My Review of MLP: FIM season 7 episode 4 Rock Solid Friendship · 9:15pm March 2nd
Grading Scale:
A (fantastic episode)
A- (an excellent episode with at least one flaw)
B+ (a great episode with a couple of flaws)
B (a good episode which still could have been better)
B- (a good episode with numerous flaws but still rewatchable)
C+ (a decent episode)
C (eh... it’s not terrible but not good either)
C- (it’s not worth rewatching although it does have good elements)
D+ (a bad episode with a few good things in it)
D (a really bad episode with wasted potential)
D- (a terrible episode with badly written characters and butchered moral)
F (horrible and unwatchable)
Greetings and happy second day of March, folks! This is Mr. J back with another MLP episode review for today. This afternoon, I will be reviewing the fourth episode of MLP: FIM season 7 entitled “Rock Solid Friendship”. After re-watching this episode this morning, I consider this to be a decent storyline despite not being up to par with the previous three episodes. You can already guess the reason why I have a slightly low opinion of this episode.
The story begins with Maud graduating school with a rockology degree; the ceremony is only attended by her family, and the service would’ve been quiet and quick if it weren’t for Pinkie constantly distracting the program with her loud cheers.
In the train to Ponyville, Pinkie gets all excited about her sister moving to the town and having a great time with her. Once Maud states that her choice is a rock-based decision, Pinkie takes it quite literally and takes her to certain places or things which Maud effortlessly points out as either common or nothing unique.
Desperately trying to get her to choose Ponyville instead of Ghastly Gorge, Pinkie hopes that some random pony will walk outside the Friendship Castle and bump into Maud so that—BOOM!—a friendship may instantly blossom. And that’s when Starlight gets involved in the plot.
See, here’s how Pinkie becomes absolutely insufferable as a character…especially in this episode: she has no respect for personal boundaries, gets involved in every situation pertaining to Maud, and forces things to go as perfectly as she plans it.
I get that she loves Maud—or at least a little too much—but she has this strange inability to just accept things as they are and let them play out naturally so it doesn’t feel forced. And I don’t believe for a second she’s learned her lesson at the end because she does this again right after the conflict was resolved. Honestly, the episode should've just ended with Maud and Starlight flying kites together, and they would've gotten away with it too if it weren't for that meddling pony.
Additionally, she becomes a jealous control freak in season 8 episode 3 “The Maud Couple” because she felt threatened by Maud’s new boyfriend who acted quite similar yet also different. This is why Pinkie is one of my least favorite characters in this show; throughout this episode, I felt the urge to just come through the screen and strangle her. She’s really that annoying through and through.
As for Maud and Starlight’s friendship, it’s actually pretty wholesome and natural. It doesn’t feel shoehorned in any way, and every time they talk with each other, they instantly find something they have in common. Plus, their personalities are at the opposite sides of the spectrum when it comes to socializing with other ponies which makes their pairing even more interesting.
So, what I got out of this episode is the importance of learning to respect the boundaries of your loved ones as well as the rock-solid decisions they make. If you try to force your opinion on what they should do, eat, say, create, or whatever, you’ll end up pushing them away just like what happened with Maud here. Listen to your conscience, read the room, and support your friends and family without being forceful and intrusive.
So Pinkie Pie can cry, sob, and say sorry all she wants, I know for a fact she isn’t sorry for, as Starlight well said, ruining everything all the time. I don’t care how much she says she “loves” and “cares” for her friends, I find her to be inconsiderate, rude, and obnoxious as a character. End of story.
With that said, this episode gets a solid C+! Despite how much I dislike Pinkie and her involvement in this episode, I still enjoyed watching Maud being herself and actually taking the time to know Ponyville and what it has to offer. And I also find it unsurprising yet interesting that she technically is responsible for helping Starlight enslave a whole town.
Hold on…wouldn’t it be cool if she used to be a villain at some point in time? She has the calmness and confidence necessary to succeed in her goals, and she seems like the type too. That would’ve been an interesting plot twist, don’t you think?
Peace!
Yeah. I pretty much had a feeling you weren’t gonna give a particularly favorable review on this episode beforehand.
5770568
You know me too well.
But I’m curious about your own opinion on this episode.
5770571
Ah, well, I personally enjoyed the episode. Granted, I do agree that it had moments involving Pinkie that were a little nerve-grinding, but other than that…it was a far better FiM episode by Nick Confalone than his Season 8 & 9 contributions put together.
And yet despite all her immatureness, she is apparently the only one of the Mane 6 to score a lover.
Which is quite a wonder.
Honestly while Pinkie Pie's issues is worse in the episode with Maud's coltfriend, Maud's coltfriend is quite an ass too if I remember right.
But yeah, it does flow nicely between Starlight and Maud.
Wait, what are you on about? Maud haven't had a "hoof" with Starlight's villainous? They haven't even met each other until now?
And Maud as a another secret villain? Feels like a random theory?
5770595
You didn't even watch this episode, did you? They clearly explained they’ve crossed paths before.
5770602
Nah, I don't remember every single regular episode that isn't a season premiere or finale with a major villain, movie, holiday, or a controversial episode.
Anyways, dang it Maud.