S08:E11 - Molt Down

[Music Chart Fan 818]

2 hours ago, Kreamer said:

The most frustrating issue, however, was Twilight. Twilight, despite being the one who looks after Spike, was terribly unprepared. You think she would have done enough research on dragons so she could properly take care of him. She should have known this is how dragons grow so she could prepare. Instead, she is completely clueless. If you're going to take care of someone that is a different species than your own, so they probably function differently in some regards, the least you can do is pick up a book on their species and learn the important things like, I don't know, what happens to them as they grow up?

I do see your point here, but Twilight's not knowing about dragon molting may not be too far-fetched. For one thing, back in "Dragon Quest", Twilight and Spike searched the whole Golden Oak Library and didn't find anything in the books there about dragons, and Twilight said that "It's hard to believe, but ponies know next to nothing about dragons. Apparently they're too rare and too scary to try to talk to or study!". Then, near the beginning of "Gauntlet of Fire", Luna says that "little is known about dragon culture" (although she's seen the call of the Dragon Lord before), and Twilight reiterates that "we are sadly lacking any information on dragon culture and customs".

And there doesn't seem to be much indication that ponies in general have communicated with or learned much about dragons since then. Ember's visit to Ponyville in "Triple Threat" may be the first visit by the Dragon Lord or any other dragon representative to pony society in a long time, if ever. It may be that, among ponies, only the Mane Eight have observed or interacted with dragons in general in any significant way, and even that has probably been pretty limited.

It is true that, at the end of "Gauntlet of Fire", Twilight said that "Ember said I could write to her any time I had questions about dragon culture". But asking about dragon culture may be somewhat different than asking about dragon physiology, and if Twilight didn't know that dragons go through significant non-greed-induced bodily changes in their "teenage" years, then it might be understandable that Twilight didn't ask about something that she didn't even know would be a problem. Plus, the whole molting process appears to have only taken about a day, so by the time that Twilight might have observed what Spike was going through, tried to find out more about it, and then tried to do something about it, the molt had already ended.

There are a lot of potential problems that we could encounter in our lives, and we could pre-emptively try to think of them and research solutions to them. But if things are generally going well enough, then rational ignorance often prevails, leading to our not thinking of problems or researching solutions to them until we actually encounter them. I could see that being the case here, and providing a plausible explanation for why Twilight didn't know about dragon molting until after Spike had already gone through it.

[Violet Bookish 349]

4 hours ago, Music Chart Fan said:

I do see your point here, but Twilight's not knowing about dragon molting may not be too far-fetched. For one thing, back in "Dragon Quest", Twilight and Spike searched the whole Golden Oak Library and didn't find anything in the books there about dragons, and Twilight said that "It's hard to believe, but ponies know next to nothing about dragons. Apparently they're too rare and too scary to try to talk to or study!". Then, near the beginning of "Gauntlet of Fire", Luna says that "little is known about dragon culture" (although she's seen the call of the Dragon Lord before), and Twilight reiterates that "we are sadly lacking any information on dragon culture and customs".

And there doesn't seem to be much indication that ponies in general have communicated with or learned much about dragons since then. Ember's visit to Ponyville in "Triple Threat" may be the first visit by the Dragon Lord or any other dragon representative to pony society in a long time, if ever. It may be that, among ponies, only the Mane Eight have observed or interacted with dragons in general in any significant way, and even that has probably been pretty limited.

It is true that, at the end of "Gauntlet of Fire", Twilight said that "Ember said I could write to her any time I had questions about dragon culture". But asking about dragon culture may be somewhat different than asking about dragon physiology, and if Twilight didn't know that dragons go through significant non-greed-induced bodily changes in their "teenage" years, then it might be understandable that Twilight didn't ask about something that she didn't even know would be a problem. Plus, the whole molting process appears to have only taken about a day, so by the time that Twilight might have observed what Spike was going through, tried to find out more about it, and then tried to do something about it, the molt had already ended.

There are a lot of potential problems that we could encounter in our lives, and we could pre-emptively try to think of them and research solutions to them. But if things are generally going well enough, then rational ignorance often prevails, leading to our not thinking of problems or researching solutions to them until we actually encounter them. I could see that being the case here, and providing a plausible explanation for why Twilight didn't know about dragon molting until after Spike had already gone through it.

You make a good point, but I still feel Twilight should have asked Ember about how and if dragons age. I feel it's something she should have thought of ahead of time. Again you make good points but since Twilight is taking care of Spike I feel she should have used the resources she had to learn about things like this, even if they were limited. If you care about the person you are taking care of, why not go the extra step? Her ignorance is understandable, but it simply being mentioned she at least tried to learn more about how dragons grow would have been nice. I can't help but be annoyed when it doesn't seem like Twilight tried to use her resources to help Spike grow. For the others, I could understand this, but Twilight is basically raising Spike and has the means to at least attempt to know more (Ember), so she should have gone the extra step.

Edited May 31, 2018 by Kreamer
adding details

[heavens-champion 1,893]

After seven seasons and eleven episodes of season 8, Spike finally has wings.

[Anonymous Old User Who Has Left 599]

Was anyone reminded of Top Gun and How To Train Your Dragon during the fight scene with the Roc? Heck, Spike used the same fireball-into-the enemy-mouth technique that Toothless used on the Red Death. 

Also, I am SO going to dub John Powell’s scores over this episode. 

[Truffles 2,033]

A bit late with this, aren't I? X3 When I had free time to comment, I instead spent it watching reaction video after reaction video to Spike's wings. XD

So if it wasn't clear already, I watched the leak of this episode. The only reason I did that is because Spike's wings were spoiled for me almost immediately in the initial leaks topic over on EqD, and I knew I wasn't going to be able to last until late Spring to see it actually happen. I'm not too upset though - if I really didn't want to know anything, I could have simply avoided all the topics on leaks, though chances are I would have found out, anyway - especially after DFC spoiled it themselves by showing Spike fighting the roc in the first few seconds of one of their S8 promos.

It would have been absolutely amazing to have been able to watch this episode without any idea what was in store, but in the end, the event was amazing nonetheless.

On 5/26/2018 at 11:11 AM, Dark Qiviut said:

Spike *from jar*: YOU HAVE NO IDEA!

The squashing and stretching really sells the joke. XD

It does, doesn't it? XD This is my favorite line from the episode. The sudden outburst, his regret soon after, and the way the line is delivered really causes the audience to sympathize with Spike and everything he's going through. And the delivery is just plain funny, too. XD

On 5/26/2018 at 11:34 AM, PathfinderCS said:

Seriously though; this is just ANOTHER great episode of season 8. Three episodes thus far; we've had a great season. Bring on more!

I have high hopes for episode 12 as well. Guess I'll find out in 24 hours or so!

On 5/26/2018 at 12:07 PM, Dark Qiviut said:

Also, back when I first watched MD months ago, I criticized Rarity's sudden hearing loss. Well, it properly explained the source (something I missed): the feather slowly caused her an ear infection.

I missed that as well. I do agree with some of the comments here - the shouting bothered me when seeing this episode for the third and fourth time. After that, it didn't bother me as much, though. I must have simply gotten used to it. When I saw the leaked version, it was also hard to hear Spike when he couldn't talk in more than a strained whisper. In the broadcast version on DFC, the audio is balanced a lot better. (The actual broadcast also sounds better than the online final versions, in fact.)

On 5/28/2018 at 12:22 AM, Dark Qiviut said:

That said, not all of them. Sometimes they got a little repetitive or cringeworthy, notably Rarity's shouts after a while

Even though the phoenix feathers causing temporary deafness was a nifty bit of lore, if I were writing the episode I would have left it out and allowed Rarity to speak normally. I think it was enough to just have Spike be the one with the volume issues.

