S06:E20 - Viva Las Pegasus

[Foliha 395]

Well, considering that some of my least favorite things in the world are Las Vegas, Siegfried & Roy, and Elvis, I found this episode surprisingly entertaining.  Flim and Flam were their usual slimy selves. 

 

Predictably, the show set in Las Pegasus was rife with lies, trickery and deception.  After all, that's what Las Vegas is all about. 

 

But as someone else said, the real show was the setting and background characters.  Rendered with real imagination and a sense of fun.

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 41,288]

Pretty predictable episode overall, but the basis around that was still really well done. Flim and Flam are surprisingly funny together and the ending was actually kinda hilarious. Everything else was very enjoyable. Applejack and Flutters being the choice here was neato and I liked how Goldmane actually acknowledged that they were part of the mane 6. Credit is given once again! The whole episode felt like it had focus and that worked gloriously.

 

I definitely enjoyed this one more than the past couple of episodes, I cannot find any real negatives other than the predictable plot.

[Wind Chaser 4,768]

Gladmane's place looks like a cross between the Excalibur (arcade) and the Circus Circus (indoor amusement park).

 

As for the episode itself, it's nice to finally see another map episode. It's still a wonder why that plot device is still so woefully underutilized. The character of Gladmane, though a common type, is a step above most of the one-off antagonists of late, weaseling his way into the hearts of the others rather than using direct threats or just pouting when he doesn't get his way. There's a little shade of Starlight Glimmer in that; using ponies' trust against them.

 

I like how Fluttershy has seemingly become more of a strategist since Season 5. When she said "tricking a trickster", I initially thought she was referring to herself and her past incidents with Discord and Starlight Glimmer. However, her plans went much deeper than that and she even had a plan B ready. Of course Gladmane fell into the classic villain trap at the end, and one has to wonder if Fluttershy is more Genre Savvy now because of it.

 

My issues with the episode include how quickly and easily it ended; though a great character moment for Fluttershy, it still used the villain gloating as an ending device. It seems to have come out of a crunch for time due to the "three strikes" nature of the plotline, where Gladmane did the exact same thing to three different pairs of characters and Fluttershy and Applejack had to fix it three times. On the other hand, it was definitely the Flim Flam Brothers' greatest appearance to date.

 

Moral of the story: beware the friendly ones, but most importantly, beware the quiet ones.

Edited September 17, 2016 by Wind Chaser

[AlbaTross 1,586]

I think this is a good episode. I expected Fluttershy and AJ to be called to somewhere remote and rustic until I read the synopsis, then I was skeptical, but I think the writers pulled off a decent map episode. Part of me thinks last season Twilight would have been more useful in Manehattan, not just because she can whip up a stage easily with her magic but more importantly, she's good at organizing a team of ponies. AJ on the other hand could have lent her down to earth nature and honesty well to the situation between the Hoofields and the McColts. However, if that was the case then this latest episode wouldn't have happened this season.

 

Surprisingly, the Las Pegasus setting proved to be one of the biggest strengths of the episode. While it might be easy to stereotype an AJ/Fluttershy team-up and think they would be better suited to something more small townish, they actually proved they can shine quite well when seemingly out of their elements. AJ's honesty is just as useful in a big city setting as it is back at Sweet Apple Acres, and Fluttershy's kindness doesn't just apply to animals. The episode even took advantage of AJ's stubbornness, and at the end we saw that Fluttershy's quiet nature can make her a bit stealthy. While we didn't necessarily see an entirely new side to either character, we at least got to see that they're a little more well rounded than I might have given them credit for.

 

The major drawback for me is Gladmane himself. He was obviously suspicious from the start and then, surprise, he was the cause of the various spats that occurred between three pairs of ponies. But, all in all I still think it's a solid episode and it was neat to see the Flim Flam Brothers be the good guys for a change, even if that only lasted till the end of the episode. I suppose another minor nitpick is that the ponies were so gullible that they would buy tickets for a show that the Brothers even explicitly stated would exist only in their imagination but whatever.

