S04:E20 - Leap of Faith

[Wingnut 6,730]

Very good! That was an all around solid episode and cute at the same time. At first I thought Applejack was going to somehow teach the Flim Flam brothers something about honesty but as the episode went along, it was clear it would be their lackey Shill instead. Aside from that, the episode was predictable but still fun to watch. 

 

-When the music first started playing the first thing my roommate and I noticed was a pony in a wheelchair. What the??

-Another fine carnival style song and dance by Flim and Flam.

-Some of the images of sick and injured ponies was discomforting.  But one of the things I like about MLP:FiM is that while it's fun and light hearted, it doesn't pretend bad things like ailments don't exist.  That's a form of honesty, right? 

-Wow, Mr. Waddles is in the house!

-Was Derpy in there? I tried looking amongst the sea of ponies but I didn't see her. 

-The old time films of Granny Smith are another favorite of mine.

-Granny and Apple Bloom have a nice intergenerational bond. Watching them perform as aqua ponies was quite fun.

-Being truthful seems pretty straightforward but events can play out and if you're not careful you can soon find yourself caught in a whole web of deception. Today's episode gives a good example of that. For one thing, it's hard to be honest when those you care about are happy with their own non-truths. :/

-I liked the gradual build up. First there was the amazing placebo effect on Granny Smith. Then the tension really mounted once Applejack realized her reputation was on the line. But Applejack of course couldn't let it go any further once Granny attempted a dive off of that platform.

-Minor plot hole: That rope just happened to have the elasticity of a bungee cord? An ordinary rope tied to someone's leg from that height and bringing them to a sudden stop would break some bones.

-What's with Apple Bloom? She's surely old enough to know that a pony with Granny's age and physical condition would never survive a dive like that.  :okiedokielokie:

-Shill seemed like a changed guy who was inspired by the stand for truth Applejack took, but I like the other Rainbow item characters more. Cheese was the best, closely followed by Coco and Seabreeze.

-We hear so much about the sex ration being badly skewed toward females in this series. Did anybody else notice that three of the five Rainbow item characters to date were male? :comeatus:

-Five down and one to go. Any predictions on what Twilight’s rainbow episode will be?  

[Moved to Elsewhere 11,329]

All right for me this episode was okay. Okay as in nothing got me angry at it yet nothing that exciting was in the episode. It's jut average for me.

 

I think it's just that compared to the last 2, this one seems to be missing something especially since it's a key episode. There was good in it there were some parts that were pretty funny. It could just be Josh Haber's writing style where he seems to just go by the books and not do anything new or exciting. 

 

So yeah pretty average episode, 7/10.

[Antismurf9001 1,271]

That... was an overall enjoyable episode in my opinion.  I don't really have anything to complain about.  Everything was just very well done.  It was fun to see Flim and Flam again, and I like how they're still up to their old shenanigans (and no spontaneous attempt to redeem themselves at the end).  I've said it before, but I really like the theme behind these key episodes, and I'm really interested to see what they come up with for Twilight's.  It wasn't my favorite of the key episodes (that title goes to Pinkie Pride), but it was still pretty good.

 

I also appreciate how they used Derpy as simply a pony in the background, and nothing more.  They weren't repeatedly beating your face in with her (*coughcough* Rainbow Falls); she was just there.  (Though, I'll admit that I can't help but be a bit disappointed that she didn't try to fix her eyes with the tonic.)

 

In the end, I'd say that this is definitely one of the better episodes of this season.

[Moved to Elsewhere 11,329]

Oh and I did laugh at the joke with Lyra and the scoring.

Also Aj's key is a bit, lets hope she doesn't spend it

[Antismurf9001 1,271]

 

-Five down and one to go. Any predictions on what Twilight’s rainbow episode will be?

 

 

I've got no idea, but I really hope that it goes into the whole thing about Twilight nonchalantly using dark magic (or, what we think is dark magic, since Sombra used it), since they've been sitting on that and explaining nothing since the S3 premiere.  I can only hope that they're avoiding explaining this for a good reason...

[Radiance64 7,051]

This episode was really good actually. Had an unexpected reveal of Granny Smith being a high-diver, the Flim Flam Brothers returning and singing a great musical number, and a supposed 'cure all' tonic that tested Applejack's honesty with her familly. All those elements kept me guessing a bit actually- does the tonic really work? Is Granny Smith really healthier or just more confident? And after finding out it is a fake, how long can honest Applejack hold her words in to try and keep Granny happy? It really wasn't wholly predictable if you ask me.

