S03:E07 - Wonderbolts Academy

[Lando 80]

Just watched it (I know I should have waited till Saturday, but I just couldn't help myself) and I thought it was an okay episode. I enjoyed seeing all the Hurricane Fluttershy pegusis returning and when Rainbow Dash talked to Spitfire at the end. I'm slowly starting to agree with the people who say that Pinkie is starting to get a bit too zany though, which I kind of hate to say as she is one of my favorites.

[duidamasterXD 9,626]

Meghan McCarthy just tweeted that the original script for this episode had a different final scene. I could definitely see that, and I wonder what it was?

[Commander Urdnot 2,680]

I tried to resist the temptation to watch the leaked version... However, I succumbed to the temptation within minutes.

 

It was an ok episode. I like how they brought Snowball back. Pinkeh Pie was awesome-sauce in this episode, as always. I do not think her hugging is "Shipping fuel" though. Pinkeh is just a very "Up close and personal" type of pony. You see her hug ponies all the time, she has no romance intentions, I assure you. I'm sure we'll all see a massive of influx of PinkieDash anyway... *Shudders*

 

One thing that bothered me is that Spitfire acted like she never saw Rainbow Dash before. They've bumped into each other a number of times before, did she just forget about her over time? Also, the episode just ends with all of them at the flight academy. What happens after that? Does Rainbow Dash just stay at the flight academy? Will she be gone for the next couple of episodes? Does she graduate in time for the next episode? Nobody knows. 

 

All in all, it was a decent episode. Not the best episode in the world, but hey, it's got ponies and that's good enough for me.

[brian577 120]

Everything with RD was great.  However,  as much as I enjoyed the scene with RD saving her friends I really wish they had no involvement beyond the opening. The rescue scene could have worked just as well with the other recruits. This was supposed to be RD's story and the rest of the mane 6 seemed to be just interfering.  Everytime they cut away I just groaned because the story wasn't about them it was RD.

 

Secondly Spitfires voice/personality, taking a character who's personality has been well established and turning her into a complete ***** is just plain lazy. Spitfire's is the captain of the Wonderbolt's for goodness sakes, not a drill sergeant. So now's she playing double duty as a trainer and captain? Would it have killed them to create a different character to play the drill sergeant? 

Edited December 13, 2012 by brian577

[Akemi Homura 7,680]

Give this episode an Academy Record, because it's more than deserving of it. Merriweather Williams just made one hell of an episode. Her episodes tend to be more on the dramatic side, and boy, this did not disappoint.

 

The episode started off in its own funny way - Pinkie Pie's hyper antics being all too apparent but it was pretty effective considering the humour put in. That's one. Over the course of the episode, we were introduced to a character named Lightning Dust, who is not only stunning in appearance, but a very talented flier herself. Her ability to push herself a bit harder than Dash awarded her with the Lead Pony badge, and she did not disappoint to begin with. Over time, her own methods of achieving her goal to be a Wonderbolt ended up being costly, as her team not only was beating the others, but they were beating them pretty badly - to the point where you could make a case of them being humiliated as a result! Classless, right? Dust even stated that not everypony makes the cut to be a Wonderbolt and unfortunately, it was true - the way the other cadets were performing, Rainbow herself started having doubts. Would she make the cut? Would she become the Wonderbolt she was seemingly destined to be? It tore away at her confidence pretty quickly and the subordinate status to Dust didn't make it much easier on her.

 

