S01:E23 - The Cutie Mark Chronicles

[Homura Akemi 974]

This, in my opinion, is the best overall episode of Friendship is Magic. This has been my favourite episode since the very beginning. This is an superb "first episode"  for anyone wanting to get into the show. This episode is an overall overview of what makes this show so entertaining for a family audience. It is likely the only episode of the show I can give a rare grade of an A+.

 

Rating: 10/10

Edited July 28, 2013 by Dismajo

[Scholar Fillisari 4]

To me one of my favorite episodes of S1 with adorableness of filly fluttershy and big baby spike. Is well written and shows one Pegasus filly's true colors. Still adorable.

[Ihei 713]

I honestly think everypony likes this episode, including me. I love this episode since we can learn how everypony got their cutie marks and whatnot.

[AeronSinski 1]

One of my favorites, I decided to read in to deep with lack of better things to do tonight. And noticed this....

 

[Nature's Spell 526]

Yeah this is a must see episode for new Bronies. It tells you succently what makes the Mane 6 tick. We need more episodes like this one!

[Vertigo_95 572]

I really have to thank this episode, because if it wasn't for this episode, I probably would have either never became a Brony, or become one later in time (Brony since February of 2013)

[Shawn Parks 1,798]

On my list of Top Ten Favorite Episodes, this one ranks #5.  I love finding out how all of the ponies got their cutie marks, and they way they were all connected.  And it was cool to see Rainbow Dash do the Sonic Rainboom as a filly, which had been referenced in the "Sonic Rainboom" episode.  

 

Scootaloo kind of annoys me in this episode, since she seems to hate everything sentimental and only cares about what is cool.  In the "Hearts and Hooves" episode, it seems sort of out of character for her to be so interested in helping somepony find love.

[TheLuigiLightning 65]

I thought this episode was beautiful.  The stories were amazing.  However, the ending was too romantic for my liking, and, I have to admit, Spike is right on this one; Twilight's letter was pretty cheesy!

[jaythepony 1]

This episode was one of my favorites, simply because it's the first episode that I've ever seen. I feel as though this episode gives you a little taste of every one of the mane six and it's the perfect first episode for anyone willing to give the show a shot.

[Shawn Parks 1,798]

This episode was one of my favorites, simply because it's the first episode that I've ever seen. I feel as though this episode gives you a little taste of every one of the mane six and it's the perfect first episode for anyone willing to give the show a shot.

 

That is interesting.  I always thought that this episode might be good for someone who has never seen the show before - but I wondered how much I would have to explain to the person before hand.  Like the meaning behind Cutie Marks.

 

Was there much that didn't make sense to you the first time that you saw it?  Anything that make you go "oohhhhh - now I get it" when you saw it again later after seeing the rest of the series?

[jaythepony 1]

That is interesting.  I always thought that this episode might be good for someone who has never seen the show before - but I wondered how much I would have to explain to the person before hand.  Like the meaning behind Cutie Marks.

 

Was there much that didn't make sense to you the first time that you saw it?  Anything that make you go "oohhhhh - now I get it" when you saw it again later after seeing the rest of the series?

Well, yeah. I definitely was left with a lot of questions afterwards, but that just made me crave more episodes of the show. It introduced enough of the characters for me to want to know even more about them.

[Commander Frost 731]

I LOVED this episode. aside from the discord episode, it was one of the best episodes of the season! and I love how rainbowdash is the one tat in a way got them there cutiemark.

[Emperor Posh 360]

Definitely my favorite episode from Season 1. I really did enjoy the back stories on the mane 6.

[cutie-mark-crusader 0]

Very good episode In my opinion. I especially loved finding out about Pinkie's past on the rock farm...I really do hope they bring her sister's into an episode in season 4. I'd also love to see more flash backs with filly Rarity and Rainbow Dash (that messy mane of hers is so friggin cuuute :3)

[Batbrony 16,055]

After rewatching this episode today, it's about time I finally got down to reviewing it.

