S05:E10 - Princess Spike

[JonasDarkmane 19,777]

I didn't really like the episode :T. It was veeeryyy predictable >:T.

[Thaliel 116]

Spike deserves to be something else than the klutz that always fails miserably.

[Mesme Rize 15,681]

True but I was more making note that some fans are using the excuse that because it was an episode dedicated to bronies and is a gift to the fans, that it somehow negates any criticism one has for the episode. I, for instant, have run into that when I expresses dissatisfaction with the episode and personally don't care for the 100th episode at all. 

 

So this is it, huh? We claim that Bronies are responsible for the "downfall" of the show?

 

Everyone is entitled to like what they like and hate what they hate, even if we don't sometimes understand their reasons. That's how the internet pretty much works.

[Dark Qiviut 22,177]

@@Justin_Case001, I'm not a fan of the Twilicorn, but nothing was her fault here besides working overtime. The fault is on the writers for making Canterlot behave as a hivemind toward royalty. When they believe Twilight said it, they believe she can do no wrong. (The Brooklyn and Fargo pony explicitly state this.) Some like the blue stallion with the curly hair relied on her word to not break up a friendship, which is just as shallow and pitiful as you can make it. Instead of acting like an ass toward a kid who can think for himself or be so complacent, why not trust his word, go to the other princesses instead, or think for themselves?

 

…

 

…Hold up! If that happened, then the whole plot collapses!

Edited June 21, 2015 by Dark Qiviut

[BritishBrony2012 722]

It okay, not great as Last episode (which I loved). Feel bad for Spike.

 

I do like this pony: http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/File:UUM2_ID_S5E10.pngshe remind me of Fleur Dis Lee.

[roptiriolg 49]

When I first saw the title of the episode thought Spike meets a female small dragon like him that was like him. I like the episode but of course nothing of the top quality, fine to have a calmer episode in a while.  And yeah those who like spike (too much) may hate this episode. Predictable most of it, though I admit I expected Spike to actually eat that statue than break it. Dragon's quest was maybe the best episode focused on Spike.

 

AHHHHH!!

 

LUNA!!

 

There can never be too much Luna  :comeatus:

Must have more of her.. I cannot .. r-r-r-esist! (Liked it 4/5 thx to Luna I didn't put it 3/5 )

[Cleverclover 1,525]

I just want to state again, I'm still on Team Twi, and I'm glad she's grown and evolved, I just think it would go a long way if the writers had her screw up once in awhile.  Y'know, like everyone else does.

 

I wouldn't count on it, honestly. Not when the show goes so far out of its way to ensure that she doesn't screw up.

 

In all seriousness though, I think that the attendees relied on Twilight's decisions mostly because she was the one coordinating the summit, rather than it having anything to do with her being a princess. But now that you mention it, yeah, they did seem to expect a certain level of perfection from her. 

 

Of course, had she been up and active, I'm certain that there definitely wouldn't have been a single issue to speak of. 

Edited June 21, 2015 by Cleverclover

[CastletonSnob 3,026]

Should they not make any more episodes of him?

[Luffyiscool 397]

He had a really strong showing at the end of season 4, and this one wasn't too bad either, just slowly paced.
He's currently doing alright, nowhere near owls well.

[Music Chart Fan 818]

Overall, this was another painful-to-watch Spike episode, with the usual mixture of stupidity, awkwardness, unfortunate circumstances, and mostly unfunny humor. I agree with other posters in this topic that Spike needs a character arc that would be developed in episodes that feature him, as opposed to Spike having more-or-less the same character flaws and being placed in similar situations in order to illustrate these flaws.

 

It seems that there's plenty of blame to go around for the events that transpired in this episode, and it'll take some time to try to sort through it all. First, how did all this begin? Well, Twilight stayed awake for three straight days preparing for the summit, and thus might have been on the verge of shutting down in exhaustion. Therefore Twilight, the organizer of the summit, had to spend time sleeping while the big event she organized was actually going on. So Twilight might deserve some blame for not delegating tasks, preparing earlier, and/or allowing time for sleep so that she would be able to oversee the actual event. We do have to wonder, though, how Twilight got in this situation. Did Twilight stubbornly insist on planning the summit herself and refuse help? Did the other princesses just dump the full responsibility for this event on the new Princess Twilight, and so Twilight was overwhelmed with keeping track of all the things that had to be planned? Maybe the other princesses deserve some blame, too, for (figuratively) throwing Twilight in the deep end and leaving her to figure it all out.

