2, 4, 6, Greaaat Review (Spoilers for American Fans!) · 5:40pm Jul 13th, 2019
Yes, folks, it seems like China is indeed going to air the second half of Season 9 in its enterity, and that means the show will be over even sooner than we thought. By the time the show comes back to the U.S. airwaves it's gonna be all but done in China, and we'll have English audio rips circulating for anyone who wants to see. And unless the synopsis' are revealed in the near future we'll be going into these upcoming episodes blind. Of course you know the drill, if you're waiting for the U.S. airdate in August:
Now, this episode is penned by Kaita Mpambara who you may remember went from "Horse Play" to "A Rockhoof and a Hard Place" last season. From one of the best episodes of Season 8, to one of the worst. And it's a Rainbow Dash episode involving buckball, even though we already got the return of that once this season. But hey, Kim Beyer-Johnson wrote "Rainbow Roadtrip" which managed to be alright (which in her case was an improvement), so maybe it's possible to get back to that level of quality at least with Kaita? Well, let's find out.
We begin with Twilight explaining that Celestia's School of Magic has established its own buckball team and is going to be competing against Twilight's School of Friendship in a couple of weeks. Then we get a return of scaredy cat Fluttershy that ends with her fainting, because somehow we're supposed to find that funny (it isn't). Rainbow Dash shows up fully expecting to be the coach of the school's buckball team (because why wouldn't she be?). But Twilight tells her she's going to be coaching the cheerleading squad instead, to which Rainbow naturally objects. She even flat out states she's unqualified and knows nothing about cheerleading (you wouldn't expect an athlete to know about cheerleading just because they witness it). But does Twilight take that into consideration? No, she seems completely oblivious to Rainbow's concerns. It's like everyone seems to forget how to read emotions when Rainbow Dash is around.
The cheerleading squad consists of two new ponies: Shimmy Shake and Over Under, as well as Yona, Ocellus, and Smolder. Yona's hoping to show off her enthusiasm, Ocellus wants to try and be known for something other than shape shifting, and Smolder well we know it's because she secretly likes girly stuff but of course she doesn't admit as such to Rainbow Dash's face (even though they'd have something in common).
Rainbow isn't very interested in coaching though, she still insists she knows nothing about it and keeps sneaking away to watch the buckball team practice for the big game. It isn't until she's flat out told to pay attention that she does anything, and her idea of doing anything is to just go around and ask her friends. Pinkie Pie and Rarity give her a party cannon and new outfits respectively, Applejack gives her hay bales (for some reason), and Zecora turns out to be unhelpful so Rainbow borrows a rhyming book from the library (I think she means the school's library, unless Ponyville got a new one after the Golden Oak Library was destroyed). Then she leaves again, and the cheerleading demonstration turns out to be a flop. But Rainbow seems completely unaware of angry everyone is with her for shirking her responsibilities, like they need to spell it out for her.
Rainbow's insensitive behavior causes Yona and Ocellus to both run out, and the dance twins both leave too. Smolder finally has enough and gives Rainbow a "Reason you suck speech", meaning this is just another episode where the student six are made to look good by making the mane six member of focus look bad! I thought we were done with that stupid plot element after Season 8, but I guess when you order your seasons before the current one is finished it's natural you repeat mistakes that you didn't have time to correct! This is why you wait until your current season is done before you order another one!
To be fair, Rainbow Dash finally realizes her mistake and tries to do something to fix it. She finally bothers to get invested in the team and actually coach them. The next day is the day of the big game, and at the half the two schools are tied at one a piece. Rainbow coaches the cheerleading team again, ending with a pony pyramid. And it actually goes really well. Too bad they don't try to mimic Kirby's famous dance.
Only afterward do we learn that this was all some kind of test by Twilight to get Rainbow Dash to learn a lesson about how you can care for something even if you personally aren't into it. So she basically pulled a Celestia, no wonder she's becoming so useless. Did she and Celestia secretly swap bodies and not tell anyone? It would explain why Celestia seems to be doing more while Twilight is doing less.
