Thoughts on "Viva Las Pegasus"

This particular episode wasn't one that I would have guessed would work, but it did as it centers around "Flim and Flam," who have to be the most interesting "B" villains in the show. This time, The scam artists aren't antagonists but victims, as they and some other show ponies are being conned by Gladmane, the former owner of Las Pegasus, into fighting with each other, so they remain under his influence. This is why Applejack and Fluttershy were sent to Las Pegasus, as they came there to solve a friendship problem. But it turns out they needed to stop another "B" villain weaponizing his influence and undermining the friendships of others. Applejack and Fluttershy then have to use Flim and Flam's "skills" to good use to get Gladmane to spill his secret on how he's keeping the show ponies under his hoof to the public. This ultimately leads to him being ousted as the owner, and Flim and Flam take over as the new managers.

What makes this work, in my opinion, is that Flim and Flam are kind of like Discord. They aren't really "evil" but more like "chaotic neutral" as they seem to just reveal in doing what they want for themselves even if it hurts others. Still, they aren't outright trying to hurt ponies just out of spite, just more so they'll do whatever they can to get money, even if it's morally grey. So the brothers might never be fully redeemed, but they make interesting characters because of their nature and actions. So, pulling a con on Gladmane with layers to it was satisfying because they weren't being forced to be "good" but instead using their rather unsavory talents for good. It creates a much more nuanced world where not everyone is "black and white," we can have characters like Flim and Flam, Discord, and sometimes even Trixie, who can still be themselves and make good antagonists without being outright evil.

Also, Las Pegasus as a new setting is refreshing as most of the show is in Ponyville, which can be rather bland as a setting compared to places like the Crystal Empire or Appleloosa, so seeing their AU version of Las Vegas was interesting and a good way to shake up the formula. Also, Las Pegasus looks and feels more like a "Chuckie Cheese" vs. a "casino." Understandably, the show is designed for kids, so it makes sense not to have a full-blown casino as the setting for this episode. Also, to be fair, I always thought places like "Chuckie Cheese" were basiclly "casions for kids," seeing that you are basically gambling with tokens to get tickets for prizes.