 

But regardless of the above, Twilight, Cadance, and Spike were in a situation where Twilight needed to sleep on the day of the summit. Cadance just bursts in, tells Spike to make sure Twilight isn't disturbed so she can get some rest for the welcome reception, and then assumedly leaves soon afterward. Really, Cadance, Twilight, and Spike needed to figure some things out first. At least one of them should have considered the possibility that the event organizer might be needed for any last-minute emergencies, and they should have planned what to do when such an emergency arises. Also, if Twilight had meetings scheduled for later in the day, they should have figured out whether it would be okay to cancel those meetings, reschedule them, or send someone else in Twilight's place (and brief him/her on what to do).

 

In regard to all of this, though, one thing we don't know is how long they all planned for Twilight to sleep. Did Cadance, Twilight, and Spike actually intend for Twilight to sleep the whole day? Was Twilight supposed to wake up in time to attend the scheduled meetings? We don't know. When Twilight eventually wakes up, she says that she and Spike have a lot to do, but she gives no other indication of how long she thinks she slept. It could be that Twilight was only planning on sleeping for a few hours (as might be implied by Twilight's statement about needing a "quick nap"), and Spike was supposed to wake her up, but Spike chose not to and to take on her responsibilities himself so that she could sleep longer. If this is the case, then Spike would deserve some blame for deviating from the plan and taking on Twilight's responsibilities when he wasn't expected to do so.

 

Of course, after Twilight is sleeping, Spike stupidly interprets Cadance's request that Twilight not be disturbed to mean that he needs to put a stop to all noise-producing outside activities. First, is any of that actually necessary? If Twilight had been staying awake for three days straight, I might think that she would be so tired that she would enter deep sleep almost immediately and may not even be disturbed by outside noise in the first place. But even if it appeared that outside noise was preventing her from sleeping, there would be other steps to take rather than what Spike did: closing the windows, getting Twilight earmuffs, using pillows as a sound barrier, etc.

 

Later, summit attendees start coming to Twilight's room asking for assistance. No doubt some of their concerns that they're bringing to Twilight are frivolous and reflect undue deference to the opinion of Princess Twilight, as well as an unwarranted expectation that she solve their problems when they should work them out themselves. To the extent that this happens, those summit attendees are also acting stupidly. However, some of the concerns being brought to Princess Twilight seem legitimate and appropriate to ask the organizer of the summit, and Cadance, Twilight, and Spike should have figured out a contingency plan for addressing these concerns if Twilight was going to sleep. Since Twilight was incapacitated, Spike decided to come up with his own answers to these concerns and pretend that they came from Princess Twilight, and Spike should take the responsibility for that bad decision. A better thing to do would have been to say that Princess Twilight is unavailable and then try to find one of the other princesses or another higher-up event manager to deal with these attendee concerns. However, I think that if Cadance (and possibly Twilight) was going to insist on Twilight sleeping, it would have been appropriate for Cadance to agree to answer event questions directed at Twilight, or to find someone else to do that, so I believe Cadance (and possibly Twilight) is deserving of some blame, as well.

 

One particularly baffling series of events is what happens after the main hall is flooded and an angry mob of attendees is out to give Princess Twilight a piece of their minds for her horrible decisions. At first, Spike apologizes to the mob and tries to tell them that they "have it all wrong", thus seemingly preparing to take the blame for the bad decisions himself. However, once the angry mob gets to Twilight's room, and Spike lets slip that Twilight is sleeping, Spike seems to abandon any plans to explain himself or take responsibility. Instead, he locks himself in Twilight's room and doesn't tell Twilight anything about the events that have transpired or why there's an angry mob outside her door. Then, when the mob gets in and starts interrogating Twilight, Spike is seen trying to climb out the window! Spike was seriously going to leave Twilight, who had no clue what had happened all day, to take the blame for his decisions, fend for herself, and clean up the (figurative, and possibly literal) mess he helped create! That just seems like an unbelievably jerk thing for Spike to do, especially to Twilight.

