S01:E10 - Swarm of the Century

[NavelColt 22,878]

https://mlpforums.com/calendar/event/115-%7B%3F%7D/?module=events

Title: Swarm of the Century
Air Date: December 17, 2010
Synopsis: Parasprites, furry little multiplying creatures, descend upon Ponyville and begin to devour everything and it's up to the ponies to find a solution.

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More Star Trek similarities! Tribbles, like Parapsrites, are obnoxious creatures that multiply at an alarming rate. This episode was worth a few laughs. Crazy Twilight even got her first appearance near the end, before Celestia showed up "Okay, we'll build an exact replica of Ponyville, RIGHT over there! </33" Edited May 28, 2014 by DashForever

[Batbrony 16,043]

Yes, this was a fun episode!!! Just like in "Look Before You Sleep," there was quite a bit of foreshadowing about just how far off the deep end Twilight can go, especially towards the end!!! Also, a very funny Pinkie Pie episode, especially the payoff at the end; still one of the most random moments ever in the show!!!
 

OMG, Celestia's face at 1:00 gets me everytime!!! Simply the perfect, "Well, I can honestly say I did not expect to see that today" face!!!!!

Edited November 1, 2013 by Batbrony

[HomuraBL 851]

The only thing that stood out for me in this episode was the moral. It's a good moral that people need to understand sometimes.

 

The humor is ok, but not up to my regular par.

[Rocket_Rainboom6 8]

They are so cute! But they are crazy and insane! its very disgusting how they spit then they reproduce more? Is that what bugs do nowadays? And why Fluttershy, why would you keep one?

[DrUnderachiever 25]

Am I the only one that wants Pinkie's polka march in MP3?  It might work on my niece and nephew, right?

But I always wondered, if Twilight could use a spell to make the parasprites stop eating the food, couldn't she just use a spell to make them stop eating altogether?

[TheGreatandPowerfulZecora 16]

God, I adore this episode, although I was a little mad at the rest of the Mane 6 for not even going "what do you mean Pinkie Pie" which is what I would have done. I do have to admit that it was predictable that Pinkie Pie knew what she was doing. It was obvious that she was eventually gonna come around.

[Varcolac 56]

when I rewatched  the episode I noticed she calls them Parasprites before Twilight talks to Zecora, So it does make it obvious she knew what she was doing all along. Also I love how Twilight sneaks up on Zecora and she forgets to rhyme. Love everything about this episode including the great reference to the famous Star Trek crossover episode Trouble with Tribbles

[True Rarity 1,240]

This was awesome! The whole time, I was thinking, "Why don't you just listen to Pinkie Pie? She obviously knows what she's doing!"
And if you watch Star Trek, you should know what a Tribble is. And parasprites are Equestria Tribble!

 

"You know, trombone!" (makes trombone noise and motions)
~Pinkie Pie 

[Starlight Song 43]

Well, honestly, I think Pinkie is a little to blame. 20% to blame, if you will. She could have easily had time to explain to her friends just what she was doing, but her friends should have at least asked why she was trying to get all those instruments.

[thebobmaster 31]

Well, honestly, I think Pinkie is a little to blame. 20% to blame, if you will. She could have easily had time to explain to her friends just what she was doing, but her friends should have at least asked why she was trying to get all those instruments.

That was my main problem with the episode. All these episodes showing how great friends they are, this episode involves everyone treating Pinkie Pie like they were babysitting her, and Pinkie Pie not being able to explain herself. Other than that, the episode was good, though.

[Dowlphin 463]

Did anybody else listen to the music of the very first seconds of the episode and was tortured by the fact that it didn't continue?

That very short melody there, just a few notes, is so incredibly beautiful, especially in the nature setting.

I wish someone made a full tune out of it. Or is it part of an existing one?

 

 

EDIT: I just played it backwards, out of curiosity, and a I expected, it retains all of its beauty. This gave me the idea: Hey, maybe this can be made into a full melody that incorporates the forward- and backwards-played version of this piece.

