S06:E14 - The Cart Before The Ponies

[Summer Wish 102]

IMO, the only reason this episode is getting "hate" these days insetad of say if it happened in season 2 or 3, is because the fan base KNOWS the show is coming to and end, SOON!

 

With maybe one more season and then the 2017 film to wrap up FIM (my guess), any sort of "filler" episode is "bad".

 

Like it, dislike it, imo, just be happy we got to see elements of the past seasons SHOWN again in reference....

 

 

DEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPY!

 

:Rarity hoof shake:

[Babyyoshi309 1,829]

Did anyone feel like the swan car was kind of cheaty with the wings that blocked people?

[dekutree64 713]

But the cart looks nothing like a chicken. It was clearly a Phoenix!

 

Yeah, the final cart was a phoenix, but she did try to put a chicken head on Dash's fast cart, was was almost certainly a reference to the meme (which was spawned by Stare Master when Apple Bloom calls her a chicken)

[Scootaloo Is Best Filly 578]

Meh!!! It wasn't like a bad episode but, there was nothing remarkable about it. With every show there are gonna be episodes that bomb. Applejack, rainbow dash and AJ were completely out of character. All in all, other then the song, nothing to write home about we never even found out who won the race.

[Dark Qiviut 22,396]

I'm a little over halfway through.

 

All of their motivations have some logic behind them. Rarity wanted to avenge her runner-up status. Rainbow Dash...well, you know. Applejack wanted to maintain the annual Apple tradition of traditional carts. But the ReMane Three are completely absentminded of what their partners want that for them to stay blindly stubborn in their lust for the prizes makes them look dumb. Applejack really sounded like a horse's rear end to Apple Bloom while preparing the cart.

[Babyyoshi309 1,829]

tbh, they're mostly controversial because of the execution. Withe Twilicorn, it was mostly because the episode felt rushed and the reasons for Twilight ascending didn't feel like there was much weight to it. Larson himself admitted that there was more work he could've put into it 

 

And people have been wanting to see Dash become a Wonderbolt for the longest time, the problem though is that it felt like the writers went out of their way to make sure it was as unsatisfying as possible, from the anticlimactic way she becomes a WB, to the plot spending most of the time humiliating Dash on what was supposed to be her biggest accomplishment. Like seriously I can't believe they looked at the goddamn script and thought "yup, this will make everyone happy!"

 

The CMC getting their Cutie Marks doesn't get much heat because it actually had effort put into it

 

Really? I would like to see you do better! What were you expecting? You might be able to make a few minor adjustments, but not make a new great episode from scratch! They put just as much effort into the CMC episode as they did the other two, they just got different results. Don't get angry at other people for doing something bad unless you could do it better yourself! 

Meh!!! It wasn't like a bad episode but, there was nothing remarkable about it. With every show there are gonna be episodes that bomb. Applejack, rainbow dash and AJ were completely out of character. All in all, other then the song, nothing to write home about we never even found out who won the race.

 

See, this guys has the right idea! Not every episode will be a masterpiece! Also, we did not get to see who won because there was a half hour time limit to episode length. A bunch of episodes in MLP could be entire movies, but they have to cut them short because they only have a half an hour.

[TheAnimatorOfficial 567]

The very likely reason season 6 isn't as good as the previous seasons is because the best writers are working on the movie.

[Midnight Seashell 206]

Go Speedracer go jokes aside I like how Rainbow,Rarity and Applejack made their carts based on speed,style and tradition respectively and the life lesson that is don't assume higher ups are correct every single time.

[Prospekt 11,018]

I enjoyed this episode... 

 

I also appear to be in the minority here because I really don't think anypony was out of character. I don't expect the most flawless version of each character to be the one that appears in each episode, because when that is the case, they just don't seem all that genuine to me. I enjoy when the writers let the characters show their flaws, because the moment a character becomes a Mary Sue is the moment that I write them off as uninteresting.

 

Rainbow Dash is competitive. She's always been competitive. Trying to change that removes an essential trait of her personality.

 

Rarity is creative. Countless Rarity episodes have emphasized this.

 

Applejack loves her family traditions. As far as we've seen, she has always been this way.

