Episode Reviews Season VI: Top Bolt · 1:37am Oct 21st, 2016

I'm halfway done writing what I want to of the next story before I get it edited and published. I still aim to finish by the end of the month, but if it needs a little extra time for polish, so be it. Other than that, no real news this time, so let's get the review going.

Helping your friends, and being helped by them, is something we could all use a little more of in daily life. However, like most things, there is not only a time and place for it, but it should be done in moderation. For, being too helpful, much like being too kind, may cripple someone when it comes time for them to stand on their own and show what they are really made of. How can someone learn to walk if they are eternally using a crutch to help them get by? Sometimes doing the right thing, both for the benefit of yourself and your friends simultaneously, is a painful thing to do.

Getting this out of the way now: Drillfire best fire. =P

Top Bolt flies off into the Danger Zone when Rainbow Dash finally gets off of Spring Training with the Wonderbolts and talks about her plans for the week with the others in the changing room. However, on the flight home her cutie mark starts vibrating, indicating that there is a quest. When she gets to Ponyville Castle, she finds out that she and Twilight are... going back to the Wonderbolt Academy. Dash is less than thrilled by this, naturally. Upon their arrival at the academy they find Spitfire in the midst of Training Week for potential new recruits into the academy (as we saw in Wonderbolt Academy). Spitfire asks why they are here and they explain that there is a Friendship problem, but in true fashion, Spitfire hasn't noticed any friendship problems and doesn't really care about them, so she lets the two just do whatever as long as they don't interrupt too much. We are then introduced to the other half of the main characters in this episode; Sky Stinger and Vapour Trail. He is a strong-headed braggart and she is far more quiet and reserved. As the class does their laps, Spitfire notices many of them are really struggling with the basics and ponders having to do a class on the basics as a refresher. Twilight jumps on the opportunity to teach and volunteers her services, to which Spitfire allows. Rainbow, naturally, thinks it's a big waste of time and does her best to make the class interesting, taking an air horn with her to wake any sleeping students.

Unfortunately for Twilight, she is of no help whatsoever and it is here we really get the basics of Sky and Vapour's characters as he dismisses the class as useless and boasts to Rainbow's face that he's as good as, if not better than her. *Sigh* Anyway, after class, Sky approaches the two with concern for his friend and her chances of getting in since they have always flown together. So, Twilight and Rainbow decide to sit in on the cadet's freestyle training and, while in flight, both Dash and Twilight notice that Vapour has been helping Sky with his tricks by manipulating more air under his wings and that she is failing in the more acrobatic aspects of flight. They both realize that this is the friendship problem they have been sent to solve as they are inadvertently holding each other back. Twilight wants to tackle the problem head-on as, if they don't tell them they have a problem, they'll both fail to get into the academy, but Dash is at odds with her because she doesn't want to mess up their confidence. The two catch up with Vapour in the locker rooms and praise her abilities, only to find her self-depreciating. Although Rainbow tries to stop it, Twilight reveals they know that she's been helping him all along. Vapour then gives their back story; he got little attention from his family while she got way too much and she helped him with a trick once and they have been inseparable since. Twilight explains that they both need to improve their skills or else they won't get into the academy. Vapour agrees to it, but on condition that Sky be kept in the dark about why since it would destroy his confidence.

Twilight agrees to go through the basics such as strength training and all that with Sky as Rainbow teaches Vapour tricks. For a while, this works out, but when Sky wants to swap tutors, Vapour lets it out of the bag, making Sky storm off, proclaiming that they are no longer friends. Later on, there has been a marked derogation of Sky's skills and Spitfire is NOT happy that one of her most promising potential cadets is flying like a pig with wings. Rainbow swears they'll fix it, to which Spitfire vaguely threatens that they had better. Some time later, Twilight approaches Sky and tells him about how, in the past, she was horrible at making friends and, through work and help from her friends, she became a princess and offers to help him. Meanwhile, Dash goes to Vapour and tells her that she's a really good flier and asks if being in the academy is really what she wants. Vapour says that, maybe at first she just wanted to be there for her friend, but now that she's been shown those cool tricks she realizes she wants it for herself too. So, Dash and Twilight get the two together and explain how they can help each other improve. Through that, Sky gets his confidence back and is encouraged to push himself while Vapour is given tips on how to execute tricks. When it comes time to their evaluations, both of them pass with flying colours *Ba-dum-pish* and are indoctrinated as cadets in the Wonderbolt Academy. Twilight and Rainbow go home after a job well done... only for Dash to be called back for an emergency. Two friends have their trust in one another reaffirmed while improving themselves as well. The end.

"Everyone here is a crazy-good flier! Except for Twilight. She couldn't fly herself out of a wet sack if she tried!"

~*Talking Point*~

This is the second time we have seen the pony avatar of a person that the Make A Wish Foundation has helped make into the show. I think the collaboration between them, Hasbro, the team at DHX and Top Draw and everyone involved is wonderful and am happy to see them willing to go that extra mile to even get them into the studio for voiced lines. According to show staff, this is not the last time this will happen either. I look forward to seeing whose dream they will help come true next, and hope for the well-being of those fighting long-term or terminal conditions that can't get such recognition. Keep up the good work, and the good fight!

Finally, some recognition! (And an adorable moment of a fan getting to talk to her favourite characters)

~*Likes/Dislikes*~

+ The dynamic of Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash is a rare treat not really seen since Testing Testing 1,2,3. I love seeing them bounce off each other and how different their methods are from one another.
+ Designs of Sky Stinger and Vapour Trail. They contrast so nicely, I can't help but do something I rarely do and ship them outright. They'd just be an adorable couple.
+ Twilight being an Alicorn Princess is actually helpful for an episode! Alicorn because now she can fly, and the princess bit to let her onto an active military base. Woo!

Bonus + Angel Hearts is an adorable character.

- Sky Stinger is just a little bit TOO full of himself, especially right out of the gate. I mean, Dash was a braggart and full of herself as well, but she was endearing immediately afterwards where as with Sky, we don't see his redeeming qualities until later on.
- Vapour Trail comes off a little bit as Fluttershy 2.0 but a far more skilled flier. Until she finds her own love of tricks and stunts under Rainbow's wing (ha, pun) she doesn't feel like she belongs trying to get into the Wonderbolt Academy.
- Twilight and Rainbow Dash are allowed to give preferential treatment to two recruits. I mean, we know it was a friendship problem, but there had to have been mutterings between the different cadets.

Twilight Sparkle is sick of your s(yay)!

~*Conclusion*~

What Did We Learn Today?

- Spitfire is a masochist living the dream.
- Sky Stinger and Vapour Trail are totally going to end up boinking.

With the demonstration over we all know now who the Top Bolt really is. It's a very-well executed tale with almost perfect pacing and a yet-to-be-seen moral about how unwitting help may be damaging to the recipient. At first, our two other main characters in this feel a little one-dimensional and cut-outs of other characters, but at heart they really do care for one another and really display their true selves around each other. If that is all that can be said is bad about an episode, than this one is really top flight. That said, if you were to blow Spitfire's whistle in my ear, I would rate this episode a high-flying 87/100!

Next week is the finale of Season Six! When the main six are unable to save the day, it falls to Starlight Glimmer and a rag-tag group of former ne'er-do-wells and misfits to fill in their horseshoes. Can they rise to the occasion, or will they falter under the strain? They will have to travel To Where and Back Again and redeem themselves. Until then, this is Ciroton saying "Your ego writes cheques that your body can't cash!"

I don't normally ship ponies, but when I do, it's adorable couples like this one.