Jump to content
Banner by ~ Ice Princess Silky
  • entries
    100
  • comments
    115
  • views
    35,938

S4E10: "Rainbow Falls"


PrymeStriker

2,799 views

On the down side, I couldn't get to the review on Friday due to reasons I've mentioned elsewhere.

 

On the up side, I have changed my avatar/morphed my form into something much more...aesthetically pleasing...than what I had before. Don't ask where this face comes from.

 

Anyways, on to bigger and better things. This, is "Rainbow Falls".

 

...................

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wait, this is "Rainbow Falls"?

 

......

 

 

 

AwwwwwwwwwwwwwwFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCKMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

 

This episode goes down in infamy as one of the absolute worst episodes of the series, and given I'm that guy who thinks "Crusaders of the Lost Mark" is the worst thing ever and finds equally shit episodes in every season of this godforsaken show, I'm very intrigued to figure out how "Rainbow Falls" manages to fuck shit up today. Here we fucking go.

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

So this atrocity opens up with Rainbow Dash giving Fluttershy and Bulk Biceps a pep talk about how they're going to win their event for the Equestria Games. Instant bullshit. If you're trying to compete for the Equestria Games, why do you choose Fluttershy to be in your group? Fluttershy of all people who expressed a great fear of simply performing civic duty in "Hurricane Fluttershy". Bulk Biceps seems like a good enough choice for about two seconds until we see him try to fly. Both he and Fluttershy can barely get off the ground. TWO PROBLEMS: #1: Bulk Biceps was among the ponies to reach high levels of wingpower in "Hurricane Fluttershy" and qualified to join the Wonderbolt's Academy in "Wonderbolts Academy". How the FUCK could he do this without barely lifting himself off the ground? #2: Say he did suddenly magically earn the ability to not fly, WHY WOULD YOU CHOOSE HIM AND FLUTTERSHY OUT OF THE HUNDREDS OF PEGASI IN PONYVILLE TO HELP YOUR TOWN WIN THE EQUESTRIA GAMES?! Rainbow Dash is a dumbass but she isn't a fucking retard.

 

We haven't even reached the title sequence. Hold on to your balls and blow me, folks.

 

Pinkie_Pie_%27P_is_for%27_S4E10.png
Just so I don't have to mention it again, Applejack is a useless addition to this episode and Pinkie Pie is an annoying fuck. Yes, I actually said that.

 

After the title sequence makes me want to swallow a gallon-full of Ibuprofen while dry humping a goat in Saudi Arabia during an ISIS execution, even more bullshit takes place. Twilight points out Rainbow's retardation in picking Fluttershy and Bulk Biceps as competitors in the Equestria Games, to which she replies that with her on the team, she'll qualify. Ah, more of Rainbow Dash's unbelievable arrogance. Always a pleasure. Someone castrate me with a lawn mower. Fluttershy mentions she's honored to be competing for Ponyville, which is...a little offsetting at best, but anyways, Rarity is also on this train. Why? Who the fuck knows. She, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack have no use in this episode's general plot and could've been written out faster than a feminist can censor speech. They finally arrive at Rainbow Falls...I guess...I don't think they ever refer to this place by name in the episode, and people start gawking in awe at our main characters. Because guess what royalty is in their presence? You guessed it! Rainbow Dash! She's the best flyer around!

 

...Hmm? Princess Twilight Sparkle? What the fuck is that, some kind of new STD? I don't have it. Anyways, the Wonderbolts are here for some reason.

 

Rainbow_meets_the_Wonderbolts_S4E10.png
"We heard you guys were gathering familiar characters for no fucking reason and decided we should join you!"

 

So what are top notch military-grade flight EXPERTS doing competing in the Olympics, you might ask? Because fuck it! This is "Rainbow Falls", there's no time for logic or reason! Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash reminds the audience what the goal is in this episode because we've already forgotten. Dialogue, it's apparently completely useless according to Corey Powell. They want to qualify in the Equestria Games for Ponyville. Let's make sure we've got that clear, guys. They want to qualify for Ponyville. Everybody got that? Okay, good, so since they want to qualify for Ponyville, they have to be one the first four teams to cross the finish line, because apparently this is a race. Applejack shows up for some time, but she's useless. They want to qualify for Ponyville, but Rainbow Dash is finally realizing that Fluttershy and evidently Bulk Biceps are shit fliers. It's almost like this was a bad idea. However, to spice things up in the plot, Soarin trips and starts falling to his death. Unfortunately, he doesn't die and Rainbow Dash ends up catching him, only for Fluttershy to literally state what just happened. Dialogue, it's apparently completely useless to Corey Powell. Soarin's wing, on the other hand, still managed to become broken, and the Wonderbolts are suddenly down one peg. So what do they do? They try to convince Rainbow Dash to ditch her team and join the Wonderbolts.

