S05:E03 - Castle Sweet Castle

[BastementSparkle 20,326]

It wasn't that she proved her identity. It was that Twilight gave her a chance prove her identity. She didn't blast her on the spot, even though she was completely unaware that she wasn't the same Cadence who had just threatened her brother. 

 

That's not something that I think the Twilight from Twilight's Kingdom would have done.  

 

She literally just watched Tirek blow up her house. If she hadn't of been faster Owlowiscious would have died, Spike could have been in there. With his massive explosion somepony else could have been hurt too. She knows he did it. When Cadance was all, "I'm not Chrysalis" it made her take a moment to pause. If Cadance hadn't of said that, or had failed to prove herself, I imagine things would have gotten rather ugly...

 

 Cadance gave Twilight a single reason to stop for a moment, Tirek didn't.

[Gearbox10mm 794]

I'm not gonna lie, but this episode felt like a season 1 episode. Well, not continuity wise just feel wise.

 

I mean we don't get slice of life episodes that have nothing major at stake that much.

 

I kinda get what you are saying. There has been so much change between season 4 and season 5 that there is still a lot of foundation work to do to set the stage for the rest of season 5. In that sense it feels a little like we're starting again from scratch.

 

This was really just a filler episode.

 

I'll be glad when these type of episodes are out of the way and we can dive back into the regular slice of life stuff.

[Ashen Pathfinder 16,161]

It wasn't that she proved her identity. It was that Twilight gave her a chance prove her identity. She didn't blast her on the spot, even though she was completely unaware that she wasn't the same Cadence who had just threatened her brother. 

 

That's not something that I think the Twilight from Twilight's Kingdom would have done.  

 

Yeah; because fake/evil Cadence was no where near as destruction as Tirek at that point was.

 

In any case best to not continue this. We're getting off-topic as it is.

[Sidral Mundet 1,666]

A bit more on what I thought of the episode

 

What I liked:

The opening scene with Fluttershy. Twilight you have made a dangerous enemy.

The overall characterization of everyone.

Spike

SPIKE FINALLY GETTING A F**KING BED

The chandelier.

 

What I didn't like:

The continuing idea that the Mane 6 fall apart without Twilight.

 

What was Meh to me:

The plot: Generic "I need to think of others" plot line. Testing Testing 123 did it better IMO.

The reference

The songs

 

So overall a good but not spectacular episode ay least for me anyways.

[Castle Bleck 19,364]

So, Lotus has an accent, but Aloe doesn't?

 

...

 

Edited April 11, 2015 by A.V.

[Miles 2,512]

Wow... another amazing episode. Season 5 is off to a fantastic start. That song was just... yesss. Easily one of the best songs in the series, and a nice, simple, and sweet story to boot. I'm excited about Season 5 

 

Indeed!  I loved it, too   

 

Rivvy and I just watched it together and, boy, I tell you... They somehow managed to squeeze every single last damned drop of awesome out of every episode so far!  It's been jam-packed with fun!  The songs in this episode were fantastic... I could sit here all day and list off a silly long list of adjectives about how much I liked it   

 

I say, 9/10   

 

---

 

 

 

 

Why, if that expression ain't the darndest! 

---

 

Did anyone notice, though...

 

Twilight is getting taller.  Eeyup.  I'd say, in comparison to the logic of real measurements in our world, that she's about 2 inches taller than the Re-Mane 5 are.    

 

~ Miles

[Dark Qiviut 22,425]

Just finished watching Castle Sweet Castle. It feels a little too Suited for Success without the system critique, and the second "echo" joke with Fluttershy was stupid. But it's a nice, sweet story without getting all too sappy.

 

That was my immediate impression upon watching CSC via this status, but I'll comment a bit more.

