Friendship is Card Games: 28 Pranks Later · 11:15am Aug 14th, 2016
Well. That happened. 
I do like how Fluttershy is reassuring herself as much as her friends at the beginning.
Wow. That is one fast mouse if it can keep pace with a panicked pegasus.
From a charitable perspective, Rainbow Dash pranking Fluttershy despite Pinkie’s ban on doing so in “Griffon the Brush-Off” could be seen as Dash feeling her friend has grown to the point where she can enjoy practical jokes. (The vague pronoun there was intentional.) From an uncharitable perspective, it's bad (or at least inexperienced) writing.
That being said, going by Fluttershy’s reaction after the initial shock, Dash is going to be paying for this for a long time to come. (And, if nothing else, maybe don’t mock the mare who’s friends with a bear.)
That’s… really not a good criterion for whether or not one should do a practical joke. You can’t please all of the people all of the time.
A central theme that runs through Dash’s pranking spree is a simple question: How did she do that? In some cases, I suspect Pinkie’s assistance, as with the cakes. In others… How did she lift that boulder? How did she bypass Applejack’s alarm and move her entire bed? And, for the sake of variety, where did she get all of those scrolls? Rainbow Dash isn’t Pinkie Pie. She doesn’t get an exemption for Looney Tunes logic.
That being said, while this is frustrating, childish, and at times impossible, I can’t really call it out of character. Dash’s single-minded pursuit of her passions, inability to turn down a challenge, and shaky sense of empathy have all been well-established. Still, it feels like character regression, especially after seeing her backpedal on the amazingness of seeing A. K. Yearling again in “Stranger than Fan Fiction.” On the other hand, this episode may happen chronologically before that one.
As a general guideline, when Pinkie Pie thinks the joke is unimpressive, don’t do it.
Huh. I see the Crusaders are still willing to let their sisters help after the derby. At least that lesson seems to be sticking… though in a sense, Dash is appropriating the activity for her own ends, isn’t she? For crying out loud. 
Those are absurdly spacious little coin purses.
They left from Sweet Apple Acres; why didn’t they go to Big Mac first? (Well, I suppose they may have needed to restock.) Actually, now that I’m thinking about it, why are the Crusaders the only ones selling cookies? Where all of the other Filly Guides, like the ones with the charity box in “Just for Sidekicks”?
If the others hadn’t been privy to Dash’s plans, there’s no way that they wouldn’t be suspicious of how she kept laughing after each sale. Seriously, about as subtle as a freight train.
I was wondering how Pinkie got literally all of Ponyville in on the prank. Then it hit me: They’re all her friends. Plus, they’re probably all plenty sick of Dash’s latest demonstration of the Outrageous Operations Catalyst Formula. Still, that does leave the question of how she coaxed the Cake twins into playing along...
Oh. Duh. She probably presented it as a game.
My God, that zombie Pinkie voice. 
Easily the best thing about the episode.
Okay, I can understand the initial shock, but Dash’s continued fear is more than a little perplexing. What would cookie-addict zombies even do to her, eat her mane?
The poor pacing really comes to light in the climax. I was astonished at how little time was left in the episode.
Huh. Given the ending, I can’t help but think of Estee’s No Sale. Part of bearing Laughter means knowing when it isn’t appropriate.
I find myself conflicted with this episode. On the one hand, it’s a plot centered on a caricature of Dash coming off the heels of another plot centered, in part, on a caricature of Dash. Furthermore, it’s a rehash of my least favorite episode of Season 2 with zombies instead of Darkwing Duck. On the other hand, it’s a rehash where Dash’s friends at least try to talk to her before getting the entire town to shame her, and where Ponyville's geography and technology level don't radically readjust themselves to fit the needs of the plot. If this episode had been in Season 2 or 3, or at least hadn’t come immediately after “The Cart Before the Ponies,” I probably would've enjoyed it more.
Still, it was certainly watchable. And now I have an excuse to make zombie cards! 
Actually Cake 2W
Instant
Target permanent becomes an enchantment and loses all abilities until a player casts a creature spell.
Gotcha — Whenever an opponent eats or drinks, you may say “Gotcha!” If you do, return Actually Cake from your graveyard to your hand.
