Finally, we have a Spike episode on our hooves! I know a lot of you have been waiting for it, and we got a lot of great material out of it to sort through- new ponies, new canon, and finally some more Cheerilee! Everypony was on top form.
Except Rarity. She's in time-out.
Click past the break for our episode recap!
Let's start our new pony roundup with Junebug! She kind of looks like Carrot Top's sister, actually, except she has an actual voice actor.
Then we had this guy, the pony pediatrician with the questionable anatomy posters in his office. I don't believe I've heard the accepted fanon name for this guy yet, but his mane looks like a giant muffin to me.
Right after that we had the vet pony. I gotta say, I like her color scheme. I want to see more of her. Artists, we need fanart of this pony, stat.
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| Click it! |
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| Somewhere in the middle of all this, Twilight made this face. |
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| Do I even need to caption this scene? |
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| No points for guessing the movie reference this time. |
This is admittedly a minor complaint, but this is pretty much how I imagined this scene going back in Canterlot:
"Princess Celestia, there's a dragon attacking one of your towns!"
"Hm? Oh. Just send the Wonderbolts at it."
"Just the Wonderbolts?!"
"Yeah."
And I know I said Rarity was in time-out, but, I mean, come on...
I'm pretty sure that Studio B is trolling someone here, and I'm pretty sure that it's us.
She has enough accidental bedroom eyes, and then they throw those in. On purpose.
264 comments:
Whenever I see that doctor all I can think of is "HQ my hat looks like a muffin, over"
ReplyDeletelol'd at the bedroom eyes.
ReplyDeleteI laughed when I saw Rarity make those faces. XD
ReplyDeleteDr. Muffintop and Dr... what's the vet pony's cutie mark?
ReplyDeleteRarity in time out? No way! This is like her best episode!
ReplyDeleteCan't find the actual clip but it's in this too.
ReplyDeleteHere
I imagine after that scene from Spike's POV came on, Cereal had to be excused to his bunk for a while.
ReplyDeleteDr. Muffinmane
ReplyDeleteSpike gets the coolest outfits. In the Mare-do-well episode he had that awesome coat and hat combo, and now his pimp hat!
ReplyDeleteStill no wings... Still so freaking weird looking. I want to love this episode soooo much I have every reason to. It was great. Hilarious.
ReplyDeleteBut that Spike canon and that stupid design!!!
WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE DESIGN FOR THE OTHER EQUESTRIAN DRAGONS?! THOSE GUYS LOOK GREAT!!!
Oh rarity
ReplyDeleteYou always seem to end up as the high top pony. XD This episode was awesome lol
I find it funny and saddening at the same time that those two were about to kiss before derpy made a convenient appearance to ensure the show's kid-friendliness.
ReplyDeleteIt's only saddening to me because I don't condone shipping, let alone lesbian shipping, and yet now it is canon...WTF.
I'm surprised you didn't mention this
ReplyDeleteBut looks like after a Ursa Minor attack, Ponyville installed a Kaiju Siren. (which they might now need to replace)
Rarity bedroom eyes. So I wonder where they're going to go with this Rarity Spike thing. It IS a children's show, after all. So there probably won't be anything worth getting excited over.
ReplyDeleteGood episode though, definitely one of my new favorites.
How long until fanart of Derpy trying to eat that Doctor's head?
ReplyDeleteI think the Doctor's name should be Dr. Muffin Top.
ReplyDeleteI don't begrudge Rarity for asking for that gem. I mean seriously, Spike was going to eat it!
ReplyDeleteConfirrmed: Rarity best pony after these past 2 epsiodes.
ReplyDelete<3 Rarity <3
ReplyDeleteI give props to whoever put that clip to the black and white reel and King Kong sound track. I was pleased.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI'll be honest.
ReplyDeleteI've read a lot of shipfics since joining those fandom, more than I thought I'd read in my entire life.
I've read a lot of good ones, too.
And yet none of them made me feel as good as seeing Rarity wordlessly tell Spike that she always knew.
I know that that scene can be interpreted in a number of different ways, but they all have a happy ending.
And that's wonderful.
Great episode.
vets mark is dog cat and duck.
ReplyDelete...Dr. Quack?
Best episode of season two? Best episode of season two!
ReplyDeleteA lot of children's shows have gotten away with a good amount of shipping.
ReplyDeleteI could be first to comment in this thread if I didn't take my time to read through it first o) Maybe I would understand what's the fuss about it.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, every episode with Rarity is great because the way she's being drawn... It's simply beautiful, aesthetically pleasing. I will never watch previous generations of MLP because it's simply fugly like that bulky gorilla married to Obama.
Derpy in the well... was she delivering a letter to Sadako?
ReplyDeleteOh god those bedroom eyes.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Can we please have more Junebug?
@HeinousActsZX
ReplyDeleteSame here, bro.
I'd just love it if they went somewhere with RariSpike but it's a show for little girls after all so we'll have to do with fanfics, I guess.
@The Jaguar
ReplyDeletelol deja-vu
So is the doctor the Muffin Queens father? He has the same amber eyes she does.
ReplyDeleteIn any case does the name Vetra Narian work for the vet pony? Fluttershy is a secondary vet pony I guess.
'They tied the knot' and poor Rainbow has a scrunched up smiling face.
I'd put my vote in for best episode so far of Season 2
ReplyDeleteI'll agree that spikes dragon design would have looked better if he had wings and a slightly thinner torso, but they did base him off of Eastern Dragons, unless he just hadn't retched that stage yet.
Oh look it's a pimp named slick back
Also, I laughed at the Derpy cockblock.
