S04:E21 - Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3

[Moved to Elsewhere 11,329]

Sorry I wasn't posting that much, I was too engaged in this fantastic episode. This is probably the best Rainbow Dash episode this season. It had probably the most hilarious gags in the show in the first half, and in the second half, it was more slower and heartwarming. I like that combo, it proves how well writing styles clash even if it was written by one person. Also as someone with ADHD who procrastinates a lot, I relate to Rainbow in this episode.  So yeah solid episode

 

10/10

[Redacted 71]

I have a feeling this is going to be a good one.

[Shift 4,271]

@@Anilewe,
 
>flight to the finish was a rainbow dash episode
 

[SomariFeyWright 776]

This was... a good episode.

 

If I can go ahead and get my primary complaint out of the way, it felt like the characters were built around the plot, rather than having the plot built around the characters, with the exception of Rainbow, whom has shown signs of being overwhelmed in the past. The ponies were too aggressive in their ideal means of studying. While this isn't necessarily wrong for them, it DOES feel a bit off, especially with how determined they were to call the others wrong.

 

Also... rap? Is that really the best you guys could do for Pinkie? It just felt... too predictable for Pinkie Pie.

 

Despite that, though, this episode definitely had its strong points.

I appreciate its little use of foreshadowing at the beginning. The way it subtely nudged you in the right direction of where the episode was going right from the get-go was clever and a sign of good story-telling.

 

Even better though, was the moral. This is something anybrony can get behind, though it isn't exactly aimed for the original demographic of six-year-old little girls. Not complaining, just saying. Despite that, the moral was solid and strong, and it may be something that's been done to death, but it's still good, and will likely apply to anyone anywhere until the end of time.

... Or at least until the American school system stops sucking.

 

... Also, that EUP joke near the end killed me in laughter.

 

In the end, this episode gets an easy 7/10. Just study up on the characters' actual mannerisms, guys, and this could have been an even better episode.

[hawkflame 3,308]

I won't say I loved it, but I think it was one of the better Dash based episodes.  Generally I don't like the episodes featuring her being a jerk and prefer the ones like Sonic Rainboom that deal with her insecurities.   Her fears and issues were something that everyone can relate to and thus her fears and emotions were pretty real.  

 

Pinkie rapping had to be one of the biggest WTF moments in the show so far.  I either loved it or hated it, but I'm not sure which.  It certainly was strange either way.

 

It wasn't a particularly funny episode (with the possible exception of the rap- I don't know if that was hilarious or pathetic) but I thought it was heartwarming enough.  It actually made me care about Rainbow Dash, who is not one of my favorite characters in the show.  Over all solid episode, i think.

 

Oh, and the fandom's going to have a field day with all the Equestrian history, aren't they?  I loved the nod to G1 with "General Firefly".

[Aerial~Shot 177]

Pretty cool episode this week, not brilliant, but enjoyable and well done

 

I loved seeing Twilight as a teacher. She’s just as you’d expect her to be, strict and a little close-minded, but passionate and very focused

 

There’s a History of the Wonderbolts movie? It makes me happy when the show brings up movies as canon since my OC is a film maker

 

Spike and Owlowiscious dancing around with Dash was so cute /)^3^(\

 

It was interesting to see how each of the Mane 6 learn in their own ways. The pets play was really cute and also a pretty good idea. Just not for Rainbow… Pinkie Pie rapped. That’s a thing that happened. Guys. I just, I don’t know what to say about this. I don’t know how I feel about this. I liked it, but I didn’t…? And Vinyl was there. That was cool

 

I think Rainbow Dash’s learning method is pretty interesting, and I love how everypony got together to help her, it was so creative. So, she’s basically a passive visual learner. On top of that, the fact she can multitask while flying like that and remember every little detail she saw just shows what a great flyer she really is

 

“Hmmm… I’m intrigued” *puts on hat* :okiedokielokie: 

[Wingnut 6,732]

Best Rainbow Dash episode of the season?  Yes.    Each pony has their own way of helping RD learn and Fluttershy's pet play and Pinkie's rap were my favorites of that bunch.  Hmm...does the Angel and Fluttershy play Princess Celestia so well.    But at the end it was a like and not love kind of episode.  Helping a friend struggling to learn pass a test is one of the oldest, safest, and most predictable tropes there are.  I also liked the music that accompanied the big reveal at the end when Twilight tells Dashie how she got the whole town to participate in that learning experience.  It was reminiscent of Magical Mystery Cure. 

