S03:E05 - Magic Duel

[Galex Dj 173]

At the end when Twilight and Pinkie Pie broke the 4th wall, I was so happy. I thought it was a great touch to the end of the episode.

[Dark Qiviut 22,173]

This was a really great episode initially. After rewatching it a second time, it's become even better. Hilarious usage of references that only teens and adults would catch, and great usage of using the "six" but not resort to the Elements of Harmony. Twilight has the strength and tenacity to not just outdo someone in magic, but outwit someone. She's a very smart unicorn, and the way she and her friends helped team up to beat Trixie in her game was priceless. She really put that intelligence into good use throughout this episode, and she learned valuable wisdom from Zecora, whose character is severely underused.

 

As for the criticism of Trixie's apology being rushed, not true at all. There was a little moment that foreshadows Trixie's humbleness: her embarrassment, confusion, and creeping away while the other ponies gathered around Twilight. The lesson of friendship was how Twilight gained not only her physical strength, but emotional strength, too. So far, Twilight's magic seems to be influenced by those around her. When her friends support her, she succeeds. When they're not, it doesn't have as much luster. Her faith and trust with her friends is why she's such a great unicorn. She can learn all the magic, but without friendship, she can't develop at all, hence her cutie mark. It was evident throughout this episode and one key reason why Trixie was beaten in round two.

 

And apparently, this lesson isn't forgotten by Trixie. She still has that boast, but she now understands how to be cocky and not use it out of anger and revenge. The Alicorn Amulet used her thirst for being the best, and it corrupted her. It fed off her negative emotions, turning her into someone she doesn't want nor need. After what happened following her initial humiliation, she has developed her character. Maybe now she can channel those emotions into something more positive. She's got the talent to be that magical nomadic showmare, and there's hope that she can finally put this into good use and actually be Great and Powerful rather than Angry and Bloodthirsty.

[BlackWater 53]

There's so much I can say but I'll summarize real quick. I loved the references and Twilight's "trick" at the end was genius.  The younger versions of AJ and Rarity were adorable and double RD was at least 20% cooler. What can I say except that I'm loving every minute of season 3. 

Also, rock farms for the win!

[Windy Flicker 16]

Woo!Return of The Great and Powerful Trixie!

At first I was annoyed at how evil they were making her out to be as the episode advanced, but they did explain that rather nicely and they did redeem her at the end. Was also a nice back story of events that happened to her after her appearance in season 1 (Including working on Pinkie's parent's rock farm).

 

[Arcus (Silver Lining) Wind 982]

That turned out better than expected. I was a little worried from seeing the spoilers that they may have tried to hard to make it funny. You know like really reaching for it so much so that they just went passed funny strait to stupid. But YAY! I was pleasantly surprised to see they hit it right on the nose. Well done, well done.

[Doctor XFizzle 8,651]

Episode was darn solid although I agree with those who said it felt a bit rushed. Twilight training with Zecora was awesome. Can't wait for all the fan art to crop up over baby AJ and Rarity and R63 Applejack and old Applejack. 

 

Also Trixie fans got the best of both worlds. They got to see her be an even bigger bia AND she got redemption in the end. 

 

 

Although she's still overrated and annoying as heck

 

[RagingTwilight 101]

As excited as I was for this episode, I was also extremely nervous. After seeing the leaked screenshots and episode previews, I knew that this episode, if done improperly, could possibly turn people away from the show entirely. I was afraid that it was simply a 'fanservice' episode, with nothing but a ton of blatant brony fan references and nods central to the plot itself. Leading to the episodes, I noticed quite a few comments about how the show is simply pandering the the brony crowd now and that this season is the worst because of it.

 

But then I watched the episode...