On 5/26/2018 at 2:13 PM, Ganondorf8 said:

Spike struggling to fly upon getting his wings was a smart move on the staff's part as having him simply fly perfectly on his first attempt would have made it hard to believe--Twilight's first flight in Magical Mystery Cure comes to mind here

I had the same thought - they went out of their way to show Spike having initial flying issues so we didn't get what we got in the very last moments of MMC. There have been some complaints that he still learned too fast, but the episode did have to move the story along, so just acknowledging the fact that he's not perfect was enough for me.

On 5/26/2018 at 4:28 PM, AlexanderThrond said:

As thematically appropriate as Rarity's and Twilight's presence is, I miss when Spike would hang out with the rest of the mane six, which made Pinkie's presence especially welcome, despite how limited it turned out to be.

Considering Pinkie had a speaking role in this episode, I was surprised to not see it end with her throwing a "Happy Wingification Day" for Spike instead of the ending we got. It would have been nice to see all his closest friends there to congratulate him, and the message Rarity delivered in the actual end of the episode could have been repeated here. But it does make some sense structurally to end the episode the same way it began - with just Spike and Rarity together, using the symbolism of phoenixes as a backdrop.

On 5/26/2018 at 5:04 PM, ImpctR said:

It turns into an awesome action like episode with this giant bird, why it was after Rarity and Zecora was still not clear, afterall wasnt it after the smell and Spike.

Rocs are carnivorous in general, so ponies and zebras are fair game, too. It's not that they want to exclusively eat creatures who happen to smell bad, it's just that a molting dragon's smell paints a big old target on their back. Rarity and Zecora were simply convenient morsels there for the taking. 

On 5/28/2018 at 12:22 AM, Dark Qiviut said:

Do you remember dreading the thought of a Spike episode?

I do.

I'm not as down on his S1 and S2 as you are, but my starting the show with S3 and it's Spike-focused entries certainly set the stage for that kind of dread you refer to when S4 began.   And S5's "Princess Spike" did the same for S6.

On 5/28/2018 at 12:22 AM, Dark Qiviut said:

Fire burps: dunno. A period, perhaps?

It's that for girls and perhaps nocturnal emissions for boys. Either one is particularly embarrassing, maybe even the most embarrassing and disruptive things about having to go through puberty.

On 5/28/2018 at 12:22 AM, Dark Qiviut said:

Sleep disruptions: teens being more alert late in the day. (Thank @Jeric for that pointer and the accompanying research.)

That scene in the cold open of Spike wanting to sleep in till noon reminded me of those mornings while I was in 9th grade where the snooze alarm was my best friend. And that research makes sense - when I was in 5th grade, waking up before the sun came up was easy-peasy. Four years later - not so much!

On 5/28/2018 at 12:22 AM, Dark Qiviut said:

Smolder smacking Spike a little too hard in the back, accidentally driving him in pain.

It's interesting how that scene works and doesn't come across as Spikeabuse. I guess part of the reason is because it's a relatable moment, like when someone accidentally pats you on the back when you have a bad sunburn. All the things that happen to Spike don't feel like Spikeabuse because of the analogies to puberty you listed above; everyone past their adolescent years can relate.

On 5/28/2018 at 12:22 AM, Dark Qiviut said:

Pinkie's sudden shouting and liking that foul odor.   Her sly faces really sell the characterization, too.

I could totally see Pinkie being intrigued by the smell of brussel sprouts and cotton candy. It seems like a concoction she would try making herself to see what it would taste like. XD

On 5/28/2018 at 12:22 AM, Dark Qiviut said:

Twilight grumbling at the thought of Celestia never creaking out.

That's the first time we've ever seen Twilight envious of her mentor. Twi's face is one of many hilarious expressions in the episode:

On 5/28/2018 at 12:22 AM, Dark Qiviut said:

the grossout shot of Spike's stone scale.

Yeah, it was pretty nasty. At least we have further confirmation dragon blood is red and not some exotic color like green.

On 5/28/2018 at 12:22 AM, Dark Qiviut said:

What Spike had to go through isn't his fault. Every dragon goes through this stage, including Smolder's presumably-older bro. The molt effect that Spike suffered from is no less different than any other dragon when they grow up. When they treat it as normal, we do, too.

This, more than anything else, is why the hardships Spike is faced with don't feel like something that's being piled on gratuitously.

On 5/28/2018 at 12:22 AM, Dark Qiviut said:

But there's one thing to note, which the episode makes very clear — as scary as her description of dragon life during the molt is, she's not treated as a bad person, and Smolder isn't written to be antagonistic. The molt effect is a part of her life, so what she and others experienced is expected.

In fact, Smolder congratulates Spike twice on his molting. For dragons - whose society revolves around strength and competition (as Ember stated in "Triple Threat"), growing up is really important if a dragon wishes to be viewed as successful. Perhaps with Ember in charge and Spike as an emissary between his kind and ponies, that view may change. For the time being it makes perfect sense for Smolder to react the way she did to Spike's entering adolescence in such a vigorous manner. It would not surprise me that the more intense the molt symptoms are, the more respect a dragon receives from their close acquaintances.

On 5/28/2018 at 12:22 AM, Dark Qiviut said:

One big change for this season is the treatment of the Everfree Forest, historically a really dangerous place to roam. What was a common plot device for the Mane Six, Spike, and CMCs to face conflict, its dangers and presence were mostly absent after Princess Twilight Sparkle. But for the third time this season, an Everfree creature threatened creaturekinds' safety.

It is nice to have the dangers of the Everfree actually mean something again. Whoever it was - Haber or someone else - that realized the show's lore regarding the Everfree had drifted from what it once was in earlier seasons, deserves a lot of credit.

On 5/28/2018 at 12:22 AM, Dark Qiviut said:

Here, MD brings forth a really great moral: "Growing up is a part of life, and it's usually not very easy. Sometimes you'll doubt yourself or fear of what will happen to those who love you as well as your own future. But good friends and family will be there to help you through times of uncertainty.

After seeing it again, it was amazing to discover something new in how they portrayed the lesson. I was so entirely focused on him getting his wings when I viewed the leak I completely missed the thoughtful way they handled his puberty.

On 5/28/2018 at 12:22 AM, Dark Qiviut said:

The now-adult phoenix still interacts with his parents, but a sharp eye will notice he has his own nest now, indicating either a family of his own or the preparation for one.

I will give the little guy credit for moving out of his parents' nest, but I also noticed he only moved one tree over with both nests having a direct line of sight to one another. Is that equivalent to moving out and into your parents' basement?

On 5/28/2018 at 12:22 AM, Dark Qiviut said:

If there was one little problem with the chase, it's what Silver Quill pointed out: Twilight's magic felt kinda weak. Yes, you could argue that she scaled it back because Rarity and Zecora were trapped within the roc's talons, but she needed Spike's assistance to rescue them from their fall, when Twilight magically corralled them all during the movie.

I agree Twilight should have had no problems saving both Rarity and Zecora from the final fall, but I feel the battle itself with the roc was handled appropriately in regards to Twilight's abilities. As you mentioned, there was a risk of potentially hurting her friends if she used offensive spells that would freeze or bind the roc (and that still wouldn't separate them from the creature).

There was also the possibility of teleportation, but I'm not sure she could have done that. I remember what Starlight said about teleportation in "All Bottled Up" - the unicorn has to focus on both the object and where they want to teleport it to, and Twilight could barely see Rarity and Zecora in the bird's talons let alone have enough time to focus on a place to send them to.

On 5/28/2018 at 12:22 AM, Dark Qiviut said:

Back in Season 5, I panned Spike being handed the bouquet of dragon sneeze flowers, the lowest moment of the season.