 

 

 

General Firefly, props to the original G1 Pegasus Firefly? Who was one of the first pegasus ponies in the G1 line.

 

Yeah, I noticed that G1 nod too.   

[DryGuy84 (Inactive) 927]

They have REALLY been breaking Rainbow Dash this season.  I mean the whole thought was Dash followed what interested her and had that knowledge.  I always thought she could quote wonderbolts stuff all the time. 

 

She never went out of her way to read anything, until  Read it and Weep, how could she possibly know much about the history of the Wonderbolts? They weren't saying she's dumb or anything, quite the opposite. She's just a hands-on learner. Actually, I learn in a similar manner, I have do be doing something else while listening or I don't absorb the information (even in college I draw instead of taking notes for this reason). 

 

Wait. I just related to Rainbow on a personal level? Oh my god, of all the episodes to come from it's this one? WOW, I like it, but what does that say about me?

Edited April 5, 2014 by DryColt84

[MatrixChicken 879]

Well that was fun... 

 

Up until Pinkie's rap, I was thinking that my final rating of the episode would be rather low... The first half of the episode just didn't do it for me. I feel like they should have taken more equal amounts of time for each pony trying to teach Rainbow instead of giving Twi half the episode, then stuffing the rest of them in there. It made it feel like a Twilight and Rainbow Dash episode, when it was really just a Rainbow Dash episode with the other mane 6 supporting.

 

This episode was saved by its gags, I think. There were some really funny spots in there, like Pinkies rap, which was cool, even if I didn't understand all the words. xD

 

I thought the way they finally end up teaching Rainbow is cool, and I wasn't expecting it. Pinkies roflcopter kinda came outta nowhere, though, and Rainbow didn't mention it in her little recap of what was happening during that flight for some reason... So that was a little odd.

 

So, overall, I think this episode had some good ideas, but took too long to get to them. If the pacing had been a bit better (the beginng was unnecessarily rushed, I feel) and there had been a few more funny stuffs, it would been great.

 

I guess I'll give it... 7/10. Not a great episode, but I enjoyed it.

 

 

I'm beginning to notice a pattern here...

 

 

EDIT: I see a lot of people here only acknowledging the good parts of episodes and ignoring the bad, overrating the episodes by at least a bit (in my opinion). There were some really good points to this episode, but the whole beginning just dragged me down, and sullied an other wise great second half of the episode. I wish I could just pay attention to the good parts, but I just can't help but notice the bad parts. Just wanted to make sure nobody thought I was hating on the episode...

Edited April 5, 2014 by MatrixChicken

[silvadel 1,393]

Dash is also so very brainwashable/prankable -- all you have to do is set up the right stuff under her flight route and you could make her believe anything.

 

The door to her brain has no guards.

Edited April 5, 2014 by silvadel

[HeroBrony 36]

I lost it as soon as pinkie started rapping.... I still cant get that out of may head     ... one of the best episodes in season 4 in  my opinion  9/10....

[Hawk Moth 390]

Omigoshomigoshomigosh! That was a wonder(bolt)ful episode! Dash was in rare blockhead form, Twilight went full nerd, Pinkie Pie channeled her love of early 90's hip-hop, Fluttershy and Spike collaborated on their first theatrical production, Rarity... did whatever Rarity does, and Applejack once again let apples disconnect her with reality. Not to mention all that WONDERBOLT LORE! WHOO!

 

I can relate to RD so much in this episode. There have been so many classes where I started composing musical numbers from squeaky chairs out of sheer attention deficit boredom. Owloysious and Spike spontaneously joining in was such a great, random move too. There were so many awesome moments in this episode it was hard to keep track. I had a nerdgasm when I saw Pinkie's Rev Run hat though XD That gag was just too epic.

 

Also the dialogue was really well-done - actually some of the best writing I've seen in the show yet! It was subtle while also comedically strong and was paced very well too.

 

This really was the Rainbow Dash episode I'd been waiting for. She was in character; we got to see her silly, prankster side; we saw her weaknesses, and finally we saw a very interesting and unique strength. Her ability to passively take her surroundings in a three-dimensional environment makes her prime recon material.

 

This was a big 10/10 for me and one of my favorite episodes of the series.