[Megas 27,550]

Flim and Flam are still their sleezy selves......FUCKING GOOD

 

Anyway, the episode was a bit slow in a few places, but otherwise it was a great episode, definitely one of the better map episodes(which isn't really saying...much, Griffonstone was great, but Made in Manehattan and Hoofields and McColts were incredibly trite, dull and lifeless, with the latter notably being pretty awful, and Spice Up Your Life, while much better than those two, is brought down by a poor portrayal of Rarity). Personally it's butting heads with Griffonstone as best map ep

 

Also, can we have more Flutterjack episodes? Those two are great together.

 

And lastly all that's left is Twilight and Rainbow. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, PLEASE BE GOOD TOP BOLT

[Truffles 2,033]

I suppose another minor nitpick is that the ponies were so gullible that they would buy tickets for a show that the Brothers even explicitly stated would exist only in their imagination but whatever.

Maybe there was an Ogres & Oubliettes con going on nearby, and those ponies don't mind using their imaginations? XD

[StitchandMLPlover 930]

My thoughts on the episode. I liked it very much! It was an interesting set up with a relatively new pairing with interesting new characters and an interesting emotional issue for Applejack after Flim and Flam upset her pretty badly twice and could have injured Granny Smith. The thing I liked most about this episode is that Fluttershy and Applejack did not get into a stupid fight and both Applejack and Fluttershy were a little bit right and a little bit wrong. I also like how there was more than meets the eye to the plan to expose the bad guy con pony(his hair does NOT look like Trump's to me) because it made the episode less predictable. My only issue with this episode was finding out that Las Pegasus was not a place for just pegasus ponies because I wanted to see another pegasus town like Cloudesdale but that is a minor nit pick. 

[Dynamo Pad 11,190]

This episode was amazing. Las Pegasus looked really cool and it's nice to see a new place in Equestria. It's great seeing Fluttershy and Applejack teaming up after not seeing them team up since season 4. Gladmane was an interesting villain in how he manipulated the everypony behind the scenes, while at the same time acting as if nothing is wrong. Flim and Flam were great to watch and it was surprising that they were being manipulated for a change. It was also something to see how there were multiple friendship problems instead of just one problem altogether. I felt it was a nice change of pace as each problem all lead to one problem as a whole. I really enjoyed how Fluttershy and Applejack were able to expose Gladmane for everything he did, with the help of Flim and Flam. All in all, I really enjoyed this episode and this is probably one of my favorite map episodes so far. 

[Kevin 160]

Oh man did Fluttershy absolutely kill it in this episode! I've been loving her character development and I personally think it's one of the best things about this season so far!

 

It's great to see more new area, Las Pegasus. Honestly, it doesn't surprise me how G rated they made it considering that this is a technically a kids show after all. It doesn't surprise me that Gladmane turned out to be the antagonist. It looked shady right from the get go. I actually found it refreshing that Flim and Flam were protagonists for once even if they were going back to their old ways in the end. I will say that double con that was pulled off was very clever.

 

All in all, this was a great episode and I hope they keep up the great work regarding Fluttershy's character!

[Flutter's lover <3 8,205]

So many Elvis Presley references...but Iguess that was expected, given the title of the episode. 

 

Fun episode to watch. Pretty cool that they added in some ponified versions of famous Las Vegas Performers such as Siegfried & Roy...although a bit disappointed they had no tiger...could've hada manticore instead? Either way, cool that they made it into the episode. Seemed like a pretty well written episode as well, both as the episode and with Flutters and AJ...other than the jump-cut of them arriving at Las Pegasus....but I guess they did that for time reasons and to have a better episode. Seeing the return of FLim & Flam was a surprise....although, I think in their previous episodes, they did mention Las Pegasus and starting anew? But damn, shady businessman basically keeping his employees for his own gain....Sounds like a movie/video game plot.. 

 

Not often have we had an AJ and Flutters episode...rather like them working as a pair.  At least Flutters is getting more screen time this season, though I'd like to see a Flutter and Dash episode before the season ends..not counting Flutter Brutter as that was more of Flutter and her brother, even though Dash was there. It also wasn't because of the Map calling them. 

[TheAnimatorOfficial 567]

This episode is a pinnacle of how this show is smarter than it's supposed to be.

 

I feel like the message correlates to how media and upper powers can manipulate us and we're taking the bait

 

All in all fantastic episode and in the top 5 of Season 6.

[Fluttershyfan94 5,742]

I liked this episode, Gladmane going up against Flim and Flam the showdown of tricksters. Not to mention how he got them to be against each other.