It's definitely the worst moment of S5, and I want to say it was also his lowest point in the series. I know he was handled really badly in "Spike at Your Service," but at least there the reason for him being turned into a nincompoop was due to the writer having to rewrite a script in short order and having a possible lack of familiarity with his abilities. (Also, in third act he did get a chance to shine.)

In "Princess Spike," however, the closing moments just seems like the show wanted every chance they got to kick him around some more. It's the episode that made me feel like they must hate his character for some reason and that's why he had been subjected to all the abuse he'd received in the past. Things having been so much better since the beginning of S6 for him.

On 5/28/2018 at 12:22 AM, Dark Qiviut said:

Coming into Molt Down, Spike was having a great year. Now he left his biggest mark in the show since Times. His wings demonstrate his evolution in not just his character, but also his role. It's unknown whether his wings will have a big impact on the season, or it's just cosmetic. But what happens in the future will wait.

Before seeing how well they handled the lesson, the most important thing about the episode was his wings. While that was a great thing to see, I was even more interested in what that meant for him moving forward in the series. Not only does it open new opportunities to use his character in ways they haven't before, but it gives the entire fandom a milestone to mark in the series. Just like we had with Twilight and the CMC, fan content involving him will now either be from a time before he could fly or after. As Joe Biden once said, "This is a big f---ing deal."

Well, I'm going to pause here and pick up again in another message. Or the same message if there are no other posts and my next one gets merged. XD

I haven't even really gotten into giving my own thoughts yet.

[Truffles 2,033]

On 5/28/2018 at 12:02 PM, Music Chart Fan said:

Twilight's and Rarity's taking the initiative to ask Zecora about a cure for Spike's stone scales, after Spike was too nervous/stubborn/etc. to do it himself;

That does make sense - the episode cuts from the scene in the closet with Smolder straight to Spike in the same pose with Zecora. I guess he simply slipped away without telling either of them where he was going (as seen when they are surprised to see him out there later with the roc). Not exactly a smart move, though - wandering away into the Everfree like that without telling anyone. That's a good way to disappear without a trace if you happen to get eaten. o_o

On 5/28/2018 at 12:02 PM, Music Chart Fan said:

I hope that we get to see Spike using his wings and having interactions with other characters about his wings and about flying; things like that would help to make this status quo change more meaningful.

Agreed. Like I commented earlier, it would have been nice to have the episode end with a party celebrating Spike's coming-of-age, with all of his friends present. I guess such a thing might be likened to a dragon bar mitzvah?

On 5/28/2018 at 12:02 PM, Music Chart Fan said:

So, essentially, Spike refuses to seek out a solution to his problem until...his problem solves itself, which seems like a bit of a paradox.

It makes sense to me, or at least, is relatable. I've been in Spike's position where I've had issues like sinus or other respiratory ailments and I keep getting told I should see a doctor by family and friends, but I kept putting it off anyway. The thing about visiting doctors is they either tell you there isn't much they can do for you except take meds to relieve the symptoms while it resolves itself, or that you needs lots of expensive treatments to get better. At least that has been my experience anyway. XD

So I can understand Spike's reluctance to go visit Zecora. Even if she lives alone and isn't going to go blabbing to the world about her patients problems, he didn't really want to have to face another pony with his problem - it was bad enough that Rarity, Twilight, and Smolder (and I suppose the tourists XD ) knew about his outbreak of sores and flame control issues.

On 5/28/2018 at 12:02 PM, Music Chart Fan said:

And after that, Spike hides his breakout from Rarity and tries to get away without even telling her about what has happened. But earlier, when Spike eventually revealed his stone scale to her, she was mature about it. She didn't laugh at his misfortune or tell him that he's gross and she never wants to see him again or anything like that.

Rarity said she had the "occasional blemish", but I think after his entire face and body broke out with the stone scale that it was enough to make him afraid to face her again. It's pretty clear he still wants the two of them to have a relationship, and it seems plausible this massive outbreak was enough to make him feel once again that he was too hideous to face her. Throw some good old adolescent irrationality into the mix and you have the perfect scenario for him to just want to hide away and hope it goes away on its own.

On 5/28/2018 at 12:02 PM, Music Chart Fan said:

This "molt effect" of a dragon's getting kicked out for the mere fact that molting is occurring also seems to be mixed in with the fear that the side effects of molting - the smell, uncontrollable fire burps, etc. - will be the new normal, and therefore, no one else will want to be around Spike any more. But that seems like a separate concern (with its own potential solutions), with the puberty analogy there being to having to worry about body odor, bad breath, etc., rather than moving out or getting kicked out of the house. So I don't know, the way those two things are handled in the episode seems a little needlessly convoluted.

I guess I can understand your analysis here - and you're right that it's not a perfect analogy. Parents (from western countries, anyway) don't generally kick their kids out of the house the moment they hit puberty. Usually it's when they become legal adults or after they go to college. But I feel some deviation from a strict human-centric norm for societal reactions to adolescence is okay, especially since we're talking about the brutal lifestyle of dragons and not ponies (who are closer to the human audience).

I suppose Haber felt it was important to include the idea of getting kicked out since there is some cultural knowledge that kids might be aware of and have fears about. Showing Twilight as a "parent" who isn't going to kick "her kid" out - even after he burned up her speech, smelled horrible, and gave Derpy a run from her money when it came to causing calamity - was meant to provide reassurance that wouldn't happen to them, either. The negative aspects of the molt were just there to provide a reasonable explanation for Spike to think that (which he did - when he mentioned how Twilight had already banned him from the castle for the time being).

On 5/28/2018 at 12:02 PM, Music Chart Fan said:

When the roc was chasing Spike as he baited it away from Zecora, what was the thought process behind Spike's climbing a tree? Did he think that the roc wouldn't see him doing that, and that he could hide from the roc until it lost interest?

I'd say a panicked moment where he wasn't thinking, but you're right that it was pretty much just a contrivance to get him and Zecora back together again so she could be snatched up by the roc and give Rarity someone to talk to later.

On 5/28/2018 at 12:02 PM, Music Chart Fan said:

Lastly, when Twilight finally understands that the roc is holding Zecora and Rarity, Twilight's solution is to chase the roc and try to fire generic magic laser blasts at it, which repeatedly miss and apparently aren't stopping the roc even when they hit. Why doesn't Twilight, for example, find Zecora and Rarity and teleport them to a safe location (perhaps followed by teleporting Spike and herself away as well)? Or why doesn't Twilight use her telekinesis to force the roc to stop and force open its claw so that Zecora and Rarity can escape? Even when Zecora and Rarity are in free fall, Twilight calls out to Spike and points, and the two of them race to catch up to Zecora and Rarity and catch them in their arms, rather than Twilight's just teleporting Zecora and Rarity or using telekinesis to stop them.

I pretty much covered all of this earlier (which is why I really wanted to put everything into one message, but oh well XD ) Twilight couldn't see them to teleport, she couldn't risk stopping the roc and having it crash with them still in its talons, and presumably, the idea of the lasers was to try and upset it enough so that it would drop them and then she could teleport or telekinesis them away while they were visible in freefall. But yeah, the ending with Spike helping Rarity was just there to give him something to do.

On 5/28/2018 at 12:02 PM, Music Chart Fan said:

Peewee apparently holds affection for Spike, which is nice to see. But does Peewee actually remember Spike from being raised by him, and/or did Peewee learn that Spike had saved him? Back in "Just for Sidekicks", the framed pictures depict Spike returning Peewee to his parents, with Peewee apparently looking no different than he did when he had just hatched. That might imply that Spike didn't take care of Peewee for very long, in which case it might also be surprising for grown-up Peewee to remember Spike.