I liked that new guy too, Silver Shill or something was it? I mean, it seems he really didn't want to work for the Flim Flam Brothers, so I kinda felt sorry for him. Then again, I think I felt a bit more sorry for him when it looked like he had MS.

Anyway, while the Flim Flam Brothers were a draw of the episode at first, it kinda annoyed me that they haven't changed... I mean yeah, I guess you would think they wouldn't have, maybe, but I think their part of the story here could've been handled a bit better, they were really rushed out of it if you ask me. :/

Also, AJ's rainbow thing is... money? A bit? Really? I dunno, I think that's kinda both stupid and hilarious. I guess I really don't mind it though.

Anyway, I really liked this one- Leap of Faith is both a predictable and slightly unpredictable episode, with a lot of great character moments for Applejack and also a really good Apple Family episode. Don't know if I'd put it in my top ten of the season so far, but, it's got a lot going for it I think. Great episode.

9/10

Edited March 29, 2014 by Radiance64

[ghostfacekiller39 23,857]

Ah, an Applejack episode She usually has good ones that go missed by the fandom and are often more than a bit underrated, just like Applejack herself.

 

In any case, it's good to see 2nd best pony/2nd best country gal get an episode! 

 

 

(One does not simply compete with that!)

 

(Picture, please stop vanishing.)

 

First, let's start with the new review style I've come up with, based on the fact I'm forever alone and have a crush on a cartoon unicorn. 

Gems good, Dirt bad.

 

Ok, now that we have that out of the way, let's get reviewing!

 

Gems:

1. I was very immersed throughout this whole episode, which, is good; not as much as I would be a Rarity episode, mind you, but it had my full attention nonetheless, as compared to, say, "Flight to the Finish," where I was looking down at my phone for the majority of the episode. This is a good thing, of course.

 

2. Apple Bloom really shined bright here for me; it may just be me coming off of the euphoria of watching her epic duel with Discord over in the March Madness thread, but in any case, she was really excellent in this episode. Her lines were original and a bit humorous, but she was very adorable and interesting while she was on-screen, creating an interesting dynamic kind of like a warming yet chilling sensation. I'm not a big CMC fan, mind you, but, despite their adorableness, they usually aren't very deep or interesting characters, in my opinion. Apple Bloom seemed to have matured a bit on top of having depth, yet, maintained her adorable demeanor and was still able to be a little filly. 

 

3. Flim and Flam were excellent antagonists; they're the opposite of Applejack, lying and swindling their way around to sell this so called "Cure All Tonic" that, in reality, was just Apples and what not. They're masters of manipulation, but they're also very charismatic and easy to pay attention to. They radiate personality and ooze charisma, but also use it in a way that's only for self-profit and what not, not caring about what happens to those around them or the people purchasing their product, but rather, only caring for themselves. One thing that grated on me (in a good way) was their "100% Applejack Approved!" thing they had going; it felt as if they were taunting Applejack with it, which, made them all the better of antagonists. They really filled their role perfectly here, and the dynamic they have with the Apples simply wouldn't work with anypony else, because of the Apples hardworking, honest nature as compared to the smooth-talking, deceitful nature Flim and Flam have.

4. Big Mac is one of the most comical characters in the whole series, and his the small time he had under the limelight here should show that; in this episode, along with "Pinkie Apple Pie," his dynamic with Granny Smith is the funniest one of the whole show, and one of my 5 favorite bonds on the show itself (#1 being Applejack and Rarity, I'd just like to point out.) and he helped make this episode great.

 

5. The way Applejack handled the situation was very in-character. Can't help but wonder what it would've been like had Corey Powell written this episode. She went along with it out of caring for her family's happiness, but had her doubts nonetheless, and was obviously uneasy about the whole situation; even still, she forced herself to go along with it out of her own desire to see the ones she cared about happy. That's always been one of AJ's biggest flaws; she cares too little about herself and is a bit silly in the way she handles her generosity. Rarity handles her generosity excellently; she gives to others and will always put them first, but also gives to herself, as well; AJ gives and gives to others, but not enough to herself. That was put under the spotlight here, when her true element, Honesty, was really being put to the test and she wasn't able to give in to what she wanted, which, was ultimately the right thing to do.

