S09:E15 - 2,4,6, Greaaat

[Allen 1,387]

Another buckball game again. They rehearse for cheerleading in the buckball game is just a practice, especially for Yona who is shaking the ground like an earthquake by hitting the ground hard with her hooves. Cheerleading will get better soon as long as Yona rehearsed and do not shake the ground hard while they're cheerleading for the buckball game, and it got better later in this episode without shaking the ground. Rainbow Dash got better at this. This episode wasn't bad, I will say it's good. 

Edited September 7, 2019 by Allen

[Singe 2,111]

From what the other Mane got, RD ended up being the Charlie Brown getting the rock. She has Gilda, Lightning Dust, Daring Do, her parents, and the Wonderbolts instead to finish off her last focused episode. The final episode should have been Wonderbolts obligations conflict with Twilight's school obligations.

[BrawnyCharger 513]

As far as I'm concerned, Twilight deserves more criticism than Rainbow Dash. Twilight was the one who set this whole thing up. Yet I didn't see anypony outright question Twilight's decision to have Rainbow Dash as the cheerleading coach when Pinkie Pie would have made a better one.

This is one of those episodes in which I question Twilight's reasoning.

[Megas 27,784]

On 9/13/2019 at 6:25 PM, Singe said:

From what the other Mane got, RD ended up being the Charlie Brown getting the rock. She has Gilda, Lightning Dust, Daring Do, her parents, and the Wonderbolts instead to finish off her last focused episode. The final episode should have been Wonderbolts obligations conflict with Twilight's school obligations.

Unfortunately this clip is more relevant in hindsight

[Here No Longer 5,277]

All that can be said about this episode is... It's absolutely atrocious. I don't even know what to say at this point just after watching it, aside from 3/10, and it's the new 3rd worst of the series.   Probably the worst Twilight characterization to date,  and Rainbow isn't much better (but she's had worse... Looking at you, 28 Pranks Later )

Edited October 9, 2019 by Spider Demon

[kazamacat 64]

This episode was very frustrating to watch. I'm supposed to believe Rainbow Dash doesn't grasp the value of cheering? In season 1, episode 16, Sonic Rainboom, i.e. my favorite episode ever, the cold open is literally her having Fluttershy list off the elements of a good cheer as she is coaching her how to do it.

Like, this episode establishes Rainbow Dash is enthusiastic, yes, she is, but then pretends she has no clue that she is or how to express it or how to help others express it until someone yells at her to point it out.

I didn't hate it because I did like her eagerness in the very beginning and the end, but that is a lot of frustrating rest-of-beginning and middle that dragged the whole thing down.

[Jane 123]

The episode just came out in my country, so I will share my opinion.

The episode is  bullshi*, is the second episode about Buckball , that is, who is interested in buckball???

- Rainbow is portrayed as selfish, selfless in others and unable to help others. I'm not saying Rainbow is not selfish, but here selfishness is shown as something bad.It's as if they asked you what's your favorite character, and then they remember you all the bad things that character has done, and why you should hate that character. 

- Snips was completely annoying, he was worried that the cheerleading team would work, just to sell his merchandise, isn't he selfish too? Talking about Yona, Ocellus and Smolder, I say, I use to liked them before, but now, I certainly dislike them absolutely, they behave like little girls without knowing how to do a choreography and start crying, wtf ???

-And I'm really sorry for Rainbow, Twilight as "good friend" that she is, leaves her in charge of the cheerleading team and leaves Fluttershy and Pinkie as trainers (knowing that Fluttershy has some kind of social anxiety), Twilight knew that Rainbow didn't liked the cheerleaders, but Twilight should've respected her and let someone else do the work. In the end, Celestia applauds, as if it were good to force her friends to do something that doesn't interest them at all,  when Twilight thinks they deserve a lesson.

- I'm really mad at the way Rainbow is treated,I feel the same as I felt in 28PL, where Rainbow is humiliated. I can empathize with her, because I am autistic. I can't feel empathy for anyone, just like Rainbow, there are things that don't interest me and I wouldn't mind if someone wants a Cheerleading team, in total, what is the use ?, My family does not force me to be interested in others because they know that I AM like that.

Edited December 2, 2019 by Jane

[Stardust 641]

Ha poor Dash wow she acted so bad for no reason but then again why do u do that twilight?? Seemed like a little too pushy. This episode annoyed me so much.