The impetuous pegasus Dash…
Barnyard Barricade 3W
Creature — Wall
Defender, indestructible
Barnyard Barricade can block any number of creatures.
Whenever Barnyard Barricade blocks, skip your next combat phase.
If they can’t get in, you can’t get out.
0/5
Disrupted Lesson 1U
Instant
Counter target spell unless its controller pays 2.
Gotcha — Whenever an opponent asks what a card, spell, or permanent you own does, you may say “Gotcha!” If you do, return Disrupted Lesson from your graveyard to your hand.
With all of her friends once did clash…
Corpse Cabinet 1B
Enchantment
1B, Sacrifice an artifact or enchantment: Put a 2/2 black Zombie creature token onto the battlefield.
Many zombies are ambush predators, lurking wherever they can to jump out at unsuspecting prey.
Strike the Unwary 1BB
Sorcery
Destroy target tapped creature.
Gotcha — Whenever an opponent looks at his or her cell phone, you may say “Gotcha!” If you do, return Strike the Unwary from your graveyard to your hand.
“You are unimpressed?…”
Cookie-Crazed Twins 1BB
Creature — Zombie Pony
Cookie-Crazed Twins has double strike as long as you control a red or white permanent.
”Pinkie was right! Those two are creepy!”
—Rainbow Dash, Bearer of Loyalty
2/1
Rainbow Craver 2B
Creature — Zombie Pony
Whenever Rainbow Craver blocks or becomes blocked by a multicolored creature, Rainbow Craver gains deathtouch until end of turn.
”Why am I nervous? If they’re hungry for rainbows, what happens when the cookies run out?”
—Rainbow Dash, Bearer of Loyalty
2/3
Omniphobia 2B
Enchantment
1B, Discard a card: Target player discards a card. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.
1B, Sacrifice Omniphobia: Target player discards a card. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.
Witching Hour 2B
Sorcery
Creatures you control get +1/+0 and gain menace until end of turn.
”The moon’s apex marks the point where foul creatures are at their most bold, and my guardsponies their most vigilant.”
—Princess Luna
Tainted Treat 3B
Sorcery
Target creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn. If that creature dies this turn, return it to the battlefield under your control. It’s all colors and a Zombie in addition to its other types.
A taste to undie for.
Twilight, Princess Revived 4BB
Legendary Creature — Zombie Wizard
Alicorn (This card is a Pony Pegasus Unicorn.)
Indestructible
Other Zombie creatures you control get +1/+1.
2B: Zombie creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn.
3/3
Indiscriminate Mischief 1RR
Sorcery
Indiscriminate Mischief deals damage to each creature and player equal to the number of red cards in your graveyard.
Military discipline has made Rainbow Dash make the most of her precious moments of free time.
Death from Above 3R
Instant
Death from Above deals 4 damage to target creature or player.
Gotcha — Whenever an opponent drops one or more cards in his or her hand, you may say “Gotcha!” If you do, return Death from Above from your graveyard to your hand.
”I’ll show you the best!…”
Drown in Parchment 4R
Sorcery
Drown in Parchment deals damage to target player equal to the total number of cards in all players’ hands.
Even the most innocuous dragons must take care with the more fragile species.
Filly Guide 1G
Creature — Pony Scout
Creatures you control have hexproof during combat.
Once, they helped ponies to safe havens, away from slavering monsters. Now they get merit badges for it.
2/1
Irritable Skunk 2G
Creature — Beast
Flash
Deathtouch
Gotcha — Whenever an opponent sneezes, you may say “Gotcha!” If you do, return Irritable Skunk from your graveyard to your hand.
”A grand galloping gotcha bash!”
2/1
Cottage Watchbear 3G
Creature — Bear
Vigilance
When Cottage Watchbear dies, return it to the battlefield tapped and transformed.
His imposing bulk keeps Fluttershy safe.
3/3
Bakery Wrecker
(B) Creature — Zombie Bear
Menace
Bakery Wrecker can't block.
No one is safe from his immense hunger.
