awkwardreviews

Stop! Twilight Time!

When I first started writing reviews on this website, I wanted to make them different than the ones I do on my Youtube channel. Different in the sense that i’d be valuing technical aspects, acting, general things that I miss on my first watch through and reaction. So when episodes that I generally find “meh” come along, I always want to rewatch them, because perhaps I judged too soon. I was definitely hoping this was one of those episodes.

For a an episode penned by David Polsky, it was oddly lacking on the humor side of things. Less slapstick, just less jokes in general. It was going for a very standard sitcom trope episode, using someone to gain something. In this case, it was the CMC using Princess Twilight to gain popularity, and the execution of this aspect was generally good. I say generally, because the entire episode is generally good… but i’m not looking to watch a show about technicolored horses for just “generally good” episodes, i’m looking for standout and memorable things.

This is where I start to contradict myself. An episode can be standout for either it’s flaws, or it’s successes, this episode is neither. It’s pretty much just “there”, it stands as the definition of a filler episode. Now if I go into my own personal definition of a filler episode, it’s not something that doesn’t progress the plot, it’s actually something that feels generally slapped together, not thought fully through, and very ‘regular’. Something without an ongoing theme or proper purpose, something that is just there to fill up the required twenty two minutes, that will never be brought up again, ever.

In a sense, some of the shows best episodes are considered “filler” episodes, one that do not contribute to an ongoing theme. However, in this sense I disagree. There’s a different between being episodic and being filler. For example, a generally acclaimed episode such as Party of One should be considered filler, however, instead it’s just a great episode that is a part of the show. For me… it’s hard to describe what a filler episode properly is, perhaps it’s just one of those feelings you get while watching an episode to just check the time. To see when it’s over. The general feeling of dullness and being bored that overcomes you in an episode like this, where so little is happening on screen that you don’t feel the need to laugh, frown, smile, or even comment.

Even on the second watch-through, the episode is like this. Not fully boring… just… there. I can’t really address many negatives this episode has character or plot wise, as it’s generally solid. But then again I can’t even praise some of the things I found to be exhilarating, or hilarious, or even well shot. Because there aren’t any.

I will say that Twilight was well-characterized within this episode, showing her true “Princess of Friendship nature”, while the CMC played off her quite well. Diamond Tiara and her companion Silver Spoon were less cringe-worthy than usual, however, still so underdeveloped and boring they hardly add anything to being on screen. We saw Pinkie in this episode, for a split moment, and every other character was generally sidelined for a very CMC-centric installment.

What I find odd is that this show is usually so good at making the CMC be so entertaining and unique, while this season they have been somewhat boring. Episodes like Flight to the Finish, which was inherently plagued with a major fault, is still more entertaining than this. However i’m adding as much as I can to this review, yet even with Flight’s faults, this episode still struggles to maintain an edge to that CMC episode, perhaps just because that one managed to atleast address an adult and mature story.

In the end, this episode was filler. I guess that’s what I was trying to say… it was just a big fat filler episode filled with scarce material that i’m half sure will never be addressed again. For the better or worse, I expected something a little more shocking from you Dave Polsky. Here’s hoping the next episode is more surprising, for the good or bad.

Grade: B-

The song… its… just… so… CATCHY!

Well… this is definitely a better episode than the previous one! In fact, it was much better than the previous one! Although it missteps in one important area, the overall episode is solid on it’s own. Here Fluttershy has yet another conflict involving her courage. In this case, it’s stage fright. I suppose i’ll let this one slide because I honestly can’t seem to figure out another way to utilize Fluttershy without completely flanderizing her character.

The entire premise of this was very structural, almost like a procedural “character goes here for X result”, but unlike the previous episode, this one didn’t just use the setting of a magical world as it’s only shtick. It had plenty of hilarious physical humor, as well as some fantastic voice work by the entire cast. The song prominently featured within the episode was also incredibly catchy, I could see myself listening to THAT  a lot!

