S09:E13 - Between Dark and Dawn

[Jonny Music 3,499]

A great way to start a mid-season hiatus. Celestia and Luna finally get some time off their royal duties. This episode is by far one of my most favourite ones. 

Everything about it was great! The morals were well-thought out and there were some funny moments that make this episode worth watching again.

[Dawn-Sunlight 1,228]

I didn't enjoy the second plot line about Twilight and the others trying to cover for the royal sisters, if anything, the flashes interrupt the story, and I found the first story line to be extremely enjoyable and I think the theme of, "Yeh, your sibling can be annoying, but you want to make the best of it because losing them would be even worse" is really heartwarming.  I have a younger sibling that gets on my nerves all the time, but I can't imagine not having him around.  I'm going to need to rewatch the song to effectively critique it, but I liked it on the first watch, so it can't be that bad.  But, does anypony else think that ponies shouldn't be grading the episode based on all the great memes and fan art it could produce?  I understand that none of you ponies are doing it but this episode becoming a fan favorite because they could create memes and fan art off of it is a little silly in my opinion.  I'd say this episode was my 6th favorite of the season, with my list so far in order from best to worse being Frenemies, The Last Crusade, The Point of No Return, Uprooted, Twilight's Seven, Between Dusk and Dawn, Student Counsel, The Beginning of the End, Going to Seed, She's All Yak, Sweet and Smoky, and finally, Common Ground.

[ggg-2 3,557]

Did the song remind anyone else of Movin' Right Along from The Muppets Movie or am i just crazy? Yes? .....Yeah i thought so.

[Ganondorf8 11,774]

Well that was certainly an episode. A lot of people over the years had criticized the show for not giving more screen time or even a story for Celestia and Luna, and yet this episode finally addressed those concerns though it wasn't entirely perfect. Straight to the point, the side story with the Mane Six didn't really go anywhere nor was there any sense of resolution. Also, Twilight's attitude towards the situation was heavily flawed. Didn't she learn that it was okay to accept help? Why have her go through such an ordeal? No wonder the others weren't thrilled every time she insisted on them handling things.

Honestly, the side story either could've been reduced to give the princesses more screen time, or dropped entirely as again, I felt it didn't go anywhere. It also doesn't help that everything just comes to a complete stop right at the end instead of giving us a proper conclusion. I know 22 minutes isn't a lot of time but you'd think the writers would've figured out how to get around this rather than try and cram in as much as possible. Another issue I have is the beginning of the episode. It felt like we were coming in on something out of nowhere and would be given an explanation as to how everything became what it was.

Now comes the fun part where I talk about Celestia and Luna. For Celestia, this is a side of her we've been given hints at in both the comics and previous episodes, but not to this huge extent. She acted more like a brash teenager than the protector of Equestria, and it was an absolute treat. She definitely has a wild streak that refuses to be reined in by anything. Though this came at the cost of her being rational and forcing Luna to do things she didn't want to do thus resulting in the conflict between them. Zip-lining has now become her favourite thing in the world alongside going down waterfalls.

For Luna, her ideas of having fun wouldn't make sense to most characters, but to her they do as she never got the chance to experience them for herself. The post office scene will go down as one of her greatest moments as she was just so precocious. There's nothing wrong with wanting a more relaxing time though Luna did end up becoming negative, the one drawback when you take such a stance, which again, resulted in the conflict that occurred in the final act.

The conflict was predictable as you could see it coming a mile away. It's impossible for siblings to agree on everything as each wants to do their own thing and are forced to make uncomfortable compromises. I mean, the conflict was resolved in a nice manner with Celestia and Luna becoming even closer than ever before, but still, it was pretty cliché and has been done countless times. The conflict with the Mane Six on the other hand wasn't as memorable for me despite it also being one that was predictable in nature. We never did to see that event play out which is a shame as they made it quite a part of the episode.

