S08:E19 - Road to Friendship

[PoisonClaw 8,173]

That was a fun episode, and I rather enjoyed seeing another Saddle Arabian pony. The fact that he's a unicorn means that Saddle Arabians can potentially be all three pony races, meaning we might just see a Saddle Arabian Pegasus at some point (if we haven't already and I just missed it.)

[TransitPony 239]

I liked this episode. Funny how Starlight said how Twilight and the gang sang about going on a trip yet the two of them sung anyways. Also, notice how Saddle Arabians don't have cutie marks. This could signify that Saddle Arabia is the only pony nation where cutie marks aren't a mandatory thing in their society. 

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,606]

I can't wait to see how people react to next week's episode, I hope you all love it as much as I did.

[StitchandMLPlover 930]

I forget if I posted about this episode when it was leaked but this was my first time seeing the scene with the 2 mail ponies also traveling together and I liked that seeing those ponies was what made Starlight go back to Trixie. It was a great touch. I loved the song and how the episode was basically a lesson on the dangers of sleep deprivation LOL. 

[ImpctR 155]

I see they brought a writer of the better episodes to deliver a great and powerful episode. It was interesting but because these relationship episodes aren't my thing, I'd give it a 4.5/5.

In the first part Starlight and Trixie were bonding as good as Lyra and Bon-Bon. Once again this song between Twilight and Princess Cadence. I particularly liked the scenery here. I don't remember it and it's a really nice view of the village:

Spoiler

Not caring much about songs, other nice views here, Saddle Arabia looks like the episode from last season where the story of Somnanbula was first seen.

Spoiler

 

 

 

New things learnt: Starlight is snoring and Trixie rambles at her sleep, I prefer the latter more. They were cute while trying to fit in the wagon. They didn't break their friendship and the row went quite naturally, nothing was exaggerated, so this was handled really well imo.

The only questions although the first one a bit explanatory, Starlight can teleport herself and other ponies, not objects. It was understandable why the wagon was more valuable than a luxury wagon. It was Trixie's memories in there. 

And, they refused to the end to get in the carriage of the saddle-arabian pony. Guess it is to teach not to trust strangers until the trade thing. Just an OK episode not my most fave or anything.

Edited September 1, 2018 by ImpctR

[Senko 459]

On 9/1/2018 at 2:49 AM, PathfinderCS said:

What's premiering is the episode that stars Trixie and Starlight as the leading roles; if you will. Not sure if that is what you meant by that...

Ah thanks that makes sense and I was going off a post further up the thread for the term and its premiairing thought it was another spinoff.

[Truffles 2,033]

Another really fun episode. Spoilers ahoy for anyone who still hasn't seen it after it's official US airing today:

This episode is probably one of the few times - maybe even the only time - we ever see Twilight and Cadance together without there being any sort of drama happening during her visit. Arguably, there was no major crisis in "A Flurry of Emotions," but Twilight being in over her head as BAE was a pretty significant issue. Here, it seems everything about their visit went smoothly, though the episode doesn't spend much time focusing on what happened before and after Trixie's show. (Which is too bad - wanted to know what the reason for her visiting Ponyville was. Did she really come all the way from the Crystal Empire just to see Trixie perform? )

I wondered why Cadance needed to be in this episode, and it only became clear later that she was there for the payoff with Starlight and Trixie's impromptu chant based on the one she and Twilight share. I look forward to finding out whether Kelly Sheridan and Kathleen Barr got to do a recording session together to make up their own chant on the fly. That spontaneity is one of the things that still gives me the giggles when Spike sings the Cloudsdale anthem - it was confirmed Cathy Weseluck made it up on the spot.

LOL, Trixie and her caravan should go find a room. She's as much in love with it as Pinkie was in love with the Yovidaphone.

It was great to finally have a Saddle Arabian pony present with a speaking role. There's still so much to develop about their nation, and this was a nice first step. I'm also interested in learning more about  their apparent philosophy of providing trades of something of equal or better value to their patrons. That's refreshingly opposite of being presented seller ponies like Flim and Flam who have a different modus operandi.

Between the seductive poses, tight quarters, and bondage imagery, you can tell Josh Haber was pushing the fanservice to 11 for Startrix fans.

I wonder who Starlight got to cover for her? My first thought was Spike but then realized the CMC would be a better fit - until I realized again they still have to attend regular classes with Cheerilee. It's a bit inconvenient to make students have to wait until after class to go see the guidance counselor. Maybe Spike and the CMC will share the load - he would do it during school hours and they do it after?

