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| When she returns to earth after this, Derpy's eyes are derped the other way around |
S4E10: "Rainbow Falls"
Written by Corey Powell
18 Jan 2014
My original rating: 7.5/10 (=★★★)
IMDb score: 6.7
Thoughts: Rainbow Dash's key episode has the second lowest IMDb average of any S4 ep. Deserved? Maybe not. I mean, it's not great, especially with the unimpressive amount of lying and deception going on from (apparently) Equestria's finest. Soarin' revealing that nopony had been by the hospital to visit him really hurt. And these days, the "Derpy!" effect is lower than it was – those later to the fandom will have to take my word for it that it was a huge deal at the time. There's also plenty of Fluttershy, which is rarely bad. I quite like the design of Rainbow Falls itself, too. Best other thing about this episode? Very possibly Twilight, who sees through what Rainbow is doing and makes it very clear to her what she thinks. (Her "choosing not to choose" line is gold.) She's really nicely characterised here, and to be fair I also like cheerleader Pinkie. It's just a shame the Wonderbolts and Rainbow are so annoying. Bulk Biceps first gets a canon on-screen name here, but he's a character I find rather meh so, well, meh. Which would probably be an objective assessment for this episode, and with it would go a two-star rating. I'm not objective, though, so I really had to think about it. In the end, yes, it's only a two. But it's high in that band and if Derpy's return was still quite as big a deal then it might still have shaded a three. It's not the second worst episode in S4, not in my book.
Choice quote: Bulk Biceps: "P is for Rainbow Dash!"
New rating: ★★
Next up is "Three's a Crowd", an episode that in 2014 I didn't rave about as much as some of the fandom. I suspect it'll remain in the "quite like" category, but time will tell.
Rainbow Falls' Premise (credited to Meghan) is basically the final episode already, just missing details like who on Dash’s team. As with the last Key episode, it originally turned from her object into an actual Key upon arriving home. There is one key difference - the Wonderbolts were originally old Cloudsdale friends of Dash’s, and they are more openly moved by Dash’s loyalty. Doubtless many would have preferred this, as the Bolts’ behaviour would be far more excusable with new characters that aren’t stunt performer pros.
ReplyDeleteBy the Outline, the above things are changed. There's a small subplot about Twilight, as a Princess, having to be officially impartial, but disclosing that she’s rooting for Ponyville. The big change is Dash having no hesitation about practising with the Bolts, which is just practise at first. The others witness this and, baring Twilight’s concern about Dash’s focus, don't mind (thus, the “disapproving Twilight” angle is barely present - presumably it exists to make it clear to kids that what Dash was doing was wrong). Otherwise, Soarin was never deceived, knew Dash was being tested to see if she was good enough, and seems okay with the others' being unsure he’ll be at 100%. Naturally, they are more moved by her loyalty and don’t have a lame “saving face” moment. Doubtless people would have preferred this, if less than the above. Also, Derpy isn't specified as Derpy yet.
By the actual script, the episode is basically the final episode, with the usual dialogue and incident adjustments as the drafts progress. The Bolts’ dialogue is softer in a few key places in the 1st draft, but this is changed by the 2nd draft. Little else, except Bulk Biceps being called Brutus until the Locked Polish. That leaves us with a 34.5 page script, and expectedly, a LOT of animatic cuts. Rather then incidental lines or mini-scenes, most of the cuts are from specific subplots, as follows:
* A LOT of cheering scenes with Pinkie Pie, many with her having roped Twilight into cheering with her (this shows their rainbow costumes much earlier).
* More of Rarity’s “making the perfect costumes” subplot, notably in her measuring the group during the opening and more comments and remarks after they receive their medals.
* The arrival at Rainbow Falls takes the group through a vendor street, with some “vendor listing off their merch and shoving it in your face” dialogue - Pinkie concludes she'll need two of everything.
* As the episode has lots of dialogue-light training, they often differ in specifics, as this is where DHX can really be creative. Similarly, lots of visual details are altered, including Spitfire getting a massage before Soarin's crash, Dash originally shedding her bandages as she walks up to confront the Bolts, Dash getting a drink from a bottle rather then a lake, the visual layout of the actual race, Soarin being in bed rather then on his hooves, and so on.
* The Key is just Dash’s qualifying ribbon in all the scripts. Presumably to fit with other Key episodes, Spitfire giving her the badge was added to the animatic.
* There was some concern about Fleetfoot’s lisp (a decision made by Jayson and Andrea before voicing her, to make her distinctive) being hard to understand. They kept a close eye during mixing. There was similar concern about Dash drinking from a pond not fitting the show; it was kept by showing her scooping the water up with a hoof. The “no offense” gag with Derpy was also a post-script add, alongside Twilight’s “we’re not gonna qualify” bit, for clarity as to why the group are down in the dumps. Finally, the crew was also still in a “can’t include Derpy” mindset, as Hasbro had to remind them to keep her around even after Dash returns.
