Daring Don't review *Spoilers* · 1:44pm Dec 8th, 2013
While the episode was going on my theories were varied.
When the bad guys turned up I thought that the author was acting out a scene with some actor friends. Acting out a scene is a great writers trick, allows you to bridge the gap between imagination and reality and lets you add details that make a scene better in the reading.
I was less convinced of this as the episode went on.
When Ahuizotl turned up I had a thought that the ring was some kind of magical device that was allowing the author to play out the scenes instead. Since all the craziness didn't start until after she touched the magical glowing ring hidden away in a secret glowing book I figured that's when it was activated; bringing her imagination to life. Y'know, like holograms and such.
I had that idea in mind all the way to the end when, yep, it turns out to just be a regular awesome adventure.
When Ahizotl was defeated I honestly expected the temple and everyone to fade away and A.K. Yearling explain she'd used the magic ring to bring her imagination to life so she could make the Daring Do books as realistic and awesome as possible.
That might have annoyed me as it would have made the whole episode, basically, a dream. Those kind of episodes are always annoying, all that awesome stuff we just watched and none of it really happened.
Daring Do and A.K. Yearling being the same pony I kind of dislike -it seems like an easy cop out from the writers in my opinion. The author of the Daring Do books IS her character and nopony has noticed until now? Even megafan Twilight didn't know? So is she always in that frumpy disguise when not kicking flank and saving the world? Being an adventurer who bases her books on her adventures, that I could like, but just making the books basically like diary's of her adventures, is just too...expected.
All these bad guys running around cursing Daring Do, none of them ever thought to grab A.K. Yearing on the street, or at a book signing or something? She humiliates them twice; one by defeating them and two my writing about their failures in graphic detail for all to read.
That little rant went on longer than expected. I'm going to change track and say that I can appreciate it on some levels. Daring Do writing about her adventures is a good idea in its own way. Saving the world all the time doesn't really bring in the money to pay the bills, but selling the books of those adventures does.
Plus, there is plausible deniability. Daring stated her work involves secrets and it obviously contains dangers. If anyone ever actually saw her adventuring and tried to brag about it, or tell the underworld types; it would be dismissed as them just quoting the adventure in the book. Conspiracy theorists love that kind of thing.
...***...
Onto the stuff about the episode I liked.
Rainbow Dash and Twilight fangirling all the way through. We all saw something of ourselves in them.
Twilight Sparkle: My mind is officially blown!
YAY! Twilight said the thing real fans say. 
Rainbow Dash and Twilight trying to out do each other on their knowledge of the books while the outsiders look on in total confusion, except Pinkie Pie who is the total poser pretending she knows what's going on. I don't know about you, but it just gave me a sudden and surprising insight into what a real fandom looks like on the outside.
Rainbow Dash's face:
All the Indiana Jones references.
Including Rainbow Dash as Short Round;
baseball cap and satchel, it's obvious.
We actually get to see ponies being bad guys for a change. From fighting minions to greedy evil doctors. Proving, once and for all, not everypony in equestria is nice.
Before now I think the closest we've seen to evil ponies are just the snobby Caterlot elite, Prince Blueblood and Diamond Tiara, who -let's face it- are just chaotic good at best. The canterlot ponies are just snobs, Blublood was just a spoiled brat and Diamond is your standard school age bully. They're just not nice, but this is the first real showing that ponies in Equestria can be bad or even downright evil.
Which finally acknowledges all those fanfics where we can have criminals.
Daring Do is real and is willing to accept help from Twilight and her friends, leaving the way open for her to come back in a future episode.
Also, I can practically hear the fanfics being written already. No more alternate universe tags on those stories, eh?
Final thought:
Like:
-Awesome action,
- Great adventure,
- life lessons about believing in yourself,
- life lessons about accepting help,
- fan-service to the bronies as the ponies go fangirling,
Dislike:
-The obvious "twist" that Daring Do is real and that nopony seems to have noticed until now. I don't like. Too many things would make keeping that secret life too difficult. I know, I'm over thinking it when it's the plot of a show meant for kids. But kids can sometimes be smarter than networks think, a few of them might spot some of those same details. Do the writers have to go with the obvious? would a little imagination and some big twists hurt all that much.
Rating: 7 out of 10.
At first I thought more of a 6.5 but that would be unfair to the episode. I know all the problems I have with the episode are just my own hang-ups with petty details. I'm over-thinking a problem in a show not aimed at adult bronies.
Plus all the fan service really boosts the rating.
EDIT: Changed score from 8 to 7. Because the more I thought about it, the less it deserves a score so close to 10.
This was probably MLP's most bizarre episode, made extra bizarre by the fact that it is never acknowledged by the characters.
After some initial surprise they just accept Daring Doo is real and don't question it. And I guess the writers felt we should do the same.
It is probably the most gregarious example of sloppy writing in the entire show.
I have to say I do agree with you upon the fact that both Fantasy and Reality is non-existent in this episode and that Daring Do should be kept fake.
While I haven't seen the episode myself, I do have some concerns over its ideas...as I do most this season so far.
Honestly, there's good writing and there's clever writing and this episode, based upon this review, is neither of those. Thanks for saving me 30 minutes of boredom.