S02:E03 - Portrait of a Princess

[Ashen Pathfinder 16,162]

Title: Portrait of a Princess
Release Date: September 26, 2022
Written By: Janae Hall
Synopsis: With Pipp and Zipp focused on Royal Portrait Day, Opaline sends Misty on an evil errand to lure the two sisters into a trap.

NOTE: Episode is only available on NetFlix for the foreseeable future. Please keep that in mind!

[Rushing cash 836]

The sisters interactions were great, I liked the chemistry between the characters. Gotta say, the pre-intro scene here was really nice! I am disappointed we learned nothing of the queens past but the songs were good for sure. 

[flutterJackdash 218]

I think I have a new ringtone song! Amazing! Yes, I loved their interactions, both the building aggression and the eventual reconciliation. I also really love the motherly love the Queen exudes for them both, like in that regard she is not the least bit shallow but actually quite deep.

[Splashee 28,566]

Missing some world building. Feeling like being transported between places. A cute sisters episode otherwise.

[Ashen Pathfinder 16,162]

That episode was STELLAR! The sisters made the episode, Haven & Sunny were the comedic foundation, and Misty being cute as usual! LOVED IT!

[Misty Shadow 7,941]

I'm not even a Pippsqueak or a Zippster and this episode RULED. I've been a sucker for princesses going at it with each other since Friendship is Magic's A Royal Problem, and not only was this episode incredibly fun for more than just that, it was also incredibly heartwarming. Seeing Haven sing was interesting, but then seeing Zipp sing with Pipp...that moment was beautiful. 

[Evil Pink One 13,507]

I kinda like their song... At first it was kinda creepy... Then it got sweet... 

[Fluttershutter 2,508]

This was a great sister episode. 

I wonder exactly what the plan was with trapping them. Also, there were three flowers there. Why didn't they each get one?

[RDDash 19,195]

That was a really nice episode 

The song is awesome

Edited September 28, 2022 by RDDash

[Silly Druid 7,138]

A pretty good episode, exploring the sister relations. The songs were good, and the villains did something for the first time. Ended with a suggestion that Opaline has changeling powers...

I think it was a little out of character for Zipp though. She should have been a bit more cautious, and not go straight into a trap without thinking who sent them these messages and why. Especially the petal trail was something that should have incited some doubt in her.

Edited September 28, 2022 by PawelS

[AlbaTross 1,586]

I finally saw the third episode!  I think this one is even better than the last, and that one got as close as a glowing review as I can give for this series.  I'm still holding out for a 10/10 or even a 9/10...or 8/10?  I don't think we're getting that with this series though, so I'll take what we can get.  I like the sister dynamic, and they are my top two Mane Five ponies, so I'm glad we got an episode about them.  I like that their personalities clash, but they come together in the end.  I like that we got a largely musical episode, and the songs aren't overly cringe for a change.  No Sparky or forced quirky Hitch or Izzy?  Heck yeah!  Bland horse is here, but one good thing about her is she can be adapted to fit any plot, so she works here, and although she's bland, she's not annoying.  Queen Haven is good in this episode too.

Of course, the episode isn't without its problems.  I'm glad Misty actually did something for a change, but I legit thought the flower would be cursed or something.  Sure, she got the sisters trapped in a cave, but then she didn't think of a plan for what to do with them afterwards?  I'm looking forward to seeing what Opaline does, so there's that. 

Zipp should have been far more critical of a random photo, especially since she fancies herself a detective.  She's still the only pony who seems to care about things one would think would be of concern to the entire Mane cast, hence proving why she's the best pony in this series, but even she can be a bit dense sometimes, to the point where I can't help but think the world they're in is screwed.

As for Pipp, of course her annoying switch had to be toggled, and she was more concerned with her social media profile than anything.  On one hand, her annoying side irks me far less than Izzy's and Hitch's, and the sister dynamic as a whole is probably the best developed of all character relations in this series, but this episode lays it on too thick for me.  With that said, it did pay off in the end as it lead to a good sister moment, so I can't be too annoyed about it.  

All in all, while far from perfect, I think this is as close as it gets with this series.  Hopefully future episodes will keep this momentum going.  

[Rosy Moonlight 369]

I know it's a tiny detail, but I am still a little confused by the lyrics "don't blink" in the song. I'm guessing that it refers to how you don't always need to wait for challenging moments to pass so quickly.