And how could I not talk about the expressions. Celestia and Luna not only raised the bar, they exceeded it in such a way that it will be difficult for others to be able to surpass them. This was their chance to shine and they succeeded in spades. The meme potential here is massive not to mention the fanart and fanfic potential among other things. At times it did feel like the animation was off when it came to certain expressions, but I can overlook this as most of what we got were oh so memorable. I also loved seeing Celestia and Luna portraying themselves as being from the 70s/80s with those punk looks, their manes in ponytails, and just looking like ordinary ponies rather than princesses which is what most are accustomed to.

Lastly, we have the song. If you pause it at the right times, you can see cameo appearances, the third episode in a row to do this. The one that stood out the most was Capper as he made sure to want to be noticed. The song was memorable what with clever lyrics, references, cameos, and so much more. Definitely one of the best songs to ever come out of Friendship is Magic.

Do I have anything else? Yes... Fancy Pants, a surprise appearance given it's been years. Sure, he came off as rude, but then he was within his means to do so. He knew what needed to be done so you can forgive him for not appreciating Twilight's refusal for asking for help. Okay, now I'm done. I'll give this episode 90%.

[YoshiAngemon 223]

I actually liked it. As for Twilight. She can handle delegating, it's raising the sun and moon she can't even master. I'm thinking that the Royal Sisters and Starswirl would most likely end up conjuring up a spell that would allow the sun and moon to move on their own power, as it is meant to in the Great Cosmos.

[bwrosas 252]

I will say, we got a SPARITY Moment at the start!

[Metemponychosis 1,263]

This cartoon keeps throwing that word around... 'Ruling'... I don't think that it knows what it means.

I waited for this episode for about a month, and managed to dodge most spoilers, and... Wow... That intro was stupid. You know what is funny? All the times I asked Celestia to do something, or that the sisters should work together, that was literally, exactly, the opposite of what I had in mind. I expected it would not be a parody of the two. Maybe that is the point the episode was trying to make and I shouldn't judge by less than a third of the episode. Actually, no, it's just the intro being dumb.

Well, first of all, why didn't these two morons just go different ways? If there is one thing this cartoon has made obvious about then, until this episode, is that they can't stand each other. Yeah... They end up together in the end, until they fight again and the whole thing was pointless. Actually the two remind me of Morty's parents.

Then they can't be bothered with caring for the sun and moon. How petty are these two? Fuck me, If I pulled anything resembling that while I was on medschool my teachers would've eaten my liver. These two can't be bothered to do something that is natural to them, and literally defined their characters from the start of the show. It's like the two have no concept of responsibility. Or the cartoon, since moving the sun and the moon is the closest thing to petty anyways. I don't even know why the episode brought it up.

So, Kim and Khloe Kardashian go on a vacation, people act excited around them, shenanigans ensue, every family vacation movie ever made happens. And Kim is afraid of chickens. Because COMEDY! Wait... That is not right.

So, Celestia and Luna go on a vacation, ponies act excited around them, shenanigans ensue, every family vacation movie ever made happens. And Celestia is afraid of chickens. Because COMEDY! Ah... There is also something about Twilight and her friends doing Celestia's job. Which amounts to meetings about stuff and menial crap actual leaders of a nation would delegate. Hold that thought. For now look at this brave cartoon taking sides in the LGBT issue, but terrified of giving it's characters something remotely political to do. Things like taking a stance on a legal dispute... Kinda like Twilight already did, seasons ago. Who cares about that... Celestia would be too busy doing the 'meetings'.

Boy, would I like to see the reaction if it bastardized Luna's dream powers like that.

And when the two celebrity princesses fight and I'm still wondering what is it that Celestia does that is so difficult. This episode would've worked much better if Celestia had her responsibilities look like something actually important BEFORE it aired and if it hadn't come in the same season the two are talking about retirement. Their fight is so trite and meaningless... It's every sibling fight ever in the same cartoon that made such a great job with the Apples and Rarity and her sister. They fight all the time we see them. What is the point?

