S08:E05 - Grannies Gone Wild

[Pastel 7,627]

Surprisingly good episode, aside from Applejack's ghost (it was annoying after a while), and being a bit predictable...

I thought it was going to be boring because of the grannies, but it was actually very funny thanks to Rainbow Dash!

Edited April 15, 2018 by Pastel

[Sinvanor 25]

14 hours ago, Truffles said:

I initially laughed at this scene, but then I started to think about it for a bit and it actually comes off as a little troubling. Once I flipped it around and thought what the audience reaction would be if it were the young bellhop doing that to Applesauce instead, it became less amusing. In the age of the #MeToo movement I wonder if these kind of jokes have any place in a kids show anymore? Is her being a very old equine female and the bellhop being a young (but not underage) equine male make a difference? Is there a double standard? What if this were a scene of a human male boss forcing a female employee take her paycheck from his mouth? Or make her reach into his pants pocket? Would that still be funny?

Personally, I suppose I won't lose any sleep over this one scene of ardent cougarism, though I did feel bad for the bellhop afterward since he seemed very uncomfortable.

I thought this too. I said it was adorable and nice that an older gal still got game. My partner rightly asked, what if it was a older gentleman hitting on a female younger bellhop? 
I responded with it's still sweet. Hitting on someone isn't the problem, it's when they make really inappropriate comments beyond "Cute, beautiful, handsome" generally accepted terms when you are letting a person know you might be interested, or maybe just giving a compliment. I personally wouldn't even mind if someone used hot or sexy to be super clear of their intentions, but others are a lot less comfortable with those terms and forwardness. When it doubt, err on the side of caution, test the waters so to speak.
Above all, if someone says stop or leave me alone, you damn well do no matter what the circumstances. Period.

I do feel like she took it too far, considering she has authority being an honored and well known guest, I doubt the bellhop felt like he could say anything due to fear of reprimand for not dealing with a well respected and valued customer. I don't know if she was thinking that, but it makes it less okay. Maybe the first hit on was fine, but if the person doesn't respond positively or goes about their business, they aren't interested and you can stop. 

Her age as well as status is not an excuse to make someone feel like they are powerless with advances they are not into. Wouldn't matter if she was younger a stallion or anything else. It was clear he was uncomfortable and that stops being funny when that happens.

[Dark Qiviut 22,173]

52 minutes ago, Sinvanor said:

I was SO angry at the winking Applejack at the end. Just what? She caused a half ruined trip for everyone with out needing to. Rainbow Jack could of been simply told to be there for company, not a chaperone. Applejack is quickly becoming my least favorite character with this and the episode where she was so blind to not simplify her chores. She feels like she's stupid and overly paranoid about everyone. I don't want her to be that way, I used to like her before the last 3 seasons.
I know people look at it very lightly, but she's actually demeaning bother her younger sister and the elder gals with the way she's treated them. I think she maybe overly cautious due to her parents dying perhaps, but it's still not okay.

 

Applejack is outright justified to be concerned for them. They're not getting younger (at the very least, all four are a few centuries old), and she doesn't want them to get hurt. Usually, Big Mac is with them, so he is able to be with them, understand the rules, and balance everything out. Dash hasn't been in that experience before, and with her wanting to be on the coaster, she's far more cautious and doesn't want them to get hurt in any way. If any of them get hurt, AJ will kick her plot to the moon.

Edited April 15, 2018 by Dark Qiviut

[CypherHoof 26,479]

16 minutes ago, Dark Qiviut said:

Applejack is outright justified to be concerned for them. They're not getting younger (at the very least, all four are a few centuries old), and she doesn't want them to get hurt. Usually, Big Mac is with them, so he is able to be with them, understand the rules, and balance everything out. Dash hasn't been in that experience before, and with her wanting to be on the coaster, she's far more cautious and doesn't want them to get hurt in any way. If any of them get hurt, AJ will kick her plot to the moon.

I disagree AJ is justified; AJ is known to be well overprotective and while Granny Smith DID take things a bit too far in Leap of Faith she is clearly capable enough even at her age. Add in how AJ was in Somepony to Watch over me and clearly she takes things too far.

Dashie isn't in a position to know this, and temper AJs instructions with some common sense.

(also, is it just me, or is this the third episode in succession that seems to have an "american sitcom" vibe (this time, Golden Girls?)

 

[Dark Qiviut 22,173]

29 minutes ago, CoffeeHoof said:

I disagree AJ is justified; AJ is known to be well overprotective and while Granny Smith DID take things a bit too far in Leap of Faith she is clearly capable enough even at her age. Add in how AJ was in Somepony to Watch over me and clearly she takes things too far.