ReplyDeleteAlthough it felt a bit rocky at times, it was a very solid episode overall. In fact, it definitely ranks as one of the best so far.
ReplyDeleteYou know... I think Cereal is right! Studio B really wanted to rub it in for how much we like Rarity. Probbaly a response to Wet Mane Rarity art EVERYWHERE.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking at you, Cereal.
Oh Cereal, don't try to deny it. You were ultra jelly at Spike for the kiss he got, ADMIT IT!
ReplyDeleteAlso, I am throwing in my Review of the episode here
http://awthredestim.blogspot.com/2011/12/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic_11.html
SAFE FOR WORK guys. Not even a hint of swearing. Let me know whatcha think on the comments!
yeah Doctor Muffin Top sounds nice.
ReplyDeleteand I posted a pic on my dA about that yesterday >w>
Dr. Muff would be fine.
ReplyDeleteThe best episode ever, btw.
We've got another named pony too, Lickity Split. Whose gender seemed to keep changing.
ReplyDeleteWe don't see Junebug's cutie mark do we? I wonder if its a junebug?
ReplyDeleteThe Vet should be called Petunia, or as her friends know her, 'Pet'.
ReplyDeletePet the Vet.
How come Rarity is shown as the main spotlight pony in the last couple of the episodes? Oh well, what the heck! :D Rarity is my favorite pony to begin with since the first season! :)
ReplyDeleteBut I wish some of the other ponies could be given a chance for spotlight as well to be honest, to only make it fair. :/
@Matoro
ReplyDeleteThat makes since Fluttershy and Applejack need an episode
@Travis Smith
ReplyDeleteAnd Pinkie!
I second Dr. Muffin Top
ReplyDeletehttp://aha-mccoy.deviantart.com/art/My-Little-Muffin-273359087
ReplyDeletesee? X3
I really doubt the Wonderbolts were SENT. I mean, they're performers, not soldiers. My guess I they were just nearby and tried to help.
ReplyDeleteAlso...
Lyra and Bonbon, it's 2011. Society's more progressive now than it's ever been. The world is ready.
(I could tell Studio B the same thing...)
Oh, Rarity.
ReplyDelete@SYLOH
ReplyDeleteSeemed more like a WW2 British Air Raid siren to me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erMO3m0oLvs
Rarity, y u so sexy in season 2?
ReplyDeleteRarity x Spike is canon! :D I was soooo happy!!!
ReplyDeleteI loved this episode in so many ways. ^^ *cough* except the sexual ones boys. :|
I personally loved Spike's dragon design. Not every dragon is the same. And we've only really seen one other dragon in the series so far haven't we? Whats wrong with a dragon with no wings? It could simply be the kind of dragon Spike is. (as someone else stated, like how there are earth, pegasi, Unicorn, and Alicorn ponies.)
My fav parts in the episode? Anytime there was a RarityxSpike scene. Especially the end where all the other ponies stood well away and looked away to give them space.
@Aha McLovin
ReplyDeleteDat eye chart.
@DashAttack problem? XD
ReplyDeleteDr Muffin Mullet...because it clearly looks like he also has a mullet!
ReplyDelete@Celestia
ReplyDeleteYour magisty, why did you only send the wonderbolts
ONLY THE WONDER BOLTS??!?!?!
They are just prancing showponies
I love the look of repressed anger Applejack is giving Rainbow Dash when she finds them tied up.
ReplyDeleteI'm not exactly one that enjoys shipping, but that scene yesterday was adorable. The first thing I thought was," OH SHIT! SHE KNOWS!" Then I d'awwwwwwwwed myself into a coma.
ReplyDeleteBedroom eyes aside, I will say that Twilight makes the best exaggerated expressions.
@Aha McLovin
ReplyDeleteI ain't even mad.
In fact, I laughed.
Should you caption that scene? Or do I need to send a storm cloud over head?
ReplyDeleteRarity has gotten quite a bit of character development overall. It is interesting how the character that first seemed to be the most shallow of the bunch ends up being possibly the most deep.
ReplyDelete(Despite that, Rainbow Dash is still best pony.)
I really doubt the writers can go much further with Spike's crush on Rarity than they did in this episode, without touching upon discussions that really aren't best suited for a show primarily aimed at younger kids. The complexities of an inter-SPECIES relationship (also the fact that Spike is a "baby" dragon) don't really lend themselves well to kids' TV.
I suspect that Rarity appreciates Spike's feelings and even goes as far as to cherish them in a certain way. Perhaps she may even wonder in the back of her head what things would be like if Spike were a pony. But in the end she isn't physically attracted to him because he's NOT a pony, and she reasons that eventually Spike will properly mature as a dragon and seek out a real relationship within his own species. In the meantime, she doesn't want to crush him by turning him down.
This is, of course, all speculation.
@DashAttack hehe was just trying to be funny '>w>
ReplyDelete@Shiranai
ReplyDeleteYour speculation does make good sense,
And yes, Dash is best pony
I found this episode to be one of the two or three best of this season. Lots of solid character development, and how could anypony not dawww at the ending.
ReplyDeleteHnnnng.
ReplyDeleteRarity is definitely best pony.
Rarity is just getting better and better.
ReplyDeleteshe's starting to edge up on Twilight for Best Pony.
@palatank
ReplyDeleteI'd not try to dwell on this. It was obviously meant to be a spoof of monster movies when they send the airforce in against the monster. The Wonderbolts are the closest thing to military aircraft that the show has.
(The Wonderbolts do seem to be based upon "demonstration" squadrons such as the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds, which ARE technically military.)