My theory is Peewee imprinted on Spike when he hatched, just like I suspect Spike imprinted onto Twilight when she hatched him. So even if they didn't spend a whole lot of time together, that may be why the two of them still share a strong bond. Plus, since Peewee is now almost an adult and Spike nor the CMC aren't even though they've all existed in the same time frame, phoenixes must grow up faster than dragons and ponies (and die and get reborn) so even if Peewee spent only a month with Spike, that might have been enough to also help form a bond with the little dragon.

Huh. It just occurred to me both Spike and Peewee came from eggs. That's a pretty neat thing to have in common with your pet.

On 5/28/2018 at 12:02 PM, Music Chart Fan said:

I noticed Peewee's dad not looking amused when Spike returned Peewee in the "Just for Sidekicks" picture, so would Peewee's parents be okay with Spike's visiting him? Were Peewee and his parents somehow informed that Spike was trying to save Peewee from the other dragons, rather than intending to steal him away from his parents?

Since Philomena seemed to understand speech, it could be when Spike returned Peewee to his parents, he explained what happened. Maybe his dad wasn't happy at first and that explains the expression in that photo? Maybe phoenixes have a great deal of mistrust of dragons and it took Peewee himself to explain to his dad that Spike was a good dragon and saved him from getting killed? As a side note, I wish "Just for Sidekicks" had been about Spike returning Peewee period, as that would have been a much more interesting episode.

On 5/28/2018 at 12:02 PM, Music Chart Fan said:

It seems that there are several questions about dragon molting that this episode doesn't answer. Did Smolder already go through molting, or did she merely observe it in other dragons? (On a side note, if Smolder molted already, and is actually older than Spike, that would be an interesting juxtaposition - Smolder is older than Spike, yet she's the student in school while Spike is helping to run the school.) Do all dragons only grow wings when they molt, or was Spike's growing wings upon molting particular to him, for some reason? Growing wings seems like a pretty big deal, so we might think that Smolder would mention growing wings when she talks about molting to Spike.

This is really my only issue with the episode. From the outset, it seems like she should have molted since she has wings. But that's a big problem since it seems obvious she should mention the wing growth to him. So I have to think she hasn't gone through the molt yet and is only speaking from the experience of her brother and any other dragons older than her that she knows personally. That means dragons are supposed to be born with wings and for whatever reason Spike wasn't.

DHX could totally shoot me down on this since

Spoiler

we'll get to learn about Smolder's backstory later this season when the HWE episode airs. Already in the promos they've shown it APPEARS we're going to see how she was hatched, and if they do, she'll either have wings right then and there or won't

and that will answer the question once and for all whether Smolder has already molted or hasn't.

As for Spike and Smolder's relative ages, I can see it working either way. It could be getting raised in the brutal environment of the Dragonlands causes them to grow bigger faster, so she might be younger than Spike. (I personally think it's unlikely, but can't rule it out.) Or her tallness and full set of wings and horns really does mean she's older than him. While it is kind of interesting to think about, it does seem to me a lot of the Student 6 are actually older than Spike. I think we talked about this in the season premiere where it felt like these were all high school students. Even though Spike (apparently) finished his schooling even before he moved to Ponyville, he doesn't really strike me as high-school aged. XD

On 5/28/2018 at 12:02 PM, Music Chart Fan said:

So do phoenix feathers have that effect on all ponies? Or is it comparable to an allergic reaction, where only a relatively small percentage of the population is affected? How much exposure is necessary for an affected pony to lose his/her hearing? I went back and looked at "A Bird In The Hoof", and we don't seem to see Celestia ever touching Philomena's feathers. But then Philomena gives an "apology" feather to Fluttershy, uses her feathers to tickle the noses of the royal guards, and "high-fives" Rainbow with her wing.

Yeah. Even though I like the idea of it being a magic defense, I have to think it's an allergy thing. Maybe it only affects unicorns - their magic somehow interacts with the magic in the phoenix feathers that causes deafness? I still contend the episode didn't really need to have Rarity lose her hearing, even though it was probably fun for her VA. This seems like an extra bit of lore that doesn't match up with what we've seen of Philomena. I guess if it did only affect unicorns, it would at least explain why RD and Fluttershy didn't suffer any ill effects.

On 5/28/2018 at 12:02 PM, Music Chart Fan said:

At least that's a step up from "It Isn't The Mane Thing About You", in which the vials of identical-looking liquids were not labeled at all,

XD Indeed!

On 5/28/2018 at 12:02 PM, Music Chart Fan said:

Is crystal particularly flammable? It's not like they're living in a library made of wood, like they used to. (But yeah, I know, there's flammable books/papers/linens/etc. around.)

Yeah I have to assume she was mostly concerned about the flammables located in the castle and not the castle itself. For all we know that crystal is capable of healing itself since it sprouted from the Tree of Harmony. Spike probably would have been okay if he has just pulled up a chair by the window in his room and pointed himself towards the outside, but sitting on the bridge to the school worked better for the plot.

It's interesting Twilight has a fire extinguisher handy. I guess that makes sense since the destruction of the old library by Tirek, but now I wonder if it's specifically for Spike or just fire magic gone awry in general? XD

Though I kind of felt bad that she decided to spray him with it instead of spraying the area he was breathing fire at. He looked sad covered in foam.

On 5/28/2018 at 12:02 PM, Music Chart Fan said:

So Rarity complements another guy's clothing ensemble, boops his nose, winks at him, and then says "But I wonder if you wouldn't mind taking it off"? That sounds like a scenario out of a self-insert dating Rarity fantasy, lol.

I'm pretty sure Haber put that in there to get an audience reaction. XD If Spike had been in a better state of mind (and didn't walk around naked all the time, anyway) he probably would have burst a blood vessel in his nose, anime-style, at that particular request from her.

On a similar note, it's funny she referred to him as "Precious Pants" as one of the many pet names she has for him. He doesn't wear any pants, so I have to assume she's referring to one of the outfits she likely made for him. There's the so-called "girly frou-frou" outfit from way back in "Ticket Master," his outfit for narrating plays, and finally his director's outfit. I think for everything clothes-wise he pretty much Porky Pigs it. XD

I'd like to think she was referring to that one since he just wore it again in "Horse Play". But then again, if the time passage in "Non-Compete Claus" is accurate then even that may have been months ago. XD

On 5/28/2018 at 12:02 PM, Music Chart Fan said:

In the episode, though, Rarity's complementing Spike's outfit, booping his nose, and winking at him is likely her attempt to butter him up and manipulate him just before asking a favor,

This episode may be a milestone in another way now that you brought that up - this is probably the first time we've seen her try to butter him up and he refused her request! Every other time he agrees and usually goes floating away on a bed of bubbly hearts. XD

On 5/28/2018 at 12:02 PM, Music Chart Fan said:

Why is Spike apparently unaware that he's shouting in the library? Is Spike unable to hear the volume of his own voice?

That was my impression. It didn't seem to hold true though for when his volume was too low.

 

On 5/28/2018 at 4:58 PM, Skytower said:

I can easily see how Spike or Twilight wouldn't have heard of this from Ember or Smolder as puberty is more often mocked in society then take seriously and it's never really discussed openly.  That would go double for a society like the dragons.  I get the feeling that the male dragons are kicked out, but are allowed back in once the molting passed.  Sort of like a walkabout test of maturity.

I've seen some complaints from viewers who didn't understand why Twilight didn't know everything already since she corresponds with Ember. The explanation you give above is the perfect answer to those complaints. Since ponies hardly knew anything about dragons before "Gauntlet," it would make sense for Twilight to ask about the "bigger picture" questions regarding dragon society as a whole and not the personal stuff like dragon puberty.