There's a huge difference between AJ in StWOM and AJ here.

1. In Somepony, AJ babied Apple Bloom, going as far back as instructing her how to properly take items out of a kitchen drawer. When AB accidentally spilled cold soup, she baby-proofed the house.
2. Here, these rules are far more established by the family, and Big Mac is previously able to chaperone them while keeping the vague rules flexible. Dash wants to get on the coaster so bad and became so haunted by AJ's words after they ran off the second Dash tried to sneak out on her own that she took common sense guidelines too literally to the point of boring them. After screwing up the first time, she didn't want to screw up again, leading her to be far more cautious than before.

1 hour ago, Sinvanor said:

And I'm used to RD being the plot device most of the time, but in this episode, totally innocent. In fact, she could of risked going on the ride and figuring the gals would be fine,

You killed your point. Dash isn't totally innocent. After they unpacked at the hotel, she tried to temporarily skirt herself out of her job (a tactic the Gold Horseshoe Gals were too familiar with), only to give up and return to the hotel when she saw how long the line was.

Edited April 15, 2018 by Dark Qiviut

[Thrond 3,257]

11 hours ago, Toastypk said:

I posted this elsewhere, but it's pertinent so I'll post it here.

...So I havent seen this episode yet, and for a specific reason.

For years, I've... had a  OCD thing with death, and related things to that, but the strongest stressor for me in particular, is the concept of getting old, and all the related tangents and imagery and concepts involved.

When I drive by buildings that have a tangent to that, I get a smidge tense to different degrees. When a random person at the store, a billboard, an ad, anything like that brings forth those sort of concepts, I get perturbed and I start thinking about unpleasant ideas and circumstances and and in the worst cases, ruminate about ideas, and I have to clear my mind and re-center. It's a complicated mental tangle that I won't get into here.

This feeling extends to old characters in TV shows, Granny Smith included.

So when I saw the name and synopsis for the episode, I had a feeling I was going to be put off, and when I saw the animatic, doubly so, cause that's the entire theme of the episode it seems.

I swear, I felt like Dash in the clip with her UGHs. 
Just instead of impatience, it's mental frustration,  discomfort, existential thinking and hypothetical thinking and dread about concepts that bother me a big deal.

(It just so happens that I forgot to record the episode, since usually I do that and I'm awake after the show airs. But now I'm wondering if I should. (And according to the poll, it's getting high ratings!) But I have a feeling I'm going to be quite perturbed at things that happen in the episode. But I can't just skip it.)

Any input? If I happen to see the episode, I'll discuss it, but I'm afraid I might not like it, and not because of the show's fault.

This episode is mostly about elderly folks still making the most of life, so it's kind of the opposite of what you seem to be concerned about. Maybe a few jokes early on will bother you, and Dash does spend the whole episode worrying, but her fears are increasingly implied to be unreasonable. 

1 hour ago, Dark Qiviut said:

Applejack is outright justified to be concerned for them. They're not getting younger (at the very least, all four are a few centuries old), and she doesn't want them to get hurt. Usually, Big Mac is with them, so he is able to be with them, understand the rules, and balance everything out. Dash hasn't been in that experience before, and with her wanting to be on the coaster, she's far more cautious and doesn't want them to get hurt in any way. If any of them get hurt, AJ will kick her plot to the moon.

Sure, but they're adults and Applejack ought to let them have fun every once in a while. 

16 hours ago, Truffles said:

I initially laughed at this scene, but then I started to think about it for a bit and it actually comes off as a little troubling. Once I flipped it around and thought what the audience reaction would be if it were the young bellhop doing that to Applesauce instead, it became less amusing. In the age of the #MeToo movement I wonder if these kind of jokes have any place in a kids show anymore? Is her being a very old equine female and the bellhop being a young (but not underage) equine male make a difference? Is there a double standard? What if this were a scene of a human male boss forcing a female employee take her paycheck from his mouth? Or make her reach into his pants pocket? Would that still be funny?

Personally, I suppose I won't lose any sleep over this one scene of ardent cougarism, though I did feel bad for the bellhop afterward since he seemed very uncomfortable.

I liked that scene because I generally like the idea of charismatic elderly folks making the most of their life, but that's a good point. It was a bit much on Applesauce's part. 

[Truffles 2,033]

12 hours ago, Ganondox said:

She [Twilight Velvet] is a grandmother though, to Flurry Heart.

