S05:E06 - Appleoosa's Most Wanted

[Pinkie-Guy 563]

I had a little bit of streaming difficulties, so my viewing wasn't entirely seamless, but it seemed like a passable episode.  I like Troubleshoes and I like the whole idea of letting yourself be laughed at.  I completely understand where Troubleshoes is coming from.  Not a standout episode, but a fine one nonetheless.

[Ashen Pathfinder 16,151]

This is the definition of a MLP filler ep; nothing bad, but nothing that stands out either.

 

Kinda reminds me of a season 1 episode.

[Sidral Mundet 1,666]

This is the definition of a MLP filler ep; nothing bad, but nothing that stands out either.

 

Kinda reminds me of a season 1 episode.

Well given that it barrows from Season 1 episodes like Bridle Gossip, Over a Barrel and The Stare Master that's not surprising 

Edited May 2, 2015 by Sidral Mundet

[Cleverclover 1,525]

I liked the episode, but damn, I hate how the CMC are slipping back into their old ways. 

 

The whole thing with them sneaking out definitely reminded me of Stare Master, which was one of the episodes where they were at their most annoying and hateable. 

[Kevin 160]

That was definitely one of the better episodes by Dave Polsky! The highlight of the episode was the CMC, especially Applebloom being the voice of reason in showing everyone that Troubleshoes wasn't bad. 

 

Furthermore, it was nice to see both Applelossa and Braeburn again, especially since he haven't seen either since the Season 1 days. I also like the Eeyore reference in regards to Troubleshoes as well. One of the funniest scenes of the episode is when Troubleshoes was in jail and kept breaking the mattress because he was so big. Also, it was nice to see Sweetie Belle use her magic again too.

 

All in all, a pretty good episode. Now the 2 week wait for the next one begins

[dekutree64 711]

Season 5 is shaping up to be quite interesting so far, really ironing out the lore on cutie marks. Seems pretty clear at this point that the CMCs will be getting theirs this season. And that was some fine crusading there, to help another pony understand their mark better I really hope they continue the CMC organization, acting as leaders even after they get their own marks.

 

This episode seems to confirm Apple Bloom's fears from Bloom and Gloom, that it is possible to get a cutie mark you don't want. Or at least, one that's only sort of what you wanted. Not sure how I feel about that. I always thought they were essentially impossible to misinterpret, because they'd only appear after you understand them. Maybe just knowing he wanted to be a rodeo pony was "close enough" to reveal it?

 

Everything about cutie marks so far seems to indicate that ponies are born with them predetermined, and only discover what they are rather than having any choice in the matter. Not so sure I want to be a pony after all

[Moved to Elsewhere 11,328]

I liked the episode, but damn, I hate how the CMC are slipping back into their old ways. 

 

The whole thing with them sneaking out definitely reminded me of Stare Master, which was one of the episodes where they were at their most annoying and hateable. 

I will say, at least in this episode they got punished for their actions.

[Pineapple Bloom 511]

This episode was awesome! it made me laugh, Troubleshoes was a really cool character, and I think it was the best CMC episode yet (out of the ones not centered on just one of them).

[King Sejong 858]

   Back to Appleloosa, and Dave Polsky for his season five début, we get to see Braeburn again as a main character, rather than a background cameo, only this time with a broken forearm, so Applejack with the cutie mark crusaders had to take his place in the rodeo. Trouble Shoes is a local stallion, deemed as a criminal to the Appleloosa natives, is wanted for justice, which gives the CMC an idea, to go bounty hunter and bring Trouble Shoes to the law, thus earning cutie marks, only to realise Trouble Shoes is an accident prone stallion, a mere victim of circumstance, so we get backstory and exposition about Trouble Shoes, kudos to the writers, however, the CMC were not aware that by sneaking out at night, after Braeburn fell asleep on the watch, it appears they were fillynapped, so a posse was organised to capture Trouble Shoes. Before the cutie mark crusaders could explain to Applejack and Sheriff Silver Star, he was arrested, as the rodeo commenced, but the cutie mark crusaders let Trouble Shoes out of Gaol, so he could be a part of the rodeo, as a rodeo clown. Trouble Shoes saw his cutie mark as a bad luck omen, but the cutie mark crusaders saw it was humorous talent, so this is a episode of interpretation and understanding, although Trouble Shoes himself saw his cutie mark as bad luck, the CMC saw it differently, as a result Trouble Shoes was finally accepted as a rodeo clown, allowing him to be a part of the rodeo, for the cutie mark crusaders however, they had to make up for sneaking out at night, moreover, this was a funny episode, Dave Polsky has a talent for writing entertaining and funny episodes, the cutie mark crusaders did not get their cutie marks this time, but we got a nice instilment of Appleloosa as season five is under way. 

[Dark Qiviut 22,160]

Didn't like it that much. Aside from the harmonica playing early, nothing else made me laugh, and there was a lot of "tell" rather than "show." This is pretty much the standard filler episode: A plot doesn't mean stuff happening, and the characters don't really grow from it. Except Appleoosa's growing stupidity, of course.

