Season 7, Celestial Advice - All Bottled Up [95% Spoiler Free] · 3:18am Apr 19th, 2017
I was thinking about hanging back a while for more episodes to release, but I really want to read the fics coming out that play on the opener(s), so here we are, indulging my most secret of habits.*
Edit: Also, prehensile wings are great.
Celestial Advice
"There's no wrong way to fantasize." - Princess Celestia.
Our work here has been vindicated by the highest authority. But seriously, this episode should be nicknamed "the lampshade," 'cuz they be hanging all over this joint.
"I didn't know I was an expression." - Also Celestia. Also bullshit. She has to know.
"Claw-chella" - apparently a dragon hippie music fest.
But really, again, Celestia gets some major screen time in this episode. Part of it in the background, reflecting on Twilight's central breakdown and then bringing up her own parallel. It's the most human equine we've seen her... ever, maybe. It's great. Pinkie has a little fun with her cartoon magic at the beginning and end, but not in an excessive way like she's prone to being written. In contrast to every other season opener that I can remember, we're not set up with a world ending event. It's incredibly mundane, by all accounts, but I think it's fitting. All of the drama is interpersonal (and Discord being a blabbermouth, which is fine). This really hearkens back to the early Slice of Life heavy episodes. It feels really good.
All Bottled Up
Trixie is bad at magic, and nobody should ever teach how to do real magic. It's dangerous, even without evil alicorn-based accessories. So, even with all the character growth and hugging, it's nice to see there's still some lingering animosity between Trixie and Twilight. Just, you know, "fuck your cakes, let them eat pretzels" kind of frenemy business.
Spike is babysitting Beatrix and Starlight, it seems. I can get behind this.
ESCAPE ROOM, WHAT? YES PLEASE.
Oh. The Map is gone. Unicorn lore note: do not engage teleportation spell without deciding on a destination. Also, this is great. I have a story I haven't published yet where Starlight confronts a tribal supremacist in the streets of Ponyville and, concluding that arguing for her very right to exist is silly, but that mind wiping him is wrong, she just punches him in the face to general applause.
It was an exploratory piece.
Anyway. Starlight dealing with latent anger issues is a good episode theme. Or, as the case may be: Granny, Bulk, and unnamed jeweler dealing with Starlight's anger issue.
FIRST SONG OF THE SEASON. I HAVE AN EXCITE. The song here is also a nice reminder than, however integrated Starlight (and now, perhaps, Trixie) are in the show, the main mane cast is always going to be our six ladies.
Also, seeing them in action here, Trixie does make a great companion for Starlight. Where GlimGlam is smart and calculating, Beatrix doesn't give a owl's hoot and just does whatever she wants while generally trying to be a good friend.
Conclusion
It's a bit weird not starting off with the world ending, but I'm okay with breaking tradition for quality character drama. These were good episodes (and not a 2 part set, which had I known I'd have written 2 posts) and I look forward to more of the season to come.
*It's not really a secret at all. My tattoo, however, is.
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My usual response is "not finishing TKAG," but I can't use that anymore so... I dunno. I'll come up with a new schtick. I haven't forgotten about needing to go back and comment that properly, btw. I'm close to emotionally stable again. But really, the season are basically fine. Plenty of criticism to be had, but I don't think they've jumped the shark just yet. Except in episode 100 when they intentionally jumped an actual shark while riding a bandwagon. Or, a wagon with a band on it, as it were.
The dynamic introduced with Starlight and Trixie taking an occasional center stage is kind of a nice touch, sometimes. MLP hadn't really tackled the "what happens when you have a friend who has a friend that everybody else hates just a little bit" thing yet. And even within the B-Team/Guardians-to-the-Mane6's-Avengners crew (Starlight, Trixie, Thorax, and Discord) there's malcontent, so they're really putting the fun back in dysfunctional.
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Thorax is a rogue Changeling. He finds a home in the Crystal Empire with Spike's help, and is instrumental in saving the world in the Season 6 finale.
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Okay, but check this creeper shit out:
media.giphy.com/media/yRvzQcO2fKFHO/giphy.gif
Edit: I worked really hard to make that GIF. :D