Truffles

12 minutes ago, VG_Addict said:

FINALLY, A SPIKE EPISODE.

As a Spike fan I hate to say it, but with Thorax now being a leader and close ties to Twilight this might not feature Spike in a primary role. However I think it is certain he'll at the very least have several scenes in this one.

But who knows, it could just as easily feature Spike and Thorax working out the details of getting his brood in line with the rest of society?

But yeah, they could also be working towards reforming Chrysalis....

What I've noticed about Spike episodes is it's possible (and maybe even likely) for them to get clumped into pairs. We saw that in S4 with "Inspiration Manifestation" and "Equestria Games" and then again in S6 with "The Times are a Changeling" and "Dungeons and Discords." Who knows - if S5 had actually had 2 Spike episodes, you might have seen something follow or precede "Princess Spike," which would have meant 3 straight seasons with back-to-back Spike episodes!

So it could also happen this season somewhere in the second half, giving us back-to-back episodes once again. Though I'm still feeling like "Fame and Misfortune" might be a Spike episode, so who knows?

15 minutes ago, TheImmortalLegendG said:

Also I thought it was weird how Twilight only thought to send Starlight to the dragon Lands, and the changling kingdom. Spike played a big role in both of them becoming allies.

That was about Twilight trying to decide what to do with Starlight, so it only makes sense her fantasy would involve just Starlight interacting with these other cultures. Besides, I imagine Spike is writing to both Ember and Thorax to find out how they are faring in their new leadership roles, and Thorax even came to visit in the season opener.

Hmm, Spike is kind of a kingmaker, isn't he? Three characters he's close to have ended up as rulers of some sort.

Well Hasbro/DHX surprised me here.

Since this season 7 is focusing on family and parents in particular, it would be a nice gesture if they had an episode later in the season that revealed where his egg came from. If it's true that there might be a flashback for AJ parents, I don't see why we couldn't have a flashback where his parents deliver his egg to Celestia and we learn about the kind of dragons they were.

Ah well scratch my explanation earlier where I thought the sisters could be asking her to do this for them. Since the official description says she does it "impulsively" that means she does it without asking for permission. I'm not going to dislike it just for that but it's already causing major problems for the episode with many fans. I guess I'll just sit and wait and see for now.

As long as we get some nice Yaks like that kid Pinkie met briefly in their first appearance then I won't have any issues with the yaks as a species.

I think this actually could be a Spike episode, but hopefully not from fame going to his head since he seems to have gotten over that in both the S6 premiere and his helping Thorax. That would be a very disappointing regression.

EDIT: Ok, I was totally wrong about this. XD

If I'm right I'd hope it would be about the Crystal Ponies having flipped out over him since every time he comes to visit, he ends up helping them. This could be about the dark side of being too famous and he's torn between wanting to be supportive and nice to his fans versus telling them when they've crossed the line.

I'll laugh if the plot involves something I've been thinking about where they try to collect his molted scales for their Spike shrines. XD

Hey, my "dream episode" guess of what "The Times are a Changeling" was about from just the title waaay back in the day turned out right, even though it was a longshot. Maybe I'll get this one right too? =) (EDIT: Nope!)

1 hour ago, Dark Qiviut said:

But that doesn't address the elephant in the room, "appreciate." Both of them are over a millennium old, so they should be able to appreciate one another. For them not to feels out of character and lacks attention to continuity dating back to the pilot.

I wonder if "appreciate" is the correct term used in the synopsis? Maybe they just get into a quarrel over how easy the other one has it in their respective jobs? Even with them being around for so long, I could see a scenario where Celestia has never really faced another pony's nightmares, and Luna has always been the brooding warrior and has never had to be the optimistic diplomat.

If nothing else, hopefully the episode will shed some light on what their daily/nightly lives are really like.

As for Starlight's role, I'm not ready to proclaim this as another regression for her since the details surrounding this synopsis can vary widely. For all we know it's Celestia and Luna themselves who insist she use her special talent to switch their cutie marks and thus switch their abilities. There may even be a subtext where they let Starlight know that Twilight is incorrect in teaching her to never use magic to solve problems but instead to use it wisely. If Starlight really has graduated, such a lesson might be that she has wisdom she can teach her mentor, just like Twilight had wisdom to pass back to hers.

I was trying to hold out on watching this episode till it's official airdate, but I failed.

My main takeaway from it, however is:

What a bunch of a-holes those new characters are. =/

However, Fluttershy is partially to blame, and this has been brought up excellently here:

10 hours ago, Dark Qiviut said:

Like any form of construction, building a sanctuary is really complex and requires a lot of planning. Despite clear understanding of how Fluttershy wants the sanctuary laid out, there's a big difference between drawing a landscape and designing/planning one. There's no blueprint in the literal construction of the place.