Lightning Dust was just the kind of character to slap the "rival tag" in regards to Dash herself - there hadn't been a single pegasus who could challenge her in just about any flight-related activity and she lived up to hype if there ever was any in introducing her character. Like Rainbow, she was bold, brash, and was reassuring in her own way even though she was a bit of an ass about it. But hey, Cloudsdale - what can you do? Over time, the constant record-breaking performances went to her head and her philosophy of pushing herself as much as she could turned into something of a malicious attempt of making the others look bad. What she didn't realize was that it was negatively affecting her partner, and this being a team-related sort of thing, it would not bode well for either of them in the long run. See how reckless this can be? In fact, it almost seemed as if she was only out for her own success during the course of the episode even though the two got along pretty well considering their similarities. There was one thing that contrasted herself and Dash very much, however. Unlike Dash, Dust did not care who she stepped on in order to fulfil her dream of being a Wonderbolt, going as far as to shoving ponies out of the way in order to pass a drill with flying colours. With the exception of being Dash of course, but as I said earlier, the relationship did not seem to be looking good after a while when Dash finally complained about what they were doing. As brash as Dash herself can be at times, she wouldn't outright disrespect somepony in order to prove a point. Using your talents and showing them off is one thing, but it is another thing to go out there and show it off excessively with the mindset of placing doubt in the others. Now that is true arrogance, folks. Dust's ego stuck out like a sore thumb compared to the rest of the cadets and she paid the price for it in the end.

 

Spitfire's portrayal was an interesting one. Being one of the best fliers in Equestria, she only expects the best from her students, and she was shown to be quite the hardass, demanding that every pegasus do 500 laps to begin the program. It was then you realized that it wasn't just some club you could attend - nope, this may have been the equivalent to joining the Air Force. As everypony's drill instructor, she made sure they stuck to her plan and only wanted the best results from them. What's up with the voice, though? My only guess is that her original voice didn't meet the standard of a drill instructor being intimidating enough and so the change was ordered. It was effective enough, but I loved her voice back then. It was quite lovely, haha.

 

In other news, the motto of "recovering fast after a hit" (courtesy of the Wonderbolts themselves) stuck very well here. Rainbow's friends made a rather unprecedented appearance during one of the drills and thanks to Lightning Dust's antics of whipping up a tornado to clear the clouds, they were nearly killed. Just how fast will you be able to recognize that sort of scenario and then act upon in order to save lives? As it showed, life-death situations demand your absolute attention and seems like the ultimate test all things considered. Perhaps Wonderbolts occasionally go through this, as they're the top fliers in Equestria? Surely they themselves must save some sort of poor soul from falling or doing missions that would require their utmost faith and concentration in order to complete them. In a bit of an ironic twist, it was Rainbow Dash who pushed herself to the fullest to try to save her friends from their deaths, knowing that this would be the last time she would ever see them again. She nearly did it single-handedly, too - fortunately, the other cadets were there to grab onto each one of Dash's friends.

 

But the one thing that I liked the most was its relevance to my own life - I know how it feels to be second best despite the epic results I could produce, regardless if they're record-breaking or not. I also know how it feels to be just slightly one-upped even after trying very hard (or putting in zero effort at all if you're really good at it) to achieve whatever it is you're doing. No doubt that that is a pretty bad feeling and it tends to stay with you even after a while. I also know that there are several things you can be good at, like flying in this case, and you're pretty confident about. When you look at others above your level though, you begin to question your abilities. In truth, no matter how talented you are at something, it takes dedication and hard work to fully show it off. It takes discipline, and sometimes, as Lightning Dust said... getting in the way of your peers to achieve it. At heart, this was a competition - that said, some folk would be crushed by it while others would take in the opportunity to go ahead and crush anyone who's in their way. But doing it recklessly hurts your own chances and it could hurt others more than you could imagine. Sure, defeat hurts, but tossing aside others even when you're way ahead of the pack is downright classless. That is a lesson that sadly, Lightning Dust learned the hard way. It was not apparent that she was kicked out of the academy for her excessive methods (coined by Spitfire), but she no doubt regreted her actions judging by her facial appearance at the end. Tough break.

 

All in all, I'm glad Williams did a good job of portraying Rainbow Dash in being more than just a brash and somewhat arrogant pony. Spitfire recognized it and ultimately awarded her with the Lead Pony badge. She is headstrong and expressive, yes. She can be a loudmouth and sometimes lets the popularity get to her head. But she nonethless has grown to appreciate everypony regardless of their talents, and always tries to look out for them, and in turn be respected for her noble actions. Her ability to identify her mistakes and learn from them was demonstrated very well here - by pushing yourself in the right direction when you've just fallen into a pit. She's even drawn the line to separate when her talents can do more harm than good and wants no part of it if that is the case, even at the expense of her own dreams. So you see folks, true talent does not come from stepping on other ponies to prove your superiority, but rather embracing it and using it to make new friends and to perhaps impress others, as Rainbow Dash has always done.