 

First off, this is honestly a fantastic episode!   I consider three of the last four episodes of Season 1 to be among some of the finest in the series' entire history, and "Cutie Mark Chronicles" is most definitely one of those three.  So, just what makes this particular episode so good? 

 

I think when you get down to it, the thing that really makes this episode stand out is that by this point in the season this was not a necessary episode.  If it had appeared earlier in the season, it would've made far more sense, as it would've been a logical character builder, providing us with some background information on the Mane 6 that established particular character traits about them.  But the thing is, this episode debuted as the 23rd episode of MLP: FiM; by that point, regular viewers of the show were already very familiar with each and every one of the Mane 6, along with the CMC for that matter.  We knew their character traits, who they were, how they behaved.  So really, this episode does not display so much character building as it does what I'm going to call character addition.  Each character's background simply further reinforces the character traits that had already been displayed in the past for each and every one of them.  By the end of the episode, it's clear that the Mane 6 were indeed always destined to grow into the young mares they have become by the present day in the show's continuity, be the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, and most importantly, befriend each other and go on countless adventures, learning more and more about each other and the magic of friendship along the way.  So overall, the fact that this episode wasn't necessary but fit into the show's continuity so smoothly and was, all in all, just a lovely addition, is probably what qualifies it as such a spectacular episode.  Of course, there are plenty of specific elements that go into making this episode so good.

 

First of all, the sequences of each one of the Mane 6's stories of how they got their cutie marks are all splendid.  I've gone on record in the past saying that I cannot personally pick a favorite out of the Mane 6, and the same goes for their background stories in this episode; each one is just the right length (no small feat when you consider that this episode fit six short stories, with segments in-between each one, into a 22 minute episode, and is arguably even better paced than other episodes with a similar amount of action such as "Magical Mystery Cure") and simply fits each character to a T.  Some are funnier than others, some are sweeter than others, some are simpler than others, some are more complicated than others, but each one simply seems right for its particular character, and thus they're all special in their own way.  Applejack suitably has a pretty simple, humble, heartwarming story of how she got her CM (fittingly related to her love of her family, of course), Fluttershy's excellently contrasted her shy behavior around ponies compared to her outgoing behavior around animals (plus it's simply adorable! ), Rarity's is kind of a curve ball simply in how random and hilarious it is, Twilight's shows off some of her best qualities, namely, her lifelong love of learning but also how even as a filly she's needed help from others whether she knew it or not, Pinkie's makes about as much sense as you would expect her CM story would (to this day the rock farm is one of my favorite canon locations, because, what the heck, it's a rock farm, how random is that?!?!), and finally Rainbow Dash's is, for lack of a better word, awesome, obviously! 

 

Second, the CMC as usual are entertaining.  It's nice seeing them getting creative and thinking outside the box for ways to get their cutie marks.  If there's anything negative, however, that I can say about the episode at all, well (braces for Scootalovers hate )... I think Scootaloo gets just a tad annoying in this episode.  Usually I love her Rainbow Dash fangasming, and yes, it undeniably drives the action of the episode from story to story, but still, she pretty much ignores every other one of the Mane 6's stories in her quest to get to hear Rainbow Dash's as quickly as possible.  It's not really that bad, but after awhile it just got a little grating, that's all.  Still, it doesn't take anything away from the episode; that's just a little pet peeve of mine is all, and obviously I love Scootaloo as much as Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle.  Plus, if anything, I guess that Scootaloo's impatience compared to Apple Bloom's and Sweetie Belle's eagerness to hear all of the stories at the least highlights character differences between the three Crusaders.

 

Beyond that, there's not much more I can say about what makes this episode so good.  It's simply executed excellently and serves as a wonderful addition to MLP canon.  Rather than establishing character traits, it acted more like an unnecessary but very much appreciated cherry on top of an already wonderful first season of the show.  I love it, and I'm glad that it seems that most bronies and pegasisters do as well, and it's definitely one of the best episodes worth rewatching.