Bingo. Fluttershy really needed a proper set of plans if she wanted these ponies to understand what she wanted. I like to dabble in home improvement projects. Even the simple water feature I built years ago needed a concise set of plans with dimensions and schematics for all the piping and electrical, even though I built the thing myself and knew what I wanted.

Instead of Hard Hat sitting there befuddled with what he was looking at in the renderings of the project, he should have sat down with Fluttershy and worked with her to come up with an actual set of blueprints. But he didn't do that; he decided instead to basically rebuild Ponyville hospital,  which doesn't make a lot of sense. And the other two pretty much followed suit with their parts in the episode.

So while I partially blame Fluttershy for not having proper plans, I mostly blame the three of these contractors for not trying to help her come up with them. And then being a-holes by completely going against her wishes. (Though I suppose if they were doing all this work for free, I might lessen my stance on their attitude. But I can't remember and won't find out till the episode airs proper next weekend.)

One thing that won't change is the loss of all the trees that were used for the lumber to build the not-needed hospital structure. =/

17 hours ago, Liquid said:

I just couldn't buy that, unfortunately. What's to stop them from simply staying just to get more of that comfort?

Hopefully, the lesson Fluttershy learned in "It Ain't Easy Being Breezies" has stuck and her now-apparent assertiveness she has will come in handy. I imagine any animals who try to loaf around after they are healed will get to know The Stare up close and personal.

12 hours ago, Dark Qiviut said:

I spot Starlight in the background.

FINALLY! They actually have her as part of the crew!

It's great to see characters that don't have speaking roles in an episode at least get silent cameos. We saw that with Spike in the Maud episode and he's present again along with the CMC, Starlight, and even Big Mac (who makes PERFECT sense to be a helper with the construction).

11 hours ago, AlexanderThrond said:

Also, was it just me, or was the colour palette particularly muted in this episode? Didn't help the overall drab tone. 

I don't know, it could be the way Treehouse TV broadcasts their episodes. I wouldn't make any final decisions on the brightness of the colors until it gets it's official airing on DFC.

I'm undecided on how I feel about this episode at the moment. It's hovering between a "meh" and "liked it." I'll decide after I see it again. One nice thing was getting a throwback character and official name for the Ponyville vet. She sure was a lot nicer than their pediatrician, although somewhat condescending:

It probably won't, though you never know these days. The show seems a lot more willing to do obscure callbacks, like they did in this very episode, in fact.

Rarity probably won't bother gem hunting here anymore knowing what she knows now. But Spike will no doubt still visit to partake in all the snacks lying about since he's not concerned about how common they are. I suppose if there are any valuable gems in that new secret lair of Maud's, Rarity might ask her if she can do some scouting about. Maybe even the two of them going on a little treasure hunt together? (With Spike, Pinky, and maybe Starlight in tow. XD )

Actually having all of them make a discovery together in the new cave might be an interesting episode in and of itself!

1 hour ago, Babyyoshi309 said:

Pick a ship and sail it, don't try to sail multiple ships at one time. 

Aww, now where's the fun in that? 

34 minutes ago, maris99 said:

I want know why there is a whole new world underground. Its very beautiful, and why is there a huge gem cave that anyone can just walk into?

Maybe they'll find dinoponies and sleestak down there? 

6 minutes ago, Babyyoshi309 said:

Um, sorry to be the one to tell you this... but it is impossible for two women to have a baby together... 

There are lots of female couples that have kids. They just need a sperm donor. Sunburst seems like a good candidate. 

Pinkie: "I can't wait till you're old and eating pistachios together and telling your grandfoals about this."

Uh, did Pinkie just ship her sister with Starlight? 

29 minutes ago, GrimGrimoire said:

3. Poor Spike. He sure gets tossed around like a sack of potatoes sometimes doesn't he?

That was a bit distressing, though he seemed to be enjoying himself eating Rarity's now-discarded gems in the scene immediately afterwards.

1 hour ago, Brainstorm said:

I like the fact that Maud met Spike in this episode

I had to think for a bit, but you're right that this is the first time they've ever showed the two of them meeting one another. Pinkie implied they were already pals but it was nice to see all the same. I imagine next to Starlight he'd be her next closest friend in town since they share a common interest in gems. Heck, I think she can even eat them like he does. It would be funny if they had a scene together discussing the particular bouquet a ruby has. XD

27 minutes ago, cmarston1 said:

,I always like callbacks to previous episodes, and this episode had a good amount of those, from mentioning Coloratura (who I hope returns this season), the check joke from A Friend in Deed, and even mentioning how the castle was formed in the season 4 finale, and even Pinkie's cupcakes from Rarity Investigates.

