28 Pranks Later Review (And Important Announcement and Question) · 5:12pm Aug 13th, 2016
It's a bit early for Halloween but we've got our Halloween themed episode. Given this show's track record for episodes taking place on Halloween or being Halloween themed, that doesn't exactly bode well for this episode. Especially when people were dreading a rehash of the infamous "The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well" from Season 2. Meghan McCarthy returned to pen this episode's story, but the episode itself is written by another newcomer in the form of F.M. De Marco who among his previous writing endevors was a writer for the recently wrapped up "Littlest Pet Shop" cartoon (and a lot of the same DHX talent was featured in that show). So, was Marco able to avoid a Mare-Do-Well rehash, or was this episode as bad as people were dreading it would be? Well, let's find out.
The episode starts off shooting itself in the foot with Rainbow Dash pranking Fluttershy late at night while she's on her way back to her cottage. She even admits pranking Fluttershy is too easy. Probably one of the worst starts to an episode, already things aren't looking good for this episode.
Fortunately, unlike in Mare-Do-Well, the mane six immediately take action to correct the problem. They stage an intervention to try and get Rainbow Dash to stop pranking all the time, only for Twilight to fall victim to a whoopie cushion prank, yet apparently no one but Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash think it's funny. The intervention fails, as Rainbow Dash vows to go all out on her prank war. Some of her pranks are harmless, such as swapping Rarity's sewing machine for a cake that looks like it, drawing a crude picture of Cheerilee on the school blackboard (though Cheerilee apparently doesn't like having the joke be on her), and tricking Spike into sending several scrolls to Princess Celestia, burying her in them.
However, some of her other pranks are rather rude and even outright hurtful. Such as dropping a boulder into Big Macintosh's cart (thankfully it just makes him roll back down the hill), replacing Cranky's wig with a skunk (too bad it wasn't Pepper Clark, that would've been a great easter egg), and putting a brick in Mr. Cake's sandwich. Only Pinkie continues to think Rainbow Dash's pranks are harmless, but Rainbow Dash is apparently giving Pinkie favorable treatment so the towns ponies convince her to talk some sense into Rainbow Dash.
From here on, things start to pick up a bit. Pinkie does the right thing and tries to talk some sense into Rainbow Dash, but Rainbow Dash still wants to try and prank the whole town at once. So she decides to swap out the CMC's fillyscout cookies with special prank ones that leave a rainbow smear in your mouth. Next morning, however, it seems Pinkie is a bit under the weather. She pleads with Rainbow Dash to give her more of the cookies, and Rainbow Dash starts to suspect something is wrong. She shrugs it off, as she, Rarity, and Applejack help the CMC with their deliveries all over town. At last, night begins to fall, and all is quiet. Too quiet for Rainbow Dash. It isn't until she stops by Sugarcube Corner however, that she finds out something is wrong. Pinkie and The Cakes have become zombies!
It soon turns out that the entire town has fallen victim to the zombie plague, due to the cookies. They want more and they'll stop at nothing to get it. Reluctantly, Rainbow Dash locks herself, the CMC, Rarity, and Applejack in the barn at Sweet Apple Acres and confesses about her prank. But it's too little too late, for they've all eaten the cookies and turned into zombies. Rainbow Dash is on her own!
Rainbow Dash is backed into a corner, and the towns ponies finally reveal the entire zombie apocolypse was all just a well executed prank. They planned it after Pinkie told them about Rainbow Dash's intent to swap the cookies, and they help her realize the importance of not pranking those who won't laugh at the joke or scare too easily. And unlike in Mare-Do-Well, Rainbow Dash remembers her lesson, and everyone has a good laugh about the whole thing. Which is good considering how this prank could've ended.
And that's the story, so what do I think of the episode? Well, it starts off pretty weak and the set-up not only takes too long but has Rainbow Dash at quite possibly her worst performance since Season 2. Thankfully, it picks up about midway through when Pinkie tries to talk some sense into Rainbow Dash, then orchestrates the entire zombie apocolypse prank to teach her a lesson. Plus, at that point, Rainbow Dash wisens up and starts to show legtimate concern, worried that her actions may have backfired on her. If you can ignore the blue elephant in the room, this episode is decent and not a Mare-Do-Well rehash (at least not completely), it's just hard to ignore said elephant. In the end, I give this episode a border line C+/B-, putting it above "Gift of The Maud Pie" which needed to make some revisions to its story to work, but below "Flutter Brutter" since at least all of the mane six were in character even if Zephyr Breeze wasn't a really compelling character and the song was kind of weak. I just hope Rainbow Dash will be treated better next time we see her, because it looks like this was a bad season for her in terms of focus episode (quite possibly her worst since Season 2).