[HedonismBot 241]

On 12/2/2019 at 7:45 AM, Jane said:

-And I'm really sorry for Rainbow, Twilight as "good friend" that she is, leaves her in charge of the cheerleading team and leaves Fluttershy and Pinkie as trainers (knowing that Fluttershy has some kind of social anxiety), Twilight knew that Rainbow didn't liked the cheerleaders, but Twilight should've respected her and let someone else do the work. In the end, Celestia applauds, as if it were good to force her friends to do something that doesn't interest them at all,  when Twilight thinks they deserve a lesson.

Not to mention the fact that Twilight was more concerned with teaching Rainbow Dash a lesson in humility than giving her students someone who was ready, willing, and able to be the teacher they needed. That's a big load of horse apples right there. Helping teachers become better teachers is a noble enough goal, but not when it might come at the expense of the students.

[Chadbacca 375]

Other than the last five minutes, I despise this episode. Hands down the worst episode of Season 9.

[Sasoriman 139]

Saw the Chinese airing the day it came out, which would prove to be a mistake because Pinkie's first line in the opening - that was uncalled for. I so did not need to hear that. That alone made me shut the episode off and go read the transcript and summary, which I did.

I was not impressed with what I saw, at all. 

By what stretch of the imagination does it ever make sense to force somebody into a job they have no experience/training for? I don't care how often it happens in real life, it shouldn't because it's not smart. 

To everyone who pointed to Sonic Rainboom as an example, that doesn't count. Rainbow was teaching Fluttershy to cheer as a spectator, and last time I checked, spectators don't do pyramids or dance routines. Here, she was being pushed into coaching a cheer squad. 

There might be some overlap between the two, but altogether, they're two different things.

And even if the lesson was about being supportive, how exactly does it justify anything? Twilight risked their school's buckball tournament by giving Rainbow a job she wasn't trained for, while the latter tries to get out of it at every available opportunity, just to teach her that lesson. 

You know, putting on Pinkie Pride to wipe this incident from my memory would've been the better choice, but wisdom and common sense were apparently vacationing in No Fucks Junction that week.

 

Edited December 4, 2020 by Sasoriman

[ZiggWheelsManning 11,097]

I would have rather watched the episode where Rainbow learns from Peter Griffin on how to make apple cider than put up with this episode  

[JMTV99 1,354]

I heard a lot of bad things about 2, 4, 6 Great, and from the looks of it, I don't think I want to see it because the plot makes Mare Do Well look like a masterpiece.

[JMTV99 1,354]

(Sighs) At first, I'm not interested watching this episode because I heard a lot of bad things about it, but overtime I started to watching it out of morbid curiosity, and yeah, it sucks so bad!

Dashie was so unlikeable, the tone come across as mean-spirited, and it just another classic case where the franchise were really running out of ideas.

[Moony the Cat 3,703]

Apart from Rainbow Dash being a jerk and abandoning her Job for absolutely no reason, this Episode was very entertaining!

And the cheerleading at the end was really cute, i was specially impressed by Ocellus moves! 

And of course Smolders fire breath was really cool! 

[Megas 27,784]

After that garbage “””lesson””” the episode should have ended with RD strangling Twilight 

[JMTV99 1,354]

On 2021-07-07 at 1:35 PM, Megas said:

After that garbage “””lesson””” the episode should have ended with RD strangling Twilight 

Yeah, go all Homer Simpson style!

But in all seriousness, 2, 4, 6, Great makes Mare Do Well look like a masterpiece. As bad as Mare Do Well was, at least there are some good things to like about it, even if the Main 6's actions were very hypocritical. This feel like I'm watching Newbie Dash again. In Newbie Dash, the Wonderbolts straight-up bullied Dash all just because of her nickname(which makes no freaking sense). This episode, Dash was being a unlikable bitch towards the students. Don't get me wrong, I hate the Student Six, but treating them like shit makes Dash just as a hypocrite as the Wonderbolts are. On top of that, 2, 4, 6, Great featuring a MASSIVE continuity error just as much as 28 Pranks Later. Rainbow Dash hated cheerleading even though past episodes like Sonic Rainboom in which Rainbow teaching Fluttershy how to cheer, and Games Ponies Play in which she and the Main 6 did a cheering routine to impress Mrs. Peachbottom.

"CHARACTER CONSISTENCTY? DAFAQ IS DAT?"

