OK, sorry I'm late everypony, just been a bit of a crazy day so far. Welcome back everypony to another edition of "Batbrony Reviews!" Today we've got the last (presumably) cutie map episode of the season, and it certainly did not disappoint. I'll try to keep this short, but without further ado, this is "The Hooffields and McColts"!

So first of all, I'm usually not one for puns, but this episode's title is delightfully pun-a-licious. A hilarious ponified play on the Hatfields and McCoys, the most famous family feud in American history, if I do say so myself. That aside, let's talk first about the main characters, Fluttershy and Twilight. This is a pair we don't get to see very often in the show, and it was a lot of fun seeing the two of them solving this friendship problem together. I will say that I found it a bit disconcerting at times how Fluttershy especially seemed like a doormat even more than usual since Twilight was (as always) taking her job of taking charge too seriously. Now to be fair, it's understandable that this happened; Fluttershy never likes making herself the center of attention, whereas Twilight is the leader of the Mane 6 and the Princess of Friendship. One naturally goes out of her way not to make a scene at all, and the other naturally goes out of her way to take charge of any situation. So I don't exactly blame either of them, it's just in their natures that this would happen. Normally Twilight's more outspoken friends will more readily offer advice and try to get Twilight to not try to do everything herself, but that's not really Fluttershy's style. Still, she did find what was wrong in the end by using her own special talents for listening to those whom others ignore, and Twilight didn't turn down the advice and help she offered once she did offer it. So in many ways, this was a great pairing for highlighting both characters' strengths and weaknesses, and despite it being a rocky road, they did manage to solve things in the end. All in all, a solid episode for both of them.

Heheh, tiny ponies are happy ponies

Also, Fluttershy has an animal book club. This needs to be noted as much as possible because it is an amazing piece of information which anyone's life will be better for knowing.

The Hooffields and McColts themselves were pretty much everything I expected they would be. Redneck, backwoods ponies feuding with one another to the death without an inkling as to why. The set-up itself was pretty predictable if you're familiar with the history of the Hatfields and McCoys, or just the family feud storytelling trope in general, as was the conclusion. In fact, the conclusion itself was a bit weak even if only because it seemed so easy, but then again, I kind of expected that going in considering I figured they'd be depicting a long, ongoing family feud getting resolved in a single episode, so it's not too upsetting even if it was cliched. What was terribly enjoyable, however, were the Hooffields and McColts themselves as well as their feuding. These were just some very fun, enjoyable, energetic redneck characters who owned that character-type through-and-through. There wasn't anything demeaning about their characterization; yeah they were irrational, but hey, anyone can be irrational no matter who they are. These ponies just happened to be irrational rednecks. Their antics were hilarious, the various designs of all of them were very creative, and their matriarch/patriarch especially were enjoyable to watch. All in all, I got pretty much everything I expected and wanted from them; redneck feuding, irrational behavior, a predictable but good lesson learned, and some great laughs along the way.

Huh... I guess this means that cannons are now... canon :comeatus: I'm not sorry

I was actually most impressed (though it may be partly because I'm in an environmental history class right now) by the fact that they managed to depict how war or conflict of this nature can negatively impact the environment itself. The animals suffering because of these two feuding families, those types of environmental impacts in any war are real. The environment, along with pretty much anything else, suffers when people get into long, ongoing military conflict, and like I said, I was very impressed that the writers managed to depict that in a way central to the plot that also worked for a children's show. Aside from that, the animation as always was lovely (especially in the designs of the ponies in the two feuding families), Twilight and Fluttershy were both adorable in their own ways, and this episode was just fine and dandy all around. Nothing amazing, but a fitting conclusion to the cutie map episodes. We've only got three left on the season folks, and I've no doubt they're all going to be amazing! See you next week everypony, until then, this is Batbrony signing off. I'm off! *cue dramatic exit*