And that's the story, so what do I think of the episode? Well honestly, this is just a poor man's version of "Non-Compete Clause" except that they cut Applejack out of the episode and the students aren't put in danger. But that alone doesn't make the plot behind it better, because it doesn't. "Non-Compete Clause" was the low point of Season 8, and it took Rainbow Dash a while to bounce back from it. She was on top of the world prior to this episode, and if this is supposed to her final outing (and I pray it isn't) it's a really terrible one because she is insufferable. Never once does she try to care, and yet she also doesn't try to talk to Twilight about how she's feeling. And why did Twilight feel the need to put Rainbow into this kind of lesson? Rainbow is not a pony you put on the spot. Of course she was going to complain and do a half hearted job, because you picked her to do something she didn't know the first thing about. Yona's inclusion also felt kind of weird and only there for the sake of conflict, to make the cheerleading squad's performance more difficult. I don't see why Silverstream wasn't in this episode, because cheerleading is something she'd be tailor made for given her perky and upbeat nature. Ocellus and Smolder's inclusions were nice, they actually gave Ocellus something to do and fleshed her out a little. But Smolder shouldn't be the only sane creature in the room. And even though Rainbow does learn her lesson, that just means the last several minutes of the episode feel like a waste, like something else entirely. In the end, I give this episode a borderline D/D+ putting it above duds like "Uprooted" and "Sweet and Smoky" but below even "The Point of No Return" which wasn't really bad as it was forgettable and predictable to a fault.
There's a reason I waited until now to review this episode, because next episode does not look promising at all. It's called "A Trivial Pursuit" in which Pinkie Pie is partnered up with Twilight for a trivia contest, and becomes a threat to Twilight's winning streak. And let me just say, it being another "Twilight freaks out" episode is the least of its problems.
You're the first person I've seen to actually dislike this more than Non-Compete Clause.
For me, this episode, while not great, was still far from terrible. Though it's definitely the third weakest episode of the season so far.
And even as someone who likes NCC more than most, I kind of liked this episode a bit more.
As for "Trivial Problem", it being another "Twilight freaks out" episode is actually part of why I personally love it, but I'll get a bit more into that when you review it.
Why do I get the feeling that MLP is going to end on a bad note...?
5088317 I don't dislike this as much as "Non-Compete Clause" but that doesn't make this episode magically better because there's a worse example.
5088332
When you described it as the "poor man's" version of NCC, that made me think you thought it was worse.
5088319
Considering the overall quality of some of the episodes he hasn't gotten to yet, I'm pretty sure that fear is unfounded.
I feel like this episode is more of a rehash of “The End in Friend,” Where Twilight has to set up this whole elaborate plot to teach Rarity and Rainbow that not having things in common gives them the incentive to try something new.
Trust me, the next two episodes after A Trival Problem are so, so much better. I already watched them, and they do sort of make up for 2,4,6 Great and A Trivial Problem.
5088400
I actually think trivial pursuit was ok, the thing is from what ive seen in the show twilight "twilighting", is done a bit more like "its a thing she has to work at over time and wont solve all at once, but as its worked into her character in the way ti is it doesn't seem stupid to me, unlike how RD acted in this in a way that seems regressive. Really my biggest isuse with the episode is I feel the lesson ddint have the impact it should have for just how badly twilight treated pinike
also it was funny as hell so that helped
5088332
I actually think trivial pursuit was ok, the thing is from what ive seen in the show twilight "twilighting", is done a bit more like "its a thing she has to work at over time and wont solve all at once, but as its worked into her character in the way ti is it doesn't seem stupid to me, unlike how RD acted in this in a way that seems regressive. Really my biggest isuse with the episode is I feel the lesson ddint have the impact it should have for just how badly twilight treated pinike
also it was funny as hell so that helped
I really hated Rainbow in this episode! The majority of it was just her wandering off to watch the buck ball players! Aren’t the Wonderbolts considered a sort of cheer squad? You had a good point about Twilight not considering Rainbow’s opinion on coaching the cheer squad and how Twilight is becoming more like Celestia.
You know, I read someone post an argument about how there are at least four instances where Rainbow Dash should already know the importance of cheering, motivation and emotional support (Sonic Rainboom, Flight to the Finish, Top Bolt, and Parental Glideance), which at the very least might explain why Twilight picked her to coach the cheer squad in the first place.
Personally, I have a love/hate relationship with spoilers. On one hand, I like to see what's coming up next because it gets me excited. On the other hand, I like to avoid spoilers because I like being surprised.
Considering the fact that they literally only had two weeks to fully train a new group in the ways of buckball before going up against a team that's presumably better and will likely kick their asses, I can see why Fluttershy fainted. What on Earth convinced you that was supposed to be funny?
Cheerleaders are athletes in every sense of the word just as much as football players or basketball players. Cheerleading is indeed a sport.
Well, Rainbow has never been one to let her emotions show. She's tough.
