So I was sitting there right before the episode aired without actually expecting anything. I had read the synopsis when it was posted for the first time and had already considered to be this episode the usual hit or miss that Spike episodes sadly are in most cases. As someone who considers Spike his favorite character, my inexistent expectations were not just unfulfilled, they were brought into existence just to be crushed with every further minute of airtime that I hoped to get some increase in quality while I sat through it. This episode is not just “meh”, it’s actually bad.

I don’t think I need to sum up the plot for this one, as I’ll already spend enough time on picking the one big and complex flaw out of it. So, let’s start with his first actions as the one who just tried to grant his friend much needed rest. Not just were these things the ones that, due to Spike’s actions, led to the destruction of the gemstone statue, they were also the things he did without either knowing that they could do harm in the end, nor with any bad intentions.

Ironically, the things he did as “Princess Spike” weren’t even the ones anyone complained about in the end. Even the selfish things like the massage or the cupcakes didn’t cause further harm. And the worst thing about it all: If you look at it this way … Spike only had to deal with the ponies’ problems because:

1) Spike tried to do what he was ordered to do in order to help Twilight - so his job.

2) Twilight organized everything, so any problems that occurred due to her planning were her fault.

3) Spike didn’t make any decisions that were presented as being totally wrong, except for the three initial actions that led to the rather unfortunate and unexpected destruction of the gemstone statue and the few “services” that no one complained about in the end.

4) Instead of thinking on their own or talking to another princess, the ponies wanted to only see Twilight.

What he did before he “abused” his power was done without any selfishness. And after he started to do it as “Princess Spike”, it caused no direct harm. Still, it’s what he has to apologize for in the end, even though it was unforeseeable that it would end this way. (You cannot tell me that Fancy Pants foresaw this exact turn of events.)

And Twilight even makes him do so, even though he, without anything shown or said to actually contradict it, managed to fix her mistakes and finish her tasks. So a dumb coincidence led to him be the bad guy? Really? That is the result? After doing power-hungry yet not incompetently, he has to go through a forced lesson that only has to do something with an accident? Really?

You could even say it was everyone else’s fault, too, because Twilight failed to organize the Summit better, because none of the other princesses felt the need to take over after Twilight got to bed, because Spike was left alone with dealing with all the problems and because the ponies were as intelligent and individual as ants.

All in all, I fail at trying to find anything good to say about this episode. Spike gets the short end of the stick for a stupid reason again, everything he probably did well is totally ignored because “just because”/ it happened for the wrong reasons, Equestrians are presented as stupid again and all that was done to write it as a comedic episode failed immensely because it’s more tragic than funny.

I’m done with this review.

Personal Note:

Do you see hope for Spike? I do not. Not anymore. I gave up. After five seasons, the staff finally did it. They produced the episode that made me finally accept what most of the fans have already decided as given long ago: That Spike is a lost cause. Thank you, guys. The one thing that made me stick to the show even through my depression is now gone: The hope that Spike would get positive development in the show.