S08:E07 - Horse Play

[RulesofRarity 493]

This episode was a lot better than Do Princesses Dream of Sheep. Easily my favourite episode of the season. Twilight & Celestia’s relationship has always been one of the most compelling on the show, so I’m glad they played that up. 

[bluseymoe 258]

1 hour ago, PoisonClaw said:

Twilight is still the reigning princess of Best Faces.

Sorry but Rainbow Dash still holds that title, and likely always will.

[eventyraren 180]

so if Celestia has raised the son fore 1111 years that mean Luna become nightmare Moon 108 years after she started raising the moon, if she started at the same time.

I say that sens we has seen 3 hearth's warming eves sens the show started. so at least 3 years has gone by sens ep1

Edited April 28, 2018 by eventyraren

[ShootingStar159 2,157]

That was so much fun! It’s been a long time since the humor has been that good. Celestia was adorable, Starlight recked Twilight harder than when she stole her cutie mark, Big Bertha, Celestia’s RCV, Trixie’s back alley illegal firework business. Just... so many great ideas, and from a new writer as well. Seriously, I can’t think of any downsides here-

1 hour ago, Dark Qiviut said:

>Dash says "huge" and "amazing."

How refreshing to her her say words of excitement BESIDES "awesome"!

0/10 for this whole episode, I can’t believe she’s so out of character.

On a more serious note, we also learned some fascinating lore about Celestia, Starswirl, and the raising of the sun. It really took sacrificing the magic of five powerful unicorns to raise the sun each time? Either that’s legend, they only raised the sun when it was necessary, or unicorn sorcerers were a dime a dozen back in the day.

[Dark Qiviut 22,447]

1 hour ago, Kyoshi said:

What makes that worse is Celestia's actions afterwards. A princess who has been alive for over 1,000 years, has dealt with tons of hardship like banishing her sister to the moon and all it takes is a lie laced with very good intentions from her star pupil and one of her best friends for her to get all pouty and bitter. Suck it the fuck up Celestia, christ.

Celestia's completely justified to feel so upset. She taught Twilight values of being a good friend, and Twilight eventually became the Princess of Friendship as a result of learning and absorbing all those teachings, both in and out of Cantrlot. She expects Twilight to use the lessons she learned to be a good friend, even if it means not liking what she wants to hear. Instead, Twilight talked behind her back and didn't follow her own teachings.

39 minutes ago, Zantetsuken said:

Why is Celestia having so much trouble acting when part of her job is technically acting? Do you remember Royal Problem? Celestia said that even though she is tired during the day she still puts on a smile... isn't that sort of like acting in a way?

There's a big difference between performing her royal duty and being directed on stage for someone's play. She could act in formal duty, because she's done so for ages and perfected the practice. But she has no stage experience and is being directed by someone with their own creative vision.

Edited April 28, 2018 by Dark Qiviut

[Wonderbolt Slipstream 264]

I loved this episode! Seeing more of a back story to Celestia and more history, showing Celestia actually having a personality, its amazing!

[Sparklefan1234 172,717]

Newest Episode Spoilers

Spoiler

1. Celestia is Best Worst Actress!
2. I loved Twilight Sparkle's freakout after getting so stressed about the play.
3. What if Princess Celestia was trolling the entire time & she's actually a terrific actress?  (Nicole Oliver is a terrific actress so, it'd make sense.)

 

[StitchandMLPlover 930]

I saw MLP Horse Play. I saw this one as a leak too and it was definitely one of my fave episodes and very funny for me personally because I have theater acting and some directing experience. Twi's freak outs were so me a couple of years ago! It was nice to see the students again, it was great to see Celestia actually be bad at something and I adored that scene where Celestia and Twilight fly around in the night sky. I'v been where Twilight is in that scene and thought it was very real and touching. This one is my fave of S8 so far!

Edited April 28, 2018 by StitchandMLPlover

[Goat-kun 2,529]

Jolly good. More Celestia when? Twilight & Celestia map episode when?

[Dark Qiviut 22,447]

>Raspberry Beret pretending to be chilly.

Quote

Celly: Should I get you a blanket?

[Mesme Rize 15,687]

This was a rather excellent episode.

I was at first skeptical how to fit celestia in this episode, but it was really cleverly done. Her bad acting skills where funny, but also made her look way more relatable, considering we all thought that she is good at everything, which she obviously is not.

Twilights actions where very well meant, eventhough they have been a bit extreme but i understand why she done it. She knows Celestia for years now and wanted to give something back to her and also want her to enjoy the things Twilight also enjoys.

And oh god these method actors. I heard stories of some of them and some really act like them and it was hilarious how Celestia interacted with them.

