S02:E20 - It's About Time.

[Queen Cassie 3,057]

Naturally thanks to circumstances I was forced to watch the episode in 480p on Youtube...all tiny and shrunken. Irrelevant though, because this was a good episode! Certainly better than last week's, that's for sure. I was breathing a MAJOR sigh of relief when I saw that M.A. Larson penned this one.

 

Twilight's OCD at the beginning was particularly amusing...primarily because I'm not convinced she schedules that much in advance, if only because things come up so often that she'd have to redo her schedule every few days. For example, everything she did after Future Twilight showed up was clearly not on the schedule, yet it didn't bother her at all to dump the schedule in favor of dealing with the issues. I do like how they strategically hid the month and year on the calendar.

 

Then we had the clip we already all saw...no reason to go into that. After it, though, things started going a little wacky. From poor Fluttershy carrying all that stuff, to Applejack and Rarity's "Oh we're here all of a sudden" appearance, as well as the possible Back to the Future reference in the way Twilight talked about her future self being sucked back to the future, it was really funny.

 

What's interesting is how they then started dealing with a whole bunch of things that could have become serious problems if left unchecked. In a way I feel like that undermines the message of the episode a bit, because while Twilight did go nuts with worry, she accomplished plenty of useful tasks while she was worrying. She didn't become unproductive, at least not until a certain point.

 

AND THEN SUDDENLY GREEK MYTHOLOGY. I had to back the episode up and rewatch that five times to make sure I heard Twilight correctly when she said Cerberus was guarding the Gates of Tartarus. I just...I can't believe they actually did that. I'm impressed, amazed...and a little uneasy. On the other hand, if the ancient evils ever break out, we have the fuel for a potential story arc in later seasons?

 

Anyway, the episode continued to be hilarious and make my jaw drop a second time with GYPSY PINKIE PIE. The people behind Friendship Is Witchcraft are going to go completely BANANAS over this. More Pinkie Sense was also good, even if it was just used for a gag.

 

The rest of the episode then turned into more insane antics on Twilight's part...monitor everything indeed. And then they sneak into Canterlot...what's interesting is that those appear to be latex suits, judging by how snugly they fit and how shiny they are. Huh.

 

Stable time loop ending was admittedly predictable, and I'm not sure it was necessary to show us the entire scene from the beginning again since we know what a stable time loop is...but as pointed out by others, the target demographic probably don't. And then Celestia out of nowhere...how does she keep doing that?

 

I'll have more in-depth analysis when I get to watching it a second and/or third time, with decent picture and sound quality, etc. For now I've been up for over twenty-four hours and need to sleep.

 

On the whole, that was a good episode. While it lacked a couple of things I might've liked to see, such as a Twilight song, and it does seem to suggest that the time travel was a one-time throwaway plot device...it's still quite enjoyable.

[Starshine 16,330]

>Fluttershy tamed Cerberus

>Tartarus, monsters within, physically connected (?) at least Twilight can goes there easily

>Friendly royal guard

>Casually strolling Celestia

 

So many wonders

[DrOphthalmos 497]

Ok, I have watched this again looking closely at the background... and I found no Derpy! Anypony else find Derpy hiding anywhere? Other than being in the train during the opening song, I am not sure she is in this episode.

[The Alpha Team 51]

After I saw the night guards I was expecting Luna

Why you no love Luna Studio B?

[Yellow Diamond 7,561]

After I saw the night guards I was expecting Luna

Why you no love Luna Studio B?

 

Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Ice cream also gives you a wicked bad tummy ache.

[hwrogers 168]

now to find the upload for re-watching, granny kept asking questions (especially about pinkie pie) as i watched in the living room... cerberus and tartarus? oh these guys friggin rock! i absolutely loved this episode, especially when RD and spike were picking on twilight, i almost couldn't contain my laughter! also with spike chugging down ice cream i was expecting some problem to possibly connect with him temporarily being unable to belch a letter, their ending was much better i think.

