Daring Done

Friendship is Magic first impressions review: Daring Done (s07e18)
by Obake

(SPOILERS!)

There is a word to describe this episode: sloppy. It has a solid premise but relies on poorly executed action.

A. K. Yearling, the real life Daring Do, announces her retirement. It turns out her reputation as Daring is not so glorious in Southern Equestria, where her recklessness has caused property damage and left grief. I really like this idea. An adventurer having to deal with the consequences of their legacy is something that could be applied to many (Indiana Jones, for example). It's a shame the episode forgets about it for so long. Yearling does pay back for some of the damages at the end, but it's not enough.

Dash is positive that Yearling is wrong. So she brings Yearling and Pinkie to the distant village of Somnambula. As it turns out, the villain Dr. Cabelleron has purposely been sullying Daring's name. Heaven forbid a character be fully responsible for their actions. I would not take as much issue with this if the rest of the episode were good. But the ending action scenes, ugh…

But let's get to the legend portion of the episode. The village of Somnambula is named after a mare who helped save it centuries earlier. A Sphinx held the town captive, kidnapping the pharaoh's son, Hazahn, and only offering to release him if one could solve a riddle. Somnambula does so. Enraged, the Sphinx refuses to release the Prince. So Somnambula offers to take one more challenge, which if she accomplishes, the Sphinx will be obliged to leave the village forever.

The trial is...walking over a bridge. Sure, Somnambula is blindfolded and unable to use her wings. The pit underneath is deep and filled with toxic goo. But the bridge is a straight path, no swerves, rickety boards, or traps. She does not need the guidance of the Prince's voice, nor does she need to take a leap of faith (as she does.) All she needs to do is walk forward. It's ridiculously simple.

To be fair, it is left to speculation whether the trial was as described. Later in the episode, Dash is tied to a platform in the same pit as in the legend, only with no bridge. Pinkie and Daring successfully get across by leaping over tiny pyramids which spew air. It's confusing, but it does give more weight to the “taking a leap of faith” logic than having to walk.

It's really the ending that brings the episode down. The logistics of the scene where Dash is captured are some of the worst I've seen in any show. Yearling and Pinkie are only feet away, yet they somehow don't catch up until the bad guys have already trapped Rainbow in the pyramid. With that, the schmaltzy dialogue, and Cabelleron revealing his plans to the entire town, it's all a clumsy mess. What a disappointing conclusion. It's not the worst episode, but it fails to live up to its potential.

Extra notes:

• Frightening moment when Pinkie is looking at Yearling from outside a window. Pinkie explains the emotions Yearling's is conveying, and says “Now she's hanging her head in utter despair.” For a millisecond I thought Pinkie was going to say “Now she's hanging herself.”
• Good headline gag: “Daring Do Leads Bull Into China Shop During High-speed Chase”
• Another gag done right: among damages, Daring ruined a peddler's apple-cart, perhaps a nod to the thousands of produce carts destroyed in action scenes.
• When Yearling's fears of villagers hating her are proved right, she runs away. Dash assures her that it was just “one angry pony”, Pinkie retorts that it was “two angry ponies.” In reality, it was four angry ponies.
• The ponies of the village offer “Glopaz” necklaces to the statue of Somnambula (which has been destroyed by Daring.) I didn't think idol worship existed in Equestria...wait, Dash idolizes the Wonderbolts, and Daring Do...never mind.
• I guess Yearling did not go into detail about the meaning of the Somnambula statue in her book, otherwise Dash would have understood why it was important to the villagers.
• I don't hate the Somnambula legend (asides from the bridge bit), I just find it so similar to the likes of other legends we've seen this season. Somnambula's is animated in a different style, as hieroglyphics, which is a nice idea, but ultimately looks unpolished. I'm sure with better editing, it could have worked.
• For all the episode does wrong, it does do some things right. Rainbow and Pinkie are mostly in character, though Rainbow storming Yearling's house and pushing her around for answers is off putting.
• I wish they didn't force Dr. Cabelleron into this episode. A new villain would have been fine. Or even no villain at all, and just Daring having to deal with damages she's caused.
• The credits put Jay Brazeau as doing the voice of the “Edler Stallion”. I assume they meant Elder. :p