There is nothing saying that Celestia personally sent the Wonderbolts either. They could have been practicing in the area and thus were in a position to intervene.
Am I the only one who noticed that a show trying to promote strong female characters and break gender stereotypes decided to make the only doctor a male?
ReplyDeleteI would thought that they would use unicorns for medically professions. It would be hard to diagnose animals with just your hooves
ReplyDeleteI'll only say one thing:
ReplyDelete"Twilight, get mah rope."
@archiveit
ReplyDeleteWho said that he is the only doctor?
My reaction to Rarity kissing Spike
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kP3wnYe6Muw
Muffin mane O.o let's see derpy do that!
ReplyDelete@Risky
ReplyDeleteI think they made spike look less cool than the normal dragons so that people would WANT him to change back and not stay that way.
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ReplyDelete@Risky To all the people complaining about Spike's designs, think about this. Spike's transformations were turning him into something ugly emotionally. So they represented this by making these transformations physically ugly. Also they didn't want anyone getting attached to his new forms, they wanted the audience to feel like they wanted the old Spike back, like the characters did.
ReplyDelete@palaminopegasus Let me rephrase that as the only doctor we are aware of.
ReplyDeleteI hnnngg'd when Rarity gave her bedroom eyes
ReplyDeleteAlso, I wonder if Junebug will become as popular of a background pony as some of the others. She's pretty cute
@archiveit
ReplyDeleteJust because they are striving to show equality does not mean every job has to be held by a female. In fact, the diversity among the professionals goes to show social equality much more.
Plus, vets are doctors, too. That leaves them with one established doctor of each sex.
The vet pony had awesome eyes.
ReplyDeleteLOOK AT IT. She's so peachy.
I really liked the fast paced accented speech of the vetrinarian. I guess it's Asleigh Ball that did her voice? I also really loved the "tunnel-vision-thing" when replaying Spikes memory. That's great flash animation. =)
ReplyDelete@Jon Fawkes
ReplyDeleteI goddamn hope so. I want some Junebug fanart people, and I want it NAO!
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ReplyDeleteLol bedroom eyes
ReplyDelete@ACI'm not necessarily being critical. I just find it sort of odd because a doctor is a profession that really stands out and is really known to be male dominated, especially when you consider that the population is about 90% female.
ReplyDeleteI just realized how much of a shipping ep. this was.
ReplyDeleteObviously Spike rarity
Lyra x Bonbon
and possible:
Dash x apple x light
As much attention as she's gotten, Her Fabulousness has clearly not gotten nearly enough screentime. As always, we need MOAR.
ReplyDelete@archiveit
ReplyDeleteThey also showed him to be an idiot, so you can't really say that they had an agenda about it.
As for Spike's adult design- For all we know, the wings hadn't grown in yet, or hadn't caught up with the growth spurt. Or he just doesn't have them. I don't really mind anyway, but it doesn't really damage any of the fics where he grows them for me.
@archiveit
ReplyDeleteI think at this point the show doesn't suffer for showing some stallions holding jobs, considering that much of the show's backdrop suggests a social preference towards mares.
Plus he seemed like a quack anyway.
the reason why spike probally look like that is probally for two reasons, they didnt want to ver too far off how spike look when twilight superaged when she was a foal (theory being that while greed accelerates a dragons growth it must be the other factors of their personality that shapes them, like how humans grow primaraly by time but a you that plays outside and eats healthy as a kidis going to look different compared to a you who stayed indoors and ate junk as a kid. this could explain why he has no wings(if there was some emotional requirement for them)) the other reason being for the shake of godzilla comparasons (i mean they couldnt do a spike looking like king kong)
ReplyDelete@Shiranai
ReplyDeleteI know the movie reference, King kong, but but atleast biplanes had machine guns, what are the wonderbolts going to do? ramming speed? I think not
@EquineNoxX
ReplyDeleteUhm...on second thought I'm not at all sure who does the voice for the vetrinarian. It was just a wild guess. Whatever is the right answer, I stand self corrected. ;)
I think you guys are being too complex on the whole rarity thing. She didn't seduce spike nor trick him. she was just in awe from the gem
ReplyDelete@Unknown
ReplyDeleteDr. Doolittle maybe?
@palatank
ReplyDeleteThe Rarity/Spike was obvious but no Dash ship was involved what so ever
@palatank
ReplyDeleteI'll need to rewatch the episode, but my best guess is that their strategy (which failed) was to try to get in his face and then lure him away from Ponyville. At that point it might become safer to use more force against him or it buys time to get work back to Canterlot and make Celestia aware of the problem.
Again, complete speculation.
@Risky I would assume that he simply didn't get a chance to mature enough to grow wings. But hell, who knows :P
ReplyDeleteSo Twilight owns a globe, so Equestria is definitely on a planet and not some straight out magical, flat world where the sun and the moon simply dip below the edge of the world. (Of course, the stained glass of the throne room also seems to depict a solar system, which would further suggest that Celestia is controlling the rotation of the planet rather than actually making the sun orbit Equestria. But then Nightmare Moon couldn't possibly cause eternal night planet wide...
ReplyDeleteOkay, I give up. Still, I should reload that bit with the globe and see what the landmasses of their world look like.
Fun episode. Rarity has been stealing this season whenever she appears, and I loved Twilight's disapproving mothering of Spike.
Not only are the Wonderbolts based on military precision flight teams like the Blue Angels, but there's a heaping dose of super-hero to their design as well. They shaved the scales off of Spike's back, after all. Think of all of the stuff that Dash can do, and she's still training to be good enough to join them. (Crashing constantly is usually not a trait that "precision flight teams" desire, so she may have a while to go still.) If they were allowed to win, they could probably do an impressive job in a fight.