All in all, very good episode and probably one of the most hilarious ones. Thumbs up.

 

And one a side note, from now on the sun will look like a flaming marshmellow to me.

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 41,740]

38 minutes ago, Dark Qiviut said:

Celestia's completely justified to feel so upset. She taught Twilight values of being a good friend, and Twilight eventually became the Princess of Friendship as a result of learning and absorbing all those teachings, both in and out of Cantrlot. She expects Twilight to use the lessons she learned to be a good friend, even if it means not liking what she wants to hear. Instead, Twilight talked behind her back and didn't follow her own teachings.

Yes, Twilight made a mistake. You'd think Celestia would be able to forgive a mistake especially when that mistake was made with the best intentions possible. Instead she was written as petty and pouty. Not very appealing in my eyes.

[Dark Qiviut 22,447]

Quote

Raspberry Beret: A puppy. Duck-billed platypus. Antidisestablishmentarianism. Oh! I give up! What?

PC: My love for Equestria and all the ponies in it. Twilight, you know what I was emoting, didn't you?

Twilight *strains smile*: YyyyyyEEEEAAAH!!

Spike *to On Stage*: Now that's the best acting we've seen all day.

Spike's snarky line's one the best in the episode. Perfectly timed and really funny. XD

---

As for On Stage and Raspberry Beret, like many names before, bronies gave them names — On Stage by Timwi, Beret by EveryoneRocks — and Hasbro/DHX canonized them. Nice!

[CastletonSnob 3,079]

Might just be me, but this season has been kind of up and down in quality. We have good episodes like Surf and/or Turf and Grannies Gone Wild, and not-so-good ones like Fake It Till You Make It and Maud Couple.

[Dark Qiviut 22,447]

Pinkie, youdunit. The set is now badly damaged. Starlight has to console Fluttershy, who's hunkered and crying on the floor.

>Pinkie nervously blows TS's horn, as TS's eye twitches

Quote

Twilight: *screams* "I can't take it anymore! It was supposed to be a simple play! Just one simple play! And then everything goes wrong, from the stage to the props, right down to the WORST LEAD ACTRESS IN EQUESTRIAAAA!!"

…damn, Twi. Remind me never to push you to your wit's end.

AJ and Rarity backing up nervously and frighteningly tells all about how scary Twilight's snap is.

[Buttonmash1973 1,026]

deleted

Edited May 1, 2018 by Buttonmash1973

[YoshiAngemon 223]

1 hour ago, Goat-kun said:

Jolly good. More Celestia when? Twilight & Celestia map episode when?

 

What about Celestia & Luna? They need to solve a problem for the Map, as well.

[Ganondorf8 11,370]

We finally get to see Celestia cut loose and have fun as evidenced by her numerous antics--I definitely didn't expect her to use a Royal Canterlot Voice--but we also see that she can be offended just like everyone else when she discovered how Twilight deceived her. I'll admit that Twilight should've known better and the whole thing dragged on way too long regarding telling Celestia the truth. I'd say that was the one thing about this episode that made me cringe but it was offset by Twilight getting stressed out and showcasing some new expressions.

Perhaps the best part was the talk between the two princesses. It was nice seeing them in such a moment as it reminded me of how far Twilight has come since she first started, and at the same time showing that Celestia can still teach her something new as well as reiterate what Twilight has been taught. On another note, we were given names for two of the Method Mares. I was surprised to see them show up--I recognized Colin Murdock's voice in an instant--yet neither of them were prepared to handle the likes of Celestia. If there was one criticism I could give in regards to Celestia, it would be that she had no imagination when it comes to theatre.

Also, they referenced the 'Journal of the Two Sisters' and indirectly referenced Rainbow Rocks when the cast were unexpectedly dropped through the stage to the floor below--I'm sure people will know which scene in Rainbow Rocks I'm talking about. And then there was Trixie's indirect reference. Why Pinkie chose to buy her fireworks is beyond me and it felt that Trixie was trying to be a troll despite not being there in person. Oh, and Big Bertha is the name for Pinkie's special cannon which is absurdly huge in comparison to her other cannons--methinks she got inspired by Cheese Sandwich.

To be honest, I feel as though some of the characters didn't need to be in the episode as they either contributed to the problem or didn't do much of anything. But, I won't hold it against what we were ultimately given. Perhaps now we won't see as many complaints over Celestia not being given a lead role in an episode. Finally, there was that joke at the end. In some ways, it could be seen as a message that Celestia doesn't intend on ruling forever and has been preparing for the time when she would need to be succeeded. I know fanfic writers have done their take on this idea but it'd be interesting to see the show do it as a means of a what-if scenario. For now, she intends on remaining in her position but who knows what can happen in the future.

