Author's Note: This analysis has been revised a second time — published on June 15, 2015 — with a new addition about the layout of the audience during the wedding ceremony and overall moral. Credit goes to Reflective Vagrant on YouTube for noticing it.

 

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First impressions: This is actually pretty decent. Some of the content (particularly the pop culture humor like Bon Bon's "secret agent" and the Twilicane) feel a little hollow, and the bugbear sideplot was rather stupid. But the background characters were rather nicely done. In all, it kinda works…for now.

This is what I wrote here, and I'll write a bit more.

 

If you're not into the core fandom, then chances are you won't get many of the in-fandom jokes.

1. Bon Bon's "secret agent" angle is a very subtle joke at her two names: Bon Bon and Sweetie Drops, both of them official. Won't be surprised if it's a play on James Bond, too.
    
   @@Dolphanatic caught another reference to Bon Bon's "agent" work. One of the gags from the early seasons was how her voice was never the same. Sometimes it's very girly. Other times, it's very deep like "Mine's got rocks in it!" This solves the gag.
2. Derpy's reference to "Muffins" is a reference to her love for them that began in the fandom and became canonized after her Comic-Con toy was released with the muffin vectors.
3. Lyra sits like a P.O.'d human as both a callback to Swarm of the Century as well as a reference to a lot of the "Lyra likes human mythology" fanon.
4. Octavia and Vinyl together is a reference to how they're often together in fanonical work and headcanon.
5. The shark plushie that Octavia and Vinyl jumped over along the hill is a reference to "jump the shark."
6. Button Mash's reappearance is a nod to the background pony's reemergence in the fanon thanks to JanAnimations.
7. Derpy and The Doctor together is a nod to the popular DoctorDerpy ship and headcanon.
8. Berry Punch's barrel of "fruit juice" is a reference to the meme of her liking alcohol/wine.
9. Gummy's philosophical approach to the pony world is a hilarious meta reference to how he often looks like he couldn't care less.
10. Derpy the mailmare a reference to the popular fanon (which later became canon in Rarity's Micro comic).
11. Everypony not giving a buck about the monster attacks in Ponyville is a meta reference to the countless monsters that invaded the town.
12. Plenty of Doctor Who references, from the accent to the scarf and "Allons-y."
13. The horse heads that we see in many conventions.
14. The "bug bear" is a self-reference "pandering" joke.
15. Obviously, the Twilicane.
16. Derpy locking out the Mane Six.
17. Clearing up the friendship problem in "a half-hour or so" is possibly the best joke in the episode. It works so well because it's so matter-of-fact, doesn't feel like a joke, yet doesn't intrude in the story.
18. Shining Armor crying before the wedding. Liquid pride, anypony?
    

A question to everyone else: When Derpy looked through the vial of flameless fireworks, did it feel like a subtle reference to Derpy staring at the lava lamp? I don't know, but it somehow feels like it to me.

 

If you're not into fandom jokes or never fully got the grasp of them, then a lot of the fandom humor won't make sense. What makes a reference solid is how you can find them funny without having to completely understand them. A ton of jokes are very tongue-in-cheek with the fandom while still keeping the content rating in mind. While the core fandom will laugh from many of the jokes, some will only be confused because they won't get it. Consequently, some of these jokes will either go through one ear and out the other or only bewilder them more.

 

Sometimes the humor is there only for the sake of it. One of the worst is the random Twilicane. Good humor shouldn't be there "just because." They must have some level of in-story context. Otherwise, it's going to look like pandering. The Twilicane joke is plain pandering because it interferes with the rush of the climax. It would've been much better if Vinyl's bass cannon was tripped by a divot caused by the bugbear to give the chaotic battle some payoff or a big rock under the dirt. Bon Bon's "secret agent" is another, which I'll get to a little below.

 

On the flipside, the interaction with Doctor Whooves and Derpy feels incredibly natural. Both characters really play off each other. Doctor Whooves's very analytical and relies on a ton of science to equate and solve problems. His goal for wanting to create some level of magic without needing a horn really drives him to getting the best results possible, but sometimes overthinks things. His demeanor resembles the popular Tenth Doctor, which is finalized by his "Allons-y." On the other hand, Derpy is a simpler pony who prefers to focus on a calmer, simpler slice of life. She doesn't care a ton about the deep, scientific approach. She simply wants to do her job and wants to do it well. Unlike The Last Roundup, Derpy's squeaky female voice doesn't have that artificial, sarcastic edge; it's innocent, cute, aloof, and genuine.