 

....WOW, so the Wonderbolts are suddenly DICKS now. What a turn of events. Well since she wants to qualify for Ponyville I'm sure Rainbow Dash will tell them to fuck off, right?

 

Rainbow%2C_Spitfire_and_Fleetfoot_eating_while_flying_S4E10.png
...........hnnn

 

I give up. This episode is officially the dumbest thing in existence, and coming from Corey Powell, the most disappointing piece of writing from her. Rainbow Dash by virtue of her element as she learned twice before in the pilot and in "Wonderbolts Academy" should not be so conflicted about choosing her friends over the Wonderbolts. This would SOMEWHAT work if she was competing with any other Pegasus from Ponyville, but she's not. She's competing with Fluttershy, and that's the bullshit. Plus, if she wanted to qualify for Ponyville, why would she seriously consider joining the team for Cloudsdale? Figure out why you're here, dumbass. In the meantime, Twilight notices that Rainbow Dash is secretly competing for Cloudsdale and Ponyville and calls her out, in which Rainbow Dash pours out her soul or whatever and reveals that with her on both teams Ponyville will still qualify. This possible cleanup of the plot is instantly shattered when the Wonderbolts offer her a permanent spot on their team and she remotely considers it. When Rainbow Dash expresses excitement over the fact that they asked her, Twilight Sparkle reminds her about what's important in this plot.....................

 

..............Pinkie Pie won't be able to cheer for anyone, Rarity's designs would've gone to waste, and Applejack would've slaved over her treats for nothing.

 

RIGHT, BECAUSE PINKIE PIE, RARITY, AND APPLEJACK ARE SO IMPORTANT TO THIS STORY, HAVING ALLOTTED 90 SECONDS OF SCREENTIME TOTAL FOR THEIR FLAT-ASS RECURRING JOKES.

 

Life isn't worth living, so Rainbow Dash fakes an injury to give her a reason not to choose.

 

Rainbow_and_friends_in_hospital_room_S4E10.png
I hate this episode yes I do. Fuck me in the ass with a rusted screw. This episode makes me crave genocide. It's time for those damn Norwegians to die.

 

Alright, third act. Let's see how many other contrivances pop up. Inside the hospital, Fluttershy and Bulk Biceps show up to assure Rainbow Dash that she won't have to worry about being in the tryouts because they've replaced her with...Derpy Hooves. Ah, what a terrible time for fanservice. You know why? THIS IS ABSOLUTE BULLSHIT. This proves that there were other options for Rainbow Dash's team than Fluttershy and Bulk Biceps. These two ACCORDING TO POWELL LOGIC can't lift themselves off the ground. DERPY CAN AT LEAST DO THAT. So why didn't she choose DERPY for her team in the first place?! After all of the useless characters leave, Soarin shows his ass on the other side of Rainbow Dash's bed and reveals that his wing has healed, he's just been waiting for the Wonderbolts to let him join the team again. Two more motherfucking problems. One: what hospital lets a patient stay in a room long after they've healed? Most hospitals need the bed to, I don't know, help other patients. Two: So the Wonderbolts are not just dicks now, they're LYING, MEDDLING DICKS. Because that's what they teach you in the army. I guess the Village People were wrong, you can't put your mind at ease. So then a light shines through the window and hits a Equestria Games flag on the floor, and when Rainbow stares at-...wait, no, NO, NO, YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS A KEY EPISODE. YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS A KEY EPISOOOOOOO-

 

Rainbow_glow_in_Dash%27s_eyes_S4E10.png
-NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

Fucking great. So now not only is this a piece of shit episode, but it's essential to the arc of season four which means it's impossible to forget or skip. Remind you of some other episode? That's right, this is the "Crusaders of the Lost Mark" of season four. Goddammit. Let's just get this episode over with before I puke up an unborn fetus. So Rainbow Dash learns for the third time that her friends are more important than joining the winning team. Let's make this abundantly clear. She's learned this moral THREE FUCKING TIMES. Everybody got that? Good. Then there's no reason for anyone to disagree when I say that Rainbow Dash's character development is null and void. Meanwhile, the Wonderbolts are suddenly good guys again and obviously Ponyville ends up qualifying for the Equestria Games through Rainbow Dash's excellent teamwork skills. That's nice. At least the CMC competing for their slot as the flag carriers in the Equestria Games won't go to waste now, because Corey Powell also managed to forget that "Flight to the Finish" already happened. After cheerleader Twilight scars me for life, Spitfire gives Rainbow Dash a Wonderbolts pin that ends up being the key.

