Season 6, Episode 13 Thoughts and Review · 5:07pm Aug 1st, 2016
The episode begins with Daring Do braving an underground temple's hazards to claim a rare artifact. This is revealed to a Daring Do story being read to Rainbow Dash by Twilight Sparkle while Rainbow packs up for the Daring Do Convention in Manehattan.
Twilight is everyone who didn't get to go to BronyCon. AKA, me.
Twilight is upset that she is unable to attend the convention due to an upcoming friendship summit in Griffonstone (future episode?), but Rainbow promises to get A.K. Yearling to sign her book for her. Rainbow tries to downplay her excitement for the convention in front of Twilight, but she is overcome with excitement as soon as she arrives.
I'd probably be the same way if I ever went to a con... IF.
As Rainbow Dash wanders through the convention, a salespony briefly tries to sell her on the Daring Do Experience "adventu-cation", but she declines, having already done it. Afterward, she meets a pony named Quibble Pants, who shares her fanatical passion for Daring Do.
That feel when you meet someone who is just as big of a fan of something as you are.
The two spend some time exploring the convention together and checking out various booths and activities.
I LITERALLY CHOKED WHEN I SAW THIS
During lunch, Rainbow suggests they check out convention activities relating to the Daring Do books that were released after the initial trilogy. Quibble refuses, however, claiming that the later books in the series are "dumbed down" and unrealistic.
I'm gonna start using this gif, and no one can stop me.
This leads to a heated argument between Rainbow and Quibble regarding the quality of A.K. Yearling's subsequent writing. Unable to come to an agreement on the matter, the two decide that they cannot be friends and part ways.
Not from this particular scene, but the gif fits.
At the hotel near the convention, Rainbow Dash searches for A.K. Yearling so she can prove to Quibble Pants that the Daring Do books are indeed realistic. When she meets with Yearling claiming to have an "emergency", Yearling pulls her into a hotel room, believing that Dr. Caballeron is somewhere at the convention.
She looks so smug.
Yearling dismisses Rainbow's fan interests as she is more concerned with a key-shaped artifact she recently came into possession of and finding a lost treasure before Caballeron does.
Dash, whatever it is you're thinking, you need to stop...
Discarding her A.K. Yearling persona, Daring Do asks Rainbow Dash to keep a lookout for suspicious activity around the convention hall. As Rainbow returns to the convention, Dr. Caballeron lurks close by, blending in with cosplayers as he searches for Daring Do.
I can't believe kink shaming is canon
Rainbow once again bumps into Quibble Pants, who continues to voice his distaste for the later Daring Do books. As Rainbow follows Caballeron and Quibble Pants follows her, Caballeron's henchponies overhear them talking about Daring Do's artifact and capture them.
Caballeron is so confused.
Caballeron and his henchponies drag Rainbow and Quibble out to a remote jungle, believing them to be working for Daring Do and intending to use them as bait to draw her in. However, Quibble believes the entire setup to be fake—that Rainbow Dash signed them up for a Daring Do Experience adventu-cation and that Caballeron and his henchponies are merely actors. After the henchponies bind Rainbow and Quibble in chains, Quibble uses his intricate Daring Do savvy to lure the henchponies away and free himself and Rainbow.
However, he still refuses to acknowledge that anything happening around him is real. Rainbow guides Quibble through the treacherous jungle, and it is only after Quibble nearly falls into raging rapids that he realizes his life is in genuine danger.
Unfortunately, Caballeron and his henchponies quickly catch up with them, and through their unwitting help, Caballeron discovers the lost temple he had been searching for.
Caballeron and his henchponies drag Rainbow and Quibble into the temple, and Quibble still believes everything happening around him to be a performance. As he continues to voice his cynicism, he inadvertently triggers some traps that releases a monstrous Cipactli and slowly fills the temple chamber with mud. Once he is face-to-face with the Cipactli, Quibble comes to a frightening realization:
"This is real!"
Caballeron traps Rainbow and Quibble in the mud chamber with the Cipactli, but Daring Do swoops to their rescue. Quibble is eager to escape the temple, but Daring Do says they have to find the treasure before Caballeron first.
Rainbow, Quibble, and Daring Do find themselves in a chamber with seven doors, behind only one of which lies the treasure. With Quibble Pants' cynical help, Daring Do opens the correct door with her key-shaped artifact and claims the temple's treasure. However, as mud starts to fill the room, the temple entrance is sealed off and the Cipactli slowly closes in.