 

Dirt:

 

1. The Rainbow-Key thing giver was very irritating for the most part, especially at the end. His lines were dry, flavorless, and the character as a whole just felt forced to me. I would NOT go bowling with the fella. Overall, I'd rank him as the worst key-giver thus far, and in terms of being an interesting character, I'd put him on Spike-tier (which, is as low as it gets, in the book of ghostie.)

 

2. Flim and Flam just sneaking away; I felt this time was appropriate for a recycled exit, a la their last appearance. Getting caught in the act and being driven out of town seems to be a recurring thing with those two, as evidenced by one of their lines in their last appearance; it would've been a bit humorous and maybe even a good running gag if they ran out like last time Of course, this is just a silly nitpick, so take this with a grain of salt.

 

3. No Rarity. I'm sorry, and I know people are going to be like "Shut up, ghostie." (For good reason; she had no real place in this episode) but I just love seeing my marshmallow waifu on-screen so much that it actually takes away from an episode if she's not in it.

 

 

Now, time to explain the rating system behind my new review system:

 

 - Hated it. Make it go away. Bleach my brain. ("Sonic Rainboom" and "Sleepless in Ponyville" are here)

(x2)- Bad. ("Rainbow Falls," "Flight to the Finish," and "The Cutie Mark Chronicles")

(x3) - It was ok. ("The Last Roundup," "Mysterious Mare Do Well," and "Wonderbolts Academy")

(x4) - I liked it! ("Sisterhooves Social," "Lesson Zero," "Simple Ways" and "Magic Duel")

(x5) - One of the best episodes EVER!! ("Rarity Takes Manehattan," "Suited For Success," and "Sweet & Elite")

Think of the Rarity smileys being like stars, pretty much; 1 - 5.

 

This episode - 

:D :D

Edited March 29, 2014 by ghostfacekiller39

[Anilewe 2,178]

Very good Applejack episode. And very good key episode I'm officially happy.

 

Though I have similar "problem" I had with Pinkie Apple Pie. There's not much to say about this ep It's kind of episode I just enjoyed, not caring about anything else. And it's good, because that's why I even started to watch this show. To enjoy it. It reminded me of my first days in this fandom and why I love MLP so much. 

Edited March 29, 2014 by Anilewe

[silver quest 15]

OMG IT FLIM AND FLAM!!! LOVE THESE GUYS!!! so now that i got that out of my system, what is with all the injured ponies walking around when they should be in the hospital or at home getting better. AJ WHY YOU MISLEADING THE TRUTH! because it may work mentally but it does not work on the muscles and the bones. so curious on what her key will be. 

so aj help sold a ton of tonic for flim and flam, dont you feel great about it.  nice water ballet. 

oh lfim and flam not missing a chance to sell to make a sell.  no granny dont jump, it might kill you. 

finally she speaks the truth. lol money is AJ's  key. 

[Floris 287]

This episode gets a 01/10!

[King Sejong 858]

   Flim and Flam are back and they are still swindlers, this time with snake oil selling, a story that continues to be retold, for people and ponies still take the elixir of commerce. Applejack has been great in this season, and she was right to be sceptical of Flim-Flam brothers, who left Ponyville in disgrace in " Super Apple Squezzy 6000 ", once burned twice shy, Applejack was aware of the sham the brothers were attempting, until Granny Smith took the tonic and suddenly had vitality, making her believe the tonic may have some qualities, as credulous ponies commit reckless behaviour to test out the tonic, including Granny Smith, until Applejack confronted the earth pony who was swindled into being a customer, but was really an actor working for Flim and Flam, coming to the rescue and stopped Granny Smith from diving to her harm, thus Applejack confessed to Ponyville that the tonic was false, and publicly apologised, for her admission. Applejack also got her rainbow relic, a bit from the earth pony, to cement her honesty, which everyone is guilty of, we do avoid telling the truth to spare someone's feelings, my family does this to me all the time, but I tend to be honest to a fault, and prefer the truth to my feelings, so this story can resonate with many fans, you see honesty sets you free, it is a relief to just come out and say what you really think, just like tonics that have been around human civilizations, and still exist for people trying to cure aliments without medicine, or herbal cures, instead they buy supplements or snake oil falling for the placebo, until they are hospitalized, and embarrassed for being suckered, a fool and their money is soon departed, this is a good cautionary tell, and I enjoyed this episode, the Apples are hot this season, until next week my favourite pony Rainbow Dash returns to attempt make it to the Wonderbolts in "Testing, Testing , 1 ,2 , 3 ".      