 

Wonderbolt_pin_with_rainbow_glow_S4E10.png
Go fuck yourself.

 

And so concludes "Rainbow Falls".

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Rainbow Falls List of Fuck-Ups

 

* Bulk Biceps should not be such a weak flier given his previous ability to clock major wingpower and be admitted to the WA
* Choosing Fluttershy as a competitor for the Equestria Games is retarded
* Rainbow Dash could've chosen a lot of other Pegasi that would've at least been able to fly, but she didn't because crusty splooge.
* Pinkie Pie is useless and fucking annoying, and when you make Pinkie Pie annoying, you dun goofed
* Rarity is useless
* Applejack is useless
* Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Applejack could've been written out of this episode
* Episode acts like these three are overtly important to the plot given their minimal screentime
* Twilight Sparkle is still not acknowledged by anybody as anyone important, and is overshadowed by the presence of Rainbow Dash.
* Wonderbolts are dicks
* Wonderbolts are competing in the Equestria Games
* Any other team of characters could've replaced the Wonderbolts and not make them seem so out of character
* Dialogue means nothing in this episode
* Rainbow Dash is having trouble choosing between the Wonderbolts and her own moral compass.
* Rainbow Dash had trouble choosing between the Shadowbolts and her own moral compass in "Friendship is Magic (Part 2)"
* Rainbow Dash had trouble choosing between the Wonderbolts and her own moral compass in "Wonderbolts Academy"
* Rainbow Dash should NOT be having trouble choosing between the Wonderbolts and her own moral compass HERE.
* Rainbow Dash beats around the bush to ultimately learn the lesson she's learned twice before, leading to this episode being completely useless..
* Except this is a key episode, a major episode in the arc of season four, which is the ultimate fuck-you.
* Cheerleader Twilight. Fuck that. Fuck that to Hell and back.

 

1/10, suck my balls.

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

  • Brohoof 1

14 Comments


Recommended Comments

This episode dragged S4 down to the 4th rank after S6 just to show how bad it was ;) I think you was too harsh to Crusader of the Lost Marks, it's already a good episode in term of production value ALONE. Rainbow Falls failed at everything, writting, humor, entertainment values, characters, in short... everything, compare this piece of crap to Crusader of the Lost Mark is just so wrong.

  • Brohoof 1
Link to comment

Rainbow Fails is a complete failure in writing in every shape and form. Nothing makes a lick of sense. Act 3 is the worst segment of the show.

 

[ Remind you of some other episode? That's right, this is the "Crusaders of the Lost Mark" of season four. Goddammit. ]

 

There's a huge difference between Rainbow Falls and Lost Mark. Lost Mark's plot makes a ton of sense and spends the time to build up to both Diamond Tiara's redemption and climax. Rainbow Falls just dumps a bunch of stuff onto paper with little to no editing. It's the laziest episode in the show. Mark is one of the show's five best episodes. Rainbow Falls isn't anywhere close to Lost Mark's quality whatsoever.

  • Brohoof 2
Link to comment

Tragic thing is, this was my first-ever livestreamed episode.

 

Only eclipsed by Sting's debut at WrestleMania 31 in terms of s***ty first-evers.

  • Brohoof 1
Link to comment

I think you was too harsh to Crusader of the Lost Marks, it's already a good episode in term of production value ALONE. Rainbow Falls failed at everything, writting, humor, entertainment values, characters, in short... everything, compare this piece of crap to Crusader of the Lost Mark is just so wrong.

 

There's a huge difference between Rainbow Falls and Lost Mark. Lost Mark's plot makes a ton of sense and spends the time to build up to both Diamond Tiara's redemption and climax. Rainbow Falls just dumps a bunch of stuff onto paper with little to no editing. It's the laziest episode in the show. Mark is one of the show's five best episodes. Rainbow Falls isn't anywhere close to Lost Mark's quality whatsoever.

 

The comparison I made between "Crusaders" and "Rainbow Falls" was that it was a shit episode that was impossible to skip because it was essential to its story arc. I mean, when I picked apart that episode, I complained about the pacing of Diamond Tiara's redemption as well as how the climax was bullshit, too, but that's besides my point.