 

The supposed lessons that Spike learned in the episode - about not being selfish, not abusing his relationship with Princess Twilight, not getting carried away with his feeling of importance when speaking on behalf of Princess Twilight - seem a bit incongruent with the main events of the episode. Sure, we see Spike "living the good life" - getting a massage, cupcakes, a portrait of himself, etc. - by invoking the orders of Princess Twilight, but nothing really comes of Spike abusing his relationship with Twilight to do those things. The flooding of the main hall - perhaps the biggest disaster of the day - was a result of Spike's misguided actions to stop outside noise earlier, i.e., Spike's moving the polo game, stopping the trees from being trimmed, and stopping the water main from being fixed. Those actions, as well as Spike's attempts to resolve the summit attendee's issues himself, seem to be portrayed at the end of the episode as being primarily motivated by Spike's selfish desire to feel important and powerful; however, I think they could be seen as primarily well-intentioned (though also stupid). Even though we see Spike invoking the orders of Princess Twilight a little too gleefully, it isn't until Cadance suggests that Spike is enjoying speaking for Twilight that we see Spike outright abusing his position to obtain stuff for himself.

 

The more obvious moral I see in this episode is not to take on someone else's responsibilities if you can't actually handle it, especially without asking that person, since doing so can result in unintended consequences and in the original person having to deal with the fallout of your bad decisions. Also, when planning a large event, delegate responsibilities and have multiple people who know about your plans and would be able to handle emergencies in your absence.

 

Now a few more points that didn't fit in the above paragraphs:

 

At the beginning of the episode, why does Spike jerk on Twilight's tail and request to address the crowd if he has nothing good to say? Why is he trying to get the approval of a big crowd of strangers that wouldn't be expected to care about him, anyway? Obviously this isn't the first time Spike has painfully embarrassed himself in front of a huge audience of strangers as a result of insisting on going on stage with no plan. Maybe Spike should try to get attention and approval through means that wouldn't fail so spectacularly. 

 

After Cadance bursts into Twilight's room, she tells Spike that Twilight has been awake for three straight days preparing for the summit, but shouldn't Spike know that already? I guess it's just an awkward way to let the audience know of that fact.

 

In this episode, Spike has a sneezing problem (though this isn't the first time he's had one). We see Spike sneeze in (and burn) the groundskeeper pony's face, sneeze on the statue and cause it to fall apart, and it's implied at the end of the episode that he's about to sneeze on the statue again. Shouldn't Spike have learned, like all of us presumably have, to sneeze in a safe direction, especially since his sneezes result in magical fire? In the scene where he sneezes and breaks the statue, he actually turns in the direction of the statue before he sneezes. How hard is it for him to sneeze toward the ground or away from things around him?

 

Cadance "shuts off" the water main by plugging it with crystals, but wouldn't that just build water pressure until it bursts in even more spectacular fashion, or bursts at a different weaker point elsewhere in the line? Cadance's solution seems likely to cause more problems, unless she immediately went to stop the water from flowing through that pipe right afterward.

 

Spike using his bowl to "get rid of the water" is obviously futile and stupid, but what did Cadance think Spike would be able to do when she told him to do that? I guess Fancy Pants got rid of the water by opening the door, so I don't know, maybe Spike was supposed to do that.

 

At the end of the episode, Spike weirdly stops his apology to the crowd to start trying to put the statue back together. This goes with the whole resolution at the end of the episode feeling a little crammed and implausible.

 

And speaking of the statue, why is it that when Spike tries to rebuild it, it falls apart, but when the delegates rebuild it, it stays together? What is holding the gems together anyway?

 

Finally, would each of the delegates know where and how exactly the gem representing their city fits into the statue? Are they all aware of the design of the statue and where their cities' gems fit into it, or was the statue designed separately? If they all know the design of the statue, the dramatic reveal of it at the beginning of the episode would seem rather contrived.

[Little Red 1,529]

I enjoyed the episode, I guess. But I always enjoy the episodes. XD There was some funny and cute stuff, but mostly it was "cringe" and "oh my god, Spike, don't be stupid." I hope this is the last Spike episode we see like this, I'd like to see an episode where Spike does something useful, but in actual Equestria, unlike in "Power Ponies." Something like what happened in the Crystal Empire.

I was okay with this episode. It was fun to watch, but... they could have done better, you know?

[Time Shield 402]

When I saw the poll, I became nervous about the episode, but I actually enjoyed it. Something about it reminded me of the story and pacing of earlier episodes, which isn't a bad thing. I think the problem is, if Spike shows any flaws or the slightest mistreatment, fans just blow up for some reason. I guarantee no one would have had any issues with the episode if somepony like Rainbow Dash or Rarity were in Spike's place (which, come to think of it, would have been amusing as well).