@Travis Smith
ReplyDeleteIT WAS A JOKE
i was talking about where TL and AJ are tied up and RD is smerking at them
Bedroom Eyes. ;P
ReplyDeleteI found myself saying at that scene, "It's a trap Spike!"
Glad it turned out the way it did, greed and generosity themes.
Cereal you gotta get your mind outta the gutter. Which is covered in fur.
ReplyDeleteI forgive Rarity for charming Spike out of his "heart" because during the time Rarity was at the Library, she showed though her expressions that she was trying to fight the urge to do it. When she did get it, she didn't put it on a clients dress she kept it. That has to mean that spike "giving his fire heart" to Rarity ment something to her.
ReplyDeleteReally, the whole thing could have been avoided if they had all just listened to Pinkie:
ReplyDelete"No need to bring a gift, being there will be enough... Birthdays mean having fun with friends, not getting lots of stuff."
I did feel bad for poor Twilight though. I'm sure she felt it was a very good and thoughtfully selected book. It's not like she gave him socks every year.
Can't believe nopony mentioned the Sorcerer's Apprentice bgm at the beginning (complete with marching inanimate objects). That was very clever!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure it should be spelt Dune Bug, but ah well. Seems like it's June Bug for the fans then.
ReplyDeleteI still say, twilight did higitus figitus at the beginning
ReplyDeleteI claim ownership of the northern hemisphere of what ever world they live on.
ReplyDeleteI loved this episode SO damn much! My new favorite episode. So many great moments and got me teary eyed at the end, so great...so great.
ReplyDeleteI like how Rarity has gotten more screen time this season than Twilight. It just goes to show how awesome (and adorable) she is!
ReplyDelete@EquineNoxX I thought it sounded like Spike's VA, doing less of a little boy voice.
ReplyDeleteI thought the same thing about Rarity. WE'RE ALL BEING TROLLED.
ReplyDeleteThe doctor pony has to be called "Muffin Top".
ReplyDeleteSince this was Spike's first birthday in Ponyville, that means they still haven't been a full year there.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDoes no one have a comment on Rainbow Dash grabbing Fluttershy? I thought was a great bit. "I'll save the day, but I need something" *Flutter-Yoink* "AWAAAAAY!"
ReplyDeleteMakes you wonder how often Dash just grabs and uses Fluttershy for skybound assistance.
@Elijah Bigsby Maybe wings will grow when a dragon do something else. Something like a make someone wish came true or burn a village :)
ReplyDelete@thattagen I noticed that too, and mentioned it in the actual ep streams page, but that always gets hundreds of comments and got lost.
ReplyDeleteBut yeah, I love the Fantasia Sorceror's Apprentice (protip, watching this is helpful when learning to animate water) and I am loving these musical homages in Anderson's BGMs.
@archiveit No, I also noticed that the doctor is male and the vet is female. With the influx of male-model ponies this season I find that the show is getting careless with the gender stereotyping, especially with the construction site workers. (afrchiviet, the population was 90% female, last season.) But RinellaWasHere has a good point: they portrayed the doctor as an idiot.
ReplyDelete@AC I like vets, but in our society, I don't think we hold them in the same esteem as doctors.
@TheRike42
ReplyDeleteIn Lesson Zero, Twilight says that she sends a letter to Celestia ever week. With that, and the letters she read in the episode with Discord, we could assume that the letters from every episode are the only ones she sends. That being said, we can assume that they were only in Ponyville for ~36 weeks. Then again, that would mean that Autumn/Winter are pretty damn short wherever they live... I give up.
@Harwick Thanks for pointing out the globe scene, reloaded it myself to watch again. Thinking up a fanfic where the shape of the world really matters.
ReplyDeleteIf you watched it, the world Equestria is located on, large continents and medium sized oceans. While Spike was spinning it there was nothing like the Pacific Ocean we have on Earth.
Their North Pole is like our South Pole, an actual continent, unfortunately the animators didn't keep consistent. Later on, there's a South Pole Continent and no North Pole, the globe's poles get reversed because the continent shapes seem to be the same.
@Harwick
ReplyDeleteOn Equestria being round, it would seem to make the most sense based on comments from Zecora and others that Equestria is not the only nation in the world.
Thus it is entirely possible that NMM didn't care about the rest of the world, she just wanted Eternal Night for Equestria. The fact that this means Eternal Day for someplace else is inconsequential to her.
Of course, the implication with this idea is that other nations basically can't screw around with Equestria, given that their leaders are in charge of the day and night.
Again, some of this weirdness is probably because Lauren Faust likely did not design Equestria to stand up to the scrutiny of older viewers. But I think this one can be plausibly explained.
On the Wonderbolts, I agree that no matter their official designation, as a group containing many of the most skilled pegasi, they are probably capable of some pretty crazy stuff. Those things may not have been deemed safe to attempt so close to Ponyville, however.
I actually think that Dash' main problem with getting into the Wonderbolts is not her actual skill. Provided she is the only pony alive to have actually pulled off a Sonic Rainboom, she may even exceed the raw skill of individual Wonderbolts members.
Her problem is her attitude, plain and simple. She crashes because she tries too hard to showboat, or is careless when trying new stunts. She also gets impatient when she feels others are holding her back.
Given that the Wonderbolts are a team, this will not do. Joining them not only requires skill, but probably patience and discipline. Dash' raw skills are probably Wonderbolts-level, but her ability to fly together in formation requires a level of self-control that Dash has yet to develop. She has always struck me as probably being the "youngest" of the Mane 6, or is at least the most immature.