I do wish Twilight's mom had also been along in this group. Any excuse to see her in action is fine by me. I suppose that would have made the story a lot more complicated because she wouldn't fit into the stereotype of the frail grandmotherly type which the premise of this episode relied on, however.

12 hours ago, Music Chart Fan said:

I'm not super upset about it or anything, but I didn't really find the attempted humor of that scene amusing

I found it amusing to the fact that I never expected to see an instance of a character being a blatant cougar in a show like MLP:FiM, where notions of characters having an overactive libido are generally avoided. It has it's merits for the use of shock value (and character development for Applesauce, I suppose) but beyond that all it makes me want to do is go .

1 hour ago, Sinvanor said:

Except she was only ever following what Applejack said. AJ ruined the trip, not RD. And I'm used to RD being the plot device most of the time, but in this episode, totally innocent.

I wouldn't go as far to say RD was totally innocent, maybe 20% to blame (10% for failing to communicate, 10% for having an ulterior motive for going) and AJ gets the other 80%.

I mean, we only have to look at this to see why RD tried to follow AJ's instructions to the best of her ability:

That there is the look of a mare who will perforate your spleen if you screw up and let a family member get hurt.... <_<;

Maybe Rainbow should of had a talk with Spike in regards to dealing with getting saddled with an impossible task? =P

 

1 hour ago, Sinvanor said:

I do feel like she took it too far, considering she has authority being an honored and well known guest, I doubt the bellhop felt like he could say anything due to fear of reprimand for not dealing with a well respected and valued customer.

I think you are on to something there. I went back and looked at the frames of the GIF @Querch posted and noticed the change in expression by the bellhop just as he walks out-of-frame. There's a dramatic change to his eyebrows, giving a clearly annoyed look over having to deal with Applesauce and her advances. It does seem like the employees have to give VIP customers like these an extra personal touch and put up with whatever difficulties they present, including sexual harassment. (I still can't believe I'm saying that about an MLP episode, lol. )

Of course, I have a vague recollection there is a whole slew of background ponies who have been annoyed or otherwise had to put up with the actions of a main or secondary character over the past 8 seasons, so this might not be all that new.

Edited April 15, 2018 by Truffles
addt'l thoughts

[GrimGrimoire 4,970]

1 hour ago, Sinvanor said:

Except she was only ever following what Applejack said. AJ ruined the trip, not RD.

No, Rainbow Dash did. Applejack was not even on the trip. She just gave RD the rules, which when thinking on it do make some sense... how RD interpreted them is a whole other can of worms. Sure they were a bit heavy handed (and they missed a great opportunity to show the capabilities of the elderly), but that does not make AJ wrong for wanting them to be careful. She was not trying to be malicious, but trying to look out for their welfare.

Where the episode mis-stepped IMO is the grannies just sort of let it go themselves, they did not try to show RD (honestly Applejack would have been better in this episode for this particular message actually) what they are capable of and really promote that message. The episode could have had a message that the elderly are not as helpless as you might presume, while acknowledging that those who are trying to look out for them are doing it because they care, but really was just about RD wanting to ride a ride and the hi-jinks that follow when attempting to do so.

[Dark Qiviut 22,173]

6 hours ago, Truffles said:

I initially laughed at this scene, but then I started to think about it for a bit and it actually comes off as a little troubling. Once I flipped it around and thought what the audience reaction would be if it were the young bellhop doing that to Applesauce instead, it became less amusing. In the age of the #MeToo movement I wonder if these kind of jokes have any place in a kids show anymore? Is her being a very old equine female and the bellhop being a young (but not underage) equine male make a difference? Is there a double standard? What if this were a scene of a human male boss forcing a female employee take her paycheck from his mouth? Or make her reach into his pants pocket? Would that still be funny?

Context has everything to do with the audience being okay with Applesauce flirting of the bellboy.

1. Coming into the scene, the tone was very relaxed with many jokes and doesn't take itself so seriously. When you allow the script to let her hair flow free, then you can play around the boundaries and push for jokes, whether it's visual, cartoony, or vocal. Your audience becomes more receptive of jokes when there isn't much drama. Don Rickles was able to insult some of his best friends (like Ronald Reagan and Frank Sinatra), yet they laughed their heads off, because he was only doing it in good fun and never treated his targets like crap for it.
2. The episode's goal is to be fun, and the Gold Horseshoe Girls go to Las Pegasus annually just to relax and have a good time. The episode's full focus is Dash, with the GHG's second. The GHG's dialogue from and between is very organic, and since we see them so often, the audience gets to know how they interact with the environments. This extends to Applesauce, too; from the beginning, we as an audience know her motivations, so we understand her flirting is in good fun. Additionally, the adult jokes never go too far to the point of being uncomfortable. It knows how to execute comedy with the proper restraint.
3. The Golden Girl parody this episode references. Applesauce's role is Blanche Devereaux, a love-starved southerner and widow. Most of her adventures are about finding the proper love after her husband passed away prior to the show's beginning, and throughout the series, she's VERY flirtatious — Applesauce's is much tamer in comparison.

