Episode Re-Review: Marks and Recreation · 3:33pm Jun 20th, 2021
22 in production order but 21st to air, making it the last one to come out before the big movie in 2017. Ironically, this episode was focused entirely on the CMC, none of the mane six or even Spike or Starlight would appear, making this the only other episode all season where that was the case (Starlight would get to share "To Change a Changeling" with Trixie). May Chan, previously responsible for the less than stellar "Not Asking for Trouble" and a veteran of shows like Avatar: The Last Airbender and Phineas and Ferb was penning this episode. Yet one big development seems to be what makes or breaks this episode for a lot of people even though this is the last episode of Season 7 to feature a song. So, after a season of unexpected developments for the CMC, was this group episode able to continue their track record, or just bring it to a halt? Well, let's find out.
The episode begins with the CMC helping a filly named Kettle Corn with painting, and she's apparently really into circles. It really seems to reflect what we saw back in "Forever Filly" in that the CMC have turned their club into a business of sorts. Their clients even include Pipsqueak (still with the same voice actor but now it's noticeable that the VA is getting older). And there in lies the problem, they don't have enough time to get to every blank flank colt and filly that wants to see them. To that end, they get the idea to host a day camp to let the blank flanks bond and help each other. And where will they host it? The same place Applejack went to as a filly: Camp Friendship.
So they go down to the center of town to make an announcement, drawing the attention of several interested ponies. Rumble happens to be passing by, but although he's given a flyer for the camp he immediately discards it. However, Thunderlane happens to find it in the trash and gets an idea. To that end, he shows up in Wonderbolts attire (it was actually revealed in a blink and you'll miss it moment during "Parental Glideance") to drop Rumble off at the camp. A camp that apparently will let the colts and fillies just run wild with no adult supervision of any sort, not even while they're doing things like rowing kayaks or practicing archery.
Rumble subsequently botches every activity he tries (and makes no effort to hide it), ultimately declaring that camp isn't for him. Fortunately, the camp does have success on the first day when Kettle Corn gets her cutie mark in writing hiakus and mentions a unicorn colt named Skedaddle. She asks if she can still keep coming to the camp despite her cutie mark, and the CMC say yes. Then they fear that Rumble might be hiding how bad he feels and they go to see him, only for Rumble to tell them that he doesn't want to get his cutie mark. I should also mention that Rumble changed voices to Vincent Tong from Ashliegh Ball here, and it's really distracting. This is more or less the same voice he'd go on to use for Sandbar, and it just doesn't sound convincing. There's a reason why little boys tend to be voiced by women instead of men. Plus, it just seems like another role where Vincent Tong is stuck with a character that's meant to be unlikeable (or otherwise just bland and forgettable).
Rumble's logic for not wanting to get a cutie mark is that they "force you into doing one thing for the rest of your life", and when the CMC claim that's not true they make a bad argument using Apple Bloom's potion making skills, which Rumble seizes on as proof of his claim about cutie marks. He also can fly pretty well, not that Scootaloo seems to particularly mind. The CMC rightfully realize that they can't worry about Rumble, if he doesn't want to attend the camp they can't force him to. Rumble, meanwhile, is eager to practice his flying skills to try to be like his big brother. But Thunderlane orders him to go back to the camp and says "You can't be a blank flank forever", which is just what Rumble decides to be the next day. It even leads into the song "Blank Flanks Forever" as he firmly cements himself as the new Starlight Glimmer.
The song itself is where Vincent Tong shines through, making me wish he'd just be used for the song and that Ashliegh Ball had remained his voice for the episode proper. And the song is really catchy, bringing back that swingy, big band kind of feel from "Pinkie's Present". It even utilizes trumpets, giving it a sort of "Sing it loud, sing it proud" vibe.
When the song ends, Rumble declares that all the campers are coming with him as he draws a line in the sand and declares a new camp just for blank flanks.
The CMC observe this and notice that at the new camp, the campers are doing mostly what they were doing before. Scootaloo then ominously closes a telescope lens as she declares "That Rumble is a mad pony who must be stopped!", yet Sweetie Belle says they should talk to him again and "remain calm".