It just makes it look like the writers didn't even know how to write Rainbow Dash right. The only reason why Rainbow was acting this way was because of The Princess of Friendship told her so. I mean, a lot of people had a problem with Twilight was written in Rainbow Falls in which she let Dash make her own decisions rather than trying to help her friend. Twilicorn in 2,4,6, Great, had no excuse to act like this whole plan was acceptable. She could've been at least be more suspicious about it and called out Dash for it instead of being completely blindsided. As shitty as Non-Complete Clause was, I'm glad Twilight called out Dash on her behavior.

The jokes are not funny, it's padded and contrived as all hell, it's completely annoying and frustrating, and it breaks my heart that Dashie has to be this way. I love Dashie. I really do. I know a lot of people don't, but I still love her. She's supposed to be most loyal pony in all Equestria. She maybe brash and bold, but she's also very emotional. She can be very cute at times. If the writers think Dash's behavior in 2,4,6, Grade-A Horseshit count as "loyalty", then it really does goes to show that they have NO idea what loyalty means.  Here's the definition:

"Loyalty is the ability to put others before yourself and stick with them in good times and bad. Show loyalty to friends, family, and significant others by being honest, trustworthy, supportive, and generous. Maintain healthy boundaries with those around you so you can be loyal to them in a productive way."

If you're telling me that treating children like garbage, act like a dick, and not doing your job counts as "loyalty"? Then, I called Grade-A Horseshit. Just like this episode.

@Megas was right. The new showrunners are going out of their way to sabotage her episodes and make them look worse than they already are, all thanks to hacks like Josh Haber and cronies. If Lauren Faust were to see this, she would've been peeved.

I know the show has it's ups and downs, but there's no excuse for piss-poor writing like this. For a show that is happy and lighthearted and fun, episodes like this just let me feel bitter and cynical. For a RD sendoff episode, you would've think they put some thought, heart, and care into it to make sure to give her a proper sendoff and end on a good note.

If I were to fix this episode, I would have Fluttershy took over as the cheerleading coach. Rainbow Dash taught her how to cheer, it could've been a complete full circle character development to have Fluttershy took over. Instead of treating the students like shit, have a moment where Fluttershy quits being the coach because the whole routine was complete disaster, but she don't want to let her friend down and so as the students. Students give her Fluttershy advice to not give up, just like Dash. Fluttershy remembers the time where Dash teaches her how to cheer. Now, she'll to do it for her best friend.

There ya go. That would've been an interesting episode than what we got.

You know what the sad part about this is? When the show entered it's final season, I feel the people behind it didn't even care anymore. Say what you will about the old writers, at least they actually do care(hell, most of the came from Foster's, for crying out loud). The new staff are just only there just for a paycheck. When it comes to Josh Haber's regime(and himself), it's no surprise.

Overall, 2, 4, 6, Grade-A Horseshit should rot in the burning pits of Tartarus, next to Newbie Dash. It didn't really need to exist and it's a huge middle finger to everything Lauren stands for since she loves Frirefly as a kid. If this episode want to give out a big bang for Dashie, then this ends it on a whimper.

I think this pretty much sums up Season 6-9 as a whole. Man, this is so draining.  I wish the show should've ended after Season 4(and have the good Season 5 episodes and Perfect Pear belong on S4 anyway).

[phantompone1148 126]

This is my least favorite of Season 9. RD is VERY out of character and unlikable in this episode.

3/10

[Scootaloo9074090 501]

On 2019-08-11 at 11:52 PM, Dark Qiviut said:

Yesterday’s episode was a terrible appearance for Rainbow Dash. Completely selfish and unaware of how hurtful her behavior toward her students were. Despite Twilight tricking Dash into learning a lesson and artificially putting her whole tournament at risk of cancellation to accomplish her objective, Dash should’ve been way more mature by working with her student and teach cheerleading from the start. This episode, as I already stated, is her own Honest Apple.

However, despite her being out of character and unlikeable, I can’t place her appearance or the episode close to the worst. Several episodes prior handled her worse than this.

