Lena? Who the Fuck Is Lena? [episode spoilers!] · 5:46pm Nov 21st, 2015
The Hooffields and McColts is best when it's focused on Fluttershy and Twilight. The rest? Just kinda eh. But one thing that really worked was the McColts not knowing about Twilight's ascension. Also the "it'll get old" joke and the doors against the cupcakes visual gag.
As for today's episode, all I knew coming in was that everyone was super-stoked about some singer voicing a pony. I don't think it's possible to have heard of her if you're not into modern theater, however (her band doesn't even have its own wiki page), so I don't get it. (Reference for the blog title, in case you think I'm being mean. :B)
As for The Mane Attraction itself, it didn't live up to all that hype. But still, it was perfectly serviceable. Neat new character, good songs, fun headcanons, not my favorite might forget it overall.
Rating: Okay
So, okay, my big takeaway from this is that Applejack is canonically interested in fillies, and she really was jealous because she thought she had something with Coloratura at a time when she couldn't really understand feelings like that. I've always thought that Applejack had a young lost love in her past, and now I know who it is. :V
Oh, and "Rara" is now canonical but not for Rarity, that is fucking hysterical.
Watching this, I couldn't help but be reminded of criticisms of other musical episodes. Especially when she got to "The Magic Inside" (it is apparently not called "I Am Just a Pony"; on that note, I'd been listening to the version done by SophiiVA and 174UDSI for months and had no idea it was a remix of a show song), the narrative just stops, and I found myself incredibly uninterested in the goings-on.
On that note, the songs overall were pretty good. "Equestria, the Land I Love" could be a national anthem if Rara and AJ hadn't written it, but it was also very obviously the "wholesome standard up against pop excess" piece. Speaking of, I was all set to call "The Spectacle" the season's best song, until I realized I appreciated it for the pitch-perfect imitation of modern pop. I still like it, it's just a better homage than a song in it own right.
So, uh, plot. I guess it was a little thin, thanks to the songs. Svengallop (oh my god that pun) was the evil version of Sassy Saddles. I guess if I didn't care much about this episode, it's because the relationship between AJ and oh my god I just realized they called her "Rara" as a play on Lady Gaga was never really sold. I never cared about it. Maybe it's because AJ? I dunno. I will say that I was incredibly pleased that the opening scene mirrored my "who is this Lena Hall?" reaction to the hype.
Also, >tfw Pinkie is Apples. She was pretty great all throughout this, thank you AKR. Also, I just love that Twilight has a record function.
I can't think of anything deep or witty or cutting to say about this one. It was just kind of eh, like last week's episode. But how about that preview of The Cutie Remark, huh? We're going post-apocalyptic. :D I AM SO STOKED FOR THIS YOU HAVE NO IDEA.
Amending Fences
Crusaders of the Lost Mark
Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep?
The Cutie Map
Rarity Investigates!
Brotherhooves Social
Make New Friends but Keep Discord
Hearthbreakers
The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows
Castle Sweet Castle
Canterlot Boutique
Appleloosa's Most Wanted
The Mane Attraction
The Hooffields and McColts
Scare Master
Tanks for the Memories
Slice of Life
What About Discord?
The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone
Made in Manehattan
Bloom & Gloom
Princess Spike
Party Pooped
Our Town
The Magic Inside
The Pony I Want to Be
The Spectacle
We'll Make Our Mark
I'll Fly
The Vote
Make This Castle a Home
The Rules of Rarity
Equestria, the Land I Love
Sisterhood
Hush Little Sister
Light of Your Cutie Mark
Dream Flower Song
It definitely was an interesting ep.
Oddly enough I saw her in Cats.
Svengallop was where the episode fell apart for me. Most villains on this show are fleshed out and fairly believable. His motivations worked, but his presentation was the pop music equivalent of an evil vizier. (The puppet master kind, not the usurping kind.) King Sombra felt less gratuitously evil than this guy.
Also, playing up Ponyville's rural aspect hasn't worked since the Crystal Tree Chest Castle Playset emerged. Kind of hard to claim the place is a backwater when not only can you see Canterlot from there, but there's also a princess in residence.
And I really didn't get any romantic vibes between Applejack and Rara. Well, I've got them with Rarara, but not Rara. Important distinction.
Oh, and Auto-Tune spells are canon. That's pretty fantastic.
I'm incredibly disappointed that my prediction wasn't accurate.
I feel like that would've been a much more satisfying episode. The one we actually got feels... straightforward/shallow (?) in comparison.
Yes, but did anyone find out Lena Hall's real name? It's Celina Consuela Gabriella Carvajal. I think that's pretty fantastic.
Also, my other thoughts. Though I'll just add that I was really hoping Sweetie Belle would win the contest and get a chance to shine for herself for once. My biggest disappointment of the whole thing.
Razzle dazzle
Glitz and glam
Turn it all up
It's a spectacle
I'M NOT JUST A PONY
I AM THE COUNTESS
3558489 "Canterlot." Hey, I feel more sophisticated already!