5/2
Early Warning System 4
Artifact
Whenever an opponent casts a spell during your turn, you may sacrifice Early Warning System. If you do, you may cast a nonland card from your hand without paying its mana cost.
”I’m keeping this fair. Rile me and I’ll rile you.”
—Applejack, Bearer of Honesty
Cookie Coma WU
Sorcery
Tap all creatures target player controls. They don’t untap during that player’s next untap step. That player gains 1 life for each creature tapped this way.
”The best kind of incapacitation.”
—Pinkie Pie, Bearer of Laughter
Eager Prankster 1UR
Creature — Pony Rogue
Flash
Sacrifice Eager Prankster: Spells you cast this turn cost 1 less to cast for each instant card and card with flash in your graveyard.
”I can neither confirm nor deny that Rainbow Dash had any help.”
2/1
Impossible Feat RGW
Instant
Target creature gains indestructible and trample and gets +X/+X until end of turn, where X is that creature’s power.
Rainbow Dash earned her mark for making the impossible happen, and she’s lived up to that legacy every day since.
Feral Horror 4BG
Creature — Elemental Horror
Flying, trample
The Everfree still has its share of frights.
4/4
Mass Prank 4URG
Instant
Exile all creatures you control. For each creature exiled this way, search your library for a creature card and put it onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library. Those creatures gain haste until end of turn. At the beginning of your next end step, return the exiled cards to the battlefield under your control, then exile all other creatures you control.
In Omniphobia, should be two instances of "Target player discards a card".
I see what you did there.
Yeah, this episode was weird. The first half was super awful and forced, but the second was comedy gold. That BGM...
Also, Cookie Coma is super good. The existing monocolored version is four mana and doesn't give you life.
This had the feel of a Season One script with Season Six animation. Specifically, Dashie regresses to an earlier level of immaturity.
The OOC-formula has great predictive power.
I actually really enjoyed this episode, more than any episode since The Saddle Row Review. The big issue is that it feels like a season 1 or season 2 plot, but apparently that doesn't really bother me. Apart from RD putting her worst self forward, everyone is in character and showing what they're good for. There are similarities to Mare-Do-Well, but without the things that made Mare-Do-Well terrible.
And well, I usually enjoy the genre pastiches, and come on, it's a Ponyville Zombie Apocalypse
I was just generally entertained, and that counts for a lot.
Oh, and the Cake twins are wearing diapers again. The fact that they weren't wearing diapers in The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows was the one hint that they'd actually grown at all since Baby Cakes, and now that's gone away
Oh got not gotcha. Anything but gotcha.
I agreed with everything you said about this episode. It would have come across better if it were placed in Season 3 (in an alternate universe where S3 was full length). But yeah, as it is, it's not exactly OOC, it just feels like Dash should have learned this lesson by now.
Maybe that's the biggest problem the new writers a facing: trying to come up with friendship lessons that the main characters haven't already learned. In that case, I think either the show should end soon or shift the focus to the M6 helping the reformed antagonists learn lessons (Discord, Luna, Trixie, Diamond Tiara, and Starlight Glimmer). The second option would better because we'd get a twist on the old formula while getting better character development (plus more pony is always good). Too bad I don't have a direct line to the show's staff.
Oh, and also, Pound and Pumpkin Cake are either stuck in a bubble where time passes more slowly, or they suffer from some kind of disorder that keeps them from aging. I'd write a fanfic about it if I wasn't already trying to come up with good endings for other fanfics I started.
4149108
Fixed. Thanks.
And out of all of the established creature types, what else but Scout would work?
4149112
I think the episode would've been stronger if it had started en medias res, with Dash and company fleeing from the rainbow-muzzled zombies as Dash hesitantly fills in what we missed, prompted at times by Rarity and Applejack. At the very least, it could've skimmed over the more over-the-top pranks.
Also, Cookie Coma gives the targeted player the life, which part of why is why it's so cheap. Trust me, as someone who's been on both ends of it multiple times, Sleep is perfectly costed as is.
4149113
4149175 hit the nail on the head here. The show has been extended long past its initially expected runtime, and as such, it's hard to find room for further progress in the Mane Six's character arcs without some backtracking. Though, to be fair, if anypony would need the same lesson multiple times before it sinks in for good, it'd be Rainbow Dash. Nice girl, I say, nice girl, but her skull's 'bout as thick as molasses in January.