[GoneForeverBye 184]

Well, time to put up spoiler tags... uh...

 

Well, what a surprise. I like an episode: others dislike it. I dislike an episode: others love it. Oh why must my opinion be the minority? It makes me feel irrelevant and wrong...

 

Anyhow, I thought this episode was kinda bland... and not as memorable as others... The animations and music seemed a bit off to me, and the story's pacing felt very strange to me. I liked it more and more as time passed, though.

 

If there's one thing that I really enjoyed here, it's Thunder Dust, who at first comes off as a complete copy off Rainbow Dash, but over time, you figure out that she... well, IS Rainbow Dash, minus the development of Season 1+2+3, and the lack of loyalty or care towards others. The contrast between the two was very well done, in my opinion.

 

Everyone complained about Pinkie Pie from the get-go of Season 3. I didn't. Now I have to agree with some people... she's freaking annoying in this episode... I can understand that she's stressed as she's afraid Dash will make the cut, and therefore eventually grow distant from her friends, which is understandable, and I can appreciate this. BUT NOT LIKE THIS!!! LOOK AT ME I'M DEPRESSED!!! LET'S DO FILLER!!!

 

Spitfire's new voice and personality is... um... eh... but hey, I think they don't even mention her name in the episode with the exception of the credits... how about I just imagine this Spitfi-I mean, pony, is just a different character all together, who looks very. very, very similar to Spitfire... yeah.

I think I'm going to re watch the episode later on, and see if my opinion changes on it. Anyhow, Merriwether, good job on improving Rainbow Dash's character. Fix Pinkie Pie's character though. Please.

Edited December 13, 2012 by OlegEqualzName

[Creamy Arty 6,251]

Did this episode seem a bit more touchy-feely than usual? I thought so. Lots more hugging, holding, and prodding than your average episode. I found it... touching.

 

 

I personally despise the "OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSH" line and wish it would just die out already

 

They also need to stop recycling Fluttershy's squeaky "I'm Fluttershy..." line from episode one. They use it whenever she's sobbing or upset, but all I can hear is "I'm Fluttershy." It's driving me nuts.
 

 

One small gripe though, why suddenly change her cutie mark? Couldn't get a clear look at but its definately different to her previous one.

 

Looks a bit like a flaming... something. A Phoenix, maybe?

 

Nice shades.

[duidamasterXD 9,626]

When I first found out about this episode being around the wonderbolts academy I was hoping Spitfire would have a big role in it seeing as she's my favourite and all, shame its not the same VA as S1 SF, but I guess it does suit her role more.

 

One small gripe though, why suddenly change her cutie mark? Couldn't get a clear look at but its definately different to her previous one.

They've never shown her out of uniform before so far as I know, so we've never seen her mark before. The cutie mark that you're thinking of is probably fan speculation and this one is canon. I actually kinda like this one better than ones in the artwork that I've seen.

[Dusty Soul 2,611]

I liked this episode, though in my opinion it is my least favorite of season 3. I like how they made Roid Rage return, and I really liked Spitfire in the episode. Finally got to see her cutie mark. The only thing that ruined it for me was how RD regressed from the last episode. Overall I give it a 7.9/10

[PlunderSteed 1,251]

Gah!  I wasn't prepared for this!  The leak, I mean.  Normally I avoid leaked episodes/movies, because I prefer to enjoy them in their proper time/place.  Unfortunately...avoiding spoilers is nigh impossible in this community, so I'm pretty much forced to watch it now, or else avoid the community entirely until Saturday. Again...Gah, I say!

[Emerald Flame 380]

This was the best episode of season 3 yet. And Rainbow Dash was written correctly! Williams already proved that she can write great episodes, but now that she's written a great Rainbow Dash episode, hopefully people will quit hating her so much.