 

My biggest problems, however, are twofold:

1. Can't Trouble Shoes just catch a break? He's the butt of so much slapstick, it stops becoming funny. Instead, the comedy becomes annoying.
   
   And I really grimaced when the sheriff was duped so easily. This Looney Tunes slapstick just doesn't work for this kind of show.
2. The moral's approach. It pretty much confirms The Good, the Bad, and the Ponies: Equestrian law is screwed up. "Assume he's vandalizing the rodeos? ARREST THE FIEND! Break out of jail and realize your true cutie mark? YOU'RE FREE!"

Boring episode.

Edited May 2, 2015 by Dark Qiviut

[applelove 64]

It's totally cool the my fave pony Applejack was in and spoke in every episode this season so far.

[Moved to Elsewhere 11,328]

So I rank it at average 7/10.

[BlackWater627 700]

I liked the episode, but damn, I hate how the CMC are slipping back into their old ways. 

 

The whole thing with them sneaking out definitely reminded me of Stare Master, which was one of the episodes where they were at their most annoying and hateable. 

 

I know where you're coming from...

 

I thought this episode was okay. I wouldn't necessarily say "meh" but it's around that level of likability for me. I've never been a big AJ or CMC fan, so it naturally didn't have a lot lot of brownie points for me. I love Baeburn though. It was awesome seeing him again. 

 

One thing that really bugs me is a plot where kids (foals) run off on their own and cause a whole lot of trouble. So, yes, this was a lot like the Stare Master. Of course, Trouble was no real threat but that's like justifying the means by the ends.  :okiedokielokie:

 

None of that bothered me so much as the fact that the CMC haven't really learned anything. They're still running around with the same mindset they had in season 1. On the other hand, AJ wasn't much better. I'd think after 4 seasons of learning about friendship, she'd at least be able to listen to what others have to say. It seemed to me like she was just ignoring her sister and the other crusaders. 

[Alex Z 848]

This episode was good, but it's my least favorite episode so far this season.

[Lambdadelta 1,462]

Another average episode... i just hope ss5 can surpass ss2 (my best season) or ss4 (my second favorite)... next ep maybe better )

[EquestriaGuy 1,074]

You know an episode is bad when the "meh" poll option is in the lead.

 

That was almost entirely boring, except for the humor at the end. And what the hell kind of lesson was that? In any other TV show, the CMC are villainous bullies for telling a klutz to become a rodeo clown and get laughed AT. Remember, the crowd is laughing at the rehearsed antics of the clowns, like you would a comedian, but that's not the case with Troubleshoes. I feel bad for Jim Miller, who will undoubtedly check EQD, like he always does, and see all the hate this episode will get.

[LZRD WZRD 1,929]

So the episode is bad because one thing that wouldn't have fit into the story otherwise didn't happen? By this logic, every CMC episode sucks.

Chikorita, you fell for an obvious troll. You blew it.

[Cleverclover 1,525]

 

 

On the other hand, AJ wasn't much better. I'd think after 4 seasons of learning about friendship, she'd at least be able to listen to what others have to say. It seemed to me like she was just ignoring her sister and the other crusaders. 

 

To be fair, Applejack clearly had a responsibility for the CMC, and I can imagine how the prospect of them being kidnapped by an outlaw would cause her to act in a less-than-rational manner. 

 

Furthermore, it seemed like she simply assumed they were struck with some pony version of Stockholm Syndrome. 

[Dark Horse 12,798]

Not a bad episode for a filler I guess, nothing too significant that made this stand out for me more then the previous ones, but I suppose how much more development can the CMC get at this point? Their episodes have become largely stagnant and more of the same in my opinion. Anyway, I liked the Troubleshoes character (his colt self was so cute! ) and at first I thought we were witnessing Equestria's only Horse, but I guess he was just an over sized Pony. The whole plot was pretty uninspired. While I like the Appleoosa Ponies, the wanted outlaw idea could've been done better then "He's just clumsy" and of course simple bad communication is what causes most of it. Also, despite this being a "Western", I didn't hear the Wilhelm Scream once.

 

So in conclusion, I don't feel like anything worthwhile really happened in this episode. It's just another CMC adventure, grand if your still into their story. It's passable, but you wouldn't miss much skipping it.

[BlackWater627 700]

To be fair, Applejack clearly had a responsibility for the CMC, and I can imagine how the prospect of them being kidnapped by an outlaw would cause her to act in a less-than-rational manner. 

 

Furthermore, it seemed like she simply assumed they were struck with some pony version of Stockholm Syndrome. 

 

To that extent, I can certainly understand and I don't question her about that. The Stockholm, though...I don't know why but the idea makes me want to laugh. 

Edited May 2, 2015 by BlackWater627

[SanityNotIncluded 335]

This feels like an episode which I can appreciate more than I can actually enjoy - in terms of the latter, it was kinda average to me. The best example I have to illustrate what I mean by 'appreciating rather than enjoying' is Dragon Quest. One aspect of it's message, at least from what I can remember, was that it's perfectly okay for boys to embrace a non-macho/aggressive form of expression. Though I didn't really enjoy the story or characters much, I was able to appreciate this aspect of the message by separating it from the episode and applying it to my own experiences. Throughout high school, I knew quite a few boys who tended towards violence, and the episode made me reflect on them and wonder how they might be convinced otherwise. In that sense, I 'appreciated' Dragon Quest without particularly enjoying it.

