• Season 2, Episode 6: The Cutie Pox - Discussion

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    Applebloom time! Have some links and stuff.  As always, this post will be updated as more stuff comes in.

    Saturday, November 12, 2011 op
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    640 comments:

    1. InsertAuthorHereNovember 13, 2011 at 12:52 AM

      @tonyday

      I've noticed a lot of small changes in the voice acting as a whole from episode three on. It's probably because it's the second season, and the cast has had more time to understand their characters.

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    2. PopcornNovember 13, 2011 at 1:01 AM

      I loved 99% of this episode. My one small complaint is this: Applejack is the flipping ELEMENT OF HONESTY, and she couldn't think of ONE true thing to say to help her sister? It could have been something simple - that she was worried about her sister. Or it could have been something really hilarious - maybe she didn't like one particular type of apple, or she played a prank on Big Mac when she was little and he still didn't know who did it, or maybe she liked going to the spa after all. I found the missed character opportunity sad.

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    3. lamebunnyNovember 13, 2011 at 1:12 AM

      I laughed so many times at this episode. It felt a lot like 'Call of the Cutie' - part 2 to me. And more Zecora is always good.

      I can just imagine the voice recording session for Big Macintosh lines.

      "Okay, first line."

      "Eyep."

      "Great! second line?"

      "Nope."

      "Fantastic!"

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    4. RoxorNovember 13, 2011 at 1:17 AM

      And there's the Aesop Amnesia again.

      Seriously, what's wrong with the memories of the Cutie Mark Crusaders? Every time they get an Aesop relevant to their common interest of their cutie marks, they forget it inside of thirty seconds.

      The viewers may not be goldfish, but these three ponies sure are.

      I won't say this was a bad episode, but it still doesn't have much to recommend it, either.

      One other thing: why is the download labelled as being 1080p when it's clearly only 1080i?

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    5. UnknownNovember 13, 2011 at 2:01 AM

      @Roxor

      The file linked to *is* 1080p; that's what it was transcoded to from the 1080i source. Complete with combing artifacts. :-)

      As we know from the iTunes versions, the original is made in 24fps progressive, so it's being telecined up to 30fps interlaced for TV transmission. Someone with the raw stream off-air could probably run it through an encoder, eg: handbrake, with a detelecine filter on to restore the 24fps progressive original. Though I don't know if the occasional transmission dropouts would complicate matters. But what we're seeing is basically the fastest progressive encode from a telecined/interlaced source.

      It'll do til the itunes release appears...

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    6. GlaivesterNovember 13, 2011 at 2:27 AM

      As for why Applejack couldn't speak some truth and get the flower to grow, I think the implication was that only Applebloom fessing up could get the flower to grow, but Zecora did not want to come out and say "Applebloom needs to speak the truth," rather than "somepony" because she wanted her to come clean of her own volition.

      As for Cherrilee being so willing to suspend class, perhaps the class was phys ed and she figured that this was as good a lesson as any.

      Zecora knowing about the tooth? Improvisation is parlor trick, anyone can do it.

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    7. richfilesNovember 13, 2011 at 2:30 AM

      inb4 Luna develops a sudden obsession with Applebloom and her fancy mathmatics, and she simultaneously develops a guilt complex when she imagines Abacus feeling rejected.

      fanfic... But ah wan' it NAOW!!!

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    8. NolimNovember 13, 2011 at 3:26 AM

      @Popcorn
      On the other hoof, being the Element of Honesty, she probably didn't have anything to confess.

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    9. SilfirNovember 13, 2011 at 4:32 AM

      @Popcorn

      I just had a thought; it might be precisely because Applejack is honest that she didn't have anything noteworthy handy she'd been lying about. If it was just about the quantity of statements being true, a crowd of ponies saying "the sky is blue" would have done it. The plant thrives on quality: uncomfortable, apologetic admissions of the truth - telling the truth when it hurts. And considering the situation, the most powerful growth agent, and the dramaturgically appropriate one, is Applebloom's confession.