 

This episode dragged S4 down to the 4th rank after S6 just to show how bad it was

 

Jesus christ. So that is what I have to look forward to when I finally watch season six? Fuuuuck. Thanks for the warning.

Link to comment

Jesus christ. So that is what I have to look forward to when I finally watch season six? Fuuuuck. Thanks for the warning.

S6 is 3rd rank season despite it didnt have a lot of amazing episode, S4 could be the 3rd if it wasnt dragged down by 4 worst episode (Daring Dont, RF, Somepony, amd Trade Ya).

 

You didnt touch S6 yet!? You dont like the show anymore? ;(

 

Edited: i think you may like S6, i have a feeling... ;D

Link to comment

S6 is 3rd rank season despite it didnt have a lot of amazing episode, S4 could be the 3rd if it wasnt dragged down by 4 worst episode (Daring Dont, RF, Somepony, amd Trade Ya). You didnt touch S6 yet!? You dont like the show anymore? ;(

 

I mean, I still do, but I just have less time that I can and/or want to invest in the show, so I instead spend it watching whatever episodes I'm going to review for the next week or two. I'll be catching up on season six very soon, though. Pray for me, man.

Link to comment
The comparison I made between "Crusaders" and "Rainbow Falls" was that it was a shit episode that was impossible to skip because it was essential to its story arc.

The only part of your comparison that makes sense is that it's essential to the plot. Aside from that, neither RF nor Lost Mark are in any way, shape, or form comparable. Rainbow Falls is an objectively horrible episode with no redeeming value. Lost Mark is a good episode with excellent storytelling; everything that connects to each other makes sense; and the CMCs and Diamond Tiara came out of it for the better.

Link to comment

The only part of your comparison that makes sene is that it's essential to the plot. Aside from that, neither RF nor Lost Mark are in any way, shape, or form comparable. Rainbow Falls is an objectively horrible episode with no redeeming value. Lost Mark is a good episode with excellent storytelling, and everything that connects to each other makes sense.

 

Well, when I watched it, I didn't see a good episode with excellent storytelling. I saw a messy episode with horrid pacing that had four separate plots running at once, none of the Crusader's cutie marks were foreshadowed, Diamond Tiara's redemption was sidelined for that sloppy climax, not like her redemption was anything new from this series...how many characters have they redeemed since Equestria Girls?...a hundred million songs to further fuck up the pacing...it was basically everything people complained about with "Magical Mystery Cure". So maybe it doesn't make sense to you because you like it, but considering I've knocked "Crusaders of the Lost Mark" constantly for the past two years, for reasons I will always defend, the comparison makes perfect sense. I hate "Rainbow Falls", and I hate "Crusaders of the Lost Mark", and they're both episodes that I can't skip because they're part of essential arcs.

Link to comment
none of the Crusader's cutie marks were foreshadowed

In the episode, it absolutely was foreshadowed. The Cutie Mark Crusaders had a series-long focus of wondering when they were going to get their Mark, get disappointed when they don't get it, and have a sense of obliviousness to what they do. Here, after they see Diamond at her lowest point, they put their quest aside in favor of trying to help her, calling back to AMW, where they do the exact same thing midway. It was after they helped DT did they finally realize that they didn't need to put forth so much energy on themselves. It made them feel good to help others find out their true selves.

 

Think about this for a sec. Diamond Tiara was responsible for Apple Bloom, SB, and Scoots to join and become the CMCs in the first place. By helping Diamond Tiara and getting their Marks, it puts the entire arc in full circle.

 

Diamond Tiara's redemption was sidelined for that sloppy climax

It wasn't sidelined at all. The CMCs were worried about her well-being and wanted to see if she was okay knowing how much she hurt them. The fact they stated it and outright did it shows a huge amount of maturity and growth over the seasons. Diamond Tiara didn't want that help, but was still impressed by how dedicated the CMCs were. At the same time, she was caught in between of impressing her parents, especially her abusive mother, because she's held to an extremely high family standard.

 

Secondly, lots of kids become bullies because of problems back home, including neglect, physical, and psychological abuse. Spoiled verbally abused her own daughter out in the open and unknowingly in front of the CMCs. So for her to stand up to her own mother, defend the CMCs, and use her ability to lead to help repair the playground marks an epiphany for her.

 

not like her redemption was anything new from this series

How many =/= how well. The big problem with the show isn't how many they redeem, but how well they redeem. Diamond Tiara is one of the few to redeem well.