 

to youtube!!!

[Tupin86 195]

Not surprised by the lack of Dr. Hooves, but canon gypsy Pinkie? That made up for it.

[Queen Cassie 3,057]

Side joke that just occurred to me because of how tired I am that probably won't be funny to anyone else: Friendship is Magic will now suffer Cerberus Syndrome.

[Akemi Homura 7,680]

Side joke that just occurred to me because of how tired I am that probably won't be funny to anyone else: Friendship is Magic will now suffer Cerberus Syndrome.

 

Might I add that the end of the episode was screaming "METAL GEAR SOLID" all throughout...

[Jadefire 2,796]

I'm a bit concerned by the fact that the Gates of Tartarus are within a night's run of Ponyville. <..<

[ASpark 49]

Ironically, when Twilight tells everyone that her future self visited her, Dr Whooves is part of the crowd that laughs at her.

 

This was a great episode, and quite funny as well.

[Yellow Diamond 7,561]

Side joke that just occurred to me because of how tired I am that probably won't be funny to anyone else: Friendship is Magic will now suffer Cerberus Syndrome.

 

Nice catch! I would like to think the writers were poking fun at this; but that would be quite a trick, to paraphrase JC Denton.

[Queen Cassie 3,057]

Might I add that the end of the episode was screaming "METAL GEAR SOLID" all throughout...

 

Nice catch! I would like to think the writers were poking fun at this; but that would be quite a trick, to paraphrase JC Denton.

 

Indeed to both of you! Also both of you point out a factor that will probably have cause many fanfics to be written.

 

Especially the Gates of Tartarus. I predict we'll have at least fifty "Equestria is invaded by the evils breaking out of Tartarus" fanfics on FIMFiction by Tuesday. One will be on EQD by next Sunday.

[Key Gear 6,662]

Am I the only one that noticed at 6:48 they played Discord's "riff"? (Not a music guy, so don't know the exact name for this - that sort of off-sounding metallic chime?)

 

It was right around the time that Twilight was talking about the Gates of Tartarus breaking and ancient evils destroying Equestria?

 

Was it just reusing old sounds or is there some kind of deeper meaning?

 

I have heard this sound at several points in Season 2. I wonder if they are hinting at a return? Or, am I reading too much into this.

[Electrobolt 2,068]

Ok, so it seems I was right when I thought Twilight said Tartarus... Like I said, my mind thought of Persona 3 as soon as I heard mention of Tartarus so I was kinda thinking about a MLP/Persona crossover, not like the game already in the works

[Dany Heatley 160]

anyone else notice that pinkie was loosening the bolts on the bridge?

 

and Twilight acts like a moron once again...

 

I also didn't like this episode at all... kind of a letdown.

Edited March 10, 2012 by Dany Heatley

[Java Jive 440]

So... A few random notes.

 

1. Flower pots drop randomly from the sky, anyplace, anytime

 

2. Celestia has an fondness for wild hairstyles

 

3. Pinkie Pie panic mode involves tying balloons to ones waist

 

4. Twilight monitors everything.... Everything!

 

5. Ninja suits are standard issue in Equestria

 

6. Unicorns's horns are portable flashlights

 

7. Pinkie Pie's mane is concidered a potential threat

 

8. Cerberus? Fluttershy is your answer

Edited March 10, 2012 by JavaJive

[Eenohay 318]

Anyway, the episode continued to be hilarious and make my jaw drop a second time with GYPSY PINKIE PIE. The people behind Friendship Is Witchcraft are going to go completely BANANAS over this. More Pinkie Sense was also good, even if it was just used for a gag.

 

 

Heheheh, I haven't realized this till now!

 

 

Anyways, I must sadly say that right before watching the episode I saw the dubly doo of it in youtube, and it said: "Wow that was bad, shoot me." I dunno what did he meant, but my mind assumed he meant: This episode sucks balls.

