Episode Re-Review: The Cutie Mark Chronicles · 6:31pm Feb 11th, 2021
So after two CMC focused episodes didn't do so well, the odds of a third one being a success were pretty slim. It didn't help that Season 1 had gotten bogged down real fast and the quality it had briefly flirted with was now gone. Still, M. A. Larson was given the task of writing this episode, fresh off his success with "Sonic Rainboom". Was he able to deliver another smash hit or only prove that, like Meghan McCarthy and Charlotte Fullerton his success was a fluke? Well, let's find out.
We begin with the CMC high up in the trees with Scootaloo leading. She's hoping to lead the Crusaders in getting their cutie marks in zip-lining even though Sweetie Belle and to an extent Apple Bloom are hesitant. They set off, but unfortunately since they're all going at once they weigh down the line and cause it to snap when the metal harnesses overheat from the friction. Fortunately they aren't hurt, just covered in tree sap and pine needles, which Scootaloo points out seem to be happening to them a lot. When asked about a possible "Plan B" Scootaloo asks about obtaining a cannon. Too bad Pinkie Pie's party cannon hasn't been established yet.
Rather than do that, however, the CMC decide they'll ask other ponies how they got their cutie marks. Scootaloo suggests starting with a very specific pony. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle don't realize who it is even after Scootaloo says her idea is "the best flyer to ever come out of Cloudsdale." because for some reason Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle think that means Fluttershy. So Scootaloo is forced to spell it out for them, she means Rainbow Dash. However, on the way to look for her the Crusaders find a bunch of rabbits have stolen apples from Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack, not seeing the Crusaders, leaps out from the bushes and tackles them.
Apple Bloom then decides to ask Applejack for her cutie mark story, which Applejack agrees. According to her story she wanted to try her luck as a city pony and headed to Manehattan to stay with her Aunt and Uncle Orange (comparing apples and oranges). They were delighted to see her and quickly set to work on having her act like a true city pony. Unfortunately, her attempt at adopting the uppercrust accent didn't go very well (and for some reason her Aunt and Uncle didn't vouch for her when she was made fun of for it). It also didn't help that the food portions were far smaller than what Applejack was used to. Naturally, she got homesick pretty fast. Then one morning, she happened to see a rainbow light up the sky and point the way back to Ponyville and the farm. Realizing that that was where she belonged, Applejack left Manehattan and returned to Sweet Apple Acres and that is how she got her cutie mark.
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle seem to think it's a sweet story but Scootaloo isn't impressed and is eager to resume the search for Rainbow Dash. But another detour presents itself when Fluttershy is escorting a flock of ducks across the road and Scootaloo is forced to brake to avoid hitting them. Fluttershy then reveals that if it weren't for Rainbow Dash she would never have gotten her cutie mark, and a curious Scootaloo decides to ask for the story. Fluttershy reveals that she was really shy (not surprising) and a weak flyer, and was bullied constantly because of it. It should also be mentioned that Fluttershy's filly model is a bit weirdly proportioned compared to all the other mane six's filly models. This may or may not have been a nod to her saying she was a year older than Pinkie Pie, supposedly making her the oldest of the mane six (physically, though not necessarily emotionally). Anyway, Rainbow Dash happened to show up and challenge the bullies to a race to more or less shut them up.
The race began, and the contestants flew past Fluttershy so quickly that they unintentionally knocked her off the cloud and sent her plummeting to the ground. Fortunately, she was saved by a bunch of butterflies (don't ask me how that works) and was brought down to the ground where she got a chance to see just how wonderful it was. This launches into the song "So Many Wonders" which is a nice song, but towards the end it suddenly transitions from a gentle ballad into what feels like a full on musical number. Anyway, just as the song ends there comes a loud boom that scares all the animals away.
Fluttershy was able to call out to the animals and reassure them that everything was safe, and doing this allowed her to earn her cutie mark. However, she reveals that she never found out what happened to Rainbow Dash since she didn't see the rest of the race. Kind of find it odd she wouldn't ask about a cutie mark, but it's possible she and Rainbow Dash weren't friends just yet.
Sweetie Belle then suggests that Rarity might know where Rainbow Dash can be found (it's as good a lead as any), but Rarity is more interested in having the CMC be models for some dresses instead. She then decides to tell them her cutie mark story, revealing that she had a hard time figuring out what she wanted to do with her life. It's revealed that she and Cheerilee attended school together (likely in the same class), and she was working on costumes for a school play. They weren't bad but Rarity felt that they lacked a certain thing to make them stand out. While wondering if she was cut out to be in the fashion world, she felt something take hold of her horn and pull her away. It ultimately led her out to a rock on the edge of a cliff.
Convinced her horn that malfunctioned, Rarity scolded it. But just then a powerful rainbow shockwave cracked the rock open, revealing it to be a geode filled with gemstones. Inspired, Rarity took the gems back with her and put them into her costumes, giving them some added flare. Doing that was what gave her her cutie mark. But after the story's done we get what was meant to be a funny joke about Scootaloo missing the obvious, but it just makes her look incredibly thickheaded for not understanding what the stories are trying to teach (cutie marks don't just appear, you have to actually come to the realization about what it is you're good at on your own). Then we get a jump cut from her suggesting a visit with Twilight to Twilight telling the CMC her cutie mark story. She reveals that as a filly she got to go to a Summer Sun Celebration in Canterlot, and when she saw Princess Celestia raise the sun she was impressed. As a result she poured herself into learning as much about magic as she could, ultimately resulting in her parents getting her into Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. This is actually a reference to X-Men, particularly to Professor Charles Xavier (or Professor X) who in most continuities runs a special school for mutants.
