MLP episode review: Boast Busters · 1:43am May 20th, 2014
*Readies bomb shelter* This one isn't gonna be pretty...
Okay, it's time to make the music, it's time to light the light. It's time to raise the curtain on the Trixie Show tonight!
But one thing first...
WARNING!
I've seen Boast Busters close to thirty times or so. My view on things... really isn't gonna change, and will probably be solidified by this review. If you see it differently, that's fine. I shall agree to disagree with you if you do. But pretty much barring an act of Primus, there's little anyone's gonna say to change my mind. So please keep this in mind, alright?
Here we go!
*****
Spike is cheering Twilight on! She tries a spell and... mustache. Or growing magic, her twenty-fifth trick. She looks a bit embarrassed. Aww. Spike thinks it's the best. And he begins fantasizing about Rarity. Natch. Twilight takes it away and name-drops Romeo! Oh, and captions, it's Romeo. So it's either proof of human contact... or something the writers threw in because kids would be familiar with it. YOU make the call!
Skip past the credits, my darling!
We're back, and outside. Spike is... bragging about Twilight's tricks. Hmm. We also learn that unicorns normally have only a little magic that matches their special talent. So Twilight's an outlier. And if it's for singing or math, that makes sense. But Twilight's special talent is actually magic. Twilight brushes off Spike's praise, but he's insistent. And... the Thompson Twits run by. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Snips and Snails. They'll be screwing up big-time later on and earning my ire. Snails gets partially redeemed for being Raindrops' younger sister in the Lunaverse, but Snips can dunk his head into a bath of acid. They grab Spike and run off. There's a new unicorn in town! And 'they' say she's got more magical power than anyone in Equestria. Wait, who the hell is 'they'? Twilight comes up short and asks them really? Hmm, jealous, Twilight? Spike sticks up for Twilight and they run off.
Okay...
Timestamp 2:18. We're in the town square. Trixie's voice comes over. "Come one, come all! Come and witness the amazing magic of the Great and Powerful Trixie!"
Timestamp 2:28 she appears and the crowd oohs. The Main characters, I will note, are all in front. And I mean about two-three feet from the stage.
Timestamp 2:32 "Watch in awe as the Great and Powerful Trixie performs the most spectacular feats of magic ever witnessed by pony eyes!" Fireworks go off. She ends her speech about 2:42. And at 2:44...
Rarity. "My, my, my, what boasting."
What? That... really wasn't boasting. Advertising for a show, perhaps. You want boasting? Try PT Barnum and Bailey's. "Greatest show on Earth!" or... almost every action movie or concert or wrestling show I've ever seen being advertised. Spike begins to stick up for Twilight, but remembers he doesn't have his mustache. Romance for another day!
Twilight asks if there's nothing wrong with being talented. Applejack says no, except when someone's showing it off like a school filly with fancy ribbons. You know, like rodeos, Iron Pony competitions, Running of the Leaves... Oh, and by the by? Over Applejack's shoulder we see Trixie performing a magic trick. So she's got a show. Rarity chimes in that having a lot of magical ability doesn't make one better than the rest of them. What the hell this has to do with the show I have no friggin' clue. And Dash chimes in that they've already got her being better than the rest of them. One glare from Applejack and then...
3:18. "Magic, shmagic, boo!'
So... One minute since Trixie's first voice over, and about thirty-six seconds since her show began. And she's being heckled. And those three were being loud right in front of her stage for the entirety of her act so far.
Trixie's a bit miffed. So am I! "Well, well, well. It seems we have some neigh-sayers in the audience!" Yeah, she heard them before Dash's outright heckling. She asks who's so ignorant to challenge the most magical pony in all of Equestria? Okay, even taking into account the stage that's a little bit much. Rarity asks who she thinks she is. Spike pipes up, but Twilight hushes him up and shoves him away. He asks what the problem is. Twilight points out how they reacted to Trixie. She doesn't want anyone to think she's a showoff. Twilight, considering how Trixie's treated later on, you have a point...
Fireworks go off. And Dash flies right up in Trixie's face. if I was Trixie I'd be calling for the police by this point! And no, I do not care if they're the Elements of Harmony. And Dash asks what makes her so awesome. And Trixie... does the Ursa lie. She says she banished an Ursa Major! And we get a neat light-and-sound show of her 'vanquishing' an Ursa Minor. She drove it from Hoofington and banished back to the Everfree Forest.