 

---

 

To be very honest, the fact that the feels are really subdued until the end is really one of the biggest strengths of this episode. It takes the concept of mourning and gives it a really refreshing twist without feeling too clichéd. Yes, we still see the characters feeling very sad about the Golden Oak Library, and it was great about how they didn't ignore it while not getting that sappy. Not just Twilight's feelings, but her friends', too. They're just as much a part of life as Twilight, making the Library a part of their home, too. It was also rather good how they noticed the problem without being humiliated before Twilight as a result. Having Spike comment about it and distract Twilight was all needed.

 

But a few problems that I noticed.

1. Applejack actually pouring soil in Twilight's castle. There's a certain proportion of suspension of disbelief in Western cartoons, and FIM is no exception. But the idea of her actually pouring soil on top of the cold floor feels way too stupid. It would've been better if there were flowerpots filled with flowers and plants instead. The intent is great, but it felt very out of place.
2. The end "echo" joke at the end of Act 2 sucked. The co-writers went with a specific mood that Twilight would feel sad over having the house not be like home, and Fluttershy et al. had a reason to feel sad. But the second "echo" joke was very out of place and completely killed the mood.
3. While the pacing at the end was fine, the middle felt pretty slow. It kept on going with the ReMane Five conflicting, and having them repeat "clutter" all the time hammers the point too much. Once is fine. Twice is pushing it. Saying the same word over and over again is being blunt and obnoxious. Kids aren't stupid; they know synonyms of the word.
4. Continuity references also got heavy. Everyone here already knows how much the episode depends on continuity. Without it, the characters don't grow. But when they piled on all those references in Act 3, it starts getting weighty at best and relied on at worst. Continuity as a bit more than a cherry is better by keeping it more subtle. Having Twilight mourn in her own way is an excellent reinforcement of continuity without hammering it in.

To describe another strength to balance the brief negativity out, Spike was really on point here, easily his best role since Simple Ways. While Twilight wanted to come home, he did a great job acting as a foil, providing excuse after excuse to distract her and keep the ReMane Five busy. The comedy he was a part in worked, too, yet didn't have him suffer too much from Bulk Biceps*. Nice to see him be involved while keeping his childlike essence and not degrade him to comedic idiot that victimized him for most of last season. Kudos for the new co-writers for giving him a sense of dignity and not ignoring his crush on Rarity.

 

Currently, a pretty nice start. Act 3 did a nice job resolving. There are flaws that hurt it somewhat, but not so much that kills CSC entirely. It's nowhere close to the high quality of The Cutie Map, but it does its job.

 

*Having him be a masseuse really works for him, and it's good to not see him act like the idiot presented from Rainbow Falls. May his character never degrade that badly again!

Edited April 11, 2015 by Dark Qiviut

[Mothra 648]

I really loved this episode! The only thing i didn't like all that much was the song at it's reprise, but my god

The references

The pacing of fitting two plots into one (Twilight getting used to her new castle and also dealing with the loss of her old one)

Some genuine funny moments

It all felt like it worked so well. I guess I also don't like the fact that this happened after she was living there for a while in Rainbow rocks and the first 2 parter, but that's more to do with order they're in than the episode itself.

[Dynamo Pad 11,328]

This was a pretty good episode. Twilight in the beginning was like lesson zero Twilight with wanting to do more than was necessary and that was pretty funny. The song was good and the animation and the pans in the scenes were well done. One thing I'm wondering though how was the map there when the mane 6 weren't sitting in their chairs? Or maybe once they sit in the chairs the first time the map is permanently there I'm not really sure  . I was watching this episode with a friend and right before the song even started we both guessed correctly with how the rest of the mane 6 would make a part of the castle the way they wanted and not in Twilight's image. I really liked the cameo appearance of Bulk Biceps and I could see him working at the spa. I especially loved how they honored the library with some memorable moments throughout the seasons. Again I enjoyed this episode and those hidden party cannons were really well hidden  .