I wish I could do it myself, but I only have rudimentary musical skills. If I came up with a good melody, I'd have no way of writing it down.

 

 

 

EDIT2:

I uploaded a video to demonstrate:

 

Edited May 6, 2013 by Dowlphin

[PlunderSteed 1,252]

It's been a very long time since I've seen this episode, but I'm about to re-watch it on Netflix.  Off the top of my head, some things that stood out to me in retrospect:

- that song that Pinkie plays with her one man band

- Twi going crazy near the end, and proposing the ridiculous plan of building  replica of Ponyville in under a minute

- Dash "wearing" the parasprites as a beard and a bikini

 

I'm hoping to rediscover one or two new things, especially in light of the fact that there's been a lot of character development between then and now.  Here goes!

---

 

After re-watching, some things that I somehow didn't think of before...

 

- The parasprite design is a dead ringer for the Powerpuff Girls: simple design, big eyes, exaggerated movements while eating, etc.

 

- Twi really takes Spike for granted sometimes: ignoring his not-so-subtle hints about why the library is such a mess, and then dumping the whole cleanup on him.  I'd like to think that this was something she got better about in later seasons, but I can't quite decide on that point.

 

- SERIOUSLY, Pinkie?  I will never know why the Cakes didn't tell her to GTFO when she was so blatantly wrecking their efforts to prepare food for Celestia's arrival.  *sigh* Pinkie's always been the most inconsistent character, and this scene makes that painfully clear.

 

- dafuq does Rarity have Dash wearing?  The powdered wig, and the hat...?

 

- Proposed alternate ending: somebody hands out baseball bats.  And then the show no longer qualifies for a TV-Y rating.

 

- d'awww moment: Fluttershy meekly says "oww" when Dash high fives her

 

- why does Rarity randomly have a kazoo in her botique?

 

- Twi swats at a couple parasprites with her tail: one of the rare moments when a character exhibits actual horse behavior

Edited June 27, 2013 by NLR Information Minister

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 41,288]

This is an episode that I feel the characters play off of each other perfectly in. There are so many subtle things in this episode and they get funnier each time I watch it, such as Twilight's near meltdown and that Rarity scream after Pinkie gets the kazoo. Seriously, that Rarity scream. Also, I found Celestia's expression as she watches the parasprites go by to be hilarious.

 

The one thing that I did not like too much about the episode, was Pinkie's blatant lack of clarification. Her friends did not listen, but that is because they literally had no idea what the instruments were for. If Pinkie would have just gave some detail, then problem solved.

 

Really though, that is just one of those things that if it did happen, then we would not see 70% of the episode. So overall, it is just another fantastic episode in a fantastic show.

[Dowlphin 463]

The one thing that I did not like too much about the episode, was Pinkie's blatant lack of clarification. Her friends did not listen, but that is because they literally had no idea what the instruments were for. If Pinkie would have just gave some detail, then problem solved.

Unlikely lack of communication and/or misunderstandings is actually an often-used tool of lazy script writing. Fortunately it's not that widespread in MLP. Foster's Home is much worse in those regards.

[Righteous Fury 344]

This was the first episode that really made me laugh out loud, as well as the first episode by the great M. A. Larson, who'd later write some of the best episodes, like Chronicles, RoH, and Luna Eclipsed.

 

I think the whole communication issue is quite well done. It takes the 'Pinkie's so random lol' gag and turns it into a real problem - that she can't get her closest friends to understand her when all of Ponyville depends on it. They're not avoiding the serious implications of a character like Pinkie, in that way this episode is foreshadowing Party of One.

 

Also, am I the only one who realized Twilight's freak-out was a Blazing Saddles reference?

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txEbV9A415E

[spacestorm 183]

 

 

when I rewatched the episode I noticed she calls them Parasprites before Twilight talks to Zecora, So it does make it obvious she knew what she was doing all along.

Yes, during first watch it was easy to miss and it seemed that she just act random like usual. The problem would be solved earlier and easier if they would devoted a little more attention to listen and understand what she wanted to say.