 

Now was this episode perfect? Of course not. I felt it ended a little too quickly and I would've enjoyed seeing the CMC put those new cutie marks to good use. Maybe it would've been a wise choice to give Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon a greater role too, since we've seen so little of them since they were "reformed." It was nice to see Cheerilee again and overall, I'd give this one an 8/10. Not great, but certainly not a bad episode by any means.

[BlackWater627 700]

SPOILER ALERT!!! I really liked and related to this episode. I thought it was adorable! The lesson was great. I really related to the CMC here because I have had certain people in my life who tried to force their own ideas onto me in much the same way Rarity,Applejack, and Rainbow did here. Just like in the episode when I listened to someone else's instinct instead of my own instincts everything went straight to HELL. I loved that the lesson was that older ponies don't always know better because this is so true! I thought the writers made really good use of each character, and their albeit short interactions with the CMC. The class physics scene was actually like my college classes which was hilarious. I enjoyed Applejack's stubbornness and loved the flashbacks with Rarity and Rainbow Dash. Why didn't Applejack get a flashback? The song was cute. The only things I wish they would have done is maybe have the crusaders voice their concerns more loudly but have the adults still not listen as this was more my experience but that is just me. The other thing I wonder about is how the heck did Scootaloo get up to Rainbow's house if she cannot fly? Maybe Rainbow carried her? I loved that Rainbow and Scootaloo did something together again. 

Agreed, agreed, agreed...are we the same person? 

 

Scoots got a Rainbow Ride™ up to Dashie's cloud cottage. 

 

 

 

It's better than nothing! ;p

*gives you Scootaloo's Chicken Phoenix Kart* 

 

 

 

yo anypony else stay up late to watch the livestream? its 3am here XP totally worth it might i add.

It was 8:30am for me so no issue but I HAVE stayed up to 5-6am for a pony mare-a-thon livestream before. I wouldn't recommend it though. There's a big chance you'll end up making...ugh...friends.  :awuh:

 

Edited August 6, 2016 by BlackWater627

[ph00tbag 108]

You know, this episode really touches on an aspect of adulthood that's often overlooked. Experience has its own set of blinders, and they often leave adults unaware of how their actions are perceived by the young people around them. It's incredible how easy it is for us to forget what the generation gap looks like from the other side. Generation X was furious throughout their youth that the Boomers repeatedly accused them of being lazy, disrespectful, and whiny, and now Gen X says the same thing about Millennials. On the same gear (it begins), it's easy to see how easily RD, AJ, and Rarity would lose sight of what the derby was really about. It's not that they've not ever felt like a third wheel (har har) themselves, it's that there's some weird blind spot (oh dear) that makes theory of mind weaker when dealing with younger generations, and from the older side, it can be surprisingly difficult to see when it's time to let go of the wheel, and let the younger generation drive (I can't control it anymore). It's not like RD, AJ, and Rarity don't know what they're doing is wrong; When the consequences of their selfishness are laid at their own feet, though, they immediately able to empathize, and they don't need an explanation of what they did wrong--indeed, they provided much of the rationale for why they ought to have taken a back seat (send help). They were just exhibiting a common trait of the generation gap. So I don't really see it as out of character at all. The way RD, AJ, and Rarity act is downright typical of adults when interacting with youngsters.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this episode. It wasn't one of the best episodes, but it was really cute, and the song was one of the best this season. Derpy winning most creative as a foal had me in stitches. My favorite aspect of this episode, though, was Anderson's motif of playing incidental hits whenever Rarity said, "big, and bold." He even repeated it with noticeably less verve when Sweetie Belle mimicked her sister, but without the same enthusiasm. Everyone sleeps on William Anderson, but he consistently delivers in this show.

 

Also, lol at Scootaloo's chicken cart.

Edited August 6, 2016 by ph00tbag

[twiia 1,843]

This episode was actually pretty good. Nice friendship lesson

[FrozenTear7 40]

I really liked the episode ^^ It's not 10/10, but it really had a great story and a nice moral. I think we all can learn something from it. Also it was just one of these episodes where there isn't anything too deep you can just sit and have a laugh.

It was kinda predictable ofc, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. The song was the cherry on top of everything and added to the awesomeness. It was really catchy. It wasn't top notch This day aria style, but still of the better ones in the show.

I got emotional with the characters and got hooked to the story. Definitely one of the cooler episodes ever

Let's just hope that future episodes can be just as good as this one.