One more side note. Raspberry Beret wasn't mentioned in the credits under featured voice performers. I'm curious as to who voiced her. Do I have a rating for this episode? Yes... 95%.

[The Nth Doctor 663]

Twilight, you have known Celestia for...probably around 15 years at this point and you still don't treat her like she's asked you to multiple times?

I really wish Twilight would stop putting Celestia on a pedestal because it's really infuriating to see an otherwise good character dragged through the mud for the sake of the plot

[Thrond 3,263]

Oh, so this show CAN still be this good. I had forgotten. 

I don't even know what points to make. I'm just here for all of it. I don't expect these characters to always make the best decisions. I just want to always understand their motivations. I want to be able to sympathize with their anxiety and delight in their enthusiasm. What we get here is an actual balance of the two, where characters are both enthusiastic about the play and nervous about its failure. The way they react to each other is understandable even when it's exaggerated. Starlight is present and plays a part without overpowering the story, and doesn't even play the primary voice of reason. The relationships actually feel like they used to and like they should. Celestia gets to express a range of emotions beyond her public facade. Twilight's anxiety is easy to understand and even selfless while also being clearly misguided and distinctly over-anxious in her usual way. And the episode is just so funny. 

I know I complain a lot about this show but this is all I really want. Honestly it's probably better than many of my season 2/4/6 favourites. Legitimately one of my favourite things this show has ever done.  

100/100

Edited April 29, 2018 by AlexanderThrond

[Twilight Luna 31,421]

Eight seasons later and we finally get to hear Celestia use her royal Canterlot voice. Why did it take so long?

[Dark Qiviut 22,447]

2 hours ago, Kyoshi said:

Yes, Twilight made a mistake. You'd think Celestia would be able to forgive a mistake especially when that mistake was made with the best intentions possible. Instead she was written as petty and pouty. Not very appealing in my eyes.

Princess Celestia wasn't being petty. She instilled a boatload of faith in Twilight in hopes she tells her the truth and stays true to the lessons she learned. Her trust to Twilight matters to her. But Twilight lied to her and betrayed her trust; she was justifiably hurt by her actions, even though they were understandable.

40 minutes ago, The Nth Doctor said:

Twilight, you have known Celestia for...probably around 15 years at this point and you still don't treat her like she's asked you to multiple times?

I really wish Twilight would stop putting Celestia on a pedestal because it's really infuriating to see an otherwise good character dragged through the mud for the sake of the plot

Think about why Twilight worked her hardest and lied to Celestia in the first place. Celestia dedicated part of her life raising and teaching Twilight while she studied at her school, and their bond was so close that TS feels indebted to her. Therefore, she wants to give back to her in the form of her onesversary play, but nothing went as planned, no matter how hard she tried. Was she wrong to fib? Certainly. But it was completely understandable.

[Truffles 2,033]

2 hours ago, Dark Qiviut said:

PP: Ah! It's the perfect plan!

I was expecting Twilight to use her usual "Spike, you're a genius!" line she often recites when he comes up with a good suggestion. It was still funny, anyway. XD

1 hour ago, Dark Qiviut said:

Spike's snarky line's one the best in the episode. Perfectly timed and really funny. XD

And yet, somehow he's even better dialogue-wise 3 episodes from now. =)

55 minutes ago, VG_Addict said:

Might just be me, but this season has been kind of up and down in quality. We have good episodes like Surf and/or Turf and Grannies Gone Wild, and not-so-good ones like Fake It Till You Make It and Maud Couple.

I'm giving this season very high ratings so far, it may well my new favorite by the end. The two not-so-good-ones you mentioned are the season's weakest links, but even they weren't so bad and I couldn't help but like them. Of the episodes I've seen (that includes 2 of the leaked ones) I've loved 5 out of 9 total, and like the rest. That's pretty good start to a season!

I've heard some grumblings about episode 9, but I'll make a judgement when I actually see it.

45 minutes ago, Dark Qiviut said:

AJ and Rarity backing up nervously and frighteningly tells all about how scary Twilight's snap is.

Rarity hasn't seen this before, but AJ saw Twilight like this back in "Feeling Pinkie Keen," and AJ didn't react like that back then. Clearly, Twi being an alicorn has given AJ some pause when she sees her freak out like that. XD

 

So this was a really fun outing, the best of the officially aired episodes so far. I guess "Surf a/o Turf" will have to move down a slot because this was better.