Excellent job finding all those callbacks! I'm going to be busy now going back and looking for them and the original episodes they reference. XD

17 minutes ago, RareBase said:

 Also, Rarity crying over those Jewels being common made me laugh, Jewels seem to be incredibly common in Equestria already, they're all over the place, yet ponies still sometimes act like they're rare.

It's amazing Spike isn't as big as a house with that gem cave being in town. It seems like you can kick a rock and even more gems will fall out. I guess he's saving them for Rarity to use, but now that she knows they're very common she might not want them anymore. This could be a growing problem for future Spike. XD

I knew Ghastly Gorge sounded familiar, and the monster eel confirms what I suspected - it's the same place Rainbow held her pet contest and picked Tank.

Nice callback.

Though isn't Ghastly Gorge not all that far away from Ponyville, anyway? 

You know, if Maud wants a friend that doesn't want to talk about her feelings, she should become friends with Ember. 

I liked this episode, though I agree Pinkie was a bit much to handle this outing. However, considering her overzealousness and excitement was believable since it was involving her sister finally being in town with her, I didn't mind it as much as I might of.

Pinkie's crazy attempts at getting Maud to stay reminds me of some superfans who get so obsessed with their favorite celebrities that they drive them away and/or get them blocked.

Just now, Batbrony said:

Uh, methinks that Pinkie Pie might just be the reason Maud decided to leave.  She's being SUPER clingy, and I don't think she trusts that Maud is capable of making a friend on her own, very interesting.

Also, yet another one of these Peek Behind the Boutique segments with Rarity, and once again it was AMAZING!!! 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

No, MAUDALINA Daisy Pie, at least that's what I heard.

You might well be right, my hearing isn't what it used to be! =)

They had better be careful what caverns they break into - they might stumble onto the Mirror Pond again. 

Maud's full name is Monolina Daisy Pie. Nifty. Also, it seems Starlight is forever cursed to have characters bringing up her evil past. XD

I like how Maud is now tied into Starlight's enslavement of her former village.

So it was the mic causing the Pies to cover their ears. For a moment I thought it might be Pinkie's shouting since there was nopony else there. XD

She did have that effect on the train passengers, though. XD

2 hours ago, cuteycindyhoney said:

"Daddy! I told you! Please stop depositing bits in my account! I'm a big pony now!"

"Don't be silly, honey. You may be an extremely powerful Alicorn Princess, but you'll always be my little baby."

"Mom!"

"Sweetheart, listen to your father. Spike dear, is my little snuggly-poo eating enough?"

"Sure" *snicker* "Snuggly-poo eats like a horse!"

"Spike, not one word to our friends!"

"Parental nickname...Snuggly-poo. Check!"

"Pinkie, how did you get here?"

 

And thus was added another tidbit of info to the P-Files in the Sugarcube Corner basement!

Foreeeeeeverrrrrrrr.... 

20 hours ago, snowflame said:

She can visit his dreams too but we dont need to see an episode for it.

Hmm, I wonder if he (or any other Luna fan) can tell the difference between the real Luna entering their dream or whether an appearance by her is just a product of their fan-driven subconscious?

On ‎4‎/‎23‎/‎2017 at 2:25 PM, Jeric said:

It could have also set up a better motivation to use Ember as part of the Season 6 finale group.

That alone would have garnered a vote for this from me. XD

On ‎4‎/‎23‎/‎2017 at 2:09 PM, AlexanderThrond said:

Pinkie Pie might have been fun, as would bringing Rainbow Dash back from "Dragon Quest."

I can't argue with these choices, though again the episode was pressed for time. If time weren't an issue it would have been amusing to have Rainbow Dash along on the trip seeing how her speed and agility would make her a shoe-in to win the gauntlet. She would feel the need to be a winner and she'd have to keep holding back because if she won she would have to stay in the Dragonlands to rule over them. And goodness knows what weird effects the scepter would have with her being a pony.

3 hours ago, cuteycindyhoney said:

look at it this way. Twilight's parents live in Canterlot. They put her in a VERY exclusive school when she was a young filly. This just screams money bits to me. She may even still gets an allowance from her proud mom and dad!

I like the idea. It hadn't occurred to me they still might be helping support their daughter even though she's royalty now. It does fit with what little background I can speculate on their personalities. I agree they are likely fairly well-to-do, though they probably don't hobnob with the likes of Hoity-Toity and the other Canterlot elites since they seem pretty reserved from their few appearances on the show.