[Ashen Pathfinder 16,161]

You know, this episode really touches on an aspect of adulthood that's often overlooked. Experience has its own set of blinders, and they often leave adults unaware of how their actions are perceived by the young people around them. It's incredible how easy it is for us to forget what the generation gap looks like from the other side. Generation X was furious throughout their youth that the Boomers repeatedly accused them of being lazy, disrespectful, and whiny, and now Gen X says the same thing about Millennials. On the same gear (it begins), it's easy to see how easily RD, AJ, and Rarity would lose sight of what the derby was really about. It's not that they've not ever felt like a third wheel (har har) themselves, it's that there's some weird blind spot (oh dear) that makes theory of mind weaker when dealing with younger generations, and from the older side, it can be surprisingly difficult to see when it's time to let go of the wheel, and let the younger generation drive (I can't control it anymore). It's not like RD, AJ, and Rarity don't know what they're doing is wrong; When the consequences of their selfishness are laid at their own feet, though, they immediately able to empathize, and they don't need an explanation of what they did wrong--indeed, they provided much of the rationale for why they ought to have taken a back seat (send help). They were just exhibiting a common trait of the generation gap. So I don't really see it as out of character at all. The way RD, AJ, and Rarity act is downright typical of adults when interacting with youngsters.

 

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this episode. It wasn't one of the best episodes, but it was really cute, and the song was one of the best this season. Derpy winning most creative as a foal had me in stitches. My favorite aspect of this episode, though, was Anderson's motif of playing incidental hits whenever Rarity said, "big, and bold." He even repeated it with noticeably less verve when Sweetie Belle mimicked her sister, but without the same enthusiasm. Everyone sleeps on William Anderson, but he consistently delivers in this show.

 

Also, lol at Scootaloo's chicken cart.

 

 

 

Gotta say that's an interesting perspective to have, and I can see it applying in real life. Nice thoughts.

[BlackWater627 700]

You know, this episode really touches on an aspect of adulthood that's often overlooked. Experience has its own set of blinders, and they often leave adults unaware of how their actions are perceived by the young people around them. It's incredible how easy it is for us to forget what the generation gap looks like from the other side. Generation X was furious throughout their youth that the Boomers repeatedly accused them of being lazy, disrespectful, and whiny, and now Gen X says the same thing about Millennials. On the same gear (it begins), it's easy to see how easily RD, AJ, and Rarity would lose sight of what the derby was really about. It's not that they've not ever felt like a third wheel (har har) themselves, it's that there's some weird blind spot (oh dear) that makes theory of mind weaker when dealing with younger generations, and from the older side, it can be surprisingly difficult to see when it's time to let go of the wheel, and let the younger generation drive (I can't control it anymore). It's not like RD, AJ, and Rarity don't know what they're doing is wrong; When the consequences of their selfishness are laid at their own feet, though, they immediately able to empathize, and they don't need an explanation of what they did wrong--indeed, they provided much of the rationale for why they ought to have taken a back seat (send help). They were just exhibiting a common trait of the generation gap. So I don't really see it as out of character at all. The way RD, AJ, and Rarity act is downright typical of adults when interacting with youngsters.

 

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this episode. It wasn't one of the best episodes, but it was really cute, and the song was one of the best this season. Derpy winning most creative as a foal had me in stitches. My favorite aspect of this episode, though, was Anderson's motif of playing incidental hits whenever Rarity said, "big, and bold." He even repeated it with noticeably less verve when Sweetie Belle mimicked her sister, but without the same enthusiasm. Everyone sleeps on William Anderson, but he consistently delivers in this show.

 

Also, lol at Scootaloo's chicken cart.

...those puns....you're really on track.

 

 <3

 

I enjoyed this episode... 

 

I also appear to be in the minority here because I really don't think anypony was out of character. I don't expect the most flawless version of each character to be the one that appears in each episode, because when that is the case, they just don't seem all that genuine to me. I enjoy when the writers let the characters show their flaws, because the moment a character becomes a Mary Sue is the moment that I write them off as uninteresting.

 

Rainbow Dash is competitive. She's always been competitive. Trying to change that removes an essential trait of her personality.

 

Rarity is creative. Countless Rarity episodes have emphasized this.

 

Applejack loves her family traditions. As far as we've seen, she has always been this way.