[Radiance64 7,051]

Surprisingly great episode, it was particularly good for developing Twilight and Rainbow Dash who both haven't had a good episode in a while. A few things I didn't expect happened here and there too, I'd say this episode was pretty good at hinting at things without being too predictable(except, well, c'mon, we all knew Dash would pass that test in the end anyway ). A lot of great meta humor in this episode too, like Dash picking on Twilight for singing entire arias about how nervous she is to take a test, RD wanting to watch a history of the Wonderbolts movie(which I guess would be on one of their old-timey things, but still, they have movies?), and whatever it is Pinkie Pie did to instantly make a 90's rap video. Some of the most subversive humor we've ever had on the show was in this episode, loved that.

I can't think of much bad to say about it either... I mean, I guess after seeing Fluttershy step in then it was pretty much a given that the rest of RD's friends were gonna step in and try to teach her(except Applejack, lol), but there's nothing wrong with that at all, just something you could see coming- their methods were sure unconventional, especially Pinkie Pie's.

Overall, 'Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3 was an awesome episode, somehow taking a rather mundane concept of studying for a test and putting its own entertaining MLP spin on it. Fantastico.

9.5/10

[DryGuy84 (Inactive) 927]

Dash is also so very brainwashable/prankable -- all you have to do is set up the right stuff under her flight route and you could make her believe anything.

 

The door to her brain has no guards.

 

This seems like more of a problem with your perception of Rainbow. You honestly think she wouldn't be able to look in hindsight and say: "Hey, you know what? That most likely did not happen."

[Guest90210 3,567]

Also the dialogue was really well-done - actually some of the best writing I've seen in the show yet! It was subtle while also comedically strong and was paced very well too.

 

Agreed with everything you said, especially this part. The writing was spot on.

[M'aiq the Liar 5,804]

Part of what made this episode so good was the premise was relatable, I'm sure we've all had the same situation as RD having to study for a test with no motivation. All of those study types were real and the humour is derived from that. People were doomsaying pinkie pie's rap but it was done really well, it was a really nice touch making it 4:3 VHS quality just like how things were in the 90s, just shows the attention to detail DHX put on everything.Additionally, all of the mane 6 were themselves, not over-exaggerated caricatures of their personalities. Just goes to show how much better the writers who have been there since the start are.

:I just copy and pasted this from what I said in a 4chan post.:

 

Also, rarity dressing up as nightmare moon...

Edited April 5, 2014 by Adjudant Reflex

[Magical Anarchy 177]

I thought it was a pretty funny episode overall. Correct me if I'm wrong, but does Rainbow Dash getting into the WonderBolt Reserves have anything to do with Ponyville qualifying for the Games? I didn't think so, because then the episode would be pointless...

-Guard

[Antismurf9001 1,271]

That ended up being a really fun episode!  I honestly don't have any complaints.  Everything just seemed to work.  It's neat that they were able to include a lot of lore about the Wonderbolts (and even had Firefly as their founder).  I also enjoyed how Rainbow Dash was clearly the focus of the episode, but it was Twilight who learned the lesson (it seems like nowadays, the only episodes that focus on poor Twilight are the season premieres/finales...).  My only question is whether or not the Wonderbolts are considered to be a part of the Equestrian military.  From this episode, it sounds like it, though they've never really been portrayed as anything other than a show squad.

 

Overall, I'd definitely rank this up with some of the better episodes of this season.

[FirestormCAN 246]

Guess they were going for the MTV generation today. That was a lot of VHS being used. Can you really say anything about Pinkie's rap?

 

Anyway, I absolutely adored this episode, mainly with the way Twilight finally managed to figure out Dash's study habits. Seriously, getting the whole town involved just for Rainbow Dash was absolutely amazing. Just goes to show they're cheering for their hometown hero.

 

The play was adorable too. Sure it went to crap near the end, but they casted it pretty well. And Spike was actually doing quite well as the director. I just love the face he made when Dash rejected an encore. XP

 

A lot of great expressions, too. Especially Rarity's. Good god I laughed so hard.

 

All in all, pretty neat episode.

[ghostfacekiller39 23,857]

Greetings

Let's just get right into the dirt and the gems of this episode, shall we?

 

Gems:

 

1. Humor - I found this episode to be very funny; between the face Rarity made when Applejack said her study method wouldn't "work for me, either" to the crying eyes Spike made when the play idea was shot down, to the play itself. It was a very funny episode, and I hold it in high regard for that.