Heh, Twilight is probably a bit embarrassed if she does get an "allowance" from them. She'd have to hide it from the other princesses, perhaps. Though if it's true then Cadance probably knows already because I'm sure Shining would be getting something as well. XD

15 hours ago, Music Chart Fan said:

Twilight's having to clean up so many messes in one day and having to buy so many apology treats (assuming Twilight is paying for them with her own money)

Her own money or Celestia and Luna's money? The show never did establish where Twilight gets her income now that she's a princess. =) Maybe the Tree of Harmony makes the castle literally cough up a small amount of bits or gems on a daily basis to give her an allowance to spend on various things? XD

15 hours ago, Music Chart Fan said:

Another basic issue I have with the episode is that it doesn't seem clear what Flurry Heart's age and maturity level is supposed to be.

Agreed. You gave a lot of good examples of the incongruity of her age, and you've exposed a basic flaw in entertainment that focuses on baby characters: Portraying a baby character with the maturity of a real human baby just isn't very interesting if they have to hold an entire episode. They had to have Flurry do things a one-year old human baby wouldn't be able to do yet, like the chalkboard, or the wheels, or getting Spike's attention to keep her from being boring. I guess like you that's why I was on the fence as to whether Twilight was right or not to scold her in the hospital.

The same was true for the Cake twins back in "Baby Cakes." Ignoring all the stuff with their powers, they were still able to understand what Pinkie was saying, fooled her into thinking they were asleep, and could even speak her name despite them only being 1 month old. I guess the episode would have been pretty uninteresting if they just sat their in their crib and did nothing other than sleep, cry and poop the entire episode like a regular human newborn. (Or newborn horse, for that matter.)

Of course I'd be remiss in not mentioning the most prominent "baby" on the show, namely Spike. He may only be a baby in terms of his age relative to his overall lifespan, but he was supposed to be the 8-year old kid when Lauren designed him. Like the babies mentioned above, it became apparent to the writers he was too limited with that specification since his role soon expanded from being Twilight's little antagonistic helper to being the voice of reason and holding pretty much every job the plot of a story required him to have. At least, until someone decided he was to be the comedy relief for the next few seasons. =/ His incredible maturity he's shown is why I can't see him as young as he is supposed to be. Fortunately, there's some wiggle room with his age since Lauren's word isn't necessarily law. I always put him around 12 at the start of the show which is still pretty young for his abilities but at least that makes more sense.

15 hours ago, Music Chart Fan said:

I'm not quite sure why a visit from Princess Twilight in particular would cheer up sick schoolponies.

Two words: "Twilight Time." Although her presence as a princess is hit or miss when it comes to the citizenry noticing her (more on that below) it does seem pretty well established by that episode foals find her quite a celebrity. I imagine she's the equivalent to movie celebrities visiting hospitals in our world, and I imagine celebrities like A.K. Yearling would have the same effect in theirs.

15 hours ago, Music Chart Fan said:

Wouldn't galloping around the toy store "playing race carts" not be allowed, because it's a nuisance and could hurt somebody or damage merchandise? And yet it seems everyone, including employees, either don't notice Twilight doing that or make no effort to stop her.

It could be they didn't stop her because she is a princess (see above) and don't feel it's right to tell royalty what to do, or it could be that she's so invisible as a princess to adult ponies that her running around a store is mild to fighting a giant monster in the middle of Ponyville? XD LIke I said above, Twilight's celebrity seems to come and go whenever the plot calls for it. But I can't even discern which of the two states is at play in the other customers' minds here. XD

15 hours ago, Music Chart Fan said:

Where did the cart go, and how did Flurry Heart end up unhurt on the floor?

For that matter, how come she wasn't hurt when Twilight's mass of presents toppled right on to her back at the castle. Tough alicorn kid, I guess? =)

15 hours ago, Music Chart Fan said:

How did Twilight and Spike go from being 55 minutes late at the schoolhouse, to so late that Spike doesn't want to say how late they are and they're considering canceling the hospital visit, to spending even more time at Sugarcube Corner looking up and ordering multiple apology treats (and possibly cleaning up again), to finally only being 4.5 minutes late to the hospital visit?

I'm a little suspicious of the math here, myself. It seemed like they made up some time traveling between destinations as was apparent by how pressed up against the baby carriage Spike was when they went from Sugarcube Corner to the hospital. Maybe the stay at Sugarcube Corner didn't really take much extra time and Twilight had allotted an hour to get from there to the hospital, and instead she got there almost instantly? Speaking of instant travel, I'm surprised she just didn't teleport all three of them between destinations to make up for the lost time since she seems capable of doing that over long distances now.

1 hour ago, Jeric said:

I would hope that she is there, Maud is graduating. I'm more interested in seeing Limestone though. Also in that screenshot it looked like the Pie family is trying to start The Wave.

 

That's hilarious! XD I didn't even notice that when I saw the preview. Yeah what's with the three of them holding their hooves to their heads? It looks like they were holding their ears for something that was too loud, maybe the other members of the audience are cheering and the reserved Pie family doesn't like loud noise? It will be interesting to see the full scene next weekend.