 

This episode, while obviously rushed in a few areas (easily could have been a two-parter,) was still paced really well in my opinion. We're greeted with a darker scene where a cloaked Trixie acquired the Alicorn Amulet from an old antique dealer(?). While I would have liked more information on how he acquired the amulet himself, it is not really important to me. Also, I wonder if Trixie sought the Amulet's power simply to extract revenge on Twilight, or she was simply looking for a way to become a better magician and was corrupted to the point of revenge by the amulet? I tend to think the latter, as it seems that Trixie was very much under the influence of the amulet upon arriving in Ponyville. I'd say these open questions are for the fanon to decide.

 

Now, the premise of the episode was quite obvious just from the synopsis: Trixie returns to Ponyville (for revenge, why else?), duels Twilight Sparkle and then Trixie defeats and banishes her from town. And here is where I was first impressed with the writing: when we think of 'duel,' we typically think of the ole' wild west duels where the goal was to kill your opponent. In the episode, however, we're treated instead to a duel full of comical spells. This really worked well with the overall tone of the show and it pleased me that M.A. Larson and the other staff members involved went in this direction instead of making Trixie and Twilight inflict direct harm on one another, even if it had been slapstick. If they had taken this approach, that would have been closer to possibly being fanservice! 

 

And so, about 5-7 minutes in (rough estimate), we have Twilight banished from Ponyville and Trixie is now self-appointed Generallisimo of Ponyville. Twilight seeks out Zecora for her assistance. And here's the second part about the episode I loved: Zecora. I have felt that throughout the series, she is one of the wisest, yet under-rated characters. It was nice seeing her in a pivotal role in training and guiding Twilight. Well really, it was just nice seeing Zecora again. 

 

This post is already way too long, so I'll just spend the rest of it pointing out other things I enjoyed. For one, I found it humorous that Pinkie Pie's mouth is literally deleted, thus she is unable to talk for the rest of the episode - something she does a lot of! As for Fluttershy, it's nice seeing her utilized in a pivotal way again; I was worried we wouldn't be seeing much of her this season. As for Trixie, while she was evil, I also found her comical at times. Tickling Applejack for one was absolutely hilarious, as well as her continued interaction with Snips and Snails. As for her apology at the end, I do not feel it came from nowhere. Maybe it could have been conveyed in a more meaningful way, but it did seem sincere. After taking the necklace off, she probably came to her senses and the gravity of the situation probably weighed her down. I would have enjoyed a scene maybe where Twilight writes to Princess Celestia and while she's writing her letter, scenes where we see Trixie reluctantly begins to help the townspeople clean the mess she made, then see the town slowly accept her. However, they probably didn't have enough time to put this in, plus with Princess Celestia's pending visit it may not have made a lot of sense in the first place. 

 

So, I will finish up this post on one last point. As soon as it was revealed that Trixie would return, it should have been quite obvious why she would return. As soon as the necklace was revealed, it should have been obvious that it was central to the plot. So while the episode plot may have been predictable, the episode itself was not. I wonder how many people actually predicted that Twilight wasn't casting those spells at the end from the onset of the episode? This wasn't revealed for me until I realized the necklace was fake and that she probably wasn't doing any of the magic. Most like my probably thought she'd either get more powerful and defeat Trixie or use the Elements of Harmony. Also, while there were a ton of references, most were quite subtle and in my opinion and I do not feel that references are necessarily a bad thing so long as they do not become central to the plot. So my point is this: there is nothing wrong whatsoever with bringing a popular character back for another episode. If one wants to call that 'fanservice,' so be it.  This was a truly amazing episode that was well-written, with solid characterization and a good moral lesson at the end. Don't write off this episode simply because you feel that having Trixie in another episode is 'pandering,' or that referring to the amulet as the 'Alicorn Amulet' is the show's way of pandering to the 'Alicorn' crowd and bastardizing the 'Winged Unicorn' fanfics. 

 

Certainly not flawless, but a pleasure. I shall watch it a couple more times at least. And then, get ready for Scootaloo next week.

[Sunbro 4 Lyfe 938]

The only things i have to say are *clears throat*

How does zecora know about magic?

how come twilight can now break the fourth wall?