 

I'm pretty sure that the VA for Spitfire also played her in Hurricane Fluttershy. However, almost no one seemed to notice the difference then. Still don't like the change though.

 

It also seems that there is still no consensus on the body builder's name. I thought Roid Rage was generally agreed upon, but I'm still going to use it unless something else becomes canon. (And I admit there is no way Roid Rage can become canon.)

[Rarietty 632]

Considering that I was praying this episode wouldn't be written by Merriweather Williams, I find it funny that this is now my favorite Merriweather Williams episode. 

 

Did all the writers get Rainbow Dash writing lessons before writing season 3? Seriously, just because of two measly episodes Rainbow just might push Twilight aside and become my second favorite pony. And this is coming from someone who didn't care much for her before season 3. I applaud the writers for taking a character I never really cared for (well, I liked her in Read it and Weep and Hurricane Fluttershy, but I disliked her aside from that) and making me adore her. Also, Merriweather, I can't believe you went from Mare Do Well to this. It's awesome you're improving so much, and in the span of a season too!

 

Aside from Rainbow Dash herself, this episode wasn't as good as the last few, but still awesome. There's a bit of nit-picky stuff I'm not a fan of, such as the ending, but that's understandable due to the lack of time for a proper conclusion (maybe it will be addressed next episode, but I doubt it.) Also, I liked Spitfire's old VA better, but perhaps she wasn't available or refused to come back. 

 

Also, Meaghan Mcarthy tweeted that the episode originally had a different ending. We have no clue what this ending was like yet, but maybe it was due to time constraints (or maybe Rainbow was going to actually become a Wonderbolt. That would probably butcher the moral then, because it might be translated into "tell on your partner and all of your dreams will come true.")

Edited December 14, 2012 by Rarietty

[Kazuki Fuse 534]

I thought Spitfire's voice sounded the same as it did in Hurrican Fluttershy, juts with more of a gruff edge to it (understandable since she's acting as a drill sargent in this episode). I thought she looked really cool with that instructor uniform and sunglasses too.

 

Seeing Snowflake again made me leap with joy, even if he still didn't get any lines beyond "YEAAAH!" Also, when Spitfire peered closely at his tiny wings and gave him that look, I almost spit Coke everywhere from holding my laughter in.

 

Lightning Dust struck me as a typical OC, nothing unique about her that caught my attention, and what's up with her flying faster than Rainbow Dash? I thought it had been established that NO ONE is faster than her.

 

Lastly, I'm looking forward to many Rarity x Thunderlane shipfics. Anyone else?

[NavelColt 22,876]

Spitefire's new VA: what's up with her? Could they not get Hendrikse to reprise? Spitefire's personality wasn't an issue for me. She was just doing her job. If they're the elite group they claim to be then they have to have a no-nonsense attitude towards training. We've seen that Spitfire isn't like that at more casual events, so the only conclusion I can make is she's in professional mode this time. That doesn't mean that she's changed; we're seeing another side of her. People have multifaceted personalities, life would be pretty dull if we were otherwise.

 

Seemed like there were numerous opportunities where the heat of the training situation was down, and Spitfire still didn't even come close to being like what she used to be. There's a line between 'seeing another side of the person's personality' and 'personality being different overall'. I enjoyed Spitfire's duty of being a drill sergeant as much as everyone else, but she never once resembled her laid-back self. It just seemed too completely separate to me. Oh well, I hope any future episodes she's in will have her a bit more like she used to be.

[Nas 2,863]

Here are my excuses for watching it now. Rainbow Dash is best pone. Also, computer constantly suffers from slowness and whatnot, and I didn't want my first time watching this episode to be ruined, so I don't have to worry about missing out when watching the streams on Saturday.

 

Anyways, this one had its ups and downs. Firstly, I feel as if it was rushed significantly at some points. In addition, change in Spitfire's voice actor was a low, but in the end it was better fitting for her personality in this episode. Also, it's good to see how she official looks without the suit; cutie mark confirmed finally and all.