[RED20 289]

First of all, the title had my name in it, so that's good. 

 

Second, this episode was boring AF, but I did like how it explained AJ's element more. 

[ReverseFaller 2,483]

This episode actually wasn't half bad. I didn't really care for the first Flim Flam episode so I wasn't expecting too much from this one. It was a lot better than I thought it would be. It had an awesome song, it had a placebo effect tonic, and it also had Applejack getting her key.

 

So yeah, I enjoyed the episode.

[Envy 5,998]

I felt like it was pretty good, but not one of the best of this season, IMO. Just a middle-of-the-road episode.

 

I was interested to see what they would do with the Flim Flam Brothers, because (if this is off-topic, sorry.) I couldn't really feel like they were horrible scammers from the first episode they appeared in... In fact, I found that episode weird, as the moral was easily slipped by. For there, they came into town and proved that, despite using a machine, that they could make just as good of apple cider and in a very timely fashion. Their product was not a scam in that episode, and I always found it weird. How they lost in that episode just didn't strike me as very compelling to the cause of the hearts and hard work of the Apple family being "better". Their win was only because they had a lot of help on their side, which caused the Flim Flam brothers great pressure and caused them to be more careless than they normally would be... Normally, that is, in they would be when they were selling it to the town.

 

In this episode, they are pure scammers. I don't really know how to feel about that... But maybe it's for the best... Because that's probably how they were *supposed* to have been seen in the original episode, but I just fail to get the points... xD

Edited March 29, 2014 by Envy

[Nerdy Luigi 2,064]

This episode was well done. It was somewhat entertaining, (Though I had to leave in the midst of it... But I got everything to work out.)

 

It really touches on why most bronies watch the show. It has great morals, the plot was much better done the other Flim and Flam episode, and this time they aren't just turds trying to outdo the Apples.

[InkyJay 21]

 

Very good! That was an all around solid episode and cute at the same time. At first I thought Applejack was going to somehow teach the Flim Flam brothers something about honesty but as the episode went along, it was clear it would be their lackey Shill instead. Aside from that, the episode was predictable but still fun to watch. 

 

-When the music first started playing the first thing my roommate and I noticed was a pony in a wheelchair. What the??

-Another fine carnival style song and dance by Flim and Flam.

-Some of the images of sick and injured ponies was discomforting.  But one of the things I like about MLP:FiM is that while it's fun and light hearted, it doesn't pretend bad things like ailments don't exist.  That's a form of honesty, right? 

-Wow, Mr. Waddles is in the house!

-Was Derpy in there? I tried looking amongst the sea of ponies but I didn't see her. 

-The old time films of Granny Smith are another favorite of mine.

-Granny and Apple Bloom have a nice intergenerational bond. Watching them perform as aqua ponies was quite fun.

-Being truthful seems pretty straightforward but events can play out and if you're not careful you can soon find yourself caught in a whole web of deception. Today's episode gives a good example of that. For one thing, it's hard to be honest when those you care about are happy with their own non-truths. :/

-I liked the gradual build up. First there was the amazing placebo effect on Granny Smith. Then the tension really mounted once Applejack realized her reputation was on the line. But Applejack of course couldn't let it go any further once Granny attempted a dive off of that platform.

-Minor plot hole: That rope just happened to have the elasticity of a bungee cord? An ordinary rope tied to someone's leg from that height and bringing them to a sudden stop would break some bones.

-What's with Apple Bloom? She's surely old enough to know that a pony with Granny's age and physical condition would never survive a dive like that.  :okiedokielokie:

-Shill seemed like a changed guy who was inspired by the stand for truth Applejack took, but I like the other Rainbow item characters more. Cheese was the best, closely followed by Coco and Seabreeze.

-We hear so much about the sex ration being badly skewed toward females in this series. Did anybody else notice that three of the five Rainbow item characters to date were male? :comeatus:

-Five down and one to go. Any predictions on what Twilight’s rainbow episode will be?

 

 

I bet Twilight is going to get her key from Discord of all people in the season finale. She'll probably think that her key was from someone else at first, but later in the finale, she'll realize that Discord has the other half of the key.

