"Sparkle's Seven" Review: Let's break into Canterlot Castle's vault and steal the Princesses' treasures! · 1:20am Apr 21st, 2019
And we have arrived at the next major destination. The 200th time (not counting the movie) that Equestria flickered over our TV and computer screens! It's great that My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic reached this milestone but, at the same time, I get saddened by it that it's also the last milestone and that the end is so near.
But it's still an awesome episode, so I want to try to remain positive here.
This was a very exciting episode. I always had a thing for heist scenarios, ever since the tender age of 16 (coincidentally, 16 years ago now) when I played a game called "Thief" (which totally no one will know anymore, there aren't even any ponifications of it here from what I've seen, no, I'm not talking about the underperforming 2014 reboot), and this episode really delivered on that front!
Everything here feels like a typical heist movie. A heavy-guarded, huge building, a multi-layered security system that needs to be overcome, the development of a strategy to get inside while sitting around a table together, distractions, stealing keys from guards, interrogations to get infos, cutting holes in windows, alarms, traps, trying to get in through the basement. There even was a secret passage!
The last one would make me think it's an intentional reference to "Thief", if it weren't such a vital part of the plot, as secret passages behind tapestries are a rather remarkable element in some levels of the game.
Watching this episode makes me wish for a ponified "Thief" game even more than I already do, or, just a general game about heists in Equestria.
What intrigues me even more about this episode is why Shining Armor set all this up for Twilight. Celestia asked him to reinforce the defenses of Canterlot Castle and Shining Armor said he needs Twilight to test his new security system, with Celestia adding that Twilight's help can reveal holes in their security. Sounds a lot like Celestia and Luna are preparing for something.
In my analyzis of the season opener, I wondered if Celestia and Luna could already know about Grogar and his plan with Chrysalis, Cozy Glow and Tirek. Either in such a way that they use Grogar and his plan for their own plan, while secretly already knowing how to stop him, or by having Grogar as an ally and another fake villain just like Sombra, as I detailed in my Season 9 Opener analyzis.
Whichever is true, the preparations we've seen here in this episode increase the likelihood of that. Specifically the first two reinforcements by Shining Armor, the shards of Chrysalis' throne that Starswirl modified (perfect to keep Tirek and Chrysalis out, especially if they also make it impossible for Chrysalis to transform) and the fans that make flying harder (Cozy Glow is a pegasus and Chrysalis can fly, too), give that impression.
What else made me cheer other than the entire heist scenario is that a prediction and a theory of mine got confirmed. I totally called it that Pinkie fantasizes about travelling into space and that she wants to try it with a hot-air balloon!
I also love how childish she is with that dream. We've seen Pinkie doing a lot of crazy stuff since 2010 (or, in my case, 2012) and Season 1 and we know she loves games and to play with foals, but this surpasses everything we've seen from her, this is completely and 100% the crazy, naive fantasy of a foal who doesn't yet understand that it doesn't work that way. Pinkie is truly foalish and I love how she could keep that as an adult.
Other than that, I theorized that the screenshots showing Starswirl and Shining Armor in front of Canterlot guards are about a special guard training that we will see in an episode. The terminology "guard training" wasn't used by anypony we saw in this episode, but the guards are part of Canterlot's defenses and they were tested and could train for an emergency when Twilight and her friends tried to break into the castle, so I got this right. Even though it happened in a different way than I thought it will.
I am, however, surprised about it that so many moments from the trailer were seen in this episode. Twilight and Spike flying to Canterlot, Starswirl with the shards of Chrysalis' throne, Shining Armor and the guards and the birds in the throne room of the castle, all of this in the same episode. I figured that the moment with Starswirl and the one with the guards would be seen in the same episode, but didn't expect this for the other two.