 

Now was this episode perfect? Of course not. I felt it ended a little too quickly and I would've enjoyed seeing the CMC put those new cutie marks to good use. Maybe it would've been a wise choice to give Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon a greater role too, since we've seen so little of them since they were "reformed." It was nice to see Cheerilee again and overall, I'd give this one an 8/10. Not great, but certainly not a bad episode by any means.

That's a good point. It might make sense for them to get carried away if they had such strong memories of their own past participation. And it seemed like they were jumping on the opportunity because they all wanted to relive it. As for Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, yes. I really want that episode. 

Edited August 6, 2016 by BlackWater627

[Fluttershyfan94 5,742]

I enjoyed the theme of this one, was expecting maybe wacky races references. Really liked how much Rainbow Dash was rooting for Scootaloo.

[Odd Ball 231]

I just realized something, the older ponies missed out on the second race with the fillies because of Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Rarity.

[Batbrony 16,054]

 

Alright, good afternoon everypony, apologies for taking some time to get around to this review.  This morning we got what I would call an average episode with an exceptional ending, at least by Season 6 standards.  That's not to say I didn't enjoy "The Cart Before the Ponies," but it hit beats that were very predictable in many regards, as we'll see.  Without further ado, let's begin, this is "The Cart Before the Ponies."

 

So this episode's biggest problem really comes down to the type of story it's telling.  We've seen this story in a million different ways before, the "older sibling/parent helping out the youngster with something, and getting carried away by their own ambitions/nostalgia and in the process forgetting what the activity's really about" storyline.  It's not a story thread I'm a particular fan of, for one big reason: it demands that the adult character act more immaturely than the younger character.  This isn't to say you can't do that, you certainly can; adults are often stupid or immature in their own ways, far too often.  The reason it doesn't work a lot of the time in this particular type of story is because the adults are usually being immature about something very petty, in this case a derby race.  This felt very out of character for all three of the Mane 6 here, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Rarity, ESPECIALLY when one considers that this is a Season 6 episode.  If this had happened in Season 1 or Season 2, I could've bought it at the very least, but this is Season 6 and all three of them were being ridiculous for the first 2/3 of this episode.  They felt like stereotypes of themselves, and not in a good or even humorous way.  But like I said, I don't blame this on the episode or the characters so much as just the particular type of story that was being told, and thankfully the episode had enough redeeming points to overcome the bad story-type.

 

First of all, Cheerilee featured prominently for the first time in a while, and I remembered how much I love when that happens, for a couple of reasons.  (1) Cheerilee's adorable and I have a soft spot for her since my mom's a teacher, so a good teacher character will always win me over, (2) she's voiced by Nicole Oliver, who doesn't get NEARLY enough screentime in the show between Cheerilee and Princess Celestia these days, simply shameful considering she's a great VA who has so much fun in both roles.  Cheerilee was basically what she always is, hilarious and adorable.  She has a very deadpan sense of humor where she usually just gets fed up with something stupid going on around her, while somehow remaining chipper all the same, and her cheerleader outfit in the final scene was TOO CUTE!!!  She was also the most mature adult pony here and called RD, AJ, and Rarity out for their BS at the end, which was gratifying to see.

 

 

WOO, YEAH, TAKE IT OFF- uh, I mean, yeah, go Cheerleader Cheerilee, go Cheerilee, go!

 

 

"Getting real tired of your BS, Rarity."

 

Secondly the humor was top notch, especially for a slice of life episode that really brought Ponyville to life.  We got to see A LOT of side characters and background ponies in prominent roles, and that's always fun and gave it a very early-seasons feel.  I was especially pleased by how much of my best pony, Derpy, there was (and her possible brother/nephew/son??? Seriously, who the buck was that colt???), and she got the biggest laugh from me in that flashback scene with Rarity (don't ever underestimate how creative my best pony is, ya'll!  ).  The whole town came alive here, and that's always one of my favorite things to see in the show.  Also, Scootaloo wanted to make a chicken-cart, THAT IS EPIC TROLLING FROM THE WRITERS/ANIMATORS!!!

 

 

FLAWLESS VICTORY, EPIC CELEBRATION! Never underestimate a mailmare!

 

Third, we got a killer song at the end despite the fact that it was basically RD, AJ, and Rarity singing about how much they were bucking up.  It was fun, the whole town was involved, and it had a killer tune to it.  Not much else to say about that other than I liked it.