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    10. Digital PhoenixNovember 13, 2011 at 7:54 AM

      The Big Lebowski?

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    11. KaijyuuNovember 13, 2011 at 8:27 AM

      Okay, after thinking about it for a few days, here are my rankings for the season's episodes so far:

      1: RoH 1&2
      2: Cutie Pox
      3: Luna Eclipsed
      4: Sisterhooves
      .
      .
      .
      Somewhere in the nether regions of hell: Lesson Zero


      Yeah Cutie Pox was boring in the middle, but the start and end were Season 1 level of quality.

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    12. pmcollectorboyNovember 13, 2011 at 9:07 AM

      Throwing in season one to create a list would take all day, so here's how I would rank season two so far.

      1. Sisterhooves Social--Platinum
      2. Return of Harmony Part Two--High Silver, with Gold for the epic display of ultimate powers
      3. Return of Harmony Part One--Silver
      4. Luna Eclipsed--Middle Silver
      5. The Cutie Pox--High Bronze to Low Silver
      6. Lesson Zero--Low Bronze, awarded for being a turning point episode

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    13. MARSNovember 13, 2011 at 10:12 AM

      I like how they're writing Zecora more and more into the Wise Mentor role she was originally envisioned for

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    14. pmcollectorboyNovember 13, 2011 at 10:25 AM

      I was right. Subsequent viewings is causing it to wear well on me, and I'm finding it to be a funny episode.

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    15. GabrievNovember 13, 2011 at 10:45 AM

      does anypony have a link to uncorrected WEB-DL iTunes rip?

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    16. GlaivesterNovember 13, 2011 at 10:57 AM

      My ranking (#1 is best):
      1. Sisterhooves special - it really breaks from formula
      2. The Cutie pox - the episode was great with characterization
      3. Lesson zero - I think Twilight acted different than normal, but totally within character (i.e. she is normally more cosmopolitan than the other ponies, and appears to be the voice of reason; however, she does tend to fall apart whenever she isn't in control of a situation).
      4. Return of Harmony, Part I - a good introduction to the second season.
      5. Luna Eclipsed - A good episode, but it isn't consistent unless you assume certain things not explicitly stated (e.g. it really only makes sense if you assume that all of the older ponies are play-acting at being scared like Pinkie Pie was and are assuming that Luna is purposely trying to frighten them as part of the celebration, just like Zecora was with her scary poem).
      6. Return of Harmony Part II - the weakest episode not just of the season, but of the series. After Twilight read her friendship reports, the rest of the episode just felt rushed. I think there was a lot of potential in the first part that never was explored in the second.

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    17. A. DinizNovember 13, 2011 at 11:03 AM

      Episode with not-so-strong plot,

      but with a lot of side characters, good jokes (Pinkie Pie folds under pressure) and The Big Lebowski.

      The writers knows their audience.

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    18. HMorris73November 13, 2011 at 1:15 PM

      For me the order from best to worst this season is probably pretty close to the order they aired in. Maybe it's partly because 1-4 all felt like "big" episodes in some way, so the more normal Sisterhooves and Cutie Pox feel like a bit of a let down by comparison. I had a similar reaction at first after the pilot eps before I got used to the slice of life episodes.

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    19. statooseNovember 13, 2011 at 2:56 PM

      19:21 Sundance?  Is that you in the hazmat suit?

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    20. ponyvangelistNovember 13, 2011 at 3:28 PM

      I absolutely love this episode. From the background ponies at the bowling alley onward, I couldn't stop laughing.

      And more Zecora = better episode. No exceptions.

      That is all.

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    21. StyxDNovember 13, 2011 at 4:07 PM

      I quite enjoyed this episode. It wasn't anything spectacular, but a solid one.

      Finally Zecora returns with an important role. She now has more screen time in S2 than in S1. I hope the trend will remain.

