Friendship is Card Games: Sweet and Smoky · 11:19am May 26th, 2019
I’m not sure if this is a sign that every member of the Student Six will get an individual focus episode this season, but we’re certainly getting a very unexpected bit of character development. Let’s see what’s cooking in the Dragonlands. (With mesquite, going by the title.)
Huh. Twilight calmly allowing a student to skip a day’s classes? Wasn’t expecting that. Though a week is still above bookhorse tolerances.
It’s dangerous to go alone! Take Fluttershy. (Never mind that Smolder was presumably allowed to go to the Dragonlands on her own to get that permission slip signed back in “Uprooted.”)
Also, who’s subbing for Yellowquiet while she’s supervising this field trip?
Hmm. Interesting ruins along the edge of the Dragonlands. I guess the Royal Legion didn’t stay at the border for long after Flash Magnus went into Limbo. (Also, we’ve apparently found the one place on the planet that the railroads refuse to go to.)
The Smile song has made it onto Spike’s list of friendship activities. With Pinkie’s blessing, I’m sure. And I did smile at how his first thought when hearing he’d be dealing with a sensitive soul shunned by society was showtunes. We’re not quite going down that road, Spike.
I won’t lie, I was hoping Smolder’s brother would be Garble. And looking back, she did mention a brother in “Molt Down.” Good bit of continuity there… which is something of a contrast with other parts of this episode.
I love Ember’s reaction to Fluttershy asking if all the eggs were hers. “What do you think I’m doing as Dragonlord? Who do you think I’m doing as Dragonlord?”
Torch is probably being tight-lipped on Dragonlordship because he thinks it’ll toughen up Ember. That and he likely had to figure it out while on the job himself, and may not have done a very good job of it. I personally love the idea that he became Dragonlord entirely by accident.
In any case, we do have a proven method for hatching dragon eggs, but I don’t think Twilight can manage this many, even post-ascension. Plus, Ember might have an issue with literally every dragon of the next generation imprinting on an Equestrian princess.
Apparently no one ever told Garble what his sister’s actually been doing. You know, making friends, saving the world, finding a substitute brother in Spike. (No wonder she’s been so supportive of the little guy. He’s like a version of Garble who’s willing to be honest about his feelings.)
So, yeah. Laughfire. This is apparently a thing. Given the way the colors change, I have to wonder if this is actually dragonflame empowered by Elemental Laughter; Harmony magic does tend to produce rainbows, which would explain the changing colors. Admittedly, that could just be increasing temperature, and it’s awfully destructive for Harmony magic… but as a counterpoint, the Bearer of Laughter is also the Mane Six’s artillery expert.
That all being said, this does feel like the awkward attempt to retcon a bit of dragon thaumobiology that it is, right up there with pony manes suddenly being all but immune to magic.
I actually like the hypocrisy of Garble and his compatriots mocking the concept of friendship. They’re not friends, they’re bros. The difference, of course, is that brodom isn’t a thing that ponies do—as far as they know—and is therefore permissible.
Oof. Spike does have an unfortunate habit of belly flopping into lava, doesn’t he?
The cupcake… kind of worked. Not the conventional method, and Garble is very lucky that Pinkie Pie wasn’t part of this trip, but it did make him feel a bit better.
Huh. Red crystals in the background that dragons don’t seem to want to eat… I’m not saying it’s sangrite, magically active crystals formed from dragon blood shed in battle, but I wouldn’t be surprised.
Ah, the return of Fluttershy Wyrmshamer. Makes me wonder if the dragon from “Dragonshy” is Smolder and Garble’s father. Also, she legitimately made kindness sound threatening. Props to Andrea Libman there.
I am surprisingly okay with beatnik Garble. He definitely works as a poster boy for overcompensation. I’m not sure where or how he picked up on the concept of beat poetry (or the outfit, for that matter, though the acquisition of both could make for a fascinating story,) but I find myself liking the idea. I suspect Fluttershy learned of said concept from Tree Hugger’s circle of friends. (Probably not Tree herself; different cultural movement.)
There is the question of how exactly you get bongos from rock, but that way lies madness. That or it’s actually cragadile hide.
How fragile are dragon eggs? You’d think a thick shell would be a must in such a harsh environment. Of course, the draconic definition of “fragile” is probably along the lines of “Can’t survive a five-hundred-foot drop onto basalt.”
“Wait. You’ve been picking on Spike?”
“Only when you’re not looking.”