Another thing that hit me between the eyes was Spike's confession to Fluttershy. Apparently, Twilight and Shining Armor always excluded Spike from their games because he isn't really their brother. While Spike just wanted to be their brother and to get treated like this. This is tragic and I didn't expect that Twilight, even though she raised Spike as we learned through the official comics and got referenced in this episode, treated Spike like that. I wonder if that is why Twilight never lets him come along on an adventure, unless there is no way around it. Is it an old habit from her fillyhood days?
I didn't know that Spike had it so hard with Twilight and Shining Armor. This hit me right in the feels.
We also learned something interesting about Applejack, apparently, she always wanted to be a country singer and dreamt of a big career as one. We always thought she never had a particular dream or life goal and that she is just happy with her family and her farm, but looks like she does have a dream. I wonder if she still pursues it and if she will eventually fulfill it.
And we learned that Fluttershy suffers from claustrophobia ever since she was locked up in that small room under the trapdoor in Celestia's and Luna's old castle when she was there with Rarity to pick up the old tapestries so that Rarity can restore them.
This was completely unexpected and I love how an event from so long ago is still relevant for the show. This also revealed an interesting connection between Gallus and Fluttershy, they could have an interesting time talking about their shared phobia.
Also, we've seen Zephyr Breeze again! He just recently had a role in the official comics, but that's the first time since Season 6 we heard him talking. His return into the show is another unexpected occurrence and I love how suggestive the moment was when he towered over Rainbow Dash after she tripped.
Finally, I also love how we learned that there are tunnels under Canterlot Castle and that we got to see them. We already knew about Starswirl's caverns in the mountain of Canterlot from the "Reflections" arc of the official comics (which is the same place Chapter 2 of "Dreamwalker Dash" takes place in), but these aren't Starswirl's caverns, we haven't seen these rooms before.
I also have a thing for dark, creepy underground vaults, even more so when they are in Equestria, so I'm really happy we got to see this place!
This episode also has a lot of nostalgia; we've seen Twilight as a filly flying kites and sharing an apple with Shining Armor just like we've seen similar moments in the flashbacks while Twilight sang B.B.B.F.F. after she heard about Shining Armor's wedding and we've seen the "Dangerous Mission Outfit" again that Rarity made while Trixie ruled over Ponyville.
Seeing these nostalgic moments and things hits more in the feels considering that we are in the last season and don't know what will come after it.
And, of course, there was the best moment of the episode:
You thought I'm talking about Luna sitting like the godmare herself on her throne, didn't you?
Nope, seeing Applebloom as a baby surpasses Luna by far! It's the first time we've seen her as a baby and she looked lovely. 
Now if only I could get the same for Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle and it would be perfect.
Seeing Luna like that was awesome, too, though.
Overall, this episode doesn't quite reach up to the amazing spectacle that Episode 100 was and it feels more like a normal, everyday episode. Not completely, though. The heist scenario we've seen play out was very unique and one of the most innovative things we've seen in MLP: FiM.
And this episode made me realize that, due to the fact we're in the last season, there will probably be another special episode that will rival Episode 100. Since the end of MLP: FiM is nearing, I bet DHX crammed as many fantastic and awe-inspiring moments into this season as it possibly can.
I have a very strong feeling there is going to be such an episode. See you next week!
Do you think Applejack’s parents are still alive? I really hope this screenshot means something.
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Everything points to it that they are dead. Their general absence, the shooting stars in "Apple Family Reunion", Applejack telling Applebloom how proud mom and dad would be of her if they were here after she got her cutie mark, their absence in the flashback in "Where the Apple Lies" and several direct confirmations for their death in "The Perfect Pear", namely, Applejack talking about her mother in past terms ("Our mother was a Pear?"), the sad reactions of Burnt Oak when he told them about their dad and the symbolism of the pear tree and the apple tree that grew together.
Another confirmation came from the 72nd Mane Series issue of the official comics, in which you can see Applejack talking about her dad in past terms, too ("Yeah, he was.").
