S07:E04 - Rock Solid Friendship

[Thrond 3,263]

12 hours ago, Justin_Case001 said:

I think this fact deserves more acknowledgement than it seems to have gotten.  I think that having a pony earn a doctorate of the sciences is an extremely great message for children, especially girls.  Compare this to G3, for example, where Princess Wysteria made all of the ponies in town honorary princesses for the day, because that's apparently the aspiration of every pony in the land.  Also, in G3, the role of princess seems to do nothing but allow one to wear a tiara and ride on a float.  It's prestige and nothing else, as far as I can tell.  But in FIM, we now a have pony who earned a doctorate in geology.  I think that's pretty damn awesome.

3

You know, I didn't even consider that. Maybe because I don't watch many cartoons. But that is really cool now that you've pointed it out to me! Yet another reason why Maud was great in this. 

[Baykush 328]

I can't believe I forgot to say this, but the fact that Maud kind of indirectly helped Starlight enslave the village might be one of the funniest thing I've seen in a while. I love that Starlight allows the humor to get a bit darker and meaner without it feeling out of place, and it was as brilliantly hilarious as it was awful 

TELL NO PONY! 

 

[Abstract 832]

I really enjoyed the humor in this episode - more than a few laugh out loud moments, and Starlight's botched attempt to sugar coat the truth to Pinkie was absolutely hilarious. I'm not usually a big fan of any episode that even slightly centers around Pinkie (I like when she's toned down a bit in manic-ness, but usually the writers tend to go for the opposite effect) but this is one I can definitely say I truly did enjoy; not perfect (it seems as though this was a lesson she's learned before), but a pleasant surprise.

[takai 1,060]

I'm starting to hate the fact that Pinkie has been watered down to an annoying idiot at this point. I wish they could do more with her character, she has one of the best backstories the series has to offer, so seeing her like this only frustrates me.

Man I'm ready for Starlight to leave and never come back. She was a lot more tolerable this episode because she seemed to be much more genuine this time around. Still though, I don't want a season full of episodes of Starlight getting her own Mane 6. What would be even worse would be that the season finale consists of Starlight and her group of friends saving Equestria. I shudder at the thought.

Some decent jokes, and it's nice to see Maud get some love. Her friendship with Starlight felt fairly natural.

[Dowlphin 463]

Good dialogue. So many awesome moments! :-D Very much a Pinkie episode. Guaranteed smiles for me. Even when Pinkie was annoying I loved it. Because it's so over-the-top. Also liked how she sometimes bordered on acting obsessive like Twilight, but in her own way.
Also nice to subtly get to know Maud and Starlight some more.
I might or might not want Pinkie slippers now.

Edited May 2, 2017 by Dowlphin

[cuteycindyhoney 13,307]

3 hours ago, Baykush said:

I can't believe I forgot to say this, but the fact that Maud kind of indirectly helped Starlight enslave the village might be one of the funniest thing I've seen in a while. I love that Starlight allows the humor to get a bit darker and meaner without it feeling out of place, and it was as brilliantly hilarious as it was awful 

TELL NO PONY! 

 

That was priceless. I loved Pinkie actually looking worried as she urged Maud to "Tell nopony!" Still, isn't a good thing that Maud had such an important part to play in Starlight's personal growth? Starlight wouldn't be the mare she is today if it weren't for Maud's helpfulness.

[Dowlphin 463]

Yeah, what would she have done if no one had told her 'in the big cave right over there'? ;-D

Edited May 2, 2017 by Dowlphin

[ImpctR 155]

I still find it strange how the votes are split for some, specially this episode - written by N. Confalone that already got the story is not that new, and it was NOTICEABLE that this episode was written well and not by first timers. I have yet to read what was not liked in this episode that it is again with SG?? I'm ok with it. As not being into Pinkie episodes though I did start liking Maud Pie episodes since last seasons, this one just rocked! The best Maud Pie episode I've seen also showing so many nice thing and important parts of past stories!

A funny ceremony in the beginning but above all in it, the cute Marble Pie, an episode with her already becomes a lot more special!