Well, finally, Fancypants decided to save this mess and told those seven idiots that the princesses never do any of that. And they decide to delegate. Explain to me what was on that list, then. Because things just started making even less sense. Anyway, congratulations episode. Now, writer, you managed to diminish the importance of the sisters retiring even more because you tried to pretend you're clever and did something that should've been a thing before you showed that the stress came from those tasks they just delegated. Care to show something that actually makes Celestia and Luna important? I mean... I already know about Luna, but Celestia is kind of pointless yet. Nine seasons in. Or at least go on Twitter and say that Hasbro doesn't want their cartoon dealing with something a ruler would actually have to deal with.

This episode should've ditched that whole idiocy about Twilight and her friends and focused on the sisters. At least then, it might have done something more impactful with the time that mess ate away, even if it would still have been just a trite family vacation story. And maybe not kill it off with that stupid joke about Twilight messing up the sun and the moon...

I miss the time the sisters had personalities instead of caricatures of the stereotypical angsty teenager and the one that is too over excited over things. And I wish I could see this cartoon were Celestia needed to be normal for a change, because 'normal' is all she ever does. And she also needed another stupid quirk instead of a sense of importance so that her retiring being a problem would make any sense. What pisses me off isn't that this is the problem, because it isn't. The problem is that this is all she is! A tee-hee happy go lucky moron the cartoon keeps saying rules a nation without ever showing the impact she had on it. She just doesn't have agency in her kingdom.

I wonder if anyone even remembers the scene with Celestia and the Cakes.

Fuck me! I've watched five episodes today and all were good or great, but for some ungodly curse this cartoon has managed to make me dislike my favorite character though seasons of just bad characterization. I did not expect to come out of the series thinking this and I hope that this will change.

Look at Amber in Sweet and Smoky: without her, the solution to the eggs' problem wouldn't have been reached. Or Starlight Glimmer in Student Counsel... That didn't even need to be the main plot to be convincing that she is doing something worthy. Celestia is not rocket science. Do something with her already. Nah... Maybe this just wasn't the episode for that (yet again), and it's too late to ask. Suppose I have to hope that they did something with her in the upcoming episode about Summer Sun Celebration and seeing her actually owning an episode a la Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep was asking too much.

Not going to hold my breath though...

I hope there's nothing like her in G5. I'm calling her Princess Kardashian from now on, because it's all she turned out. A celebrity with no real importance. And I'm done with this episode. Gonna go back to the previous ones because I just love that the cartoon managed to make it more of a deal one of the CMC moving out than the princesses retiring.

EDIT: You know what? Go watch A Goofy Movie - On The Open Road. It does literally everything this episode does, but better and without the subplot eating away at the time it doesn't already have.

Edited June 22, 2019 by Metemponychosis

[ImpctR 155]

I've always called Luna (and now with Celestia) episodes among my most favourite. Not only because of some "high stakes" elements like in "A Royal Problem" but because Luna has been my favourite from the two Princesses and especially the first episodes like Luna Eclipsed after her reformation and return made me quite curious to see. This episode was nice but I cannot say on the same level favourite. Perhaps it is so, because the episode was made full of GAGS and I am not fan of episodes and plots just to make faces.

Other than that, there were things I liked and revealing more about their sibling relationships:

So in the beginning we see this giant tortoise and once again Spike is the unlucky one. It was cool to see the two sisters in action, particularly like this effect here:

 

Spoiler

 

but after few repeats of their interference or participation, it felt a little unnatural and forced. I am not sure what the message to the fans is, that after so many episodes of doing nothing (this message has been conveyed many times to the viewers), now they can take more action when we are not going to see them anymore as a last season? It still doesn't prove or set up anything that indicates the Mane 6 are now ready to succeed the thrones.

Not going to post the gags/ facial expressions because I didn't find them funny, meme material if you need some, but until then it's not certain why you need to see them.