This really is an episode with tons of little, largely uninteresting cuts everywhere. More interesting is how the Wonderbolts' behaviour, long considered a killing point by many, got worse during production - and it wasn't even originally them! That wouldn't have fully fixed the episode, but it certainly would have helped.
I hate to start off my take on the episode by saying that they made it worse along the way… but a quick glance at my summary of the script and animatic changes for this one along the way proves otherwise. Given the Bolts' behaviour got subtly worse from the Outline to the script's 1st draft to the 2nd. But far more importantly - they weren't the Bolts in the Premise, just old (well, new for the viewer) friends/colleagues of Dash's from Cloudsdale! Giving us a blank slate of characters, rather than established ones who are supposed to be reputable study performers that ponies everywhere look up to and are inspired by? Yeah, that would have solved the episode's more frequent complaint! Also, if would make it feel more of a piece with the other Key episodes, which are have a new character be the one moved by the featured Bearer standing by their Element (Coco, Cheese, Silver Shill, Seabreeze). Presumably this was changed because someone wondered why the Bolts weren't competing, or just to have more recognisable characters rather than new ones.
ReplyDeleteI really have little else to say on the Bolts' behaviour, as everyone has found it problematic since the moment this episode aired. I found myself in the position of defending Spitfire in "Wonderbolts Academy", regarding her being unaware of Lightning Dust's behaviour, but no such defence applies here. There could have been reasons and motives behind their decisions, but this show isn't able to go that psychologically deep, I'm afraid.
Moving on from that… there are other problems, as pointed out. While I don't find Bulk Biceps as meh as Logan does, he is kind of a one-joke character. More pressing is that this simply isn't all that buyable a test of Dash's loyalty - it is just a stretched-out version of the Shadowbolts scene from all the way back in "Friendship Is Magic - Episode 2". It's a better version of that, of course, and It's good that Dash never considers properly leaving her team. But still, not the most rousing demonstration of sticking to your guns you're gonna see in a a Key episode. It's a regular complaint, I know, but the episode would have benefitted a little from dropping Rarity and Applejack, to retain the other animatic cuts. S4 seems awfully allergic to not using all of the Mane 6. I do notice Spike's uncommented absence, but given how barely he was present in "Bats!" and "Rarity Takes Manehattan", I'm strangely not bothered by this.
The good stuff? Twilight is actually well-handled in an episode not featuring her this season, with the "choosing not to choose" line being an excellent encapsulation. Yes, she's still being the moral compass, but at least with some bite to her this time. Though all the extra party bits with her and Pinkie Pie in the locked script, giving an actual escalating subplot to what, after the animatic cuts, are just a few random moments in the final episode - yeah that would have been nice. So there was more of cheerleader Pinkie, Logan!
Fluttershy is well done throughout, of course - plus, it feels appropriate to have her so prominent in an episode testing Dash's loyalty, given how long they're known each other. The Rainbow Falls themselves are a visual treat, easy to lose oneself in, though I feel the script could have used the fantasy design of this place more, rather then it just being a backdrop.
In the end, we have an episode with more than a few rots at the bones. But there are still enough good at the margins that I would barely call it S4's second-worst episode thus far, and definitely not overall (if you're curious, "Daring Doubt" is worse then this, and this one ties with "Princess Twilight Sparkle - Part 2" for second-last to me, though for a different set of reasons). Enough to move on from this and not dwell on it.
Still, got a solid run of episodes coming up - the next four are all at least good, give or take how one feels about post-release Discord.
Dah, that was supposed to be "Daring Don't". Note to self: don't write lengthy comments cold shortly after waking up!
DeleteWell, you know I rate the premiere (both halves) higher than you do, but "Daring Don't" is indeed the one S4 episode thus far that I would rate lower than this. I am virtually certain there's another one coming that I will also rate lower, and possibly another on top of that. As ever, time will tell.
DeleteAs for cheerleader Pinkie, I don't actually mind her appearances being punctuation rather than a connected story in this case. I suspect I might have found her a little too much if she had appeared as often as she might have done.
Good lord, what stick did I have up my spectral butt when I posted the above comment? On a whim, I rewatched it the other day (should have done that BEFORe posting my original comment above), and bizarrely, my take ended up reversing in several key aspects from what I wrote above. I'll keep this brief.
DeleteFirst, I don't mind that this repeats Dash's test from the series pilot anymore, as this is actually a really solid point of the episode. Dunno how others can find Dash herself problematic for this one, as she never actually considers turning her back on her friends, and she only practised with the Bolts when she though it was just that - practise. Anything more on this point would just be repeating Impossible Numbers' words below.
