S05:E05 - Tanks for the Memories

[IJoinedForPonies 126]

Suspicion? It was actually confirmed to move around Equestria if I recall. It's main location is quite far from Ponyville if the Equestrian map is to be concerned.

 

Happen to know when it was confirmed exactly? I'd like to look into that again. ^^

[FullMetalDash 194]

The episode was Rainbow like with fun gags, but loyalty to your friends. The solo Rainbow Dash song was..fun.

 

(I still feel like they refrenced the Rainbow Factory somewhere in there....

[Rainboom Dash 1,056]

My favorite of the season so far, and one of my favorite Rainbow Dash episodes now. I thought it was a very cute story and enjoyed Dash's first solo song. Loved the Who's On First joke, and the mass crying scene honestly made me laugh. A very good episode.

[Silverhoof 2,844]

Everyone has a lot of good comments on a very different show.

 

I liked how Fluttershy was the grown up one in this episode.

 

What we didn't see was Twilight pulling the Princess strings keeping RD out of prison.

[skysweep 541]

It was a good episode after all......

 

It really deals with a issue that has to be faced by all of us eventually in a very......non-stigmatised and overly-harsh manner. This I feel was the essence of the show, that made it magical for me, and its made me really, really happy that it came back to this style again. A parable and a lesson to be learned about an issue. The icing on the cake is that its an issue that I have historically had a massive problem dealing with.

Also, this thing was flooded with meme-worthy material, and references to other pop culture just spilling out the top. Her angry face, the lemons Portal reference, and......winter...is...coming......oh man. Does not help with the (surprise, season 5 too) Game of Thrones.

 

The song? Well, I am still listening to it now, and I finished watching the episode...um....30 minutes ago? yeah, 10 times non stop loop so far. Its...it fits Rainbow in its tone. Im no music student, but I just feel it does, and its really nice to listen to, one of those moderate songs these days, not the soft classical or the "electric fart" techno, but the perfect middle ground. Im tempted to say classic rock, but I might get blasted for my error by music masters, so I wont say so.

 

 

I'm probably the last person in the entire Brony fandom to get this, but I only just realized that RD goes through the five stages of grief when letting Tank go.

 

Denial: Refusing to accept the fact that Tank hibernates at all

Anger: Raging at everyone who mentions hibernation

Bargaining: Trying to stop winter from coming so Tank doesn't hibernate

Depression: Take a goddamn guess

Acceptance: Letting Tank go into hibernation

 

Also RD's first non-EG solo song <3

 

That. Saroth. Comment of the day for me. It clicked, and its just a brilliant insight into what magic they weaved into the episode. It is the stages of grief..........

Damn. Downright brilliance right there. 

Edited April 26, 2015 by skysweep

[Ruby Tuesday 52]

Why has it taken five seasons for Rainbow Dash to have a killer solo song of this length and quality? WHY DHX, WHY?

 

OMG SO MUCH THIS. I was so freaking excited about the song, probably more than anything else in the episode. FREAKIN' FINALLY, MAN

[TailsIsNotAlone 3,695]

Just saw the episode. A lot of rave reviews for this one, huh?  That's Rainbow for you. 

 

I might have to have to let it grow on me, though. There's a lot to take in here. I liked the callback to the Running of the Leaves. Some of the jokes fell flat for me on first viewing (especially the 'Clear Skies' part), but the emotional scenes, wow. I knew Dash loved Tank, but not this much. She was in serious denial and seeing her (and everyone but AJ) cry at the end was a real shock. I think it would have moved me a little more if they didn't play it for laughs quite as much, though. And finally Rainbow got a real, canon song! That was cool, even if her singing voice doesn't sound exactly like her.

 

The biggest surprise was Fluttershy being the one to make Rainbow face the truth. She never once seemed timid or doormat-like in this episode. Applejack admitting she cries on the inside was also huge. It suggests there's a lot more to her than meets the eye.

[~StatesTheOblivious~ 1,795]

Direct quote from Wikipedia:

 

The Kübler-Ross model, or the five stages of grief, is a series of emotional stages experienced by survivors of an intimate's death, wherein the five stages are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.