[StitchandMLPlover 930]

The episode on Daily Motion for anybody who wants to watch https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2mdlfn_mlp-season-5-castle-sweet-castle-ep-3_animals

 

I saw episode 3 of MLP season 5 this morning. I liked it. It reminded me of Castle Mania from season 4 and a few episodes of "Foster's Home". It was predicable and not as exciting as the opener which I expected but there wasn't anything bad about it. The whole episode was cute and touching. I like how Twilight avoids the castle because we know she can get obsessive and she avoids wearing her crown. I LOVED the interaction between Spike and Twilight. Spike got good screen time and I love how supportive he was to Twilight. Spike was very in character. I like how they addressed the fact that the tree was Spike's home too. Their sad hug made me almost cry. I don't get some of the comments in this thread about Twilight not being emotional. Twilight seemed very emotional to me. I like how the Mane 5 stopped themselves when they started to fight because that kind of ties in with the moral of the 2 parter. It shows character growth. The lesson was similar to what Twilight said in Trade Ya about her books in a good way and I love what they did with the roots and how they said "Golden Oaks Library". Twilght's new hair style was cool and the pancake joke cracked me up. The song is nice enough. I love the way Rainbow Dash spun around slowly and sang a lot. I just hope they put some episodes without any singing in between one where they do sing to keep the songs fresh.  

[Silver Letter 1,832]

Two songs? This is awesome!

I think it's more like a song and a reprise. I didn't care for it though. It's passable. I like Daniel Ingram's work but this isn't as good as usual.

 

I know the Golden Oaks Library is supposed to elicit some feelings of sadness but I can't feel that way when I know that Discord should be able to bring it back with a mere snap of his claws. Also, Twilight's feelings about the castle are not only silly but irrational. Should she feel that way? Is it in her character? Maybe Celestia was wrong and Twilight isn't mature enough to be a princess. She still doesn't wear her crown and maybe this is still residual feelings that she doesn't want to be a princess still. I hope not because this is getting old.

 

Overall, a decent episode. Just not great. Except the ending though. I liked how the managed to pull off those memories.

Edited April 11, 2015 by Silver Letter

[Blazing_Dash 29]

I really liked this episode a lot. Once Twilight had the castle at the end of season 4(was 4 right?) i was wondering how she would react to all the changes.

I am actually VERY glad they are keeping her very humble, and not really likeing the openness of the castle and missing the simple things. That was one of my favorite things about twilight in the first place, shes very kind and prefers simple things. Very glad to see they are keeping that and all this princess and castle non sense is not going to her head.

I also really liked how the other 5 reacted how they usually would but then realized what they had to do and make it Twilight's home, not theirs.

 

Didnt expect them to make a chandelier out of the roots though, i thought they were going to recreate the interior a bit.

It is a little interesting this wasn't the premier though, or even the finale but either way im really glad to see they're keeping twilight, well, twilight.

 

Im so glad i get to experience the season as it comes out! As i found it about at the end of season 4.

THANK YOU NETFLIX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

Side note, did any of them find it weird Spike walked in with a doll of Rarity? XD

Edited April 11, 2015 by Blazing_Dash

[Frostgage 7,975]

Great episode, definitely enjoyed this one. Really though I'm just excited to have seen Aloe and Lotus

Edited April 11, 2015 by Frostgage

[The Nth Doctor 662]

Does anyone think Pinkie Pie was horribly insensitive in this episode?

 

 

"Remember when it was blown to smithereens?"

 

 

 

Seriously Pinkie? I'm glad your friends made you eat those nasty muffins

 

 

Also, Twilight's new mane was gorgeous~I hope they use it for another pony someday

[Pastel 7,630]

Does anyone think Pinkie Pie was horribly insensitive in this episode?

 

 

"Remember when it was blown to smithereens?"

 

 

 

Seriously Pinkie? I'm glad your friends made you eat those nasty muffins

Yes, I thought I was the only one who thought that.

I like Pinkie, but that line was just awful...