[mars 4,861]

Wow. Just wow, I loved this episode. It was absolutely fantastic. I'm seeing that a lot of people thought it was boring, or lame, but for me that isn't the case at all! I feel like I need to rewatch this episode 20 more times.

• Applejack shows that she can shine as a true main character. Everything about her in this episode was flawless. She was in-character, and I could see that she felt so horrible and guilt-ridden about lying, which is something she hardly ever does. That's a step ahead against Rainbow Dash, who didn't seem that bad about being 'disloyal'.
• Flim and Flam come back, and they're just as shady (but awesome) as ever. I actually thought they would be redeemed in this episode, but I'm really glad they weren't. That means they come back another season with a crazy hi-jink and I can't wait to see them.
• I also love the fact that they use the line: "Applejack Approved!" It seemed like they were taunting her- daring her- to say something about how the tonic didn't work. Flim and Flam are some really good antagonists to Applejack.
• Apple Bloom, Big Mac, and Granny Smith rocked in this episode as well. We definitely got characterization for all three characters this episode. Granny Smith, of course, who this episode is also partly about, was incredible. I didn't find her annoying at all. I was delighted how the tonic made her more confident to do what she loved, but I knew that it was just the placebo effect.
• I loved the diving competition scene with Lyra, Doctor Whooves, and another pony who I constantly see but forget her name as judges. This episode even gave Lyra more of a personality! It also can make for lots of fanfic as to why they were there in the first place.
• Hmm, I didn't expect her key to be a simple bit. But that's okay, because I think that it showed that she helped a pony get out of a dishonest business.  I would have actually prefer it be the actual bottle, though.
• That pony, Silver Shell, was a pretty awesome character too. I suck, because for a minute I actually thought the chronic worked. My questions were more: "Does it wear off? How is this pony going to feel when it does?" But nope, he's an actor. That was a little plot twist for me. He reminds me a bit of Coco Pommel, who thought she had to be just as mean as Suri to work in the city.

Edited March 29, 2014 by Destiny

[Anilewe 2,178]

Oh, I forgot to mention how adorable Applejack was in this episode, but... isn't it obvious?

 

 

I felt really sorry for her in that scene. You can easily see how uncomfortable she feels D8 As if she'd like to just ran and escape from the cameras and all that attention. Besides, I always saw Applejack as rather modest mare. While she gets along with others pretty well, she doesn't like to be in the center of the interest. Especially in the situation like that. Flim & Flam practically used her to promote their product, something she never agreed to. 

 

 

 

PONIES. ON. SWINGS. Adorable   Seriously, sometimes I think that ponies couldn't be more cute. And then things like that happen XD 

 

 

Rainbow realization time

 

 

Apple Bloom being cute never fails! Also, wet manes! Another good reason to love this episode! 8D

 

And I loved it whenFlim & Flam called AJ "their favorite Apple". 

Edited March 30, 2014 by Anilewe

[Captain Jebediah 12]

Just saw the episode. I thought it was ok, actually thought that it was gonna be the Flim Flam Bros. giving her the rainbow item (yes I'm calling it that). I just can't believe that we only got like five episodes left in the season. What am I gonna do this summer?

[PoisonClaw 8,153]

As far as Applejack episodes go, I would have to say that this could quite possibly be one of her best episodes to date. I liked the inner conflict AJ goes through for much of the episode, especially when things start to escalate when the Flim-Flam Brothers pretty much make her their unofficial spokesperson, but she doesn't yet want to blow the whistle on the whole affair because of how happy it makes Granny Smith. I also liked the line after she revealed that she had lied that she hopes she can regain everyone's trust. It shows that while telling the truth may not have been the easiest thing, Applejack would rather come clean and reap the consequences than continue to lie.   

 

However, I can't say I enjoyed the appearance of Flim and Flam in this episode. For starters, why is AJ and Big Mac the only two who are rather apprehensive about the two? Last time they were here they were pretty much driven out of town because no one liked their cider. Suddenly they reappear with some "magic-cure-all-tonic" and nopony raises an eyebrow? Second, I've never understood the appeal to the Brother's. Compared to every other song in this show, I haven't enjoyed either of their songs. I was going to add something about the key-giver (Shill I think his name was?) about how he wasn't a big enough focus in this episode like Cheese Sandwich or Seabreeze, but then I realized that Coco was similarly hiding in the background, but I still think his sudden 180 was a tad abrupt. 

