S02:E23 - Ponyville Confidential

[Raiyny Day 71]

With all that cake Celestia is eating, she's probably an asexual (I'm sorry, I had to)

 

But in all seriousness, I loved this episode. It was just so amazing, especially with Big Mac talking! Maybe we'll hear him talk even more!

[Faithful Dawn 8]

My Tears shed when CMC Apologized to everypony... This is the best episode of the whole season.

 

How did they get information about princess celestia though? Did they stole it from Twi's photo? Or did they snuck in WITHOUT being spot?

Edited April 1, 2012 by SnowStorm Heart

[Ron Jeremy 2,032]

Another awesome episode, and probably my favorite Cutie Mark Crusaders episode. What really struck me immediately was all the continuity. Referencing Trixie, for example.

 

For some reason, I couldn't stop laughing at Rainbow Dash making it rain on the Cutie Mark Crusaders. I know I usually say more in these threads, but I can't think of anything else to say that hasn't probably already been said.

 

Also, is it just me, or was the animation cleaner in this episode?

[Nothing392 61]

I enjoyed this episode a lot because of the fact that all the ponies were in it. It seems like previous episodes have recently only featured several characters, but this one had them all. The conversations were excellent. It seems like dialogue can sometimes be a hit or miss, but they really got it this time.

 

Truthfully, the CMC can sometimes bore me, but by mixing them with the mane 6 it made the episode really unique. There was a very interesting connection between the young and older ponies that caused much more drama and comedy. The lack of a letter to Celestial didn't bother me, their column at the end was very touching.

 

The Trixie reference was great, as well as having Big Mac and Applejack seem to switch parts. But I personally loved the Julius Ceaser reference by Rarity. It was just so out of nowhere that I couldn't stop cracking up; I had to pause it just to sit there laughing. "Et tu, Gabby Gums?" It's just so perfect.

[Key Gear 6,662]

Also, is it just me, or was the animation cleaner in this episode?

 

I don't think that it was just you. I am not an animation buff by any stretch of the imagination, but I just watched this episode in HD a couple of times and I got the same sense that the animation was a bit cleaner.

 

For one thing, there were absolutely no moments in this episode where it felt "flash-animated" to me. Things like stilted character movements usually break my suspension of disbelief because they betray the underlying technology - flash.

 

I've seen the episode 5 times in total at this point, and, even when I was looking for them, I couldn't find any instances where the animation didn't flow quite smoothly.

 

I really do think that they are getting better at pushing flash animation to its limits. This makes me very, very excited to see the upcoming mystery episode as well as the season finale. It is going to be SO AWESOME!

[Doctor XFizzle 8,651]

"What if Celestia was one of us?

Just a slob like one of us?

Just a stranger on a bus?

Trying to make her way home"

 

[XMark 18]

I lol'ed when we got some continuity on Big Mac and Smarty Pants.

[RagingTwilight 101]

This episode exceeded my expectations. To be honest, I didn't think it would be very good judging from the previews I saw.

 

Once again, Diamond Tiara makes a great villian; I have never hated her so much. xD

 

This episode had some references: namely The Great and Powerful Trixie getting her name mentioned, and the clever role-reversal of Applejack and Big Macintosh.

 

The entire scene at the spa was brilliant, from the way Rainbow Dash reacted to getting a hooficure(?) to how they all thought the column was the greatest thing in the world and how Featherweight was breifly shown taking pictures of them. And when the entire town turned against the CMC, I felt really sorry for them. In fact, I was even more angry with Diamond Tiara attempting to blackmail them.

 

Overall, I really liked this episode. Here's to 3 more good ones this season!

[The Awesome One 1,314]

This is one of the better episodes of MLP this show is getting better by the episode.

[Sunny Fox 5,929]

"What if Celestia was one of us?

Just a slob like one of us?

Just a stranger on a bus?

Trying to make her way home"

 

http-~~-//www.youtube.com/watch?v=vD-85ABVkkY

 

Actually, the words used were "just like us," but I suppose the reference is still valid. Edited April 1, 2012 by SolarPony

[Sepharos 28]

Journalist episode...