 

Well, initially, most of us thought this was going to be where Dash got to see what fulfilling her dream was like. Well, towards the end it seemed like her not becoming a Wonderbolt was set, until that very last second. Like, what happened? I mean, she obviously didn't quit after that. Maybe this means there will be an episode where she does become a Wonderbolt, then learns that friends are more important than fame, which I think will be a great episode.

 

The premise of the episode was fair. Lightning Dust was nicely introduced, and played out well as the episode's conflict, so to speak, of what little there was of it. Not enough words were spoken in the end, though, so I was having a hard time catching on what was happening. But I'm glad Dash reprimanded her, and fully understood that there's something wrong with taking things to the extreme.

 

Though, what I don't is that when Dash was talking about what it takes to be a Wonderbolt. Yeah, you have to push your limits sometimes, but as presented, it put her friends in great danger. If she spoke against that, it makes me wonder why Spitfire didn't just let her go. Maybe she felt that she was still worthy, and as long as you know what you are doing, it's okay to take things up a notch sometimes.

 

Good to see some things return, like Roid Rage, and Rainbow's "Ohmygoshohmygoshhomygosh" voice clip from Sonic Rainboom. Though I'm very surprised that with an episode flooded with pegasi, Derpy wasn't included, at least I couldn't find her. I do hope they aren't going to stop having her cameo. I mean, she does it like every episode, but it seems to be happening a lot less nowadays.

 

Overall, some parts were rushed a bit I think, but in the end it was a pretty good episode. A little worse than what I was expecting, but it wasn't that bad. 8/10.

[dekutree64 711]

Well... it was pretty good, but not great. I can't believe they gave Merriwether Williams another Rainbow Dash episode after Mare Do Well. Dash herself was much better portrayed this time, at least.

It started off good, with the waiting and joking and PinkieDash shipping and the dramatic feeling of Dash flying to the school all alone. And Roid Rage/Snowflake is back! He's so funny looking, and the tiny wings as a result of steroid use do no favors toward dispelling the concept of wings being sexual parts

Spitfire was a waste, but no harm done to her character at least. Obviously she was just doing her job and couldn't give special treatment to Dash just because they know eachother a bit. But I wish somepony else had been the drill sergeant and her just around to observe the new hopefuls, so she could chill out and talk to them personally. Hardly any Spitfire/Dash shipping fuel at all. And they didn't use the fanon cutie mark for her I am disappoint.

Thunder Dust was pretty cool. Very well done how quickly she and Dash bonded in the beginning. For a while there I thought we were going to have yet another Rainbow Dash ship. My prediction before seeing the episode was that it would end up with Dash giving up her spot so TD could get in, not TD being a jerk and Spitfire appearing to be on her side, causing Dash to want out. Much less sappy, and fitting of Rainbow's personality, especially since loyalty to her friends was involved, so I'm glad to be surprised there

The scenes with the other 5 back home were a little boring, and I wish the time had been spent on them discussing the logistics of Rainbow being a Wonderbolt, and what it would mean for the group. Will she be gone all the time? Only periodically, and not too long at a time? Maybe to perform at events that the other 5 will be attending anyway? We know Pinkie would be devastated if she's gone much, but what about the others? Hard to tell how they were feeling from what was shown. And what about poor Scootaloo?

And on that note, what even happened? Is she a Wonderbolt, or is the school just run by them, and separate from the actual joining procedure? Chances are she's not even going to show up in Apple Family Reunion, and possibly Spike At Your Service either, so we could be held in suspense for a long time before finding out.