Also, it seems to me Twilight's correspondence would mostly be about teaching Ember about friendship first and getting to the biological details of dragons second. Though I admit I'm surprised Spike hasn't already learned about the true nature of greed growth from Ember since that was something that affected him directly and would have been a likely question during one of their meet-ups.

As for the dragons to be allowed back once the molt ends, that seems plausible. Though I have to take Smolder at her word that the point of getting kicked out is to force a dragon to start their own hoard and stop "mooching" from the stash the parents have amassed over their lifetime together. (Presuming a dragon family raising young even consists of two parents, that is.)

 

On 5/29/2018 at 9:13 AM, Justin_Case001 said:

I avoid spoilers as best I can, but I accidentally saw a youtube thumbnail of Spike with wings months ago.  And y'know something?  That really cheeses me off.  I think it's total BS how so much content always gets "leaked" and then shotgunned all over the internet months before airing.

I was wondering if you had managed to, and was careful to not spoil anything in my comments to you. But yeah, this particular event was hard to avoid unless you pretty much stayed away from anything pony-related online for the past 6 or 7 months. But I'm really happy you loved the episode anyway!

On 5/29/2018 at 9:13 AM, Justin_Case001 said:

'm glad they showed him having a little trouble with the wings at first.  He did figure out how to use 'em much quicker than Twi did, but that makes sense since all dragons get wings, so he's evolved to have the instinct to know how to use them.

The instinct aspect of dragons flying makes for a good explanation as to why he can get better at it quicker than Twilight should. I'm hoping he'll still have his hiccups with them as the rest of the season progresses, but for now it was fine he was able to fly well enough to save his friends from that predator.

On 5/29/2018 at 9:13 AM, Justin_Case001 said:

I'm really glad that Spike has another dragon around to talk to.  I'd love to see him and Smolder become friends.  It would be great for Spike to be able to spend time with another dragon regularly and feel closer to his own kind and learn more about them.

I think in the EqD followup, the commentary included a wish that Smolder had stayed with Spike for the rest of the episode. That actually would have been rather neat, having them continue the talk they started about what it means to be "growing up dragon." Admittedly, Smolder's no dummy and somehow I don't think she'd be very willing to follow Spike into the Everfree while he carried that bullseye of molt stink around with him. XD Maybe if Spike pleaded his case to her effectively, she might pity him enough to follow him to Zecora's - especially if he insisted he was going there with or without her.

On 5/29/2018 at 9:13 AM, Justin_Case001 said:

And I'm sure I wasn't the only one to notice this, but she didn't rhyme when she told Spike, "Rarity's gone!"

I didn't catch that, but you're right!

 

On 5/30/2018 at 6:54 AM, Skytower said:

I thought it was nice at the end when Spike hops on Twilight's back and Twilight pointed out that she doesn't have to carry him anymore.  That is a good way of saying that their relationship will be changing as he grows older.

I actually took that to mean Spike isn't quite ready to let go of his childhood yet. While I agree their relationship will change just as it does with many parents as their children enter adolescence, I think that was meant to show Spike and Twilight are still going to be portrayed with the same interdependence that they've has since S1 episode 1.

 

On 5/30/2018 at 2:35 PM, Kreamer said:

If you're going to take care of someone that is a different species than your own, so they probably function differently in some regards, the least you can do is pick up a book on their species and learn the important things like, I don't know, what happens to them as they grow up?

I can't really blame Twilight for not knowing more about dragon puberty. For the longest time she considered Spike her "baby dragon." She may have not thought she needed to learn about his adolescence since dragons live so long. For all we know she might have thought she wouldn't have to worry for another dozen or more years before that stage of his life would present itself. I agree she should be more careful, since not knowing how to care for someone she loves dearly is clearly an oversight on her part.

I think there's also the storytelling aspect to this lack of knowledge. The audience will feel more engaged if they are learning these things about dragons at the same time as the protagonists. Having Twilight state her knowledge isn't as interesting as having a new character like Smolder do it.

 

Okay, I think that's enough for this message, too. Part 3 tomorrow!

[Im_not_crazy_im_just 1,814]

@Truffles I think you need to add a spike with wings to that signature of yours 

[Truffles 2,033]

On 6/1/2018 at 10:52 PM, Im_not_crazy_im_just said:

@Truffles I think you need to add a spike with wings to that signature of yours 

I had plans to have it ready by the time this episode aired, but it got pushed aside by all the commenting from "The Breakup, Breakdown" which was also a very noteworthy episode!

EDIT: And now it's done!

Edited June 8, 2018 by Truffles

[Music Chart Fan 818]

@Truffles, I just wanted to say something that has crossed my mind many times before, but especially so after all the time, thought, and effort you put into your huge undertaking of quotes and responses that you posted today (and you said that you're not even finished posting about this episode yet!). I often can't help feeling a little guilty at what feels like an asymmetry regarding your posts responding to me (and others) and my response, in turn, to you. For your part, you read and process my (and others') posts about episodes, which are often quite lengthy, and then quote and individually respond to several, if not dozens, of my (and others') thoughts, observations, and questions.

But then, after all the time, thought, and effort you put into doing that, oftentimes my only response after reading your replies is just to click the "brohoof" button, and sometimes to pick out one or two of your responses and reply to those. So I just wanted to confirm that my brohoofing your posts is a stand-in for my quoting most of your responses and saying "Yeah, I hadn't thought of that" or "Good point" or "I agree" over and over. It really adds to my enjoyment of the show to have someone else who goes above and beyond in not just posting your own thoughts and observations, but also responding to mine (and others') - whether that's agreeing with them, sympathizing with them, expanding upon them, and/or offering potential explanations or solutions for them. So I really appreciate your continuing to take the time, thought, and effort to do all of this for each episode that comes out.

[Sh Pie 65]

Finally, the dragon gets his wings! That was completely unexpected! I always figured Spike would mature physically although I never thought it would happen the way it did. It was very climactic how he got his wings at the right moment when Rarity, his crush, was in peril once more just like when he grew giant from greed. They gave him the ability to fly and save her from the predatory roc. This major twist has changed the show forever in the same way as Twilight when her wings formed. There's actually a lot of similarities between their character development paths and in retrospect, it's funny that a previous currently underrated Spike focus episode is called Princess Spike. Since pony princesses are all alicorns and Spike considers himself an honorary pony after clashing with mean dragon culture. This episode also reminds me of the CMC getting their Cutie Marks which was also a big deal and the convincing redemption of Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.

So where can this go from here for Spike after the molt? Well, he can fly now, however we have yet to know anything substantial about his past. I think it's time to focus on his backstory and origins. How he came to be in the care of Celestia and later Twilight. It's a loose end right now that would be interesting to explore, there's so much potential there.

[JCKane 345]

Another episode in the books and it was pretty good.  Good thing there was a dragon there to let Spike know of what was happening.

Also the episode further shows of how much Spike's friends do care about him.  I mean Rarity and Twilight headed to Zacora's to get that lotion for his face.  Ok it wasn't Rarities primary purpose there but she did remember to ask about it for Spike.

I did enjoy how the longer show went on, those spot things continued to grow.

Ugh, I just don't have too much on this episode.  It wasn't bad as I said and fun to see Spike get his wings.  Sucks with Dragon culture getting kicked out the first sign of the Molting happening... especially if they're Dragon eating beasts that are attracted to the smell.

Yeah my thoughts are a bit jumbled too... Like Why did Twilight want Spike to leave the castle for his fire sneases… I mean the castle is made out of Crystal... which I assume would be 'fire proof'  So why not just put him in a room with nothing in it?  