I'll be honest. Rather than have two new ponies introduced, I'd have much rather liked to see Gallus and Sandbar doing this too. I'm especially surprised that Silverstream wasn't involved. Of all characters, you would expect her to be the first one in line to do this.
Uh, since when does Rainbow Dash like girly stuff?
This is the same pony who couldn't be bothered to sit still when Rarity was trying to do her hair and get her dressed.
Well, that's totally normal. Rainbow Dash would naturally find cheerleading not all that interesting and would much rather go watch the team practice buckball, which is where all of the action is. Don't forget that Rainbow Dash lives, breathes, eats, and sleeps sports. She is an athlete after all.
Again, totally understandable. When you have a problem and you don't know what to do, you would naturally go to your friends for help and advice.
Actually, Rainbow got the book from Zecora, which is rather helpful, especially in this situation
This is new territory for Rainbow Dash. Of course she's not going to have any clue as to what she's doing. She's never done something like this before.
The only episode I recall where that ever happened was "Non-compete Clause."
What? Where did that come from?
They've never done that. Once they finish the current season, they get started on the new season as the season they just finished is airing.
And this is why Rainbow Dash is one of my favorite characters.
The game was two weeks later. How on Earth could they be expected to get good at cheerleading in only one day?
Okay, whoa, whoa, whoa! Time out!
First of all, Celestia never spelled anything out for Twilight. She allowed Twilight to make her own mistakes and figure things out for herself instead of holding her hand. In the process, Twilight learned without realizing she was, walking away from the experience a stronger, more well-rounded character. Second of all, Celestia is the one pony who Twilight looks up to more than anypony else. Of course she's going to want to emulate Celestia. Therefore, I see no problem whatsoever with Twilight using the same tactics used on her by her mentor to help Rainbow learn a lesson without realizing it. Twilight knew ahead of time that Rainbow had never in her life coached a cheerleading team, which was why she completely dismissed Rainbow's objections, and that's a good thing because it allowed Rainbow to grow and develop as a character and expose her to new experiences. Twilight knew that Rainbow could pull it off when she set her mind to it because Rainbow has proven time and time again that when something she cares about is on the line, she'll go above and beyond to do whatever it takes to make it happen. This is why she's a Wonderbolts now. Even fillies she's never met before such as Barley and Pickle Barrel and Wind Sprint know who she is.
And Celestia was never useless. She has a schedule that is jam-packed with responsibilities and tasks that she needs to do. She can't stop what she's doing at the drop of a hat and rush off to save Equestria, especially when she no longer can use the Elements of Harmony, hence why she asks Twilight and her friends to do it. Not only because she knows that they'll succeed, but because she knows that it's a bonding experience for them that will help them grow and develop as characters.
And since when has Twilight been useless? She's busy running a school and passing on her knowledge about friendship onto others. How is that her being useless?
Try seeing it from Rainbow's point of view. Like Discord with Ogres and Oubliettes, this is boring to her and not all that exciting. Rainbow is all action. Of course she's not going to find cheerleading all that interesting. We all have our own interests and when something doesn't cater to those interests, we tend to find it boring and aren't as invested in it as someone else. For example, most people find sports enjoyable. I don't. I find them boring as hell. Likewise, I would much rather go to a classical music concert, whereas someone else would find it boring snd would rather go to a rock concert instead.
And if Rainbow tried telling Twilight how she felt, Twilight would at least sympathize with her and take her feelings into consideration, but in the end would tell her to "just give it a chance. After all, you don't know you like something until you try it." It goes back to the old saying: "Don't knock it 'til you try it."
Again, this was a growing opportunity and a chance to expose Rainbow to new things. Twilight knew that Rainbow could do it if she just put her mind to it.
My thoughts exactly!
And given her rant against the Storm King back in "What Lies Beneath", she can really raise her voice and bring a lot of passion into it when she needs to.
Smolder is much more outspoken than either Ocellus and Yona. She's not afraid to speak her mind and tell you like it is. Both Yona and Ocellus are the complete opposite of that. They do not like confrontation and are very soft-spoken.
How so?
I rather enjoyed this episode for its mature lesson, albeit one that Twilight should've learned years ago!
5088443
Actually, her "solving it all at once" is exactly what happens in "The Summer Sun Setback."
5088319 What are you talking about? Aside from this episode and "A Trivial Pursuit" this season has been great so far! The series finale can't be any worse than the "series finale" we got for Kyle XY.
5088338 Yep!
5088399 "The End in Friend" was one of my most hated episodes from season eight, especially since it felt like an episode we should've had as far back as season one. It could've been a great episode, too, which makes it such a disappointment. Though, it does sound like it would've just been a repeat of "Look Before You Sleep", and that's exactly what "The End in Friend" felt like.