 

 

Did they just make a bucking Wacky Races reference?  Brohoof if you know what the buck I'm talking about!

 

 

THIS STORY THREAD IS SO FRUSTRATING, GAHHHH!!!!

 

 

Ponies: you know they're cute when they look adorable even in this!

 

Finally, the resolution was satisfying despite the fact that I could see the message coming from a mile away.  Pretty much everypony in town was ticked off at RD, AJ, and Rarity, and rightfully so because they screwed up the whole derby for everyone.  The CMC got to vent their frustrations as much as they should have, the Mane 6 members learned their lesson well, everypony got to have fun in the end and all was made right.  Overall, while this episode was utterly predictable and utilized a very tired and not terribly good story thread, it was satisfying enough in its execution to be enjoyable enough.  It wasn't great, but it was better than average on the whole, and I'm perfectly fine with that.  Should be fun to rewatch, especially for the little things that elevated it.  That's all for this week everypony, until next week this is Batbrony signing off.  I'm off! *cue dramatic exit*

[Hazy Skies 1,010]

I really liked this episode!
It was well written and I liked the way the story progressed, it's quite relatable and there were plenty of moments for things to make me laugh

Like the fact that Derpy was the one that beat Rarity in creativity.. Omg, I haven't laughed that hard in a long time


 
And then there was the part with Scootaloo and trying to make here cart look like a chicken.. Running off the scootaloo chicken joke xD


 
...
 
My only disappointment with this episode was the ending.. It ended too short and at the wrong time.. with an odd ending and transition..
But a disappointing last 10-20 seconds doesn't make a bad episode so this episode is still awesome in my books ^-^

Btw, Am I the only pony who keeps on hearing "♫ Giddy up! Derpy racers! ♪" rather than "♫ Giddy up! Derby racers! ♪" in the song?

Edited August 6, 2016 by AURAequine

[Prospekt 11,018]

 

 

Did they just make a bucking Wacky Races reference?  Brohoof if you know what the buck I'm talking about!

 

 

YES! I was hoping there would be at least one Wacky Races shoutout and there it was!

[Dark Qiviut 22,396]

>figure-eight race track

 

WHAT THE HELL?! Don't the numbksulls who build this track have any idea that it's an accident waiting to happen?! *muzzledesk* Stupid, stupid idea!

[weesh 690]

>figure-eight race track

 

WHAT THE HELL?! Don't the numbksulls who build this track have any idea that it's an accident waiting to happen?! *muzzledesk* Stupid, stupid idea!

 

that seems like a neat track for crazy, informed adults to take risks on...but taking kids on that seems criminal.  

[Mothra 632]

I've made a lot of dark jokes about this episode, but I actully really could not stand this episode. The first 4-ish minutes and the last 2 maybe were the only parts that weren't "I HAVE TO BE THE MOST CREATIVE" Etc, it was mentioned way too often, there was no pay off at the end (We dont even see them get the ribbons) and what was with what one of them said "You should've said something to us" and the response was "It's harder to speak up to older ponies" EXCEPT DID YOU ALL FORGET THAT YOU WERE PRACTICALLY YELLING AT THEM AND FIGHTING WITH THEM FOR THE ENTIRE EPISODE!? Whatever, probably my least favourite episode ever, 100% my least favourite of this season, super dissapointing.

Edited August 6, 2016 by Majora Mothra

[Dynamo Pad 11,306]

I liked this episode and found it to be pretty enjoyable. I felt it was kind of predictable on who would win the ribbons Cherilee presented at the beginning of the episode. I did find it interesting that the Crusaders wanted to win different ribbons and try something new. Seeing the older ponies help the CMC with their carts was cool and the flashback for Rainbow and Rarity were amazing. I especially loved how Derpy won most creative cart back then. The race reminded me of Mario Kart, Wacky Races and Speed Racer and it was pretty nostalgic, in my opinion. I liked the song and the background ponies participating in the song. The carts all the ponies used in both races were interesting and well designed as well. All in all it was a good episode and I look forward to seeing what the show has in store for us next.

[ggg-2 3,553]

No Big Mac are you KIDDING me? Thank Celestia he's getting an episode in Dungeons and Discords.