 

Now, we all know that the show will most likely never deal with death and its emotional and physical consequences in a straight forward way, so all we’ll ever get will be hints and allegories like this very episode here. But that’s the problem: What this episode delivered was - ignoring the continuity breaking by having it aired way after Hearth’s Warming Eve or the actually quite differed way of integrating the five stages and forms of mourn in it - still not a good approach, mostly because of two reasons.

 

1) It simplifies the Kübler-Ross model. Not by simplifying the model itself, but its very scope. Yes, losing a companion, an emotionally close individual, is a hard thing to take. But Rainbow should’ve known from the very beginning that this “loss” was going to be a temporary one. She knew what hibernation was. She reacted like something really traumatic already happened. Her reaction might have been a totally emotional one, so you can only blame her for not controlling herself, but it was still a very childish one. She overdid it. And that leads to the second reason.

 

2) She might have not caused any irreversible damage by sabotaging the Winter Lab, but she still did something that wasn’t right. Now, while there is a lesson in the end, it’s just a half one. It was to accept loss and let go when it’s time, but she didn’t learn that doing what she did to prevent tank from hibernating while going through the five stages was wrong, no matter the outcome.

 

Don’t get me wrong, there are still things about this episode that were great. Honorable mentions go to the song and the comedic parts. I’ll Fly is probably one of the best songs from the show on my list and was the Rainbow Dash song the fans have been waiting for. While it’s not as great as it could have been – mostly because of the context it was presented in and not because of its quality – it still is a very good piece of music. And the way some of the 5-stages-scenes were done was done quite well, especially her getting angry (and her angry face) and the little scene with a more or less puzzled Spike. Not to forget about the scene with Open Skies, Clear Skies and Fluffy Clouds. That one was a really good laugh.

 

So my final rating of this episode is “Meh”, but probably in a more positive way than my rating of last week’s episode. Tanks for the Memories had a good idea, but failed a bit because of the show’s limits.

Edited April 26, 2015 by ~StatesTheOblivious~

[Luffyiscool 397]

Rainbow ended up being like Pinkie in Pinkie Pride.

She was doing the wrong thing, but you know why she's doing it and you can't help but want her to succeed.

[Pineapple Bloom 511]

I just watched the episode again and  for some reason when Rainbow Dash was digging away snow for Tank to hibernate in the ground, I thought it was almost like it represented burying a dead pet.

[Noei 718]

Great episode ! The funniest season 5 ( IMO ) episode so far ! 

 

I'm the only who think that tanks' hibernation is a reference to "death" ? 

 

Edit: eh...It seems I'm not the only one who thinks so.

Edited April 26, 2015 by N.O.E.L

[Steve Piranha 29,428]

Anypony remember this tweet from M.A. Larson regarding this episode?

 

What do you think it was? The subtle deal of death, or you think it's Sunshower whan he meant?   I think is Sunshower 

[Fia94 374]

I utterly adored this episode, and I'm not a particularly big fan of RD. I thought it was a really mature episode, dealt with loss and mourning whilst still being fun. The references were pure gold and overall this is one of the best episodes so far for me

[sweetolebob18 728]

In sports they have the concept of "losing a step".  The show hasn't "jumped the shark" yet, but....  On the plus side, after Twilight's Kingdom there was some debate "Is MLP going to skew to older fans?".  After 5 episodes I can answer that w "absolutely not".

 

I seem to be the only one to notice that when Dash decided to stop winter, she had the same expression the Grinch did when deciding to stop Xmas.  Also, Dash totally trashed the weather factory & didn't even get scolded?

 

*Sigh*  The trend continues.  Seems like if I like an episode, everyone else thinks it sucks & vice versa.   I seem to have what Parkinson called "negative infallibility"

[Sig Hoovestrong 838]

This RainbowDash/Tank episode, give me all the feels. And feel conflict was well done. It feel believable to Rainbow Dash character. Even the moment she crid. It still feelt like Rainbow Dash crying.

 

And i might have crid asswell... 

 

 

[dekutree64 713]

Happen to know when it was confirmed exactly? I'd like to look into that again. ^^

Right near the start, Rainbow says "Cloudsdale is here"

 

Anypony remember this tweet from M.A. Larson regarding this episode?

