First Impressions: Horse Play

Friendship is Magic first impressions review: Horse Play (s08e07)
by Obake

(SPOILERS!)

Twilight gives Celestia the leading role in a play, despite Celestia's lack of acting talent. Already this comes off weird. Celestia's been a ruler for over a millennium, presumably having talked to thousands of crowds, yet can't get her voice right on stage. I'll give it a slight pass, but this season has had a lot of awkward story beats with characters.

Speaking of which, this episode is very awkward. Most of what happens with Celestia is her poor acting abilities, and causing destruction during rehearsals. This type of humor can be funny (see 30 Rock's “Jack-tor” as an example) but it does not work here. Believe it or not, portraying “bad” acting without seeming forced or annoying is difficult. Celestia simply comes off too clueless.

However, most everything else in the episode is good. The Mane cast putting on a play hearkens back to season 2's Hearth's Warming Eve, and seeing Fluttershy take a larger role shows how much she has grown (though she still has stage fright). I also enjoy Pinkie's antics, getting confetti on the sets, using party cannons, and improvising objects for a sun model that gets destroyed.

The episode would have benefited from a simple rewrite. Make it so Celestia begs to be in the play, rather than Twilight talking her into it. This would make it more believable that Twilight would not tell Celestia the truth about her lack of talent. As is, the Mane 6 could lessen Celestia's role at any point in the episode, and the problem would be solved. Overall, a fine episode aside from its focus.

Extras:

• I do have other issues. The play stars the six students from School Daze, yet they have (at most) one mumbled line. The school-tie in feels almost arbitrary. Why not make it so the kids are the one writing. directing, and acting? They would certainly have as difficult a time telling a princess her acting is bad!
• Starlight has a string of bizarre lines about why being in a play with Celestia will be difficult. “Imagine doing sweaty warmups with the princess. Blowing your nose with the princess.” Sweaty warmups with the princess? Just...what?
• The play is in celebration of the 111,000^th year since Celestia first raised the sun.
• Twilight takes Celestia to an acting class. The stallion On Stage (voiced by Colin Murdock) is an artiste type, as is his mare companion, Rasberry Beret, who is inexplicably not given a voice credit.
• Pinkie is a lot of fun here. I especially like her improvised sun models, like the roasting marshmallow.
• According to the play, the Original Six raised the sun each day, which exhausted their strength. Celestia, a student of Starswirled, found she could raise the sun without draining her energy.