30 Pranks of Night [episode spoilers!] · 5:28pm Aug 13th, 2016
It's rare for me these days to find my thoughts on a new episode echoed by more than a few people around the fandom. The Cart Before the Ponies is a rare victory for me in this regard, but that victory is ultimately pyrrhic, since everyone agrees with me that the episode was just okay, with the only dissent being whether or not that makes it bad. I have thought of one thing, however, that makes this ultimately mediocre episode worth watching, in case you needed some pushing into the "it wasn't bad" category.
I had made the observation initially that this episode could easily have occurred as far back as season one. (If for no other reason than Twist is present.) I mean, maybe the connection between Dash and Scootaloo wasn't as strong back then, but the point is, the CMCs don't need their cutie marks for this storyline to happen. The only thing that would have changed would have been some discussion and/or fanatisizing about getting derby race-related cutie marks.
Instead, what we get is that one scene where they all discuss what they want to do with their carts: AB's gotta go fast, Scoot wants to design, Sweetie wants to be boring (which really does fit her!) And this scene is really important because it starts with them acknowledging that normally, they'd be doing rather the opposite, falling in line with what their sisters end up doing during the episode. Most importantly, Scootaloo notes that she doesn't need to win because she's already super-fast on her scooter.
And that's why this episode is important: it shows that, having gotten their cutie marks, the Crusaders are starting to grow up, and specifically, grow more confident in who they are. This doesn't change the fact that the rest of the episode is at best somewhat entertaining, but "has merit" is not something you can say about every episode. So there you go. Giddy up, dirt erasers!
Also, I want to know her deal.
This week, the mane cast go north of the Crystal Empire to fight vampires in a land shrouded in six-month... Wait, what do you mean that's the wrong horror film?
This season, I've been making a concerted effort to avoid spoilers. I'm not watching spoiler clips, I'm not really getting any preview of episodes beyond the title, the synopsis, and whatever screenshots of the spoiler clips end up on derpibooru.
My point being, I recalled somewhere a while back that there was mention of a 'zombie episode', forgot that until I figured out which movie the episode title was referencing, and then was able to put together all the pieces well ahead of them playing out.
Despite that, this episode was a ton of fun and I really enjoyed it. :D I don't have a lot to say about it, pick-apart wise, just that it delivers its moral the same way Mysterious Mare-Do-Well did, and succeeded far better. (I.e., "teach Rainbow Dash not to do things that annoy everyone by out-Rainbow-Dashing her.) I appreciate the heck out of that.
I will also note that, like last week's episode, this one feels very, let's say, season two. At the very least, it would have benefited from being closer, chronologically, to Griffon the Brush-Off, continuity and all. I'm almost starting to think of the first two-three seasons as a separate show. <.< Things are getting weird.
A Hearth's Warming Tail
Gauntlet of Fire
No Second Prances
Spice Up Your Life
Stranger Than Fan Fiction
28 Pranks Later
Flutter Brutter
The Crystalling
The Cart Before the Ponies
Applejack's "Day" Off
The Saddle Row Review
On Your Marks
The Gift of the Maud Pie
Newbie Dash
Luna's Future
Say Goodbye to the Holiday
Seeds of the Past
Hearth's Warming Eve Is Here Once Again
It's Gonna Work
Pinkie's Present
Can I Do It on My Own
Derby Racers
Out on My Own
http://www.fimfiction.net/blog/663008/notes-written-as-i-watch-28-pranks-later
In summation:
4147771
That it was. :)
Well, it's good to see that someone enjoyed it. (And hey, at least I have an excuse to make zombie cards.)
Maybe it's my love for zombie movies coming out, but this one was highly entertaining.
4147777
It was Mare-Do-Well done right, if there is such a thing. I add the caveat because the "right" way to handle a grossly insensitive friend is to talk about it, and then if that fails, to end the friendship (and if THAT fails, take legal action). Our cartoon ponies don't have to deal with such consequences, so sure, zomponies. Whatever.
This ep did have its funny parts.
That was my conclusion:
With "Pranks for Nothing." When I did the story in the Writeoff two years ago, I set it contemporaneously in season four, but after reading folks' comments, I reset it to season one. Yet another advantage we have around here that the show writers don't.
Mike
So much for Fluttershy being off limits to pranking. The poor dear was nearly in tears!
RD now stands for Rainbow Dick.
You better hope Wanderer D doesn't read your blog. XD
This was definitely a fun one, mostly because (as you noted, with the first few seasons almost seeming to be a separate show) the zombie idea IS so show-specific for the demographic. It just fits wonderfully.
4147949
She's always been a dick, it's not like it's new. :V
Plus, as someone else pointed out, it's Pinkie who put Fluttershy off-limits for pranking long ago. Rainbow would definitely forget that kind of thing.
This is actually a good example of showing how big a jerk can be verses the pranks that her and Dash did back in Griffon the Brush-Off. In that, Pinkie was all for the pranks, but even she knew how to tailor them to the ponies being pranked and when NOT to prank, specifically Fluttershy, who she's like "Oh no, Fluttershy is WAY too sensative to prank!"
Seriously, a brick in a sandwich? A skunk hair piece? Yeah, Dash is a bit of a huge jerk when she doesn't have someone to tie her down to being reasonable.
4148483 Okay, Pinkie being the one who did that was something I forgot, and does help a bit. Still, didn't remember that at the time and so it contributed to a hole it had to dig out of (which it kinda did), along with it hopping up and down on the corpse of the idea that the Everfree Forest is any kind of threat.
On which note, does it even have a reason for existing at this point?
4161860
It gave us zombies. :V There are probably other plots that could have resulted in zombies, though.
4161927 Okay sure, that's a reason for the episode. But I was talking about the Everfree Forest having a reason to exist, not the episode. I guess it holds Zecora's hut.
4161943
ohh
Yeah, it's kind of not the overwhelming danger it once was. :B