S05:E09 - Slice of Life

[Grtxkkyz 388]

SWEET MONKEY JESUS! That episode sure was astonishing! It was insanely sweet to take a look at the crazy little adventures of all those pretty background equines. Bon Bon being a freaking Mare in Black (funnily enough, it's Lyra the most normal one in the relationship), The Doctor being, well, the Doctor, complete with his classic catchphrases and neat references, with some Doc Brown thrown in, Derpy gloriously speaking once again (with a voice similar to some fandom interpretations) and being Whooves' companion (with some Ship tease to boot), Octavia and DJ P0n3 being roomies and making awesome music, the Big Lebowski ponies behaving like their counterparts... the list is HUGE. It's safe to assume lots of bronies and pegasisters got happily satisfied with their headcanons. The Bugbear is one fine monster as well (with another hilarious pun behind it too), and the wedding between Cranky and Matilda was lovely, as well as the Mayor's speech. Twilight is indeed right about being lucky to live with her friends in Ponyville.

 

Also, hooray for random changeling. And Featherweight getting sprayed with ink.

[LHfunk 422]

Now that Gummy is confirmed to be sentient, there are some old scenes that suddenly got weirder.

 

Yep, that definitely makes it weird, but probably not how your thinking it. I'm thinking it as he's just inner-monologueing to whatever is happening to him. Like, weird stuff about bubbles and bathtubs and, well, what's in the bathtub.

[cider float 2,537]

A lot of people give this episode a 10/10 strictly because it was about the background ponies.

To me, that's just stupid.

They would give it 10/10 if Muffins said one sentence throughout the entire episode.

[Sectus 246]

Everyone else is arguing about whether this episode was worthy of being an episode, and I'm just sitting here waiting for a brony singer to compose a parody of the Secret Agent Man theme with 'Secret Agent Mare' featuring Bon Bon.

[cuteycindyhoney 13,306]

I saw the thread title, and one thought burned bright. How awesome would it have been if Clint Eastwood voiced that Gummy monolog? Personally, I gave it a 10/10 too, due to the humor of the episode. Derpy playing with the Van der graaf generator, and then pretending to fly the Doc's model plane was simply adorable. Applebloom stating that a friendship problem would be settled in about a half hour was pure comic gold. I absolutely loved Vinyl and Octavia's duet! The Wub-Mobile jumping the shark was a nice touch! Special Agent Sweetie Drops needs her own episode! I want to see her come out of retirement to help the mane six battle monsters!

[MLPFanatic34 3,234]

I give it a 10/10 because of the humor and amount of references shown in the episode plus the overall story of Cranky and Matilda getting married. I love them as characters and a couple and was glad to see them finally get hitched.

[Time Shield 402]

Now that Gummy is confirmed to be sentient, there are some old scenes that suddenly got weirder.

 

 

Look closely at the pictures of Gummy in that scene compared to any other pictures of Gummy in any of his other appearances.  It's the only time we've ever seen him smile.

[Sidral Mundet 1,666]

Meh, 5/10 for me. It's okay, (i've said my piece elsewhere, so I'll only repeat if asked)  Though I am a bit sadden that this is your favorite episode, but hey it's your opinion and I'm glad you enjoyed it. 

[Xenomorphic 362]

It was FUnny but iit was a bit of a CLuster Of Fan service don't ya admit?

[Sidral Mundet 1,666]

you're completely ignoring that everything the townsponies did was for the wedding. For Cranky and Matilda. Bon Bon and Lyra decorating the Town Hall for the wedding. Octavia and Vinyl composing the wedding music for the wedding. Derpy trying to fix her mistake with the wedding invitations. The Doctor being there, explaining science, and contributing with his flameless fireworks. All for the wedding. All the characters being there and their own little slice of life stories added up to the final event that made the wedding a success. It was an episode that showed all what went into the last minute chaos of trying to move a wedding up a day, and all the planning that initially went into it. Cranky and Matilda didn't NEED to be the focus, because it takes more than 2 characters to put a wedding together. It takes more than the Bride and Groom to make it happen. There's the caterers, the florists, the post office workers, the DJ's, all the guests, ect. And that's exactly what MLP showed in this episode.