 

A few tiny things I noticed was that Doctor Whooves got a ton of screen time in this episode. He's in the crowd, he's shown in the Brother's sales pitch (surrounded by question marks no less) and he's the third judge for the swim meet. Also, I didn't notice this at first, but the "tub" Granny was going to jump into was rainbow colored in the same color of the mane 6 for some reason. You just knew the "key" was going to show up in short order after that. Speaking of which, that's five down, one more to go. A spool of thread, a badge, a rubber chicken, a flower and now a lone bit. Truly it's anyone's guess on what Twilight's final key will be by this point in the season finale! 

 

Again, for an Applejack episode this was the episode she has needed for the longest time. As an episode itself, I wouldn't call it one of the best, but it was still a good middle ground to above average episode overall.  

Edited March 29, 2014 by PoisonClaw

[Kulstor 254]

Wonder if  Flim & Flam will go to Ponyville again, or if word of what they did will spread.  I was also wondering while I was watching the episode why didn't Applejack take a bottle for Twilight or Zecora to analyze to figure out the ingredients.  I'm sure one of those 2 could have figured out the ingredients.

[Noodles 109]

I liked this episode. as to why ponies listen to them well the residence of Ponyvill have ben known to be a bit gullible in the past.

as for the episode its a key episode and a slice of life combined well the key episodes have gotten past the poor framing of the reason for the key in the first place.

ie Rarity's and Dasies episode. were the framing of the conflict was a bit off or in the case of Rainbow Dash's went way off the rails. nice to see them getting back on track!

[Batbrony 15,994]

So unsurprisingly, like pretty much every episode she's had this season (not counting "Bats!", but that episode's promblems weren't AJ's fault  :okiedokielokie:), Applejack had yet another awesome turn in a starring role.  "Leap of Faith" was the fifth key episode we've had this season, and like most of them (with the exception of "It Ain't Easy Being Breezies", bleh  ), it was solid in every sense of the word.  Not a whole lot to talk about here aside from the episode's superb message and execution of said message, but let's get going and take a look at "Leap of Faith".  C'mon everypony, adventure awaits!  WHIMSY!!! 

 

(OK, so I may be trying to build up the hype just a bit much here  )

 

OK, so to start I'll talk about Applejack and the lesson she learned here, because her role and the message are too intertwined not to discuss together.  To be honest (HA!  See what I did there?  :comeatus:), this was probably the best test we've ever seen of AJ's honesty when she was in her own mind (because c'mon, she was magically corrupted by Discord in "The Return of Harmony: Parts 1 and 2").  Applejack is the living embodiment of the Element of Honesty, but she's also an all around decent pony who makes the well-being of others, especially her family, almost always her top priority.  Here, we saw these two traits of hers actually come into conflict; in not telling the truth about Flim and Flam's sham "miracle tonic", AJ thought that she was actually helping other ponies, most notably her Granny Smith.  The writers, however, did a bang up job of disassembling and undermining this misplaced, albeit sincere, belief of AJ's by brilliantly illustrating just why it was so unsound.  First, Applejack was confronted by the fact that her "endorsement/approval" of the Flim Flam brothers cure-all was actually suckering throngs of ponies with serious ailments, illnesses, or physical injuries to buy their product, which she knew obviously wouldn't cure them, no matter how much they believed it would, seeing as most of them had far more serious conditions than Granny Smith's own aches and pains.  Sure Granny Smith was having a hootenanny of a time, but Applejack eventually realized that a lot of her problems had stemmed from mental blocks to begin with.  These other ponies had far more problems beyond mental blocks, and eventually we saw that it was just too much for AJ to take, even before Granny Smith put herself in harm's way.  She told the truth, and was on the brink of fessing up entirely before she had to stop Granny Smith from basically snapping her neck (as an aside, AJ once again went out of her way in that climax to further prove that she is the Batman of the group, and it was AWESOME!  Such slick moves AJ!!!  ).  This bit of dangerous absurdity on Granny Smith's part showed AJ the other reason why her earlier reasoning was so unsound; not only was her lie convincing ponies that something would cure their ailments when it really wouldn't, but it also could lead other ponies to attempt foolhardy and dangerous stunts out of misplaced confidence, like her beloved Granny Smith.

