I'm Not Making a Moonbase Alpha Joke [episode spoilers!] · 4:15pm Sep 3rd, 2016
Man, I love Dungeons & Discords. "Discord episode" has become as much an epithet as "Spike episode", but when the writers try and actually make sure he's doing interesting, funny things, Discord is great to have around. And somehow, they were able to make an episode that just brushes up against the cringe line without actually crossing it. Not ultimately substantial, but tons of fun, no real complaints. Also, dat Puerto Caballo.
This week, we find out that pony sports are racist! It's Equestria Games done better than Equestria Games!
Okay, so, first of all, Snails episode. Snails episode with no Snips. Who saw that coming? He was pretty great.
Second of all, my big complaint is one I've heard a lot this season (and last) from the fandom at large but never been concerned with: they have finally reached critical mass on goofy faces. :B Fluttershy's rant was a little painful to watch.
Other than that? Eh, not bad. Like Cart Before the Horses, it's a strangely season one episode. Very low stakes, very minimal impact on the world overall. Other than Mom Biceps, anyway. It's overall an okay episode, but I'd say an okay episode I feel positive towards.
What the apple? :V
A Hearth's Warming Tail
Gauntlet of Fire
Dungeons and Discords
No Second Prances
Spice Up Your Life
Stranger Than Fan Fiction
28 Pranks Later
Buckball Season
The Times They Are a Changeling
Flutter Brutter
The Crystalling
The Cart Before the Ponies
Applejack's "Day" Off
The Saddle Row Review
On Your Marks
The Gift of the Maud Pie
Newbie Dash
Luna's Future
Say Goodbye to the Holiday
Seeds of the Past
Hearth's Warming Eve Is Here Once Again
It's Gonna Work
Pinkie's Present
A Changeling Can Change
Derby Racers
Can I Do It on My Own
Out on My Own
I found Fluttershy's rant oddly charming because it kind of showed that she was obviously uncomfortable making it but that she had to get it out.
I need to actually watch season 6.
Fluttershy ranting was one of my favorite parts in the whole ep.
I agree that snails nailed it. It's an episode I look forward to seeing again.
I'm nowhere near critical mass on goofy faces. I am a control rod in the face reactor.
Also, this episode really highlighted how hard it is for Andrea Libman to make Pinkie and Fluttershy sound distinct when both are shouting.
Also, Snails is the greatest Zen master since Yogi Berra.
"I'm not making a Moonbase Alpha joke."
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The faces were on the edge of being a bit much, but other than that I enjoyed it a lot.
Snails, unexpected best background unicorn.
My favorite part was the animation error.
This episode just adds more evidence to your theory. This whole season is clearly alternating between "The Starlight Glimmer Show" and "Literally Season 2".
If it weren't for the faces, this episode could honestly be plopped into the middle of S2 and no one would notice.
Huh... good characterization, and I don't say that a lot in S6. AJ and RD get pumped and focused by zeroing in on the competitiveness, while Fluttershy and Pinkie play for fun and seize up with the pressure. Good, believable source of conflict.
S6 is the season of male characters actually getting to do something.
Quibble Pants, Sunburst, actually-good Spike episodes, and now Snails, whose screen time until now has consisted of making fun of his possible mental retardation.
Not much else to say, except Buckball is unusually creative. Instead of ponified football, it's something actually unique to the universe. Props to them. I had fun with this one - it had that S1 charm with the good intentions and inclusion of S6.
(Braeburn got Bulk Biceps' mom, and... is that one of the Hoofields or McColts? Nice throwback. And the Apploosan fillies are adorable).
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Oh, she was a McColt? Did not expect that! :O
I like that Fluttershy has actually learned from previous episodes. In "Scare Master," she learned not to let her friends pressure her into situations she's uncomfortable with, and so she doesn't let AJ and RD pressure her into competing in the Buckball game. The rant was both a good comedic moment and gave the opportunity to show some character development as well.
With you on the faces. Kind of wish this had come out before the Ponytones episode, since I feel like it plays poorly with Fluttershy's development in it. Similarly, Fluttershy's presence on the Equestia Games relay team makes this whole thing weird, and I wish they'd stop trying to shoehorn her into these kind of competitive situations that don't fit her temperament or (preexisting) interests and talents.
The way Pinkie came out in the episode worked great for me, on the other hand, and Snails too. Nice for him to get a bit more development.
As for the game itself, I like the concept and most of the way it was implemented in the episode, with one exception: the unicorns were way too static, and I think they should have been moving around the circumference of the field on their side. Would give them more to do, the pegasi a harder job, and increase the scope for the unicorn and earth pony to work together.
I think the moral came out kind of bent. The much more natural one was the one Rainbow and Applejack reached in the middle: don't put people who don't thrive in high-pressure situations in them if there are good alternatives. The one that did end up coming out relies either on considerable mental jujitsu or them actually being so good naturally that they can succeed just coasting. And what if they do lose? Probably fine for Snails, since not thinking about it is his thing. I don't think it ends up so well for Pinkie or Fluttershy, because people did in fact have hopes riding on them, and not in the "go out there and have fun!" sense.
Okay, had a comment, but apparently it was never submitted. Let's see if I can recreate it:
The big positives from a character perspective were Pinkie and Snails, who were handled well. Pinkie doing great with the game felt more natural than Fluttershy, since it can be seen as a direct outgrowth of Pinkie Sense, and something similar's already been done in "Mare Do Well." Snails getting some development was nice, and appreciated. Rainbow and AJ reacted about as I'd expect, with Rainbow even showing a bit more altruism than normal, which was nice, but of course it doesn't work without them getting stupid due to enthusiasm. With Fluttershy, though, I have the problem that yes, she pulled the lesson from the Ponytones episode and "Stare Master," but the implication is either that she didn't have this problem with "Equestria Games" or that came after this one chronologically and she shouldn't have taken part in them (not that she should have been in them in the first place...
).
The game itself was creative and interesting, but I wish the unicorns were less static during the games, instead moving along the circumference of the play area. It'd give them more to do, require more work from the pegasus defenders, and allow for more coordination and teamwork between the unicorn and the earth pony players. I'm guessing that was an issue more of animation time/cost than the game's concept or rules.
But I thought the moral was kind of bent. It either requires some mental jujitsu or people so talented that they can succeed without dedicated effort specifically to improve their performance, basically coasting to a win. And I don't think that it works in the case of Pinkie and Fluttershy, if they lose: yes, maybe by not focusing on the pressure on them while playing, they can do better than they otherwise would, but unlike seems to be the case with Snails, I do think they would care about it if they failed to live up to the hopes everyone else put in them. Honestly, the better moral was the one reached in the middle of the episode, then abandoned: don't put people who deal with pressure poorly in that kind of competitive situation if there's not a good reason.
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Nope, it submitted. :B Now what?
4193212 Wonder what happened that caused a page reload six hours later not to show it?
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Probably batponies :V
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Well, they are insidious.
Overall, thought this episode was lacking (prolly cause St Germaine is still busy being dead, and now Strong has joined her in No Budget Filler Hell), but Snails as a Zen Master was so amazing it is now bizarre no one thought to do it before.
"Before Buckball, I chopped wood and carried water, after Buckball I chop wood and carry water."