Then serious story decision 1 - Maud moving to Ponyville? If that means seeing her more often, then that would be nice, idk if we will see more of Marble Pie and the family there. Then the episode goes with Pinkie her usual self of annoying the others and since Maud is her sister, normal to behave like that, there was nothing out of char. I never considered a ship b-n Starlight and Maud, never even thought they fit one another but I don't mind if that goes further. And ofc what is an episode without the favorite background  Bon-Bon and even cuter Lyra in a cute expression of surprise!

 

Important story part 2: I would have preferred the story what Starlight Glimmer was doing while planning her revenge before the Cutie Re-Mark rather than the story of replacing cutie marks with =, but that was awesome to see an answer revealed now, at least a bit of it.

Then we see the usual caves with gems in Ponyville, not bad interaction between SG and Maud, they appear more sane than Pinkie (duh). I expected SG would come to save the two sisters from the cave dragon but either is fine.  And then comes story part 3 - a new place in Ponyville unlocked! Likely to be seen in the future or two-parters. If Maud will be staying there, awesome place btw, so nicely made with the graphics, then consider it as new as Twilight's castle. who knows its importance may be?

[Grtxkkyz 388]

A decent one, seems like an answer to season 2's infamous "A Friend in Deed". You just can't force friendship to random people. Anyway, Maud was sweet as always and it's great to see she's bonding with Glimmy, but i really wanna see more development for the rest of the Pie family. Glad to see the quarray eels making a cameo, but i still hope we get some more new monsters for the bestiary. And nice world-building with that secret, underground lost world, hope we see more of it.

[MaryxMelody 93]

EEE!!! I loved it! Starlight is sooo meeee!! Argh! 

 I think Maude wanted to leave cause Pinkie was being super annoying and cliingy

[Luminance 2,186]

I actually thought that the cave they discovered was related somehow to the one from Legend of Everfree but I'm guessing that's officially not plausible anymore. 

Edited May 5, 2017 by It's Starlight

[Ra1nbowCrasH 272]

I feel like Pinkie ruined an otherwise great episode. Every time Maud and Glim Glam were bonding, Pinkie pops in and ruins the moment. I realize that was done for the episode's lesson, but it was still really annoying.

[Dowlphin 463]

9 minutes ago, Ra1nbowCrasH said:

I feel like Pinkie ruined an otherwise great episode. Every time Maud and Glim Glam were bonding, Pinkie pops in and ruins the moment. I realize that was done for the episode's lesson, but it was still really annoying.

It succeeded in involving the viewer then.

[JonasDarkmane 19,785]

I got a say, I really loved that episode. Only fault I found with it was Pinkie's over the top exaggeration of having Maud make a friend. She was really pushy. But in the end, she did learn something. 

It was pretty nice to see Maud smile and generally just see more of her. I thought that episode was pretty fun all in all. 

I give it a 4.5/5 

[ErisPegasus 56]

So is Starlight building up her own Mane 6 then?

Interesting that Starlight started her cult very recently, according to the episode. So she was building her town while Maud was travelling to complete her rock-torate? It'll be interesting to plot this all out on a timeline.

[Sh Pie 65]

This was a great episode featuring my favorite background pony, Maud. I find it humorous in retrospect that Maud was indirectly responsible for the enslavement of Starlight's village and how she blew Rarity's mind with her superior knowledge of rocks and gems.

Pinkie was also pretty humorous here (controversial opinion apparently) with futile attempts to convince Maud that Lyra and Tank were rare rocks and getting Derpy to chase a pizza. Everypony loves pizza after all.

I approve of the friendship between Maud and Starlight. They have a lot in common with their innocent desire to be understood and history. That subterranean cavern Maud discovered is quite large and could become an important location later in the season.