Not only is this funny, it’s also a beautiful bit of sibling dynamics. Seriously, this is the kind of thing you can only even hope of getting away with when it’s your sibling.
“For a pony without a horn, she’s sure got a point.” Heyo!
Foreshadowing? Probably not, but…
So… where are the large dragons? I’m beginning to think that “Dragonlord” is Draconic for “high school principal.” The influence of the Scepter certainly doesn’t seem to extend past a certain size.
With the right material, the blanket plan might actually work. That’s what baby blankets are for.
I’m going to need Garble to never say “Spikey-Wikey” ever again.
“Garble, Hero of the Dragonlands.” That just sounds wrong.
Let them go, Flutters. Though a communal hatchery like this does raise the question of how dragons know who’s related to whom. Smell? Visual markers? Hoardsense? First come, first served? Can you bribe Ember to get a better place in line?
In all, this is study in how not to implement a plot device, but aside from that, it’s one of the better approaches to a Garble redemption episode. As I said, it comes as no surprise at all that Garble’s been compensating for a hobby that doesn’t fit the toxic mold of expected and accepted draconic behavior. And even now, it’s not like he’s going to be all buddy-buddy with ponies. Laughfire aside, this was an enjoyable bit of character building… but that is a fair amount to put aside. (And it’s definitely better than the writer’s last episode, but that was “Non-Compete Clause.” Not so much a low bar to clear as a speed bump to step over.)
Now, let’s see what’s been incubating:
Leave of Absence W
Enchantment
Vanishing 3 (This enchantment enters the battlefield with three time counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a time counter from it. When the last is removed, sacrifice it.)
When Leave of Absence enters the battlefield, exile target creature or planeswalker until Leave of Absence leaves the battlefield.
Sharing Circle 1WW
Enchantment
As Sharing Circle enters the battlefield, choose a color.
Tap an untapped creature you control: The next time a source of your choice of the chosen color would deal damage to you this turn, prevent that damage.
Fluttershy Wyrmshamer 2WW
Legendary Creature — Pegasus Druid
Flying
Hexproof from Dragons (This creature can’t be the target of Dragon spells or abilities your opponents control.)
If a Dragon source would deal damage to you or a permanent you control, prevent all but 1 of that damage.
1/5
Blurred Perception 1UU
Instant
Choose a nonlegendary creature you control. Each other creature you control that shares a creature type with that creature becomes a copy of it until end of turn.
As far as Dragonlord Ember is concerned, all ponies might as well be named Flammable.
Teachers’ Lounge 2U
Enchantment
At the beginning of your end step, untap each creature you control with an activated ability.
“Teaching is a delight, really it is. I just wish it didn’t involve quite so many students.”
—Rarity, Bearer of Generosity
Sulfurous Stench BB
Sorcery
As an additional cost to cast this spell, you may reveal a Dragon card from your hand.
Non-Dragon creatures get -1/-1 until end of turn. If you revealed a Dragon card or controlled a Dragon as you cast this spell, those creatures get -2/-2 until end of turn instead.
Harass the Weaklings XBBB
Sorcery
As an additional cost to cast this spell, you may sacrifice any number of creatures. This spell costs 1 less to cast for each creature sacrificed this way.
Destroy each creature with converted mana cost X or less.
Cupcake Crush R
Instant
Target enchantment deals damage equal to its converted mana cost to its controller unless that player sacrifices it.
Halfway around the world, Pinkie Pie quietly moved a dossier from one cabinet to another and began planning the appropriate response.
Swallow Lava 1R
Sorcery
Swallow Lava deals 4 damage to target non-Dragon creature. The damage can’t be prevented.
“It’s all fun and games until someone gets burnt to a crisp.”
—Smolder, friendship student
Dragon Hatchery 2R
Enchantment
Whenever you cast a red spell, put an egg counter on Dragon Hatchery.
4RR, Sacrifice Dragon Hatchery: Create a 2/2 red Dragon creature token with flying and “R: This creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn” for each egg counter on Dragon Hatchery. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.
Blazing Mirth 3RR
Sorcery
Blazing Mirth deals damage to target player equal to the damage already dealt to that player this turn.
The only thing worse than angering a dragon is pleasing one.
Caldera Drainer 3RR
Creature — Dragon
Flying
1R, Sacrifice a Mountain: Caldera Drainer gets +2/+0 until end of turn.
“Eh, there’s plenty more where that came from.”