 

2. Rarity - I love her so much! What we saw of her in this episode REALLY got her character down to a T; something that doesn't usually happen in Rainbow Dash episodes. She was a fashionista who was working really hard on the looks, and tried taking her passion and using it to help her friends, on top of some funny dialogue with a few of her "moments." She also wasn't perfect, mind you, her flaws showed just a smidge, but nothing to take away the spotlight from RD. When you get Rarity's character this right, you've won me over in a heartbeat

3. Applejack - She really was great in this episode! From talking about apples when everypony else was talking about the Wonderbolts, to her generally brutal honesty, I found her to be one of the best parts She certainly was a gem in this episode.

 

4. The Play - It was very humorous; I found myself sort of chuckling at how goofy the pets were, and Spike pushing Gummy along onto the stage was priceless. This added an extra humor element that was sort of over the top, but not in a bad way.

 

5. Full mane 6 appearance - After Fluttershy showed up, things started to improve over what was a horrid first half of the episode between Twilight and RD. Once Pinkie showed up, things went down a bit. Once Rarity showed up, things kicked into high gear and everything about the whole episode improved. Call me bias, but I honestly (and objectively, mind you) feel that once we started seeing more of the mane 6, the episode itself drastically improved.

 

6. Rainbow Dash - Rainbow Dash is a character I hardly relate to at all. I don't really understand her character all that well. I'll just put that out on the table. Of course, though, I saw the development she got in this episode, and I feel as if I understand her a bit better, even if I still don't understand her that well. That's a plus.

 

7. Twilight Sparkle appearance - Seriously, she's been so underused this season, I feel as if this qualifies as a gem. She's border lining on background pony territory.

Dirt:

 

1. The whole first half of the episode - Dear Celestia, before the rest of the mane 6 started to show, this episode was awful! The dialogue was shoddy, it felt rushed, the only shining part was when Owlicious, Spike, and RD made that weird music. Everything else just seemed sloppy; the dialogue, the pacing, the humor, all of it was terrible, almost. The dialogue between Twilight and Rainbow for the first few minutes really stunk. Of course, it picked up later on, as I stated above.

 

2. Pinkie Pie's rap - This just felt so...forced. The rap itself wasn't very good, Pinkie Pie's voice was irritating as all get out, but what really took the cake was how...shoddy the whole thing felt. It could've been done better, I feel, but ultimately fell on its face and ended up taking away from a great episode. In contrast to the play, this added a humor element that was so over the top it ended up being a bad thing.

 

Overall  Rating- 

 

:D :D

It was a great episode with a couple of glaring flaws, but the amount of positives and the whole second half of the episode made it great and negated much of the irritation I felt at first.. 4/5


 

Edited April 5, 2014 by ghostfacekiller39

[Hawk Moth 390]

Usually MLP episodes are very direct, so I was very surprised when watching that scene where Dash and Twilight were flying together as Dash was moping. The dialogue and cinematography evoked such a melancholy feeling; It's something I never would have expected from MLP, and that's why it blew me away. Bittersweetness like that is hard to pull off.

[DryGuy84 (Inactive) 927]

I thought it was a pretty funny episode overall. Correct me if I'm wrong, but does Rainbow Dash getting into the WonderBolt Reserves have anything to do with Ponyville qualifying for the Games? I didn't think so, because then the episode would be pointless...

-Guard

 

No, if anything without the key Rainbow Falls is pointless.

The Equestria Games episode is Spike-centric, so they'll probably just be in the episode's resolution.

 

[Moved to Elsewhere 11,329]

Pinkie should rap about being in west Fillydelphia born and raised.

[Batbrony 15,994]

I don't mind again that RD has a unique learning method, but all the same, her getting 100% on a test that she really only studied for with less than 12 hours left to study, she must be motherbucking Rain Man or something!  That rubbed me the wrong way, again, it really did; it was a slap to the face of students who put in hard work 24/7 to get excellent grades, or at least just to pass even.  Not saying that RD's stupid or that that method shouldn't work for her, but they should've condemned procrastination much more; if she'd just barely passed, with like a 75% or so, that would've felt more realistic to me.  But that was just way too easy and made the lesson feel a little hollow.

[Doctor XFizzle 8,651]

Rarity: Rainbow, your studying methods are BANANAS. B-A-N-A-N-A-S. And remember, I ain't no hollaback mare.