In order to get into the school though, Twilight had to pass an entrance exam. She was presented with an egg (we never know if anyone knew it was a dragon egg or if the egg was meant to be hatched or not) but found that nothing she tried would work. She couldn't produce any magic, and it seemed like she was about to fail the exam (though we don't know what the point of the exam really was, some speculate that it was meant to be a lesson in failure and how the student reacts to it). But when a sudden boom reached her ears it caused her magic to go haywire, turning her parents into potted plants and not only hatch the egg but also cause the dragon inside it to grow huge. This caught the attention of Princess Celestia, and all it took to end the surge was a gentle tap on the shoulder. With it all undone (minus the hatching of the egg), Twilight became the princess' personal student and also got her cutie mark.
It seems like the CMC aren't able to track down Rainbow Dash, but then Pinkie Pie happens to show up in the back of the wagon and in her own way suggests they try Sugarcube Corner (wouldn't surprise me if she knew Rainbow Dash was there already). Then she opts to tell the CMC her cutie mark story. She explains that she and her sisters grew up on a rock farm just outside of Ponyville (we never got a name for the location, though I've had the headcanon of it being named Ponypalooza after a chapter book involving Pinkie's family). It was pretty dull and lifeless, nothing but harvesting and moving rocks around. Then one day, while out in the field Pinkie heard a noise and looked up to see a powerful rainbow shockwave pass overhead. It even poofed her mane and tail right up and gave her coat a bright shine. She wanted to find a way to share her new found sense of joy with her family since rainbows didn't come around often. So overnight she managed to set up a party in one of the silos. We also learn that her full name is actually Pinkamina Diane Pie, making her the first mane six member to have a full name. Strangely enough, her parents don't speak in their "Ye Olde Elizabthian English" they would speak in for their next appearance.
Though at first hesitant and unsure, Pinkie's family came to enjoy her party and while Pinkie was dancing with her mom she got her cutie mark. A lot of people assumed over the next several years that Pinkie was estranged from her family because of this, but given later developments I think it's safe to say that's not the case. She's still on good terms with them and she likely left the rock farm of her own accord. Anyway, we get a kind of funny joke about Pinkie ending her story with "How Equestria was made" which leaves Scootaloo dumbfounded. Then the CMC head into Sugarcube Corner and sure enough, Rainbow Dash is there and ready to tell her cutie mark story. She reveals that she pulled off the sonic rainboom during the race because she got so into it (and because one of the bullies shoved her and tried to knock her off course).
One by one the rest of the mane six come to realize that they owe their cutie marks to Rainbow Dash and conclude that in a sense it was like they were destined to be friends (or you know, it could just be coincidence. But I guess if you wanna attach some kind of significance to it there's no harm). Scootaloo is grossed out by the group display of affection, but is prevented from leaving by the other Crusaders who want to embrace her in a hug. Then Fluttershy suggests a song to which Scootaloo is horrified.
We then get a moral basically suggesting that one can have a connection to their friends before they've met, and Spike remarks about how cheesy it is. Much like "Call of the Cutie" it feels like the episode is just scrapping the barrel, looking for something it can pass off as a moral. They get points for trying but this is definitely one of those episodes where they probably could've dropped the requirement to have a moral every episode and we wouldn't have lost anything of significance.
And that's the story, so what do I think of the episode? Considering they were basically tossing in six backstories into one twenty two minute episode, as well as still having the CMC be a part of it as a narrative framing device, it's pretty good. There's lots of memorable lines and scenes here, and we also got the first canonical on-screen parents with Twilight and Pinkie Pie (fun fact, Twilight's parents were given names solely by the fandom. Night Light was named for a G1 earth pony with whom he had a similar color scheme, while Twilight Velvet was a name given because fans noticed she looked similar to G1 Twilight). No one feels shoehorned in or out of character, and each story lasts long enough to give us the details we need (though some admittedly could've and probably would've been expanded if they were allowed to make this into a two parter). Aside from one scene of Scootaloo being dense for the sake of a joke and the moral just kind of being there because they had to have one, there's nothing here that doesn't amount to nitpicking at best. This episode easily gets an A+, proving that the high quality from earlier wasn't completely gone for good.
Well, next we have the first Spike episode and also one of the three episodes people point to when they talk about the worst of Spike focus episodes, "Owl's Well That Ends Well".
Before you start reviewing the next episode, would you like to watch The Fiery Joker tear it apart?
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Ironically, of the three episodes Josh reviewed in his "Spike Trilogy" marathon, that ended up getting the highest grade from him (it got a D, while Dragon Quest and Spike at Your Service both got an F+).
Also, similar to how SPB12 thinks Rainbow Rocks is overrated, I think Owl's Well That Ends Well is overhated.
This episode is probably the one where I feel like there's the least to criticize.
It's not my favorite of the series (or even the season), but this is one of the few where I hear almost no complaints about whatsoever.
Uhhh, they obviously knew Spike's egg was a dragon egg back at Twilight's entrance exam. It was LITERALLY drawn on the sign spelling out what the prospective student had to do.