4149114
Always good to see someone enjoy an episode, even if I didn't. And yes, the third act was pretty fantastic.
Also, fun fact: If you look carefully, you can see the diapers snap onto the Flash puppets. (My justification for the diapers is that the twins are only partially potty trained.)
4149126
Ponies were saying it all episode. How could I not include it?
The flavor text for "Impossible Feat" is missing an e. Otherwise, excellent job as always.
Pinkie Pie does it more, but everypony uses Looney Tunes logic at least once an episode. Their limbs stretch and distort, and they all use Hammerspace regularly, to say nothing of their cartoonish durability.
They were supposed to be zombies? I thought they were all possessed by a crazed Cookie Monster.
I agree with that episode review.
***
Why's that? ... Oh! 'Cause Red and White oppose Black, right?
***
Doesn't that need a note of who the speaker is? I guess it's Pinkie Pie? Some others also are missing the speaker? The one I'm most confused by is:
...
I want to say that's proper grammar... But, I dunno...
I spy a limerick!
Being the easily entertained pile of derp that I am, I enjoyed the episode. I do kinda agree with 4149112, though, in that I wish the setup had taken less time so we could have had more of the glorious zombie pony shenanigans we'd been waiting for since "Bridle Gossip".
Anyhow, in yesterday's episode, we saw Rainbow Dash confronted with her biggest fear: the consequences of her reckless actions biting her in the rump.
I also have a new piece of headcanon that ponies' coats contain chromatophores (like a cephelopod, except monochromatic) that allow them to adjust their coats' saturation at will. It's the best explanation I could come up with for how the whole town of zombies could instantly return to full color saturation once their jig was up.
I figure it was an adaptation to help ponies to better communicate their emotional state, but controlling it consciously became a possibility at some point. Getting Discorded locks the chromatophores into minimum mode. (Then again, we did get to see that pony skin colors don't necessarily match their coat colors when we saw the shaved Snips and Snails in "Cutie Mark Confidential", so my theory is dubious at best. 
)
4149212
Some conveniences can be granted to a species without thumbs or frequent access to pockets, but there comes a point where suspension of disbelief snaps in two.
4149217
Also a possibility.
4149268
White does. Red doesn't. However, both do have access to double strike. Pound and Pumpkin are apparently honorary members of the Mardu Horde.
If a quotation comes from the creature represented on the card, it goes unattributed. It's a convention of the medium. Plus, this gives Pinkie further plausible deniability. She can neither confirm not deny that she was the one who could give neither confirmation nor denial.
As for the other headscratchers, see Bugsydor's comment immediately after yours.
4149290
Yup. Both Unglued and Unhinged had flavor text limericks*. Since I was making a cycle using a mechanic from the latter, I felt it was appropriate.
Indeed. It's one thing for her recklessness to hit her; that's part of being a daredevil. But it's not fun anymore if it hurts others.
As for the question of saturation, it's possible that Discord was involved in the background... though that wouldn't explain Pinkie's color scheme darkening in "Party of One." Hmm. You may be onto something.
*Respectively:
In a duel and taking a lickin'
The wizard declared, "I'm no chicken.
"I'm facing defeat,
"But next time we meet
"You're in for a nasty butt-kickin'."
There once was a player named Quinn
Who consistently managed to win.
Until he got singed
Playing Unhinged,
Getting "Gotcha'ed" again and again.
On seeing Corpse Cabinet I had a funny thought.
"I've got skeletons in my closet, corpses in my cabinet and vampires in the vanity. I really should have known better than to date a necromancer."
Strike the Unwary really sucks for those people that have a life counter app on their phones.
Geeze, having an irrational fear of everything would really suck.
Indiscriminate Mischief is a really good card for All-In-Red. I don't really care if I take seven damage if I'm at twenty and my opponent is at seven.
Just what counts as "dropping" a card for Death from Above? Because if you don't very careful set the card all the way on the table when you play it one could consider that to be "dropping" the card.
When I play cards I tend to not lay them completely flat on the table before letting go, especially so when I place something in my graveyard.
