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

[RockinRarity 1,605]

Nobody else mentioned the quote I kept saying to my husband after the episode was over.

 

http://youtu.be/GN5r71dGCS8?t=13m45s

 

Maybe it's because I married an Applejack lover, but she's been getting more love from me. I just think that it's so funny that her only solution to Rainbow Dash's problem was apples. Well, not literally. But you know what I mean.

 

Great episode. Laughed the whole way through. Twilight and Rainbow Dash both needed a good episode this season and this worked really well. I didn't like Daring Don't at all, and Rainbow Falls was... interesting - although Rainbow Dash has been a pretty good supporting character. I liked Three's A Crowd and the premiere, but Twilight's been a pretty bad/bland supporting character throughout this season. So, so good to see both of them in a good light.

[FlutterShiny 19]

I haven't been big on the last few episodes, but I loved this one! Terribly ironic and amusing that Rainbow Dash is Ponyville's biggest Wonderbolt fan, yet EVERYONE knows more about their history than she does. Also if nothing else of substance happened during this ep (and it did!), I would have been satisfied by the RD/Owlowiscious/Spike antics alone. 

[Misterian 118]

This I can help with. The Wonderbolts were originally supposed to be the Equestrian equivalent to the Blue Angels, Red Arrows, and Snowbirds according to what the writers have said in Tweets, con interviews, and the like. These are real life stunt teams that were formed from the chosen military pilots from their respective nations. These stunt teams are not there just for entertainment purposes, but are primarily a recruiting tool for the various militaries. As such, when you meet these pilots on the ground, they are expected to be able to talk with authority on the history of their teams and how wonderful it is to be in the military. If the Wonderbolts continue to follow this model (which all evidence is pointing to yes, so far), then Rainbow Dash would be expected to do the same.

 

Wow, thanks, that at least makes sense.

 

Still, I find it a little baffling that the show never gave any clarification that the Wonderbolts were military, granted, you could argue I should've seen that coming based on how, as you said, they're based on the Blue Angels and the like, but still, I think some clarification from the show early on would've been nice.

[Starlight Sky 374]

@@Misterian, For what it's worth, they did show up during a crisis.

 

 

Couldn't find an unedited clip, so cue the dramatic music!

Edited April 6, 2014 by Starlight Sky

[Metemponychosis 1,186]

This I can help with. The Wonderbolts were originally supposed to be the Equestrian equivalent to the Blue Angels, Red Arrows, and Snowbirds according to what the writers have said in Tweets, con interviews, and the like. These are real life stunt teams that were formed from the chosen military pilots from their respective nations. These stunt teams are not there just for entertainment purposes, but are primarily a recruiting tool for the various militaries. As such, when you meet these pilots on the ground, they are expected to be able to talk with authority on the history of their teams and how wonderful it is to be in the military. If the Wonderbolts continue to follow this model (which all evidence is pointing to yes, so far), then Rainbow Dash would be expected to do the same.

I'd add that knowing their history is important so that recruits understand why some traditions are in place and why some things are done the way they are. Regardless if we think that these traditions are actually good or bad, there is a reason they exist.

[Tigerpop198 696]

I got to say, before i went into the episode, I wasn't expecting much, I was greatly surprised at how good the episode was. One of my favourites of season 4.

9/10

[NotInUse 64]

I loved that episode, especially Pinkie Pie's rap scene 

Edited April 6, 2014 by Treecut

[Whatevs 376]

I rewatched the episode to see if I had misjudged it.

I had, after a sense.

 

I liked parts of it more than before (the humor, the pacing, the character interactions etc)

 

However, certain things annoyed me more than before (the rap and VCR stuff, either one alone would have been fine but both irritated me).

 

However, I suspect I am the wrong person for this episode. I don't care for the 'too cool for school" thing Dash was doing, or the alternative learning nonsense (not saying people don't learn differently, just that people throw that card around as a way of covering their own failures too often).

So I can see why people like this ep but I thought it was only okay.