Also, if they really are military, then Dash might not fit in well with their regulations no matter how good she is.
Rainbow Dash is still best pony, though.
The vet seemed to be a reference to "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman." A vague one, but still. She reminded me so much of Jane Seymour's character that I couldn't help but think it was on purpose.
ReplyDeleteDr. Quack sounds good for the creepy pediatrician, though.
And to me, the vet is always going to be the 'Medicine Mare.'
@Shianari
ReplyDeleteWell that would still mean NMM held the moon over where the sun rose/set in Equestria. Whicheans at least a few other places were stuck with the sun or a light dim instead of night.
Just because they rule the day and night doesn't mean much, in my fic even my empire worships the moon kind of.
Dash is still awsome no matter what
To follow up on the shape and detail of the planet:
ReplyDeleteHas there been an episode where they've shown an ocean and sailing ships yet?
Closest I can remember is the end of Luna Eclipsed the the pony dressed up as a sailor with a shark biting his rear. So ocean creatures aren't alien and exist in the world I'd think.
Who else thinks that the vet looks like Jane Goodall?
ReplyDelete@Harwick That globe thing is sending me for a loop too. I'm thinking the solution might lay in non-euclidean geometry or some kind of extra-dimensional bubble over Equestria. Either you never catch up with the bubble as you travel around the globe or there's scorched-earth areas east and west. Somehow the bubble has to intersect with the ground in such a way that the constellations can climb down and hang out in the Everfree forest. Maybe high mountains can serve as staircases for the constellations. Now my math and relativity comprehension sucks, but I'm thinking along the lines of gravity wells bending space and all apparent horizons actually meeting at a single point (thus, Celestia just drags the sun up and down, the east-west motion is an illusion, and when the sun sets it is already in the sunrise position since both are the same point in space).
ReplyDelete@mattwo
ReplyDeleteWhat version you looking at exactly? They were just talking, the only movement was from the surprise derpy provided.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=tJ4j9LVSwXY#t=432s
Bedroom eyes assault! ;) Loved this episode. Thanks for the roundup :D
ReplyDeletethe focus on specific characters means that they're going to have more focus on the others next season. i think they've taken rainbow dash as far as she can go, and applejack can be taken in so many directions. also, that doctor muffin top is related to carrot top.
ReplyDeleteBeen killing me to find a name for the vet. Personally I was thinking Dr. Phyllis Little which would be a play on the word "filly" and a reference to Dr. Dolittle. What do you guys think?
ReplyDeleteI very much doubt that Lyra and Bon Bon were about to kiss. You only see them move forward AFTER Derpy has popped in, and that was probably so them moving back could be more pronounced.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first watched this I thought the male Wonderbolt was Soarin', but from this screenshot it's obvious he's someone else--not only is his hairstyle different, but he's white rather than light blue. Just thought I'd note that.
ReplyDeleteI think Rarity was meant to just be really impressed by the gem, although the animation did sort of make it look like she was giving "hopeful eye flutters" at Spike to get it away from him.
Personally, I will go with "she was just impressed" as my canon/fanon, because as much as Rarity loves gems, I just can't see her trying to scam a birthday present away from a friend. From the Diamond Dogs or a random dragon, yes. But not from a friend.
Great episode overall and very, very funny.
Dang, I missed Derpy. Gonna have to re-watch it and find her.
ReplyDeleteBut seriously, that appearance she made is win. Plus, Bon Bon and Lyra seem to be back together in the same scene. I hear they weren't spotted with each other lately.
@frith Watch the scene again, I made a mistake, the poles didn't get switched on the North/South poles, they switched to the East/West hemispheres.
ReplyDeleteEquestria is on a Uranus type planet?
Take a look:
Globe Shots
@Altherix
ReplyDeleteThat's odd, I wonder if the rotation is a slightly of balance with the sun and moon
Ok, I have a question. Rainbow Dash once saved four ponies from falling to their doom by herself. So why does she need Fluttershy's help to save one pony and a baby dragon?
ReplyDelete@Pyrobug
ReplyDeleteDid you miss the last episode? Dash had to learn she couldn't do hero stuff like that on her own, also the Face Fluttershy made was funny, it was just something they added
@Pyrobug In Sonic Rainboom Rainbow Dash built up a lot of potential energy in her dive, that might account for her increased load capacity in that instance. Compare with episode 2, season one where it took both Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy together to catch and lower Twilight Sparkle to the ground.
ReplyDelete@Jimmy James
ReplyDeleteThe inconsistent passing of time is actually a very big, potentially unresolvable continuity issue in the show.
We know that Equestria's winter is 3 months long, as it is explicitly stated in the song. It is safe to assume that the other seasons are the same length. This means that Equestria has a 12 month year.
As there has been a grand total of one episode (Winter Wrap Up) so far where snow is on the ground in Ponyville, it can likewise be inferred that not everything that happened during the winter months is shown in the show. Thus there are more letters that we haven't seen.
PLUS, two episodes later (IIRC) we see the Running of the Leaves.
Also, weirdly, they are invited to the Grand Galloping Gala in Episode 3 and don't go until Episode 26.
The only explanation is that the episode air orders (and even what season they are in) are not chronological order. It is possible that the upcoming holiday episode actually takes place BEFORE Season 1's Winter Wrap up. Unless, of course, it is explicitly mentioned that Twilight has been in Ponyville more than a year in the episode.
The problem with this statement is that there does seem to be some continuity as far as character development and references to previously aired episodes. So you'd have to painstakingly try to go through each episode and try to create a chronology that fits. Future episodes could screw it up too.
