Equestria Daily / Wonderbolt Academy Review · 5:55am Dec 18th, 2012
So, as some of you might know, my latest story, Mezza Voce, managed to get featured on Equestria Daily. Equestria Daily: Story: Mezza Voce. I can't say that I am not somewhat surprised. Not by getting featured, but by the sheer fact that it got in on the first try! The nameless reviewer even said they wanted to fail it, but there wasn't a justifiable reason to do so. They cited some grammar errors to which I asked them if they could go into detail, but they have not got back to me yet considering they are swamped by story requests. That's fine, but I am always looking for improvement.
Speaking of: some news. I woke up today to get some writing done on the chapter after taking the weekend off for family events and break. When I did, I took a look and hated EVERYTHING. Along with some helpful advice, I decided to scrap the chapter as it was and redo it from scratch with some advice on scene setting. So far, I am content with it, but that is because I am not in the editing phase yet. That said, the chapter is not likely going to come out before Christmas (or mid next week). However, I am still aiming to get that short story out before New Years.
With that taken care of, on to the review!
I have things to say about this episode. A lot of things. A lot of very specific things that have buck all to do with the plot, which helps in my goal of cutting down on the synopsis portion of my reviews.
Over a year ago, on November 26th, 2011, an episode of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic aired bearing the name "The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well" and was written by Merriwether Williams. The episode was met with... lukewarm reception at best and it is not hard to see why. Personally, I was not a big fan of it, but I do not think it deserves the flak it gets. It did things in a convoluted manner and everything COULD have been settled by just talking, but you have to remember that Rainbow's head was stuffed so far into her own plot she could lick the inside of her stomach. However, this is not a review for Mare-Do-Well, nor do I plan to go into it. but this serves as background because this newest episode was written by the very same writer.
Very basically, we join the mane six having a picnic on the ground below Rainbow Dash's home in front of her mailbox. It quickly becomes apparent that they are waiting for her Wonderbolts Training Camp acceptance letter. Pinkie Pie is her usual excitable self, but it is soon overshadowed by the arrival of the mail pony. I was somewhat disappointed to see that it was not Derpy delivering the mail. In fact, the scarcity of Derpy this season is slightly disconcerting, but that is an aside. Rainbow reads her letter and decides to troll her friends just a bit, feigning rejection before bolting off to the academy. See what I did there?
"Crushing... meeee! DX"
From there, we cut to the academy itself where Best Wonderbolt Spitfire gives them the once over before they really get into the meat of the training. In this episode, she has a different VA, but she tries to remain faithful to the old style, which is admirable. I found myself growing into it the more I listened, which is always a good thing to have happen no? Voice aside, I loved her characterization in this episode. Before, we have seen her when she is in the public eye: kind, polite and overall a very cool pony. However, here we see her talking to the green fliers; the kind that need to be broken and have their lashings before earning her respect. Surprisingly, Rainbow Dash understands this and acts accordingly and Spitfire is satisfied. But along comes a spider, or rather a Lightning Dust who is more than ready to show the captain what she is capable of.
"Yeah, I'm sexy and I know it."
Now we come to the center of the circus. I loved Lightning Dust in this episode, both in design and personality despite her being this episode's "villain" as it were. There is a lot of Rainbow in her, and I think the two of them know it. However, Lightning has something that Dash does not have and that is initiative. Yes, Dash has thrown herself into the fray, but she has never purposefully made things harder than they had to be, to my current knowledge. Of course, unlike Rainbow it becomes quickly evident that she has a major flaw: she is absolutely selfish. Though not as brash as, say, Trixie, Lightning Dust just does not give a pony plop about anypony who cannot keep up with her. Though she does not actively abuse or demean them, she has little patience or care for the consequences of her actions. Although, I will say it is fascinating to know that it is not just Rainbow Dash who can leave a cool contrail in her wake.
When I first viewed the episode, the cuts with the mane six in between the training scenes felt disjointed or unnecessary. However, in the end, they do their job of establishing the catalyst to the conflict in the plot. Although, I have no doubts it would have happened eventually, but not in a TV-conveieniant time frame. In the first one, we see Pinkie lamenting over the lack of a letter despite less than a day passing. Applejack tries to get her out of her funk by getting her excited over Twilight practicing some new spells for the princess, but she is unsuccessful and leaves her to her own devices. In the second, the girls all come together and decide the best way to cheer Pinkie Pie up is to not only send a letter, but to hoof-deliver a care package after three days have passed with no word. Right after the first scene with the mane six, we are introduced to the best torture device training tool ever: the Dizzatron! (It's exactly what you think it is.)