 

There have certainly been episodes with more mature morals as well. Ones that actually deal with moral shortcomings rather than task related issues

Edited April 6, 2014 by Whatevs

[Fhaolan 4,448]

I'd add that knowing their history is important so that recruits understand why some traditions are in place and why some things are done the way they are. Regardless if we think that these traditions are actually good or bad, there is a reason they exist.

True.

 

My experience in teaching, as short as that was, tells me that that is something that is normally left out. Nobody seems interested in explaining the *why* those traditions/methods/etc. exist. Just lists of factoids that have no meaning in and of themselves. When I was teaching kids in summer school, I was able to get a lot better recall and response just by explaining that 'why'.

 

Which is why of course I went on to do other things and didn't pursue full-time teaching, because there was far too much pressure from the system to use the 'teaching to the test' methodology. I would have been miserable as a teacher. Like the other teachers in my family (All my aunts and uncles were teachers at various levels).

[Ribbonfree 2,382]

That's a very specific lesson they pulled out for this episode, and I think they executed it very well. Also all the characters they managed to get relevantly involved made it feel really coherent for me. Sort of like a pseudo-ensemble episode built around Dashie.

 

Only minor complaint was that Pinkie's full rap made me cringe but that's a matter of taste.

[kageyuki 56]

i love this episode i think it maybe my favorite and why do every other pony knew more about the wonderboits then Rainbow Dash? and is she going to be a wonderboit in up comeing episodes maybe?

[EnderDash 4]

This episode was pretty good. I enjoy rainbow dash episodes(because she's my fave character) and this has got to be one of my favourites and was I the only one that noticed at one point in the episode twilights mouth didn't move when she was talking?

[Arctic Night 882]

Another great lesson. Pinkie's rap was probably my favorite part.

[Saphipony 22]

Great episode, it was fleshed out alot better than Twilight Time and It's Not Easy Being Breezies. It was nice to see Twilight, since we haven't seen alot of her since season. I do hope her character is explored in the next few episodes though, since she is the main character after all.

 

Honestly I don't see why her becoming a Princess is such a bad thing, I mean she's still the same towards her friends and she still learns more about friendship...The only difference is the fact that she has new obligations and a set of wings to go with it. I don't think it wrecks her development at all, because she's still Twilight Sparkle.

 

Lol I went a bit off topic there but overall a pretty good episode with a good moral. I learnt to appreciate the fact that people are unique and they learn differently.

[Pixel Stick 926]

Another solid episode!  My wife and I both commented that this one seemed much more focused on Hasbro's target audience - it was not only about the importance of learning, but understanding how people can learn in different ways.  And THANK YOU for giving Twilight something to do other than just be a background princess.

 

And while I still think she's been more of a ditz this season than usual, I was actually pretty pleased with Pinkie Pie's role this time around.  When she led into her song, I called out "Song cue!", and then the 80s rap caught me totally off-guard.

 

There's one thing that stands out to me here: This episode had an extremely simple plot.  There really was just one thing going on - Rainbow Dash's need to master her Wonderbolts history.  No complications.  And yet, they did it justice.  In general, I think the episodes with the simpler plots tend to be the better ones just because the more complex plots don't really fit well in 22 minutes.  But that varies widely, and is probably more about the writer than the plot.

 

Wow, thanks, that at least makes sense.

 

Still, I find it a little baffling that the show never gave any clarification that the Wonderbolts were military, granted, you could argue I should've seen that coming based on how, as you said, they're based on the Blue Angels and the like, but still, I think some clarification from the show early on would've been nice.

 

There's been a few times in past seasons where the Wonderbolts were depicted in a more military fashion.  I think the two most obvious ones were "Secret of My Excess", where they came to try to fight King Kong Mega-Spike, and "Wonderbolts Academy", the setting of which had a very Top Gun feel to it.