@Pyrobug She was forced to do that on her own because there was noone else up there to help her, and she almost failed. In this case she was in a position to get some help and she took advantage of it. Can't be too careful when your friends' lives are on the line.
ReplyDeleteDAT RARITY!!!
ReplyDeleteSpike goes from huge size to rampage over so quickly in the episode I wouldn't be surprised if the Wonderbolts were the only group outside Ponyville that could respond in time.
ReplyDeleteOr maybe it was:
"Princess Celestia, there's a dragon attacking Ponyville!"
"Eh, Twilight Sparkle and the rest have dealt with two dragons already. I'm sure they can handle it."
@Altherix
ReplyDeleteWell, they really only seem to have designed one side of the globe, and then flipped it around as needed for various scenes. I'd say it's clearly stylized after Earth, with North America (complete with Rocky mountains) connected via a central America to a South America (much smaller, though possibly just because it's curving away from us in the shot. You have an Atlantic ocean and Europe (complete with Alps) and the Straights of Gibraltar south of that.
Again, majorly stylized, but the basic idea is there. The polar ice cap is colored green on the globe, so it does seem like there's a continent up there.
@Shiranai No, there are two explanations.
ReplyDeleteOne is the one you've suggested.
The other is that the show's episodes are chronologically accurate, and there are just a lot of events which happen that are not shown on the show. Canon seems to support this, as near the end of "Return of Harmony Pt 2", there are clearly more than 26 letters on the ground next to Spike, and yet he's still continuing to burp even more of them up.
@Kaigen
ReplyDeleteA good point... the Wonderbolts could have been sent to keep the dragon occupied and do what they could while a more substantial response was mobilized.
@CriticKitten
ReplyDeleteAnd, of course, I forgot the third and best explanation: you're analyzing it way too much.
It's most likely the writers did Episode 3 with no intention whatsoever of running Episode 26 at that time, and they just thought it up later on. In which case it seems over-analytical and silly to try to chronologically fit it all together when it was just an out-of-character blunder. xD
I'm so used to the fan art I never even noticed Rarity making those eyes lol. I just thought it was normal Rarity. Being normal.
ReplyDelete@Harwick Yes, noticed that, they are consistent of the land masses on one hemisphere of the globe. It's fixed they have a northern Antarctica in my book.
ReplyDeleteThere's really a brief moment you see the other side of the planet, then the animation wraps back to the original hemisphere you see in the other shots.
Other side of the world
One big island continent on the other side, Equestria or something else. I'm betting I'm thinking way too deep into this then what the animators thought when making the shot.
@frith
ReplyDeleteUm... what was that middle part again?
I am totally down with your explanation, as long as I never have to attempt to explain it to someone else. You have to understand, I mostly watch the show because the bright lights, pretty colors and rapid movements catch and hold my attention.
Pretty, shiny ponies... So shiny.
WAIT, WAIT, WAIT.
ReplyDeleteWhere is FlutterDash screencaps?
@Altherix
ReplyDeleteThat island is mine as well
Was it just me or did Lickity Split change genders? For like a split second when he blinked?
ReplyDelete@CriticKitten
ReplyDeleteObviously that is the "real" explanation. The writers wrote the show episodically with loose continuity, unaware that a year later they'd have Bronies analyzing every aspect of what was meant to be a little kids' show.
Am I the only one that found Pinkie's shriek out of place? I mean, she has faced a grown-up dragon before, she shouldn't react like that... besides, she sounds like Rarity when she screams, but she can't fool Rainbow Dash's ears XD
ReplyDelete@Gonra
Yeah, arguably the best quote in all the episode XD
Who's the white pegasus in the Wonderbolts? It kinda looks like Surprise.
ReplyDeleteOh damn, blog ate my reply.
ReplyDelete@Altherix Thanks for the pictures. The light white circle bordering the polar land mass was bothering me and with your grabs I see that it doesn't move with the light in the room, so it isn't a reflection. So, it could be a continuity error, an isolation dome, a prison, an off-center polar ice cap, or Lauren Faust's Fortress of Solitude. (edit) And wait, wait! That picture you put up of Spike looking down at "the other side of the globe"? It's exactly the same side of the globe in the other shots! Dun, dun-dun dun!
Since only one hemisphere is shown, ever, maybe they do live on a curved diskworld and this is some sort projection on a magic globe.
Oh boy!
ReplyDeleteExplaination for Celestia and Luna controlling the Sun and Moon:
Geocentric Solar System
Only model that works in my opinion, Equestria is the center of the MLP:FIM universe.
@Harwick LOL! Shiny ponies good! Don't expect any math formulas from me either. ^_^ It's just when you get told that photons are just borrowed energy that never move (from the photon's viewpoint the universe is a one dimensional point) and that length depends on how fast you're going, and worse... well, the multiverse is weird.
ReplyDelete@frith Hmm, yeah, the other side isn't really animated that well, it's a mystery then what's on the other side.
ReplyDeleteHave a hard time believing in a diskworld though, brings up a multitude of problems. Sticking with a sphere in the center of everything makes Celestia and Luna god-like beings and less like frauds. ;P
@doozier
ReplyDeleteThe Wonderbolts seem to be inspired by air force stunting teams, so they may very well be part of what passes for Equestria's military.
Things we learned this episode:
ReplyDeleteLyra x Bonbon is canon. I know shippers take a lot of things out of context, but what else could those expressions just before Derpy popped up possibly mean?
Twi and the other ponies don't abuse Spike to be cruel, but rather for safety reasons. If he is ever allowed to have nice things he will become a monster.
