My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic - Season 8 Episode 21: "A Rockhoof and a Hard Place" (SPOILERS) · 4:01pm Sep 15th, 2018
In which Rockhoof wants Twilight to show him the bridge of his old ship--no bloody A, B, C, or D.
Why is Rockhoof suddenly Scottish?
An archaeologist asks Twilight to take Rockhoof into her teaching staff because he's a nuisance at a historic conservation site. It turns out he's just about as much of a nuisance at a friendship school.
This is basically the Star Trek: the Next Generation episode "Relics" in pony form. Rockhoof just can't accomodate to modern Equestria, so no matter where he goes, all he is is trouble for other ponies. Big, clumsy, destructive trouble.
So that's basically the whole episode: Twilight and friends trying to find a way for Rockhoof to fit in to modern Equestria without constantly destroying things, which is only made worse when he discovers all the other Pillars are settling in quite nicely. Even Stygian is succeeding as a novelist! But Rockhoof just can't find a niche. Depressed, he asks Twilight to turn him to stone for eternity so he can be remembered as a hero instead of an aimless nuisance.
Wow, did MLP really just go to the assisted suicide morality play? 
Yona talks Rockhoof out of the whole being-turned-to-stone thing, and Rockhoof discovers that his place in the modern Equestria is to be an epic storyteller.
This episode was actually better than I thought it'd be. It's not great, but it's definitely enjoyable. I'll give it an 8/10 despite its inconsistencies, purely for the sheer balls of the assisted suicide moral.
Best jokes in the episode: Rockhoof announcing to the whole town that Cranky has a rash in an embarrassing place, Bulk Biceps running screaming in a shrill voice after a massage from Rockhoof. Also, YOGA PONIES, JUST WHAT THE HELL.
If Rockhoof wanted to get stoned, he could always have gone to Tree Hugger.
This was good development for Rockhoof since he was personal least favorite of the Pillars. It was great to see what all the Pillars are doing now, and Yona was adorable with her hero worship towards Rockhoof.
This entire episode's conflict could've been avoided had the archeologists not been so intent on preserving every last piece of Rockhoof's village. Heck, since he knows so much about it, why not ask him what was important and use that to determine what needs preserving?
No one ever seemed to ask Rockhoof what he wanted, they just kept passing him off to others the moment he became difficult to work with, and only Professor Fossil has any real excuse.
Very nice to see what the Pillars are doing now. Though I have to echo your questioning his Scottishness; the stallion's more Norse than Odin eating lutefisk. Granted, it has been his voice since "Shadow Play;" he just didn't have nearly as many lines there.
I wanna know how the idea never came up for Rockhoof to work on the Apple farm. Between him being their hero, being strong and a good digger, and the CMC specializing in helping ponies find their talent, that episode could have written itself.
4938077
Because earth pony becomes farmer is a lazy resolution.
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or, "old hero who doesn't need to fight anymore puts down his weapon and retires to a peaceful life with a new family"
4938077
The episode isn't perfect, I'll grant that, but I understood exactly what they were going for with it from the start, which is why I was a bit more forgiving of it. It is blatantly the Scotty episode from ST:TNG done with ponies.
when Rockhoof was introduced his accent was already that of a Scottsman, though he only has a few lines detailing the history of the Pony of Shadows. u could tell by the infliction in his voice if ur listening
4938091 Well before his accent wasn't as pronounced, it sounded kind of like a blend of Scottish, Nordic, and even hints of Russian and Celtic.
"In which Rockhoof wants Twilight to show him the bridge of his old ship--no bloody A, B, C, orD."
Rockhoof didn't have a bottle of Denebian brandy is his good grip, did he ?
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yeah but it wouldn't surprise me at all if they start shipping those two or celestia forbid rule 34 fics and art
4938077
I want to know why they didn't just do the logical thing and send him to the rock farm, or any job in mining or quarrying. I'm sure that the Pie family would've loved to have him.
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That too. There are a ton of jobs where digging skill and great strength can be of use. But no one mentioned them in the episode.
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Discord: Well, there's another reason for me to low-key resent that tree-hugging... Tree Hugger.
Glad I want the only one thinking "Relics". Also I kept wanting him to say "I have a gift. I shovel well. I shovel very well."
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4938160
Half of the problem is just how excitable Rockhoof is. He's going to be bored out of his mind on either farm, and likely destroy things by accident once he gets distracted or tries to make things more fun for himself.
4938160
Heh.
As I said in the chat during the livestream:
"The Pies have a Rock farm, not a Talcum Powder farm."
One thing that puzzled me was would stars really move that far apart in just a thousand years to throw off Rockhoofs navigation?
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Blame the fancy horses.
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FUn fact when you see a star you're actually looking at the light it produced possible thousands of years ago since they're so far away.
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I'll take "stuff they teach you when you're five years old", Alex...