"When this baby hits 88 miles per hour, you're going to see some serious sh*t!"
All the ponies have a turn on this monstrosity of epic proportions, each going into uncontrolled spins until they can right themselves. Dash, unsurprisingly, sets a new academy record of six seconds followed by her new buddy, Lightning Dust, with six and one half seconds. Afterward, in the mess hall, the roster is posted of the pairs the recruits shall be put into and who is the leader of the pair. This is one of Spitfire's more brilliant ploys because, much to her disdain, she makes Rainbow a wingpony next to Lighting Dust. Dun Dun Duuuun! Conflict! Naturally, she goes to the commander for an explanation, but keeps in mind her place. The answer? Lightning likes to push herself. To Spitfire's credit, Dust DOES shoe more initiative than Rainbow and she knows our most awesome pegasus enough to gauge her as a hotshot who probably does not like being under a pony. So, naturally, she makes her a subordinate to test her and pairs her with arguably an equal flier.
"STFU and GTFO, can't you see I'm signing sh*t?"
In the next scene, we have another training session. This time, it's a high speed game of capture the flag. One team of three pairs is going for the red flag (including the Dash Dust team) and the other team going for the blue flag. However, they have to stick as close as possible to each other or else be disqualified. Dash and Dust put on a good showing, but Dust is the more ambitious and liable to take risks of the bunch, going for a stunt that makes Rainbow take pause and then get injured in the process. Although it is played up, it really is not an issue and the military adage of "suck it up, buttercup" comes into play from the gaze Spitfire gives when she complains. At this point in time, we cut to the second scene with the rest of the mane six and then jump back into the action with the next training scene.
This is the one where Dust shows that she is selfish in a plainly obvious way. Spitfire gives them the task of going through an obstacle course in tandem with their partners. She even explicitly tells them that it is not a race. However, Lightning Dust has other ideas and barrels down the course with Rainbow. When a couple of ponies block their path, she quickly develops Road Rage (Air Rage?) at the pair of them and comments on how slow they are with blatant annoyance in her every motion. Could they not just go above or below them? I mean, they are in three dimensions... unless the course was a strict tunnel of airspace. Either way, she gets so annoyed she goads Rainbow into blasting past them and sending them careening into the rest of the trainees.
"Heh. I didn't think that position was possible!"
Lastly, for the episode, we learn that they have to clear the skies surrounding the training camp as fast as possible. Dash and Dust naturally obliterate the competition, but Lightening decides to throw in the tombstone too when she suggests that they take things up to eleven. At first, Rainbow is reluctant, but when she remembers that Spitfire made her a wingpony because she does not push herself as hard, she agrees in hope to earn some points. Together, the two of them make a massive tornado that removes all of the clouds in the sky. However, they bite off more than they can chew and both lose control completely in short order. No big deal though. Sure, it's a tornado, but they're all pegasus ponies. They can stop it, and even if they get thrown, there are still clouds around to soften the blo-
... Son of a b*tch!
The tornado quickly sucks up Twilight's balloon and all of the ponies inside, throwing them for a loop before severing the ropes and sending them to their doom. So... the toy was discontinued? Oh, right: five of the best ponies are plummeting to their doom. Rainbow snaps into hero mode and dives after them, going throw narrow tunnels in the cliff face before finding a cloud she condenses enough to make a spring the groundbounds (headcanon term pegasi use for Unicorns and Earth ponies) can bounce off of and into the waiting hooves of the other cadets. After safely getting them to the top of the plateau the academy sits on, Lightning dust shows the extent of her disregard for other ponies safety by ONLY commenting on how saving her friends made them look despite doing jack all to help. Naturally, this pushes Dash over the edge and she launches into a "The Reason You're Terrible" speech.
Then, to the shock of myself and no doubt countless other people watching the episode for the first time, Rainbow Dash storms into Spitfire's office. After telling her that they finished their exercise and receiving praise for their speed, she tells her what happened. In no uncertain terms, she makes it clear to her that, if the Wonderbolts -the ponies that she has obsessed about joining since she was a filly- value such disregard for pony safety than she wants no part in their organization and leaves a speechless captain in her wake.
"You can take this pin and shove it, captain!"
Just before she leaves the academy for good, Spitfire comes out in a slow burning fury at Rainbow for leaving her office before she had a chance to speak. She addresses her concerns and makes it clear that she had no idea Lightning Dust was putting ponies in danger with her stunts and compliments Rainbow for having the presence of mind to bring it to light. She then promotes her to the leader of her pairing after stripping the pin off of Lightning and sending her away. Dash flies off and happy ending ensues. Hopefully this was kept short and sweet enough for a synopsis.