..of course I love it.

[Queen Cassie 3,057]

That was a great episode all in all. If anyone is sore about it being predictable, well, remember that It was about the journey, not the destination. Fairly predictable all around in terms of plot, but plenty of little surprises within. Rarity acted...good grief she was extremely self-absorbed and hypocritical the whole way through. I know I said initially to a few people that she seemed out of character and that M.A. Larson had no excuse...but then on the way home I remembered which other episodes M.A. Larson penned, and in just about every single one, Rarity acts like a self-absorbed hag for one reason or another. This wasn't really any different.

 

Still, yes, plenty of surprises. Trixie for one--explains the EQD post I saw Saturday morning--but also especially the Big Mac/Applejack reversal. That was hilarious!

 

On the technological side we of course had typewriters which I was happy to see...and although they only had two buttons and a spacebar, it actually makes sense. See, each of those large buttons could actually be like many smaller buttons, each button being along the edge. Basically you would rotate your hoof along the big button and push it down around the smaller button...it would require a bit of a delicate touch but it makes perfect sense for the ponies to do, because otherwise the typewriters would be way too big to be practical if they tried to make them like we would make ours.

 

They'd probably make phones the same way, come to the think of it.

 

Anyway, all in all, a great, funny episode. I will admit I don't like the way Rarity went a bit too far with being self-absorbed, and if there was anything else I didn't like it was going too over the top with Fluttershý's crying. Compare the fountain of tears in this episode to the relatively subtle tears from Hurricane Fluttershy...much more effective in Hurricane Fluttershy. Granted, they were trying to play it for comedy, but it fell flat to me.

 

But those are minor quibbles. I really enjoyed the episode. More analysis to follow when I'm not so tired.

Edited April 1, 2012 by Kyronea

[Silverhoof 2,839]

This brings to question...if Trixie does come back, will she be after three little fillies who exposed her secret?

[Emerald Flame 380]

My favorite part of this episode was the role reversal. Hopefully Big Mac will get even more lines in the future.

 

I also loved it when Pinkie admitted she had a problem.

 

I'd list the other things I like, but it'd take forever. This was a very good episode, I wasn't expecting something about gossip to be this good.

[The Enduring Man-Child 22]

I just noticed on re-watching the episode on YouTube that the "What is Big Mac hiding?" photo was one of him holding Smarty Pants in his teeth.

 

Excellent continuity in this series!

[Twi Rubix 726]

That was a cool episode filled with all those refrences to past episodes. Trixie, Smarty Pants, etc..

Probably one of my favorites!

[Evilshy 5,089]

Awesome episode!

 

Featherweight is everywhere. Featherweight sees everything. Featherweight is watching you masturbate.

 

 

 

Right after Diamond revealed the photos she had of the CMC and was talking about how featherweight documented everything, we briefly saw featherweight poke his head through the window and take a photograph. I thought the CMC were going to get that photo and use it to say that diamond tiara was blackmailing them. That's obviously not what they did, so diamond tiara's blackmail is still known to very few ponies. I'm guessing featherweight is using it as insurance against diamond's inevitable revenge plan...

 

 

Man, now I want a good old fashioned noir style fanfic of the cutthroat ponyville media industry...

[Fizz. 1,078]

RIP Equestrian Economy

 

Economy is collapsing? Focus news on gossip!

[Espionage 113]

How did Featherwing even get in Princess Celestia's palace? Man, no wonder Discord took over so easily. All the Royal Guards are busy TAKING ARROWS IN THE KNEE rather than protecting the Princess.

 

That aside, anybody notice that Diamond Tiara was suspiciously like a Mobster?

[Forlong 1,725]

RIP Equestrian Economy

 

Economy is collapsing? Focus news on gossip!

 

And its all because of Celestiacare, according to talk radio.

[Radiance64 7,051]

Great episode, and definitely best CMC episode. The various continuity nods made me smile(even the Trixie reference for reasons I can't fathom), and the gossip was funny but expectedly tame and predictable. The 5 episodes before this one were better imo, but I still liked this episode a lot.