How did the mane 6 know trying to breach the barrier would alert trixie?

FLUTTERSHY WAS SO ADOWABLE <3

[Envy 6,000]

Silly Pinkie Pie, you absolutely can not play a wind instrument without a mouth!

 

*Thinks about it and for just a second too long*

 

Edited December 1, 2012 by Envy

[Champion RD92 8,654]

Dat stallion Applejack.

Not a bad episode I guess. I definitely wasn't expecting the twist ending.

I wish there had been less of Snips and Snails though

Edited December 1, 2012 by Champion RD92

[Fluffy Pinkie 417]

This episode was great! I loved how twilight solved the probem with everyones help, the fourth wall being broke, and the star wars reference. I think the episode was a little too fast and I wish they gave trixie a little more background. I really happy to see they didn't make twilight randomly more powerfully then trixie and shows that twilight still has a way to go with magic.

[Pancake444 4]

Great episode, now if only they could've added another song in somehow.

 

One thing that has been on my mind, does the alicorn amulet make it's user as powerful as Celestia/Luna?

And where do all these artifacts of power keep coming form anyway?

 

Perhaps some of our questions will be answered in the season finale.

 

Do you think the Alicorn Amulet could destroy Celestia and Luna and the enemy cold take over Equestria and rule over everypony?

And maybe the artifacts of power come from the Everfree forest and other creepy places beyond Equestria.

Edited December 1, 2012 by Pancake444

[Sepraxian 36]

God, this episode is FULL of moments where things could go horribly wrong. It's the best fuel for parallel universe fanfictions for sure.

Twilight could fail the levitation spell in the very beginning.

Trixie could instantly burn those beavers.

Imagine if that zap at Rainbow Dash worked.

Celestia could return at any moment and throw Trixie into a dungeon. Then banish the dungeon with Trixie still inside. Wait.

 

Also, funny thing, because of this episode, Trixie technically is the most successful villain in the history of the series. While Sombra flies around in his magic angry cloud form and hisses "slaves, hurr", Trixie just goes in and aquires slaves right away.

 

By the way, another mention of the Everfree Forest. Does Ponyville ever have OTHER places around it that are not the bloody Forest we've seen a million times? By this point it doesn't feel like a certain location anymore, it feels like if you cross the boundary line of Ponyville, you're in the Everfree Forest, no matter what direction you chose. At least bring back that mountain from Dragonshy, I wanna see what resides in that cave now!

Edited December 1, 2012 by Sepraxian

[Emerald Flame 380]

This is easily my favorite episode of season 3 so far. I like how the duel involved casting different spells instead of just an all-out fight, and many of Trixie's spells were hilarious. However, I wish Trixie hadn't apologized at the end, I like her as an antagonist, not a friend.

[Akemi Homura 7,680]

Well, I had better give you credit where credit is due. Twilight runs off to train in the wilderness; she learns that intelligence and deception, not raw power, are key to overcoming her foe; she returns to Ponyville, defeating Trixie with trickery.

 

 

Zecora had told Twilight to mind her surroundings.

 

 

The hivemind! Ever so vigilant, James. I actually thought of the same thing when I was out at a friend's birthday party just now! Much like how Bruce distracted Ghul long enough for the train to go haywire (essentially a trick), it was a bold attempt by Twilight to blind Trixie with the puffs of pink smoke that would appear every time she came up with a new "spell".

 

Sadly for Trixie, she believed that Twilight was just an ordinary mare with a necklace, but Twilight knew that magic is a matter of concentration and desire.

 

 

It is funny that Twilight basically beat Trixie at her own game: parlor tricks, illusions, and distractions. Everything that made Trixie so "great and powerful" was turned on its head and used against her. That a string of ruses undid a unicorn wielding the power of an alicorn (now canon!) is perhaps lost in the shuffle of Trixie's return and all the other gags. Those are great things, to be sure---but the irony is richer than one may realize.