Of course, that culminates in the two shouting at each other before Sweetie Belle realizes that Kettle Corn covered up her cutie mark. Soon afterward, Rumble declares an end to any potential cutie mark activities at his camp so that no one can get a cutie mark and be stuck doing something (of course, since Kettle Corn already has her cutie mark it doesn't affect her). Meanwhile, the CMC lament how their day camp is a bust, before they hear the Wonderbolts flying overhead and get the idea to talk to Thunderlane. Somehow, Thunderlane can understand Sweetie's rapid fire explanation and reveals that Rumble is apparently good at all that stuff. But ever since Thunderlane became a Wonderbolt, Rumble has spent all his time trying to be just like his older brother. Apple Bloom then realizes the obvious, Rumble was being bad on purpose. And it's not like he did a good job of hiding it either.
Apple Bloom concludes that Rumble is afraid of getting a cutie mark that'll prevent him from becoming a Wonderbolt, and the CMC get the idea to have Thunderlane be a guest star for their next day of camp. He subsequently wins everyone over from Camp Blank Flanks Forever, before Rumble discovers that his brother is busy cooking a meal instead of running an obstacle course modeled after the one used by the Wonderbolts (except this one is on the ground). Thunderlane explains that even though his cutie mark is related to flying, he's grown to love cooking due to the Wonderbolts taking turns making meals at the compound. Some have suggested that when Rumble gives it a try as a result, he should've gotten his cutie mark. But many others rightfully said that would've destroyed the message. This helps to reinforce the message that cutie marks don't define you, they're what you make of them. However, Rumble never really apologizes to the CMC for what he did throughout this episode, and I really think he should've.
And that's the story, so what do I think of the episode? Well, it's great to see the CMC take their skills to the next level now, helping others and letting them help each other. Them turning their club into a business feels like a natural evolution of their character arcs, moreso than what they did in Season 8 or Season 9 (when they just kind of went back to doing whatever). However, Rumble is a jerk and the CMC kind of look like idiots for not presenting better arguments against his claims, and it doesn't help that Vincent Tong is so incredibly distracting sounding (he sounds too old to be a little boy, even assuming Rumble is meant to be a teenager by this point). He sings great, the song "Blank Flanks Forever" is really good and very enjoyable. I have to wonder how the CMC can just set up a day camp at an old campsite and that no one is apparently going to supervise them. The closest we get to that is Thunderlane showing up on the last day that we see. All it really would've taken to make this episode better would be to have Rumble apologize, make it a little less obvious he was trying to be bad on purpose and have the CMC present better arguments against what Rumble claims. I also feel like they could've worked in a mention to Diamond Tiara as having helped to spread word of their club. All in all, there's nothing majorly wrong with this episode but the flaws do hurt it enough to give it a borderline B+/A-.
So now, as there's nothing new to say on the next two episodes, we're going to jump ahead to the Season 7 finale "Shadow Play" which at the time was widely praised, and certainly looks better than the two parter finales that came after it due to some really stupid plot twists.
This is definitely among the best CMC episodes.
Unlike Cathy Weseluck in It Isn't the Mane Thing about You, Ashleigh Ball isn't credited in this episode so it's possible she wasn't available to voice Rumble at the time.
Also, if you asked me to pick the funniest moment from this episode, I'd go with Sweetie Belle's "remain calm" line.
Tbh this is an episode that never really left much of an impression on me.
Yeah Rumble sucked, lol.
Sad that canonwise, he's a dic.......tating lil' meanypants.
Yes let's go with that.
5538307 I kind of doubt that it had anything to do with Ashliegh Ball not being available to voice Rumble. After all, by that logic Night Light and Twilight Velvet wouldn't have been recast for "Once Upon a Zeppelin" since both Andrew Francis and Tara Strong were already in that episode. Most likely, Ashliegh voicing Rumble back in "Hurricane Fluttershy" was because it was just the easiest way to fill the role for the character's one line, whereas here Rumble was a full fledged character
5538383 Well, depending on how you view the comics he did get better.
5538434
Comics seem to be our only hope these days.
I hope the comics are still going for hope on a Sparity conclusion of some sort5538434
Huh, I never considered that. Good point. Actually, now that I think about it, it's kinda like how Nicole Oliver provided Spitfire's one line in Sonic Rainboom before becoming a full fledged character in The Best Night Ever with Kelly Metzger taking on the role permanently.