 

[GreenGreenWhirlWind 161]

Well, this episode kind of explains why so many teenaged dragons act the way they do, getting kicked out of home like that has got mess you up pretty badly. I at the same time kinda love and hate how MLP's dragons are slowly becoming G-rated versions of the Orks from WH40K with how comedically awful their society can be.

Also, i was hoping they would establish that dragons can grow up and age without it being greed induced. I suppose the ex-dragonlord Torch was already a hint at that, but now it's 100% confirmed. 

Anyway, guess we finally know why Spike didn't have wings while all other dragons did, baby dragons just don't have those. I was starting to wonder if he really was a dragon and theorizing that he was a drake instead...Guess i was just overthinking this as usual. Solid episode, i'd say, i particularly liked how they portrayed the roc, those guys really deserve to appear in tv shows and movies more often

Edited June 2, 2018 by GreenGreenWhirlWind

[Thrond 3,257]

On 6/1/2018 at 11:59 AM, Truffles said:

Considering Pinkie had a speaking role in this episode, I was surprised to not see it end with her throwing a "Happy Wingification Day" for Spike instead of the ending we got. It would have been nice to see all his closest friends there to congratulate him, and the message Rarity delivered in the actual end of the episode could have been repeated here. But it does make some sense structurally to end the episode the same way it began - with just Spike and Rarity together, using the symbolism of phoenixes as a backdrop.

While I liked the joke of Spike trying on the dress, and felt that it was a necessary payoff to that subplot, I would still have liked to have something more from Pinkie in there somewhere to reinforce Spike's relationship with the rest of the mane six. I guess she was busy, though, so what I'm really hoping for is a bit more variety in Spike episodes - the concept that he's growing up, becoming more mature, and taking on more responsibilities has been reiterated in most of his focus episodes for the past few years, and I'd like to see something different, or at least a take on those ideas with different characters. I still remember when Spike would accompany Pinkie in a hot air balloon to commentate the Running of the Leaves, or when Rainbow would join Rarity and Twilight to secretly follow Spike to the Dragon Lands. It feels like such a long time ago now. 

[BlinkZ 1,151]

Yes Spiek got wings and ..yeah puberty.   Rarity remakrs at the end othe episdoe was a litte ey roller inducing . and yeah the shouting jokes did get a little tiresome after the third time.especially when Rarity 's part came around.

[Truffles 2,033]

On 6/2/2018 at 1:14 AM, Music Chart Fan said:

But then, after all the time, thought, and effort you put into doing that, oftentimes my only response after reading your replies is just to click the "brohoof" button, and sometimes to pick out one or two of your responses and reply to those. So I just wanted to confirm that my brohoofing your posts is a stand-in for my quoting most of your responses and saying "Yeah, I hadn't thought of that" or "Good point" or "I agree" over and over

Yeah, it's pretty pointless to respond with a bunch of "I agree" comments. For myself, I generally brohoof anything I strongly agree with or is a particularly funny comment or idea, or someone brings up a point I hadn't considered. (Usually then I write a reply later though for that particular reason.)

 

 

So without further ado to all you readers, let's finally get this long commentary I've been trying to put together wrapped up once and for all!

So the funny thing about Spike getting wings is it's something we barely ever heard him ask for. The only hints we had that he was upset about not having them was the look on his face every time Garble or Ember brought up the fact that he couldn't fly or was still a runt. For the most part, the audience could have assumed flying wasn't really important to him as long as he was happy in all his other aspects of living and had Twilight to carry him on her back. In fact, it might have been logical to think most of the audience wanted him to get wings more than he did.

But, any doubts we might have had as to how much it meant to him were answered just by one look on his face:

See that? That is the happiest dragon ever in Equestria right there.

I have to admit, even knowing what was coming in this episode I still managed to get choked up when I saw this sequence here of him cheering due to finally joining his brethren in their ability to fly. I wish I could be like Starlight and capture the absolute glee I felt in a bottle and let it out whenever it was needed. This image is just pure happiness - plain and simple.

So being incomplete as it turns out has been bothering him for quite awhile, and it likely affected his behavior in various ways. He always tried harder and learned as many skills as he could to make up for it. He identified with ponies more than his own kind - some of which can be chalked up to their love and kindness which he found out was lacking back in his homeland. But it's also possible being good at as much as he could be and identifying as a pony allowed him to feel more complete - after all, not all ponies sported wings and not all ponies had horns. It was only the times he was reminded he was actually supposed to be a dragon did these physical shortcomings become apparent.

In short, he didn't feel like he was a real dragon. He felt like Pinocchio.

Pinocchio actually fits him in a few ways - both his fans and detractors will admit he's sometimes a puppet to the whims of his pony friends, always doing what they ask without question. He's sometimes naive like Pinocchio, but mostly he's more knowledgeable about situations than his friends are. In this instance, however, because the episode is about Spike entering adolescence, the aspect of the story of Pinocchio that is relevant here is it's significance as a puberty ritual.

In typical puberty ritual stories, the character must endure pain - both physical and emotional - before they can come out as a man or woman. Additionally, the characters are usually eaten in some symbolic way and re-emerge as their new selves. With Pinocchio, he has to endure all sorts of terrible things happening to him, and it only gets worse as he strays from the path of growing up, culminating with him getting eaten by a whale. We see many of these things present in this episode as well: Spike's painful sores, the itching, the embarrassment - all causing him hardship. When the change does take place, Spike is "eaten" by his stone cocoon, only to be reborn with wings as a "real boy."

In retrospect, they could've taken the idea further by having Spike actually get eaten by the roc, only to escape due to the timely growth of his new wings. But it's fine as it is.

 

Other misc thoughts:

Taking this long to write my own thoughts was actually beneficial in a way - I finally decided how to rate this episode relative to "The Break-Up, Breakdown." On a technical level, "BU,BD" is a little better. And it's much better in the category of humor - the jokes were coming a mile a minute and they pretty much all hit their marks. And it's got Discord in his best role yet.

This episode has a few issues like the questions about Smolder's wings and the need to have Rarity shouting, and maybe how Twilight conveniently appears in the middle of the Everfree - even if she had a good reason. While all of the jokes were funny, the tone of the episode was different - it wasn't meant to be so heavily reliant on comedy, so there weren't as many.

On the other hand, the message about the hardships of growing up strikes a more powerful chord than that of "BU,BD" (be honest with one another and don't jump to conclusions), the episode has more continuity with past seasons than any other episode to date, and the sea-change in Spike's character will affect the series as a whole in ways we don't know yet.

It's really that last thing that sealed the deal for me - this is now my favorite episode of the series, bumping "Equestria Games" out, and, well, I still need to work out how "B-U, BD" fits in against "EG" and other episodes like "Amending Fences", "Perfect Pear," and "Testing, Testing 123", which are also some of my favorites.

 

So I had some questions (i.e., issues) as to whether Spike and Rarity really went out to the woods neighboring the badlands since that is where the phoenixes nest. But it does seem like they really did go out there (with Spike tagging along as the guide to get her there) since it's unlikely Peewee and his parents moved their nest close to Ponyville. That means Spike held his claw to his face the whole trip out, which (if "Dragon Quest" is any indication) could take days. So him having to do that seems very unrealistic.

If they didn't get teleported out there (or a new train line has been added, which is also possible, I suppose), I guess it counts as a plot hole - though it's only a minor one since I'd just as soon have the story start with the two of them out there than have it spend time on scenes showing us the mechanics of how they came to be there. Also the location telegraphs the huge amount of continuity this episode will partake in since this is a direct reference in both location and characters to "Dragon Quest" - the last time Spike had to make a major decision in which direction his life would go moving forward.