The cause for my issue with the episode is Pinkie, and how she acted. Instead of supporting her BEST friend Fluttershy, she instead came off as an oblivious bully rather than a friend… and I get that this was supposed to be played for comedic effect, but making a main character freken CRY is pretty NOT-best friend material. This was disappointing to see cause i could have totally sprung for a higher grade within this procedural.

I also enjoyed the fact that they didn’t try to shoe in every single character into the episode… this was one of the only times they were all there for a believable reason, and I loved that. As well as the fantastic interaction between Big Mac and his sister Applejack was splendid to see. We got a few nice callbacks and a small, yet entertaining, cameo by Zecora, the rhyming zebra.

However, I fear this is about as deep as this episode fairs… it’s a strictly “normal” episode for the show. Which is most definitely not a bad thing, especially when they constantly deliver such solid episodes. If it didn’t have such a blatant mis-characterization of Pinkie, this episode would have been much more prominent!

Grade: B+

Make love, not Trenderhoof

I won’t lie, this episode is not perfect. Perhaps it’s because of the stunning episode that aired before this, or maybe even the fact that this entire season has been pretty consistently excellent so far… but all I know is, this episode seemed to have some issues.

Josh Haber penned this episode, the new writer who created Castle Mane-ia earlier in the season, which I personally loved. He has said multiple times that he loves writing for Rarity as a character, and even in this episode, it shows that he put his own unique take on the character, while keeping her consistently charming and likable… for the most part. The first half of Simple Ways falls flat. Very flat. It hits too many similar marks, with too many cartoon cliches (a word i almost never use, cause cartoons are built on cliches) that weren’t appealing, but instead, grating.

By the end of the first half of the episode, I was acutely aware of the show I was watching. The funny thing is, this episode seemed to be penned for a slightly more adult audience too… meaning a few years older than the casual six to eight year old girl that may watch this show. Perhaps eleven, twelve, thirteen? I say this because the theme involves attraction, and whether it is right to change something about yourself because you are attracted to someone.

Which is an honest, and very banal lesson of “Be who you are, not who you think someone else wants you to be”… which is a lesson i’d think we learned before. While the episode maintained a frantic and entertaining pacing throughout, it seems that Rarity very much digressed in this first ten or so minutes. This is because the way she was acting was around ten years too young, as a love-struck kid instead of a business owning adult. Something that has been addressed countless times about her character, she is ALL about her business, all about her fashion, yet when this two-dimensional character trots into town, she puts her entire business at risk for him.

Which is a blatant character contradiction. When Rarity tried to juggle her friends and her lively-hood in a few episodes of the show, we got a true sense of how much her business means to her. This pony, whom she has never met, apparently means more to her than both her business AND friends? If you couldn’t already tell, this really rubbed me the wrong way.

Thankfully the episode ended up coming back into form during it’s second half, where it relied heavily on Tabitha St. Germain’s fantastic voice work for Rarity, and Ashley Ball’s impressive voice work for Applejack. They verbally spar, and try to out do each other. They are quite honestly opposites, which is why I find their actual friendship to be endearing. You don’t need to like everything someone else does to be their friend, and this issue, although it’s been addressed before, is still a valid plot.

However, the reason for the plot itself felt out of place, in my opinion, for a show like this. Rarity fell head-over-hooves over some random prince stallion in season one, i’d think she would have learned her lesson by now. But no, instead she regresses back to a crazy teen… damn.

Overall, I highlighted much too many faults in this episode for this review, and I most definitely am going too hard on it. That’s because i know how good this show can be, and how far ahead this season is to it’s predecessors, so i can’t help but notice the flaws. However, do not worry, if you read my reviews of the previous third season, you’d notice that i have put a few episodes with a similar grade… to perhaps quench your worry I will say that this episode is far better than they are. It was funnier, more frantic, and was generally still a pleasure to watch. But as a critic, especially on this website, i’m obligated to deduct for the flaws, this episode had quite a few of them…

Lastly, I will be re-watching it more as time goes on, hopefully as i re-watch it, I will come to appreciate and enjoy it more. Thank you.

Grade: C