I was initially a little uneasy at how thin a line the story was treading with Tia's bad acting and how believable it was for us viewers, but then I thought about all the folks who have appeared on talent shows from "The Gong Show" to "American Idol" thinking they are good at singing or acting. When you strip away some percentage of those folks who are just there to make fools of themselves for their 20 minutes of fame, there is a core who truly believe they are good, and I suspect Tia (due to how much it was her dream to be in a play) believed this as well.

If there was more time to do a few more drafts, maybe the interactions between Twilight and Celestia could have been refined to make this point clearer and also better explain why Twilight was ignoring AJ as it was happening, instead of having to do it through exposition at the end.

Nonetheless, this new writer knows this show. I loved the callbacks to "Testing, Testing 123" with Fluttershy as Tia and Spike donning his adorable director outfit again from that episode. And she managed to write a script where everyone got to play a part - even Trixie managed to make her presence known without even appearing!

So many hilarious new expressions for the characters. Twilight and Spike got to do the most, but Pinkie, Fluttershy, and even Celestia had their funny-face moments. And Celestia uses the Royal Voice! Huzzah! XD

The episode had its thought-provoking moments, too. For example, this is the 1111th anniversary of Tia raising the sun for the first time. We know 1000 of those years had Luna locked away, so we have concrete evidence that there's only been 111 years of both sisters raising the sun and moon. If we assume approximately 4 of those years are after the events of episode 1, then that means the both of them did it for 107 years until Luna was banished. It still doesn't answer when Tia and Luna went from being students to being rulers, however.

Then there's something that I saw someone else bring up: What kind of ingrate brings throwing tomatoes to a school play? I guess them being ponies it could have been for a snack, but if Celestia had actually gone out there and bombed, would those ponies have hurled their tomatoes at their ruler instead of using them on Spike? Speaking of which, my own headcannon is they decided to throw the tomatoes at him only because he got fed up with their booing, and being conveniently opposably-thumbed, he flipped them off and that's what started the onslaught of juicy, red fruit. XD  (He was certainly snarky enough in this episode to make that plausible, at least. Or maybe he really did just want the free food? XD )

If Spike really was just getting tomatoed for bombing on stage, it speaks again to the show trying to use him as a slapstick prop even though he's not an adult. When I think of it like that, the abuse of a kid still isn't funny. At least in this instance, they disarmed the Spikeabuse by how he reacted to it. But I felt bad for him anyway, especially since he was reluctant to have to go out on stage in the first place. Seeing how ponies treat him sometimes (and each other, for that matter) makes me think his snarky personality is a defense mechanism to that kind of abuse.

And then there's Luna. I suspect she restrained herself at jumping in and defending the actors because she already knew her sister was a terrible actor and wanted to experience a little bit of harmless schadenfreude at seeing her sibling mess up. She didn't even look pleased when Tia raised the sun at the end of the play. If they had thrown tomatoes at Tia, I think she would have stepped in since we could see the concern on her face when they instead threw them at Spike.

Speaking of that scene again:

Spike: "The good news? Free food! The bad news? This play is officially a disaster."
Celestia: "Fortunately, I know a thing or two about how to deal with those."

Do you? Seems like you get beat every time one of them comes around. XD

I'm kidding (mostly).  She actually is really good at delegating responsibility to those around her who can handle it, which is what she did here to solve the problem. And her and Luna did seem to deal with issues themselves before the Mane 6 came around.

 

Anyway, great episode. Looking forwards to next week's as well!

[JH24 385]

I tried to like this episode, and I don't entirely dislike it but it's not my favorite. The issue seemed way too forced and overplayed. I can believe Celestia isn't good at acting, but that whole scene when she was practicing and got everything wrong with the actor ponies was just not believable at all. 

The episode was a treasure trove of fun moments and expressions though. Starlight's "Princess" joke was perfect. 

I hated how Spike was basically forced by the others to go on stage and be pelted with tomatoes. Honestly, that was just cowardly. No wonder Spike hangs out with Discord and Big Mac.

The lesson was a good one though and I liked the scene with Twilight and Celestia.

Edited April 28, 2018 by JH24

[Misty Shadow 7,948]

More proof that Celestia is not a Mary Sue, I love it. I really like how they were able to make a simple, "honesty is the best policy" moral work, the kind of lesson much of Hollywood and theater has sadly forgotten, with the ruler of Equestria. It also made me realize that not just Spike, but Applejack also does not get enough credit. That's the only thing I found irking about the episode, they were the ones preaching the truth, and what did they get? Not only does Spike get used as a scapegoat, but AJ doesn't even get an apology from Twilight for being ignored. For good gags, I loved Celestia's Canterlot voice, Pinkie's sun props, and how Celestia trolled them at the end. Luna was also the best background character in all this, heckling child actors and expressing bemusement at the play going well. She's definitely going to become Nightmare Moon again some time.