[Megas 27,086]

When I saw the poll, I became nervous about the episode, but I actually enjoyed it. Something about it reminded me of the story and pacing of earlier episodes, which isn't a bad thing. I think the problem is, if Spike shows any flaws or the slightest mistreatment, fans just blow up for some reason. I guarantee no one would have had any issues with the episode if somepony like Rainbow Dash or Rarity were in Spike's place (which, come to think of it, would have been amusing as well).

Heavily disagree, if anything the reaction would've been a lot worse...especially with those two

[Kivil 1,721]

Forget Spike and Twi and Cadence, I wanted the super fancy and super duper lovely Fancy Pants! I love him he is my most favorite of all the ponies!

 

[Sectus 246]

I think we can all agree that this episode could have been far worse than it was, and there have been much worse episodes in the past. I tire, however, of repeatedly witnessing freakout after freakout in response to an episodes that is viewed as even slightly controversial.

[Cloud Strife 928]

I think that rather than leaving a sour taste in my mouth, this episode just more so reminds me of other episodes that do the same thing but better.

 

Want to depict Spike's greed? Secret to My Excess. Show him messing up spectacularly and then being forgiven for it, and having to forgive himself for it? Equestria Games. Show him just all around being a dunderhead and clumsy? Spike at Your Service. Hell, Equestria Games was even a really good episode, all things considered. He was also very well depicted in Castle Sweet Castle, being a vehicle for the plot without being a hindrance. It seemed as if they were trying to combine Secret to My Excess and Spike at Your Service in a way, but doing it sloppily as the "are you really doing it for Twilight's sake?" seemed simply tacked on, since Spike didn't even really start abusing his power until late in the episode, and those abuses of power weren't even that bad in comparison to what he did that was obviously with good intentions (e.g. stopping the construction worker).

 

I think what makes this episode fail aside from what I just stated and its general predictability, which isn't worth noting because predictability does not for a bad episode make, is that they actually had a pretty decent direction going at the very beginning of the episode. Spike wanted to feel valued and important, but this episode derails from that completely and doesn't address it, which leaves Spike back at square one of feeling like he shouldn't have any real bearing; in fact, by the end of the episode he feels like a complete failure and even more worthless than he did at the start. In fact, this is one consistent problem I have with the MLP writing staff in general because they've made this same mistake with Rainbow Dash; instead of nipping the problem in the bud that all of these characters have, that they need to stand out in order to be important to everypony else, they instead focus their morals on their actions which are only as a result of that hidden desire being acted out. Spike and Rainbow Dash share that trait in common that they have an incredible desire to be needed and admired by other people, which in itself isn't inherently a bad thing, but it makes you wonder why they're so insecure about it - do they not receive enough validation of their worth? Spike is outright ignored in favor of Twilight, and Rainbow is often "knocked down a peg"; it's almost as if the desire to be recognized in itself is being attacked by the MLP staff at this point, and I find this much, much more upsetting to think about than whether or not Spike was "competent" in this episode.

 

Hell, I don't care if Spike messes up for several episodes to come, because he's flawed and that's going to happen, especially in episodes where he is the focus; it happens to every character, after all. (Not that I don't understand complaints about it, mind, as it can get redundant.) No, what I'm worried about is this overtly obvious focus on the fact that he's trying to step out of line and do something new, and that's branded as selfish somehow. He's putting himself out there because he wants to do something important, much like other motivated characters (I said Rainbow Dash, but Rarity also counts, and Pinkie Pie and even Twilight Sparkle on occasion) and nearly every time a character wants attention or recognition for what they've done, it's made out to be this bad thing, which I feel sends a very negative message to the target audience. See, girls are often put down for being confident, for wanting a taste of the good life, for wanting to be noticed, and it bothers me that the show is sending the same kind of message that's already beaten into us from the moment we can walk and talk.

 

I feel that I would rather have had an episode that, rather than emphasizing on Spike apparently "abusing" his relationship with Twilight, addresses these insecurities of not feeling as important as Twilight, of not being recognized for who he is as an individual. It really seemed like the episode was going to go in that direction, too, which leaves me feeling disappointed in the aftermath. Children don't need to be told that they shouldn't want to be as successful as someone else, because that's not going to stop them. Spike may still feel neglected after this episode. It was the symptom of the problem, not the problem itself, that was addressed.