So far all of the Gatcha cards are very unambiguous as to what needs to happen for it to trigger. This is the sort of thing people could argue about and that isn't really all that fun for some people. (Other people just want to argue. No it doesn't really matter what wood the casket is made from I just want to have an argument about it.)
You have a double "they" in Filly Guide's flavor text.
On Bakery Wrecker: Black doesn't really get the "attacks each turn if able" rider, Black gets "cannot block" instead.
There ARE two non Red cards (and one Black-Red) card with this, but they are both from older sets when stuff was still settling out.
Both of the non Red versions would probably have the "cannot block" rider this day and age. While "attacks each turn is able" is just a more extreme version of that R&D wants a means of differing Black and Red from each other while making them both be more "aggressive" colors.
I'm not sure Fluttershy, there are probably better means of incapacitation but we'll keep this TV-Y.
And for some reason Chrome thinks that "incapacitation" isn't a real word. *Adds to dictionary.*
Said it before and will say it again, we need more "flample".
When I do a Mass Prank, I bring along my good friends Emrakul, Ulamog, and Kozilek. Hope you have 14 cookie boxes lying around!
Well ... the Show could go on to the logical next developments in their lives. They have, to some extent -- Twilight's gaining new diplomatic and political responsibilities, Rarity's now managing a chain of boutiques; Spike's growing into a hero in his own right; the CMC have their Marks and are finding a new role helping others express their Talents. The other obvious direction -- having them start courtships -- is one the Show may be afraid of taking, and could really screw up in a way most people would notice if they did it badly. They've sort of started with that with every character save Applejack, though.
I have mixed feelings about this one, like I did with Second Prances, though the 'pro' side is irritating me less than Prances'. I think it shares a similar problem-- the personality one-- and I don't really buy the "go backward or we can't go on" explanation. It smacks of unnecessary one-dimensionality. Like there's only a single flaw, and that development just means overcoming old issues without encountering new permutations. I think that one of the things you cardquoted-- about having Rainbow be in a time crunch-- might have made more sense. I.e., she still enjoys pranking, and tries to make it actually funny or suited to the pony in question, but just keeps running out of time, and gets lazy (which would have fit Applejack's criticism rather well) and it turns out poorly.
Speaking of, I do like that they did keep Fluttershy's growth a bit, in that she's willing to stand up and not just um, fine her way out of things.
They'd still have had the time crunch issue, though, so I don't know if that would have worked out with the pacing issues it has already.
What I do like, and I think really answers a lot of the MDW issues, is that it comes down to a question of Loyalty. The main concern we see with her at the end fits both why she doesn't just ditch the cookies in the road and escape with the CMC and sisters, and why it's really unfunny to her. She's worried that she's responsible for hurting ponies she cares about, and refuses to let even her own potential safety or convenience get in the way. I'd say the thing with Mr. Cake and Big Mac would negate that, but see: cartoon pony anatomy and earth pony mojo for that.
Honestly, I could half see it as being related to the Wonderbolts, whom I increasingly see her idolization of as a source for many of her character flaws. The lesson that she could have learned from Newbie Dash might well have been "It doesn't matter if it hurts ponies as long as there's a shared laugh," and Pinkie kept reinforcing her shared laugh idea. And some of the others might have found the occasional thing funny, but we didn't have time to see it.
I suspect that the "we have to go backwards or we can't go forwards" idea is probably what the writers are thinking. Contrary to my prior thoughts on the subject and what a lot of other people have written, I don't think that the issue is that the writers are bad, per se. There are a lot of places where they've definitely got amusing ideas, and about half of all the episodes are good in both continuity and effective comedy/adventure/etc. Looking back at Second Prances, I really do feel that where it was good, it was very good, it's just that where it was bad/didn't fit, it stunk, and didn't have the redeeming aspects of this ep. There really isn't an excuse for the backpedalling there at all, and Celestia's OOC just makes no sense.