Using a vine to pull Quibble Pants along, Rainbow and Daring Do avoid the Cipactli and escape the temple through an open skylight. Once the three are outside the temple, they elude Caballeron and his henchponies by having the Cipactli chase them off.
I'm dying, the faces in this episode were absolute perfection.
Daring Do thanks both Rainbow Dash and Quibble Pants for their help and flies off to bring the temple treasure to a museum. As Rainbow and Quibble return to civilization, Quibble admits that the later Daring Do books are more realistic than he realized, but he still does not like them. Before Rainbow can argue with him again, Quibble says he figured something out. While he prefers the intelligent and puzzle-solving Daring Do of the original trilogy and Rainbow prefers the brave and unbeatable Daring Do of the later books, it is okay for them to like the series in their own way, and neither of them are at fault for their personal preferences.
Quibble also compliments Rainbow Dash for the bravery and awesomeness she demonstrated during their adventure. Rainbow returns the sentiment, complimenting Quibble for his perception and puzzle-solving skills. As they leave the jungle as friends, Quibble goes on an extended ramble about his Daring Do fan fiction that continues over the end credits.
Now, what did I think of this episode? I LOVED IT. It's the exact kind of meta-commentary that I love to see in fictional works! The story was a character driven adventure and it worked out beautifully. Dash was characterized wonderfully and she had a great foil, too!
This episode has managed to achieve a proper representation of our fanbase and it's accurate as hell. Thing is, though, it's not disrespectful to us. While Quibble can be annoying and a bit whiny, that doesn't mean he still isn't contributing. In fact, he's a big part of the reason that Dash was able to get through her adventure and actually helped Daring Do out. Most characters within his archetype don't usually get to do that, and it's a great way to break the mold.
Also, I absolutely love the dialogue between Quibble and Dash. They share a love over Daring, but their opinions differ and it sparks debate between them. Dash argues with Quibble just as much as he argues with her, and their arguing is never one-sided. Eventually, they get to see the other pony's line of sight and realize that even though they think differently, that doesn't mean that they aren't allowed to enjoy Daring Do together. In fact, their discourse is what helps them to get through some of their trials, because Quibble is able to help with the puzzle aspects while Dash is able to be the badass she is.
Which, brings me to another point... The lesson. This is a good lesson, and I'm glad that it's in the show. Too often do we get caught up in debates and arguing over different aspects of the show that we forget what brought us together in the first place. Just because we think differently, doesn't mean we have to tear each other apart. We're all here for a reason. Maybe not the exact same reason, but for a reason nonetheless.
In the end, we're all just nerds who like ponies.
Now, I feel like I have something to add to this lesson... While it's important to remember that we're all here for a reason, it's also important to remember that not everyone is going to share your opinion. Like Dash, we've all encountered someone who doesn't share our opinion. Maybe it was over something small or maybe it was over something big. Regardless, just because you don't share soemone's opinions doesn't mean that you need to spark an all-out war. No ship, or any aspect of a fictional universe, is important enough to treat another real life human being badly.
I could go on and on about how important respect is and how this lesson conveys that nicely. However, I might end up falling into a rant about fandom and I don't want to rant right now. Instead, I want to enjoy this episode and share a nice conversation about it in the comments below.
Be respectful to each other, you guys. We may be different, but that doesn't mean it has to drive us apart.
Well said review my friend!
4126251 Amen.
This is an episode, and a lesson, that the fandom desperately needed. And not only does it apply very well to the pre- and post-Faust division of the show's fanbase, it's also topical in that it comes hot on the heels of a lot of controversial changes that have occurred to a lot of big franchises—the Ghostbusters reboot, the new Star Trek movies, Game of Thrones vs A Song of Ice and Fire, etc.
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YES. This lesson is so good because it's applicable to different fandoms. It's not just something that Bronies can learn from, but a lesson that EVERYONE can learn from. People need to learn that there are going to be different opinions and that's ok.
"I guess we don't have to agree on everything to get along." - Quibble Pants
31.media.tumblr.com/5f6482c127cb1bf0d41d9e4c70fc4b2f/tumblr_inline_nggea0JP6X1r56lqu.gif
A lesson for all.
I would say "Amen to that and ButtonBelle" under normal circumstances, but as my summer reading has undoubtably forced me to say after countless hours of WORK:
Alas, Babylon!
4126251 Eeyup.
This episode was nice. I went to a convention in Chicago a few years back and met my best friend there, now, I've turned him into a brony.