[Jokuc 8,172]

I liked the episode. I lol'd when Rarity said "Et tu, Gabby Gums?" Haha.

[Yellow Diamond 7,561]

It's pretty easy to get spoiled with MLP: FiM. After all, the animation, voice acting, and writing is generally top notch. Sometimes you have your peaks ("Lesson Zero") and valleys ("Putting Your Hoof Down"), although even with the latter one is rarely if ever completely repulsed by the premise of the episode. I am nonetheless rather confident in asserting that this episode was one of the best of the season if not the series. For an episode about the CMC---not that they are bad; they just aren't the Mane Six---"Ponyville Confidential" managed to incorporate most of the principal characters in a funny and engaging way, getting the most out of their characters. Even with a moment as brief as Dash's unusual avoidance for having her hooves touched by another pony (An aside: Way to feed the shipping beast, Studio B!), one got a good laugh out of the ridiculous escalation caused by Gabby Gum's presence. Instead of focusing solely on the CMC attempting to resolve the issue as it spiraled out of control, we were treated to the comical damage caused by their gossip persona. That kept the episode interesting and diverse.

 

As another aside, it's funny how Gabby Gums did indeed report factual information as part of her column, though she (or they, as the case may be) engaged in yellow journalism in order to enhance the stories. It makes one wonder whether or not Twilight's opinion of Ponyville is fact rather than (br)idle gossip. Granted, that came after Diamond Tiara blackmailed the CMC and demanded they write up gossip regardless of the content.

 

I thought Rarity was in absolute top form. Kyronea mentioned that she was a bit out of character---Rarity being a little more conceited than she has been in the past---and while I respect that opinion, I rather think it remained close enough to Rarity's personality; in other words, I can imagine Rarity having momentary lapses where she considers her own interests before that of other ponies and acts upon them. More importantly, however, Rarity was terrifically over-the-top in her response to the situation. Who didn't laugh when she bellowed, "I will DESTROY her!" or "Et tu, Gabby Gums?" The latter was not only a brilliant reference, but both reactions captured her penchant for histrionics. Having Rarity blow her fuse is a lot more difficult than it may seem; M.A. Larson managed to pull it off with aplomb.

 

Larson also got the most out of the supporting cast, a point to which I alluded to earlier. Diamond Tiara, for example, was imbued with a style which evolved beyond the typical "rich girl who always gets what she wants" jokes and references. She was an interesting antagonist for the context of the episode, and never became so terribly obnoxious that she ceased to be funny and became either annoying or purely mean spirited. There was also the wonderful scene with Applejack and Big Mac exchanging roles. In short, each moment of the episode carried a purpose. I'm hard pressed to recall a moment where the pace slowed down noticeably or it felt as if they were filling time without driving the episode toward its intended goal. As such, the episode was very well paced. This is quite frankly the first time in several episodes that I have thought the pacing was well suited for the narrative.

 

Are there any flaws? If there are, I cannot recall them; I certainly didn't spot any glaring ones through my first viewing. The only flaw I might point out, and this is rather subjective, is that the moral of the episode was wrapped up fairly quickly. A lot of tension culminated in a major climax; the denouement came across as if they had simply run out of time. Even so, I thought it was well handled and well executed with the CMC reading their final article over scenes of reconciliation.

 

This is an episode you could definitely share with a non-brony to underscore how this is not just a show for kids.

 

Overall, I loved this episode. I'm hoping this is a sign of things to come as this season reaches a conclusion.

Edited April 2, 2012 by Thereisnospoon303

[Dreadmallon 353]

This episode was great. It exceeded my expectations, and I found the Trixie reference and Big Mac going on a rant interesting. I kind of wanted Diamond Tiara's friend (Silver Spoon?) in there also, but this episode was great nonetheless.

[Espionage 113]

"Et tu, Gabby Gums" made me nerdgasm, being a fan of the Roman Empire. This is proof that this isn't a kid's show anymore. What 7 year old little girl would know what that's from?