 

a hundred million songs to further fuck up the pacing

There's a major difference in the pacing. In LM, the pacing was fast, but it doesn't feel fast. Rather than rush their content through, they spend great deal of time to get through each segment. The beginning, middle, climax, and end occur at the appropriate times, and the story is complete. It's extremely organized.

 

it was basically everything people complained about with "Magical Mystery Cure".

MMC's pacing is way worse than LM. MMC has twice as much content to get through. So much so that the climax occurs in the beginning of Act 2. Secondly, there's another big flaw here that Lost Mark doesn't have: the treatment of Mark acquisitions as preordained circumstances. Each of their lives are completely dependent on their Marks. That never happened prior to MMC and was a complete contradiction to the lore of Cutie Marks.

 

So maybe it doesn't make sense to you because you like it

I don't have to like it to understand it's one of the best episodes. Even if I hated it, I would still give it a high mark, no pun intended.

Link to comment

In the episode, it absolutely was foreshadowed.

Yes. That's the problem.

 

The Cutie Mark Crusaders had a series-long focus of wondering when they were going to get their Mark, get disappointed when they don't get it, and have a sense of obliviousness to what they do.

Yes. That's the problem.

 

Look, throughout the series, they've alluded to the Cutie Mark Crusaders each getting their own individual cutie marks, Sweetie Belle as a singer, Scootaloo as a daredevil.....where did that buildup go? Nowhere. Their talents didn't remotely involve any of that. So why was that a running gag in the series? Why continue to show them being oblivious to the fact that they're good at these activities if that wasn't part of their ultimate goal? I'll tell you why, because it doesn't push the "destiny" agenda that they started shoving down our throat in later seasons. It wouldn't have been easy enough to have just one member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders to get their cutie mark and cause conflict in the dynamic for stronger character development. Instead, the three of them get their arc tied up in a nice, beautiful little bow. But hey, Sweetie Belle has a music note on her cutie mark........which is irrelevant to how she earned it, so that doesn't even make sense in and of itself.

 

they put their quest aside

 

They drop a plotpoint...

 

in favor of trying to help her,

 

...in favor of a different plotpoint.

 

calling back to AMW, where they do the exact same thing midway.

 

Right, the Cutie Mark Crusaders did this once before, whereas the other pokes at them having individual and diverging talents was hinted at several times before. With the Alicorn Twilight concept, there was always a hint from the beginning that Twilight was to become something special. She was the student of this world's God, and is such because said God chose her. Why would an all powerful being choose anyone to be their student? Because they're going to mold that pupil into something bigger than themselves. So we knew Twilight was going somewhere from the moment we put two-and-two together during "The Cutie Mark Chronicles". That was two seasons before "Magical Mystery Cure". "Appleloosa's Most Wanted" was twelve episodes before "Crusaders of the Lost Mark". You build up an arc this big over long periods of time, not a few episodes. Were there other times that the CMC helped other people discover their destiny before Appleloosa's Most Wanted? Because most CMC episodes I remember were them worrying about themselves.

 

Think about this for a sec. Diamond Tiara was responsible for Apple Bloom, SB, and Scoots to join and become the CMCs in the first place. By helping Diamond Tiara and getting their Marks, it puts the entire arc in full circle.

 

Sure, I'll buy that, but the concept doesn't justify the end result, which is one of the clumsiest episodes I've ever watched.

 

It wasn't sidelined at all.

 

It's immediately sidelined once the CMC get their cutie marks. There's barely a moment to bask in the glory of the end of Diamond Tiara's irritating existence when they drop a bullshit "climax" in your lap....two minutes before the episode is over.

 

The CMCs were worried about her well-being and wanted to see if she was okay knowing how much she hurt them. The fact they stated it and outright did it shows a huge amount of maturity and growth over the seasons. Diamond Tiara didn't want that help, but was still impressed by how dedicated the CMCs were. At the same time, she was caught in between of impressing her parents, especially her abusive mother, because she's held to an extremely high family standard.

 

Thanks for reminding me of what happens in the episode...?

 

Secondly, lots of kids become bullies because of problems back home, including neglect, physical, and psychological abuse. Spoiled verbally abused her own daughter out in the open and unknowingly in front of the CMCs. So for her to stand up to her own mother, defend the CMCs, and use her ability to lead to help repair the playground marks an epiphany for her.

 

...Okay...didn't argue these.

 

How many =/= how well.

 

How many affects the impact it has on you when they finally get to one that's done well. Diamond Tiara's redemption was standard. By the books. Expected of basic storytelling. At best, it was a better use of the "One Bad Apple" plotline. Anything that could've been done to make the redemption go above and beyond is foiled because they tried sticking two other plots throughout it. Which is why I've said in my original review of this episode and my rewrite of the review in my editorials that "Crusaders of the Lost Mark" should have been two or three different episodes spread out across season four and five, and not one.