 

 

"Theatricality and deception; powerful agents against the uninitiated. But we are initiated, aren't we, Twilight? Members of the League of Unicorns?"

 

Amusingly enough, Trixie wasn't initiated to begin with...

 

"So, you came back to die with your town!"

 

 

"No. I came here to stop you."

 

 

 

On a more canon note, I get the feeling that Twilight reminded Trixie of her own talent is - performing magic tricks! Sure, she may not be as powerful as Twilight, but her real strength lies in impressing other ponies with her illusionary/flashy magic. She had forgotten all about after her first ordeal in Ponyville that it ruined her. Her mistake was that she could not get over the fact of being humiliated (no thanks to her bragging and putting down of other ponies) and it made her grew bitter, and it looked like she got over it after her defeat. Sure, she still may be a braggart, but I believe that if she's shown to us later, she'll be more cheery and friendly this time around. Once again, although she doesn't possess the gifted magic of Twilight, the magic of friendship can guide Trixie to new heights, perhaps making her tricks all the more intriguing and amazing to behold. In fact, Trixie and Twilight's big duel may have helped the two of them in more ways than one.

 

 

Oh, and this - well, this is just adorable. I cannot really help but stare at her. The animation's gotten so spectacular, the designs are that much more radiant. Wonderful.

 

Edited December 1, 2012 by Alfonzo Dennard

[Pony Joe 582]

This episode was so, so great.  Everything, from the suspenseful opening scene to the multi-step progression of getting Twilight back into Ponyville and building up to a climactic battle was both intriguing and a lot of fun to watch.

 

My favorite line?  "The Great and Powerful Trixie doesn't trust wheels."

 

Also...

 

 

Saddle Arabia.

SADDLE ARABIA.

SADDLE ARABIA.

 

 

[DerpyFanatic 114]

 

Silly Pinkie Pie, you absolutely can not play a wind instrument without a mouth!

*Thinks about it and for just a second too long*

 

 

 

Eh, somepony was bound to go there, may as well be you.

 

 

 

Trixie could instantly burn those beavers.

 

 

*mind nosedives into the gutter in a horrifying way*

 

 

Moving on swiftly... ERMAHGERD DERPY. At last, we have Derpy! She's sitting in the stands on the right during the fireworks scene at the end. You can tell it's her because the one visible eye isn't positioned quite right. also, during one of the duel scenes you can see her mane poking out from behind Bon-Bon. It warms my heart to know our beloved Derpy hasn't been forgotten. Totally made my whole week.

Edited December 1, 2012 by Swift Decision

[Uutama 19]

Wow, what a good episode! I felt so very bad for Fluttershy, though! She was so scared over the duration of the whole episode, as well as mostly ignored. I'm surprised that Pinkie was able t survive without her mouth XD

[Konata1000 6]

Is it just me, or is Trixie suddenly being the most sadistic villain the show's ever had?  Let's see, so far she's: (1) almost killed a background pony with a wagon, (2) physically altered ponies in rather disturbing ways, most notably the age spell she cast on Snips and Snails, and (3) cut off all of Ponyville from the rest of Equestria!!!  Gosh dang, Trixie's a stone-cold b*tch!!!!!!!!! 

 

It wasn't exactly her fault. The amulet took control of her like it would for any pony else who uses it. But yeah, I like it how they brought back Trixie. Hopefully she learned her lesson and she won't be a huge asshole anymore.

[Street Comedy 327]

i didnt like the episode because i dont like trixie

[Batbrony 15,994]

It wasn't exactly her fault. The amulet took control of her like it would for any pony else who uses it. But yeah, I like it how they brought back Trixie. Hopefully she learned her lesson and she won't be a huge asshole anymore.

 

Oh I know, I posted that in the middle of the episode; it was mostly an observation of mine at the time rather than an assessment or judgment of her behavior at that point, and I was struck by how odd her behavior was compared to her previous appearance.  The amulet's corrupting effects made sense later on when they explained it.