[bluseymoe 258]

1 hour ago, GrimGrimoire said:

No, Rainbow Dash did. Applejack was not even on the trip. She just gave RD the rules, which when thinking on it do make some sense... how RD interpreted them is a whole other can of worms. Sure they were a bit heavy handed (and they missed a great opportunity to show the capabilities of the elderly), but that does not make AJ wrong for wanting them to be careful. She was not trying to be malicious, but trying to look out for their welfare.

Where the episode mis-stepped IMO is the grannies just sort of let it go themselves, they did not try to show RD (honestly Applejack would have been better in this episode for this particular message actually) what they are capable of and really promote that message. The episode could have had a message that the elderly are not as helpless as you might presume, while acknowledging that those who are trying to look out for them are doing it because they care, but really was just about RD wanting to ride a ride and the hi-jinks that follow when attempting to do so.

No. Applejack was being a total asswipe. She made Dash paraniod either for her own petty amusement or because she legit doesn't understand elderly folks. Don't pin this on Rainbow Dash for being responsible and loyal to a fault. Even the grannies blamed Applejack so there's really nothing to argue. 

Edited April 15, 2018 by bluseymoe

[Dark Qiviut 22,173]

1 hour ago, GrimGrimoire said:

Where the episode mis-stepped IMO is the grannies just sort of let it go themselves, they did not try to show RD (honestly Applejack would have been better in this episode for this particular message actually) what they are capable of and really promote that message.

Disagree completely. "Age doesn't determine what fun you can have or what you enjoy" really applies here.

1. Goldie Delicious was REALLY good with the horseshoe toss and completely concentrated on being one of the greatest in the arcade. When you have a crowd rooting you on behind you, that means you're doing something to catch their attention.
   
   (And when you're that focused, you tend to not hear the background noise.)
2. Granny Smith and company really itched to eat the nachos at the buffet. From how Granny reacted, she doesn't eat them so often, and at LP, this was an opportunity to splurge and eat things you normally don't have back home.
3. Despite their age, they were very agile and danced freely in front of Dash, but were more restrained by her (as stated when they confronted her behind the curtain). Apple Rose, OTOH, let it go in the form of moonwalking, twirling very quickly, and break-dancing around the stage as the others flirted with Big Bucks and Jackpot.
4. All four of the Gold Horseshoe Girls were chosen by them prior to the magic show of being guests of honor to perform a massive, impressive magic trick to conclude the show, one in which made Dash so fearful that they'd drown that she stopped it halfway.
5. After they explain how old age is no barrier for fun, Dash was able to enjoy being with them and have fun on the Wild Blue Yonder.

Rather than having the episode beat her up for it, the episode understands where she's coming from. After she disobeyed AJ's orders, she made sure to not happen again and was justifiably more cautious around them. Yes, that led her into overlooking common sense, but the episode gave her a proper reason for it. When she explained why she behaved that way, they showed her by using their perks to skip the long line and go on the Yonder, making this episode feel proactive to the audience.

11 minutes ago, bluseymoe said:

Applejack was being a total asswipe.

As I wrote earlier, AJ was completely justified to set up these rules, ones in which she, Big Mac, and the rest of the family agreed to. They're vague enough to be flexible, but strict enough to understand basic guidelines. In short, use common sense.

11 minutes ago, bluseymoe said:

Don't pin this on Rainbow Dash for being responsible and loyal.

At the start, she wasn't responsible or loyal at all. After believing she tricked them into taking a nap, she snuck down to the Wild Blue Yonder roller coaster to pick up a ticket, but left after witnessing the slow, long line. It was AFTER she realized the grannies took off did she become overtly cautious.

Edited April 15, 2018 by Dark Qiviut

[Denim&Venöm 16,510]

And once again, pacing derails a good episode. RD ruins the grandmares vacation. Learns her lesson in the last 3 minutes of the show, that old folks have the right to live life or die trying. Dashie didn't really learn anything. She wasn't shown that the golden hoof gals were tougher than they looked, or that she had a few things in common with them. She just apologized and got her way in the end. And despite being portrayed as the sort of catalyst for the episodes conflicts, AppleJack didn't learn any lessons either, or even was hinted at getting proven wrong. The gals just shrugged it off as AJ being AJ.  