 

Turns out when people tell me that, it affects me, basically my mind goes into it "pre-dissapointed", (yup, opposite of pre-blown) and it makes the episode bad for me. During the whole of it I was just thinking: Is this really FiM i am watching, or some extremely good parody?

 

The episode sure was... sumthin'... Hell confirmed in the pony world...

 

I mean, I must watch it again to make an opinion, but didn't you feel like it was EXTREMELY rushed? Specially the Cerebus part. "BOOM, Huge three headed dog that guards the gates of HELL comes out of nowhere, yet no one freaks out but Pinkie? And then Twilight goes all the way to the Tartarus alone? In one night?!" Poeple who have read the Odysey know what it is like. I mean, even Spike makes fun of this with that Twilight's epic journey bit! It's like one of those typical moments of "It was such a great fight, I pity anyone who missed it."

 

HELL CONFIRMED FOR PONY WORLD!

 

Then there's the scene at the end where twilight goes back in time. Totally predictable, although I must say I'm glad about it, because even though I like back to the future, I don't believe those events are possible. The time loops are much more logical for me. Past can't be changed.

 

But what were they thinking when they decided they should put the exact same scene completely again?! Couldn't they remake it to have a different perspective? Or shorten it up a bit? That just seemed like lazy writing.

 

It was a fun episode, and felt more hilarously mature "If Cerebus is here then all the evil creatures from Tartarus will break loose and destroy Equestria!". It appears the writers of the show love greek mythology, wich is great cause I do too. Also I loved spike in this episode: "It's not illegal to walk in Canterlot!"

 

 

Does anybody else feel like this episode is written differently to any other episode in the show? It certanly didn't feel as childish as the rest.

 

Also, it had a kinda epic premise, and I feel like it could only be correctly pulled of with more time. As I said, It was way too rushed.

 

HELL IS CANON!

Edited March 10, 2012 by Eenohay

[hwrogers 168]

anyone else notice that pinkie was loosening the bolts on the bridge?

...

 

several years back left handed bolts were actually common, and given the scyzophrenic nature of equestrian technology indicating anywhere from 1700's to almost modern tech, along with big mac being present to advise i'd say this is simply a case of left handed bolts. also i don't recon the animators are too worried about it being important to the target demographic lol.

[Doctor XFizzle 8,651]

For some reason, this episode felt really...off. Can't quite put my finger on it but it seemed forced and not natural. I have a feeling that today's episode will be considered the "Owl's Well That Ends Well" of Season 2, as in it's not very highly ranked and the least admired episode of the season. I'd give it a 6/10 as it's certainly my least favorite of the season so far.

[Eenohay 318]

WAIT! Not only hell is canon, but WAR IS CANON TOO!

 

And for Twilight to just assume it was an epic war between ponies was just this: IO0HYOPUHIOPUHOPUsnhuoahopu. That's exactly what I'd assume, but totally not what a pony in a show supposedly targeted at 5 year old girls would!

 

This episode it's too much for me... I need to rest...

[Skullbuster 1,906]

i still think this episode was great! one of my top favorites!

[Butterscotch_Leaf 0]

I liked the episode, but it definitely wasn't my favourite.

It did feel kind of messy, and I didn't think it was as funny as Lesson Zero, although Pinkie was great =].

Although, I really, really liked the whole 'breaking in to get the spell' thing! =D.

[Zalgo 593]

*ceberus appears*

My reaction:

*twilight says Tartarus*

My mind= blown

[Akemi Homura 7,680]

For some reason, this episode felt really...off. Can't quite put my finger on it but it seemed forced and not natural. I have a feeling that today's episode will be considered the "Owl's Well That Ends Well" of Season 2, as in it's not very highly ranked and the least admired episode of the season. I'd give it a 6/10 as it's certainly my least favorite of the season so far.

 

I bet it's because you were expecting Doctor Who references.