[Bubblegum 60]

Obligatory 'Mini Boast Busters Review at the start', since everyone else is doing one - When I first watched Boast Busters, I was already aware that it was a popular episode. While I did find it amusing and a good story, it didn't really strike me as one of the best episodes. When I watched it a second time, I enjoyed it a lot more. All of the jokes were suddenly even more amusing, especially Snips and Snails (even though I found them funny the first time viewing. And yes, I actually like them as characters, even though there seems to be a kind of marmite thing with them in the community ). It probably helped that I was viewing alongside my brother the second time, as I always tend to find things funnier when watching with someone else. My brother's comment that Trixie was probably Gilderoy Lockhart's steed also added to the amusement. Despite this, it's still not in my list of favourite episodes, although I can see why many fans love it so much. 

 

Onto Magic Duel - Well that was a lot of fun, even if I didn't get the opportunity to watch it live (as it was airing in America) this time round! This episode was fun from beginning to end, and it was unusual having an episode with an ominous 'villain' presence that wasn't at the beginning or end of the season. For some reason I found the sudden switch from the dark intro scene with Trixie buying the amulet to the MLP theme song funny, probably because of the contrast . Speaking of that amulet, I guess i was completely wrong about the amulet being connected to Sombra. I guess it still could be, with a connection to the finale (I still think that we haven' seen the last of him), but as he's not an alicorn, that doesn't really fit so well. Hey, I was right about the amulet corrupting her though!

Everything was great humour-wise in this episode, from the clear jokes with the dialogue and main action on screen to the facial expressions (which were really fun) and the background pony antics (Lyra loudly slurping on a drink in the background as Twilight was talking got a laugh from me). Fluttershy was also very adorable, it was nice to see more of her this season . The call-backs to previous episodes like Swarm of the Century and Cutie Mark Chronicles were great, even if I found Spike's reference to Winter Wrap Up a little forced for some reason.

As for the ending, I really didn't see it coming, and it was the perfect way to way to conclude the episode. At first I thought it was an animation error when elderly Applejack had Granny Smith's eyes, but I guess not! First Sisterhooves Social, and now this? Heh. My biggest laugh of the whole episode was the very ending, with Pinkie Pie being cut-off XD. It's also good to know that even though she redeemed herself and finally apologised to Twilight, Trixie will always be Trixie

 

EDIT: Woah, 11 posts suddenly appeared when I posted this review! I should probably write my reviews quicker....

Edited December 1, 2012 by Bubblegum

[Queen Cassie 3,057]

So, on the whole, I enjoyed the episode, but right now I'm still...I'm really disappointed and even angry by the whole Rule 63 spell thing.

 

It seemed like they were real, like genderchanging spells were real, and then suddenly the episode cuts the rug out from under us and reveals it was all a fake.

 

I'm so disappointed and angry over this because it feels like a slap in the face to genderqueer and trans fans.

 

You'll have to excuse me: I have no desire to discuss the rest of this episode right now.

[Ron Jeremy 2,032]

To be honest, when I first heard that Trixie would be returning, my first thought was "Oh crap. This is where it drifts into mindless fanservice." but I was thankfully very wrong. A solid episode, for sure. Sure, the plot is one that has appeared in many other things (humiliated villain finds new source of power, returns for revenge), but it works, so I'm not gonna complain. It's a show about cartoon ponies.

 

I think this episode could be a good, new direction for the series. Continuity doesn't hurt, right? Plus, I actually liked seeing a villain do something, unlike a certain villain.

 

And we got some more Pinkie Pie breaking the fourth wall moments, too. Oh and ZECORA :D

Edited December 2, 2012 by Chainsaw Bouffant

[mycarhasaMoustache 449]

I personally still dont like trixie although I did laugh when she tripped right at the end But i feel she deserved it so meh. Also that was possibly the best braking of the forth wall so far