 

Outside of Doctor and Derpy, the tandem of Octavia and Vinyl Scratch is magnificent. Octavia is the one who does all the talking, but she doesn't only make the scene. Vinyl Scratch's approach is more hands-on; while she's mute, her style of music does the talking. As a result, you can see how Vinyl feels, behaves, and reacts to the environment. The lack of dialogue forces Larson to show instead of tell, but Vinyl and Octavia really work like a team. Vinyl's dubstep/techno meshes with Octavia's classical standards and talents. Without just relying on the typical music, the two genres cooperate. Octavia wanted the wedding to be special; this was one way to make the episode special.

 

The weakest tandem is Lyra and Bon Bon. Their voices are clichéd, and the "best friends" dialogue is hammered in way too much. Sure, it only enforces and teases the popular LyraBon ship, but they lack plenty of personality. Without the exposition, Bon Bon would remain a flat bore. Their conversation and vocality feel way too plain, especially Lyra; without her minty green fur, she'd be your stereotypical valley girl. Bon Bon's "secret agent" joke doesn't fit, either, because the joke feels way too out there and relies a lot on telling the audience rather than showing despite having some historic context with the bugbear.

 

But you also dove into more of Cranky's history thanks to Steven Magnet. He and Matilda hit off (friendly-wise ) beautifully in the salon. Matilda was anxious, but Steven's suave, casual conversational attitude adds a bit of calm in between the storm. During all the chaos, it'd make the whole episode feel overwhelming. It's great to see them amicably talk for a stretch of time (and have SM grow back his mustache!). But he triggered those nerves when he told her the wedding meant everything, and with a very creepy closeup to boot.

 

Thankfully, Steven's relationship with Cranky isn't dumped onto its audience and forgotten. The resolution gave it some context when he gave Cranky part of his 'stache willingly. It revived his classic look before Rarity "corrected" it in Part 2 of the pilot, but apparently, he either isn't as vain as he used to be or he just wants to do the trimming himself. Plus, it calls back to how subconscious he is over being bald, especially before a big crowd for a big wedding.

 

The side plot of the bug bear makes the entire episode feel distracting. The main plot was to rush Cranky and Matilda's wedding because the invitation had the wrong date, but you're reminded of the constant battle. With it taking place only in the background, you don't get how the battle took place; his defeat is only mentioned via exposition. You want to see how the Mane Six fend off the bugbear as the rest of Ponyville is very busy preparing the wedding. In fact, the battle half is pointless: Remove it with another plot, and it would've made no difference. Wouldn't it make just as much sense for the Mane Six to suddenly leave due to a friendship problem abroad? That way, you fit the Council of Friendship's overall goal this season: to teach the Magic of Friendship while also learning it.

 

Conversely, one piece of exposition isn't merely dumped onto its audience. The SSMB's Gato caught this reference when watching one of the teasers, so he gets the credit:

 

 

Notice what Amethyst is wearing around the main part of her body and her left front leg. Each team has a captain. Amethyst was the animal team's captain, and the clothing style proves it. During the conversation, Amethyst claimed she hasn't done any organization since Twilight moved in. Winter Wrap Up is one of season one's earliest episodes, and the conflict was how Twilight could adapt to Ponyville without relying on magic all the time. The result: being the lead organizer of Winter Wrap Up. It's easily the cleverest reference of Slice of Life because it's a tiny detail with a lot of impact.

 

In between the bustle, Celestia's and Luna's conversation is much more casual compared to years' past. The only times we got to see them talk as sisters were either via fanwork or IDW's comics. For the latter, Luna's out-of-character juvenile behavior often soils it. Here, both of them are in character with natural dialogue. Like Octavia, they treated the wedding with utmost importance. Who can blame Celly, especially? Cranky met Matilda at the Grand Galloping Gala, so it makes for Celestia to treat this ceremony personally. However, even though they'll argue occasionally, they're still very close, as they held hooves while in the audience during Mayor Mare's speech.

 

But one detail stuck out to me personally:

 

One of A Canterlot Wedding's biggest problems was the romance angle between Shining Armor and Cadance. Throughout the finale, the narrative keeps telling the audience they love each other, but how can the audience care for them if their personalities feel flat and their romance is confined to exposition? When they tried to show it, it was too late. Instead of feeling natural and awe-spiring, their romance was forced and cringeworthy. Here, they say nothing in the ceremony; she leaned towards him, and he wrapped his hoof around her. Their romance is more believable here in this scene than all of ACW combined.