 

Returning to Appleoosa's Most Wanted, I appreciated it because it called back to continuity and raised incredibly dorky (but interesting) questions about MLP's lore. On the continuity front, we returned to Appleoosa and had the return of fan-favourite, Braeburn. As for the questions, it made me wonder how Equestria's system of government/laws actually work. It would appear to be a monarchy, yet the people of Appleoosa seem to be an authority unto themselves. That then raises the question of how much power the princesses actually have, and how often they exercise it. Oh, and there's the whole "is Troubleshoes a horse?" thing going on. I could continue, but it's getting late so I'll cut it there. Hopefully, y'all get what I mean

[Sidral Mundet 1,666]

I don't really have an intro to this one:

 

What I liked:

Troubleshoe Clyde, great character and he's absolutely massive!

The CMC, bit of a step back for them but they were still plenty enjoyable to me.

The Applejack trophy scene, I think you could have Apple Bloom fill in for a brony in that scene XD

BRAEBURN'S BACK!

 

What I didn't like:

The towns ponies, still as irrational and stubborn as in Over a Barrel

The whole "Ignore the kids" thing, I hate that.

The Equestrian legal system is still fucked up

 

What was Meh to me:

The humor, hit or miss for me, not bad though

Not enough Buffalo

Seriously, does Equestria not know how to handle Unicorns? I mean they had the Anti-magic gate in The Equestria Games, you'd think they'd have it in a jail cell.

 

Overall a good but run of the mill CMC episode.

[Stellafera 3,835]

To damn this episode with faint praise, I liked Applejack's face when everyone ignored her winning a trophy. That was funny. Also Sweetie Belle's magic developed.

 

Otherwise, I was just not a fan at all. 

 

Applejack kept handing the CMC off to the clearly unreliable Braeburn because it was more convenient to the plot to have them be able to escape easily, but this undermined any sort of impression of concern for their safety. WELL UNTIL THE END WHEN SHE PUNISHED THEM, I GUESS. BECAUSE SHE CARED THEN. Fluttershy put up more of a defense against them in Stare Master for a sleep over than Braeburn did with a criminal on the loose. OKAY.

 

Sweetie Belle is the only one concerned about wandering into this forest, with, again, a criminal on the loose. Fine, whatever, they tend to be dumb like this. Sweetie's concern never really went anywhere since after a little talk with Troubleshoes they now totally trusted him and so that was just kind of unnecessary to the plot I guess okay.

 

As for Troubleshoes...

 

No see, your special talent isn't bad luck, it's having people laugh at you and think poorly of you!!!!!!!  

 

That was pretty much my impression. The difference is that the other rodeo clowns can go home and have a nice normal day to themselves, whereas Troubleshoes' life is a joke that only occasionally will be on stage. Nice to make the best out of a bad situation, but it's actually a pretty awful cutie mark. 

 

Cutie marks are supposed to be for when you figure out your special talent rather than just perform it, aren't they? Otherwise the CMC would've gotten theirs already back in Show Stoppers, wouldn't they? I kind of brushed the continuity issues for Tanks for the Memories aside, admittedly, but I liked that episode as a whole and the time confusion wasn't central to the moral of the episode (accepting loss, etc.) so it didn't bother me as much. 

 

Overall, it just felt like it wasn't a very cohesive and tight episode. I think the outlaw angle was there in order to show that life was hard for Troubleshoes and to make it so that he would have difficulty figuring out his true talent, but the town's side of it wasn't incorporated all that well into the moral, you know? It was more of a "don't judge people, for, um, property damage, because you didn't check to see if it was accidental".

 

And that doesn't have much to do with the struggle of your skills not matching up to your dreams and limiting yourself.

[aoEAF2FBvC0MIo2Q 3,671]

It was interesting if a bit underwhelming.

Lore is something I'm drawn to so learning more about how ponies relate to their cutie marks is what made the episode for me. The moral of the story is something I really liked.

 

Off Topic:

 

Funny... just last night I was working on the backstory of an OC of mine who also misunderstood the meaning of his cutie mark. Or rather, he lost sight of its meaning as he became more crazed and ambitious about his special talent.

 

[dekutree64 711]

 

As for the questions, it made me wonder how Equestria's system of government/laws actually work. It would appear to be a monarchy, yet the people of Appleoosa seem to be an authority unto themselves. That then raises the question of how much power the princesses actually have, and how often they exercise it.

 

I get the feeling that the princesses have absolute power (in the sense that the majority of Equestria will fight for them if they ask), but Celestia has done such a good job of cultivating a friendly society over the last 1000 years that they hardly ever have to use it. Pretty much the ideal form of government, acting as a guard against oppressive rulers, but for the most part keeping out of day to day life.