So while this episode had it's moments, the climactic moment and the moral lesson were depicted rather weakly. 

[PinkiePie97 913]

On 4/14/2018 at 2:47 PM, GeekySonic said:

Bruh did NO ONE else notice the casual Alicorn stallion?

 

It was a mistake.

 

[Nye 1,652]

This episode reminded me a bit of Golden Girls. But the most monumental thing was definitely Trixie’s “dad/grandpa” making an appearance.

Spoiler

 

Edited April 15, 2018 by Nye

[DonMaguz 1,023]

Hello everyone.

I found the episode to be slow and predictable. The beginning with the Wonderbolts, the transition with Dash's description of the rollercoaster and the scene with the deal between RD and AJ were the high notes for me.

The grannies were good, but not my cup of coffee in terms of the humor they displayed. Rainbow Dash was so disrespectful to them for most of the episode, she definitely brought back some of the traits I dislike mostly about her.

Overall a forgettable episode with a few good scenes, but nothing I could enjoy completely. My least favorite episode from the season so far.

[Darthy Hooves 106]

I found it to be an entertaining episode, though there are other G.M. Berrow episodes that I've enjoyed more. It was a bit like The Golden Girls go to Las Vegas.

[Sonic5421 423]

I generally liked this episode. We get to see some of the senior members of the Apple Family appear again in Auntie Applesauce, Apple Rose, and Goldie Delicious, and see Las Pegasus again.

While I loved how Rainbow wanted to ride on the roller coaster that the rest of the Wonderbolts had ridden on before it closed for good, I really don't appreciate how hard Applejack pressed home how Rainbow was responsible for Granny Smith and the others with making sure they stayed safe. It was clear the senior Apples wanted some excitement in their lives, and knew Applejack was always being too over-protective of them, and it wasn't until Rainbow ruined their big moment in the magic show that they chewed her out for it. Once they learned this was all Applejack's fault for putting so much pressure on Rainbow, they used their VIP passes as the Gold Horseshoe Gals to get Rainbow to the front of the line so she could still ride the roller coaster, and made her an honorary member on the way home to Ponyville, with the agreement to have her join them again next year.

Great episode, so I'm giving it a solid 9, possibly a 9.5/10 as my score.

[Music Chart Fan 818]

Overall, I would say that I enjoyed this episode more than the last couple of episodes we've had. Rainbow's complaining and putting a stop to the Gold Horseshoe Gals' attempts to enjoy themselves did become a little frustrating, although I basically understand why she acted that way. I was also a bit on edge watching the episode for the first time, since I didn't know whether Rainbow would find a way to ride the Wild Blue Yonder by the end. I really like riding roller coasters, and I don't get to very often, so I definitely sympathize with Rainbow's wanting to ride the fastest and most thrilling one before it closes. (And on a side note, I liked seeing Soarin hanging with the Wonderbolt girls at the start of the episode.) I'm glad, though, that the episode did come to a happy ending, albeit a bit of a rushed one. Rainbow and the Gold Horseshoe Gals got to ride the roller coaster, and it looks like they all bonded and ultimately did have a good time, with Rainbow even accepting an invitation to become a Gold Horseshoe Gal and do it again next year.

-----

When it comes to the main conflict of the episode, I was a little surprised that the Gold Horseshoe Gals didn't ask sooner why Rainbow was being so strict, and didn't try to negotiate with or convince Rainbow that they really are capable of doing the things that they wanted to do (although I'm not sure that would have worked). And I would say that Rainbow didn't seem particularly concerned with making sure that the Gold Horseshoe Gals had a good time. But in light of Applejack's rules and her scaring Rainbow straight about not straying from them, I can mostly understand why Rainbow was being such a wet blanket. And consequently, I would place most of the blame for the troubles with this trip on Applejack.

First, just before everyone leaves for the trip, Applejack tells Rainbow that "I made a list to help you keep the grandmares out of trouble". But has Applejack actually chaperoned them on any of their trips before? If Big Mac is usually the chaperone, and would have a better idea of what they can and can't do, then why didn't he make the list?

And then the rules that Applejack wrote are very vague, which leads to problems with enforcing those rules later. If the rule is "eat only soft foods", what does or doesn't count as "soft"? What would happen if the Gold Horseshoe Gals tried to eat non-"soft" foods? If the rule is "careful when dancing", I can't help asking "Careful about what?". Are there specific dance moves that are off-limits, or a certain time limit that it's okay to dance for? What injuries might result from not being "careful when dancing", and what would be the warning signs for those? And of course, the rule "don't get too excited" doesn't specify how excited is "too excited", or what bad things would happen if the Gold Horseshoe Gals get "too excited".