 

I do wish Peewee hadn't been kicked out of the episode on a sour note with him accidentally rubbing against Spike's sore. It would have been nice to have given him a role in the battle at the end, but it wouldn't have been realistic for Peewee to just show up from so far away to help Spike. Maybe if the episode had started with Spike and Rarity visiting Peewee to ask him to visit him for a week so she could gather any feathers he lost during that time, then it would have been possible for Peewee to be included at the end? Maybe I'm asking for too much, though - it might dilute Spike's achievement if he had both Twilight and Peewee along to battle the roc.

It is cute how Rarity eagerly snatches up his feathers, though.

 

Perhaps it's by design that Twilight's lecture happened to be about the Element of Generosity, and Rarity is a major feature of this episode?

 

Also interesting that Smolder's horns grow out from where Spike's cheek frills are located. Is it safe to presume if Spike ever grows horns, they'll grow from there as well?

 

While brussel sprouts mixed with cotton candy is probably nothing you'd want to endure, I'm surprised the molt smell wasn't described as more like rotten eggs - the major component of that odor is sulfur, and dragon lore does describe them as having a sulfuric smell to them.

 

I saw some comments wondering why Twilight didn't notice Spike's smell when she met him in the Everfree. I think, despite it being worse than usual, Twilight having lived in close proximity to Spike all his life has caused her to go noseblind to some of his naturally occurring odors. I mean, he is a dragon, after all - and they historically are known to produce a lot of foul smells from their bellies due to their fiery nature. The series has even made humorous notes from time to time about Spike's terrible "dragon breath."

 

I love how Zecora did Spike a solid and covered for him.  She seems to recognize Rarity is a pony in particular he doesn't want to be seen in the condition he is now. His interaction with her here is a LOT more positive than the last time we saw them together - all the way back in S3 when she tricked him out of one of his gems in "Just for Sidekicks."

 

The episode does seem to indicate Zecora didn't know anything about the molt, except what Spike told her off-camera. Her scolding Spike for omitting the important detail about the predators being attracted to the smell is evidence of this.

 

It was courageous of Spike to lead the roc away from Zecora and take all the danger upon himself. Just another great example of why Spike isn't a coward.

 

Heh, it sure is different hearing the battle with actual magic sounds in the final product, rather than video game zaps from Twilight's horn in the leak.

 

I like how Spike wasn't an expert flyer at first, yet I realized he needed to become one to move the plot along. It was still handled better here than in "Magical Mystery Cure." He even tried to do the superhero punch on the roc, but missed and realized his error. Makes sense he would try that considering Power Ponies is one of his favorite comics.

It's notable when Spike breathes fire of his own accord, he takes a deep breath into his lungs to produce the flame. However, when he's about to have an uncontrolled outburst due to the molt, we see his stomach get upset just before it happens. It's the old saying "belching fire" taken literally.

 

Technically, Spike could have modeled for any size dress simply by standing on a stool. She didn't need him to have wings for that.

I think everything that needs to be said has been said about how wonderful Rarity and Twilight are in their support of Spike. Bookending the episode with Rarity's wise words and the extra added bonus of the phoenix imagery just drives that point home. The show really has tackled a lot of important messages lately like this one on growing up with puberty, dealing with divorced parents just a few episodes ago, and death a few seasons ago. I feel like the show is still keeping its stride in terms of quality messaging.

 

Notable Quotes:

Rarity: "Is there something wrong with your face?"
Hah! Taken out of context, that would be quite an insult.

Spike: "It's just a stone scale. It isn't magical or anything like the call of the dragon lord."
A nice little reference, this time to "Gauntlet of Fire."

Rarity: "Just don't get the shampoo"
I also loved this off-the-cuff callback to "The Mane Attraction".

Twilight: "Spike! What are you doing?"
Spike: "Hiding."
Is that continuity with the previous episode? I think it is!

Spike: "I'm not leaving the castle until my face is back to it's adorable self!"
That's a big change from how he felt about being called "cute" back in "Dragon Quest." Back then, he was mortified to be looked upon as cute. (Admittedly, he didn't mind when Fluttershy called him cute in the very first episode, so there's some inconsistency to consider.)

Spike: "This is a fountain."
That line tickled me silly, mostly due to the way he deadpans and uses Pinkie's sign to quickly point out miscellaneous landmarks in the courtyard.

Rarity: "My, what a fetching ensemble you've put together - very noir-esque! I believe Shadow Spade herself would approve!"
Spike: "Eh, thanks...."
Rarity: "But I wonder if you wouldn't mind taking it off?"
Spike: "Wut?"
If Spike weren't so preoccupied with his problem, he might have reacted to that line completely differently.  Then again, when you normally don't wear any clothes it's pretty irrelevant. The audience got a good laugh out of it all the same.

Smolder: "The molt is completely normal - every dragon goes through it!"
I like how the dialogue continues to try to allay Spike's worries, even when characters like Smolder were a lot more abrasive about it. And I like the explanation that greed growth isn't normal - even among dragons.

Rarity: "Egh. Oh goodness! I hope that incredibly pungent odor belongs to some sort of magical curative."
What else were you contemplating, Rarity? That maybe Zecora's toilet overflowed? That she needed to take a shower?

Rarity: "I don't mean to be rude, but I do think you're hut could use an airing out...."
No, it's pretty rude for a guest to tell a host their house stinks. Try to remember you're the element of generosity and not the element of honesty! I laughed though at her expression as she hurriedly trotted off, apparently anxious to get away from whatever she thought that smell was coming from.

Rarity: "This isn't the first time I've been in the clutches of a horrible, giant creature!"
Nice "Secret of my Excess" ref, though Spike wouldn't be too amused due to his current anxiety levels if someone used that description for when he went Spikezilla.

Twilight: "I didn't know if you'd ever get wings!"
Neither did we, Twilight!

Spike: "I wish I could stop it, but I can't."
My heart went out to Spike when he made that remark. I remember back in 7th grade I was apprehensive about getting having the body odor and armpit hair that came along with being a teenager. So Spike's lament is a totally relatable moment.

Spike: "But I'm growing up! What if even something worse happens?"
Twilight: "You're supposed to grow up - but you'll always be you! And whatever happens, we'll get through it together!"
That statement makes it sounds like Spike's going to have a few setbacks in dealing with adolescence, but we'll have to wait and see what they have in store for him as the season progresses. I'm already quite pleased with how they handled his wings in "Marks for Effort."

Twilight: "Uh, I don't need to carry you, anymore, do I?"
Sweet scene. And Twilight - even though Spike may be growing up, he'll always be your baby dragon.

Spike: "But don't you think there are wonderful things about flying that don't involve dresses?"
This is another hint he's not willing to bend head over tail to Rarity's every whim anymore. Him disagreeing with her and showing actual disinterest in some of her interests is at least a little progress in that regard.

 

I had to laugh at Spike in this particular frame hiding from Twilight behind the sheets with a sheepish grin - like he's got something more embarrassing than just acne he wants to keep hidden.

Spike scratching himself like he's a dog. Does this make EqG canon?

I've often wished for the show to depict some of Spike's more dragon-like idiosyncrasies  - specifically, having wisps or snorts of smoke from his nostrils. He's done that a few times before, but mostly in S1. Here, though, he looks so miserable that my heart aches for him with his drooping spines, bags under his eyes and slumped-over posture.

One fun bit of trivia - we now know due to "Marks for Effort" where this closet is located. Check these out:

As you can see, Scootaloo was looking into the same closet in the following episode. (Is that continuity? =) ) There's the door they were standing next to to reach the window, and as we pull back we can see where that window and door are located in the overall school courtyard - there in the upper left corner of the frame.

So, if anyone ever wanted to know where the "shouting closet" was located in the school - there you go.