Next week things should hopefully pick up with "Times Are A Changeling" in which Spike travels back to The Crystal Empire with Twilight and Sunburst (but not Starlight, unless Sunburst is a typo) and befriends a female changeling, then must defend her. Hopefully, the episode will treat the likely intended subject material of racism and prejudice with the same amount of dignity and respect that "Zootopia" had when it tackled them (and if you haven't seen "Zootopia" yet, you're missing out). However, I most likely won't be around to see it right when it airs. My family and I are planning to take a trip down to Tennessee for a few days, starting on my birthday and going straight through the weekend. But my grandfather on my dad's side of the family recently suffered what doctors believe was a mild heart attack, and so he is now recieving Hospice care at his home. Fortunately, he seems to have recovered a bit due to an anti-anxiety pill they gave him, but he's been in and out of the hospital several times for internal bleeding since this year began, and he's decided that if it happens again he's not going to go back in for surgery since the doctors can't figure out what's wrong with him. So if his condition detoriates, we may have to call off the trip and if he were to die there's no telling how that will affect my life as there will be the funeral to plan and the will to sort out. Hopefully that won't be the case.
In the mean time, i have a question that I want to ask of you all, and I want your honest opinions on it. I'm already working on a fanfic that will be published when I come back from my vacation, but would you be interested if I wrote an accusation fanfic taking place after "The Cart Before The Ponies", in which the CMC's big sisters are called out for their actions by the following: Scootaloo's Mom for Rainbow Dash, Magnum and Cookie (Rarity and Sweetie Belle's parents) for Rarity, and Big Macintosh for Applejack? The three of them will have to prove they've learned their lesson, but it won't be solely about calling them out on their behavior, it'll be about acknowledging that they messed up and that they'll try their hardest not to let it happen again? If enough people say yes, I'll try to crank out said fic by either Tuesday or Wednesday, barring any setbacks.
I'd say yes to that accusation fic, and normally I don't approve of them as they are mostly just Author Mouthpiece fics but as long as you explore both sides of the argument like I did with my Newbie Dash fic you should be fine.
On another note, I hope your grandfather gets well soon and pulls through.
Honestly, I personally LOVE RD's track record for this season.
All 3 of her episodes have been fantastic.
I personally didn't mind the slow set up, since it did need time to build up to the payoff.
I also found RD completely in character throughout the whole thing.
As for the fanfic, I probably won't read it, but you can go ahead and write it if you want.
I'm probably about bored reading accusation fics. They're becoming rather dull and uninteresting nowadays.
Yep, reminded me of a comment I saw that called Fluttershy an ''SJW''. (meaning Social Justice Warrior, from what I've heard)
Well, looks like Cheerilee might've thought a student did it or something and then tried to punish the student.
Ah, so that's what the ponies had on their mouth. I feel Pinkie Pie can be a good role model at various times. This is one of those times.
OH NO!
Well, yes. Rainbow Dash is the dominant star of the episode.
That sounds great! Can't wait to read it!
I was sorta hoping for a sacrifice scene, like the one from "Left 4 Dead 2", because that might've helped out the episode. It did have a few funny things in it, but it could've had some improvements at other parts. And I think you've got a nice idea; you should make it. Also, happy B-day next week. I'm curious to see what next weekend's episode will be like. Spike befriending a changeling should be cool.
Times Are A Changeling, I've been looking forward to this episode since they Reviled a possibly good changeling.
And yes I'd love to see a story on the CMC's sisters learning their lessons :)
Yes, please do that accusation fix! And I hope things go well for your family...
Well, I wouldn't mind the fic you mentioned, so long as it treats both sides with equal fairness.
As for "the Time's Are A-Changeling": Yeah, I too, hope that the Fantastic Racism issue is treated with the respect it deserves. Unfortunately, I don't have enough faith to trust the show's writing staff to be able to come up with something that complex.
The episode was ok, was better than last week.
Anyways I like to see the fic you wrote!
4147804 It doesn't have to be complex, it just has to be done with dignity and not be too preachy.
4147873 Well, maybe, but it mostly likely either 1. IS going to end up being overly preachy or 2. It's going to turn out that the Changeling really IS a spy and everybody EXCEPT Spike is going to be completely right about him or her. I really DON'T have much faith in the writers.
I did not like this weeks episode. I felt that there were too many missed opportunities, like writing on the door to sugar cube corner "Don't open, Cookies inside" or even having background ponies that looked like Rick, Darryl, or Michone.
I think episode was meh, I feel RD was not at her best. It would been better if Discord was one doing the pranks
I watched it and I'm in agreement. I found it quite a drag to get going and a little on the boring side since the zombie apocalypse trend has been done to death now in the last few years, I'm almost finding it annoying.
If last week was the third worst episode of the season, then I mark this one as the fourth worst episode and a second poor episode in a row. Apart from Episode 13, the second half of Season 6 is not looking good. Maybe things will pick up next week, but I'm holding out no hope if these recent episodes are anything to come by.
4149085 I have faith, seeing as it's a Spike episode and the writers have promised us a Spike song. Plus, Big Jim Miller said Spike's getting more awesome episodes this season. Worse comes to worse, "Dungeons and Discord" should be good.