3/3
Hatchery Beatnik 3RR
Creature — Dragon Band
Finale — Whenever you sacrifice a Song, create a 2/2 red Dragon creature token with flying and “R: This creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn.”
“If the ritual works, it’s not stupid.”
—Dragonlord Ember
2/3
Lavaball 4R
Instant
This spell costs 2 less to cast for each Dragon you control.
Lavaball deals 4 damage to any target.
In the claws of a dragon, liquid rock can flow like water or be molded like clay.
Draconic Dominance 4RR
Sorcery
Cast this spell only if you control more Dragons than each other player.
Create a red 4/4 Dragon creature token with flying. Draconic Dominance deals damage equal to the number of Dragons you control to each creature you don’t control.
In the Dragonlands, it’s burn or be burned.
Hero of the Dragonlands 4RR
Creature — Dragon
Flying
Heroic — Whenever Hero of the Dragonlands becomes the target of a spell you control, it deals 1 damage to target player and to each creature that player controls.
Every species has those it reveres.
4/4
Hatching’s Vigor G
Instant
Target creature gets +4/+4 until end of turn if its power is 1 or less. Otherwise, it gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
“Once something’s had its first look at the world, it will do anything to get another.”
—Fluttershy, Bearer of Kindness
Sangrite Pillar 3
Artifact
T, Pay 1 life: Add one mana of any color.
T, Sacrifice Sangrite Pillar: Add three mana of any one color. Spend this mana only to cast Dragon spells.
“Some gems are too useful to eat.”
—Dragonlord Ember
Eggwatcher 1RWB
Creature — Pegasus Shaman
Flying
When Eggwatcher enters the battlefield, create a 0/2 red Dragon Egg creature token with defender and “When this creature dies, create a 2/2 red Dragon creature token with flying and ‘R: This creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn.’”
2, Sacrifice a creature: Populate.
2/2
Impervious Dignity 3GW
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature has hexproof and indestructible.
“You just can’t let the little things get to you. And after a few centuries, it’s all little things.”
—Princess Celestia
Dragonlands Panorama
Land
T: Add C.
1, T, Sacrifice Dragonlands Panorama: Search your library for a basic Mountain, Plains, or Swamp card and put it onto the battlefield tapped. Then shuffle your library.
The nicest molten hellscape you could ask for.
Molten Morass
Land
T, Pay 1 life: Add B or R.
1, T, Sacrifice Molten Morass: Draw a card.
Moisture isn’t the only way to soften the ground.
I managed to avoid spoilers for this episode, so I was surprised when Smolder revealed that Garble was her brother. I think the redemption arc worked for him. Garble is similar to Babs Seed, but the resolution was different enough that it felt fresh to me. I imagine Garble started out like a sensitive artist hatchling until he molted, and then he had to toughen up to survive without an adult's help in the harsh Dragonlands.
Unfortunately this episode raised as many questions as it answered about dragon biology. Why wasn't Laugh Fire mentioned earlier? It could be something dragons can only do after the molt, but Spike talks about it like it's common knowledge.
There's toughening up your kid and then there's letting all of the offspring in a year die through neglect or incompetence. To be fair, he probably didn't expect that teenage dragons would drain the lava from the volcano's peak, but it still bothered me that no older dragons came to check in on Ember and the eggs. An older, experienced dragon would have noticed the cool temperature right away. I've raised baby animals and temperature is one of the main things you monitor during the earliest stages of development. In fact, I'm sure the only reason Fluttershy didn't realize what was wrong was because all of the Dragonlands felt warm to her and she wouldn't know exactly how hot the eggs are supposed to be.
These issues didn't ruin the episode for me, but they did take away from my enjoyment at least a little. Still, I appreciate what the writer did with Garble's reformation and the way she tried to tie everything together with the eggs.
I need a story about Fluttershy stealing all the baby dragons, like, yesterday. :V
To me, this episode is yet another sign of what Big Jim said they were doing with this season: it’s coming to a conclusion, not just ending. Garble isn’t the biggest loose end in the series, but he’s definitely been there for a while; this gives him a conclusion, while also showing the dragons moving forward with a new generation that turns the corner from toxic dragonicity to something more pony- (and feelings-) tolerant. It’s perfect in a lot of ways. Oh and hey, Fluttershy is pretty much 100% cool with dragons now! That’s a sign of growth that no one can ignore.