Personally speaking, I think it is good that they leave Lightning's fate ambiguous. It's not likely that she was outright expelled, but I can at least see a board of inquiry convened. I mean, her actions did lead to the endangerment of their sovereign's chosen student and all. I am sure Spitfire knows this, given the purple unicorn's familiar relationship with the princess at the Best Young Fliers competition. Of course, since nothing bad happened in the end, I do not see any punishment being too harsh on her. Hopefully the experience taught her a lesson about such reckless disregard for the safety of others.
"Get out of my sight, you little b*tch!"
So, synopsis over, what is it that I liked about this episode? The short answer is thus: practically everything. From Spitfire to Lighting Dust to the background ponies both new and old. Every pony in this episode served a role and did so to the extent appropriate to their involvement. Unlike her previous Rainbow Dash episode, Merriwether William's portrayal of the athletic pegasus is practically spot-on. If she needed one, this would be the episode to "redeem" her after the controversial Mare-Do-Well. Gorgeous animation, visual gags and attractive character designs make this one of my top three for the season so far with The Crystal Empire and Magic Duel.
At first, I will confess that I did not like Pinkie Pie much because I thought she was a touch clingy. However, on subsequent viewings I was reminded of Party of One and how she reacted then and suddenly it all made sense. My only gripe aside from that would be the apparent lack of a Derpy appearance in this episode. It would have been glorious to have her as a fellow cadet, even if it was in only a single shot with another group separate from the one with Dash.
Shipping Fuel!
In the end, this was a very high-quality episode with a lot of great little moments strewn about. It has good writing, better characters and a clear and well-defined moral. Though it ends in a strange place and leaves some questions, I think the ending could not have been better. Apparently, there was an alternate ending where she leaves for good and likely gives up her dream, but I am glad they went the way they did because for one, that is a sad ending and secondly since no pony would learn anything.
So, it's time for the number rating. If you threatened to rip my nails out from my fingers and toes and then stuff my mouth with Fire Ants? I would rate this episode 90/100.
Next week is a little odd since it is actually Episode 9. For some reason, Episode 8 has been delayed. Perhaps it is about the royal sisters? Either way, next week we get the first Applejack-centric episode ever in Apple Family Reunion! Until then, this is Ciroton saying, "Don't let your tangents go at an angle!"
Spitfire got swag!
I felt this episode seemed a lot more fleshed out than many of the others. Some did not like how the mane 5 bounced of Dashe's cloud, but one could chalk it up to Twilight having proactively casting a cloud walk spell for extra safety. The Mare Doo Well episode definitely didn't bother me as much as it did for so many.
The militarization of the Wonderbolts and Spitfire was great.
As for your review, it is a well done review. Not much to complain about there. Hopefully next time we get...//dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/sillyfilly_Derpy_Hooves.png
Spot on for the most part.
I'd however add that the in-between scenes did more than just set up the end of the episode. They also showed that time had passed and had a bit of the (assumed) over-all plot of the season with twilight training magic for whatever reason. (My money's still on Alicorn).
Oh and they provided PinkieDash shipping fuel.
Made a lot of good points, even though not so sure about the whole need for Derpy; that is, not that I don't like her, but am not sure if Hasbro has since gotten petition to let her back in the show, as she was before. I did think thanks to a certain site, that the order and pony-center of episodes were decided, Derpy being one of them but not so much anymore.
Yeah, Pinkie did act a bit too much crazy, feeling like Dash's dreams not coming true would mean end of the world if she (Pinkie) didn't act just so or that her (Dash) not mailing them was indication that she would forget about her friends, as soon as she became a Wonderbolt.
And Lightning Dust was likable to me at first, but by the end, do think she was slightly less likable, even if the writers' gave her a story that didn't know about cause didn't have time, for WHY exactly she seemed so dead-set on getting into Wonderbolts, that she didn't even care what she was doing to others until Dash and Spitfire chewed her out for it.
Also, I'm not sure what's with the Thunderity (for lack of a better name, as a person or two I've seen call it) ship just from this episode. I mean, if you think about it, Dash has already saved Rarity twice before (once in Sonic Rainboom and again in Secret of My Excess, don't think I'm missing any others), this now being the third time, along with Spike and the rest of her friends once now, if you count that she at least stopped them from plummeting to deaths, even if other ponies just saved them, from falling back down again (when they didn't move a muscle in first place, even). Though know that's not much, but even so, I think Rarity would be more into Dash if she was THAT grateful, like in a story have read on here. Even if like Rarijack, there's many conflicts in personalities between the two, at least in canon. Just saying, don't understand it from that BRIEF moment, even if I'm cool with most ships and whatnot.