Okay, this bit I go back and forth on. A lot of people do. If Trixie couched as a tall tale or something, then fine. But saying she did it has me leaning a bit more to 'not too cool'. It's an iffy. snips and Snails pipe up that she's the most powerful of all Equestria. Spike tries again, but Twilight 'ports a zipper onto her and shuts him up. As the front row glares at her Trixie lays out her challenge. "Anything you can do I can do better." The crowd is silent... and I'll get back to the 'challenge', because for me there's more than meets the eye. Spike begs Twilight... because she's unbearable.
Spike, if you don't like the show... WALK AWAY FROM IT!!!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously, it's an open-air venue! I don't recall seeing anyone pay for admission! So... walk away! Good friggin' lord, man! Same with the rest of the Mane... Three. Twilight turns him down, but then Trixie directly challenges Twilight. "How about... YOU!"
FOUL! That is not cool, at all. Trixie, you did wrong there. I do not like Trixie challenging Twilight like that. I'll defend a lot of her other actions, but this? Twilight didn't do anything to you, Trixie. That's on your pretty, cute head, here.
But then she turns to Applejack. "What about you, little hayseed?" hmm, one of the ones badmouthing her. Applejack takes up the challenge, which I think was planned. She hops on stage and does some impressive rope tricks, lassoing an apple and eating it. Trixie does something with the rope to hypnotize Applejack, ties her up and stuff an apple into her mouth. The crowd cheers for Trixie. And you know what? So do I. And I don't think I'm supposed to cheer for her. Dash flies up to her. There's no need to go strutting around. That's Dash's job!
*Slams down manual for the position of 'Ponyville Weather Manager'* Show me. It's not there? Thought so. She flies off, turns a windmill, flies through a row of clouds, poses in front of the sun for dramatic backlighting, then flies through the clouds again, gathering water, flies around the windmill again and lands on the stage. "They don't call me Rainbow and Dash for nothing." No, they call you that because it's your name. They cheer for her, then Trixie... manipulates the rainbow itself to spin Dash around and drop her onto the ground.
Okay... that's damned impressive, seeing this isn't some weather factory rainbow! Holy shit! She then summons a friggin' thundercloud and zaps Dash with lightning. Okay... barring Rarity's use of weather magic in 'Magical Mystery Cure', anyone else see any unicorns doing weather magic?[/legit] That's damned awesome! And again, the crowd cheers Trixie on. And again I cheer her on.
Spike tries to give massive hints to Twilight to step up. Dash and Applejack agree they need a unicorn to give Trixie a good whatfor. Twilight hesitates... and Rarity, the one who pretty much started this whole fiasco, butts in. She... takes their hint, but 'Rarity' is above such nonsense. Okay, interesting choice of words, there. She conducts herself with beauty and grace. Again, right in front of the stage.
Trixie taunts her and calls her mane a 'rat's nest'. Not too cool, but Rarity gets on stage and... rips down one of Trixie's curtains and turns it into a dress! That would be, what, vandalism, destruction of private property? Again. Call the police! So when Trixie turns her hair green and makes rat tails in it... I am again cheering Trixie on as Rarity pulls a Jack Nicholson as the Joker. She runs off, past Carrot Top with green hair. Only time, too.
By now Spike's constant "Show her what you're made of!" is getting a bit irritating. Trixie picks up on their conversation and again foul for the Great One. Twilight runs off, and it's pretty embarrassing for her. She thinks she hears her laundry calling. Trixie crows, and the thing is... I am again mostly on her side. The crowd disperses.
Okay, getting back to 'anything you can do, I can do better.' Did she do them 'better'? No. Did she drive them off, wowing the audience? Yeah. Seems to me that the goal was to drive off the hecklers. And it also worked.
We cut to Trixie at her trailer, all closed up. Snips and Snails arrive with a smoothie, extra hay. Trixie sips it, then sends them off, rather rudely. Yeah, she's a bit of a jerk. No denying that. They walk off and run into Spike. He asks how they can fall for her 'lameness'. Gilda, is that you?! "She's just a showoff, unlike Twilight-"Spike, okay. We get it. Snips butts in about the Ursa Major, and...