Not enough sleeping room for the both of them in that caravan? Maybe they should sleep on top of one another in a single hammock? Admittedly, that wouldn't help with the snoring and sleeptalking, though.

Ah, Starlight - welcome to the club of characters with the crazy pupils look:

At least she wasn't going crazy at the time like the other two.

I can see Trixie being pretty strapped for cash due to her profession, but even with Spike having pointed out the low pay public school faculty gets, you'd think Starlight would have at least a few bits saved up to take along with her on the trip. Or maybe she just assumed Trixie would be footing (hoofing) the whole cost of travel? That wouldn't been entirely out-of-character for her, since one of the things both of these friends have in common is how they do things by the seat of their flanks.

Trixie: "Who said you could do that?!?"
Starlight: "Nopony - I just did it!"

Ahh, there she is - old "Every Little Thing She Does" Starlight. It's plausible she would sell Trixie's caravan considering how tired she was and how upset she was with Trixie at the time. Such rash decisions can happen without her first considering how Trixie might feel about it, even if they are normally close friends. She probably even thought she was doing Trixie a favor by trading up to a larger caravan, especially since she didn't know the old one had sentimental value to her. It was still wrong of Starlight, but everything here is perfectly in-character for her to have done in the given situation.

It's pretty apparent Starlight wasn't thinking practically, however, since a larger caravan is harder to pull, especially for a single pony.

Angry, lying down Trixie is too cute.

Those UPS pegasi were cute!

 

 

On 7/31/2018 at 7:56 AM, KH7672 said:

It's interesting in all the times the Mane 6 have gone on a trip the entire journey is glossed over. No hiccups, no trouble, no issues arise until after they've arrived.

There were issues between them in "The Mean 6." Does that count even if it was due to external forces? They all thought it was each of them getting on each other's nerves.

 

5 minutes ago, ImpctR said:

I particularly liked the scenery here. I don't remember it and it's a really nice view of the village:

Interesting. That background shot of Ponyville looks like a more distant view of the same road that Sugar Belle was on when Big Mac caught her in "The Break-up, Break-down."

[ggg-2 3,554]

Don't know how many people picked up on this (especially since his name is only given in the credits) but yeah, pretty sure Hoo'far's name is a pun on Jafar.

[Misty Shadow 8,195]

A much more entertaining "friendship drama" episode to me than The End in Friend. Trixie and Starlight's fighting was consistently more realistic, less predictable, and a lot funnier. I like how their fighting wasn't caused by something as simple as them realizing they didn't share similar interests, but grievances that were legitimately affecting their progress. Starlight murdered me with how hilariously passive aggressive she was by going so far as to sell her friend's wagon without her permission and acting like it was completely justifiable what she did, and it just got even better with how Trixie was willing to lie down in the dirt for two days without any food or water to keep the guy from moving the wagon. Forgive me for ever having distaste for Trixie, she is badass. My favorite part though was a really funny and relatable opening gag about Trixie and Starlight actually being creeped out by Twilight and Cadance's friendship shake and it turning out to actually be foreshadowing to Trixie and Starlight doing a hilariously terrible friendship shake of their own. Now that is well-written humor.

[Victoria Sponge 1,019]

I think this is my second favourite episode this season, because you can’t beat that Celestia episode  

We had two great main characters, great new characters, lots of scenery to look at (some of which we’ve seen before at some point), a great song and great and realistic interactions between two friends.

I went on a very long 30 day trip across Europe with a friend once and we had all sorts of falling outs so I found this episode super relatable. You can be very close to someone and not realise that you can still get tired of eachother sometimes, especially after seeing eachother so much so that was very well portrayed in the episode.

I also liked the continuity, like Trixie talking in her sleep, as we’ve seen her do before.

Great episode, been waiting for something like this for a while  

[Ganondorf8 11,695]

My thoughts are in the spoiler tag.

Spoiler

 

I had hoped we would get to see a little bit more of Saddle Arabia but I'll take what we were given seeing as it's a new location--assuming that it hasn't been seen in a previous episode. On the subject of Starlight and Trixie, the two of them know how to play off of each other well and it was interesting to see their friendship be tested all due to being on the road. I wasn't expecting a song to come out of it since Starlight mentioned that Twilight and the others would often break into song the moment they began a journey--a cool little fourth-wall break in my opinion--and it's a song I'm sure will become a fan favourite. Did I like it? Yes though I had to go back a few frames here and there in order to catch what was sung. The music was a bit too loud which made hearing some lyrics difficult.