1. May the Best Pet Win, Tanks for the Memories: abusive to animals. The former by being cruel to those who want to be her pet and dismissive toward Tank. The latter for treating her company with Tank to be more important than keeping her alive. Sorry not sorry, I don’t pity Dash over having to wait three months during the winter!
2. Rainbow Falls: Gaining an ego and then actually thinking about abandoning the relay team representing her town in favor of the “cooler” Wonderbolts squad.
3. Mare Do Well: No explanation needed.
4. 28 Pranks Later: jumpstarted the MDW ripoff by scaring the daylights out of FS while knowing she hates being pranked.
5. Newbie Dash: What supposed to be her milestone episode turned out to be one of the biggest torture porns of the entire show. It remains the show’s biggest black mark.
6. Compete Crap Clause: Lusting to win Teacher of the Month, she and AJ focus more on winning than the Young Six’s safety, causing a Yona to nearly drown! Rather than learn their lesson, they act passive-aggressive toward each other and nearly became bite-a-cuda dinner!

When Rainbow Dash wisened up, she worked hard to help the students make the cheerleading become the go-to moment of the tournament, and there were many other moments here that worked. It’s the worst episode this season, sure, but compared to almost the rest I listed, it’s not terrible.

well Rainbow dash does care about tank and not really abusive or cruel to animal,

and here the way I see it,

Tanks for the Memories" deals with a psychology process known as the Five Stages of Grief:

Denial, when Rainbow Dash is uneasy on Fluttershy's speech of hibernation.
Anger, when Rainbow lashes out at her friends for agreeing with Tank.
Bargaining, when Rainbow tries to sabotage the weather factory to stop winter.
Depression, when the pressured Rainbow mourns Tank, and her friends pity her.
and Acceptance, when Rainbow finally lets Tank make good on his hibernation.

I think Dash have emotional problem 

 

Edited December 29, 2021 by Scootaloo9074090

[ExplosionMare 18,088]

1 hour ago, Scootaloo9074090 said:

well Rainbow dash does care about tank and not really abusive or cruel to animal,

and here the way I see it,

Tanks for the Memories" deals with a psychology process known as the Five Stages of Grief:

Denial, when Rainbow Dash is uneasy on Fluttershy's speech of hibernation.
Anger, when Rainbow lashes out at her friends for agreeing with Tank.
Bargaining, when Rainbow tries to sabotage the weather factory to stop winter.
Depression, when the pressured Rainbow mourns Tank, and her friends pity her.
and Acceptance, when Rainbow finally lets Tank make good on his hibernation.

I think Dash have emotional problem 

 

This makes me wonder just how close those two are. Obviously there is a strong connection since Tank saved Rainbow’s life, but surely Rainbow knew hibernation would only be temporary, right? Perhaps it has more to do with being lonely in the winter, since she wanted to do all those sports with him.

[mlploverlizzy 293]

I enjoyed this episode when it first aired, but I didn’t really remember it. I rewatched it and it was eh, nothing special. I do enjoy Celestia being herself though 

[StarHeart333 1,766]

I mean the general point of the episode was to show how Dash had to learn to compromise,check her ego etc but it's just really hard to get excited about an episode entirely devoted to cheerleading. 

 

don't get the wrong idea I DO have appreciation for the hard work that goes into that's not at all my complaint here.

 

it's simply that this episode doesn't really do anything for character growth or really have anything to do with MLP:FIM.

 

like you could have scootaloo on the beach collecting sea shells and she gets into argument over why hers is better than the other two. It's like huh, Interesting I suppose but not much for a plot...

 

 

[Nightfall Gloam 18,267]

I saw this episode recently as I had been rewatching all the MLP episodes since mid-to-late last year, and, yeah, just like back when the episode first aired in 2019, there was a lot that I just didn't like about the episode... In terms of writing it felt like one of the poorest episodes in the series, Rainbow Dash seemed really out of character here, and I remember really disliking her attitude on my original viewing, and I pretty much have all the same issues with it that everyone else pointed out in this thread.

IMO, Lighthoof and Shimmy Shake pretty much carried the entire episode, I really liked their designs, appreciated seeing their passion for cheerleading, Lighthoof especially quickly became one of my favourite ponies, and had this not been the final season, I wouldn't of minded seeing them in future episodes or other MLP media, even if only in the background. I wish they were introduced in a better episode!

Overall, an awful episode that is being carried by two underrated mares who had the unfortunate luck of appearing only in this episode.

[GloryForShame 26]

Asshole Dashie...oh they did you bad in this one.

[Hadrien 954]

Yeaaaaah, that was not fun to watch. Kinda like a train wreck in slow-mo. Made me think of season 1 Dash, where she didnt care much for other people interests. The two cheerleading ponies were cute and funny, and Smoulder is best student six.