[Tropico 226]

my favourite episode of the season so far! I laughed so much

its always a bless having a maud episode. hope that now living near ponyville she will appear more. 

love she made friends with starlight their way. its kinda the same friendship that starlight has with trixie: no cheesy, no talking about feelings (except when super required "starlight: we good?" maud: "we good". and next), with a darker cinic humour. just perfect counterpart to mane6 friendship. that contrast of both friendships was shown too at episode 2 of this season.  what a cool squad starlight is having now. hope she hangs out more with sunburst, torax, and discord too

laughed that maud helped inderectly to slave the village and the joke they do later about slaving the whole world lmao savages xD

love their humour and that they get themselves. sure mane6 is friends with maud, but still they dont get her (except pinkie of course) and even nowdays they get a lil weirded. not with starlight, she totally gets her and a i love that <333

 

Edited May 7, 2017 by Tropico

[Dark Diamond 21]

This is the best episode of season 7 so far. Although it could have done with a little less Pinkie screaming, it was still an episode with a complex, believable conflict, and some hilarious lines from Maud. Starlight was also excellent here, and this is her best episode since her reformation. I absolutely loved the moment where she finally told Pinkie Pie to STFU, and that she had in fact made everything worse. I was impressed with the amount of plot and character development this episode managed to squeeze in twenty minutes, and the writing was light-years better than the previous episodes in this season. The pacing was perfect, and the moral was good as well. I have been disappointed with MLP for many years now, and it makes it all the more frustrating when we do get the occasional gem like this episode, because it proves that there's still life in the show, so why don't we get this standard more often? I hope this season still has a few more gems later on.

Grade: A

[Meeps 297]

On 5/1/2017 at 8:01 PM, takai said:

I'm starting to hate the fact that Pinkie has been watered down to an annoying idiot at this point. I wish they could do more with her character, she has one of the best backstories the series has to offer, so seeing her like this only frustrates me.

Man I'm ready for Starlight to leave and never come back. She was a lot more tolerable this episode because she seemed to be much more genuine this time around. Still though, I don't want a season full of episodes of Starlight getting her own Mane 6. What would be even worse would be that the season finale consists of Starlight and her group of friends saving Equestria. I shudder at the thought.

Some decent jokes, and it's nice to see Maud get some love. Her friendship with Starlight felt fairly natural.

I do feel fairly odd about how much attention Starlight's been getting. It's almost as though she's on her way to forming up a "Mane 3" to do side adventures alongside Twilight and the Mane 6 or something. Her being inserted into the dealings of the main group still feels forced to me, but that could always change. I agree that she was much more agreeable in this episode due to her genuineness. 

[MLPFanatic34 3,234]

Definitely a great episode, I loved seeing Maud Pie again and seeing her interaction with Pinkie and Starlight. While Pinkie's methods of trying to help Maud find a friend seemed intrusive, she learned her lesson in the end and I could relate to her methods. I also loved seeing the Pie family attend Maud's graduation in the beginning of the episode. 10/10!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Blood Moon 109]

I loved this episode! Not only have I always liked Maud ever since she first appeared, but it was nice seeing her smile a record time of twice in one episode. The humor was definitely on point and the moral was something that can very much be useful. I don't have any complaints, it was simply wonderful~

[Ironic Nickname 31]

On 2017-05-01 at 9:38 AM, PathfinderCS said:

Also; Starlight building up her team of close friends?

Spin-off incoming? Starlight, Trixie, Maud, Sunburst, and Discord go on wacky adventures. I'd watch that.

[Dowlphin 463]

2 hours ago, Ironic Nickname said:

Spin-off incoming? Starlight, Trixie, Maud, Sunburst, and Discord go on wacky adventures. I'd watch that.

No need for a spin-off. Keep all in the same show. One big lovely world.

[Ironic Nickname 31]

10 hours ago, Dowlphin said:

No need for a spin-off. Keep all in the same show. One big lovely world.

A spin-off would mean more episodes though, assuming they could manage to run both shows at a high quality. I wonder what they'd call it though? Something like "My Little Pony: Adventuring is Magic"? "My Little Pony: Tales of Equestria", "My Little Pony: An Equestrian Journey"?

[Lucky Star 972]

I was NOT a fan of the first two episodes of this season. The first left such a bad taste in my mouth that it lingered there for the second and third. 

It was so bad that I was starting to think that the show wasn't to my tastes anymore and that I would have to start resorting to fan fiction to get my pony fix. Which I do quite often. 

Then this episode came riding in like a valiant Knight and took all my fears away. 

Great Maud moments. Best Starlight I've personally seen so far. Pinkie was there. Maud X Starlight OTP. 

10/10 

Thank you for restoring my faith in the pone.