 

[Discointhe90s 58]

There is something about this episode that always confused me in the beginning Fluttershy says Rainbow Dash helped her get her cutie mark but in the end she seems surprised that she had something to do with it am I missing something or just over looking it?

[Shawn Parks 1,798]

There is something about this episode that always confused me in the beginning Fluttershy says Rainbow Dash helped her get her cutie mark but in the end she seems surprised that she had something to do with it am I missing something or just over looking it?

 

The pegasus race was the reason that Fluttershy ended up on the ground, where she got her cutie mark.  So I think that is why she said that Rainbow Dash helped her get her cutie mark.  But Fluttershy didn't know that Rainbow Dash caused the explosion that scared the animals.  That is my understanding. 

Edited October 14, 2013 by Shawn Parks

[Discointhe90s 58]

Yea that was the only exclamation I could come up so I guess that would have to be the reason welp I guess mystery solved yay

Thanks

[flutterfries 8]

One of my favorite episodes. Best cutie mark story for me was Rainbow Dash's because come on, sonic rainboom. Least favorite cutie mark story would probably be Applejack's. Her story was kind of predictable with the whole country pony moving to the city and all. 

[Dark Dawn 24]

This was a great episode.  Although I noticed an animation error.  When Pinkie Pie first invites her family into the barn, and is standing by the cake she has her cutie mark.  In the next cut, it is gone, then she is shown getting it.  There are a few, but this one kinda surprised me.  Regardless... I love the background stories for each of them.  The CMCs are awesome.  Shame they got it all mixed up in The Show Stoppers.  

 

Next, about Fluttershy, she says in her song that it was all because of the race, which Rainbow Dash instigated.  The explosion thing was already addressed by another, so she may have been surprised that Rainbow Dash caused that.  Although... in Sonic Rainboom they all seem aware that Rainbow Dash had done one when she was young...  not sure why this discrepancy exists.  I would assume that the dots could have been connected earlier.  But they are both good regardless.

[Adrien Brony 21]

Mistake:

 

In Call of the Cutie, RD says that she was the first in her class to get a cutie mark. This is contradicted when the bullies with the sports cutie marks are shown in RD's flashback.

[Blique 211]

Mistake:

 

In Call of the Cutie, RD says that she was the first in her class to get a cutie mark. This is contradicted when the bullies with the sports cutie marks are shown in RD's flashback.

 

Fluttershy and Rainbow were in summer flight camp there - it's possible that Rainbow was referring to an actual year-round school that the bullies didn't attend.

 

Alternatively, the bullies may have been in a separate class in the summer flight camp - for all we know, they might have had cutie marks because they were a year or two older than her.

[Rainbow Eclipse 3,927]

This episode aired on my birthday. Like a BAWSS!

 

This episode explores the Mane Six having "a special connection before we [the Mane Six] even met". I wonder if the fact that this episode aired on one of my best birthdays means I had a special connection with the show even though this episode was two years before I started watching the show...

[Cyanticket 44]

I liked how it showed all of their pasts and how they found themselves. I lost it when Twilight made spike grow and burst out of the ceiling, his face was priceless

Oh god

[Dr. Mechano 630]

I love character development, what better way to delve deeper into the cast than by exploring their backstories? In this episode, we get to see the childhood of each member of the main six, each flashback skillfully woven together by a common thread. The insight we get into each pony is short but sweet, and reveals a great deal about their motivations and personal goals.

 

The framing story of the Cutie Mark Crusaders looking to the grown-ups' pasts for inspiration was handled well too, and the kids manage to be endearing without overstaying their welcome. This was the first CMC episode that I truly enjoyed, and may have been the point where I began to view these characters in a more positive light. I'm glad I did, because despite my initial reservations about the Crusaders in season one, they've really endeared themselves to me over the show's run!