Who knew that Trixie had such an attachment to her wagon. I can understand why she viewed it as her friend seeing as she has been seen with it in every appearance she has made since the show's beginning. To her, losing it would be the same as losing a friend. I do have to criticize Starlight for doing something without Trixie's consent but at least she--Starlight--was able to rectify the problem before it could've ballooned out of control. Cadance was in this episode? She did feel out of place despite her explaining--briefly--as to why she and Flurry Heart were around--no Shining Armour?--and I loved seeing both her and Twilight's famous little greeting. I think the last time we saw it may have been back in season three. Was this episode perfect? I wouldn't say so. The conflict was pretty obvious in that you could see it coming and I guess some dialogue wasn't what I would call fantastic, but the episode did exactly what it set out to do, give Starlight and Trixie more bonding time so as to make their friendship feel more real and not false.

I'll give this one a 91%.

 

 

[ShootingStar159 2,157]

Once again, Starlight has an amazing entry for best face of the season!

 

So, this is probably going to end up being my favorite episode of the season. The song was great, the jokes were on point and the character writing was excellent. There is one thing however that does bother me, though I admit I might be nitpicking a little. I don’t like Trixie’s stubbornness or the episode’s resolution. 

Trixie’s wagon is old. It’s falling apart. There’s not enough room for all the stuff she’s collected over the years and herself, let alone another person. Yes, she loves the wagon like another friend, and doesn’t want to get rid of it. That’s fine, normal even, people get attached to things all the time. It’s when you can’t get rid of an object that’s hurting or holding you back that sentimentality can be harmful. While I’m sure that everyone could agree that Starlight trading the wagon away behind Trixie’s back is wrong, I actually agree with Starlight’s idea. Trixie needs a newer, bigger wagon. Which leads into why I don’t like the resolution.

The resolution is basically, “Have a plan that didn’t work out? That’s fine, just give up and never, ever try it again.” Instead of working out a reasonable solution for them both, they just agree it’s not worth trying. I. Hate. That. Trixie’s sentimental refusal to give up her old wagon is hurting herself, her relationship with her friend, and her business. Her home is falling apart and doesn’t have enough room, her best friend now refuses to travel with her, and her assistant won’t help her put on any shows elsewhere in Equestria. How is that a healthy solution?

Anyways, those problems aside, this is still one of my favorite episodes in the show. 

[Soaring Symphony 372]

Imo, the best stories are those that are true to life in some way, and holy crap does this capture what it's like to travel just perfectly.

 

Bucking awesome.

[JCKane 345]

A very enjoyable episode. I always enjoy a good Starlight centered episode and even ones that include Trixie into it.  Like others have comented the two have very good chemistry together and most of things flowed quiet well.  I even liked how the 'issues' and frustrations actually naturally grew instead of them going straight at ends with each other right after the inn issue. (when they apologies and continued) it was nice.

I would of liked to see a bit more of that bond with Trixie and her wagon.  Maybe a small flashback or montage to really help cement her feelings for it.  Don't get me wrong, I could see why she wouldn't want to trade it and what not.  Cenemintal value and she let us know well enough. But would of loved to have seen something, to really cement it.

Also, *Mocks Mane 6 for singing songs* then... *Sings a song right after*    

Anyways, to wrap it up.  Another good episode staring the Great And Powerful Duo!

[JCKane 345]

2 hours ago, ShootingStar159 said:

Once again, Starlight has an amazing entry for best face of the season!

 

So, this is probably going to end up being my favorite episode of the season. The song was great, the jokes were on point and the character writing was excellent. There is one thing however that does bother me, though I admit I might be nitpicking a little. I don’t like Trixie’s stubbornness or the episode’s resolution. 

Trixie’s wagon is old. It’s falling apart. There’s not enough room for all the stuff she’s collected over the years and herself, let alone another person. Yes, she loves the wagon like another friend, and doesn’t want to get rid of it. That’s fine, normal even, people get attached to things all the time. It’s when you can’t get rid of an object that’s hurting or holding you back that sentimentality can be harmful. While I’m sure that everyone could agree that Starlight trading the wagon away behind Trixie’s back is wrong, I actually agree with Starlight’s idea. Trixie needs a newer, bigger wagon. Which leads into why I don’t like the resolution.

The resolution is basically, “Have a plan that didn’t work out? That’s fine, just give up and never, ever try it again.” Instead of working out a reasonable solution for them both, they just agree it’s not worth trying. I. Hate. That. Trixie’s sentimental refusal to give up her old wagon is hurting herself, her relationship with her friend, and her business. Her home is falling apart and doesn’t have enough room, her best friend now refuses to travel with her, and her assistant won’t help her put on any shows elsewhere in Equestria. How is that a healthy solution?