      I also think the episode was rather slow in the middle, when Apple Bloom was just doing tricks with the hula-hoop, but I enjoyed it nevertheless. It was really nice to look at.

      And yeah, Cheerilee is an awful teacher in this episode. Or just extremely easy distracted.

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    22. Tears of a ValedictorianNovember 13, 2011 at 4:46 PM

      Cherilee is best teacher. We saw in RoH part one that she can lay down the law when she wants to, but she's not so schedule-driven that she can't let the kids play with hula hoops for a bit.

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    23. GlaivesterNovember 13, 2011 at 6:17 PM

      Maybe it was time for phys ed class anyway.

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    24. Grey HoofNovember 13, 2011 at 9:01 PM

      This comment has been removed by the author.

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    25. Grey HoofNovember 13, 2011 at 9:26 PM

      pause at 8:33, either derpy is somehow in applebloom's class, or derpy has ANOTHER foal!

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    26. jodyjm13November 13, 2011 at 9:57 PM

      Well, since all the cool foals are doing it...

      9/10: Luna Eclipsed -- Hilarious, and with character development
      9/10: Return of Harmony Part 2 -- Action, wild sight gags, and John DeLancie
      8/10: Sisterhooves Social -- Solid slice-of-life story with great characterizations
      8/10: Return of Harmony Part 1 -- Lots of funny lines and gags
      7/10: Lesson Zero -- A little too extreme at times, but funny and, at the end, heartwarming
      7/10: Cutie Pox -- The story's in idle for the middle act, but it's still a fun ride. Plus, Zecora!

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    27. Sugar CubeNovember 13, 2011 at 10:17 PM

      I found this episode to be great. Here's my opinion on season 2 so far since everypony's doing it:

      1. Lesson Zero - It is simply the funniest Pony episode there is so far, and it deserves points for that. Not to mention Spike being the one to help Twilight when the others wouldn't; he's just as wonderful of a friend as anypony.

      2. The Return of Harmony (both parts) - I like both parts equally. The entire thing was just brimming with creativity, humor, and a lot of sympathy for Twilight.

      3. The Cutie Pox - who says the Crusaders have to be annoying? This had to be the best CMC episode thus far. Very clever humor, an interesting reference, and lots of secondary character appearances. Not to mention a good lesson. It doesn't hurt that I find Applebloom and her voice to be extremely adorable.

      4. Sisterhooves Social - I love this episode for its somewhat unexpected ending, well at least I didn't know that was Rarity right away. And it's a story lots of people can relate to. And Aj + Ab = cutest sisters.

      5. Luna Eclipsed - Not ragging on this episode, as I did enjoy it, but once you take off the Luna goggles, it's more of an average episode in terms of everything. Other than Pinkie's uh... chickenness, I didn't find this episode to be particularly funny, nor engaging. I like it for the Luna though.

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    28. DarthteejNovember 13, 2011 at 11:46 PM

      5 hits, but I have to say this is the first miss for me.

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    29. SilfirNovember 14, 2011 at 2:22 AM

      These episode rating lists are all over the place. By now every single episode has been called the best and the worst at some point.

      Here is where I would ordinarily post a list of my own favorite episodes, with my unrefutable reasoning behind it. School grades? Stars? Precious metals? This is hard. Okay, here I go:

      Season 2 is awesome. Next please.

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    30. jayessellNovember 14, 2011 at 9:17 AM

      Sorry... at work... can't read all 600 comments...

      But....

      Applejack, Y U No have hat when Pinky speaks?

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    31. jayessellNovember 14, 2011 at 10:28 AM

      PINKIE

      Also... when this episode is dubbed into French,
      what language will be used for the 'fancy'?

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    32. pmcollectorboyNovember 14, 2011 at 2:13 PM

      @jayessell
      Quebecois.