I also think the message about doing your thing even when others don’t understand it goes beyond the obvious pablum. My growing hypothesis is that the showrunners are trying to use S9 to prepare and equip their (non-target) audience for life after Pony. Granted, eight previous seasons’ worth of lessons have contributed immensely to this goal; but this episode in particular was a fantastic illustration of the desire, and sometimes impossibility, of fitting in, which I think will remain elusive for many of us in the fandom. It’s probably fair to say that many Bronies aren’t going to suddenly start fitting in 100% with the world around them just because the show ends, even if they’ve achieved significant personal growth along the way.
And I think capping that off with a moment of birth and renewal is equally deliberate. Look at Garble, the misfit weirdo of the old generation who gave rise to a new generation where his uniqueness is only the beginning. But he gets there through being laughed at, not by avoiding being laughed at.
Makes me think dragons have the ability to shape and work with lava the same way pegasi do with clouds.
The rest I'm gonna copy/paste from my own journal:
Garble being Smolder's older bro. On the one hand, seems a bit hamfisted. On the other, I'm not sure if I would have liked a completely new character made for the spot, especially this close to the end of the series.
I don't mind a Garble-redemption episode, but I really would have preferred it not be a rehash of Bad Seed. Something where Spike finally earns Garble's respect would've been nice.
Fluttershy seems to have gotten over her fear of dragons, but is now even more obsessed with baby dragons. Watch out, Ember, I think she's serious about trying to take them all. And while the idea of Fluttershy, Mother of Dragons is adorable, that's a LOT of potential fire hazard.
Speaking of adorable, Ember blushing like mad when asked if the eggs were all hers definitely was. As was her attempts to "coochy coo" them out.
And yeah, all those newly hatched wyrmlings were darned cute as well. Makes me wonder how the parents know which one is theirs, or if maybe the job of returning the babies is another random duty of the Dragon Lord.
Now, since there's a hatching season, that makes me think there must be a mating season as well, to synchronize all the laying and hatching.
Crackship of the day: beatnik Garble + beatnik Rarity
I thought it was a fun episode. Nice to see some dragon backstory. Ember blushing over the eggs was cute. Plus getting some important answers to Smolder's backstory and her interaction with Garble is great too. It's nice to see that sometimes dragons can have depth to them aside the one-note, might-makes-right, Klingon-culture. Spike isn't such an anomaly among his kind.
Fluttershy being obsessed over dragons whelps is cute. I was about to wonder if that was Discord's influence, but Fluttershy has loved baby dragons since S1E1 when she first met Twilight and got chatty over Spike.
The draconequus might still have to be wary of a babyminded Fluttershy, though.
That quote is wonderful. I might end up being a Fluttershy and take it home with me
Crap, Garble got redeemed? Now I might have to reach for the AU tag for a few of my fics...
Also, I need Hero of the Dragonlands for my Feather deck.
More so than the laughfire, which was obviously just a bad plot device, as you also noted, this is what vexed me the most about the episode. (Well, aside from their choice to redeem the guy who killed baby animals for fun, but whatever.) Still, it does explain how Celestia got Spike's egg. Since dragons seem to care way more about their hoards than their own children, she probably just walked up to Torch and politely asked to trade a sack of gems for one of the eggs.
Another idea I had, which wasn't really supported by their adorable behavior in the episode, nor fitting with the tone of the show, but still, is that baby dragons operate like baby sharks. IE: they start killing and eating eachother almost immediately to grow and cull the weak. This would explain why Spike is still so tiny, and why the dragon parents weren't around; they wait a bit to come back so they only get attached to the whelps that survive.
Going by previous experience with how the show's handled the logistics of having two or three full-time jobs at once while also going off to have adventures at a moment's notice, that is not a question that will ever be answered.
This was a pretty enjoyable enough episode all in all, but I did have three overall issues with it:
Firstly the laughfire, but enough's been said about that already.
Secondly the enduring absence of adult dragons. I get that it's a well-established pattern by now, but you'd think that an episode focused so centrally around draconic reproduction would at least mention them once or twice. Someone must have laid all those eggs.
Thirdly the idea of Garble's... Garbleness being a front to avoid peer scorn. I get the idea, but I feel that it doesn't really gel with the way he's been consistently presented as a ringleader and as the person consistently directing the other asshole dragons and deciding and directing their activities. There's overcompensating to fit in, and then there's being the primary authority figure in the social group you're in.
5064790
5064851
Really? With greed making them turn into giants, acne outbreaks turning into a stone cocoon, and whatever Celestia did to enable Spike's esophagus into a mail route, this "leap of faith" is a cakewalk.