Dragon B.O. must be pretty harsh for Spike to make that expression. Add to that the fact that Spike historically has liked stinky things - he had smelling his "stinky feet" on his to-do list back in "Spike at Your Service", and had no problems rummaging around in garbage for Rarity in an even earlier episode. When something is too smelly for Spike, it must be horrendous.

You know an itch is bad when it causes your toes to curl! (But they are cute!)

That terrified glance on Spike's face is too funny, even if he doesn't think so. Sneaking for comedic effect, I love it!

The action in this scene was very effective in creating tension. The slow zoom into Spike and Rarity while the roc grew larger in the distance was actually terrifying to watch.

Do I even need to say it again? 
"Congratulations, Spike! You're the new Rainbow Dash!"

Actually, with that kind of speed and agility, it would be awesome if we'd get to see him included in the team for lifting water up to Cloudsdale.

Here you go - proof how much he's improved in his ability to breathe fire. He's so tiny now in relation to the size of the gout of flame he can cast. Garble had better watch himself.

 

So, that's it. Anyone still with me all the way down here? As Smolder would say - congrats! But seriously, thanks for reading all these comments by me for this once-in-a-series episode.

 

[Justin_Case001 4,855]

On 6/1/2018 at 8:50 PM, Truffles said:

Admittedly, Smolder's no dummy and somehow I don't think she'd

Whoa, whoa, whoa....hold on...

On 6/1/2018 at 8:50 PM, Truffles said:

she'd

Smolder's a girl?!  Huh.  All this time I thought she was a dude.  I dunno why.  Just assumed, I guess.  She's a bit androgynous, including her voice.  I kinda like that, actually.  I mean, it's nice to have a character that's a little hard to tell, since people are not always easy to tell, and some don't fit neatly into the boxes.  So the student six are a 50/50 spit, male and female?  That's cool.  Hang on, lemmie check something here....*to the wiki mobile*...wait...Ocellus is female, too?!  No way!  I mean, that's fine, but I'da bet Ocellus was male!  I mean, that voice really sounded like the high voice of a very small male to me.  Oh well.  That's fine, but here I thought it was cool that they made the student six an even split.  I've always loved that it's a female dominated cast, but at the same time I thought it was a nice move to have more male representation in the lesser characters.  I think that's important in order to send young girls a message of cooperation with males, rather than instilling an "us vs. them" mentality.  Well, anyway, the show still does an excellent job of sending that positive message, but I thought it would have been nice to have the student six be 3 and 3.

[Truffles 2,033]

16 hours ago, Justin_Case001 said:

Smolder's a girl?!  Huh.  All this time I thought she was a dude.  I dunno why.  Just assumed, I guess.  She's a bit androgynous, including her voice.

Yep! And I agree it's hard to tell with her. I don't know if it was intentional, but it is pretty interesting.

When I first saw the leaked version of this episode (heh, now I can actually talk about all this stuff with you since it has finally aired. XD ) I decided she looked more like a girl than a boy. But because so many folks thought she was male I changed my mind since her design and voice makes her gender very fluid. It wasn't until Jim Miller confirmed Smolder as female did things fall into place.

Of course, we have yet to hear any of the other characters use the pronouns "she" or "her" when referring to Smolder, so who knows? Maybe there's a still big twist in the future? That's total speculation on my part, and probably not likely. XD

16 hours ago, Justin_Case001 said:

Ocellus is female, too?!  No way!  I mean, that's fine, but I'da bet Ocellus was male!  I mean, that voice really sounded like the high voice of a very small male to me.  Oh well.  That's fine, but here I thought it was cool that they made the student six an even split.

I had Ocellus pegged as female, which is why Smolder being a guy made sense and would make it 3 and 3, just like you described above - an even split.

[Barnstormer 112]

Was kind of hoping Spike would lose some of the 'baby fat' and actually *look* a bit more grown up, especially since it's been a number of years in-show by now. But a good episode overall.

[gingerninja666 487]

Note about Molt Down that I liked after thinking about it some more. Some people thought that Spike should’ve used his wings to triumphantly save his friends from Garble or something like that.

I liked the Roc because it meant that the problem technically came from Spike, and his friends were put in danger as a direct side effect of his Molt, making it more reasonable that a kind hearted soul like Spike would feel like he’s compelled to leave them.

Edited June 8, 2018 by gingerninja666

[Allen 1,371]

I was at graduation on this day when the episode aired and I graduated high school at last! 

Spike is sick with symptoms around his body but undergoing a developmental stage for dragons called a "molt". He struggled to get those off of himself, but the solution at the part is when Roc got both Zecora and Rarity means Spike have to wait out in the ground until he stoned out means he's going to gain wings and he'll rescue both Zecora and Rarity from Roc with his wings in place. Which I can't believe that Spike have wings and he flies for the very first time in this episode!  Spike feels better now at the last part of this episode with no symptoms in place in his body but the dragon wings is the idea! Princess Twilight Sparkle didn't want Spike to leave but stay in better conditions.

So this is another great episode when Spike gained his wings for the very first time! 

[Soaring Symphony 372]

There were so many references to previous episodes.  Silver Quill's gonna have a field day with this.

[Senko 459]

So Spike has wings now guess he's becoming even more like his mother

Enough about him though I'm far more interested in Pinky. Smolder say's dragon molt smell is so bad parents kick their kids out and the only creatures to find attractive are predators that want to eat the dragon. So lets just reveiew reactions Smolder dislikes it, Zecora puts twin clothes pegs on to avoid smelling it, Spike dislikes it, Rarity say's Zecora should air out her hut but Pinky . . . yes Pinky is intrigued by the smell and likens it to Brocoli in Candy. So does this mean Pinky has the same reaction to dragon molt smell as giant dragon eating predators?

As for Smolder not mentioning wings she didn't reven realize Spike wasn't raised his entire life by Pony's and her initial reaction was to just comment his molt was the worst she'd ever seen and then she goes on to explain a few things before Pinky shows up. She may well have grown wings herself but not realize Spike didn't know about them or felt they were less important than the smell as it was driving her off.

[Thrond 3,257]

22 hours ago, Senko said:

So does this mean Pinky has the same reaction to dragon molt smell as giant dragon eating predators?

I like to think that's exactly what it means. 

 

[Dynamo Pad 10,777]

I thought this episode was pretty awesome. It was a surprise to see all these things happening to Spike throughout the episode, but it's good know that we learned what he was going through. I liked how Rarity and Twilight helped console and relate to having a pimple, instead of freaking out or being grossed out. I'm not starting to wonder the same thing as Twilight. I wonder if Celestia had a breakout of pimples when she was younger. I guess the world may never know. It was interesting to see the different effects the molt had over a dragon. I like how Smolder was the one to explain it to Spike, instead of having to learn the molt in different methods. I also found the part of Pinkie asking if there was a shouting contest to be pretty hilarious. It sounds like something Pinkie would do, since she did compete in a turkey call contest. I like how Spike finally got wings after the whole molt process. It just feels weird because I felt he could have gotten his wings earlier in the series. It seemed like there were a couple of opportunities to give him wings, but it just feels like he got his wings a bit late. I could see him getting wings in season 6 or 7, but I won't complain. I like how Twilight told Spike that he didn't have to leave like Smolder stated about the molt, as well as Twi telling Spike that they'd get through everything together. I really liked the moral for the episode and I thought the episode was enjoyable. I'm really looking forward to seeing Spike's character development throughout the rest of this season. 

[gingerninja666 487]

I really liked Zecora in this episode.

I know she's generally a really helpful pony, but normally that comes in the form of giving advice or providing potions for ponies. I don't think I can recall her ever doing something as personal as covering for someone before. The way she did when she prevented Rarity from finding Spike in her hut because of the smell. I just really like seeing Zecora do something like that. It makes me think that she really does care about Spike's feelings.