[duidamasterXD 9,626]

Well... it was pretty good, but not great. I can't believe they gave Merriwether Williams another Rainbow Dash episode after Mare Do Well. Dash herself was much better portrayed this time, at least.It started off good, with the waiting and joking and PinkieDash shipping and the dramatic feeling of Dash flying to the school all alone. And Roid Rage/Snowflake is back! He's so funny looking, and the tiny wings as a result of steroid use do no favors toward dispelling the concept of wings being sexual parts :lol:Spitfire was a waste, but no harm done to her character at least. Obviously she was just doing her job and couldn't give special treatment to Dash just because they know eachother a bit. But I wish somepony else had been the drill sergeant and her just around to observe the new hopefuls, so she could chill out and talk to them personally. Hardly any Spitfire/Dash shipping fuel at all. And they didn't use the fanon cutie mark for her I am disappoint.Thunder Dust was pretty cool. Very well done how quickly she and Dash bonded in the beginning. For a while there I thought we were going to have yet another Rainbow Dash ship. My prediction before seeing the episode was that it would end up with Dash giving up her spot so TD could get in, not TD being a jerk and Spitfire appearing to be on her side, causing Dash to want out. Much less sappy, and fitting of Rainbow's personality, especially since loyalty to her friends was involved, so I'm glad to be surprised there :)The scenes with the other 5 back home were a little boring, and I wish the time had been spent on them discussing the logistics of Rainbow being a Wonderbolt, and what it would mean for the group. Will she be gone all the time? Only periodically, and not too long at a time? Maybe to perform at events that the other 5 will be attending anyway? We know Pinkie would be devastated if she's gone much, but what about the others? Hard to tell how they were feeling from what was shown. And what about poor Scootaloo?And on that note, what even happened? Is she a Wonderbolt, or is the school just run by them, and separate from the actual joining procedure? Chances are she's not even going to show up in Apple Family Reunion, and possibly Spike At Your Service either, so we could be held in suspense for a long time before finding out.

Don't you worry about Rainbow and Dust shipfics, I can sense dozens of them being written right now, and the vast majority of the fandom hasn't even seen the episode yet.

[Stellafera 3,835]

Okay, if last week's episode didn't make Rainbow Dash second best pony, this week's finished the deal.

 

While it doesn't really explore my favorite character aspects of Rainbow Dash, it'd be boring if every episode was a mix of Hurricane Fluttershy and Sonic Rainboom. Moving on. I was surprised at the "Written By Merriwether Williams" bit because the opening reminded me of Amy Keating Rogers. I was actually excited to see her name though, as Officially-the-Only-Brony-Who-Was-Not-Bothered-By-RD's Characterization-In-The Mysterious Mare Do Well. 

 

For once, I really enjoyed Pinkie being Pinkie! Usually I find her annoying, but I found her behavior rather endearing in this episode, and a reminder of the friendship between Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash. Applejack being Applejack is something that I can consistently enjoy, thank goodness, and Merriwether always writes her well. And finally we get some friendly interaction between her and Pinkie Pie! Not fantastic, but not yelling at each other!

 

AJ needs some sort of Feeling Pinkie Keen sort of episode naow. It could totally work. New episode plot: Pinkie Pie comes over to Sweet Apple Acres for advice on how to grow her new banana tree. Applejack tries to explain the basics of non rock farming to her and is increasingly annoyed by Pinkie Pie's antics. During a lunch break, Applejack tells Pinkie Pie that Applebloom's birthday is coming up. Pinkie Pie tries to help AJ with the party planning but Applejack does not seem to understand the idea of parties or fun. They break out in a yelling match, but then a better writer than I steps in and ends the conflict and wraps up the episode. Moral: Sometimes friends don't get each other, but that's okay. Or something. Cindy Morrow, get to it!

 

Um, right, this episode. I love Lightning Dust, she's still pretty sympathetic and you understand that she wants to be the best. She's a nuanced jerk, and that's nice to see in a episode of this type. I thought that the moral was going to be something about her doing better than Rainbow Dash and Rainbow Dash not getting in and jealousy, but I'm glad that RD is past that now. She realizes her mistake and that Lightning Dust was pushing herself more instead of being mad. Of any character on the show, surely Rainbow Dash has displayed the most character development. 

 

This is an episode though that would have been good with a friendship letter. While not every episode needs it, some episodes feel... incomplete without them. A montage of Rainbow Dash training at camp as she narrates sounds awesome.