The episode is raining gags and such, from  to Celestia 20%++ percent cooler, 

 

Spoiler

 

I particularly liked the way the two sisters look in their casual tourist outfit, reminds of royal (British) celebrities that have a lot of regular activities and not the old school medieval type of royal members.

 

Spoiler

 

 it had a retrospective part in the song, even though I do not have interest in the song, such as seeing Trixie's wagon and other flashbacks to past episodes like the roller coaster from last season where RD had to entertain the grannies on it. It almost talks how the show went through episodes. This should have been ep 200? The closest match when they wanted something like episode 100.

Luna had problems with him not knowing how to handle the day obligations.

 

Spoiler

 

Was Luna's interest in the delivery firm again for gags or she really liked letter deliveries?

The Luna hairstyle was weird but this rock style of Celestia was interesting.

 

Spoiler

 

When the sisters got into a row, I thought apocalypse - their evil versions might have appeared. I liked the resolution by them sharing what they think about each other and the need for one another, It felt nice, touching and maybe the first time I saw such conversations since season 1 after defeating Nightmare Moon and returning Luna to normal.

 

Spoiler

it serves as a solution to A Royal Problem, good to continue with these epilogue type of episodes, It was a pleasant episode but not of my most fave because of the forced faces 4.4/5

 

[Sonic5421 429]

Our mid-season hiatus for Season 9, and it was a great way to leave the Brony Community a chance to enjoy the summer before the second half of the season brings the series to a close this fall.

Gotta admit, I did not expect that Celestia and Luna to have had so much excitement from fighting the Everfree Forest with Star Swirl would convince them to want to save the day more and make up for all those times they left themselves sitting ducks for the villains to incapacitate in some way. Then there's the idea for them to spend some quality time together to enjoy all the stuff each of them like to help burn off that excess energy and help Twilight prepare for their retirement.

Of course, as we all know, sometimes trying to share the stuff you like with your siblings may not be something they might like as well. Celestia preferred excitement while Luna preferred more leisure. This led to them splitting up to spend time apart, but soon realize just how much they miss their sister and their support with stuff, such as Luna not having Celestia there to protect her from sunburn, and Celestia not having Luna there to protect her from the smallest creatures that Celestia is terrified of, such as a harmless chicken. Once they met up again and apologized for earlier, they reconcile and await the sunrise and setting of the moon, only to realize Twilight was having trouble performing it, and hurry back to Canterlot with all due haste, just after Twilight busted the device in her frantic attempt to fix it.

For an episode centered on the Royal Sisters and the Mane Six getting help from Fancy Pants and the other high-level Canterlot nobles with handling things in the capital while the Royal Sisters were on vacation, I'm giving it a perfect 10/10 for my final rating.

[Cirrus. 1,093]

Two Best Sisters Play- We've Completely Lost Our Minds!!!

 

[Jeric 46,890]

I legitimately loved this episode. Some nitpicks however. From a technical point of view they might have had more time to make the vacation moments or the B plot less compressed at times if the help montage wasn’t as lengthy (I almost want to say that the cold open would have been enough to establish an intervention). 

 

That said. ... great outing for me and FUCKING LOVE THE WICKED REF!

Bingo catchup will be Monday or Tuesday 

[Ocean Breeze 5,252]

Also... ahem 

this beauty 

Spoiler

 

[Will Guide 21,376]

I like how Celestia and Luna come to a resolution on their own. And they didn't need their marks swapped to do that.

Plus, their motivations for wanting to have thrills or to relax make sense.

 

8 hours ago, TheTaZe said:

Yes, I accidentally fucked up the poll. Sorry.

You fucked up the poll I set up this morning? How? I thought up the fitting poll phrases for it!

[WaterPulse 5]

Taken the episode as is outside the context of the show, I think it's fine. Given the show's history of handling Celestia and Luna, while I don't share the level of dislike that bigbertha and Metemponychosis have, I can sympathize with them. I can't help bot wonder if the two subplots would have been better as two separate episodes. But that's just me.