"The proof is in the pudding!"
Snails thinks of pudding... and now I'm a bit peckish. Darn you, show!
"Look, unless an Ursa Major comes waltzing up the street for Trixie to vanquish, I am not gonna believe a word she says, and neither should you." So Snips... gets the idea to get an Ursa Major. Thanks, Spike! But before that...
"Snails, you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"Why is it they call it a flea market when they don't really sell fleas?"
I miss you, Pinkie and the Brain.
So they go off and we fade to Spike in Golden Oaks with Twilight. Spike prods her some more and Twilight refuses. Wash, rinse and repeat. "I run the risk of losing them as friends." Considering how they treated Trixie... I get her fears. Spike says she'd be using her magic to stick up for her friends... who started the whole thing in the first place. She says no. Again. And she makes a door in front of Spike, who walks through it. Okay, good gag. :D Spike finally gets part of a hint and closes the door... then opens it and walks off.
In the Everfree, Tweedledumb and Tweedle-no synapse function are walking through. And a cockatrice jumps out and freezes them! Wait, 'Stare Master'? Dammit! They enter a cave and it gets dark. Snails tries to light his horn, with a rather funny engine noise. No comments about technology, please. This review's gonna be controversial enough. :p He lights it up and we see... it, a bear made of sky and stars. It growls and they high-tail it outta there!
Back from commercial and Spike is kicking a rock along with rather somber music playing. Snips and Snails run past. "Can't talk now!" "Got a Major problem!" "Ursa Major to be exact!" And the thing roars and Spike runs for Twilight. The two morons run to Trixie's trailer and wake her up. And then...
She sees the Ursa, gets scared, runs off and her trailer is crushed by a foreleg the approximate size of it. That... I don't give a damn. She did NOT deserve that. Spike finds Twilight, who by now is as irked as I am. Spike tries to tell ehr, but the audible roar lets her know horse apples are about to get real!
We cut to Trixie, Snips and Snails. The two idiots tell her they brought it here and for her to vanquish it. And...
For the record, alley to her left and break in the alley behind her. Yes, she can escape and leave these two to her fate. But no. And this is where she becomes my favorite character. She fights it. She doesn't have to. She can escape, or lay down and cry,or run around and panic or a dozen other things, but she gives it an honest go. First the ropes, but only around the bear's fingers. She then tries for the lightning, which leaves a fairly sizable scorch mark on its back.
"Well, that was a dud." Fuck you, Snails. Just... fuck you.
Snips asks where the cool explosions and smoke is, and the bear roars. They run off through his legs and the entire town wakes up. Finally! Ponies stand around in terror as the bear takes a chunk out of a roof. A crowd runs away while Twilight with Spike on back run to it. They find The doubledumb twins who gleefully admit to bringing the bear to town. I have to kill these two in the Hasbroverse. I just... god. And Trixie... hangs her head and admits she can't vanquish it. She made the whole thing up to make her look better.
The thing towers over a building and we get Dash's, Rarity's and Applejack's sole contribution to the fight...
*Sigh* I told myself I wouldn't do image captures this time around!
So Twilight steps up and we get her being badass. She stirs up wind that blows through reeds for soothing music, to calm the beast. It's number sixteen, apparently. Her horn goes Super Saiyan and the water tower's tank floats up and empties itself. It flies into a barn and she milks a bunch of cows for milk. That's a new one, apparently. She brings it to the bear, who almost tumbles onto Trixie, but thankfully Twilight saves her. The ground beneath Twilight is cratering, by the by. She lifts it up, floats the MacGyvered milk bottle over to it and sends it home. We see the other ponies seeing her doing it.
Twilight powers down and is cheered. They sing her praises, but she asks them to not hate her. Aww. *Hugs* She points out how much they hated Trixie's bragging and...
"Magic's got nothing to do with it. Trixie's just a loudmouth."
"Most unpleasant."
"All hat, no cattle."
Twilight asks if they don't mind her magic tricks, and Applejack points out that magic's a part of who you are. And they like who she is.
And I call you three hypocritical assholes. Magic's a part of who Trixie is. Not to mention you three did NOTHING against the Ursa Major. Trixie at least gave it an honest effort when she could've skipped out and left the town to possibly die! So the stranger in town one day does more than the granddaughter of the town's founder, another lifelong resident and the Element of Loyalty. Screw. You.