[ImpctR 155]

Another episode that has Fluttershy involved yay, numbers are starting to balance out for less-screen-time of the Mane 6 we had so far. Film Flam bros, I cant think of any episode I have liked as the episodes were not my type. Now I would give episodes that have Fluttershy best vote but I would give it a 4/5. Interesting things: NEW DESTINATION! Manehattan so many times, now we have Las Pegasus. Is it Pegasi only tho? There is no explanation why something that's not Cloudsdale is on the ground is connected to Pegasi. I didn't even get what Gladmane was doing exactly to oppose the ponies against each other, I didn't get  the details of what he was convincing them. Nice episode, with nice pink prarie dogs and grey bunny, rest went like an alright episode but nothing that much to comment on. Thus my vote.I could only make MISC comments on the ponies: lots of Elvis Presley's and the 2 pink ponies had the look of Zesty from 'Spice up your Life' as a base. Ok the place Las Pegasi looks nice.

 

Edit: OK seeing the Flim Flap owned by Gladmane made it the best episode with them, which doesn't make it best among more interesting episodes

Edited September 17, 2016 by ImpctR

[immblueversion 331]

The lack of a Flim Flam song is almost criminal, but considering it probably would've lasted more than three minutes, perhaps it was a blessing in disguise?

Edited September 17, 2016 by immblueversion

[Thrond 3,263]

This isn't one of those episodes with much new to offer, but it's bouncy and well-crafted, and Gladmane's sinister influence is at least slightly novel for this show. There's some nice ideas in here, and I had a good time watching it, but it's far from the most impressive thing this show has to offer, and it's largely formulaic in spite of its better ideas. But hey, if that's what it takes for this season to be as much fun as it's been, then I'll take it. 

 

Full review at my offsite blog. 

 

Additional thoughts:

 

Showing a big business type using underhanded methods to control his employees might have been really daring if the episode had anything to say about it. Oh well. 

 

The map has become such a blatant crutch that the episode doesn't even show it for a full minute. It does its job and then it's gone. If we're not gonna see anything interesting from these character dynamics, and if the different settings are gonna be window dressing for formulaic stories, then why even have it? It seems like an excuse to have easy stories for me. 

[CaptainDoubloon 856]

I really liked today's episode. Especially the siegfried and roy ponies and their pink prairie dogs. 4 out of 5.

[Thrond 3,263]

I do agree that, for the most part, the episode was exceptionally polished and well-characterized. Even as someone who liked "Spice Up Your Life," I'll confess that this is mostly an improvement in that regard... but that's not quite enough for me to consider this wildly impressive. Very fun, but I need a little more than this to get super excited. 

[Goat-kun 2,527]

Another exciting nonissue brought to you by the Plot Map!

 

Good stuff:

-Fluttershy wasn’t dealing with her anxiety

-Applejack did something unrelated to farm & family

-Flim & Flam remained crooked

-Vibrant background

-No Rarity

 

Hmm, I find myself listing things that should be accomplished by our glorious writers anyway, so no dice. The whole story was very safe and slightly confusing from a big money standpoint. It serves as a decent foundation on which one could stew a more refined broth, but it isn’t very memorable by itself.

[Thrond 3,263]

Y'know, if they're not going to get rid of the map - which is what they should  do - then having it only appear for 30 seconds of the cold open seems like the right way to go. Just accept that it's a crutch, and only invoke it when absolutely necessary. 

 

It's still quite obvious that it only exists to keep the plot going along, because there's totally no way that Applejack and Fluttershy would do the exact same things without the map. There probably isn't any other reason why only those two would end up in Las Pegasus, but the only reasonable reason that it had to be only those two is that there isn't enough time in the episode for anyone else. 

 

-No Rarity

This hardly seems like a good thing in my book!   

(oh god, I used one of this site's malformed smileys. the horror.)

Edited September 17, 2016 by AlexanderThrond

[ph00tbag 108]

This was, if nothing else, an entertaining episode. Applejack and Fluttershy are a duet I wish we could see more often. I liked that the show accurately read them both as rather introverted, and unlikely to find much to enjoy in a place like Las Pegasus. 