There is one other possibility. They ended up missing somehow; lost somewhere, captured and imprisoned by a villain, trapped in another dimension, ect. and Applebloom, Applejack, Big McIntosh and Granny Smith only believe that they are dead because they are gone for so long that they have lost all hope that they are still alive. The way they talk and their reactions would also fit to that.
But, Kora Kosicka, a character designer at DHX, said that they are dead and that we will find out how they died.
And for the screenshot, if their parents would still be alive and return, they would appear a lot more emotional there. Teared-up and not jumping into the air with smiles. And Big Mac and Granny Smith would be there, too. So that can't be a moment after they found out that their parents still live.
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Okay you could be right but at the same time I still have second thoughts.
I was rather disturbed at the way the whole family kind of excluded Spike in the flashbacks. I rationalize it by thinking there's no way the parents would have an infant in diapers compete in a competition like this, but I also was not happy about that.
I liked the flashbacks with Twilight and Shining as foals but even more how the Royal Guards got more screen time for themselves. Frank, I think the mane Six looks good in Royal Guard armor.
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Second thoughts or hope?
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I honestly don’t know about hopes because I have hopes for Spike.
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Hmm, it didn't seem to me like the whole family excluded him. Just Twilight and Shining Armor in their competitions and, likely, general games they played. But I've yet to look at the flashbacks more closely.
But it hit me in the feels, too. Really sounds like the relationship between Spike, Twilight and Shining Armor wasn't as harmonic as we always thought. I wanna see more about what happened back when Spike was still a baby and if we don't get to see that anymore, I hope someone will write fanfics for it.
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I enjoyed the higher focus on the guards, too. And I discovered yesterday that the female, blue guard I still need to date has been named "Guardian Angel" by the fandom.
5047624
Sounds like a good name. And it's good for you, if you get what I mean
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I was talking about the parents of Applebloom, Applejack and Big McIntosh. You said you have still second thoughts about their death.
5047603 Not like disdain, but the parents kind of ignored him in flashbacks. Thinking it through, Twilight was definitely being nice to Spike, letting him ride on her back and such, and Shining made sure to give him a piece of apple. The parents are in too brief a scene to get a read on. I guess what I'd like more than anything is, now that we know Velvet and Night Light are Spike's parental figures rather than Twilight (or Celestia or anyone else), I'd love a scene if a future episode where they acknowledge him.
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Indeed. I need to call her something on our date.
Although, it wouldn't be just her who I'm dating, she'd need to be fine with it if certain other three ponies join. 
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From Spike's perspective, yes. I just explained under another blog entry for the episode by someone else how what Spike said revealed that he sees Twilight as a big sister, rather than his mom, but that Twilight sees him as her son, as revealed by one issue of the official comics and "Father Knows Beast". And how this also shows with this episode, as it was Shining Armor who referred to Spike as "brother" at the end of the competition, but not Twilight.
This episode revealed that their mother-son relationship is one-sided, but it's still there.
And I want to see how Twilight reacts when she, naturally, will find out one day that Spike doesn't see her as his mother, but big sister instead. We've already seen her being heartbroken and teared-up when Spike said she isn't his real parent while Sludge was there, so I wonder how that will affect her.
I would like to see this, but I'm worried that this won't happen early enough anymore for us to see it.
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Of course. I meant the fan name could work. I may not be an expert if you need any help in planning, I'll be willing to help
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Help, with what? Planning a date with Guardian Angel and my favourite fillies?
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Sort of, yes. And the story in general, like what could cause you to meet her, Derpy and such for example
5047644 You make a good point. This episode do show Twilight carting around an infant Spike in his diapers, which seems more like Mom thing than a Big Sister thing.
As long as we're dreaming big, I'd love to see Applejack and Twilight commiserate on the challenges of being a big sister/mother at the same time.
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This is an amazing thought! Now I want to see this, too. They definitely have to tell each other a lot about that and I would be very surprised if they aren't sometimes talking about that. We need to see this in an episode.