MLP Reviews Season 5 Episode 5: Tanks for the Memories · 2:30am Apr 27th, 2015
Autistic Writer: Tank Hibernates? Ummmm last time I checked Tortoises don’t hibernate. I am just going to check the internet to check if I am right.
*One internet searching montage later*
Me: Huh? What do you know? Some turtles actually do hibernate. I guess this is another moment of me being wrong.
Times AW is Right: 5
Times AW is Wrong: 650,121
Me: You know, a person can be wrong, but that doesn’t mean you get to insult him.
Autistic Writer’s MLP:FIM Reviews
Season 5 Episode 5 Tanks for the Memories
When I first heard about this episode, I wasn’t sure what to think. I mean it just seemed like something every cartoon show has done. So, how does Tanks for the Memories compare?
What I liked?
I liked we got more development of Rainbow Dash’s character. At times, I really didn’t like her in this episode. I will explain it more in….
What I didn’t like?
Oh let’s go through the list…
1. Twilight’s Involvement: Twilight barely got involved whenever she was onscreen. You could have erased her from the episode and things wouldn’t have changed.
2. Rainbow Dash’s punishment: Rainbow Dash sneaked into a building, tried to sabotage a machine and she doesn’t get any punishment. That is simply what left me stunned.
3. The lack of Tank/Rainbow Dash: Despite the episode’s main relationship being Tank and Rainbow Dash, there wasn’t much in this episode. We never got to understand Tank’s feelings in Rainbow Dash’s goals for this episode.
4. Moral/Theme: See Moral/Theme?
5. Logic: How did the Mane Six get into Rainbow Dash’s room in CLOUDSDALE. I can understand Twilight and Fluttershy…and possibly Pinkie Pie. But, Applejack and Rarity could have fallen. This needs to be explained.
6. Timeline: Rainbow Dash said it was going to be her first winter with Tank? Okay, I am confused. How has it been a year if their first time they met was during Season 2. Has it really been a year? I am very confused.
7. Rainbow’s Drammatic moment: Really, she wears a robe and slippers. Crying over something little. Really? Why are we getting repeat of Rarity here? This is not the way Rainbow would cry over it. I mean she might be a mare, but I thought her dramatic moment would happen without those things.
Moral/Theme?
There wasn’t much of one that I could see at first, but I will try my best.
One word to describe this episode: Acceptance.
Rainbow Dash wasn’t accepting that Tank would have to sleep for the whole winter, so Rainbow Dash denies this by trying to stop winter from coming. Wait, I am getting the Grinch vibes here.
Anyways, after she cries it out, Rainbow Dash realizes that she needed to accept that Tank would have to hibernate. I felt this adds more to Rainbow’s character as it shows she is willing to accept certain things.
Character who shines the most: Funny enough, it’s actually Fluttershy who shines in this episode. Most people would consider that she acted too OOC in this episode, but actually she acts just the way that I thought she would. Fluttershy knew the problem. She knew Tank was going to hibernate. Knowing Rainbow Dash’s stubbornness, Fluttershy would eventually see that Rainbow herself would need to realize the solution. That is why Fluttershy had to invoke tough love.
Character who shines the least: Twilight. No question about it. You already know my reason.
Conclusion
This was an okay episode. I will admit, this episode did prove me wrong by changing a few things.
Times AW was wrong: 650,122
Will you stop keeping track? Anyways, I was really glad that they developed Rainbow’s character a little bit more. But, the episode falls so hard for many reasons. I already listed them, so you can draw your own conclusion.
Rating: 5.2 out of ten.
Next week’s episode is….The Cutie Mark Crusaders catching a badguy….hmmmm that doesn’t seem dangerous at all.
Until next time, see you later.
Yay for true scientific facts in MLP!
Sorry, I'm a science nerd, I couldn't resist
I agree, definitely Twilight shined the least in episode while Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash shined the brightest. Twilight didn't contribute to the story, while Fluttershy and Rainbow were in character and shown how much they have grown over the past 4 seasons. I know, it's crazy that the past seasons of MLP happened within one year in their time, but it's canon according the season 4 premier. So yeah, rules are rules. My answer to the Mane 5 being able to walk around Rainbow's home, three words: cloud walking spell. Remember the Sonic Rainboom episode? 
She's not going to see her pet, her friend, for months! For almost a half of year! I say that's a big deal! Well, to be fair, I'm such an animal lover and I have pets of my own so I'm biased. Plus, this is coming from a Tank/Rainbow Dash relationship fan girl, so my view on the scene and their moments in the episode and on the episode overall is definitely biased. So I saw moments especially of Tank's love for Rainbow Dash. Especially when Rainbow was crying, and Tank had a sad look on his face when he looked up to hers. Plus, he gently touched her hoof when she finally learned to accept Tank's hibernation.
How can you say that Rainbow is crying over a little thing?
I'm confused. You said that you didn't like the episode for the lack of known moral, yet you able to conclude a theory on what the moral could be? Also, did you not like the acceptance moral?
Overall, I can completely understand why you didn't like the episode and you had strong arguments for your points in the review.
3020503
Okay, i will give you that one.
I felt during my first viewing that there wasn't much of a moral, but now that i think about it, that might have been a moral. Not a very good one though since i did state at the beginning that, this episode has been done a thousand times. We have seen episodes dealing with this type of issue. Even BIG HERO 6 semi deals with it.
3020584
Well there are MLP episodes that have touched on the moral of Acceptance in terms of letting go something in order to move on, like in Big Hero 5, but this episode directly addresses this moral head on. Not lightly touches on it like the others. But in my personal opinion, an episode doesn't need a moral to be good. But that's me.
Yeah, i guess you do have a point there.