Spike At Your Service Review · 5:52pm Dec 29th, 2012
Spike At Your Service
It was everything I wanted in an episode - cute moments from the mane six, a multitude of Spike and Applejack ship sparks, and, of course, Spike the SWAGON himself.
An India Jones Moment at the very beginning jumpstarted the adventure, and then of course a match between the Timberwolves and Applejack.
Interestingly enough, one of my stories "To Be Strong", had a similar premise in which Spike fought Timberwolves (to protect Fluttershy in this case).
Spike then had extremely hilarious moments as he 'helped' Applejack with deeds. When the rest of the mane six got involved, the entertainment levels boosted dramatically! Rainbow Dash's crashing through a tower of rocks, Rarity's adorable 'damsel in distress', Twilight Sparkle's obsessive compulsiveness (repositioning that ink cup...Seriously, she's totally OCD.), Fluttershy's scaredy-cat trembling (this happens so often, that it is the one of the pictures that come up when I think of yellow pegasus), Pinkie Pie's "cannonball into a hornet's nest" plot, and her moustache.
Spike and Pinkie Pie are moustache buddies now! YEAH!
The CG Timberwolves were a great touch, and seeing Spike fulfill all his duties (counting the blades of grass in Sweet Apple Acres!!! Spike is that awesome!) was very satisfying.
The ending was an absolute success! Like the man that he is, Spike took on his role as protector and faced the Giant Timberwolf. Remember that moment when Applejack insisted Spike to leave, but instead he stood his ground and went "No! I'm protecting you!" (or something along those lines). That moment was amazing, and it goes to show the Crystal Empire incident wasn't a fluke. Spike IS a hero, and he always will be.
After taking the Timberwolf down, Spike and Applejack then had their obligatory "I understand you now" moment. And what did they finish with?
SPIKE GIVING APPLEJACK A BROHOOF!
That was definitely a shout-out to the Bronies, no matter how you see it. And it was as cool as it looked on screen.
Then came a nice little Spilight ship spark to induce a d'aww, and the episode was over.
It went by too quickly for me. I felt like I had only seen five minutes! I loved the episode! I truly loved it!
Now, bring on the influx of AppleSpike shipfics! I'll be sure to read them! :) If this episode didn't get authors inspired enough to write AppleSpike, then I don't know what will.
Still reining as my second favorite ship, AppleSpike will rock the Brony Fandom until the ends of time!
I just wonder, though. When facing the Timberwolves, Applejack could have attempted using Spike as lighter, right?
Hahahahahahaha.
So, is this your new fav episode?
This guy begs to differ...
Link
I loved this episode! And Rarity is undeniably the true Drama Queen of Equestria!
I woke up late, thus missing it.
Spike forgot that he can breathe fire and the timber wolves are nothing but sentient wood. Speaking of which, apparently you should never chop down a tree in the Everfree because it can create timber wolves.
My favorite part was the rock tower...wow. He built a 50 story rock tower. I also loved how f**ked up Rarity's plumbing.
Apparently small rocks are really effective. I'm surprised that that the royal guard uses spears and magic when all you need is a slingshot and few pebbles.
This episode needed some work. Spike was acting almost OOC. We've seen him clean and cook before. How come he's suddenly not able to do that? I understand that he's trying too hard, but this is going over the edge here.
It wasn't terrible. Definitely not my favorite episode of the season, but none of them have been eye-gougingly bad. I myself wasn't a fan of the CGI timberwolves; it made me think back to every other popular cartoon that got a budget and started blowing it on unnecessary computer effects.
Mustache buddies, you say?
Sorry, I just had to.
EDIT: Also, I checked the episode and saw who wrote it... goddamn Merriweather Williams. It was a good episode--not the best--but seriously, the fact bronies try to deeply analyze the show, rather than, I don't know, enjoy it, bugs me. They point out such stupid things and I feel like it's so pointless. Calm your butts, bronies. It's a show about techni-color ponies. There are limits to what you can analyze about it. I liked it, though Williams should just quit.
So MallaJong1, are you planning on doing a AppleSpike Challenge like you did yours SpikeDash Challenge?