[Nightmare Tsubasa 25]

Seeing this episode come out was like waking up on Christmas morning!

 

At first I was skeptical about this episode but I thought was really enjoyable. It was nice to see that Rainbow Dash was not just some reckless daredevil. She knows when to draw the lines at certain times. Unlike Lighting Dust.  <_<  I don't know if it's just me but Lighting Dust seems like a slight sociopath. The fact that she did not even show any remorse from almost killing the other mane 6 proves that. At least Trixie showed some remorse for her actions in Magic Duel.

Anyways, I thought the episode was pretty solid. I was going to give it a 7.5/10 but I decided to bump it up to 8/10. I still thought Sleepless in Ponyville was better but I still think this is one of the best episodes of this season.

[ToridAkbolto 170]

I really don't like how they're making Pinkie into more and more of an airhead in each episode. I remember back in season 1 where she was the random one, not the clueless one. The random, useful, knowledgeable one. Then in season 2 I guess they needed a naive pony to run from Luna and... sigh,....

[duidamasterXD 9,626]

Seeing this episode come out was like waking up on Christmas morning!

 

At first I was skeptical about this episode but I thought was really enjoyable. It was nice to see that Rainbow Dash was not just some reckless daredevil. She knows when to draw the lines at certain times. Unlike Lighting Dust.  <_<  I don't know if it's just me but Lighting Dust seems like a slight sociopath. The fact that she did not even show any remorse from almost killing the other mane 6 proves that. At least Trixie showed some remorse for her actions in Magic Duel.

 

Anyways, I thought the episode was pretty solid. I was going to give it a 7.5/10 but I decided to bump it up to 8/10. I still thought Sleepless in Ponyville was better but I still think this is one of the best episodes of this season.

I agree, Lightning Dust seemed quite sociopathic to me. No real conscience of any kind, no concern for anyone besides herself, that was my interpretation as well

[Dashicorn 74]

For those of us who watched, lets get discussing! I'll keep it in spoiler wrapping for now.

 

 

That ending was pretty open-ended. Probably a lot more open than many of us were hoping, but I'm glad that does warrant the opportunity for more Wonderbolt episodes in the future.

 

I still question Rainbow Dash's future in the Wonderbolts. Even if Spitfire came around in the end, Dashie still reinforced her priority to the loyalty to her friends, even above the Wonderbolts. If the academy, and maybe a future life as a Wonderbolt, takes her away from her life with everyone in Ponyville...are those sacrifices she'd be willing to make?

 

 

I doubt she will become a wonderbolt, anytime soon at least.  If she does however it might be like in a show round up,  preferably the *gulp* last episode ever.  If she does however become one before hoof I'm sure she will remain loyal to her friends.

 

Seemed like there were numerous opportunities where the heat of the training situation was down, and Spitfire still didn't even come close to being like what she used to be. There's a line between 'seeing another side of the person's personality' and 'personality being different overall'. I enjoyed Spitfire's duty of being a drill sergeant as much as everyone else, but she never once resembled her laid-back self. It just seemed too completely separate to me. Oh well, I hope any future episodes she's in will have her a bit more like she used to be.

 

 

I believe  that was just a more assertive side to her. Perhaps she just takes wonderbolt training really serious.  I am sure her attitude will be back to "normal" in the future.

Edited December 14, 2012 by Dashicorn

[Xievie 498]

This was quite an enjoyable episode, no doubt.

 

I was disappointed about what they are making Pinkie to be, but what can you do?

You'd expect that Spitfire would have shown a different attitude, also to Rainbow Dash, but I guess it reflects real life. When it's business, sometimes personal feelings just can't work well.

 

I'm excited for the next episodes however! Were talking about two episodes which will give decent AJ screen time!

[Raritas 6,820]

Ok i'm confused... I thought this episode was supposed to air tomorrow? How has everyone seen it already?? Just wondering, am I missing something? 

[Qty - Cutie 20]

I really liked this episode. It was very thoughtfull. Friendship is everything that we need, and our dreams and other sutff is after that. I learned that everypony has to think about everypony before doing stuff..