Have we just discovered the secret to urbanizing the country once and for all? o.o
A bunch of neat little bits of world building, and I loved the songs. Acceptable episode.
But my god that preview for next week. I sure hope they're about to use the Guard for something interesting and other than just being pointless, I don't think I could take them canonically being a waste of space as opposed to being an actual military organization.
3558543
Ha. Ha. And upon further reflection, ha.
Though that might make for an entertaining story idea.
Let us not forget about the most important thing this episode had to offer: they directly referenced the Rockin' Ponypalooza book by Gillian Berrow!
Also, this.
derpicdn.net/img/2015/11/21/1026976/medium.png
I will never be the same.
Basically, this is Rainbow Rocks, pony version. Does that count as a crossover?
I liked that they had
SparklerAmethyst Star be an organizer. Nice callback to #100.I'm also onboard with any episode which has Coco Crusoe in it for reasons.
The overall plot felt kinda thin, though. From just a technical perspective, it left me hanging--are all her backup singers, dancers, stage crew, and so on, not actually employed by her? Or did she do her big flashy show later, off-screen? Why not get Vinyl to help out with effects?
Or the Cutie Mark Crusaders?Was the horn-glowing thing from the audience involuntary because of the music/magic, or do they do it when they really like something? Why did she wear her high-horseshoes for one scene, but then not again? Why are there even high-horseshoes? Is that what the Princesses are wearing?It's also always grating on the nerves when famous ponies show up to Ponyville and apparently aren't wowed by Princess Twilight or any of the other element bearers. What's up with that? I don't want to see an episode where the traveling star falls all over him or herself trying to get AJ's autograph (ok, yes I do), but some acknowledgement from somepony would be something.
Finally, in that scene where Rarity was helping Rara get ready, I totally thought Rara was Rarity and was confused by the voice change.
3558638
Admit it, you'd ship it like an average freight day on the Mississippi.
3558489
Then you're just not trying :V
Honestly? The autotune spell might be my favorite part of this episode. Which isn't saying much.
3558536
The contest was such a non-event, I didn't even care.
3558762
They did? What was the reference? :O
Don't get too hyped or you're in for an episode that may not meet your expectation.
3559469
I need to rewatch the whole spot, because I didn't unmute until it was almost over.
I can't wait for post-apocalyptic canon ponies.
They're going to make FO:E and all its dreadful ilk look so terrible. Vastly worth it.
3558489
AJ's got a thing for off-white mares with curly purple manes in any case.
3559640
I require more than just a single upvote to express my appreciation for this comment.
So do you figure her unrequited affections for Rara are the reason she's drawn to Rarity? They're even more at odds, personality-wise, but she can't help the conflation of old feelings with what's right in front of her.
3559678
Nothing of the sort. Rara was obviously a fling that occurred while AJ and Rarara were taking a break.
3559724
I take back that upvote! D:
3559737
Hey, it was a very good summer. Plus, they talked about it like adults and they are all OK with it.
3559121
Go to 00:23
"And thanks to Pinkie's connections organising the Ponypalooza Rock Concert, we've got quite a lineup for the Helping Hooves Music Festival."
Twilight Sparkle
Well I still don't know who she is, but she seems really nice! This was a nice tribute to the show: https://twitter.com/LenaRockerHall/status/668103715396706304
3559936
Oh wow, shit, I totally missed that. :D The main plot still feels rushed and hamfisted, but the little details in this episode are quickly making it better than a lot of the middle-ground of this season.
>AJ actually cries for Rara over her missing parents/every-freaking-else that's happened on the show
Rara > all on the emotional scale, ship confirmed
>AJ and Rara, fellow "let loose" pony, sing nationalistic song that the other fillies respond to extremely well
Instilled nationalism in pony young confirmed
You're right on the part where the narrative took a nap during the last song. I guess there's token points for the parallel between "I'm not just a pony / I'm a countess" and "I'm just a ponyyy"; the enunciation wasn't too clear for me so I was engaged trying to figure out the lyrics.
I really didn't care for having the whole CMC up on stage with her. It seems like yet more devaluing of Sweetie's individual talent, and just ignores the fact that Scootaloo at least is, at least for normal singing as opposed to in-universe musical numbers of the "Versebreakers" variety, a terrible singer. But I suppose that wouldn't work as well as a thank-you to Applejack.
3562818
The CMCs don't have individual talents anymore. Didn't you see that episode? They are now a hive mind, capable in equal measure of singing, scooter-riding, and apples. :V
I thought this was a decent enough middle-of-the-road episode, and while the songs did eat up a fair bit of time - the same problem that the play had in the awful Made in Manehattan episode - the songs were much more entertaining to me. The episode was actually interesting all the way through, even if it was too straightforward, and I can't say I wasn't entertained.
And I think that even as an homage to whatever, The Spectacle is still the best song of the season musically. :V I think I still prefer "Make This Castle A Home", but I think every song in this episode was above every other song in the season.
I wonder why.