 

What do you think it was? The subtle deal of death, or you think it's Sunshower whan he meant?   I think is Sunshower 

It was the Game of Thrones reference.

[Steve Piranha 29,428]

Right near the start, Rainbow says "Cloudsdale is here"

 

It was the Game of Thrones reference.

Oh, OK. Yeah, I had to guess he rather have more attention to a famous meme (I don't watch GoT, but I'm well aware of the meme), rather than "her" 

[Midnight Scribbler 1,705]

Grinch pone. That is all.

I have to say, I really did enjoy this one. So far I'm liking S5 way more than I thought I would. Albeit they seem to be fan pandering a wee bit, but I'm totally ok with it. This show can do that and get away with it, unlike other shows, which is partly why I think it's so great.

I noticed a little hint of Rainbow factory in the scene where RD is sneaking into the weather factory too. Clever little remix though, just enough to make you think, but not enough to be remotely in danger of copying someone's work. Well played Hasbro.

Another thing I would like to point out here is, they finally got to Rainbow Dash in the personal breakdown department. That is interesting to see. We've seen all the others so far, but she has been about the only one who hasn't really broken down until now. Not only that, but they had her do it, in the Cloudsdale weather factory. Yet another subtle reference.

All in all, I'm seeing the same clever writing that got me hooked in the beginning, they're just taking new angles at the ideas now. Which I'm not opposed to at all. Really, I'm impressed they've managed to keep it fresh for 4+ seasons and still manage to put out interesting episodes that keep me wanting to watch the show.

Edited April 26, 2015 by Midnight Scribbler

[Stellafera 3,836]

Another thing I would like to point out here is, they finally got to Rainbow Dash in the personal breakdown department. That is interesting to see. We've seen all the others so far, but she has been about the only one who hasn't really broken down until now.

 

I'd kinda consider her behavior in Mare Do Well in this category-

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kDAxhTGkvc

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33kw_UxPZfE

I will ALWAYS shoehorn this reference in

 

-but it's sort of like Lesson Zero vs It's About Time. It's About Time had crazy Twilight, but it wasn't, like, her crazy episode.

[Midnight Scribbler 1,705]

@@Stellafera,

 

That's exactly my point. I do agree, she's had her moments of bad reaction to situations, but she hasn't really broken down.
Mare do well was more of a shot at her ego than anything. She did learn an important lesson, however she didn't lose her mind and do something irrational because of it. This actually shows Rainbow Dash has more than one flaw as a character, which makes her more interesting in general. She also shows signs of having learned from said lessons, as she seems to shut her trap when her friends give her the look when she runs her mouth too much. And even after all this, she still retains her personality, and doesn't seem like a different character because she has to keep herself in check. She still manages to be that egotistical, tomboyish athlete that everyone loves. She just has her ego under control for the most part.

[Batbrony 16,055]

Right near the start, Rainbow says "Cloudsdale is here"

 

It was the Game of Thrones reference.

 

Forget the reference, let's all talk about how amazing that new Twitter username is!!! 

[Castle Bleck 19,375]

You're a mean one,

Ms. Dash!

You have a rainbow in your mane!

Edited April 26, 2015 by A.V.

[Starflower 323]

This episode made me cry, literally, because saying goodbye to your pet is something I had to go through in the past...so I can totally relate to how Rainbow Dash felt.  

 

Not only I cried, I laughed as well...so many references were made in that episode and it was freaking awesome. Clearly it has become my favorite episode so far in this season. Very well done. 

[Miss Pinkamena 41]

I actually didn't like this episode up until the end... RD was being ignorant and stubborn (which is her nature, I get that), and that frustrated me a lot and made the episode painful to watch. I really enjoyed the last five minutes, especially the part when Pinkie Pie said "Applejack cries on the inside"

[Midnight Scribbler 1,705]

@@Starflower,

 

Yeah, admittedly, that part was hard for me too. I just lost my dog about 3 weeks ago. Hard to deal with, especially when they aren't coming back. RD has it lucky, her pet could probably outlive her. xD