Edited April 7, 2014 by Pixel Stick

[Music Chart Fan 813]

Overall, this episode was decent. I thought the interaction of Twilight and Rainbow Dash was entertaining, and I liked seeing a different side of Rainbow Dash than the cocky, self-praising one - in this case, the depressed and despondent side. I also laughed out loud when Rainbow Dash shoved Twilight in the air, and Twilight (and the audience) thinks it's because Rainbow Dash is upset. Even as I detail my usual questions, observations, etc. below, they didn't detract quite as much from the good parts of the episode.

 

One of the biggest questions I had, and one which has implications through the whole episode, is whether Rainbow Dash did any studying or learning of the material on the test prior to the events of the episode. We're never clearly told whether she has, but it seems like the events of the episode make a little more sense if Rainbow Dash has in fact done some prior studying/learning. It would help explain why, at the beginning of the episode, Rainbow Dash has a dismissive attitude toward Twilight helping her study and doesn't even seem to be trying - she thinks she already knows it all and doesn't need to study any more. It would help explain why Rainbow Dash is willing to take Twilight's pop quiz (and seems confident about her answers); otherwise, why would she agree to a pop quiz on material she hasn't even studied yet? And when Rainbow Dash starts panicking after failing the pop quiz, it would be because she realizes that she doesn't know the material like she thought she did (and is running out of time to learn it). Finally, the alternate teaching methods don't really communicate the actual facts or tie them into a narrative very well at all, yet Rainbow Dash is able to explain things at the end of the episode, and that might be because Rainbow Dash supposedly knows the material, but needs a way to recall it or keep it straight in her mind. Of course, the problem is that we don't really know whether Rainbow Dash learned any test material before the beginning of the episode. I think a line or two of dialogue could have established that and cleared up a fair bit of confusion throughout the episode.

 

As I mentioned above, the teaching methods of Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Rarity don't seem to actually communicate many (if any) of the important facts, or tie them together into the narrative of the history of the Wonderbolts. Fluttershy's (and Spike's) play has no words at all, just characters - and even then, Fluttershy and Twilight have to say who they are. How is this communicating basic facts that Rainbow Dash will be tested on? Pinkie's rap manages to contain a little bit of relevant content - a bunch of ponies' names and maybe a few words about what they did. But the speed at which the lyrics fly by, and the need to construct them into a rhythmic and rhyming scheme, make the lyrics hard to understand and significantly hinder whatever learning might take place. Finally, Rarity's "fashion show" again contains little relevant information - just a few ponies' names and titles. Showing the uniforms of these various ponies seems rather pointless. Is Rainbow Dash going to be tested on what these ponies looked like or what they wore? Or is it much more likely that she's going to be tested on what they did and why they're important to the history of the Wonderbolts?

 

Of course, the final method which supposedly worked and caused Rainbow Dash to magically be able to recite some of the Wonderbolts' history doesn't seem much better than any of the aforementioned methods. At best, the ponies on the ground say a few sentences that communicate relevant Wonderbolts history. But the rest of the first part consists of disjointed shouted names and abbreviations (E.U.P.! Colonel Purple Dart! Admiral Fairy Flight! etc.), with no further information, just the same costumes as before. Then we have a bunch of ponies waving nondescript pictures with no text and no spoken words, and finally some symbols cut in the grass/bushes, again with no text and no spoken words. How is all of this communicating the facts and the narrative that Rainbow Dash is going to be tested on? Plus, when Rainbow Dash recites what she learned at the end of the flight, she talks about things like the Protective Pony Platoons that aren't even shown or said on the ground.

 

Furthermore, just how much does Rainbow Dash need to know for the test? It appears that Rainbow Dash had to take a multi-page written test, which I would think would involve knowing more than just a few ponies and a few sentences' worth of history. (Although, if we take the final scene literally, we only see Rainbow Dash write five lines on the first page, and the proctor only reads the first page when grading it.) The flight during which she learned material for the test only lasted a little over a minute, and we're not necessarily led to believe that that flight was much longer than what was shown. Did everyone who participated have to spend the rest of the day setting up multiple other flights for Rainbow Dash to learn the rest of the material? Did Twilight have to fly with Rainbow Dash and try to make awkward small talk with her for a bunch of other flights?