[Coco before Pommel 678]

I loved this ep spoilery thoughts c/ped from another site:

 

 

I agree it was predictable where the ep was going, but it was still lovely watching them get there anyway c: I didn't even notice the two new writers! I thought everypony was very in character and funny without being too OTT (even Pinkie ) so kudos to them

 

I really felt for Twilight from the beginning (Angel going all poofy made me laugh, bit harsh for him locking Flutters out though XD) - I know that feel of trying to stay out as long as you can to avoid something you don't want to face...and I can totally imagine it would be lonely all alone in that massive castle :c I liked how the mane 6 figured it out immediately because they know her so well (not that it was particularly subtle either ) - I feel like a lot of shows would drag out the process before they realise something's up, but it was much more in character for these girls to realise (and of course rally round to help immediately ) <3

 

Yay new song! I really liked it, especially on the reprise - kind of reminded me of Time To Come Together from Equestria Girls. I usually like the group songs and everypony sounded good here, looking forward to listening to it again c:

 

Spike was also on top form this ep - his Rarity plushie!! Cause that's...not creepy at all and he had some good lines when trying to delay Twilight too (though I can't recall any of them right now ^^;; ). Also - is it me, or did the Quills and Sofa's pony's smile look worryingly similar to the Equal Ponies last ep...? Starlight Glimmer's influence is spreading!!!

 

Bulk Biceps the spa pony, omg XD it did make me laugh when Twilight's like "ahh so relaxing!" and then it cuts to poor Spike all twisted out of shape XD I find it weirdly adorable that BB's working there - it's actually a pretty neat subversion of his hyper-masculine YEAH!!!! image when you think about it! lol and nice to see Aloe and Lotus again ^^

 

Loved the mane 5's bickering when it all predictably fell apart, especially AJ, Dash and Rarity passive-aggressively removing each other's stuff pretending they're "helping" XD (and the RariDash brohoof was cute when they teamed up against AJ, even if mean X3) also, I relate so much to Rarity not being able to decide which of her stuff to take down because everything's her ~favourite!! *in process of cleaning out room right now*

 

...Although, come to think of it, I totally think that portrait of them all should have stayed - it was so cute and would have fit perfectly with the whole memories theme. Oh well~

 

"Wow, Fluttershy, I didn't know you could be loud enough to echo!" (paraphrased, can't remember exact line) - XD and yesss, sweet little PinkieShy moment <3

 

Nooooo seeing the old library, I was not prepared for the feels ;___; (also liked how Twilight said they should get stuff for Spike as it was his home too, instead of him being sidelined) I think I teared up more at the reveal when Twilight came back though - while the whole "it's friends/memories that matter" theme was obviously predictable, I didn't see using the actual tree roots coming so that was really sweet and nice to literally still have a part of the library with them <3 and all the reminiscing about past episodes was lovely, I'm a sucker for stuff like that because yay, continuity~! ^.^

 

"I might have put some Daring Do posters up" - don't think Twi's gonna object to that somehow, Dash X3 and Fluttershy was so cute when she kinda whispered about putting stuffed animals in Twilight's room - definitely a good compromise since I don't think anypony else is quite ready to handle actual bears and stuff running around all the time (also reminds me very much of my own room *looks at towering plushie collection* ) X3 predictable as it is, I loved how they all ended up adding their own touch anyway <3

 

...and sorry everypony, looks like you're stuck with my rambling for another season XD But yeah I really enjoyed this ep, really cute, good song and I'm really happy with how they handled the library issue

 

[Moved to Elsewhere 11,331]

Yes, I thought I was the only one who thought that.

I like Pinkie, but that line was just awful...

I noticed that. But what I also noticed is that Pinkie would realize what she would then realize what she said was wrong on her own. It's not like Filli Vanilli where the other ponies had to whack her with a newspaper to get her to realize her mistakes, no she figured it out on her own.

[ShadOBabe 18,997]

Finally got to watch it. It was alright.

Kind of like the girls first attempt at decorating though, it felt like a lot of good ideas kind of messily thrown together.

 

Seriously, I really liked some of the ideas in this episode.

The fact that Twilight was uncomfortable in the castle and was avoiding it.

The gorgeous tree root memory chandelier (seriously that was lovely).

 

But it just felt kind of rushed and the humor was a little forced feeling.

