First Impressions: The Parent Map

Friendship is Magic first impressions review: The Parent Map (s08e08)
by Obake

(SPOILERS!)

The map calls Sunburst and Starlight to mend the relationship with their parents. The moment they reach their hometown of Sires Hollow, I had a glint of hope that the episode would be something special. An automated voice welcomes them as they enter. The vibe was something out of Stepford Wives. Was Starlight going to find her hometown had been taken over by a cult, much like Our Town? Was she going to find that her parents were under the snare of a cult leader, making her come to terms with the damage she had done to other ponies?

The truth is less interesting. Starlight and Sunburst find that half of Sires Hollow has updated to current trends, while the other is exactly as when they left. The former is due to the Sire Hollow Development Committee, lead by Sunburst's mother, Stellar Flare. The other is controlled by Starlight's father, Firelight, who is in charge of the Sires Hollow Preservation Society. The two parents bicker over how the town should be run.

Stellar and Firelight are convinced to reconcile, but as it turns out, that is not the friendship problem. The real issue is their relationship with their children. Starlight does not like that her father treats her like a baby. Sunburst feels his mom is too controlling. After an outburst, they apologize, and make things right. Roll credits.

The problem with this episode is that it is boring. We have already seen the doting parents trope in Parental Glideance. Only The Parent Map does not bring much new, asides from a light look into Starlight and Sunburst's past. We learn that Stellar worries about her son because he flunked out of magic school, which is a nice touch. But the episode does not feel like it reaches beyond that. It is simply not enough.

Extras:

• An annoyance: extreme closeup buttshots. I know they are cartoon animals, but can they zoom the camera out a bit, and not linger?
• I like Stellar's design; she shares the same light colored tip on her hooves as Sunburst.
• Sires Hollow is nothing special. Stellar tries bringing chic into the town by having a pony who sprays guests with perfume, and replacing a fruit stand with a trendy fruit-smoothie shop. Firelight made the bookstore a museum, where no one can read or even touch the books.
• Another problem with the episode is the lack of good jokes. The most I chuckled was at the chef chewing on the rock-like bread.
• The only reference I found was possibly an Andy Warhol pony.
• Sunburst and Starlight's outburst towards their parents are done better than Dash's in Parental Glideance. The situation feels more justified, and the emotions held back realistically. That said, The Parent Map is not nearly as memorable or fun.