Well, other than those things, I agree with pretty much everything you said I believe, and found it quite enjoyable and helpful material for possible future fics centering around Dash and/or Wonderbolts. And did they really delay Episode 8? As when I checked Wikipedia last, thought they had fixed a mistake or something, in the supposed order of airing them.
This episode was quite unique because it served the purpose of character growth even if it's considered a filler.
Also the constant reminders that Twilight is practicing new magic for the Princess in every episode so far are... intriguing...
Applejack, the best background pony, has her own episode coming up?
IMPOSSIBRU!
She has a reputation as most useless pony to uphold!
I kid, I kid. I actually have AJ as one of my all round best ponies. :3
Because as we all know, It's not supposed to go at an angle!
So am I the only one left disliking the ruched and abrupt ending, the characterization of Dash and especially Dickfire and Wonderbolts in this episode? Oh, wait, I'm not.
Regardless, let's get over some basic facts.
1. A team of 3 Wonderbolts can't rescue a single falling unicorn.
2. They are useless against a raging dragon.
3. Spitfire does shit to help Ponyville with their water assignment. Apparently she's too high and mighty to lend a hoof.
4. When a cadet endangers innocent bystanders with a tornado, Spitfire doesn't give a crap and sits in her office signing autographs.
So yeah, with that kind of attitude taught at the academy, it's small surprise that Wonderbolts can't do shit when it actually matters. It would be better for Dash if she hadn't joined them. Unless she has enough resolve to join them and forge them into an organization they had probably been before Dickfire.
624972
1) When the unicorn kicks and flails and knocks her rescuers out, that becomes kind of difficult.
2) Under normal circumstances, I would expect anything short of a tank to be useless against a raging dragon.
3) Spitfire was just there as the official observer in case they broke the record. Helping would have disqualified them so she was legally obligated not to assist.
4) I'm sure I said this somewhere, but Spitfire was not aware that Lightning Dust was putting ponies in danger. I don't think real life military brass go looking for such things either, but if it comes to their attention, they will lay down the hammer.
I am just presenting some facts. You are perfectly entitled to your own opinions and I would actually like to hear it elaborated upon.
624987
Since you seem genuinely interested interested, here's my .02:
1. Let me remind: WB are considered an elite, top notch flyers, flying gods, no less. Rainbow Dash, who can perform Sonic Rainbooms in her sleep
, has her head over her hooves over them. And a team of 3 gets knocked cold by one (!) hit from a frantic unicorn. Highly unlikely, unless they are not as elite as they like to believe. The maneuver itself could have been carried with better planning, too. They don't have to practice accidents like this, right? They are practically born flying. With their military training it should have been a breeze. And yet here they go out, like a candle in the wind, with one kick.
2. If a dragon is considered a heavier threat (no doubt it should!) than why send only 3 of them? I mean Wonderbolts aren't just a few ponies. It's an entire organization. The recent episode makes us believe they are similar to an army or at least special ops. So who underestimated a threat? If 3 bolts weren't enough (they clearly weren't), who gave the order to send only 3 and why?
Then again, it was not a normal situation, as you pointed out. In a normal case of events, the town would be left destroyed and the dragon would continue to roam free until it was stopped by the princesses, real Equestrian army, or whatnot.
Also, the same unicorn, whom they failed to save before, had managed to stop the dragon singlehoofedly. Rarity doesn't have much luck with Wonderbolts, that's for sure.
3. OK, I will bite, if she was really only supervising the record - I agree. But after the first try it was obvious that not only the record won't get broken, but also it was very likely that the water was not going to be transported to Cloudsdale. What did Spitfire do? Naught, zilch, nada. If she's such a great flyer, she could easily generate at least 20 wing power. Ponyville team was missing only 5. A leisure flight. But no, apparently self pride is more important than the water supply for Celestia knows how big part of Equestria.
4. That's precisely the point. She was not aware of it because she was sitting in her office hoof-signing autographs. If she had some paperwork it could have at least been understandable that she didn't want to waste time on nursing cadets. After all, there were other training supervisors. Oh, that's right! There were other trainers. And what did they do? Nothing. I'm not talking about stopping Lightning Dust, they didn't have time. But what about after? If Dash didn't spill the beans, Spits would probably remain oblivious to the whole incident. And look at her reaction to Dash's news: tornado seems a bit excessive (her words), but it get's the job done. Further still, she seems genuinely surprised after Dash explains the situation and decides to quit. She simply can't believe someone would quit Wonderbolts. Because why? Aren't they the elite? Every pegasi dreams to be one, right? Her reaction after the incident also seems a little forced. Like she didn't believe what she was saying.
