| My PC has rather mangled this screenshot, but it does look gorgeous in the episode! |
Written by Meghan McCarthy
10 Nov 2012
My original rating: N/A
IMDb score: 8.3
The one with Knight Rainbow Dash
Thoughts: Let me say here and now, I liked this more than I remembered liking it. Oh, I'm not going to say it's a classic – although quite a scary villain, Sombra's still not got much if any depth to his character. It's interesting seeing him "die" on screen, though of course we did eventually – if quite briefly! – see him return in S9. To be honest the excitement didn't really need Twilight's test coming back at the end. (Of course, we need it to for the sake of the season finale, but we didn't know that then!) And this is exciting. It's mostly about Twilight and Spike, though AJ and Rarity in particular have their double act going nicely. (Dash is a tad mean to Flutters, and Pinkie doesn't do much.) Twilight's race against time to find the Crystal Heart, with Spike desperately wanting to help but not being allowed to, does build things up quite nicely. It does bring in one of my irritations, though: there is no way Celestia would prioritise the strict rules of the test over saving the Crystal Empire, and Spike would surely have reminded Twi of that. The crystal ponies' animation late on is dazzling, and the song though not amazing is solid. All in all, I think this is another high three-star episode. That's a bit higher than I would have rated it not so long ago.
Choice quote: Twilight: "Stairs. Lots and lots of stairs." (I say this a lot, including outside the fandom. It's a nice stealth phrase.)
New rating: ★★★
Next up is "Too Many Pinkie Pies", Dave Polsky's return to writing duties. I remember finding it fairly fun, but not being as enthused about it as much of the fandom.
Exciting though this episode is, it doesn't quite make up for the emptiness of part 1. The climax is nevertheless suitably fun. Can't outdo a dragon riding a princess who got tossed into the air like a javelin. :D
ReplyDeleteI can't believe I forgot to mention Equestria's most legendary wife-throwing moment! >:(
Delete"To be honest the excitement didn't really need Twilight's test coming back at the end."
ReplyDeleteThat's my biggest problem with this particular two-parter; it's a fine enough epic quest and worldbuilding starter, but once you're past the spectacular defeat of Sombra, the whole "test" issue trips it up, both tonally and in terms of import.
In more positive news, I do like how Spike and Twilight work off each other in this story. That kind of double-act questing hasn't really been seen in the show before, and watching them work together and sort of not was nice. Spike contributing was the highlight, of course, sort of like a glimpse at his future heroic turn in "Gauntlet of Fire".
That said, some of Sombra's obstacles are questionable. Using his own fearsome reputation to keep intruders away was a clever touch, and the secret passage concealed in the throne room forced Twilight to use dark magic - something you'd think would be given more emphasis, but I kinda like the idea that "dark" magic is just another form of spell-casting, not inherently corrupting or evil.
But a doorway that shows your greatest fear doesn't work well when it can be disabled by a second someone shouting your name. The stairs just seems like a random endurance test than a proper safeguard. And most damning is the fact that a pegasus could simply fly up to where the Crystal Heart actually was. Even the sudden crystal gates that spring up to protect it are implied to have been cast by Sombra actively rather than an automatic defence, and what's the point when the Heart gets flung out of its spot anyway?
The fear doorway is probably the most interesting defence, though, and not just for revisiting Twilight's and Spike's insecurities. That shot of the Sombra stained glass window is dark enough in just the right way to make Twilight's in particular work.
I think I'd give this the same rating as you did. Not one of the show's greatest two-parters, but a solid enough adventure story with potential for future development (I'm not too bothered by Sombra's lack of depth, but it would have been more interesting to examine his past like the comics did, yes, and explain some of his unnatural powers).
Agree with the rating on this. Overall not bad, but it's predicated on outright poor setting of priorities or not knowing someone well enough to think they have poor setting of priorities. Setting up Twilight for freakout moments is all well and good, but only if I believe her fears have any merit. For a good example, go back to "Lesson Zero." I don't believe Twilight actually thought Celestia would send her back to magic kindergarten. As unnerved as she was, maybe she believed it in a temporarily insanity sense. I also didn't believe in "A Bird in the Hoof" that Twilight genuinely believed they'd get banished for hiding Philomena. But in both of those cases, I did very much believe that she genuinely thought she'd get in some trouble and that she was desperately afraid of disappointing her mentor. That last one may come into play here, but like you said, I don't buy that Twilight or Spike would think Celestia would require them to stick to the letter of her orders so much as to jeopardize the empire and the mission in service of Twilight being the specific one to accomplish it. Celestia would be much happier with the day saved and Twilight delegating to whoever had a better opportunity than losing the day while staying on task or winning it at the expense of Twilight's safety.
ReplyDeleteFun idea for an episode, but with a major plot point that didn't make much sense. Also the first time Twilight ever levitated herself! And Twilight helping Spike through his fear was one of the show's best bonding moments between them.