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    33. kamiskewlNovember 14, 2011 at 3:35 PM

      @Popcorn

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    34. kamiskewlNovember 14, 2011 at 3:41 PM

      @Popcorn You misinterpret the meaning behind the seeds of truth. One needs to tell a truth from a dishonest lie. Even though pinkie was admitting to doing something dishonest it didn't count. Because the one with the heaviest weight on their conscience was Apple Bloom. She stole Zecora's ingredients and then lied about it. The whole purpose wasn't for just anyone to tell the truth, it was a method in which Apple Bloom was supposed to reveal her dishonest intentions. Applejack and Zecora knew she was lying and so Applejack was waiting for apple bloom to tell the truth

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    35. SuperGiantRobotNovember 14, 2011 at 5:20 PM

      Zecora is back, and this time for good reason,
      I'm glad to see her recurring in the second season
      She appeared on Nightmare Night and spun the foals a tale,
      To frighten them all, to make them turn pale,
      It backfired somewhat; it scared everyone
      When Princess Luna arrived, and made them all run
      Now she has returned to Ponyville, in search of a flower
      But everyone hid in their homes, and there they did cower.
      For Applebloom has a sickness which they thought was contagious,
      Of course this belief was untrue and outrageous
      She kept learning new skills, the abilities piled
      She couldn't stop using them all, that poor pony child
      But the fault it was hers, the cause it was silly,
      A flower she stole, that misguided filly
      She wanted her mark, the flower granted her hope
      But did it stop there? Not at all, nope
      More and more marks came, they appeared one by one,
      The first one made her happy, but now this was no fun
      Zecora came to her rescue, but this came with a cost
      She has to admit to her stealing the flower that was lost...

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    36. jodyjm13November 14, 2011 at 6:22 PM

      @SuperGiantRobot
      *brohoof*

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    37. ZeusAssassinNovember 15, 2011 at 3:23 PM

      Well, might as well through my two cents about Season 2 so far.

      1. Sisterhooves Social - A wonderful mix b/w a Rarity and AJ heavy episode. It was really cool to see Rarity's and Sweetie Belle's parents as well as the tension growing b/w the two sisters. What it lacked in humor it made up in development, cuteness, and emotional scenes.

      2. Return of Harmony Part 2 - A fantastic end to this two part season opener. Sure, the end was a bit rushed by seeing all members of the mane six interact extremely well together took the episode for me. Plus, who doesn't love Discord and his dialogue in this ep?

      3. Lesson Zero - An over the top episode that illustrates Twilight's crazy, teacher's pet side. The jokes were just hilarious and all of the facial expressions were just PRICELESS!

      4. Return of Harmony Part 1 - A strong opener to what is shaping up to be a fantastic season. It was well balanced in terms of cuteness, adventure, and humor. Plus, it always interesting to see the corrupted versions of the mane six.

      5. Luna Eclipsed - I just LOVED the way Luna was portrayed in this ep. But, it wasn't as funny or remarkable as other episodes. However, it's not that far off from the rest. In fact, the gaps b/w these 5 episodes are REALLY close, much closer than the gaps in Season 1.

      6. The Cutie Pox - The pacing was slow, the jokes were lackluster, and it felt like a filler as nothing really got accomplished. Zecora saved the episode from slipping in complete mediocrity. Thanks to that, this is the first "average" MLP:FiM episode in a long time. Suited for Success and Fall Weather Friends fall into this average category in my book too.

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    38. GJANovember 16, 2011 at 2:55 AM

      It was a nice episode that had it's moments but certainly not one of my favorites.

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    39. MiColtNovember 16, 2011 at 7:23 AM

      Perhaps a minute or two too many of Apple Bloom showing off in the middle of the episode, but still pretty solid from my point of view and did a good job with the overall moral.

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    40. SaiNovember 16, 2011 at 1:08 PM

      @Popcorn

      Its cause she was the element that she couldn't do it. It has to be the kind of truth that dispel a lie.

      ReplyDelete

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