Then again, I'm aware that the last bit is merely my interpretation of the scene and most probably not the way it was intended to be received, so yeah. Not a valid discussion point.
What I think happened, is the change of vision for the Wonderbolts team over the course of the show. I have no real arguments to support my theory, so everything below it most likely an over-analysis. But take a look at Rainbow Dash when Twilight first met her: she was brash, cocky, competitive and, above all, wanted to show her stuff everywhere. She wanted to join Wonderbolts, but back then (in season 1) they were shown as a team of stunt flyers, daredevils, so to speak (Rainbow's first fantasy of joining them and performing in front of the crowds). They attended the Gala and were the judges for the Best Young Flyer competition and raced in derbies for the amusement of rich ponies of Canterlot (season 2).
Rainbow Dash, however, has matured (which is a very good sign for a show for little kids). Her character has developed: she's still brash and tends to overestimate her abilities some times but she's also loyal to her friends, can be depended upon, responsible and cast into frames of society (former Dash would not allow it). Instead of changing or abandoning her dreams, however, the writers decided to change the Wonderbolts a little. So they were given their military background (fighting the dragon and a military training in the last episode). But it makes their past mistakes plain silly!
A stuntman could have difficulties saving a falling unicorn; a soldier should not!
A daredevil would try to fight a dragon with his small team; a soldier would organize a better raid party.
A stuntman would observe the attempt to break the record; a soldier would be obligated to help if the mission was not going to be accomplished.
I actually came to that conclusion while thinking about an answer for you, so, while it may all sound completely ridiculous and much over-analyzed, I'm thankful to you for wanting me to elaborate on my opinions.
625480
That's actually a very good point. I did notice that towards the beginning of the series they were depicted as a stunt team but then slowly eased into a military role. The fact that Rainbow Dash matures introduces and interesting precedent though. What if the portrayal of the Wonderbolts is all dependent on Rainbow Dash's point of view? In the beginning, they are godly and without fault, but as she matures, she begins to see them as the flawed ponies that they are and maybe not quite as unstoppable or awesome or amazing as they were when she was a filly? Of course, I am probably reading into it a bit much. It's probably just the writers taking then in one direction when they started off in another and thus details like this emerge and make them inconsistent.
Or, perhaps they are not as military as we think they are? We still know basically nothing about their organization so while they might be militaristic in nature, they do not act like it? Of course, this is all speculation, at best.
I think the wonderbolts are the same thing they've always been, military stunt fliers. They're amazing, and technically part of the military, but based on the fact you can just try out, not part of the normal air force. As to fighting spike, the wonderbolts just go there first because they are faster than the normal military. They might not have been close to all Celestia sent. Things did get resolved not long after that, and just becasue we didn't see it didn't mean a huge force of ponies didn't show up not long after Spike reverted and everything was back to normal. Or Celestia only sent them because she knew they would fail but had to do something to calm the ponies in Canterlot, but knew she didn't really have to send anypony. She might have even ordered them to lose.
Finally in sonic rainboom, you forget Rarity has mad ninja skills. It's just really unfortunate for the wonderbolts they still work while she's in panic mode.
624728 Actually I believe that honor belongs to Twist.
Everything was okay for me, up until Spitfire's sudden "Get the Buck Out" ending after praising her reckless attitude earlier and not even bothering giving her an opportunity to get her act together.
So, I didn't hate it and Williams has finally gotten over most of her cynical attitude towards writing episode (which is a real buzz-kill for me by the way) but, it wasn't a repeat of Dragon Quest, Putting Your Hoof Down, or the infamous Mare Do Well episode.
So I thought it was decent-the ending jus really bugged me, though and I was confused as to whether or not she became a Wonderbolt and if we'd ever see her again or not.
Outside of the last third I thought the episode was pretty good; 7/10.
Lightning is not the only one to blame.
She and Rainbow did everything together.
Twilight should not have entered a restricted military area in a ballon during training.
Spitfire encouraged Lightning all the time instead of correcting her behaviour early.
Lightning is not blameless but she still was used as scapegoat. She deserved better than being humiliated in front of the whole academy and getting kicked out without even a warning.
746983
The ending ruined the whole episode for me. What an awful waste of a great character.
624494
You can blame Spitfire for that. If she had corrected Lightnings behaviour early she wouldn´t have created the tornado and nothing bad would have happened.