5088400 Yes, indeed they do!
5088724
Well, of course she's going to do that. Very much like Quidditch, buckball is an action-packed, fast-paced game! That's much more interesting snd exciting to her.
This was all about exposing Rainbow Dash to new things, to get her out of her comfort zone and try something different.
Oh, for the love of . . .
That's been part of Twilight's character from the very beginning. It was Celestia who inspired Twilight to pursue an interest in magic. Celestia is the pony she looks up to the most out of anypony else. Of course she's going to want to become more like her mentor. Her becoming more like Celestia is all part of her character arc. It's always been her end goal in life. Her becoming more like Celestia is a good thing as it will enable her to become a good leader, especially seeing as how she will be taking over as ruler of Equestria.
5089058
that was more her figuring out how to handle it in the situation of governing, I have issues in some ways similar to twilight's IRL, and while you learn to handle them overall somewhat, you do have to adapt how to handle it in different situations as well, so no we will likely see ti again, and big issues like that, even when you do get them nailed down, will pop up again sometimes, its part of being human/pony
5089220 Even so, this is a character flaw that she should've overcome years ago, and we did in fact see her overcome this flaw years ago, as far back as "Games Ponies Play", and she's shown overcoming this flaw far earlier than that.
5089229
like I said, shes had to adapt to keeping it under control in different situations
is it probably writing that is a little lazy? yes
is it so bad we need to make a big out fo it? no
does it happen to be somewhat realistic even though it doesn't fully benefit the character development? yes
5089283
Yes, we do. You can't just handwave a character flaw like that and call it a day. You have an obligation to your audience to show a character getting over their flaws rather than telling them. That's bad writing and piss-poor storytelling. That's something I would expect from a bad fanfic, not from the actual show itself. Would A Christmas Carol be as good if we hadn't been shown Scrooge overcoming his flaws and had instead changed instantly? No. This story is so beloved because of its character development for Scrooge.
It's not realistic, nor does it help her character development. You cannot just get over a disorder like OCD or severe panic attacks overnight. It takes years to get over something like that, and them glossing over it comes off as more like them wanting to get through this season as fast as they can rather than putting effort into it. How in any way does his help Twilight's character development? I would much rather see her overcoming these problems rather than merely being told in a sentence at the very beginning of the episode and then never having these issues addressed ever again. This is bad writing and piss-poor storytelling. Would Avatar: The Last Airbender have been as memorable as it was if we didn't get to see how the shiw's characters grew and changed over the course of the series? No. No, it wouldn't.
5089393
I dont take mlp too seriously, fairly seriously, but not too seriously, a bit less then you do I think, and as for her just getting over it all at once, your either misinterpreting what im saying or your trying to make this argument go in circles
5089393
just, mlp is a kids show made to sell toys as one of its top goals, with writers who have a lot fo stupid constraints cuz coorp BS, while I do hope it keeps being really good and we get lots of good eps, when a bad one comes out I try to be a bit forgiving due to the situation the writers are in, and I really respect most of them for what they have been able to do with mlp, as well as not whining at them too much. I temper my expectations somewhat is what im saying, and try to not the the bad stuff take away the enjoyment I can have form thsi amazing show
5089454 To me, it just came off as the writers being lazy by handwaving a major flaw in Twilight's character. Had we gotten to see her overcoming this dkas rather than merely being told, that would be totally different. As it is, it just comes off as lazy and rushed just to get the season over with.
5089456 Personally, I can't stand the new writers, but they at least seem to have improved drastically since last season.
This is my least favourite episode of the season, mainly because as you state there is absolutely no point in Twilight forcing Rainbow into doing something she clearly doesn't want to do.
What exactly was the big mystery in why she made such a half-assed attempt at being a cheerleading coach, when she expressed her dislike of the activity from the very start? Quibble Pants didn't have to play sports in the end to impress his girlfriend's daughter, he was just accepted for who he was. Why should Rainbow get enthusiastic about cheerleading when she so obviously hates it? What was Twilight thinking enlisting this task to a pony who didn't want the job, even her 'turnaround' at the end feels abrupt and arbritary.
So while it was true that Rainbow acted a bit childishly here, I can kind of understand why in the position she was in. Twilight should have listened to her friend's objections, and given her something to do which she'd both enjoy and be very good at. This episode felt like a bit of an insult to my intelligence, and will not be added to the rewatch list.
Not much sense with this episode.