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| There's clearly not much entertainment in Ponyville, judging by all the adults watching! |
Written by Amy Keating Rogers
12 Nov 2011
My original rating: N/A
IMDB score: 7.0
The one with loop-de-hooping
Thoughts: Ah yes, an episode about a worrying disease with (until the end) no known cure. How jolly. Anyway, this has a much lower IMDb rating than any previous S2 ep, and it's certainly not up to their standards – though it's not that bad. In particular, I love how truly happy Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle are when (they think) their friend is the most special pony ever. Apple Bloom's tricks/skills sequences are quite fun as well, and hey, Twist even gets a speaking line! (Her last?) Much earlier on, we have one of the series' best-remembered nods to non-kids' media with the Big Lebowski bowling ponies. We'll see them again, as indeed we will the ending comment about AB's potion-making ability. It's not an amazing episode, despite a good solid role for Zecora (who, unlike ponies, can magically repair at least minor injuries). It's just too bitty, although at least it passes the time. It's hard to say my heart was really in it this time around, given the subject matter. I wonder whether I might have made this a low three a few weeks ago. Highish two now.
Choice quote: Applejack: "My sister's speakin' in Fancy!"
New rating: ★★
Next up is "May the Best Pet Win!", which is one I tend to like more than the fandom average. You may be able to guess why...
Yeah, it's hardly a great episode, but neither is it terrible. It's more that nothing terribly interesting was done with the concept, it simply happens and then it's done and we can move on.
ReplyDeletePretty much, yeah. When I was planning out this rewatch series, I kept forgetting this episode even existed. It's... nice, as early-series Fluttershy might have said.
DeleteJust popping in briefly.
ReplyDeleteHm. Between the rating for this episode and for "Lesson Zero", I must be on a different planet tastes-wise, because my rankings for them would be: A) reversed, and B) more extreme.
Since I'm not interested in dumping on someone's favourite ep, I'll content myself to say I think "The Cutie Pox" is Apple Bloom's perfect follow-up ep to "Bridle Gossip" and "Call of the Cutie". In particular, I personally relate to her depression at the start, and to her risk-taking desperation to get what she wants. Plus the episode has some comedic highlights, not least of which for me is that Applejack line.
I make it mandatory viewing every time I rewatch Season Two. I enjoy it that much.
And, of course, more Zecora is never a bad thing in my book! Her and Apple Bloom's friendship, even when the former is chewing out the latter for stealing, is just so sweet to see. Zecora's final line is one of the especially memorable parts of this ep.
Delete"Now, Apple Bloom, do not be silly. You are always welcome, my little filly. With each mistake you learn something new, growing up into a better you."
No offence will be taken from someone saying they can't stand an episode I really like! After all, Present Perfect really dislikes "Lesson Zero" as well, so you're certainly not alone in that. Cliché it may be, but it's nevertheless true to say that if we all felt the same about episodes then there'd be no point in reviewers. (Some may feel, of course... :D )
DeleteAs it happens, "Lesson Zero" is not my favourite episode. That, at least pending rewatch, is later in this same season.
Yeah, this episode certainly seems meek and forgettable compared to the five outstanding ones preceding it (all of which I awarded a 9/10 or higher).
ReplyDeletePart of the issue, perhaps, is that it is the first episode to thematically reskin an earlier one, in this case, "Call of the Cutie". One issue with the CMC, and one that seems to apple to Apple Bloom more then the others, is that since there's only so much to be mined from their blank flank angst angle, it can get repetitive fast when that's the sole angle. Truthfully speaking, the best CMC episodes have the cutie mark hunting as a backdrop to the plot's main point, and after "The Show Stoppers" made for a great story about that hunt, there isn't a whole lot left to be told there. Think about it - the best episodes about any of the CMC or them as a whole, "Crusaders of the Lost Mark" excepted, aren't really about the Cutie Mark hunt. Their character are better when we delve into other aspects of their psyche. The mark hunting is a second-class citizen; when choosing episodes blindly, there's little reason to pick this over "Call of the Cutie" or "The Show Stoppers" unless those have been watched recently. "The Cutie Pox" falls more into the category of 'watch if you come across it, but rarely actively seek out to watch in full'.
But, it's a good one and a fun one, and would seem like a goldmine placed next to 80% of Seasons 8 & 9 (apologies, but a sane person cannot be hard on episodes like these while being lenient on the later seasons, frankly). Though it's padded, the time spent on Apple Bloom's initial artificial talents fleshes them out beyond mere gimmicks, and there are some killer visual gags (slicing Rainbow Dash's crowd, turning Twilight's mane into Rarity's, etc.). Still a 7/10 for me, and it is better then the last time a weaker episode was surrounded by multiple classics ("Owl's Well That Ends Well").
I really need to get back to your reviews. It's on the to-do list now!
