thoughts on the episode The Mysterious Mare Do Well · 2:45am Dec 11th, 2020
This is a good episode overall; in truth, I like Rainbow Dash the least of the mane six. Overall, she's a good character and has a few good arcs, but I never liked her cocky attitude and demeanor. However, I respect her ambition and her knack for being the best at whatever she's doing. But this episode was definitely a check to her attitude, with the rest of Rainbow's friends pranking her by dressing up as the mysterious "Mare Do well" and performing feats of heroism while not racking in the glory. The best part was that Rainbow Dash didn't come to terms with how her bragging has become so obnoxious and how she was performing heroic acts for the glory and not because it was the right thing to do. This is a common message in a good amount of superhero stories nowadays regarding how heroes slowly become obnoxious and glory-seeking jerks. A good movie like Megamind reflects on this as well, along with the show "The Boys."
Overall the superhero genre, in my opinion, has become an overrated fad. I myself do enjoy watching superhero movies from time to time. But to me, the Marvel movies are a bit overrated, with most of them being quite forgettable. The DC films also aren't that great either, with them trying to be super edgy at first and now they're trying to copy the Marvel formula. The only superhero movies I've actually like are the Dark Knight trilogy and the '"Guardians of the Galaxy" movies. Also, I love My Hero Academia that actually might be my favorite "superhero" universe.
Other thoughts
I love how Pinkie Pie used her "pinkie sense" as an actual superpower and, in my opinion, could be a way better hero than Rainbow Dash.
Granny Smith was a boss in this episode, and I love her.
The mayor is such a tool in this episode, and she reminds me of the mayor from South Park, lol
Neat.
Funnily enough, her cocky attitude and behaviour is why I love RD. She’s one of my favourites for that reason. She also has a really cool design, in my opinion, and I think her relationship with AJ is quite cute.
The first half of the episode was good up to a point where it was revealed that Mare-Do-Well was actually her friends; which ruined the message of the episode.
We could have taken the episode in a completely different direction near the end where Rainbow Dash chases after Mare-Do-Well only to run into Applejack who was also trying to follow where the superhero was going, seeing Mare-Do-Well dissapear into a nearby building where they follow after as the door closes behind them and bathes the pair of them in-darkness. Mare-Do-Well actually speaks to them in multiple voices at once and says that HE has been expecting the pair of them to show up. Mare-Do-Well then tells the pair that yes, he was stealing Rainbow Dashs' thunder; but it was because he was worried that she had been replaced and needed to make sure that Rainbow Dash truly was who she was all this time. Mare-Do-Well emerges from the shadows to speak with them, stating that he's a predator hunting others of his kind that have become too aggressive in their dealings and actions, that have been causing havoc and trouble for Ponies for a while now in order to feast upon their overall fear, and had believed that they were being caused by "Rainbow Dash" to get a quick meal. Walking behind a wall, a flash of green is seen as Pinkie Pie emerges from the other side and speaks in Fluttershys' quiet voice stating that he has been tracking them down in a bid to preserve both their worlds from a coming calamity, only to vanish behind another wall as a burst of green flames dissipate and now it is Rarity speaking with Princess Lunas' voice and continues that there's a storm coming on the horizon, and that he is afraid of what it might bring about and how it would affect them, but at this moment he is on their side to prevent it from happening. Disappearing behind one last wall and emerging as a blending of both Rainbow Dash and Applejack as he says that when the time comes, he will stand alongside Equestria before walking past them both.
Applejack and Rainbow Dash turn around as the mare-like being is walking and ask just who exactly he is. He turns slowly around, blinks and opens his now insectoid compound eyes and says that his name is Thorax before vanishing through the open door, stating that the two of them should remain vigilant and know who they might be talking with is really them. The episode ends on a foreboding note as Rainbow Dash and Applejack walk through the streets of Ponyville, now realizing how many ponies are duplicates of others they already saw earlier in their walk.
We would have given kids an early glimpse at the Changelings without them even realizing it with an episode ending on this particular note. We would have spent most of Season 2 anticipating what was going to happen in the season finale by building tension of events as they played out.