They continuing sucking up-I mean, singing her praises. ;) I kid, I kid! Spike asks how she knew what to do with the Ursa Major. She was studying up on it, and it turns out that... was an Ursa Minor. And it wasn't rampaging, but cranky because two idiots woke it up. They get glared at, even by Ditzy. Bad morons, bad! Spike asks what an Ursa Major is and Twilight says you don't wanna know. We cut to the cave and...
Holy crap, it's a kaiju!
Trixie tries to save a bit of face by saying Twilight may have vanquished an Ursa Minor, but she won't ever have the amazing show-stopping ability of the Great and Powerful Trixie! And... red card on Trixie, sorta. Rude to Twilight, yeah. She drops a smoke bomb and runs off. And I want to take her in and give her a place to live at this point. Dash chases after her, but Twilight calls her off. "Maybe some day she'll learn her lesson." Wait, what? What lesson, don't put on a show in Ponyville? If ponies talk loudly, rudely and heckle you during your show just let them do it? Let the giant bear eat you?! ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!
Snips and Snails try sneaking off, but Twilight stops them. They apologize and say they wanted to see some awesome magic. They start sucking up to Twilight. Asses. ANd Twilight says... they can 'clean up this mess'. Oh, Twilight! That was Trixie's home, for god's sake! Up until now you were pretty much the only one who hadn't done anything really wrong! But this, and the comment about learning a lesson... ugh. Let's put this to bed.
She gives them mustaches as 'punishment' for bringing in a mini-kaiju and almost getting the town destroyed. Spike gets one, too. Hah, hah? Except they like it so it's not a punishment. She writes to Celestia that it's okay to show off your talents and be proud of who you are. She also admits that she's the most talented unicorn in Ponyville. "But it's nothing to brag about." Also turns out Rarity didn't go for the mustache. She suggests to be yourself. Spike wants a beard! A Fu Manchu! And.. credits.
Thoughts.
Okay, I gotta admit. I was this close to simply deleting this entire thing and saying 'buck it'. I can already hear the baying for my blood with this review. Which is actually a familiar sound for me in RL. But... no. So, what are my thoughts?
Boast Busters is the first really 'controversial' episode, and looking above, you can see why. Oh, this one pings back and forth for me. On the one hand, it introduces my favorite character of the show, Trixie. Hell, she's third overall for the entire franchise, behind Wind Whistler and Megan from G1. On the other... it introduces Trixie, who is a goddamned minefield in and of herself in the fandom.
My thoughts are not that complex, but hard for me to put into words. I'm not too good at being succinct with this, sorry. As brief as I can be? Well... I take her side the vast majority of the episode. Is she flawless? No, god no. Her direct challenging of Twilight twice were big no-nos for me. She was also a bit of a jerk to Snips and Snails when they brought her the smoothie. And running off instead of thanking Twilight also doesn't sit right for me. The Ursa lie, I lean to 'no' for that. Yes, an entertainer's supposed to tell stories... but making it about herself nudges it into 'wrong' for me.
But... here's the thing for me and a lot of her fans. She got screwed here. She really did. The wrongs she did are pretty small compared to how she was initially treated and how she ended up. Yeah, she's a jerk. Every member of the Mane Six and Spike as well have been jerks! Seriously, if you didn't like the opening minute of her show, walk away!!! Do not badmouth her, then openly heckle her, you jerks. The big thing is those three are pretty big hypocrites when it comes to 'bragging'. Applejack brags about her apples and athletic prowess. Rarity puts on a massive fashion show in a few episodes and talks big about her fashion. And Dash... is Dash. If it was Fluttershy and/or Pinkie Pie, then maybe they could've gotten away with it. But no. Pot, this is kettle. You're black! And at the end, when they did nothing against the Ursa but mocked Trixie gets my blood boiling every time. She made an honest effort, while they did nothing but shake in their horseshoes. Bad form!
The challenges? No, she didn't do them better. But she did show up three rude ponies and entertain the crowd, which cheered her on. I think that was her goal. I also think the rest of the crowd was a lot smarter than the Mane... Three?