How often do we have an adult dragon on this show actually laughing, let alone this freely?
I've actually been waiting for emotional fire to come back into play with this show ever since we learned about the Fire of Friendship.
img06.deviantart.net/063c/i/2012/343/0/4/fire_of_friendship___hearth__s_warming_eve_by_stabzor-d5nipbr.png
5064724
Fun fact, even in a liquid state, molten rock is still pretty heavy. So when someone like Gollum belly flops onto it, they'd be floating like a leaf. A leaf which is also exploding. The stuff on top would be pretty stodgy thanks to being exposed to the open air. So lava "surfing" is probably closwer to snowboarding. Throughout the episode, the animators did a good job with its syrupy nature.
5064851
This episode gives itself more of an out. Since it's not triggered by an emergency letter or a Map quest, there's actually lee way to think there was a enough time skipped between the prologue and the intro for a substitute to be arranged (this time).
Also, every time she ever heads home. That.... did seem really weird. Unless it was more Twilight covering he flank. While at school, anything that goes wrong with them comes back on her.
I was hoping it wasn't. Not every character needs to be connect to others like that. It just, brings about a 'small world' feeling where everything is all one nice, neat, package. Which can start making things feel contrived.
I don't mind the idea itself, and it could work, but the way it was brought up was just, blatent retcon-y "Oh yeah, this ability has always been around! Never mind all the times we've seen these exact dragons laughing and that not happen. Really could have worked that idea a bit better. As to the Mane thing, that's actually got some backing. Since back in Slice of Life, we were told Cranky searched all over Equestria and never found a baldness cure.
Do not screw with the Shy!
Yeah, that, does actually kind of work. I like most of the ideas here, but they did kind of rush some of them. Great ideas, execution could have used work.
Napping? We did see a few large ones in the background in the Cauldron of Fire. Or maybe some/most of them are Greed Growth dragons who are too wild and bestial to really obey?
And, agreed overall. Good ideas, not rushed and poorly implemented at times. But the character stuff was well done, and it had so much amazing Flutterdorableness!
5064701
She's always loved baby dragons, and been fine with the smaller sizes. it's the massive, Kaiju sized ones she's had issues with,
5064724
OHHH idea! A bunch of dragon parents show up and drop their whelps off at Flutershy's Dragon Day-Care!
5064783
Eh, less 'redeemed' more 'Made slightly less of an ass'
5064948
These exact dragons pretty much every time they've showed up.
5064956
Dangit, now I NEED to see/read this.
5064956
Just like how Spike has aged and entered a new visible stage of development, I think these chuckleheads are suppose to have gone from teens to young adults now. That's why we got some of them competing for the title of Dragon Lord. Also why they had some adult supervision in their first appearances, but none since Ember's introduction. Hence a power boost.
5064994
They haven't really changed all that much, and the last time we saw them wasn't all that long ago, back in Shadow Play.
Plus Spike treated it as something common and well known, not something to be surprised at seeing happen for the first time.
At least now we know why ponies know so little about dragons: Dragons don't know half of what dragons are about. Their bodies do all kinds of weird stuff.
Most likely, from ponies. Which is why he tried oh so very hard not to be associated with them.
I liked the family connections on display here. Yup, Garble and Smolder have similarities, for example the belief that dragons should be bullies but also not quite; Smolder came to realise her idea of dragon ideals kind of sucks, while Garble overcompensated. And Ember? She clearly takes after her father regarding leadership style, no matter what she said. The main difference is that she doesn't order her minions to laugh at her jokes.
5064948
These weren't adults, though; they were teenagers like Garble and Ember. We've seen teenaged dragons laugh fairly often.
vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/mlp/images/5/52/Spike_glowing_S6E5.png/revision/latest?cb=20160417132452
Dragon bodies are amusement parks.
By the way, another explanation for how Garble knows beat poetry; one that's been around since forever:
derpicdn.net/img/view/2015/2/6/822419__safe_artist-colon-punzil504_garble_sunset+shimmer_alternate+universe_baby+dragon_dragon_duo_pony_simple+background_transparent+background_unico.png
So I just had a realization: What if Ember is colourblind? I can understand getting Twilight and Starlight mixed up, but the others are far too different in colour to mix up easily. Have we ever heard her actually mention what colour something is?
Also, I was also wondering just where the hell Garble picked up the (presumably pony-originating) art of Beat Poetry. That'd make a pretty good short fic.
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Huh, I’ve literally never heard of this concept before, until I was revisiting this blog and saw your post.