Second - the Wonderbolts. This isn't a complete reversal, as there is one major point I still really don't like - Spitfire's half-apology that tries to save face by not admitting she was wrong. "Huh. Rainbow Dash, you really are something. Saw it at the academy, seeing it again here. We could learn a lot from you." Something about the phrasing and vocal delivery (earnestness doesn't land easily with a rasp like that) makes it seems like Spitfire, and Fleetfoot by association, haven't actually being touched by Dash's action and taken the point to heart.
But, moving past that (and I didn't have any problems with Spitfire in "Wonderbolts Academy" to clarify), I can actually take their behaviour fine (mostly for the reasons Impossible Numbers cites, if not as intensely). Just a bit of a fumbled landing. Perhaps, like many viewers, I was projecting onto the Bolts. An easy thing to do!
The show seems to pick itself up there, as the next episode to show a morally grey side to the Bolts, "Rarity Investigates!" is fantastic. Even if Wind Rider isn't the reason why, he's not a knock against the episode itself.
The final point… Twilight in Season 4, when not the lead role, is usually a bland idealistic leader of the group. Perhaps I was so happy to see her show actual personality here that I initially overlooked how she is utilised here (well, the cheerleading bit is great, but most of that got cut). Over the past few months, I've come to really not like self-righteous Twilight, and there's a lot of that here - even the "choosing not to choose" line is annoying in context now, despite being a good line otherwise. I'm guessing people (old me included) applauded Twilight's behaviour because they felt Dash needed a stern talking to - but now that I don't feel that, this is just overkill. Between that, and her not helping Dash when she asks earlier, doesn't paint a pretty picture. Can't help but feel like a dry run for what she does to Dash in "2, 4, 6, Great" in many aspects, in hindsight.
Anyway, I now rate this a good episode, and shift it up to 5th out of 10 episodes so far this season. How's that for an adjustment?
The main positive takeaway for me from this one was Bulk and Fluttershy's interactions. There's a ship I adore, especially once Big Mac's taken off the market. :D
ReplyDeleteBecause otherwise, yeah, it's just far worse behavior from far more Wonderbolts than in Wonderbolt Academy. I don't think they redeemed themselves until at least season seven, in my eyes. And Rainbow Dash is still a jerk, and no one deserves having her as a friend, and Derpy is great. :B It's a very meh-pisode.
This episode put a real downer on the feeling that most ponies are good at heart and just make mistakes sometimes. There's quite bad behavior here, and very intentional. It just left me with a bad feeling that anyone, especially those who would be idols, are so unscrupulous, and that Dash would go along with it for so long. I don't really see the Bulk/Fluttershy interactions as more than friendshipping, but I do enjoy them as a friend pair. Then when he interacted sometimes with Derpy in EqG, that was another nice friendshipping pair I enjoy seeing. More Derpy is always a good thing, but just the fact of her being there isn't enough to save the bad taste of the rest of this. Two stars sounds about right.
ReplyDeleteI don't really see the Bulk/Fluttershy interactions as more than friendshipping
DeleteNor me, but then I'm not much of a romantic shipper regardless of pairing. Though we'll get to Discord later in the series...
I must be on another wavelength to everyone else, then, because I thought the Wonderbolts being morally grey was one of the more fascinating things this episode does. In fact, this episode is basically her iconic test from the series premier done right, and not just because these aren't a bunch of blatantly suspicious randos in the middle of the Everfree Forest trying to distract her from a high-priority quest.
ReplyDeleteThis episode fits Rainbow's character like a glove. Rainbow's strongest drive has always been her ambition to prove she's among the best in her specific athletic field. Her iconic trait is loyalty, not least to her friends, few of whom are exactly on the same physical page as her (Fluttershy sure isn't), in a show about friendship first and foremost. Sooner or later, these two halves of her character will end up on a painful collision course.
For my part, I think Rainbow Dash is very sympathetic here. To quote something I've said elsewhere:
"For me, Rainbow is sympathetic here - least, I find it easy to sympathize with her feeling conflicted between a taste of her lifelong driving ambition and her grounded connection to Fluttershy-as-stand-in-for-Ponyville, less dramatic and ambitious but with a clear personal stake. In success terms, her friends are clear 'losers', but some part of Rainbow recognizes that this doesn't matter, and I've always felt that sort of conflict was going to be an essential part of her, so it's nice to see that play out here. I don't even find it hard to understand her move to avoid making a decision, even though I wouldn't actually approve of her childish approach in real life. The episode never really capitalizes on the stakes - this is for a one-off event, after all - and it's never going to disguise the inevitable answer she gives, but I think it's a Rainbow episode I've really been waiting for."
Moreover, the Wonderbolts have an obvious fabulistic role in all this: as the cautionary tale of what happens when you put ambition and success over loyalty to others. Them being Rainbow's tempters makes perfect sense (what better draw, after all, than your biggest heroes giving you a taste of your future dream job?), introducing a morally grey aspect to Rainbow's overall quest for the same success. It also provides a surprisingly sharp reminder that heroes aren't always paragons, something which is a neat lesson on its own terms, but which I think also has real-world resonance given some notable scandals (even confining ourselves to the world of sport).