Spike is... I can see his side, but as a viewer his constant one-note trying to get Twilight to challenge Trixie got old and tiring. Yes, we get it! I should note it was his suggestion that got those two idiots to get the damned Ursa! I would have Trixie be... third-hand at worst for that.
Seriously, if someone says, "I feel strong enough to wrestle a bear!" and someone gets a bear for them to wrestle, I'm putting my blame on the one who got the bear.
And now we come to Snips and Snails. All I can say is... they suck. They're morons and I really don't like them.
To put it in Trope terms, this episode is a near textbook case of Protagonist-centered morality, with heaping side orders of Disproportionate Retribution and Designated Antagonist.
And... I think that's it. And wow this thing is a lot longer than I thought. And I can already hear people either saying I wasn't hard enough on Trixie, or too hard on her. My final thoughts on the episode... I like her, and with one partial exception I didn't like the main characters here. And that's not really good writing IMHO.
Now, then. As you all sharpen your knives and ready to point out massive flaws in everything I just wrote, I am going to simply say this. I respect your opinion here. If you like Trixie, fine. If you don't like Trixie, fine. These are my thoughts on this episode. It's kinda late here in NH and I have had a long work week. Tomorrow is Dragonshy and I have to decide if I want a pic of Fluttershy staring down my Transmetal II Beast Wars Megatron or her leading a small army of Grimlock toys.
Two things.
First, I agree with you that karma hit Trixie too hard, especially when the whole mess with the Ursa was Snips and Snails fault.
Second, Fluttershy staring down Transmetal 2 Megatron would be awesome.
I have to agree with your assessment of this episode. I really don't like how RD, R and AJ act towards Trixie. While Trix isn't my favorite character, I have to side with her here. And with Twi, cause Twi is op and is best pone.
Yeah, this is an episode where the show creators really don't want you to think about it too hard. They want you to dislike Trixie, they want you to side with the main characters, and they want you to route for Twilight throughout the whole thing.
On a first viewing, they may well get those responses. However, this episode does not hold up on a second run through. Very questionable behavior from all parties involved. No one comes out of this looking good, with the exception of Twilight (and you even brought up a point against her). Even her moral at the end is dubious.
This is an episode where the writing is a sledgehammer, trying to force the story down a specific direction, rather than letting it flow logically. It won't be the last time this type of shoehorning happens, either.
Spike in this episode is probably at his most obnoxious. He and Trixie should compare notes.
So, what good came from this? Trixie, for one. A little insight on unicorn magic, for two. Finally, some really cool beasties with the ursas.
Like you said, this episode brought about some really mixed feelings. At least we got a superb sequel in the form of Magic Duel later down the line. Given the choice, I'd take this episode just to get that one.
At least Trixie has gotten a ton of mileage through the fandom. Very few secondary characters can claim her level of popularity.
I think you covered all my points very well.
And, man, the Ponyville crowd can be a bunch of horse's c(
)ts. Trixie got a bad deal, Spike was very one-note, and I'd love to see a proper heckler's response from Trixie.
(Having been around and done some stand-up comedy training, some comedians love hecklers. It's like free material to share...)
2127746
An insight which a large number of writers ignore in favor of treating unicorn magic like it's frickin' Harry Potter or something, gah
I used to love The Muppet Show when I was a youngling.
I miss them too.
Thirty times you've seen this episode! I've only seen it twice. I've never quite understood why there's a significant number of fans who despise this episode. This though is the first time I've seen a cogent explanation as to why the "Mane Three" as you put it are just as much in the wrong or even more so than Trixie is. I've always tried to explain it away as Trixie is the type of person who brings out the worse in people. That could still be true but perhaps not. Overall, good review.
Ah this episode, it introduces us to the great and Powerful one herself. And what was I like with her at first? You really want to know?
I just saw her as a character. I didn't like her and she wasn't that big of a deal to me. Heck, I was wondering why EQD liked her so much and what was the big deal. It wasn't until stories like 'Pony Pov' and most important 'Getting back on her hooves' that I actually started to like her. This lead to Lunaverse wich, in turn, led me here.
I liked this review. And I agree with many of the points you raise. And frankly while she's not as high on my Favorite MLP list (which is constantly shifting around) as she is for you and many others, I find Trixie to be quite the entertaining character.