Does Applejack have specific previous incidents with the Gold Horseshoe Gals in mind when making these rules? If so, then those would be helpful to know, for a couple of reasons. One is that then Rainbow would have a better idea of what activities are dangerous and which ones might be okay. And second, it would be easier for Rainbow to enforce these rules if she's able to remind the Gold Horseshoe Gals of the consequences of not following them. I would imagine that it's easier for Rainbow to say "Don't do x, because last time you did that, this bad thing happened" or "Don't do x, because then there's a good chance that that will cause this bad thing to happen".

Furthermore, after Rainbow reads the rule about "don't get too excited", and right after Applejack says "Don't let them out of your sight. Ever.", then Rainbow justifiably asks "Then how am I supposed to go on the roller coaster?". And Applejack just replies "You'll find time". But if Rainbow is taking the "don't let them out of your sight, ever" rule seriously, and presumably the Gold Horseshoe Gals' riding the Wild Blue Yonder would be too dangerous and violate the "don't get too excited" rule, then I don't see how Rainbow is supposed to find time to ride the roller coaster. So Applejack's rules don't even seem to allow for Rainbow to ride the Wild Blue Yonder, which is the whole reason she agreed to the chaperoning gig in the first place.

By the end of the episode, though, it looks as though Applejack's rules don't reflect the reality of what the Gold Horseshoe Gals can do. Their riding the Wild Blue Yonder with Rainbow would seem to seal the deal. If anything would be "dangerous" to the Gals or get them "too excited", we would think that it would be riding "the fastest, most thrilling ride of all time", and yet they appear to have been perfectly fine doing that.

Despite this, though, Applejack put the fear into God into Rainbow, implying that straying from the rules will result not just in repercussions with Applejack herself, but would also result in everyone having to go home and Rainbow's missing her only chance to ride the Wild Blue Yonder. So I don't really blame Rainbow for being overly strict with Applejack's vaguely-written rules. And I'm glad that ultimately, the Gold Horseshoe Gals seem to understand that Rainbow's being a "wet hen" was a result of enforcing Applejack's overly restrictive rules.

Near the end of the episode, we get pictures of Rainbow and the Gold Horseshoe Gals riding the Wild Blue Yonder, and then just after that, the Gold Horseshoe Gals invite Rainbow to become a member. Yet all that we saw them do together after they "made up" was go on the roller coaster. I would assume that they did more things together and bonded, such that the Gals would think that Rainbow is "a hoot after all" and would invite her to become a member. But it would have been nice to see that. I could imagine, say, a few more pictures to go with the roller coaster ones showing Rainbow and the Gals doing some activities that they wanted to do, but the right way this time.

Finally, at the very end of the episode, we see Applejack's ghostly head winking, and I can't help thinking "Screw that, this happy ending is in spite of Applejack's apparition scaring Rainbow into strictly enforcing Applejack's vaguely-written and ill-considered rules".

-----

One other big thing that I was confused by in this episode was the scene with the Gold Horseshoe Gals participating in the magic show, which Rainbow interrupts. Are we supposed to take away from scene that Rainbow once again unnecessarily ruined their fun by feeling the need to save them? Was the whole magic trick actually going according to plan, and the Gold Horseshoe Gals were never actually in danger? Or are we supposed to take away from that scene that Rainbow was right to be concerned and to save them? Did the Gold Horseshoe Gals naively believe that the magicians had the trick planned out and under control, but they really didn't?

Were the Gold Horseshoe Gals briefed at some point before the show on how the trick works and what they should do? If so, was Rainbow not around or didn't notice? Rainbow does seem surprised when the Gold Horseshoe Gals get up to go on stage, even though the magicians invited the Gals to come on stage and be a part of the act when they gave the Gals tickets to the show. So is the idea that Rainbow didn't hear that, or wasn't paying attention, and so the Gals could have been told what to do for the trick at some point without Rainbow noticing, too? But Rainbow did apparently hear that original exchange between the magicians and the Gals, because she says "So gross" after the magicians give the Gals some cheesy lines.