 

In LM, the pacing was fast, but it doesn't feel fast.

 

Ooooooooooooh yes it fucking does. Even when I first watched the episode, which is back when I watched MLP more casually than I do now, and I thought the episode was just "okay" rather than utter shit, I noticed how fast the pace was. They were running through story like a relay race, and it made the big moment of the CMC getting their cutie marks feel very out of left field. Even then.

 

Rather than rush their content through, they spend great deal of time to get through each segment.

 

Not really. Most of the story is told through pop songs, and in this show, where compositional quality is either hit or miss, it's very easy for me to tune out during the songs. This unfortunately makes such fast pace even faster.

 

The beginning, middle, climax, and end occur at the appropriate times,

 

You call a climax at the tail end of the third act an appropriate time? Or did this episode have two climaxes? Both are equally poor writing qualities. 

 

MMC's pacing is way worse than LM. MMC has twice as much content to get through.

 

The amount of content is about the same. MMC and Crusaders are extremely similar in structure, and watching both episodes back to back makes it very evident.

 

Secondly, there's another big flaw here that Lost Mark doesn't have: the treatment of Mark acquisitions as preordained circumstances. Each of their lives are completely dependent on their Marks. That never happened prior to MMC and was a complete contradiction to the lore of Cutie Marks.

 

You seem to forget that the characters memories were also wiped, their "true selves" had been altered, meaning they likely have faux memories of obtaining their cutie marks. It's sugarcoated throughout the series, but Cutie Marks have been shown to in one way or another dictate a pony's life. Therefore, they would want to live out the lives their cutie marks are telling them to live, because they're running off a false instinct. 

 

I don't have to like it to understand it's one of the best episodes. Even if I hated it, I would still give it a high mark

 

.............................................................................................................................................................................................

 

....

...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 ....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

..............."I hate A Fever You Can't Sweat Out. Its lyrically cluttered, every line is a mouthful, the chord progressions are not engaging, there's no melodic structure, it doesn't pace itself from track to track, the topics are pretentious and confused, and there's nothing to take away from listening to it. It is the greatest album on the Earth and everyone should be envious of its ultimate glory. All musicians should aspire to create an album like this."

Link to comment

 

 

I don't have to like it to understand it's one of the best episodes. Even if I hated it, I would still give it a high mark, no pun intended.
 

That doesnt make any sense. How could you hate the episode and still give it a high score? I mean, a episode that you HATED (Hate is a stronger word than Dislike), it must have a lot of bad qualities that you cannot torelate or it insulted you at personal level, and somehow you can still give a rating that you think that episode DESERVED??? Mixed feeling is not hate. Dislike is not hate, neutral is not hate, Hate means that episode doesnt DESERVE any credits from you. 

  • Brohoof 1
Link to comment
Look, throughout the series, they've alluded to the Cutie Mark Crusaders each getting their own individual cutie marks, Sweetie Belle as a singer, Scootaloo as a daredevil.....where did that buildup go?

That buildup ended following The Show Stoppers, an objectively worse episode than Lost Mark. TSS killed all momentum for the original search before it even started. If their Mark reveal turned out to be what TSS suggested, then it would've been completely predictable, anticlimactic, and a complete slap to the face of what they learned up to this point.

 

Look at the two episodes prior to LM: AMW and Bloom & Bloom. Bloom & Gloom put their quest for cutie marks in perspective. Why? Because Apple Bloom started to wonder about what type she'll get and how it'll impact her life in the future. It's the first time any CMC legitimately feared what Mark they'll get. The ending developed her and the others. AMW hinted this change, too, by trying to help Troubleshoes instead of focusing on themselves.

 

And on an unrelated note, what were traditionally the CMCs' best episodes prior to LM? Ones that don't emphasize their search.

 

The big problem with their quest is that they didn't take it with a lot of care. They were just trying to find their cutie mark, and if it failed, they'd try something else. Their quest was very selfish; until they stopped being oblivious and focused more on others, they weren't close to getting them. Season five marked a turn in their development.

 

They drop a plotpoint...
...in favor of a different plotpoint.