[StitchandMLPlover 930]

The supposed lessons that Spike learned in the episode - about not being selfish, not abusing his relationship with Princess Twilight, not getting carried away with his feeling of importance when speaking on behalf of Princess Twilight - seem a bit incongruent with the main events of the episode. Sure, we see Spike "living the good life" - getting a massage, cupcakes, a portrait of himself, etc. - by invoking the orders of Princess Twilight, but nothing really comes of Spike abusing his relationship with Twilight to do those things. The flooding of the main hall - perhaps the biggest disaster of the day - was a result of Spike's misguided actions to stop outside noise earlier, i.e., Spike's moving the polo game, stopping the trees from being trimmed, and stopping the water main from being fixed. Those actions, as well as Spike's attempts to resolve the summit attendee's issues himself, seem to be portrayed at the end of the episode as being primarily motivated by Spike's selfish desire to feel important and powerful; however, I think they could be seen as primarily well-intentioned (though also stupid). Even though we see Spike invoking the orders of Princess Twilight a little too gleefully, it isn't until Cadance suggests that Spike is enjoying speaking for Twilight that we see Spike outright abusing his position to obtain stuff for himself.   The more obvious moral I see in this episode is not to take on someone else's responsibilities if you can't actually handle it, especially without asking that person, since doing so can result in unintended consequences and in the original person having to deal with the fallout of your bad decisions. Also, when planning a large event, delegate responsibilities and have multiple people who know about your plans and would be able to handle emergencies in your absence.

Exactly! The episode seems very unbalanced and off. After watching the episode again this morning I noticed that it seemed like the writer wanted to subtlety progress Spike's enjoyment of the power slowly with the line "I can tell them anything as long as they think it came from Twilight" etc but things actually happened to quickly out of left field for it to be effective. The idea might have worked if executed better. Ironically I enjoyed Spike more on a 2nd viewing of this episode. He came across more loyal and actually cute and for most of the episode he had no idea how to fix things and was desperate, not greedy. Your moral would be much better for the episode.   

Edited June 22, 2015 by StitchandMLPlover

[Lambdadelta 1,462]

I want less Spike, more Twilight. Spike should be the sidekick not a leading character, and Twilight should have more her own episode just like season 1, 2 not a BACKGROUND character.and the last thing ,Twilight ep need to be written Meghan

[Sig Hoovestrong 837]

I think was fair enough episode. Not much making me engage in story. But was nevertheless cool with another Spike episode. But felt i would like know about the respective ponies of equestria. However am glad fancy pants got another show apprents scenes. Well when was it last we saw him. I think was in Suited for Success. That one Rarity episode.

[ManaMinori 4,144]

I just feel so bad for Spike. My heart goes out to him. Really and truly. The little guy IS Twilight's Royal assistant, and no one- aside from the Crystal Empire ponies- could give two bucks about what he ha to say or help in any way. All those delegates in the episode were from all different cities of Equestria, and no one gives a flying feather about the Royal Princess' assistant who's job is to ASSIST. It's rude, it's hurtful, and I can completely understand why poor Spike felt the way he did in this episode, and why he got carried away with it. If being a Princess is the only way to get ponies to respect you, in all of Equestria, then it's understandable why he let the power go to his head. He doesn't get that kind of recognition often, except in the Crystal Empire, which he's only been two twice, from what we've seen. His own friends constantly call and treat him like a baby, and leave him out of their adventures. Life itself treats Spike like a punching bag or a buttmonkey. Poor dragon can't catch a break, and only wants respect, recognition, and to feel like he's being helpful. Can he get carried away with it, and crack under pressure, eventually making bad decisions that blow up in his face? At times, yes. (see this episode, Spike at Your Service, and Equestria Games) But that doesn't make him any less of a developed character; and in fact, only adds more depth to his already complex characterization.

 

On another note: Fluffy Clouds is a dick D:<

[Prince Firemane 309]

I thought this episode was decent despite it was yet another episode showing that Spike can't even have an original thought anymore without taking it several steps too far.