 

But even if, EVEN IF you choose to ignore all of that you can't sit there and say that characters and story didn't come first. Cranky and Matilda got more characterization. We got to see that Cranky has a side to him that isn't just cranky, but appreciative of what the townsponies are doing for him. We learn that Matilda is very much like Twilight, who can crack and panic under pressure with deadlines (as we saw in Lesson Zero); along with a bit of Rarity, in being dramatic. So did Amethyst Star, where we learn that she used to be Ponyville's best organizer, until Twi came and usurped her. We also got a deeper look into Derpy and the Doctor's character development. As well as Octavia's and Vinyl's. Even Celestia and Luna, which many people have been begging for. Many of the background Characters were given more bits of personality with this episode. The comedy was heavy-handed, but that wasn't all there was to the episode.

Personally I don't see it that way, at least not to your degree. In my opinion most of the personality were one note. Matida's worried.  The Doctor's quirky. Amethyst Star only got two lines. Now I can see what you're getting at but for me there wasn't enough of that and once again the overly heavy amounts of humor and references didn't quite do it for me.  But I'll keep repeating this :IT WAS AN OKAY EPISODE. I LIKED IT BUT IT'S NOT PUSHING MY TOP 50. Sorry if I'm coming across as rude or aggressive, I have no intention of that, nor do I wish to dissuade anyone from their opinions but simply to explain my own viewpoint on the episode.

 

 

I don't know exactly what you mean by "This is why it's not an MLP episode to me."

 

If you meant you won't consider it canon, I have bad news for you.

 

If you meant episode strays away from what MLPFIM episodes typically are, I suppose that's how it should be taken because it was more specifically made Bronies. But good news for you is that this sort of episode will either never happen again or won't happen for very long time which I think is suitable because 100th episode would lose its charm (at least if you ask me) if they made episodes like this the norm.

Definitely the latter. I really hope it's a one time thing. I think the show in general would lose all it's charm if the 100th episode was the norm.  That's why I'm not a big fan of this episode. 

[ginger468 47]

It was FUnny but iit was a bit of a CLuster Of Fan service don't ya admit?

Yeah it had alot of fanservice but it's kinda cool to think it was there because one brony said THATS ONE NAME'S DERPY AND SHE LIKES MUFFINS!

[Cwanky 17,567]

A lot of people give this episode a 10/10 strictly because it was about the background ponies.

To me, that's just stupid.

I dunno I might give it a 10/10, not because of the background ponies, but because of the best beast, background alicorns and d'aww donkeys.

 

The background ponies were nice, but ultimately this episode was about Cranky and Matilda for me.

[The Seventh Octave 26]

Bloody hell this was a fun episode. 

[KatonRyu 1,033]

For me it's 9.5/10 because I was really hoping to hear Vinyl's voice, but aside from that I loved everything else about it. I like how Lyra and Bon Bon are pretty much a canon ship and that Derpy and Doctor Whooves are friends. I also loved Gummy's monologue. Honestly, for me this was the best episode of the season so far.

[Kerberossz 1,929]

10/10 and I haven't even liked the BG ponies before, I mean I didn't understand the adoration. Octavia was the only one I found interesting but just only her appearence. After seeing the episode I have to admit, with these concepts about the characters, I like for example Derpy. So the episode was good but not cuz they showed the BG ponies, it was full fanservice yes, but it was fun and had good jokes and that was the whole point.

[Smurfenstein 94]

Not gonna lie, I was constantly laughing during this episode.

 

Derpy's solution to Cranky's complaint being to offer him a muffin; Applebloom's "half hour or so" comment; the jam session; the princesses bickering; Doctor Hooves at the bowling alley ("What is this word you keep saying? Man?")

 

I thought the whole thing was really well written, especially Mayor Mare's speech about everypony playing a part. It really did feel like Hasbro had gone out of their way, not only to acknowledge the brony/Internet community, but thank them.