(Though Bulk Biceps and the surprise spoon in the pancakes thing made me laugh.)

 

All in all, it was like a box of styrofoam packing peanuts with a few Cadbury creme eggs inside.

Edited April 11, 2015 by ShadOBabe

[Celli 4,338]

Wow, another fantastic episode this season! The song was good and plenty of feels. I loved when Bulk Biceps gave Spike the muscle massage, and Twi's "hairdo"

[ggg-2 3,553]

I loved the Bulk Biceps cameo! 

 

Over all it was a pretty solid episode with some good feels towards the end. Is it just me though or does that castle seem Bigger on the inside than it does on the outside?

Twilicastle confirmed as TARDIS. (someone had to say it!)

[Buzz 1,769]

Watched this live, but started work when it ended! Great episode and has made me more stoked for the rest of the season!

 

Also, love how everyone is debating whether angel got what he deserved, and i'm sat here like "Did the spa twins just talk?!"

[Scootaloo Is Best Filly 578]

I thought this episode was pretty good. It wasn't the best, but, it certainly wasn't the worst episode in the series. Pinkie Pie's line was kind of cruel.  But, it's in her character (Sort of) this wouldn't be the first time she has "said the wrong thing" She seems to say something that might be considered "Cruel" or "mean" from time to time, but she just sometimes doesn't exactly say the right thing. Maybe because she doesn't think it through, but, she doesn't do it to be mean, she just sorta does it, without thinking sometimes. Like the time she said "Though No offense, but, you kinda sounded like a dude" to Fluttershy when she was obviously afraid of performing in "Filli Vanilli".

Edited April 11, 2015 by Scootaloo Is Best Filly

[GenderIsAnIllusion 2,177]

At first i thought is was gunna be a rehash of Art of the Dress..... but i was pleasantly surprised...... The comedy is good, and doesnt distract from the story. Every ponies in character. The 2 conflicts don't impede on each other, and actually work off of each other well.....

 

I just really loved this episode.

[A Joe in the Bush 255]

Did any of you notice that this is the first time we saw the Inside of Rainbow's house? (I'm pretty sure it's the first at least.)

 

 

I loved the Bulk Biceps cameo! 

 

Over all it was a pretty solid episode with some good feels towards the end. Is it just me though or does that castle seem Bigger on the inside than it does on the outside?

Didn't you notice that the roots of the library were smaller than the Cutie Map? Pretty much every building is bigger on the inside.

 

Okay, after watching the episode again, now in HD and without commercial breaks, I can see a few flaws, a few problems, but they're all nothing compared to the one probing, important, mind blowing question that's now stuck in my mind ...

 

 

 

Who made or bought that Rarity plushie for Spike?

 

 

The only person with the skill to make that is Rarity herself. . .

 

Not sure what that signifies.

 

EDIT: And there was Pinkie Pie pancake Shark Attack.

Edited April 11, 2015 by The Only Joe

[ManaMinori 4,145]

whipped up a quickie piece of art, after watching the episode

http://duomochiaro.deviantart.com/art/Princess-Twilight-Pancake-526275987

 

 

what I liked about episode 3:

Frazzles, procrastination Twilight. Nice to see a Princess who's not all royal and regal, and just be themselves, and frazzled and funny, and sleep with their faces in pancakes, with messy manes and twigs and mud in their manes. Never change, Twilight. Never change.

The pancake line

Spike not being played for a buttmonkey, but jumping at what people expect him to do, and help how he can, and taking time to shove his face with pancakes before he left. Can't help on an empty stomach

 

what I didn't like:

the disappointment of how the episode focused on Twilight trying to stay out of her castle, rather than bringing the feels hard by taking more time around and in her old home.

It was painful seeing just how Twi's friends knew nothing about her (or cared about what would also make Spike feel at home), after all this time, and focused on themselves for the majority of the episode, rather than what'd make Twi feel at home. I was kind of hoping they'd consult her parents, at some point, because they need more screen time and development, yanno, being Twilight's parents and all.....=_=