So especially with the upcoming Changeling eps and Dungeons and Discord, I do feel like we've got a lot to hope for. Especially since Discord's essential personality and nature means that some backsliding fits in easier; a lot of what he does, as long as he's willing to reverse it after, really is harmless. Doubly so if he's got willing participants. I just do heartily believe that their character arcs didn't end with "learning that the core of loyalty isn't just about being appreciated and you have to choose your prank targets carefully" or "Got a crown and confidence." That said, it is still a show for kids, and a mostly episodic one, so I'm willing to check my possessiveness at the door and give them some room to re-grow. Even if I think it's not necessary.
It would have been a lot more enjoyable had they had somepony unknown pull pranks and call in Dash as a sort of detective.
I think for seven converted in three colors, I should get to shuffle the creatures brought to the battlefield back into my library, but then again I like Warp World and realize that a lot of players don't, so maybe my visions of what this sort of card gets me are skewed.
I did find some parts funny in the ep.
Three swings and misses in a row, from my perspective. The post hiatus block started with my worst episode of the season and my second worst of all time, after Brotherhooves Social.
And Rainbow Dash gets to narrate the silver-bordered cycle instead of Pinkie. What is the world coming to?
Yes, yes, lawn, mine, get off. Still. I'm really unimpressed with the post-hiatus lineup.
In light of recent fanfics, I really should've expected fixfics about this episode to appear.
I'm even tempted to suggest some of them to Rage Reviews.
4149412
For Death from Above, I'm ruling that by the time a played card hits the table, it's either a spell on the stack or a land on the battlefield. The ability triggers when an opponent manages to drop a card accidentally... though I will rule that it triggers if they accidentally play the wrong card and have to pick it back up.
Thanks for the catches, especially on Bakery Wrecker. Could've sworn that Bloodghast attacked each turn if able for some reason.
4149425
Well, Kozilek will rewind time for a good laugh, Emrakul plays hilarious pranks when she loses at chess, and Ulamog always likes eating something funny.
4150243
It takes a prankster to catch a prankster. Interesting concept. Possibly a fun story idea.
4150254
Given that you can look for specific creatures rather than get whatever's on the top of your library, I'd say it's fair.
4150918
Well, she was the one saying "Gotcha" most of the episode.
Sorry these haven't been to your taste thus far. Here's hoping that trend ends with this one.
It was nowhere near Mare Do Well quality, but character regression is still one of the things that annoys me most in this show, so I can't say I enjoyed it that much. I also wasn't much a fan of Cart Before the Ponies the previous week, for the same reason. But the changeling episode is next! I'm excited for that one, at least.
4149199 Rainbow might need to learn a lesson twice but Applejack's skull is even thicker than Rainbow's when it comes to tradition and changing things, like we've seen in the previous episode.
Yeah, it felt like a step backwards for Dash's character.
...
I blame Applejack.
Applejack, why did you have to make it sound like a challenge?
I did expect Dash to just stick with pranking her friends though, not uninvolved by-standers like Cranky.
Also, surprised no one brought up Discord so far.
He must've loved this. Plus, Dash's idea of "a good prank" is exactly his kind of a prank.
I expect someone to include an indignant Discord huffing about ---
"It's not fair! I do it and they turn me to stone, but Rainbow Crash does it and the townsponies just turn into zombies? Why can't they do that with me? I could give them brain-shaped cookies! Or I could've turned pony's brains into still-functioning chocolate chip cookies! Oh, what lovely chaos that would've been! It's just not fair!"
...
Okay, now I wanna see a Rainbow Dash / Discord prank-war.
"No... cookies?" The crowd of zombie-ponies slowly turned their heads left and right, as if unsure how to proceed.
"No more cookies!" Rainbow Dash asserted, eyes hastily darting between the lightning-incinerated pile of ash and the horde of deranged ponies.
"No..." Zombie-Pinkie stumbled forward, closer to Dash. "...One more cookie left..." She licked her lips. "One huge rainbow-cookie... coooookiiiiieeeees..."
.... But, nah, I think it was more of a combination of fear for her friends' well-being, combined with loss of control in the situation.
After all, Dash could've easily beaten up a whole town of zombies --- except the zombies were her friends and neighbors.
There was that one line "No, no! Stay away! They're making you sick! You don't want these!"
I watched this episode and was immediately reminded of this song =3