 

My one nitpick, as ginger468 mentioned, was Twilight's part right at the end. Although in hindsight I think that may have been more for the little girls watching. They're the demographic after all, so there should be something for them too.

 

Overall, a highlight in the series. I think the best of Season 5 so far, and in my personal Top 10 episodes list.

[Abstract 832]

Meh, 5/10 for me. It's okay, (i've said my piece elsewhere, so I'll only repeat if asked)  Though I am a bit sadden that this is your favorite episode, but hey it's your opinion and I'm glad you enjoyed it. 

Soooo yeah, I'm actually going to ask you to repeat it.

 

I enjoyed the episode well enough I suppose - like everyone has mentioned, it was pretty well done with the references. The ceaseless fan service honestly bothered me a bit, though; I mean, I feel like that was basically made the entire point of the episode and I had hoped that it wouldn't be.

 

At least the story was sort of a continuation from a previous episode (Not really, but I can't at the moment figure out the right way to put it) and done well for what it's worth. Overall, I'd give it a 6/1o. Not great, but definitely watchable and will watch again.

 

Gummy's monolouge was fucking hilarious though.

[cuteycindyhoney 13,306]

Yeah it had alot of fanservice but it's kinda cool to think it was there because one brony said THATS ONE NAME'S DERPY AND SHE LIKES MUFFINS!

I simply love how they decided to let Derpy be the pony the fans imagined her to be.

[Sunny Fox 5,950]

Despite my earlier post, I actually don't hate this episode. <--- Link to review, if you want more info.

[Justin_Case001 4,881]

Brilliant episode.  My full review is in the episode discussion thread.

 

They should have actually gotten Jeff Bridges for the Dude, though.  And Morgan Freeman for Gummy.  Lastly, I really think they should have ended the episode in the bowling alley with a ponified Sam Elliot, actually voiced by Sam Elliot, doing a version of The Dude Abides speech.  Not sure which pony it would be about, though.  Maybe Derpy.  Maybe the Doctor.

[Mr. Mustang 647]

It was good! I absolutely loved it! I can't tell you how many references to the fandom I found.

 

Edit:

 

 

I just remembered, the end where Celestia and Luna were trying to blame each other for forgetting the wedding gift. It's nice to see that the immortal princesses still have their flaws and sibling rivalry.

 

Edited June 17, 2015 by Mustang D

[Steve Piranha 29,419]

Now that I've watched the episode (fantastic one btw ), it's time to see all the butthurt peeps. It'll be a show by itself .

Too bad that you missed Twilicorn, EG, and Flash Sentry stealing waifus freakouts, those were far funnier 

[inakilbss 0]

Too bad that you missed Twilicorn, EG, and Flash Sentry stealing waifus freakouts, those were far funnier 

Yeah, I wasn't a brony back then, but it's been months since I caught up on all first 4 seasons. I can't understand the hate.

[Sidral Mundet 1,666]

Soooo yeah, I'm actually going to ask you to repeat it.

 

I enjoyed the episode well enough I suppose - like everyone has mentioned, it was pretty well done with the references. The ceaseless fan service honestly bothered me a bit, though; I mean, I feel like that was basically made the entire point of the episode and I had hoped that it wouldn't be.

 

At least the story was sort of a continuation from a previous episode (Not really, but I can't at the moment figure out the right way to put it) and done well for what it's worth. Overall, I'd give it a 6/1o. Not great, but definitely watchable and will watch again.

 

Gummy's monolouge was fucking hilarious though.

This episode was a fun and lighthearted romp which didn't ask itself to be taken too seriously, but it didn't contain the characters or strengths of the show which I fell in love with and what admire the show deeply for withing it, which would normally put the episode somewhere around a 7/10 for me but the reliance on zany and referential humor (the former is not my cup of tea and the latter should not really be a part of the show IMO) and the abysmal way the show treated the Mane 6 in the episode (once again IMO) caused my to rate this episode lower. While not bad, it's certainly not a highlight or pinnacle of what the show is. 

[ginger468 47]

They would give it 10/10 if DERPY said one sentence throughout the entire episode.

There fixed it.  Its derpy not muffins.