Rarity is not only aware of Spike's feelings, but does not hesitate to use them to her own ends. Whether they are at all reciprocated remains to be seen.
The Wonderbolts are not merely performers but also a first-response defensive unit to protect pony cities from monster attack. We haven't seen them before this because most of the monsters tend to be away from town (hydra, green dragon), better suited to be handled by the Elements of Harmony than a military force (red dragon), or concurrent with threats in other cities (paraspites).
The world of Equestria is round, with multiple continents.
@Altherix
ReplyDeleteIf we want to totally over-analyze the heck out of it...
It is possible that the the "sun" and "moon" that are observed on Equestria are fully magical objects and not truly celestial bodies.
This would explain how a being of significant magical aptitude such as Celestia could control them with what appears to be relative ease.
In reality, Equestria is an planet-like object which has been captured in the orbit of either a brown dwarf or some distance outside of the event horizon of black hole.
@Celestia Parts: The Dragon Horror.
ReplyDelete@All with the planet
ReplyDeleteIt's a show, set in a mythical magical land, we don't need to every single detail about how their solar system works.
Bit like we're going there
Not*
ReplyDeleteAlso as an idea for the creation of an eternal night, perhaps Nightmare Moon's plan was to tilt the planet so that we have an Alaska situation in Equestria, where daytime doesn't happen during the winter months, then constantly maintaining that angle. Other areas of the planet would still see days they would just be never ending on the opposite pole.
ReplyDelete@Altherix So in your view the royal pony sisters are spinning the crystaline spheres, and when Nightmare Moon turned off the lights, she just parked the sun sphere with the sun shining on the opposite side of the globe? So the Princesses run the day/night cycle of the entire planet, but are only interested in what's going on in Equestria?
ReplyDelete@frith
ReplyDeleteUntil physicists can get those neutrinos in Europe to behave themselves and stop moving faster than the speed of light, I find the whole universe suspect. I'm pretty sure all of reality is done with smoke and mirrors, and the judicious use of trap doors.
@Altherix
I'm not saying that Celestia is pulling one big con, but I could also stand on a stage at morning on the summer solstice, leap into the air and raise my arms as the sun rose behind me and then say I did it.
I'd probably make a lousy princess though, so I'm not going to try it.
@Sindri
ReplyDelete- This episode certainly lends credence to Lyra/Heartstrings and Bonbon being friends, but I don't see this as immutable proof they're romantically involved.
Keep in mind that this is a kids' show and the primary role of the show is to sell toys to kids. Unfortunately, there are tons of parents who would would stop buying MLP toys for their kids if they felt it promoted same-sex relationships.
Thus I we'll ever see anything that can be unmistakeably construed as verification of these two being a couple. The closest we'll get is them saying they are best friends.
- I do not think Rarity purposefully intended to manipulate Spike into getting the gem off of him. I think what we saw was "Spike vision," in which he is over-focusing on Rarity's beauty.
@Shingo
ReplyDeleteYes. Yes shǝ is.
I liked Rarity in this episode. Go away haters.
ReplyDeleteDem Rarity shots. But Rarity is the type to really bat her eyelashes and such a lot too. She's a charmer and uses that to her advantage. So there's reason to show emphasis on her eyes and making them look more... sensual.
ReplyDeleteI love Derpy's little appearance in this episode. That was cute. Finding some fun interesting little places and ways for her to show up. And yes, Lyra and Bonbon were probably talking about their taxes. They are very financially responsible like that. :P
You guys and your ropes equals bondage mindsets, jeez. I think a lot of people have dirtier minds in this community than they care to let on. ;)
As for Twilight's face, you gotta love some of the new dynamic expressions we've been getting this season.
@Shiranai Then the rest of the planet is in perpetual darkness? I assume that the stars under Princess Luna's control are also fully magical objects as well and that out in the dark reaches of the planet, the sky is black. Equestria is either in a dust cloud or far between the gallaxies.
ReplyDelete@Ian
ReplyDeleteI remember I used to read a comic book series as a child. There was a Dr. Quack, and he actually was a duck.
Negativity? who has time for negativing when discussing metaphysics of a magical land with candy colored ponies...
ReplyDeleteJust saying, silly bronies are being silly :D
@Everyone replying to me
ReplyDeleteMany things to think about, thanks for stimulating my mind. I still personally like the model of the planet being fixed and everything, (Be it magical or actual celestial bodies) being rotated around it by Celestia or Luna.
It does bring up the point what's on the other side of the planet for ponies, creatures, whatever and are they aware of Celestia and Luna and are the sisters aware of them?
I'll admit, it does bring other problems beyond the, "We only care about Equestria" mainly the Royal Pony Sisters are a lot more powerful and crucial for the planet's survival then I originally thought.
Also means Discord is far more powerful then I originally thought considering he can overrule both Celestia and Luna in the day/night cycle.
@Harwick I think you're joking, but just in case: the FTL nutrinos were proven to be an error in calculation. I think some researchers are never going to live that down. 8^D
ReplyDeleteLOL! The Great and Powerful Princess Harwick!
@Truehearted
ReplyDeleteHey, some of us show up to speculate on ponies kissing. Others come for the hard science. The show has something for everyone.
As for the alleged continuity-break... I can think of a few good explanations for it.
ReplyDelete1.) Based on the episodes, Twilight's and Spikes birthdays may be close together. Perhaps Spike and Twilight spent some time in Canterlot with her parents around that time. Note Spike says "First birthday in Ponyville," not "First birthday since moving to Ponyville".