Furthermore... is it that out-there for the Wonderbolts? Fleetfoot alone has probably never had a speaking appearance prior to now. We might just be projecting our idealizations onto a bland front here.
DeleteIn Seasons One and Two, we knew virtually nothing about them beyond a few public cameos. Our first glimpse into their inner workings was "Wonderbolts Academy", and that should've put paid to the idea that they were spotless paragons. While I might just be more jaded than most, the idea of a national sports team deceptively shuffling teammates for a competitive advantage doesn't strike me as the implausible deal-breaker it obviously struck others as.
Heck, since it's so obviously playing the antagonistic role in the story, it seems to me we're potentially accidentally shifting from "this teaches our kids bad lessons" territory to "your villain is evil!" levels of sophisticated criticism. (Yes, I know they're not villains, but surely you get the broader point I'm making).
To say nothing of the fact that this behaviour is openly called out as wrong at the end, and Spitfire and Fleetfoot acknowledge that. Given some of the morally backward redemption candy I've seen strewn about this show, this is practically a responsible ep by this show's standards.
On the other hand, I thought Twilight's turn as Rainbow's conscience was a misfire. Rainbow's clearly struggling with two conflicting impulses, and outright asks for her help at one point. Twilight rebuffs the question, which is really damn hypocritical for someone who later guilt-trips Rainbow Dash with the "choosing not to choose isn't really a decision" line. To say nothing of her non-committal guilt-tripping in general during those two scenes.
Still, a minor irritant in the grand scheme of things. One of the bigger draws of the ep for me is its quiet sense of community. I'll close by quoting another section from elsewhere on this topic:
"I must be a photo negative of the average fan, then, because I quite like 'Rainbow Falls'. Bulk Biceps casually mingling with the Main Six, and all the odd side details such as Pinkie and Twilight getting more involved in the cheerleading (and Derpy joining the team) does sell a nice sense of community that doesn't end sharply with just our main heroes, and that alone gives the episode a vicariously inclusive appeal."
Funnily, I think you're actually spot on in a lot of this analysis, re: the Wonderbolts. And much of the reaction just comes down to personal taste.
DeleteBack in season one, we know nothing about the Wonderbolts at first save they're who Rainbow Dash aspires to be. We finally meet two of them at the gala, and Spitfire seems like a chill lady, while Soarin has his comedic turn. It feels reasonable to assume that they're ponies just like Rainbow Dash: outstanding flyers who really enjoy flying and showing off their prowess, and who are otherwise just normal people who don't let their fame keep them from being down-to-earth, pardon the expression, especially when it comes to a major fan who's proven herself to them once already.
These ponies are awesome and cool. No wonder Rainbow Dash wants to join them.
But move ahead through Wonderbolts Academy and here into Rainbow Falls, and that initial assessment turns out to be sorely mistaken. Spitfire's a militaristic hardass. The Academy (at least at first) seems to value results over methods, and it takes a major near-disaster to shake that. In this episode, you're right about the narrative role they fill, but in light of previous characterization, it's a role that cements the idea that they aren't good ponies. They'll pull you away from those you care about and throw the weak under a bus.
They may be awesome fliers, but they're not cool. They're jerks. And this is who Rainbow Dash wants to join?
Contrast this with an episode like Rarity Investigates!, where we the audience know they'll probably turn out to be wrong in the end, but in the moment, it's clear they have good reasons to suspect Rainbow Dash of wrongdoing. And once it's revealed that they're wrong, they own up and apologize. There's a big difference between admitting a mistake and apologizing because you decided to do something that's obviously morally grey at best.
For my worth, Spitfire in particular didn't redeem herself until that "You like blowing your whistle" line from... probably that one really crappy episode in season seven or eight. But it was hard to shake that sense of "This is who Rainbow Dash wants to be?" throughout the rest of the show.
Maybe that's why she turned into a jerk. :B
Fair enough. As an added caveat, I'd have more of a leg to stand on if this was all part of some clever long-term arc in which Rainbow learned the dream doesn't always match the reality, and not just conflict manufactured for a single ep. Accidentally fascinating conflict, perhaps, but still.
DeleteOn the other hand, something like "Newbie Dash"... God, don't get me started on "Newbie Dash"...
It may not stay that way, but "Newbie Dash" is my very own version of an "Everyone dislikes this except me" Wonderbolts episode. If I had to rate it now, without watching it again, it would be a moderate three, I think.
DeleteYeah, that's the episode I was thinking of. :B
DeleteBoy, wouldn't it have been amazing if this show had had a single, centralized vision guiding it for more than two seasons?