Furthermore, if the Gold Horseshoe Gals were in on how the act works, and everything was going according to plan before Rainbow stopped the trick, then why do the two magicians act shifty and nervous after the trick is stopped and Goldie Delicious says "This is a magic show! We've seen it a thousand times! Everypony always escapes!"? And why are they in such a hurry to run away, rather than, say, reassuring Rainbow that they knew what they were doing, and that the Gold Horseshoe Gals were never in any real danger? Plus, if the Gold Horseshoe Gals were in on the magic act, they never say so or explain how the trick was supposed to work. So I don't know if the Gals knew how it supposed to work, or whether they were just assuming that it would work and that they could trust the magicians, even without any explanation.

-----

Now for the rest of my miscellaneous observations:

Soarin calls the Wild Blue Yonder "the fastest, most thrilling ride of all time". Of all time? Does Soarin not expect technological advancement to make faster or more thrilling rides at some point in the future? Or is this ride really right at the limit of what pony bodies can handle?

Also, it's a little weird to me that Soarin continues (and even raises) his enthusiasm as he says that the ride is closing for good. We would expect him to be enthusiastic about having been able to ride it before it closes, but is he enthusiastic about the ride closing, too?

Rainbow is in awe and says that the ride "looks incredible" on the basis of three standard on-ride camera pictures, which (necessarily) don't show what the roller coaster actually does.

Right after Applejack says that she'll cover Rainbow's classes, Rainbow says "Really? Awesome!", then takes off at high speed. But somehow Applejack is able to pull a lasso out and spend a couple of seconds whirling it before throwing it and lassoing Rainbow's tail. Wouldn't Rainbow be too far away to lasso at that point, especially with how short Applejack's lasso rope is? Plus, if Rainbow were still flying at high speed in the opposite direction, then wouldn't Applejack need to throw the lasso faster than Rainbow is traveling in order to catch up? Is Applejack really capable of throwing a lasso faster than Rainbow's high flying speed?

Applejack introduces the other Gold Horseshoe Gals as "Grand Auntie Applesauce, cousin Apple Rose, and cousin Goldie Delicious", but I think Applejack is mixing up her terminology there. It would make sense for Applejack to call her "Grand Auntie Applesauce", since that would make Applesauce Granny Smith's sister (or maybe the sister of Granny Smith's husband, a.k.a. Applejack's grandfather). On the other hand, Granny Smith called her "cousin Goldie Delicious" back in "Pinkie Apple Pie". So if Goldie Delicious and Apple Rose are Granny Smith's cousins (which would make more sense, based on their age), then from Applejack's perspective, they would be her cousins twice removed.

If the Wild Blue Yonder really is "the fastest, most thrilling ride of all time", then I would expect it to be pretty loud (from the actual mechanics of the ride, not just riders screaming) and to be generating a lot of strong gusts of wind as the cars go around. But then a significant part of the ride, with the accompanying noise and wind, goes through the main lobby of the hotel. Somehow that doesn't seem like it would be desirable. Plus, it doesn't look like the area under and near the ride is fenced off, or has any protective nets to catch any loose items flung from the ride.

The other Gold Horseshoe Gals have stuff on their trays at the buffet like cupcakes, pie, and cinnamon rolls, and those things seem like they would be "soft" enough to be fine to eat, but Rainbow all of those things away.

After the Gold Horseshoe Gals are given tickets to the magic show, Rainbow says "Oh, come on! You said you were going back to the room after dancing!". But we never saw any of them say that, at least not on-screen.

The red pony behind Rainbow in line at the roller coaster shows Rainbow a ride photo in which the other guy she's riding with is losing his glasses. That's why people who wear glasses (like me) have to wear an eyeglass retainer strap when we ride roller coasters. And we see that somehow that guy got his glasses back, which, if he rode the roller coaster that day, is surprising. Usually people who lose things on roller coasters would have to wait until the roller coaster closes (usually after the park closes) to even have a chance of one of the employees going out under the track to retrieve lost items. That's often something that they won't do anyway, and even if they did, there would be a significant chance that the lost item fell in an inaccessible location, in which case that person will never get that item back.

The Gold Horseshoe Gals seem to be unaware, until near the end of the episode, that Rainbow's main motivation for chaperoning them was to get to ride the Wild Blue Yonder (and therefore, things would have gone better if Rainbow had told them that earlier). But did any of them wonder or ask why Rainbow was accompanying them, rather than Big Mac, as usual? And if so, what were they told, if not Rainbow's actual main motivation?

