Mini Re-Reviews: "Spike At Your Service" - Season 3 Episode 9

APPLEJACK: "You know, Sugarcube, that Dragon Code thing of yours sure did seem to come out of nowhere. How come you never brought it up before?"
SPIKE: "Oh, uh, well... you remember when we watched the Dragon Migration?"
APPLEJACK: "Personal crisis?"
SPIKE: "...kinda."
APPLEJACK: "Decided to join the migration?"
SPIKE: "Yeah."
APPLEJACK: "Found some other dragons?"
SPIKE: "You got it."
APPLEJACK: "They weren't very nice?"
SPIKE: "Not even a little."
APPLEJACK: "Stood up to them when they crossed the line?"
SPIKE: "Someone had to."
APPLEJACK: "And while you were perfectly happy after that to be more pony then dragon, there's still a part of you deep down that feels like you'll always be connected to dragon culture, and so this 'Dragon Code' thing is partly an effect to both improve the image of dragons and mark yourself as different from the rough kind of dragons you've met up until now?"
SPIKE: "Wow, Applejack, you figured all that out? You're pretty smart."
APPLEJACK: "Aw, shucks, it's nothing. I spend a lot of time alone in the fields bucking trees and managing the farm. Gives me a lot of time to thick about what makes ponies - and dragons - tick."
SPIKE: "...Twilight told you, didn't she?"
APPLEJACK: ...yeah, most of it. That last bit, though, that was all deduction on my part."

There's basically no chance you're reading this and are unaware that "Spike At Your Service" is, to put it mildly, an episode that rubbed a fair share of people the wrong way, counting for most people as just another example, more severe then most, of why Spike episodes sink lower then most. Certainly, coming into it, I was once again curious; a fair share of episodes to this point that were often looked down upon ended up a darn sight better then is often claimed. This episode was unique, though, in that I'd seen it recently enough to already be more positive on it. Thus, I was most curious to see whether my opinions about the episode were justifiable like they had been for the others. Not to mention, this was also an Applejack episode, so it matters quite a bit to me how well the episode could handle itself, as the only one in the whole series to prominently feature my two favourite characters.

What I was not prepared for, was that the episode would have, at its core, the same problem as "Owl's Well That Ends Well". To wit, the episode's First and Third Acts handle themselves very well for its season's standards, but the middle act is a trove of incompetent Spike writing. However, I am pleased to report it is far less severe here, for two reasons. Firstly, less screentime is spent on Spike being written so poorly; in "Owl's" it was the middle 9 minutes sandwiched in between 6 minutes either side, while here it's only 5 minutes and change of Spike screwing up every task given to him (from the cutaway to him making pies in the Apples' kitchen up to Rainbow Dash giving him a task), with the 5-6 minutes before that and the ten minutes thereafter having him at his proper level of competency. Second, unlike "Owl's" and a lot of Spike episodes, here there's plenty of Mane 6 and Spike interaction that is both deeply satisfying on a character level and also funny. Third, even when Spike's being written as a major klutz, there's plenty of comedy along the way, comedy good enough to make the experience still enjoyable. This episode is worthwhile, and it is good. But not good enough to sweep its severe problems under the rug. Best dwell on them for a while.

After a brief cold open where Spike is given a day off by Twilight who has a dozen books to read for the Princess, we're thrust into the inciting incident when Spike takes the town balloon for a ride, but gets it stranded in the Everfree Forest. Before he can take it home, he's attacked by a pack of Timberwolves, last seen obscured in Granny Smith's flashback in "Family Appreciation Day". There are spotty moments in the integration of their cel-shaded CGI with the show's style, but for the most part it works, and helps to mark them as visually distinctive and a neat threat (I understand it was a notable complaint at the time of the episode's release). And along comes Best Pony to the rescue; as mentioned last time, Applejack is often at her best when she's not the arc character, and almost as an apology for last time, here she is, kicking flank and taking names. And throughout the episode, aside from one minor quibble (not being as firm with Spike as she could be), she's the Applejack we know and love: a sensible, level-headed pony who's quick to help out and even quicker to not hold anyone to a debt.

It's not as soon as Spike decides to serve her as repayment for her heroic deed that he goes amuck either. On the contrary, his first task of helping Apple Bloom clean a massive dirty pig goes too well. You can detect the moment everything goes amiss as the jump cut to him mixing a pie messily in the Apples' kitchen. From there, he's "comically" messing every task up, right until Rainbow Dash concocts the ingenious idea to give him an impossible task so he'll give up. After he emerges from Rarity's kitchen with a pipe, he's scarily efficient thereafter. But for those 5 minutes, he's a walking disaster in the name of comedy. I have no new observations: Spike is many things, but a klutz at housework and chores is not one of them. In fact, that's largely his bread-and-butter to this point in his life. He's a goofball, easily distracted, overly eager, sometimes immature, but that's as far as you can take it.

