Episode review: S9E22: "Growing Up is Hard to Do"

"And grown-ups don't even need to breathe!"

This week's Friendship is Magic episode was written by Ed Valentine, a familiar name to fans of the show but one we hadn't seen attached to an ep since "The Fault in Our Cutie Marks" way back in S6. I was quite pleased to discover that Valentine would be writing this one, since he's written several other CMC episodes, with his debut being the very solid "Flight to the Finish". I was hoping for good things. After the cut, we'll see whether I got them!

On the whole, yes, and I was generally happier with this episode than with last week's effort. "Growing Up..." wasn't exactly the most complex of eps – indeed, it was another of those that would have fitted quite nicely into a considerably earlier season – but it didn't really do anything that felt egregiously out of place. The CMC were generally pretty watchable, and while the plot was simple it served its purpose fairly well.

The moral of this story was also pretty simple: growing up is something everypony has to go through and learn from as they do it, which means that there's no short-cut to adulthood. Not even with a highly plot-convenient magic plant, which was at least something I could imagine living in Equestria. The CMC were a bit silly and immature by messing with it, in a way that reminded me of the ill-fated love potion poison back in S2's "Hearts and Hooves Day".

Is it just me, or is "Spur" a somewhat uncomfortable name for a horse?

Anyway, having been conveniently aged up (something fanfic writers have been doing for years, admittedly), the three no-longer-fillies headed for the Appleloosa fair. It was a bit of a stretch even for Ponyville that absolutely nopony asked them what the hay they were up to. Sure, stupid magical accidents are probably two a penny in the town, but the CMC still looked extremely recognisable and you'd think someone might have asked the odd question.

Talking of the CMC's look, I think their aged-up designs were pretty nicely realised. They weren't simply overgrown versions of their filly models, but instead had little touches of their own: Apple Bloom sort-of shared a mane with her big sister, Scootaloo had a touch of punk about hers and Sweetie Belle's curls were a little more refined. The designs didn't bother me after the first few seconds, and that's a good sign.

After some slightly worrying comments from the returning crazy railway employee, the CMC set off into the jungle – though Apple Bloom seemed a bit blasé about the fact that she'd done that before given that on that occasion she came within an ace of being killed and eaten by a chimera. Still, the main point of this sequence was to get them to meet Spur and Biscuit, a couple of frankly weirdly-named teenage ponies.

Don't think we didn't notice the background LyraBon!

I confess that I didn't really warm to these two: they were rather bland and forgettable, and even while writing this review I've had to go back and check on their designs. More important was pet dog-like-thing Bloofy. The CMC, being "grown-ups" now, were of course convinced that looking after him would be a piece of cake, and so they entered him in the animal show. This was a real "what could go wrong?" moment – and we all know what happens then.

Bloofy turning out to be a (checks notes) Whirling Mungtooth was almost inevitable, and if it was a bit convenient that Fluttershy was on hand to deal with things, it did at least allow her to squeeze in another excellent supporting role before the series ends. "After years of experience with animals, I've picked up a few things," she explained, and I really liked the simplicity of that line. Neither boasting nor downplaying her expertise with animals.

One thing I haven't yet mentioned is the episode's song. It wasn't at all bad, and though its message was – like the ep's itself – repeated about a hundred times, the pleasant melody and mostly well-matched lyrics made listening to it a fairly pleasurable experience, if a decided notch below "Hearts Strong as Horses". As a side note, Scootaloo's singing voice here was provided by Ariel Tuliao, who I think is new to the show. I was wrong there: she sang for Scoot in "Surf and/or Turf".

Not the tiniest ewe I've ever seen, and she looks frankly zonked!

All in all, "Growing Up..." was in the "superior filler" category. Although it did share one of S9's repeating weaknesses – character regression to fit a particular story – in this case the CMC's lack of maturity didn't seem as out of place as, say, Rainbow's in "2, 4, 6, Greaaat". It may be that the storyline itself being a simple one actually helped here. This won't go down as a classic way to end the CMC's arc, but it was perfectly watchable all the same.

Best line: Twilight: "Unless I put it [the book] under 'Hokum With a Slight Chance of Practical Applications'."
Best moment: The Dorothy pony in the tornado
Worst moment: Sweetie Belle, even adult Sweetie Belle, teleporting?

Yays

• Pleasant viewing. Yes, that's a compliment
• Generally quite well paced
• Fluttershy getting another excellent extended cameo
• A decent, if somewhat obvious, moral

Neighs

• The CMC fell back a few seasons in their maturity
• Spur and Biscuit were rather dull guest characters
• Not a special final episode for the Crusaders

★★★