimensional, like last week), and the result is solid, then I'm happy to pay that price. For me, the episode worked.

(Meanwhile, in the back of my head a voice is saying "yes, but you liked the episode before thinking about it, and now you're just rationalizing, which is easy. And she didn't like it and you have no right, no right I say, to argue". So there's that.)

[Chaotic Note]

Compared to MMDW, the Mane 6 that were against Rainbow Dash actually had better reasons to team up and teach RD a lesson, but it was at the expense of making Rainbow Dash fucking stupid.

[Naughty_Ranko]

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And unlike in Mare-Do-Well, the cast does tell RD about their concerns *before* bringing out the big guns, their cause is a lot more reasonable, and their response is a taste of her own medicine rather than a sustained assault on her sense of self-worth that also puts other ponies in danger.

Mhmm, yeah, okay. You make a couple of good points there. And I'm willing to admit that, taking both episodes completely out of the context of the show as a whole, "28 Pranks Later" might be the superior episode to "Mysterious Mare Do Well."

But I still don't think it should be a Season 6 episode.

And I don't think the way RD pranked Fluttershy in the beginning is a character flaw that should exist in the first place. Yes, RD can be impatient with Fluttershy's timidity. But we've also seen her be surprisingly considerate of her oldest friend besides Gilda. She always tries to push Fluttershy to be better, but we've also seen her rein herself in and try to back off when coming on too strong, like in "Hurricane Fluttershy."

Oh, and would you tell the voice in the back of your head: Of course you have a right to argue. Differing opinions make for a more fun discussion.

Also, have you ever thought about seeing a specialist about hearing those voices?

[Daedalus Aegle]

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And I don't think the way RD pranked Fluttershy in the beginning is a character flaw that should exist in the first place. Yes, RD can be impatient with Fluttershy's timidity. But we've also seen her be surprisingly considerate of her oldest friend besides Gilda. She always tries to push Fluttershy to be better, but we've also seen her rein herself in and try to back off when coming on too strong, like in "Hurricane Fluttershy."

This is also a good point, and I definitely understand why people would object to it, even if I didn't myself.

Oh, and would you tell the voice in the back of your head: Of course you have a right to argue. Differing opinions make for a more fun discussion.

The voice in the back of my head is unlikely to listen, but I will and thankye

[Darkhanos]

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I've noticed lately that I tend to be harsher on episodes that make their mistakes in the first few minutes. If there's character inconsistency or plot convenience in the first act, I can't seem to turn off my critical mind.

You're only now noticing that?

[Ripped-NtrippsMoe]

Hey guy this episode remind of Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends Halloween episode where bloo prank everyone?

[El Comal]

what I liked of the episode was the chewing noices, because it reminded me of The Gorgers malefactos and the squealing Cake Twins to the worms at Dementium.