Anyways, those problems aside, this is still one of my favorite episodes in the show. 

I thought the show had the wagon seem very sturdy, but yeah it is pretty small

And it is funny though. This episode is not even the first time Trixie and Starlight have traveled together.  The first being the first part of the Changling episode where Trixie traveled with Starlight to her old village.  She even had her caravan with her.  And if I remember right, it was a bit of a trip too if I recall  close to a day round trip.

[ShootingStar159 2,157]

26 minutes ago, JCKane said:

I thought the show had the wagon seem very sturdy, but yeah it is pretty small

She pulls the doorknob of her wagon clear off during her first conversation with Hoo’far.

[Thrond 3,271]

Starlight's other episodes this season had me concerned, but I actually really enjoyed this. Trixie and Starlight are a really strong comic pairing - Starlight contrasts way more strongly with Trixie than with any of the mane six, while Trixie gets a chance to be relatively sensitive once she's paired with someone she cares about. Plus this gives them my favourite song in a long while, and it all builds to a nice moral. I have a couple minor gripes, but overall this was another very pleasant entry in season 8. 

• That cold open is a serious contender for the best of the season. The routine is great, I loved seeing Cadance and Flurry Heart again, Granny Smith doing something crazy is always a joy to watch, and it was nice seeing Twilight and Trixie on speaking terms. And god, Starlight and Trixie are just delightful together. 
• Hoo'far fellow doesn't have the most distinct of personalities, but it was always fun seeing Trixie bounce off of him. "Ms. Powerful" is a quality joke. She's one of those characters who is only as strong as the jokes she's given, and here her dialogue is almost all hilarious. I wasn't entirely clear on his motivations near the end, though... why would Trixie and Starlight being friends convince him to trade the wagon back? And why did he want the smaller wagon so much in the first place? If he's just trying to help their friendship, then that's nice, but it's not entirely clear, and I think he could have done a somewhat better job of going about it. 
• Side note: if Hoo'far was really so close to them the entire time, then presumably Starlight could have bunked with him during the night. Still, they really should have invested in earplugs, and they really ought to plan things out more. Next time, ask Twilight for help before you set off. 
• I was really baffled by the song from "All Bottled Up," which seemed to double down on how bad Trixie and Starlight's friendship was. I'm really glad they got a normal friendship song, especially because it's easily my favourite song from this show in ages. The melody is upbeat without sounding like the millionth variation on "Winter Wrap Up." For me it's quite possibly in the top 5 best songs since the start of season 5. Seeing them sing about friendship even as stuff goes wrong is absolutely adorable. Loved it. 
• Starlight is a much harder character to get right, at least in my perspective, but this episode more or less keeps pace with the season in giving her a certain low-key tactlessness. It also gives her fun new dorky hobbies - learning she likes board games is one of the season's best surprises yet. She's less sketchy here than in previous episodes, and while that sketchiness was one of her funniest traits, its absence does make her cuter. 
• But I've never really liked it when this show used extreme behaviour to communicate a moral, and Starlight once again demonstrating that she doesn't realize she needs to ask for permission before she does certain things is seriously getting old by this point. I much prefer pure tactlessness being her key flaw, because compared to more generalized bad judgment, it's much easier to present in a sympethetic, smaller-scale form. I mean, I guess Trixie should have explained the wagon's importance, but it's still no fun seeing these characters behave so badly just to communicate a really simple moral. I think it might have been better if Starlight hadn't managed to complete the exchange before Trixie returned, so it would come back to the problem of boundaries without actually causing Trixie such immediate dismay. But then we wouldn't have gotten the great friendship chant scene, so I can't complain too much. 
• Which is ultimately why I'm glad the ultimate friendship lesson wasn't so much "ask before you give away other people's stuff" as "even a good friendship can be strained by travel," which strikes me as somewhat less juvenile. Essentially, this is similar to all sorts of sitcom episodes where two characters are cooped up together; "Stakeout" from Brooklyn Nine-Nine being a fun example. It's a familiar theme with a familiar setup, but My Little Pony isn't a show I associate with breaking new ground, and it's a solid, time-tested theme anyway. Good stuff. 
• The only part where I wasn't having fun was while Trixie and Starlight were sleep-deprived and grumpy, because eventually it just devolved into bickering, which I don't think is the funniest thing to watch. Starlight eating the last bit of food and Trixie drinking the last bit of juice is a lot more hostile than even the interactions between Celestia and Luna in "A Royal Problem," and nothing here is quite as absurd as, say, Luna eating an entire banana peel. Eventually they're just complaining about each other, and while it's one of the show's better-executed examples of bickering in recent memory, it's still just the same song and dance we've seen a million times. They argue, they split, they eventually come back together. Even then, there's some nice timing for the reactions here, so it was nowhere near as boring as, say, "The End in Friend;" it just goes on maybe a scene too long. 
• This does redeem itself at the end, though; Trixie standing in front of Hoo'far is funny, and those mailponies who Starlight and Trixie inspired are adorable, and the scene where the two of them finally make up is equally so. And the friendship chant, that's just glorious. Love it. 
• Altogether, the first half or so of this may very well have broke my top 5 for the season; if the argument had transpired a little more maturely, or at least a little less predictably, it might have solidified that position. Still, I liked this a lot. 

