Games Ponies Play Review · 4:55pm Feb 9th, 2013
Alright first thing's first we already know that Spike is busy pet sitting for the mane six and that this isn't going to be a Rarity episode. Okay so we got that out of the way now we can begin the actual review. As you already know I can't just say what I thought without explaining the story.
So the story begins with us learning that the Crystal Empire has a chance to host the next Equestria Games. Rainbow Dash reveals that when she was younger Cloudsdale was considered as a host for the Equestria Games before for some unexplained reason being shot down in favor of Fillydelphia. Rainbow Dash was devestated. The ponies she was with in the flash back may or may not be her parents but that's not important. We then see a return of Rainbow Dash's extreme hot headness, it's not as much of a problem as it was in "Mysterious Mare-Do-Well" or "Super Speedy Cider Suqeezy 6000" but it still is a bit glaring. Here the reason for it is that Rainbow Dash doesn't want the Crystal Ponies to be devestated like she was.
We then learn that the episode was writen by Dave Polsky. This is his second solo episode of the Season and his fourth overall this season. He teamed up with Merriweather Williams to write "Spike at Your Service" and he had help from a new guy by the name of Teddy Antonio for his best work "Keep Calm and Flutter On". Overall he's been redeeming himself lately but does this episode spell the end for his upward climb?
Well let's go through the story first. Twilight starts working her friends to the bone so they'll be ready for the games inspector. As she makes them go through their welcome routine one more time the train stops and Applejack grumbles about how they should've been more careful. Upon arriving in the Crystal Empire the mane six see that it is looking even better than before as all the citizens are working to make it look spic and span. Rainbow Dash then stupidly starts bellyaching about how Cloudsdale went through the same routine before it was shot down. Fournately Twilight pulls her and the others away before Rainbow Dash can do any more damage.
From there the mane six meet Princess Cadence and she and Twilight share their special greeting once more while Rarity once again fawns over the Crystal Empire. This time she is amazed by the Crystal Spa which includes a crystal mud bath which is actually more of a jeall-o like substance. Cadence then teaches Twilight to stay calm and collected which starts to work as Twilight doesn't flip out too much when Pinkie Pie takes a dive into the mub bath. Then the crystal librarian shows up and states that Cadence's mane stylist has come down with the flu and is staying home so she won't infect Cadence. Rarity then offers to do Cadence's mane since none of the other crystal spa ponies know how to perform the special operation that Cadence has requested.
The librarian also announces that the games inspector will be arriving on the next train. The mane six minus Rarity race off to the train station, having been told to look for a pony with flower print luggage. They find the pony they assume to be the games inspector and welcome her. However as we see they miss the actual inspector who gets off just after they leave.
The pony that they assume is the inspector is taken to the castle where they go through their welcome routine. Once that is done Twilight and the others grow worried when Cadence doesn't show up. Twilight then instructs Pinkie Pie to give "the inspector" a tour of the castle while she goes to check on Cadence. We see that the pony who isn't the inspector is claustrophobic but having been convinced by Rainbow Dash that the inspector will try to test them to see if they can handle any situation the ponies refuse to let her leave.
Twilight arrives at the spa to find that Rarity messed up one of the steps while trying to find a shortcut and she'll need more to undo the mistake and make Cadence look presentable. Twilight returns to the castle to find that Pinkie Pie doesn't really know much about the place. Assuming that 'the inspector' is getting bored Twilight leaves to go see if Shining Armor can help while Rainbow Dash decides to lead the way to the castle gym.
Twilight arrives at the stadium that has been set up and finds that Shining Armor is busy coaching the athletes. Before Twilight can tell him what is wrong 'the inpsector' bursts through the door and demolishes the stadium track. Soon afterward the ponieslearn that the pony they've been talking to isn't the inspector but when they arrive at the train station they find that the real inspector is nowhere to be found. Rainbow Dash then instructs the five of them to split up and search a different section of the empire. When Pinkie Pie points out that there's no point in searching the spa because if the inspector was already there that would mean game over. When this realization hits they instantly race to the spa only to find that the inspector is indeed fact already there although she isn't aware that Cadence is there too.
Once Rarity reveals that she has corrected her mistake the inspector steps forward and gives the old fashioned I"ve had the worst experience of my entire life" speech. When Cadence asks what happened the mane six confess they missed the actual inspector and gave their welcome routine to the wrong pony. Rainbow Dash even apologizes for screwing things up. However the inspector then reveals that according to the traveling pony that the mane six assumed was the inspector the Crystal Empire is actually a really nice place and decides to let them host the Equestria Games.
At the end we see the scene where Angel Bunny was trying to reach Fluttershy as well as that Spike and the pets as well the CMC are hiding directly beneath them. We then learn that Twilight has managed to stay calm throughout out all of this and hopes that Spike is doing the same.
So that's the episode. What did I think of it? Well I thought it was very good, not perfect but still good. Overall Rainbow Dash could've been written a little bit better but otherwise I really don't see anything that would need to be changed in this episode. So I give this an episode an A/A- rating. It's so close to being perfect but for some reason it just isn't for me. Dave Polsky has certainly cemented his poistion as a good writer. Hopefully he'll continue to improve. Next week comes the moment where we'll see who the real fans are. Brace yourselfs because something tells me we'll be in for a bumpy ride.
Now then I don't want to see any comments about how Rarity was out of character or that this should've been a Rarity episode.
Stick around as either later today or tomorrow I'll post my Season 2 review.
Rarity episode.
(Haven't watched it yet, so I'll post my piece of the pie soon.)
810899 Not funny. I don't want to flood the comment section with comments like "This should've been a Rarity episode or Rarity was out of character". I don't want to get a lot of winy fans that let one thing ruin the entire episode. Hopefully the next episode will finally purge us of the winy fans we picked up at the start of the season and allow for the true fans to shine.
Speaking of which it looks like my idea for how Twilight access' her alicorn mode will turn out to be right. (She can tap into it by being hit with the Elements of Harmony)
810963
I just finished watching it.
Didn't really see anything wrong with it or anything good in it.
Mixed bag for me.
811053 That's a pretty good summary. I suppose this is largely filler material to help us settle down before the big finale. From the looks of things the cutie makr swap only works one way so that means each mane six member minus Twilight will have a different cutie mark. We already know Rarity gets Rainbow Dash's cutie mark although I'm not sure how exactly works for her since she can't fly.
811131
Maybe she's just fast at everything? Or she's just overly loyal? It'd be good to see if parts of their personalities swapped round.
811148 Well have to see.
Also it looks like Pinkamina returns although probably not in the same ay. From the looks of things Pinkie ends getting Applejack's cutie mark but she soon struggles with keeping Sweet Apple Acres together.