You don't understand the point of the plot here. They joined Pipsqueak's campaign partially because they wanted to get their own Cutie Mark (and defeat DT). They weren't going to get it here because of it. Them seeing Diamond Tiara at her lowest point right in front of them marked an evolution for them. Rather than focusing on themselves, they focused on others around them. At the end, they realized how they didn't have to focus on themselves. Helping others figure out who they truly are not only made them feel legitimately good, but also marked a sense of strength together. Working well as a team to help others is their biggest strength. Season five, and especially LM, fixed TSS's fatal flaw.

 

Instead, the three of them get their arc tied up in a nice, beautiful little bow.

Lost Mark shows that it makes more sense for the CMCs to get their Marks collectively rather than individually. Diamond Tiara brought the team together. It makes sense for them to get their Cutie Marks together, too.

 

How many affects the impact it has on you when they finally get to one that's done well.

Remember the old storytelling M.O.: It's not always about the destination, but the journey. You know Diamond Tiara may be redeemed, but how she'll be redeemed is what determines the quality. The HOW is why her redemption works for the reasons already explained. You can have a lot of really poor reformations (and this show has a lot of them), but this show also has some good ones. DT's is one of them.

 

At best, it was a better use of the "One Bad Apple" plotline.

One Bad Apple and Lost Mark are completely different stories.

  • In OBA, DT and Silver Spoon manipulate someone to be a bully, while Lost Mark puts focus on an already established bully who wants to become a better pony.
  • The CMCs weren't trying to redeem Babs, but were trying to defend themselves.
  • OBA paints the CMCs (the victims of bullying) as bullies themselves for deciding to fight back. In Lost Mark, the CMCs helped someone change for the better while acknowledging their past.

You're comparing apples to oranges here.

 

Not really.

Yes, they were. Each segment dedicated several minutes into developing the story, even with the songs. The beginning, middle, and end were very, very clear. It wasn't simply a story, cut it off, rush through, and cut off. Lost Mark was very thorough in not only the way they told the story, but how much they tell, as well. Each segment was at the appropriate length, and Lost Mark actually slowed down at one point in the middle to let the audience process what happened. A fast episode =/= a rushed episode. Lost Mark proves that.

 

You call a climax at the tail end of the third act an appropriate time?

 

The amount of content is about the same.

No, they're not. Magical Mystery Cure, even in its final cut, has twice as much material to go through. They had to rush through the first half (which included a rushed flashback) so Twilight can become a princess AND have her coronation. Lost Mark is much simpler and better organized than MMC.

 

You seem to forget that the characters memories were also wiped, their "true selves" had been altered, meaning they likely have faux memories of obtaining their cutie marks.

Doesn't change the point. Even in their altered memories, the ReMane Five state that their cutie mark was legitimately telling them what to do even though they were clearly inept in their jobs. They were controlled by their cutie marks when the show didn't do that prior.

 

How could you hate the episode and still give it a high score?

It's very possible. For a personal example, for a good while, I hated Flight to the Finish, but gradually improved its mark. Why? Because I eventually realized it was a good episode. A rewatch with fresher eyes completely changed my outlook on it. Vice-versa, I loved Putting Your Hoof Down, but it's a terrible episode.

Link to comment

I get the feeling this is the first time you've ever read me knocking "Crusaders of the Lost Mark". It's a running gag in my blog to bring it up, more so on the earlier CMC episodes than now. "This is the 'Crusaders of the Lost Mark' of season four" was one of those jabs that you can find in a lot of reviews from last year. This debate was more appropriate on my original review of the episode that I wrote two years ago, or better yet the rewrite I put up in my Editorials back in August since its more organized, that way it retains to the topic of the blog post. Right now, it just looks like an overblown rant over an in-joke. However, we're too deep into it to diverge now, so I'll keep going for the debate's sake.
 

That buildup ended following The Show Stoppers,


They stopped obsessively focusing on the fact that they possessed these talents there, yes. You should do that in a story so it doesn't get repetitive over five seasons. No future episode contradicted the fact that they were going to get these cutie marks, however, until "Crusaders of the Lost Fuck-Up".
 

an objectively worse episode than Lost Mark.


That's irrelevant.
 

If their Mark reveal turned out to be what TSS suggested, then it would've been completely predictable, anticlimactic, and a complete slap to the face of what they learned up to this point.


Bullshit. It would've added more depth to their dynamic. With one crusader getting her cutie mark while the others haven't, or with each of them getting individual cutie marks, there's plenty of room to write stories centered around the concept of childhood friends growing older and drifting apart. With the way it ended (and granted I still haven't watched the sixth season), there's no shift in the dynamic at all because the cutie marks they have now practically dictate that the three of them will be friends forever. Sunshine and rainbows, no harsh reality, which is what I was coming to expect given the stories involving the CMC, even after "The Show Stoppers", up until now.
  