 

In the end, this is what AJ learned; a lie is never, ever right, no matter how good your intentions may be.  Even if it seems that your lie makes people happy, that happiness in and of itself is hollow and unreal.  The truth is the truth, a precious, infallible reality that cannot change, no matter how happy your lie may make people; in repeating a lie over and over again, all you're doing is building up a house of cards that'll eventually come tumbling down, ever more spectacularly and hurting more and more people the longer you keep it up.  The thing that I loved especially about this message was not only how well-executed and delivered it was, but also how relevant it was, especially to those in power in the present day.  These days, at least in the good ol' U S of A, it seems that far too many of our politicians are all show and no substance.  These men and women (not naming any parties, but let's just say the idealists and optimists of the whole lot are most guilty of this) are happy to time and time again just tell the people what they want to hear, spouting nothing but whatever hollow rhetoric it takes to get passed whatever they want to get passed.  Most of the time, this type of talk leads to bad things, and millions of people get hurt as a result (and usually not the ones who sold whatever legislation or rhetoric they were pitching in the first place).  Sure there's a lot of stupid naivety behind a lot of these blunders, after all, people are stupid, and that'll never change, but there's also a lot of deception to boot.  Heck, our own president has gotten called out for I-don't-know-how-many-lies by now in the past six months alone, and really, the root of this problem lies in the fact that, these days, our leaders just don't understand the power and import of words.  They're happy to say whatever they want or need to say to get done what they want to, no matter how removed it may be from reality, and this is a seriously dangerous attitude.  So in summary, this episode's message was extraordinarily current and relevant, and its delivery just made it all the better.  It rounded out nicely by showing a truly ashamed and sorrowful AJ admitting that she'd compromised her most dearest personal quality, her honesty, and apologizing for it (more sincerely and blatantly than any of our leaders ever do these days, when they get caught that is, I might add  ).  Wonderful message in its substance and execution, and a wonderful performance from a truly conflicted AJ to boot; not much more you can ask for out of an episode beyond that!

 

Applejack ain't having any of your s*** Flim and Flam; that goes for you too D.C.!!!

 

Besides Applejack and the episode's message, there was plenty of other things that stood out here.  The Apple Family was a delight as it's been all season; the Apple siblings were all adorable in the swimming hole at the beginning, Big Mac got some great one-liners (literally, along with a bit of trollery at the beginning there) in there (though I can't help but want him to get his own episode some time down the road, maybe one focusing on his relationship with AJ or both of his sisters), Apple Bloom was adorable as usual, and Granny Smith was just awesome!  Her backstory as an earth pony high diver was amazing (albeit unsurprising given who she is), and her newfound confidence, although foolhardy for most of the episode, was very cool, and it was very neat seeing all the things Ponyville's most incredible grandparent could accomplish once she'd gotten past some of her mental blocks that had come with age.

 

The Flim Flam brothers were their usual, con artist selves (complete with yet another catchy tune, though I still like their first song number better, to be honest), and I can't help but love them.  Sure they're complete jerks, but they're complete jerks who persistently continue trying to to sell themselves until it's clear beyond a doubt that the jig is up (though to be fair their original cider-making contraption did actually work, quite well in fact, their only downfall there was compromising its quality for the sake of quantity).  I can't help but love their shameless enthusiasm, and especially loved their "hypothetically-speaking" conversation with AJ in the middle of the episode when they pretty much fessed up without actually fessing up to their cure-all tonic being a total scam.  Flim and Flam remain my favorite foils to AJ's character, and I really hope they'll return yet again some time in the future (as long as an episode or season calls for their return, of course).

 

Look how few bucks we give about the s*** we're selling!

 

Seriously, no bucks given at all!!!

 

Silver Shill, our by now to-be-expected key-episode OC, was pretty cool himself.  For starters, he's got the best punny pony name I've heard in sometime, and it's actually quite hilarious when you think about it; by the end of the episode, he was committed to becoming an honest salespony, but the guy is, literally, a Shill!   All I gotta say is good luck buddy, cause I'm pretty sure you were born into a family destined to be (or at least having a reputation for being) con artists.  But seriously, he turned out to be a decent guy, like most of these OCs have, and I really liked that he had a nice explanation for his giving AJ her key at the end there.  His voice was pretty unique as well; kind of had a Barney Fife sound to it, and I don't know, just pleasant to the ears, at least for me.  Definitely a great addition to the slowly-but-surely growing list of male characters in the show, and it'd definitely be nice to see him again sometime down the road.

