Surf and/or Turf Review · 4:36pm Apr 21st, 2018
After two weeks worth of lackluster episodes, this episode has a lot to do to get Season 8 back on track. This episode features the debut of the first new writer of the season, Brian Hohlfeld. He's written for a variety of shows before, but his most noticeable was working alongside Nicole Dubac to create Transformers: Rescue Bots (which is getting a spin-off series later this year). A show that, while it had the same animation studio as this show, utilized LA voice talent (including Maurice LaMarche and even Tim Curry for a few occasions). With the knowledge that this is also the first map mission and the first CMC episode of the show, a lot was riding on this episode. Was Brian up to the challenge? Well, let's find out.
We begin with the CMC bursting into the throne room, their cutie marks glowing. And they soon discover they're being called to Mount Aris, where the Hippogriffs now live. Twilight accompanies them, though she has her own intended goals, getting a permission slip for Silverstream signed (usually it's the student who takes the slip home) and also claiming "research" (though it's clear she wants a break). And apparently, Mount Aris has a train station and train tracks already set up for it. So now we know how Applejack was able to reach it in such a short amount of time.
It turns out that Silverstream has other family, including a hippogriff father named Sky Beak and a seapony mother named Ocean Flow. Also, this episode confirms the headcanon fandom nickname of Seaquestria for the seaponies' home. Some hippogriffs still live underwater, but others chose to go back on land and stay there (I always got the impression that they lived in both dwellings and alternated between them as necessary). But aside from the introduction of Terramar as Silverstream's brother and the obvious revelation that he's the one the CMC are supposed to help, not much really happens through the first act other than showing off the scenery. They could've introduced Terramar's problem before they did all of that, because all it does is make the episode feel like it has to pad out the run time, not a good sign when every episode outside the premiere has run into this.
Thankfully, once the actual conflict kicks in things start to improve considerably. The CMC even decide to set up a chart to help weigh the pros and cons of each place. You might think this is where they lead into a song, but nope, that's not what happens.
Sweetie Belle takes a liking to Mount Aris, especially the harmonizing hills, and is prepared to suggest Terramar just live there. But Apple Bloom points out that they haven't explored Seaquestria yet, and they turn into seaponies to do so. Scootaloo loves it, noting that swimming as a seapony is just like flying. Sweetie Belle, however, finds underwater to be dark, damp, crowded, and she apparently runs into a sea monster. This leads into the song "Your Heart is in Two Places", a nice little song that feels like it could go on longer, but it's not among the higher end CMC songs.
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo butt heads over where Terramar should live, and the song ends with them not speaking to each other. You know, something like this should've gotten much more of a build up, and it could've easily been doable if they'd trimmed down the scenery showcase that filled up the entire first act. This is especially important because Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were established way back in Season 1 as being together since before they met Apple Bloom. It should take a lot to get them to stop talking to each other, instead of just suddenly throwing it onto us.
I should also take the time to address a concern that a few people probably have with this conflict, why don't they just do something like flip a coin or pull a name out of a hat to decide? And on that, I am reminded of a criticism Tea rose to Yugi and Joey's duel in the English dub of Yu-Gi-Oh, specifically their one in Duelist Kingdom for the right to face Pegasus (I don't know if Tea voices that same complaint in the original Japanese version, and in the original manga Joey forefits his right to face Pegasus and there is no duel), and Bakura points out that's not how they would want to decide it. I think the same thing works here, the CMC wouldn't want to just settle the conflict by random chance, they'd want to make sure that Terramar got to see all his options and pick the one he liked best. Anyway, Apple Bloom tries and fails to play peacemaker, leaving it up to Twilight to talk some sense into the CMC. After turning down a chance to do more "research", she comes up with the solution, bring every creature together on the beach for a picnic. And when the CMC lure Terramar back to the beach, his parents apologize for making him feel like he had to choose, and he's free to come and go as he pleases between them both. The episode ends with the CMC glowing, and Terramar going off with both his parents, briefly transforming into a seapony to hi fin them.
And that's the story, so what do I think of the episode? Well, despite how critical I am of it, and despite the fact that it drags its feet through the first act, then suddenly throws a secondary conflict in at the end of the second act, it's a solid episode with a good deal of heart. We haven't had a TwilightxCMC focus episode since "Twilight Time" all the way back in Season 4, and that one was admittedly a mixed bag that didn't really focus on the CMC's relationship with Twilight as much as them exploiting said relationship. While Twilight is admittedly more of a background presence in this episode, her moments with the CMC feel genuine and touching, and I appreciate that she's able to talk some sense into them. There's some good humor and worldbuilding, though I imagine some may not like how low stakes the conflict is and how easy the resolution is. But I feel like this is another episode that's more about the journey than the destination. I appreciate that the CMC were chaperoned for this map mission, and I know some people may have a problem with that considering Twilight has up to this point never intervened in a map mission no matter what. But even when Spike got called by the map, it was within Equestria (heck, Spike got called to solve a problem in Ponyville by himself. If it had been somewhere else, I imagine Twilight would've at least voiced some concerns). The CMC have matured a great deal, but they're still children, and this mission involved them going beyond the borders of Equestria. It would be just like accompanying grade school children on an overseas trip. In the end, I give this episode a borderline A-/A, putting it just above "The Maud Couple" for the best episode of the season. Brian Hohlfeld did a fine job with his first writing foray for the show.
Next week is an episode that should be quite interesting, it's called "Horseplay" and it involves Twilight and Princess Celestia. Twilight casts Princess Celestia in a play, and Celestia is thrilled to finally live out her dream. But then she discovers that her talents lie elsewhere. I'm hopeful this will cover what to do when your dream becomes unachiveable through no fault of your own. And while I'm not entirely sure we need a TwiLestia episode, it still has potential to build off of what we got from "Celestial Advice".
I think School Daze is a better episode, but just slightly.
Both, though, are MORE than worthy of the top ten of the series at the moment.
Again, I completely disagree that all the episode thus far have been lackluster, but this was pretty good.
4844584 I think this episode and "The Maud Couple" could crack Top Thirty for me, don't know if I could put them in a Top Twenty or Top Twenty Five list though.
"So this must be what flying feels like!" I cried, right then and there.
4844612
Yeah, that was rather painful to hear.
First episode for the new writer who has potential to grow and despite its flaws, it was much better than the last two.