Season 6, Episode 20 Thoughts and Review · 10:50pm Apr 5th, 2017
Yeeeeeeeeeeah, it's another one of those! Time for a new episode review from your friendly neighborhood Charmony! And yes, I am well aware that the premiere is less than two weeks away, but I really need to finish these up before I can tackle those or else it will bother me. So, let's get into it!
At the Castle of Friendship, Applejack and Fluttershy are alarmed to learn that the Cutie Map is calling them to Las Pegasus, a city reputed for being a wild vacation spot with loud noises and large crowds. Twilight Sparkle assures her friends that the Cutie Map would not have chosen them for this mission if they were not the perfect candidates.
Trust me, gals, I get where you've been. I was a nervous wreck when we went to Disneyworld over spring break.
Applejack thinks the city will not be as bad as she believes, but when she and Fluttershy arrive, they find it to be even noisier and more crowded than they imagined.
Holy crap, the detail in this is astonishing. I mean, seriously, there's so many little things in this frame alone, and I can't believe how good it looks!
At a Las Pegasus luxury resort filled with games and carnival rides, Applejack and Fluttershy are overwhelmed by all the excitement and activity, believing that Pinkie Pie or Rainbow Dash would be more suited to such an environment. Which, I really appreciate how they were paired up? AJ has always had an aversion to big cities and Shy is really difficult with big crowds, so it makes sense to have them paired up for this location.
Fraught with anxiety, Applejack suggests they solve the friendship problem they were summoned to solve quickly so they can return home. As they explore the resort, they hear a barker pony promoting an event called Ponet Fantastique and crediting the event's sponsoring to the owner of the resort, Gladmane.
Ah, that Elvis hair... I expect nothing less. Also, does anybody else get some Knight Shade vibes from Gen 1? J-Just me? OK, I guess I'll be oldschool somewhere else.
Gladmane himself appears to greet Applejack and Fluttershy, pleased to meet the friends of Princess Twilight Sparkle. Calling himself a "friendship connoisseur", Gladmane credits the success of his resort to friendship and hard work. He offers to give the two a tour of the resort, and they accept so they can find the friendship problem they were called to solve.
In a backstage area, Applejack and Fluttershy meet several performers in Ponet Fantastique, including a trapeze artist, the trapeze artist's director, and a pair of exotic animal trainers. The ponies they meet have nothing but praise and admiration for Gladmane.
OMG, SHE IS SO CUTE?
At the end of the tour, Applejack and Fluttershy are surprised to find that everyone in Las Pegasus gets along very well. All of a sudden, they hear the familiar voices of Flim and Flam promoting Ponet Fantastique. However, while Flim promotes the event's acrobatics act, Flam promotes the exotic animal act, and the two appear to be on sour terms. Fluttershy believes this is the friendship problem they were called for, but Applejack vehemently refuses to help them.
I can't really blame her for getting so mad just by seeing them. I've held grudges for much less than what Flim and Flam did.
Gladmane explains to Applejack and Fluttershy that Flim and Flam have been arguing ever since they arrived at his resort. While he compliments Flim's showmanship and Flam's business sense, Applejack says they are better apart than together. Fluttershy suggests they help Flim and Flam, but Applejack still refuses and leaves to find other ponies with friendship problems.
Fluttershy speaks with Flim and Flam one-on-one and learns they had a falling-out over harsh words and a disagreement in business direction. Fluttershy tries to get them to reconcile their differences, but they refuse to even speak to each other.
Meanwhile, Applejack discovers other arguments being had between the Ponet Fantastique performers. A stagehand and one of the animal trainers state that the arguments between them prevent them from finding greater success outside of Gladmane's resort.
Applejack and Fluttershy meet up later in the resort cafeteria and share their surprise in finding three friendship problems in the same place. They also realize that the ponies' arguing only serves to benefit Gladmane—as long as they argue, they are forced to stay at his resort and make him money. However, when they talk to the performers about Gladmane's possible double dealings, the performers deny such claims and only praise the resort owner further.
Which... is sadly a reality that I've seen. You would not believe how many people, including people who hold authority, will turn people against each other to ensure loyalty and control. It's so hard to pinpoint this kind of behavior because these people are so good at what they do and they can make you believe anything because how can anyone so nice ever be so manipulative? They'll use you and abuse you, then they'll make you think that it was a gift.
Applejack and Fluttershy's suspicions about Gladmane are confirmed when Fluttershy speaks with the animals featured in Ponet Fantastique: Gladmane deliberately causes arguments between the show performers in order to keep them working for him. But because he does it behind the ponies' backs, they remain ignorant to his deceit. Applejack wonders how to expose Gladmane's lies, and Fluttershy proposes they fight trickery with trickery by getting help from Flim and Flam.