 

But I think the thing that I find most jarring is the fact that Equestria seems to be the entire world as opposed to a single country. There were delegates from cities all over Equestria; but there were also delegates from the Crystal Empire and Griffonstone, both have been shown to be separate political entities from Equestria proper. Were they both annexed into Equestria? The Crystal Empire didn't have any political rule when it returned and Cadance could be seen as Celesta's benevolent extension into the Empire. Griffonstone still doesn't have any political rule so how extensive is Celestia's influence? Are the Griffons more willing to accept her help now that they've been exposed to true friendship?

 

And where does that leave the likes of Maretonia and Saddle Arabia? They have their own rulers, yet are they merely provinces that answer to Celestia?

 

Celestia and Luna, due to their astronomic duties, do actually have control over the entire pony world. How much they exercise that control is up for debate but it's episodes like this that really make me wonder about the Equestrian world's political status. Is it really a peaceful united nations like it appears or do Celestia and Luna peacefully... well, piece out the world as provinces that in turn answer to them?

[Zhortac 1,473]

This episode was garbage. Equestria is populated by idiots, who are lucky if they can use the bathroom without needing to ask Princess Twilight...
And Spike looked like a total and complete retard.
And wtf were the other three princesses doing? Cadance wanted Twilight to get some rest, so why didn't she delegate some of the crap? Or get Luna to finally do something for once, and get Celestia to help?
And that ending...I know this show is targeted for kids, but my gawd...that ending lessons is something you'd see in a show for toddlers on PBS...

[Qsphere580&9/5 10]

not usually a fan of Spike episodes, but i liked this episode. Sure I kinda figured out what would happen. Spike had good intentions, but the power got to his head. I did love seeing Fancy Pants. I really liked the ending when spike tried to repair the statue and everypony helped rebuild it. 

[Miles 2,512]

The lack of people understanding the basis of the show itself is beyond me... People, each episode relays a lesson.  Something that kids can relate to.  

Do you really think there aren't any kids (or adults) out there that have been given a task they weren't prepared for?

Oh right; of course there have.

So I say, if you're going to judge via in depth analysis, at least understand the core foundation of the lessons MLP brings us with each episode.

---

But I'm not a criticizing analyst of the like anyway.  I enjoy the show for its entertainment, its cuteness, and its morals too.  I thought this episode was fun, funny, and overall entertaining.  Sure, it wasn't as good as some of the previous episodes in season 5, but it wasn't a bad episode to me.  

Spike is still young, folks.  Saying he should have learned his lesson in previous episodes is the same as thinking kids will listen when you tell them just one time to not eat a cookie before dinner.

If you think kids learn responsibility in a day, you're obviously either not old enough to fathom the truth of the matter, or, you're a little naive.  

Plus, Spike is still a dragon, y'know!  And with dragonblood comes the trait of being too easily swayed by jealousy and narcissism.  Now I'm not saying he can't move beyond that in his life; I'm saying he's just more prone to succumbing to such things.

---

And remember, folks:

"Just put the hay in the apple and eat the candle."

All these years I've been putting the hay in the barn, eating the apple, and lighting the candle.  Can't believe I've been doing it wrong for all this time.

 

~ Miles

[Arylett Charnoa 4,919]

I have no real emotions about it. it just sort of happened, and it was bland. But it wasn't as bad as the vitriol I've seen about it. In fact, I tolerated it much more than the last episode. That episode was overly fudgy cake. This? This was sand. But if I eat overly fudgy cake, I throw up because it's just way too much. So I'd rather eat sand.

 

Honestly though, I don't really care about Spike one way or the other. He's just kind of there, and his design isn't as appealing as ponies or adult dragons. So most of his episodes get this response out of me. Even though this one was contrived and not too great on the writing side, it's just about as good as every other children's show I've seen. The same cliches I've come to expect that even MLP spews out 70% of the time. Except they stuck them all into one episode that was 99% formulaic. The only thing that surprised me was the abrupt ending. it was more akin to a sitcom than a cartoon or MLP. 

 

I don't really feel like he was being an idiot except when he made decisions like the water main valve and the trees. And those were his main downfall, which makes sense even if it happened suddenly and in a contrived way. Though honestly, I blame Princess Cadance and the others for just foisting all of this on Twilight and not being helpful whatsoever. Spike's just some idiot child - so of course he's going to screw up. But since this episode emphasizes the Princesses taking responsibility and making decisions, then I really think that they should've been scolded and forced to apologize just as much as Spike for allowing this to happen.