2.) This whole thing takes place on a fictional planet. A fictional planet with a fictional orbit around a fictional sun. Maybe their orbit around their sun is twice as long as we think, making their year twice as long. And maybe Celestia's manipulation of the Sun's position in the sky has fiddled the orbit into creating more than one seasonal cycle per year.
I like my first idea better.
Also, target audience doesn't notice this stuff, so if the writers broke continuity a little, does it really matter?
@frith
ReplyDeleteIf this explanation is the case, then it would seem that Celestia acknowledges the other parts of the world and non-ponies. This may be why there are still seasons. Celestia makes sure that other races get their crop-growing weather, even if it means that ponies have to suffer the winter.
NMM, on the other hand, was solely "punishing" ponies who didn't appreciate the night and was so bent on this that she probably didn't give one rip about what happened to the rest of the planet for good, or for ill.
@Harwick
Given that the sun didn't raise until NMM was defeated in Episode 2, it would be a safe assumption that Celestia is not conning everypony.
@Celestia 1:28, LOL
ReplyDeletemy own theory on the globe, equestria use to be placed on it, but unicorn magic, pegasus flight and earth pony strength lifted it of the planet and moved the whole continent to a random place where it's now floating in the universe, it was took from the ocean, the globe is there to teach history
ReplyDelete@Truehearted To me, this is one of the things that make Fanon more fun then Canon.
ReplyDeleteIn response, to quote a wise man:
"Of course it isn't realistic, but I thought we stopped caring about reality when we had space marines fighting dinosaurs on the planet Zod."
@Altherix I know! This totally loads of fun! Such a puzzle. ^_^ Kind of like Galaxy Quest.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget the new background colt, Lickity Split!
ReplyDeleteJust to point out, never said the duscussion was bad, just silly.
ReplyDeleteI am amused, please continue
:P
@Altherix
ReplyDeleteDespite Trollestia/Tyrant Celestia being a popular meme, she does seem wholly benevolent as far as the show is concerned. Given that the show seems to display gryphons, zebras, dragons, and other creatures with similar intelligence to ponies, I don't think that Celestia would screw those other races over. Celestia is over 1000 years old and is probably very knowledgeable about the world and its inhabitants.
We, on the other hand, know very little about the origins and true natures of the princesses, Discord, etc. (If they were ever to do a movie based on this show, I would like it to be a prequel about how the princesses first fought against Discord.)
shes so pretty O.O
ReplyDeletei was reading the new update of kindred spirits and got the story and show confused :
It was a great episode overall, especially the action and the cute shipping between RarityxSpike and Bonbon/Lyra.
ReplyDeleteBut there was one thing about the episode that drove me nuts. Spike said that it was his first birthday in Ponyville. With the lack of continuity between seasons, what with Winter wrap-up coming before Fall Weather Friends, it would seem as though one year had well-passed by that time considering the story started in the summer, and then all the many episodes that occured after that making it seem like two or more years had passed since they first arrived in Ponyville. When Spike said it was his first ever birthday in Ponyville, I just thought "WHAAAAAT?!" because the show thus far hadn't followed the right seasonal pattern to be one year or less. So I'd say I just found the first continuity problem of the show. I am dissapoint. ._.
@TuxRug
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't REALLY matter. If the show weren't already awesome, we wouldn't be here having this discussion.
Still, speculation can be fun and interesting as long as people don't freak out when their speculation ends up being proven wrong by the actual show.
@Shiranai Winter is also three months of awesome holidays and time off from work to play, so the ponies are not necessarily suffering so strangers can grow food. Equestria and outlying areas may be small and all subject to the same light and weather simultaneously... though perhaps more along the lines of the Everfree forest outside of Equestria.
ReplyDelete@fairy-eater Like that movie: Dark something or other! And the globe is a reminder of ancient times. Good take on it!
ReplyDeleteI like these follow up posts great info on all the good bits xD
ReplyDeleteDr. Muffin Top!
ReplyDelete@Savvy Psi
ReplyDeleteWell I guess it depends on wether you think the episodes were released in the proper order. I mean they're multiple list people have made of different orders the episodes should of been in.
@frith
ReplyDeleteThat's just the perspective of a couple ponies, though. I can imagine that Applejack (as a farmer) might have a differing opinion, because winter probably inconveniences her far more than Pinkie Pie (or Rainbow Dash, who can just fly over the five foot snowfall).
That being said, with their magic and reasonably advanced technology (despite how it is working), modern equestrian ponies do seem to be able handle the winter rather well. This wasn't necessarily always true for their ancestors (we'll find out next episode, perhaps).
Dr. Muffintop: that name and the way he looks, it's like he hust walked off the set of a preschooler's TV show!
ReplyDelete@Shiranai Yes, the show must go on, and our Galaxy Quest spaceship just gets more complex with each episode. X^D
ReplyDeleteThe world is hollow for I have touched the sky. That 'Dark...' movie? This was it: Dark City, 1998.
The vet pony looks like a sister of Alley way or something.
ReplyDelete@Shiranai
ReplyDeleteI suppose that the sun *not* rising technically only proves that Nightmare Moon wasn't running a scam...
Still, I'm no believer in Princess Trollestia. Celestia is awesome. She's like the best mother ever.
Which is not meant as a slight on you, mom, if you're out there. But let's face facts... you neither fly nor rule a kingdom. Of course, I've never levitated things with my head nor saved the world. I guess what I'm saying is that we both leave some room for improvement.
@frith
We just have to wait for the ponies to take a vacation to beautiful Shell Beach.
That world would suddenly help Pinkie Pie make a whole lot more sense.