Also, can we talk about this sequence here? I love how much liberty the animators have taken with animating expressions and I adore how much Fluttershy has grown. She's not nearly as shy as she used to be.
Despite Applejack's reluctance, she and Fluttershy decide to help Flim and Flam reconcile. However, Flim and Flam do not believe their claim that Gladmane drove them apart. When asked precisely how they started fighting in the first place, Flim explains Gladmane told him that Flam thinks he is just a mouthpiece with no good ideas. Similarly, Flam heard from Gladmane that Flim thinks he has zero business sense. However, each brother's only proof that the other said such things is based on what Gladmane told them.
That moment when everything starts to make sense.
Applejack and Fluttershy assert that Gladmane keeps them apart in order to keep them from taking over his resort. Realizing that Applejack would never lie about such a thing, Flim and Flam agree to help them expose Gladmane's lies.
Honestly, this is such a #look.
Following Flim and Flam's plan, Fluttershy disguises herself as wealthy pony "Impossibly Rich", with Flam posing as her guide. Flim informs Gladmane that Impossibly Rich is scouting locations to build a resort of her own and cut in on Gladmane's business. Feeling threatened, Gladmane enters to give Impossibly Rich a tour and asks Flam to meet him later in his office.
In Gladmane's office, Gladmane shares with Flam his intentions to own multiple resorts on the Las Pegasus resort strip and the threat that Impossibly Rich poses to such plans, revealing his crooked side. Later, as Gladmane shows Impossibly Rich around the resort, she and Flam try to get him to reveal the true, dishonest secret to his success using a microphone that Applejack and Flim have set up. Unfortunately, Gladmane sees through their ruse and laughs as he walks away.
"Never try to con a conpony."
— Gladmane
Later, Applejack and Fluttershy confront Gladmane in his office directly and tell him to stop exploiting ponies' disagreements to his own ends. However, Gladmane gloats that his duplicitous form of friendship will soon bring all of Las Pegasus under his control, and that, as a professional conpony, he is always one step ahead. Unfortunately, Fluttershy had her hoof pressed on Gladmane's loudspeaker button the entire time he was talking, revealing his true nature to everyone in the resort.
This is the face of true evil.
The Ponet Fantastique performers reconcile their arguments and subsequently quit as Gladmane's employees, ruining his business and reputation.
Oh, how the mighty fall.
Applejack and Fluttershy's cutie marks start to glow, indicating a successful friendship mission, and they realize it was Applejack's history with Flim and Flam and Fluttershy's inclinations toward kindness that helped them see it through.
With Gladmane no longer managing the resort, Flim and Flam quickly step in to take over, much to Applejack and Fluttershy's frustration.
Honestly, I liked this episode. It's not like my favorite, considering there were some predictable elements, but this is a family show. Besides, it had a good lesson and introduced some really cool characters! Also, we got to see Flim and Flam again! I'm a bit sad that they didn't get a song, but hey, I can live without it.
Also, can I just say I really love how Shy and AJ were in this episode? We never get to see these two without them bumping heads for some reason or another. AJ was upset because she didn't like the city enough as it is and learning that two ponies who swindled her and her family twicefold were there just made her more tense. I can't say I blame her for being so negative towards Flim and Flam, who still appear to be beautifully treacherous as they always were.
Finally, I am actually glad to see they're not being redeemed! Some ponies just don't change and I can't expect them to have a total change of perspective in one day. I like them better as antagonists anyhow!
Look at these little turds!
Honestly, I can't really say anything else about the episode. I just enjoyed it and can't really pull anything else from it other than that I liked it.
Feel like I missed anything? Let's discuss down in the comments!
Flim and Flam not being redeemed is actually my major issue with the episode.
I'd actually have liked it a lot more had they changed their ways at the end.
After three times, their schtick has gotten old, so I hope we never see them again.
This is EASILY the best episode featuring the two of them, though that's not really a difficult feat.
Other than that, I don't really have any major complaints about the episode.
I consider it to be the second best map single-part map episode (since I will always prefer the season 5 premiere and finale over the single-parters).
4485113 Eh, Flim and Flam not being redeemed is great, it sends a message to kids that not everyone who gets a second chance will take it, and that you can't always save everyone. I think the only problem I have with the episode is how easily Flim and Flam are driven apart, and how Fluttershy finds out about the deception, it's just a little too convient. I'd have probably liked it better had Gladmane just told a lie to one of the brothers and let them argue until it drove them apart. Fluttershy could've then learned from interviewing them seperately how Gladmane was involved. Still, it's a nice episode.
4485128 Them not being redeemd would actually not be as big of an issue for me had THIS been their second appearance instead of Leap of Fatih.