Ehhh I miss a genius but crazy random Pinkie Pie - she have changed in season 3.

One of the funniest scenes are the farm defense by Apple family and crazy Twilight giving orders when all ponies run in panic.

[DubWolf 17,212]

I recently watched this episode again for old times sake. For some reason I like it when Pinkie Pie says "the trombone! You know? Bbbbdbbbb!" If she would only tell her friends about how music soothes the beast(s) before she would blabber about what instrument she needed.

 

I think I inherited Pinkie's point of view of parasprites after watching the episode, not to mention they ate Lyra's cake!

[Dowlphin 463]

Yeah, it was one of those classical frequently used miscommunication stories. But to be fair, in Equestria and especially with Pinkie Pie involved, this was somewhat more believable. Also, in general, miscommunication is a problem that can be found everywhere; sometimes in absurd degrees.

[Shawn Parks 1,798]

It seemed to me that Pinkie Pie did not understand why everpony else was not helping her.  Like she assumed that what she knew about Parasprites was common knowledge, and therefore it did not occur to her to explain what she was doing.  I think my favorite moment of this episode was Pinkie's "I'll save you" scene with Rarity.

 

One thing that concerned me about the Parasprite incident - where did they all go when Pinkie took them out of town?  The way they multiply, it seems like it would not be long before all of Equestria was overrun with them.  It might have been better if the music made them vanish or something. 

[Radiance64 7,053]

Yeah, probably one of the best multi-character episodes, with 5 of them trying and clamoring for a solution to the sudden pest problem, and one of them already knowing the solution and trying to get her friends to help her, but not making much sense doing it haha. I guess you could almost say it was a Pinkie Pie episode mostly offscreen.

Overall though, I really like this episode, so much win in it.

[Life Giver 1,063]

I was fine with this episode. First few minutes I was happy because of seeing Fluttershy. 

 

Further in I got more laughs when Pinkie kept going around trying to get the instruments.  

 

Also Rainbow is one tough mare to be fine after crashing into a tree. (Well duh she is Rainbow Dash.)

[Dowlphin 463]

Also Rainbow is one tough mare to be fine after crashing into a tree. (Well duh she is Rainbow Dash.)

It seems a lot less tough once you remember this: http://cheezburger.com/7819810816

One thing that concerned me about the Parasprite incident - where did they all go when Pinkie took them out of town?  The way they multiply, it seems like it would not be long before all of Equestria was overrun with them.  It might have been better if the music made them vanish or something. 

At the end of the episode Celestia mentioned that she's needed somewhere else where they have an infestation problem. I guess they found a better solution there.

Pinkie Pie leading them away using music is an hommage to the legend of the "Pied Piper of Hamelin". ... It is twice as funny because of the pun.

[Life Giver 1,063]

It seems a lot less tough once you remember this: http://cheezburger.com/7819810816

At the end of the episode Celestia mentioned that she's needed somewhere else where they have an infestation problem. I guess they found a better solution there.

Pinkie Pie leading them away using music is an hommage to the legend of the "Pied Piper of Hamelin". ... It is twice as funny because of the pun.

For the picture... lol.

 

And for the other part I did not know that. I wonder what other thing I didn't see in the show.

[Dowlphin 463]

And for the other part I did not know that. I wonder what other thing I didn't see in the show.

I just finished watching all episodes for the second time and I noticed so much stuff I missed the first time.

[shocker1991 32]

The first M.A. Larson episode and definitely one of his best. I liked the different ideas the mane six came up with to get rid of the parasprites only for them to multiply even more. The highlights of this episode for me were definitely Twilight brief crazy side and Celestia's face when the parasprites were marching towards the everfree forest.

 

Although Pinkie Pie is my favourite member of the mane six, I sided with the others when they thought she was a nuisance and she didn't bother explaining what she was doing. I know that if she did, the issue would have been resolved too quickly but its a situation that I think she should have taken more seriously. That was my only problem with this episode. Other than that, this is a definite top favourite episode of mine from season 1.