Time to get ready for another episode, and the next one is gonna be called "Marks and Recreation".

That actually sounds a lot like "Parks and Recreation", doesn't it? And there was a cutie mark camp run by the Cutie Mark Crusaders under discussion in an earlier episode, so I think this'll be the one!

What do you do in a cutie mark camp, anyways? Sit around a fire and discuss how you got your cutie mark and what you consider your special talent could be? I'd actually be interested in that. It could even be kinda like "The Cutie Mark Chronicles", only with characters like Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, for example.

I suppose there might be trying to get others their cutie marks, too, even if that's been done a good amount already.

Should be interesting to see what they do!

As usual, this'll be the official place for discussion of the episode in this group, or you can talk about it on the TWG discord group, and there are lots of places not related to this group to discuss it too.

--Sweetie Belle

Rumble's going to be an important character. I wonder what's gonna entrail it to?

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God, I hope Diamond Tiara shows up in this one.

>Cutie Mark Camp

Anyone who doesn't have their mark by the age of 10 is shoved into a train and gassed at the station's "sauna" under the guise of earning gas flavour tester cutie marks.

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Make it a thing, Hasbro

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My best guess is, this will be Sweetie Belle's cutie mark problem to solve. Apple Bloom had Tender Taps, Scootaloo was more focal to Gabby, Sweetie Belle is left, right? Still waiting for a chance to binge, though, so can't really speak for the rest of the season.

Still, hoping for some Sweet Rum

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But wasn't Sweetie Belle the one to figure out what needed to be done in Forever Filly?

Dreadnought

I don't think the writes have any idea what to do with the CMC anymore. They are basically throwing them at a wall to see what sticks, and this cutie mark camp sounds just like that.

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I reiterate/clarify: still waiting for the Season to end so I can binge. So not sure if she's had her cutie mark episode already. Barring that, it could be a hard case that requires all three girls to try their hoof at it. In which case, totally not gonna compare it to my own work with the same concept and same hard case character

One more thing: if it turns out Rumble is such a hard case he needs one episode with each girl separately, that'd be piling on the awesome.

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My apologies. I missed the part of yet to binge.

Dreadnought

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One more thing: if it turns out Rumble is such a hard case he needs one episode with each girl separately, that'd be piling on the awesome.

My God. Can you imagine how the shippers would react to something like that?

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Just following in the hoofsteps of his big bro. But then most pegasii are like that in fandom.

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entail?

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Not going to link it because of the rules, but... waaay ahead of you on that one, my friend.

In all seriousness, though, there is the issue of sustainability when it comes to cutie mark problem episodes. We've had one kid who was too scared to get a cutie mark, and another who had to cope with never getting a cutie mark, but getting something else instead. Then, presumably, we get one who doesn't necessarily want a cutie mark. You can vary on that, make one scared of getting a cutie mark, have one cope with getting an embarrassing cutie mark... but eventually, you risk becoming repetitive. Having the CMC actually have to deal with a problem in the longer term, having to evolve a relationship with a character, would be one way of getting more episodes and maybe a little more depth.

Basically, if they had a Moondancer sort of character: they can't fix the problem right away, but they can leave the pony happy and let the problem solve itself naturally. Not only that, but the character itself broadens their horizons, giving them more story options.

That said, the show tends to resort to slash and burn tactics in its writing, so I wouldn't count on it. Heck, I'd settle for a second Tender Taps appearance and Apple Bloom doing more dancing. It's disgraceful to have such a perfect opportunity to see ponies doing the Riverdance and then not use it.

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Episode summed up in one picture.

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Having just watched "Marks and Recreation", I can say I was pleasantly surprised. I seriously thought Rumble wouldn't want a cutie mark, the CMC would convince him otherwise, and after 22 minutes he'd have a brand-new cutie mark he'd be proud of. The fact that the writers didn't rush and give him a cutie mark was a nice surprise. I'd like to see future episodes where they work with Rumble, trying to help him get his cutie mark. I think there's potential for Rumble to be to the CMC as Starlight is to Twilight: a long-term project that will be featured in several episodes.

That being said, I've been disappointed that there's still only three CMC (unless you count Babs and Gabby, but they only participated in the CMC in one episode each). You'd think Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo would induct some new members. Perhaps Rumble could be the first colt member of the CMC? After all, the writers added Starlight to keep things fresh, they might try the same thing with the CMC.

Finally, it was also nice to see that not everypony at CMDC got a cutie mark. If all the blank flanks in Ponyville got their marks, then the CMC would get pretty bored.

Dreadnought

I liked this episode. It's a simple, sometimes cute story with a nice, open ended resolution.

You know, it'd have been pretty funny if when Rumble went into his whole "I like blank flanks and I cannot lie" song and dance routine, he'd suddenly got a cutie mark in singing about pony flanks.

It would also have been interesting if Starlight Glimmer had been brought in to talk to Rumble...

--Sweetie Belle