Because I certainly would be up to it!
659751
I love Potter Puppet Pals!
I really hated the CGI Timberwolves. Using unecessary 3D animation for a fucking 2D cartoon just ruins it for me. And it's happened before in other cartoons and animators use it fucking constantly (*cough*familyguy*cough*)! And about the episode itself, it's good but it could've been better.
659794
Your should write it, anyway! I'll give it a nice review! :)
659701
I enjoyed it for what it was, a children's television show.
I understood his points, though.
Still loved the episode.
659728
Plot devices. Hahaha.
I actually expected more of a push towards SpikeBloom fics because of this episode...I'm sure a story will come about
659704
http://mlp-fim.com/61
go to that website and every episode is there, that's the direct link to the episode.
Best episode yet; Pinkie's moustache.
Applejack may not be my favorite pony, but I loved this episode. I love all spike episode, he the boss!
659922 I just think Spike needed some work in this episode. Not to mention we don't know anything about this Noble Dragon Code.
I hate this episode. I hate it so much. It has it's perks but I hate it. Know I'm going to blog about how terrible I thought it was.
BLAHBLAHBLAHBLAHBLAH!!!
I was personally pissed about how he did not flame the damn Timberwolves, but I love them as enemies, thinking about creating a pack, or country out of them where Spike is framed for murder and the Timberwolves want revenge and for Spike to go to jail, a little Spilight maybe or I could do Spikejack, not sure yet still thinking.
SpikeBloom? You have my attettion
All in all I give it a 8.5/10, though Spike's a boss in everything he does, loved the Spilight moment at the end, and he is also a theif LOL, but no one cared. 
Was very happy with the Spikejack in this and is it just me or does Spike seem to be losing his crush for Rarity
That makes me SO happy!
Saw some bits of Rarijack, Flutter Pie, Rainbow jack, and Rainbow/Raritynot sure what to call that pairing though....anyway, what's the point of cleaning a pig if it's going to get muddy again? I now deem Spike with the title "Crystal Savior" always loved that title and it seems to fit Spike real well in my option.
Okay so now I know that ponies love a good scratching.....
Spike gains a new ability: Scratchy Scratchy Ponies Happy
Soon he will be hired for itchy relief.
Sounds to me like you viewed this episode through rose-tinted glasses. Spike was childish, clumsy, clingy, and incompetent throughout most of the episode, which was contrary to everything we know about him!
I blame the writers. Dave Polsky can't write anything without leaning on something larger than himself (Feeling Pinkie Keen sounded like religious propaganda and he probably felt that the invasion of the Native Indians' country was an educational topic), and Merriwether Williams wrote Hearth's Warming Eve and Dragon Quest, two episodes that had Spike acting less mature than he really is.
I'm praying Cindy Morrow or Mitch Larson will be writing Just for Sidekicks.
You should take a swim through EqD. About 70% of the comments on the episode mention Spike's uncharacteristic incompetence. Ohhh, I would love to see Polsky and Williams' faces when they hear how epically they failed.
Aside from Spike acting completely OOC when it came to doing actual work, things that we've seen him do almost flawlessly in the past, yeah, not too terrible.
This episode ended the streak of about perfect episodes and went back to the level of "Too Many Pinkie Pie's". This time the plot after Twilight joined quickly became cliche. "I saved you so now you save me and we're even." and I knew that whenever that happens in t.v. shows it never works.
Like with Babs threat to the CMC about teliing Applejack it's pretty much something that gets old after you see it all the time in other works.
I wondered why Applejack never once considered just telling Spike that she wished for him to stop helping him and just go do what he normally does, Spike did say to Applejack "Your wish is my command."
The CGI timber wolves didn't look too bad because we can't assume that Granny Smith's flashback was completly accurate about how the timber wolves looked. By the way I really don't know if Applejack had the right to smash the timber wolves even if Spike was in danger, couldn't she have done what Granny Smith did and use some pots and pans to ward them off? Still it was good to see that Spike was smart enough to tell the diference between a fake timber wolf and a real one. Did they seriously think that was going to work?