 

Overall, while Gladmane's ploy didn't make a whole lot of sense from a business management standpoint, it does highlight the kind of people who build their social success by making sure those with the capability to take them down are mired in their own drama. Toxic people are a force in every social group, and it's important to be able to be open about that before it becomes a problem.

 

I loved how so many ponies would just go up to the fountain and drink from it. Enough do it that I have to assume it's just normal in Equestria.

[PacificGreen 1,163]

Well, I enjoyed seeing Las Pegasus (which is basically a giant Chuck E. Cheese's because they can't show actual gambling in a kids show) and seeing the AJ/Fluttershy dynamic (we need more of these two ). Unfortunately, the pacing felt a little wonky, I can't really put my finger on why, and the resolution was REALLY simple- a little anticlimactic, to be honest. So I think I'll give this a "meh"...I liked the AJ/Fluttershy team-up and all, but it seemed a little poorly-paced.

 

Or I dunno, maybe I'm just being too harsh on it.

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,824]

Amazing episode! Great to see AJ finally get to work with Flim and Flam. Glad Fluttershy was there too. Hard to believe that Gladmane was trying to keep ponies fighting with each other just to up his business. But I think Flim and Flam are coming back...since...they technically reverted to their old selves...ugh...

 

Love the lesson in this episode, that you can't have people losing friendships just for your own selfish gain. You cannot be a hypocrite and "use" friendships for malicious purposes. 

[Truffles 2,033]

Y'know, if they're not going to get rid of the map - which is what they should  do - then having it only appear for 30 seconds of the cold open seems like the right way to go. Just accept that it's a crutch, and only invoke it when absolutely necessary. 

 

It's still quite obvious that it only exists to keep the plot going along, because there's totally no way that Applejack and Fluttershy would do the exact same things without the map. There probably isn't any other reason why only those two would end up in Las Pegasus, but the only reasonable reason that it had to be only those two is that there isn't enough time in the episode for anyone else.

 

You pretty much hit the nail on the head - there's no logical reason you'd ever see these two come together and go to the pony version of Sin City, at least not without the entire Mane 6 in tow as part of some Twilight-induced vacation/friendship lesson get-together. Actually, I would have liked to see all of them together here, but I don't think the pacing of the episode would have been as good since too much time would need to be spent on what the others were doing.

 

 

Well, I enjoyed seeing Las Pegasus (which is basically a giant Chuck E. Cheese's because they can't show actual gambling in a kids show) and seeing the AJ/Fluttershy dynamic (we need more of these two ). Unfortunately, the pacing felt a little wonky, I can't really put my finger on why, and the resolution was REALLY simple- a little anticlimactic, to be honest. So I think I'll give this a "meh"...I liked the AJ/Fluttershy team-up and all, but it seemed a little poorly-paced.

 

I thought the pacing was pretty good, though I agree it was a little too convenient for Fluttershy to simply step over and push a button to unravel all of Gladmane's evil plans. (Note to villains: Don't turn your back on your enemy when you're busy revealing your true colors!)

 

As for the "casino", instead of Chuck E Cheese, it kinda reminded me more of Dave n' Buster's, though I haven't been in the former for quite a while so maybe they've added new stuff since then?

[Bronies of Las Vegas 47]

The episode had a lot of us excited. Although there was a lack in the use of famous references, we still enjoyed the show. There could've been more to the conflict and a better solution that would catch our attention, but what else was there for us to say? It had been a big deal to us, but we can throw some constructive criticism with references as most of us aren't too well on the side of debating how the story can or should go.

 

Quote after this episode: "A little less conversation, a little more action please."

 

Here are the references we found:

 

[ShadowPhoenix 153]

This episode was very, very clever and the set-up equally as inventive and refreshing as The Saddle Row Review. Fluttershy and Applejack's previously under-explored dynamic was perfect and their dialogue framed the conflict and paced the episode flawlessly. I think out of the Friendship Problem episodes (The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone, Made in Manehattan, The Hooffields and McColts, Spice Up Your Life), this is the best thus far.

 

That leaves one more episode of the ilk this season where Twilight and Rainbow Dash will team up. I hope they will continue these episodes next season as I really want to see episodes centered on Fluttershy/Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle/Rarity and Twilight Sparkle/Pinkie as those three are the only ones that have not happened yet.