Deleteand one that seems to apple to Apple Bloom more then the others
Well, it would, wouldn't it? ;D
apologies, but a sane person cannot be hard on episodes like these while being lenient on the later seasons, frankly
Too far. I don't mind in the least if you lay into episodes (including ones I love) with gusto. I do mind if you lay into people who like them. On this blog that is a red line. If someone likes half of S9 better than this, then that does not make them insane. Non-negotiable.
it is better then the last time a weaker episode was surrounded by multiple classics ("Owl's Well That Ends Well")
Yes, I think so too. This is certainly one that holds my attention better than that did.
"Apple to Apple Bloom"? Well, that's one way for a typo to be funny! Obviously it's supposed to be "apply".
ReplyDeleteDah, you're right. Sane was far too harsh a word. Sincere apologies and all that. Pity I can't edit the comment.
Let me rephrase that: all I meant was that I feel even mildly good episodes like these in Season 2 are still objectively better then the majority of episodes in the last two seasons (and a fair amount of Seasons 6 and 7 too). Poor word choice made it seem like a personal attack. Not the intention at all, Logan. Forgiveness, please!
And don't worry about falling behind on my reviews; they're not going anywhere, after all. Unless Fimfiction's servers collapse! But regardless, I don't squeeze two episodes into one post any more. And they've, on the whole, gotten better-paced. So hopefully they're easier to wade through!
Apology willingly accepted! Thank you. No hard feelings, and on we go. (And yeah, the lack of an edit facility here is a pain.)
DeleteI wouldn't necessarily call it a 'bad' episode by any means, far from it even. The episode is pretty innocent enough even though it seems like a 'filler' episode, even though it's meant to be an extension of Apple Bloom's quest to get a cutie mark. Because as we can recall, this whole CMC deal began because Apple Bloom was insecure about being the only filly without a cutie mark (Until she met her friends) and here we see this discouragement really get to her after a failed bowling night (I'd say I play worse than these girls... But 'no'). We see that she is SO desperate to get a cutie mark, she 'borrows' one of Zecora's potions hoping it will achieve her heart's desire. As we can expect, in a near similar plot device we've seen before, every good intention comes with consequences.
ReplyDeleteThe moments where Apple Bloom does get her cutie mark and then starts randomly getting marks for other talents (Like fencing and such) are fun to watch which I will admit. And yet what still irks me with this episode is how they just end with the kids not coming close to learning their lesson (Even though it was mostly an Apple Bloom situation) which I'm not going to deny ALWAYS bugs me with the early CMC episodes. I get that they are suppose to be a trio of kids who don't know any better, they're not suppose to figure it out on the spot, but it rubs audiences the wrong way knowing that if 'these' kids aren't learning their lesson how can younger audiences? All that aside, this would not be the last time we get Apple Bloom's concerns about having a cutie mark (But that won't be till MANY seasons later).
So while I can agree with everyone else being that it's not one of the best episodes of the season, as mentioned before I still feel it is a fun, innocent episode that is allowed to get away with focusing on crazy shenanigans and not so much the plot. Plus, it's neat to see Zecora have a larger role than the show allows her too (I found the deal where she can fix a chipped tooth really cool). Though, I would not have known about those ponies being a reference to a famous movie until I actually did my research (And we'd sure see them again later). So overall, it's not the greatest episode in the world... But maybe the low ratings would be better reserved for episodes that are bad without question.
I notice you didn't participate in the comments for your last episode re-watch...
ReplyDeleteThis episode was serviceable enough. High two, low three sounds about right. It's nothing too exciting, but it doesn't rub me the wrong way either.
However, there's one blink-and-you-miss-it moment here that really struck me, and I think the writers were just being facetious, but if you think about it, there's a lot of opportunity to read some depth into it. I even used that as a jumping off point to write a story (which certainly isn't the first time I took a minor "what if?" and ran with it).
When Apple Bloom's malady has become public knowledge, and everyone is running from her to avoid contagion, Zecora wanders up beside Twilight and openly wonders if everyone is still afraid of her like they were in "Bridle Gossip." I think that speaks volumes. Is she serious, and she thinks ponies still treat her badly? Was that comment a jab? If so, Twilight completely missed it. Or have things improved, and Zecora's so thoroughly gotten over it that she can make a joke about it and be confident it will be received as such? Hard to say, because again, Twilight doesn't react to it at all. I'm sure the intended effect was closer to the latter, that Zecora's only joking and not meaning to take a dig at anyone, and that the joke was a wink to the audience, not spoken to the characters. Still, I found it a ripe moment for interpretation.
I always took it as a good-natured joke signalling that things have improved and she's got no hard feelings toward Ponyville.
DeleteBut you're absolutely right that it could be interpreted a number of ways, all of them ripe for deep exploration.
I notice you didn't participate in the comments for your last episode re-watch...
DeleteIndeed. "Sisterhooves Social" is a difficult episode for me, since I lost my own sister a few years ago. These days it doesn't usually really hit me, but I had a flare-up of that at exactly the wrong time and so didn't want to get involved in the comments just then.