Finally, we're never given a reason why the Wild Blue Yonder is closing for good, so we're just left to guess. Maybe, if the hotel's main clientele is shifting to elderly ponies, many of whom are unable or don't want to ride it, then there aren't enough riders to justify keeping it open. Maybe the aforementioned issues with noise and wind in the main lobby are coming to be too much to handle. Or maybe, if the Wild Blue Yonder is "the fastest, most thrilling ride of all time", there are safety and/or maintenance issues that come with that. Those kind of issues were what led to the wooden roller coaster Son of Beast at Kings Island to be closed and dismantled. While I went to Kings Island many times over the years, and I really like riding roller coasters, I don't recall ever riding Son of Beast. That might have been in part because it would always have a really long line, and in part because I'm not a particular fan of wooden coasters that are deliberately designed to be rough rides.

[Buttonmash1973 1,024]

deleted

Edited April 17, 2018 by Buttonmash1973

[The Nth Doctor 652]

I was surprised to find myself enjoying seeing Dash putting taking care of the old ponies ahead of wanting to ride a roller coaster (why is that so exciting when you can fly?)

Also really enjoyed seeing the mares find ways to ditch Dash and eventually confront her on being the opposite of what she should've been

Darn shame that Applejack didn't get any comeuppance for being a control freak though - she's a good background pony who's usually the only sane mare of the bunch, but sheesh...

[Dark Qiviut 22,173]

On 4/15/2018 at 3:44 PM, Denim&Venom said:

RD ruins the grandmares vacation. Learns her lesson in the last 3 minutes of the show, that old folks have the right to live life or die trying.

The pacing here is fine. They were upset at Dash for being such a stickler that she was a stick in the mud, but they also know that she wasn't doing it to be mean, evident by Apple Rose's concern for her. When Dash explained why she acted the way she did, the confusion was cleared, and they elected to forgive her. Them bringing her to the Wild Blue Yonder (which she wanted to go all vacation long) was a symbol of appreciation for her: They know it's her vacation, too.

[Denim&Venöm 16,510]

1 hour ago, Dark Qiviut said:

The pacing here is fine. They were upset at Dash for being such a stickler that she was a stick in the mud, but they also know that she wasn't doing it to be mean, evident by Apple Rose's concern for her. When Dash explained why she acted the way she did, the confusion was cleared, and they elected to forgive her. Them bringing her to the Wild Blue Yonder (which she wanted to go all vacation long) was a symbol of appreciation for her: They know it's her vacation, too.

That still feels like a flat ending. Dash (and by extension AJ) weren't proven wrong. And the moral felt like 'don't ruin other peoples fun' or 'communicate your wants more clearly' rather than 'don't underestimate the elderly.' And the fact that it was her vacation wasn't brought forth all that clearly. 

[BlackPony 77]

Question: Why are people so offended by what AJ was doing? It was in RDs imagination, even if it was still AppleJack's character. The only real appearance she had was in the beginning, and honestly, I don't take issue with her being overprotective here; she's not completely going out of her way to protect them, like she did in SPTWOM, but she's just showing concern for them. 

[Dark Qiviut 22,173]

1 hour ago, Denim&Venom said:

That still feels like a flat ending. Dash (and by extension AJ) weren't proven wrong. And the moral felt like 'don't ruin other peoples fun' or 'communicate your wants more clearly' rather than 'don't underestimate the elderly.' And the fact that it was her vacation wasn't brought forth all that clearly. 

1. AJ wasn't proven wrong, because she didn't do anything wrong to begin with and wasn't there for the rest of the episode. I already repeated my point ad nauseum throughout the thread.
2. Dash was proven wrong in two ways: by us (and her) witnessing the Gold Horseshoe Girls' wildness and Dash frantically trying to temper it. She became overprotective after initially skipping her duties and didn't want to mess up again.
   
   Unlike previous episodes, Dash wasn't humiliated or tortured to learn the lesson. Instead, after she explained her wish to go on the Wild Blue Yonder, they showed her by all going on together. All four have a marvelous time on the coaster and ended the vacation on a high note.
3. Being her vacation as well was clearly indicated. She went on vacation with the grannies as a chaperone, but had to figure out how to earn her way to enjoy riding the Wild Blue Yonder without disobeying AJ.
4. "Age doesn't determine the level of fun your friends enjoy" was the episode's moral, not "don't underestimate the elderly."

Edited April 17, 2018 by Dark Qiviut

[DonMaguz 1,023]

"...and you might learn a thing or two about having a good time from this old gals."

This line shows that AJ knows the grannies like to have a good time, the rules were not as strict as they might seem, she only said to not let them overdo it, you know, like some mare a while ago who tried to dive from a 20+ meters platform. Dash was so eager to ride the rollercoaster that she applied the rules as strictly as she could. The main issue was Rainbow Dash being judgemental of the old mares, so much she didn't even told them about why she wanted to be there or why was she being overprotective.