Frankly if I think back on this episode and later on where Trixie comes back for revenge on Ponyville (not entirely unjustified) this episode should have ended the way Trixie's second episode did, with She and Twilight at least parting on good terms. However I'm glad that's not the case as it would mean that there wouldn't be that second episode, and watching a large ham on an evil artifact fueled power trip of revenge is far too entertaining.
Grimlock Army. Definitely Grimlock army.
yay
ALL HAIL FLUTTERSHY QUEEN OF THE DINOBOTS!
I don't even like Trixie at all, and I agree with the analysis.
Trixie does have a big ego. But she's a showpony - that's practically a requirement. And she made some missteps, sure. But she didn't deserve any of what happened in the end. It's not her fault that the dumb duo brought the Ursa to the town. She was perfectly justified in calling out the hecklers. And for gods' sake, she at least tried to stop the Ursa. She doesn't have a 'lesson' she needs to learn - she should get recompense from the parents of Snips and Snails for not controlling their damn offspring and keeping them from running off into the Everfree.
(I also hate Magic Duel because it follows up on the popular fan assertation that Trixie is a 'villain', when she was not any such thing.)
Me Grimlock like scardy pony!
Good review, a bit colorful here and there but that's passion.
The points brought up are excellent, and I like that you do call Trixie on the parts where she crosses the line herself.
Though that is part of her appeal too.
Great analysis, and I think you're spot on. I've watched this episode about a dozen times or so myself, and had a lot of the same problems with it. I'll also say that Trixie went from being just another one-off character (before she came back in Magic Duel) to one of my favorites solely based on how obnoxious I find Trixie-haters. I really don't understand the amount of loathing she gets from this episode; I get that her personality is hit-or-miss for people, and I can admit that she did have some real jerk moments in this ep. At the same time, nothing she does in this ep is any worse than Rainbow Dash's behavior through the first season, and I've seen people who take any opportunity at all to slam Trixie give Dash a free pass.
Seriously, among the many stupid arguments I've seen from Trixie-haters (not people who just dislike Trixie, but loathe her), one of the worst was that Trixie was a coward because the first thing she did when she saw the Ursa was run away, and that the only reason she stood up to the Ursa was because she didn't want people to know she was a liar. Despite the fact that three seconds after Trixie leaves the cart (14:09) the Ursa's foot comes crashing through it (14:12).
Another personal problem I have with this ep is that nobody seems to notice or remember that Pinkie and Fluttershy were present at Trixie's performance, including the writers. Check again, Fluttershy is standing next to Dash, and Pinkie is next to Snips when Trixie starts her show. So out of the seven protagonists, two are polite enough to stay quiet/enjoy the show/are forgotten by the writers, three are heckling Trixie for little reason, one is kind of uncomfortable with the situation, and one (Spike) is actively encouraging the hecklers AND pushing Twilight into getting in on it when she clearly doesn't want to. Again, Trixie isn't the only one who comes out of this episode looking bad, and her behavior isn't the worst.
Annnnnyways... I'm glad I wasn't the only one who thought it was odd (and kinda jerkass, yes) how Trixie pointed out Twilight before anyone else, when she hadn't even been involved in heckling Trixie. That is one of the bits of evidence sprinkled throughout the episode that helped me come up with my own alternative read on this episode. It would be a little too much to fit it all into this (already too long) post, but my theory is as follows:
Trixie knew full well who Twilight and her friends were.
What's more, Twilight was the whole reason Trixie was even in Ponyville to begin with.
Furthermore, all the proof one would need to make this case is provided in this very episode!
*Insert Phoenix Wright theme here*
Hey because of your comment about why you like trixie I`m going to make a thread about all about why people like Trixie.
I'll respond to others later, but for the moment...
2131184 Could you please post a link back to this blog post when you do?
here you go.
Yeah, everyone was a jerk, but Trixie was supposed ta be a jerk, an' she made it entertaining, so for both those reasons ah cain't really say it detracts from her as a character. That's more than can be said about our heroes, who the episode tries ta portray as bein' thoroughly in the right an' fails.