 

But it's not just the ponies who are there. One Changeling is in the crowd, and he or she just sits and watches as the other foals huddle away. @@ZOMG (which @@Jeric echoed in a post about the Changeling in this post from that topic) picked a really good name for him: Incognito, because he's in the background absorbing the love in the room.

 

Larson said in a convention interview (in MLP-MSP, which aired this episode, IIRC) that he originally wrote a Changeling invasion at the end, but it was edited out for time. Honestly, it was better not to have it. The battle overwhelmed the town; adding a new battle would've severely overwhelmed the audience. One battle is enough. Letting the audience and fandom relax and enjoy the ceremony is a more satisfactory approach.

 

Even better is the moral. Mayor Mare's speech to the background characters was more than simply that. It was also dialogue to the bronies without being extremely explicit despite referencing the main cast. Mayor Mare said that Ponyville isn't simply the mane characters, but everyone else out there. Connect the same thing to the relationship the bronies have with the cast. The cast help make the show, but it doesn't feel complete without all of us. Everyone in Ponyville matters. Everyone who watches the show matters. Without bronies (me, you, adults, kids, male, female, and everyone in between), how can the show's popularity spread?

 

But the messages would feel really, really hollow if the moral's presentation was sloppy. As I listened to read Golden Fox's first impressions of the episode, I read the YouTube comments and came across

by Reflective Vagrant. This brony makes a really great point: As you listen to the moral, notice how the positions of both the seating and the placement of each character remain the same regardless of the camera angles, vector layout, and timing. Sometimes the background in other episodes is very inconsistent, especially the popping of characters in and out of specific shots dpeending on the angle or Easter Egg the staff wants to throw at their audience. The animators really take their time making sure the characters stay in one location throughout Mayor Mare's speech.

 

Why is this important? If the characters don't stay in one spot, then you marginalize not only the importance of Cranky and Matilda's wedding, but the moral, too. Remember, even with all the fanservice, there's still a story. A sloppy background implies a lack of attention by the in-story audience, thus informing the audience watching the show not to care about the wedding or Mayor Mare's speech. Due to lazy animation and composition, the implications of the close relationship between DHX/Hasbro and the older brony fandom suddenly becomes pointless. The attention by the in-story audience tells us, the viewers, to pay attention, too. Consequently, we listen to her and understand the moral stated in the show and implied by the overall theme of Slice of Life. Little detail, tremendous impact.

 

Finally, an open plot from season two is finally resolved. Following A Friend in Deed, you're left to open questions about Cranky and Matilda's relationship. For those who saw the animatic, you know it was being resolved this season. But we didn't know how it'd be resolved. Slice of Life answers those questions by focusing on the rest of society rather than just the Mane Six.

 

So why did I critique this gift? The answer is simple: No one episode deserves special treatment. Just because it's a gift to the brony fanbase doesn't entitle Slice of Life to not get the same treatment as any other episode. Remember what Sugar Belle said to Starlight Glimmer in The Cutie Map, Part 2?

Sugar Belle: You can't have a cutie mark, Starlight! Either we're all equal, or none of us are!

 

This applies. I treat the other episodes with the same analytical, critical breakdown. Like the "It's for kids" excuse, there's no reason to give this episode a pass, either. To claim this as "ungrateful" or "spoiled" is immensely disrespectful to not just this episode, but the others, too, including what's coming up later on. What I critiqued both positively and negatively here would get the same level of respect as any other episode. It doesn't matter how big a milestone this is. The core of a good episode is the story. Without a good story, this episode is factory-laden junk food, and it's always better to eat a scratch-made, fresh meal. Fortunately, the foreground episode holds up nicely at this point. How well it'll age is up for debate.

 

Is Slice of Life the best episode of the show? No. It has some flaws to work with, such as the background clutter and plain voices for both Bon Bon and Lyra. But depending on who you talk to, it may be one of the most personal, because it really connects with the core brony fandom. Some great characters shine through, particularly Octavia, Derpy, and Doctor Whooves. Plenty debate or look for fanon being crushed, when in actuality, plenty of fanon becomes canon, and whatever is left unsaid will only spark even fuller fanon and headcanon in the future. Slice of Life is pure fanon starter. The moral is appropriate for the show and relates very well to both the characters in the canon and the relationship between DHX and the bronies. Slice of Life keeps the bronies conneted thanks to the personal touches, themes, jokes, and overall moral. The moral itself is possibly one of the most important of the entire show. I don't know how long this series will last, but I'm sticking around for the ride!

 

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Source: S05:E09 - Slice of Life