 

Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't talk about the background ponies here, specifically, all the injured ones!  Holy buck, this episode had some dark and downright depressing imagery.  I mean, what the heck, since when did Ponyville have so many sick and injured ponies; did one of their weekly disasters happen while the Mane 6 were out of town or something???  Probably the worst imagery for me were the ponies in wheelchairs; I'm sure some of them just had broken legs, but you just have to wonder how many of those ponies were actually cripples, and it was just downright depressing watching some of them hobble around like that.   It didn't take away anything from the episode, it was just a distracting and depressing element of it that added a dark element to an otherwise run-of-the-mill slice of life episode (though it definitely did add some gravity to the lesson AJ was learning).  Besides the dozens of ailing background ponies, we had some great showings from others as well; Cloud Kicker, Colgate, Doctor Whooves, and Carrot Top got a few appearances, Derpy had a subdued but still pleasant cameo at the diving/synchronized swimming competition, and Lyra had probably her best cameo all season (who knew she was such a hard-to-impress swimming/diving judge  ).  All in all, this was a very good episode for background ponies in general.

 

As usual, the animation was top notch, the comedy was spot on (with a whole bevy of laughs coming from the Apples, the Flim Flam brothers, and the background ponies themselves), and the sound and music were a delight.  All in all, "Leap of Faith" was another great key episode with probably the best message in terms of both substance and execution of any of them since "Rarity Takes Manehattan" (fitting considering both Rarity and AJ continue to have such a good season, and are also such surprisingly similar characters).  My hat's off to the writers on putting together such a well-written episode, and I can't wait to see what else they have in store for us in the final six episodes this season!

Edited March 30, 2014 by Batbrony

[Kenny 232]

Alternate title: My Little Elixir: Placebos are Magic

 

This wasn't the best episode, but it was definitely one of the best episodes for Applejack. Her skepticism of the tonic and concern for Granny Smith's safety felt really in-character. Compared to the original Flim Flam episode, I'd say this one was better due to my previous statement. (The Flim Flam Bros. themselves were about equal in both.) I thought it was weird how AJ got money as her key, but hey, it least it wasn't something super predictable like an apple!

[Will Guide 21,325]

-Some of the images of sick and injured ponies was discomforting.  But one of the things I like about MLP:FiM is that while it's fun and light hearted, it doesn't pretend bad things like ailments don't exist.  That's a form of honesty, right? 

-Wow, Mr. Waddles is in the house!

-Was Derpy in there? I tried looking amongst the sea of ponies but I didn't see her. 

-The old time films of Granny Smith are another favorite of mine.

-Being truthful seems pretty straightforward but events can play out and if you're not careful you can soon find yourself caught in a whole web of deception. Today's episode gives a good example of that. For one thing, it's hard to be honest when those you care about are happy with their own non-truths. :/

-I liked the gradual build up. First there was the amazing placebo effect on Granny Smith. Then the tension really mounted once Applejack realized her reputation was on the line. But Applejack of course couldn't let it go any further once Granny attempted a dive off of that platform.

-Shill seemed like a changed guy who was inspired by the stand for truth Applejack took, but I like the other Rainbow item characters more. Cheese was the best, closely followed by Coco and Seabreeze.

-We hear so much about the sex ration being badly skewed toward females in this series. Did anybody else notice that three of the five Rainbow item characters to date were male? :comeatus:

-Five down and one to go. Any predictions on what Twilight’s rainbow episode will be?

I agree with many of these things in your post, Wingnut.

Mr. Waddles? Are you, perchance, a Gravity Falls fan?

As for Twilight's Key, I have to place my bet in with InkyJay here.

 

I bet Twilight is going to get her key from Discord of all people in the season finale. She'll probably think that her key was from someone else at first, but later in the finale, she'll realize that Discord has the other half of the key.

 

That would be cool! By the way, You noticed how Twilight's got the spotlight on her in the premiere episodes (Princess Twilight Sparkle) and in the middle of this season (Twilight Time)? Yeah, I'll bet the final key will show up in the last episode, if not the the 2nd to last!

 

Well I'll add my usual posts of keeping track of the "Getting the keys" pattern onto the "Keys and Rainbow items" topic soon. Hoping this time, all the images I'd used stick and not just become unviewable when I post.