I should have figured that Rarity would be the first one Applejack would go to see about her problems with Spike. And of course I can see the shippers would be pleased to see that Rarity wouldn't mind having Spike help her out. Although they'd also be mad that he killed Rarity's kitchen sink so it and Rainbow Dash can't fall in love.
And lastly Twilight once again has her nose stuck in a book and ignoring the world around her, which is really sad this time around because she has no reason to ignore Spike and had already learned once that Spike looks up to her as something of a big sister/ surgate mother.
Overall this episode wasn't bad and was actually pretty good but there were some things that could have been done differently. Dave Polsky's best work is still "Too Many Pinkie Pies" but he really needs an episode that has no noticeable flaws.
Edit: As of "Keep Calm and Flutter On" that has been fufilled but now M.A. Larson could do with a touch up on how to write Spike better. And why the heck has Amy Keating Rogers not been able to write one episode this season? Yes she might be busy but surely Hasbro could find the time to squeez at least one episode from her. M.A. Larson's been busy with "Littlest Pet Shop" and even he has time to write. Or has Amy Keating Rogers, the first writer of the show left for good, if so then I don't know if she's had a good episode tied to her name.
The Spilight moment at the end was very satisfying to me, as was RD's story
Well I'm glad someone likes it. I personally thought this episode was pretty stupid. It went totally in the wrong direction. Spike was disgustingly OOC, and the others weren't much better. AJ was pretty good, but she just had an episode where she was better. 3/10.
Pinkie mustache was best part.
659701 I have to agree with this guy.
The jokes were okay, especially Pinkie, but Spike seemed to be holding an idiot ball. What happened, Spike suddenly became unable to sweep a floor, something we have seen him do before.
Why everybody whining about, Spike acting a Ooc? and what is a ooc anyway?
660931
OOC is short for out of character, and they're probably referring to how Spike was a raging incompetent throughout the episode, despite his many years of assistance to Twilight. Kind of irritated me too. That and how cliche'd the whole premise is.
It'd probably be far funnier if someone did a trope reversal on it; instead of the life-debtor being a raging incompetent throughout the episode, being so incredibly useful that the one they're indebted to doesn't want to give them up.
661030
Did you should think for once that Spike has no experience on a farm job, I still not see the episode yet but really so many people whining about ooc even on fanfic
661071
I'm sorry, I didn't know that sweeping, baking, or cleaning were exclusively farm jobs.
661078
There are more that just a sweeping, baking, or cleaning job on a farm
661096
And yet, those are the only jobs that AJ has him do.
Oh, and he washes a pig, but I think that falls pretty well under the cleaning category.
661102
For now
Yeah tried that on real life you will see that is not a easy job
661119
For now? You'd better watch the episode.
And surprisingly, that's the job he does the easiest. And by 'easiest' I mean, 'causes the least amount of general havoc while doing it.'
661130
You know, I think AJ might have been to easy on Spike. Every Impossible task they set result In spike outdoing himself.
If she had spike do hard work she might not have had on problem with him whatsoever. She would have help on the farm for the weekend and Twi would have collected spike after she had finished reading.
I don't know how the dragon code thing would have played out but whatever
661218
Fair enough, but that's no real excuse for handing him the idiot ball. There are dozens of other ways the episode could have played out, but...
Oh well.
661130
I could but the audio of my laptop is a shit and I just telling you the same think
They made Spike into a total clutz in this episode and I didn't like it one bit, mostly because it made no sense. I was expecting Spike to actually help AJ around and at first she wouldn't mind it too much, but then her nature would start making her feel uncomfortable after awhile because she doesn't want to feel like she's taking advantage of him. Sadly they made him into the type where it's not that she doesn't want his help because she doesn't want to take advantage of his kindness, instead they make him into some sort of incompetent and annoying clutz that just gets in the way.
With Spike messing up and making a mess of things would have been fine if he were trying to help AJ out with tasks that he isn't used to doing on a regular basis, like helping her around the farm with her chores like apple bucking or something. The fact that they suddenly made it so Spike couldn't do tasks that we have seen him do flawlessly before was a big turn off for this episode.
