Just a Thought: MLP S5 E3

Spoilers ahead!

Dear Princess Celestia,

Today I learned that I shouldn't trust my friends or family to decorate my future home. I'm the only one who knows what I want in a home.

Sincerely,
Your 'Parent's-attic-bound-loner' fan, Xain Russell

~~~~~

Remember back in Season two where the first episode after the season premier was so strong and memorable? Remember how it felt like the beginning of a whole new stage in the mane 6's lives? That is unfortunately not the case here. This episode is at best, good, but unfortunately it is pretty standard.

Now don't get me wrong, I did like the episode. There were a lot of good jokes and writing (The spa scene in particular with Bulk Biceps had me rolling), and I do appreciate that the creators acknowledged the one big complaint a lot of bronies, my self included, had about the season 4 finale: Twilight's Castle. I still feel that the outer design doesn't fit with the rest of Ponyville, but at least we've had a story that addressed what Twilight and Spike have lost and how they are coping with having to live in what is basically an empty castle.

As someone who recently had to move out of his childhood home, I can to some degree relate to Twilight's woes about being moved into a new home. Though I will admit that Twilight's situation is definitely the more strenuous and heart breaking situation. I at least got to bring the things I treasured with me when I moved, Twilight has to start from scratch. The ending of this episode though does a very good job conveying the lesson that a home is more than the place itself and the things inside it. It is indeed the memories that make a place special, and as the tree root chandelier proves, those are things no DBZ ki blast can take away.

What dragged this episode down, at least for me, is a good chunk of the middle. I like that Twilight's friends took it upon themselves to try and make the castle feel like a home, however there are two problems I had with the way they handled it. For one, I can't believe after four seasons, Twilight's friends wouldn't immediately jump on the idea of filling the castle with books, not their own ideas of what makes a home a home. And two, I think that the song they sing during their first attempt is actually one of the weakest songs we've had since season two. The lyrics felt a bit forced and simplistic, and the main melody, while not bad, just doesn't have the same hook that other songs have had.

I also didn't like all the squabbling Twilight's friends were doing. It went on for too long and didn't feel genuine. These five shouldn't be bickering this way over their best friend, at least not to this degree. It felt like the sort of thing that would have happened in season two, where the five had known Twilight for a while but are still getting used to being in a clique with each other. I will say though that, once more, it's good to see that Twilight isn't the focus again, even though this episode is very much about her problems.

However, after Twilight's friends get their heads on straight and realize just what it is they need to add to the Castle, it definitely turns into a much better episode. I love the scene with Twilight and Spike standing in front of the remnants of Golden Oaks Library, and then the reprisal of the song makes up for the downfalls of the first part. Then when Twilight comes home and sees the tree roots in the thrown room with the memory gems hanging down, I can't say I wasn't really impressed. That definitely made the pain of losing a mainstay of the show a little easier, both for the fans and for Twilight.

All in All, this is a good episode, Bulk Biceps the masseur is both hilarious and terrifying, and tree root memory chandelier is best chandelier.