And this is the main problem with the episode. Because the correct way for the episode was right there, and doesn't require changing more then the occasional line of dialogue outside of those five-6 minutes. Past that, Spike is eerily competent and efficient, as he should be, with him counting every blade of grass on the farm and building a giant rock tower for Rainbow to crash into. For that middle chunk, instead of being a klutz, Spike should have been efficient, energetic and dedicated, so much so he's getting all of Applejack's work done for her (I cam imagine, in my mind's eye, a scene the next day where Applejack rises and goes from chore to chore, but finds them all done in visually comedic fashion - go ahead, I bet you'd imagine it in a similar manner). By throwing her off balance, she feels invalidated with her main purpose of being a vital cog in the farm's operation going unable to be fulfilled. That'd be threatening and compelling to Applejack, and a potential real insight into her that could have given us a solid Applejack-centric episode too. Plus, it would tie in with Spike's need to validate himself by doing all this. Heck, you even take it further by showing how Twilight's well-oiled machine isn't as efficient with Spike not around after that first day off. Boom, the episode's fully thematic sound.

All of that being the case, I don't this severe case of "What Could Have Been" totally ruins the episode. Takes a massive chunk out of its armor, for sure, but as mentioned, the character work throughout is still reasonable solid, even when Spike is being a klutz. Consider Spike's tearful reactions to Twilight's non-reactions to his departure. He's at a stage where he validates himself by his usefulness to others, and with Twilight having seemingly being indifferent to him being with Applejack instead, this gives a lot more weight to his help thereafter, and his insistence. For deep personal reasons, he feels worthwhile only if he's helping others - he's been nothing but an assistant all his life - and with Twilight seeming to not mind if he switches, he doubles down on his effort to repay Applejack.
Oh, and as a side note, the callbacks to Dragon Quest in Spike's inner arc, while faint in the script, are far more effective due to the score's reuse of the Middle Earth-sounding theme used for the adventure and quest elements in that earlier episode. Really makes Spike's arc and choices here not a complete butt-pull. Just mostly a butt-pull on the staff's part.

And of course, the side characterisation of the rest of the characters and the moments they gets are really solid. Pinkie's moustache moments need no introduction, Rainbow is cool and chill (and writing a self-insert fanfiction, apparently), Twilight's Force-Sense is tingled by a marginally-moved inkwell, and Rarity's masterclass in putrid cake eating and damsel-in-distress acting as suitably grin-inducing. Even Fluttershy, confined to a bit part, is done very well, not written as too scared, and having mild snarky moments that gelled right for her. And her and Rainbow's interplay and chemistry during the Fake Timber Wolf scare is very heart warming.

All these character moments, and the fact of Spike rising back to as he should be, makes the back half of the episode easy to swallow and a really good time. With all the little touches throughout, there's no doubt in my mind this episode is a good one. It's just that darn middle five minutes with Spike being a klutz: all the more disagreeable as the script there doesn't even emphasise him being a klutz. There is only one line from Applejack about him messing up - the rest is all focused on her just not feeling right about him serving her - which makes it all the odder the story went there, regardless of whether it was in the script or embellished somewhat by DHX in storyboarding. Because of that "Spike At Your Service" can't be as good as "Dragon Quest", where none of the commonly cited problems were severe. But still, it's a darn sight better then its reputation and the obvious forebearer, "Owls Well That Ends Well.", just not better enough to be worthwhile waltzing around convincing people to join my side (though if you're so nclined, feel free to join me!). A 7/10 here, landing in that spot of and at least the episode is both fun and funny much of the way through. Makes it an easy watch, if you can work through that middle quarter.

STRAY OBSERVATIONS
- This episode is nearly seven-and-a-half years old, and the MLP fandom was unparalleled in size when this episode came out. Given how vocal the disdain for it was, I'm sure there's more then a few fixfics and AU versions of this episode out there in the bowels of MLP fanfiction.
- It feels right to me, somehow, that the Big Timberwolf fusion was done in the show's usual style. He still is marked out due to the level of visual detail on him, but I read it as them adapting to the ponies' and their environment.
-Of course, Applejack should not have been reasonably caught by that rock in the slightest. Mostly just a layout and storyboarding thing, it needed to be bigger, perhaps with two legs pinned so she couldn't get a good enough grip to push herself free. But a minor quibble all the same.
- Next time... oh boy. Without even watching the episode, I'll have a lot of choice words to say about what is the show's first boneheaded change to the status quo. Even if it could have been salvaged later, doesn't change the fact it shouldn't have been done in the first place.

Comments

[RainbowSparkle3]

Spike being overwhelmed by excitement is pretty cute imo.