Still, I really enjoyed the song.

[Orchid_Fiore 200]

For some reason and because of this episode, my dislike for Pipp just skyrocketed. She's a phone addict, and I hate that kind of personality. I find her a very bad example for kids.

Spoiler

Even if almost everything in the plot was Zipp's fault, I didn't dislike her like the younger sister. Probably because I feel more related with her lol.

 

Edited October 7, 2022 by Orchid_Fiore

[azbat 306]

When Queen Haven says, "I haven't had a chance to check out the new place yet."

It sounds like she says, "I haven't had a chance to check out the new playset."

[Skylight Scintillate 2,062]

This episode was actually pretty good. I thought it was funny the way Sunny tried to prevent Queen Haven from finding out where the Princess sisters went. I also liked how we found out a bit more about the Princesses from Queen Haven and we got to see how their personalities conflict with each other, but they are able to work past that and make amends with each other. And the villains finally did something instead of all this spying on the return of magic and such.

[Rosy Moonlight 369]

I like how the portrait day song felt more heartfelt and less generic compared to most songs of G5.

[Finding_Marty 825]

I really like how much attention Zipp and Pipp have gotten so far in MYM. In the movie it feels like they are background characters and maybe that was the plan all along because Hitch also isn't in the spotlight. And I much as I love Sunny and Izzy and wish they were given more attention in those episodes, now it feels balanced and everypony is equelly important. Anyway...

The scene in the bedroom reminds me of living in a dormitory +1 (good times) 

Pipp fools around on the beach and is suddenly offended because Zipp isn't serious about finding the flower lol

Sunny is on her day off to take care of their mum. All her excuses aren't suspicious at all.

Opaline has heart-shaped soles too. Maybe she's not that evil... and Misty is so adorable even when she is evil 

Sister's love day!

When they come to the Zephyr Heights they are still dirty and coverd in plants because they couldn't look at each other to know how they looked like.

The songs! 

...and the opening  9/10 really great episode

Edited August 9, 2024 by Finding_Marty

[Night Sky 101]

Beautiful flowers are sometimes deadly. It's interesting, Opaline's comment that Twilight Sparkle is still thwarting her. 

I know it is Gen 5's view of Gen 4, but it would have been interesting to see that history explored more in Mark Your Mark. 

As I've said elsewhere already. No, I do not consider Gen 4 to be the equal of Gen 5. Still, I appreciate it's attempt to be an extension of Gen 4. I know well that many ponies do not, and that it's a sore spot for them that the Harmony of the end of Gen 4 did not last. 

There had to be some worthwhile premise for a new Generation though. Either Gen 4 needed to go on forever or they needed to do something else. I am not a fan of the idea that they should have called it quits just because Gen 4 ended with Equestria becoming a true Halcyon. 

Equestria has a mythical background going which we've been learning about since literally the 1980s. That's 40 years basically. I am also not a fan of breaking the history of Equestria into unrelated blocks. 

But that's just me. So even tantalizing, brief statements like the one Opaline makes in this episode are just terribly interesting to me, but that's just me. 

I also think it's an interesting choice that Zipp pointedly does not want the throne of Zephyr Heights and really Pipp doesn't seem to care terribly much either. And it's kind of a complex and nuanced point that Queen Haven's quit reasonable concern that the succession is properly seen to can cause tension not just between her and her daughters but that the matter can also draw out the complexities of Pipp's and Zipp's relationship as well. 

One common fan gripe I do agree with, Pipp's cellphone and social media foot print are becoming annoying. I am writing this in the midst of my first watch of Make Your Mark. I did start with the New Generation movie. I don't know that Pipp being a princess and a pop star really works. It does feel kind of gratuitous. 

It seems to point to structural problems in the Pegasi culture that are really just an oh so thinly critique of our own. And while I agree that the things Pipp's character seems to poke fun at are not good things, Pipp's character comes to close to just setting a bad example. That was certainly on display here when she seems almost rabidly fixated on her darn cellphone, even more than usual. 

I am also noticing a pattern that even though Zipp clearly has the healthy suspicion and self starting personality to be a great detective, so far the Mane 5 seem to be a bit dismissive of her. It only takes two or three times to be a pattern. I hope this doesn't turn into what Star Trek TNG  had with Worf, where every single thing he said would get blithely shot down.