When ah point out ta certain folks that Rainbow Dash of all ponies has no right whatsoever ta be sayin' things like this, given how much she talks about how awesome* she is, they tell me the difference is Rainbow Dash can back it up an' Trixie cain't. Well, ah'm gonna take the opportunity ta call bullshit on that. Trixie only started ta lie about what she can do when challenged, an' what she actually did showed plenty a' skill - how many conjurers an' transmuters have we seen in the show? Rainbow Dash had no fewer'n two episodes in the first season where she boasted about bein' able ta do things she flat couldn't - when she won the Iron Pony Competition by cheating her flank off an' then claimed her wings didn't matter, an' when she talked about how she was gonna do a Sonic Rainboom despite knowin' full well that she hadn't been able ta do it for years.
So ah heartily agree with ya about the protagonist-centered morality complaint. A character is supposed ta be the protagonist because he does the right thing; "the right thing" isn't supposed ta be defined as "whatever the protagonist does", an' the writers dropped the ball on that in Boast Busters. Ah don't agree that Snips an' Snails were entirely at fault - makin' Trixie prove herself was Spike's idea, so ah blame him. Not that those two aren't idiots, but, well, they're not malicious idiots.
Ah kinda have ta say ah like this episode, though. To me, Trixie's introduction overshadows the points lost by the inclusion of Rainbow Dash.
*informed attribute
Well said!!
Trixie got screwed over, plus was made homeless and lost any money she had. But all Twilight seems to care about is her friends kissing up to her, and if *Trixie* learned a lesson.
Heres a friggin lesson, 'dont let kids go into dangerous woods at night to find dangerous animals to bring back to town'. Also, like you pointed out, she did more to help than anyone except Twilight. Yet somehow she's at fault?
I really disliked the Mane 6 in this one. What the hell happened to making friends?
* Twilight got a *talking to* and her workload spread out among the others after using magic on half the damn town.
* Luna gets a pass when she did way worse under the influence of NMM.
* Discord gets another chance when Celestia decides she can 'use his magic'.
But poor Trixie will forever be damned because she doesnt have a special relationship with the Crown.
What does that teach anyone? All that matters is who you know/are?
Now that I think about it, what was Rainbow Dash even going to chase after Trixie for, and what was she planning on doing when she caught her?
Somehow, I feel that "Let her go, Rainbow Dash" was not what should have been said here.
Also worth noting that Trixie and Twilight had almost the exact same reaction to Snips and Snails admitting they brought the Ursa. Sort of horrified disbelief, I guess? Have to give them credit for not just feeding the two to the Ursa, especially with how delighted Snips sounded when he said "We brought an Ursa!"
Well, as a reviewer enthusiast I can't but praise this blogpost.
I mostly agree on almost every point. Special attention on the wrestling a bear comment. And, as you said, Trixie should have called the police in at least two points during the show.
I think the real moral in this episode is a huge accidental aesop and it says:
"If you don't like a show, turn around and walk away. Heckling it will make you look like a jerk and/or an idiot."
And the bigger point here (and something I was missing before reading this review) is that the exact same ponies that heckled Trixie in her FREE show and even tried to out stage her on HER OWN FREE show are practically useless and don't even try when the risk is real. Let's make a gut count:
Trixie: Confronted a frigging giant bear, even knowing she couldn't/shouldn't. Guts? Totally BADASS!.
Twilight: Confronted the aforementioned frigging bear but knowing beforehand exactly what to do. Guts? Not a BADASS! but definitely there.
Mane Three?: Shake in the spot, frightened. Guts? Nope.
Other point that makes me go Hyde rather than Jekyll here is that in further episodes Rainbow points out how she hates bullies. I can only say one thing to that statement:
"YOU ARE BEING A BULLY HERE! YOU MULTICOLORED MANED HYPOCRITE!"
To add an interesting anecdote instead of just commenting about the blogpost that is right above this comment, I once was on Trixie's side in High School (the Chilean equivalent, that's it) playing violin in front of a crowd when a trio of f(censored)s started to make sounds and laugh in the middle of the song. I can only side with Trixie after knowing how it feels but I can also get even angrier when thinking that Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Rarity became karma Houdini's here. This is because in my tale, the guys were literally kicked out of the room by the crowd itself.
Wow. This is... Well, it makes me feel good. I just wish we viewers could change an episode, or post a 'revised' version on Youtube. But then we have to worry about Hasbro being an ass about copyright.
Well, you've earned my following. Definitely appreciate your point of view (which is pretty in sync with mine. Please get out of my head), especially with a moral minefield such as this.