You don't understand the point of the plot here. They joined Pipsqueak's campaign partially because they wanted to get their own Cutie Mark (and defeat DT). They weren't going to get it here because of it. Them seeing Diamond Tiara at her lowest point right in front of them marked an evolution for them. Rather than focusing on themselves, they focused on others around them. At the end, they realized how they didn't have to focus on themselves. Helping others figure out who they truly are not only made them feel legitimately good, but also marked a sense of strength together. Working well as a team to help others is their biggest strength. Season five, and especially LM, fixed TSS's fatal flaw.


Which doesn't fit in 22 minutes. It should've been two episodes, like I said. Whether that be a two-parter or two separate episodes, it's all very rushed in the episode as it stands. That alone makes it seem like they're writing plot points as they go rather than it being a streamlined story.
 

Lost Mark shows that it makes more sense for the CMCs to get their Marks collectively rather than individually. Diamond Tiara brought the team together. It makes sense for them to get their Cutie Marks together, too.


Again, sunshine and rainbows. This show has shown its ability to write deeper and smarter concepts in regards to friendship, but seasons four, five, and I'd imagine six try to thin it out as less of an emotion and more of a cult.
 

Remember the old storytelling M.O.: It's not always about the destination, but the journey. You know Diamond Tiara may be redeemed, but how she'll be redeemed is what determines the quality. The HOW is why her redemption works for the reasons already explained. You can have a lot of really poor reformations (and this show has a lot of them), but this show also has some good ones. DT's is one of them.


That's fine. A good show with good writing knows how to write that story once and not keep beating the concept until they get it right.
 

One Bad Apple and Lost Mark are completely different stories.


I meant it's a better use of the "bully reformed" concept, and a better use of looking at what makes a bully a bully. I didn't compare them in terms of every second of each episode like you're suggesting I'm trying to do, even with the above jab. I'm talking about a single aspect.
 

Each segment dedicated several minutes into developing the story, even with the songs. The beginning, middle, and end were very, very clear.


Really? Because both times I watched the episode I had trouble keeping up with its pacing. And I the second time is the time when I took its rating down from a 6 to a 1...so...
 

A fast episode =/= a rushed episode. Lost Mark proves that.


Not for me. A fast episode almost always feels rushed because the viewer is expected to keep up with it, which is easier on an episode that takes its time with the story than one that's trying to bullet to the finish line. I still hate "Crusaders of the Lost Mark", so maybe if you could point to another single episode that's fast-paced but somehow not rushed, I'll agree with you.
 

Eeyup


Most climaxes happen at the end of the second act or at the beginning of the third act, so that there's time for a falling action and/or a resolution. Not in the last three minutes of the episode.
 

No, they're not. Magical Mystery Cure, even in its final cut, has twice as much material to go through. They had to rush through the first half (which included a rushed flashback) so Twilight can become a princess AND have her coronation. Lost Mark is much simpler and better organized than MMC.


I don't think the pacing in any way is particularly well done in "Magical Mystery Cure". Rather, it's more of a problem with the overall episode. It should've definitely been two episodes. I wonder what other episode I share this opinion with......................
 

Doesn't change the point. Even in their altered memories, the ReMane Five state that their cutie mark was legitimately telling them what to do even though they were clearly inept in their jobs. They were controlled by their cutie marks when the show didn't do that prior.


You took "What My Cutie Mark Is Telling Me" way too literally. The Cutie Marks weren't controlling them like some kind of Puppetmaster. The fact that they have faux memories of obtaining the cutie marks means that they remember doing the skill that they did to acquire them in the first place. So they're attempting to do that same skill set in the present day, and they can't because in "reality" they have never practiced the skill. Hence, our main characters are confused. They remember getting the cutie marks yet they can't perform their tasks. Hence, it's what they're cutie marks are telling them.
 

It's very possible. For a personal example, for a good while, I hated Flight to the Finish, but gradually improved its mark. Why? Because I eventually realized it was a good episode. A rewatch with fresher eyes completely changed my outlook on it.


That's not hating something and simultaneously giving it a high score. You're changing your opinion over time. That's completely different than "even if I hated it, I would still give it a high mark". Refer to my analogy with A Fever You Can't Sweat Out for how ridiculous that sentiment really is.

 

-------

 

Sorry if this reply seems a little quip-y, I'll admit I'm currently pressed for time as I type this out. Odds are I'll have to clarify a few things from this post as the debate continues.

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Join the herd!

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...