Score:
Entertainment: 8/10
Characters: 7/10
Themes: 9/10
Story: 7/10
Overall: 78/100

Edited September 9, 2018 by AlexanderThrond

[Irishbrony1988 76]

This episode was really good starlight glimmer and trixie are so good together 

but in my opinion the friendship song is good but I have heard one similar in family guy.

[Sonic5421 429]

Watching the episode, I am surprised we were introduced to another pony from Saddle Arabia, and a unicorn no less, since the last time we saw Saddle Arabian ponies was the two delegates Celestia had with her back in Seasons 3 and 4.

As for it focusing on Starlight and Trixie, it is understandable how much Trixie loves her caravan since she's had it for a long time, and for Starlight to just straight-up trade it away without Trixie's consent may have been out of frustration because of how small and cramped it was for the two of them, especially with all of Trixie's magic gear in there.

However, once Starlight realizes her error after seeing two mail ponies she and Trixie had passed earlier having made amends thanks to Starlight and Trixie's song, she is able to make amends with Trixie, but the pony she traded Trixie's caravan to won't take his back without proof of their friendship, leading to a humorous moment as Starlight and Trixie tried to pull off their own made-up version of Twilight and Cadence's "Sunshine, Sunshine" dance, which was able to convince the unicorn to trade back, before suggesting they head home since any chance of reaching Saddle Arabia now would be too risky for them.

Along with the appearance of Cadence and Flurry Heart at the beginning of the episode, which is the first time they've even appeared this season at all, and Cadence and Twilight doing their song and dance again, which probably left Flurry Heart a little embarrassed of her mom and aunt, I give this episode an 8/10, maybe an 8.5.

[Brainstorm 4,123]

I'm just glad that we got to see Saddle Arabia, Starlight and Trxie had another adventure.

Maybe Trixie and Starlight next magic show will be at Mount Aris, with Twilight and Queen Nova's permission of course.

[Sunlight Glisten 369]

Did anyone else feel like trixie was naked the whole time? I'm pretty sure this was the first episode she wasnt in costume continuously. 

[Senko 459]

3 hours ago, Sunlight Glisten said:

Did anyone else feel like trixie was naked the whole time? I'm pretty sure this was the first episode she wasnt in costume continuously. 

Not really but then I've sort of come to view the no clothes pony's as normal and the ones in outfits as either wearing work uniforms (for safety or identification) or indulging in a fetish. Yes I'm aware that raises questions about why most of Starlight's friends wear capes.

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,825]

Started out cringy, but I see where it went. Sometimes, it's difficult when you both have issues and you bring them up as you travel along in your journey wherever you go. 

[MangoFoalix 25,056]

8 hours ago, Senko said:

Not really but then I've sort of come to view the no clothes pony's as normal and the ones in outfits as either wearing work uniforms (for safety or identification) or indulging in a fetish. Yes I'm aware that raises questions about why most of Starlight's friends wear capes.

Indulging in a fetish...? You know that Equestria society doesn't require you to wear clothes if you don't want to. Yes, they are basically a society full of nudists but still. I don't think it should be wrong for them to wear something like a cape.

[Senko 459]

1 hour ago, TheTaZe said:

Indulging in a fetish...? You know that Equestria society doesn't require you to wear clothes if you don't want to. Yes, they are basically a society full of nudists but still. I don't think it should be wrong for them to wear something like a cape.

Never said it was wrong just that it was a fetish. Like how in the real world some guy's get turned on by stockings on a girl. I'd also been up for about 20 hours when I typed that so I think we should probably let it drop before we verge into inapropriate discussions.

Edited September 4, 2018 by Senko