Rarity's scene made me cringe too :c I was expecting her to mention how she would like having Spike be at her beck and call because of the help that he has offered her in the past and that he was good at it. Not something like what she did there. Element of generosity ftw! eh.
I thought the Timberwolves were cool though. I was a little surprised to see AJ "kill" the Timberwolves, but then we learn that they can put themselves back together after being destroyed. I thought that was real cool. I liked their design a lot too.
Spike's dragon code was a neat look into his character too. I thought it was real noble and mature of him to treat AJ saving his life the way he did. He didn't just blow it off, he really did appreciate AJ saving his life.
This ep gets a thumbs down from me. Just too many things that irked me for me to consider watching it again.
~Have a good one
659728 Talk to Merriwether Williams. Bronystories has two full blog posts about her episodes.
I liked the episode, but didn't Spike seem kind of clumsy to you? He's usually not like that.
Thank you pinkie my favorite pony I now have a good pic for my profile!
plus 
equals AMAZING!
My only complaint was Spike was so clumsy and also bad at cooking which we all know that he is not.
i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/6927832320/h3F8F5043/
i16.photobucket.com/albums/b6/Shadow0666/MLP/197093__safe_applejack_spike_animated_spike-at-your-service_spoiler-s03e09_scratching.gif
i16.photobucket.com/albums/b6/Shadow0666/MLP/197219__applejack_suggestive_bedroom-eyes_apple_spike-at-your-service_spoiler-s03e09.png
i16.photobucket.com/albums/b6/Shadow0666/MLP/18_43_15_340_196848__UNOPT__applejack_comic_spike_suggestive_spike_at_your_service_spoiler_s03e10.png
662221 One of Spike's hands in the gif is a little too close for comfort.
I'm sorry but I hated this episode for two reasons.
But before that I will have to give credit, there were some parts that really made me laugh. Rainbow Dash and Rarity were two of those times. I also liked the part where Rarity treated Spike like a close friend, like that part where she ate her pie. I dislike episodes with Rarity seeming to just abuse Spike.
But the parts that were the turn off were the parts were Spike was clumsy and that part where Twilight paid him no heed. Come on he is a fantastic worker and everyone knows the drake can cook well, probably can even win the Master Chef Pony Competition. That bit where Twilight ignored him also pulled at my heart strings, Twilight and Spike are very close and I doubt that she would just ignore him like that. And yes I know all about Twilight's OCD and study habits, that is no excuse.
Also there were bits that made no sense like the dragon code, where did that code even come from? Although this was excusable but not Spike's ooc attitude here. I just hope they improve him in the next Spike episode, because the drake is my favourite character in the whole show and this is a joke.
To be honest, I disliked this episode quite a bit. Why? Because the thing it was worst in is the same thing that actually drew me to the show - the characters.
I mean really, how did that even happen? Twilight ignores Spike completely for the sake of books - I thought 1-2 years with the other gals would actually help her OCDness at least somewhat, but no, of course any and all character development throughout 2 seasons must be thrown out of the window for the sake of episode's plot! Pinkie - just comedy relief, really? Rainbow Dash running away instead of protecting her friends - basically giving up her life-long dream for their sake last week obviously didn't happen! I won't start on Rarity, because she suddenly became season 1 Rarity, whom I (and many others) just hate. A lot. Littlepip-swearing-levels lot.
If you haven't guessed by now, I'm pretty sad (and angry) about how this one turned to be. Admittedly, there were some funny moments, but those can't heal the damage done. To quickly sum up, this is my least favorite episode of the season, and one of the least favorite all in all.
I was torn about this episode - Spike's characterisation was way off - but on the other hoof, the humour and dialogue were excellent. We haven't had Mane Six banter like that in a while, and it was hilarious. The episode is definitely flawed, but I enjoyed it.
Oh no.
This has turned into ANOTHER conversation about how the show isn't absolutely perfect and everyone is over analyzing the shit out of it.
It's a gawddamn kids show. Stop taking it so seriously.
660430 Corey Powell the writer for the beautiful "Sleepless in Ponyville" will be writing "Just For Sidekicks". Here's hoping she can write good twice in a row.