[Misty Shadow 8,286]

The thing I hate most about episodes like this is that they are too, too easy to love. Again, Celestia and Luna act like such characters, the comedy and story write themselves. Like, it just feels unfair almost how this episode stole The Mean 6’s spot for my favorite midseason finale like a day at the beach. Only flaw I could find in this one was some parts being hurried along...for good reason. There is only so much awesomeness from Celestia and Luna you can cram into one single episode while still having a good subplot with Twilight and her friends that gives them a struggle, yet also shows them making character progress in the end with learning how to run a kingdom. There are too many killer moments in this episode, my personal favorites being Twilight thanking the rich ponies for the constructive criticism before tossing them out, Luna actually trying to make the post office sound thrilling, and the ending, which surprisingly transitioned well from being heartwarming to hilarious. Though the actual finale will obviously be what counts the most, I still appreciate how our last midseason finale was divine. 

[Sparklefan1234 185,211]

I almost forgot...PRINCESS LUNA HAD A PONYTAIL! 100/100! 

I also liked how Celestia and Luna shared a bonding moment by watching the sun battle for supremacy against the moon. 

[Dark Qiviut 22,656]

This excellent episode caps an excellent first half of S9. But if there's one moment that really stands out, it's this:

HYSTERICAL! XD The timing was perfect. You knew she had the desire for thrill, but wasn't expecting this to come. Her sheer excitement while zipping down — she enjoyed it!

Oh, yeah, not shown here, but this:

LO-FUCKING-L! XDXDXD

[Sparklefan1234 185,211]

Was this episode the first one with a Celestia and Luna song? 

[Will Guide 21,376]

9 minutes ago, Sparklefan1234 said:

Was this episode the first one with a Celestia and Luna song? 

Well, the sisters (along with Cadence) sang before to Twilight about how She would play her part in S4 Finale

 

[Lambdadelta 1,462]

Royal Sisters personality in this ep are looking more and more similar to their comic counterpart, and its a bit weird to me to see what they acting throughout this ep.  Anyone who love playful Luna back in S2 then this ep definitely didn't disappoint. What bother me is the energetic Sunbutt. Celestia is scared by a chicken? That part is freaking weird to me. Maybe that because my images of the Royal Sisters has always been back to the older seasons. Of course I know they have their playful side throughout series even in the beginning of the show, that why I love Horse Play, but this ep is just a bit over the top. The B-plot should be cut completely, this ep is not good with balance between 2 different plots. It's already super fun with Royal Sisters, why need for the unnesessary plot that didn't even resolve by the end of this ep, even All Bottle Up did a better job at handling two plots. 

This ep is fun, I giggled a lot in this ep. A royal sisters bonding episode is always welcomed to me. Criticism aside, I enjoy this ep but I wish I could enjoy it more. I give it a 7/10.

 

 

[Truffles 2,033]

It's nice to see Morla is able to get work outside of The Neverending Story. 

Another fun episode.  Much more to say later, but for now have some scary Spike face:

[Brainstorm 4,124]

I think Celestia and Luna seek adventure cause they haven't done adventures in awhile.

[Ganondox 899]

I really don't have much to say about this episode. Conceptually, this episode is an important milestone, especially for Twilight. In terms of content, we got two complete but not particularly interesting plots that were pretty much completely disconnected from each other. The sole driving force of this episode were the interactions between the sisters, which was at times hilarious and touching at others, but it's become expected at this point. For me personally, what I liked the most was seeing Fancy Pants have a real role. 

[Misty Shadow 8,286]

Oh, and in case you missed it, as I did the first time watching...

Now, I wonder who that could be... 

[qwerE 97]

I agree with everyone on how the sideline story with the mane 6 was a bit lousy, but really liked the episode as a whole. The story about the sisters had a lot of fuuny joke moments which clicked with me, and the overall plot about the sisters was interesting. Not much else to say, was a solid episode overall