 

In addition to the lack of information communicated, the method by which Rainbow Dash learns the material for the test still seems strange, although I'll admit I'm not an expert in different mechanisms of learning, and I've never had to use unconventional learning methods. Basically, Rainbow Dash learns material for a history test by unconsciously noticing the speech, costumes, and pictures of ponies on the ground below, while flying and making small talk with Twilight at the same time. Does Rainbow Dash typically remember all these little things she unconsciously notices while flying a day later or a week later? If not, then how does she retain the history information she unconsciously notices while flying? To me, this seems analogous to someone studying for a history test by casually driving and conversing with a passenger, but just happening to look at some passing billboards with history information on them. It's true that you might notice a billboard, sign, bumper sticker, etc. while casually driving, and you might be able to recall it for a short time afterward, but it seems like without a conscious effort to remember it, that information will likely be pushed out of temporary memory and forgotten. After all, it's the kind of stuff you see most of the time when you drive, and it's usually not particularly interesting or useful. Similarly, it doesn't seem likely that Rainbow Dash will remember the history information she saw on the ground much later after seeing it, unless she uses some other method to transfer it to longer-term memory.

 

It's kind of funny that Twilight is amazed that Rainbow Dash can carry on a conversation while flying and paying attention to the events around her. Obviously Twilight has never seen what people can do, or try to do, while driving - not just conversing with passengers, but also listening to music, eating, texting, messing with the in-car media player or GPS, etc. I think Twilight's problem in the episode might be that as she's talking with Rainbow Dash, she's spending too much time looking at Rainbow Dash or other places rather than where she's flying. In all the time I've spent driving with a passenger and being the passenger with another driver, the two of us usually talk to each other while we both look out the window; we almost never look at each other, especially not whoever's the driver.

 

Finally, when Twilight is trying to cheer Rainbow Dash up, the examples she cites of Rainbow Dash's intelligence - Look at how many Daring Do books you've read! Look at how many jokes and pranks you know! - seem a little lame, and maybe not really relevant. I think she could have cited how good a flier Rainbow Dash is and how many complex tricks she knows and can do. After all, those things probably aren't just intuition - they presumably involved learning quite a bit, maybe even from books or classes, and Rainbow Dash was able to learn that stuff and excel at it. Rainbow Dash might just need a way to bring some of her passion for flying to bear on learning the history of the Wonderbolts. I shouldn't talk too much, though; I'm not terribly good at putting myself in another person's situation or seeing things from a different perspective, and I'm not an expert at motivating or teaching people, either, especially in a different way than how I do it.

 

Now for some miscellaneous observations:

 

Why is Twilight reading a book while lying on her front door step and propping her book against a rock? Are there not plenty of other places, such as inside the library or on the balcony, that are more comfortable and sheltered?

 

When Twilight magically grabs the ripped-out pages from her book, why does she crumple them up? Wouldn't she want to preserve them as much as possible?

 

It's obviously a little ridiculous that Rainbow Dash wears sunglasses indoors to hide the fact that she's not paying attention. I don't know, could there be some pony equivalent of what we humans would do, like, say, the method of putting your hand on your forehead while "concentrating" on looking at a paper or book on your desk?

 

Twilight lecturing at the board really doesn't hear the racket going on behind her, not even Spike banging on a snare drum? In addition to that, she doesn't even look at Rainbow Dash while lecturing for over 30 seconds straight. Did Twilight ever learn that good lecture/speech technique involves looking at (and engaging) your audience?

 

During the lecture, when Twilight says "headed by General Firefly", her mouth doesn't move. This occurs at roughly 4:07 into the episode (if the intro is included and commercials are excluded).

 

I don't like how both Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash act as though it's Twilight's job to prepare Rainbow Dash for the test, when it's Rainbow Dash's job to prepare for it and Twilight is trying to be nice and volunteer to help Rainbow Dash with studying.

 

Applejack says that she picked up the history of apples over years in the field as a labor of love, but how does tending apple orchards teach her the history of apples? Is she saying that she learned the history from her family while they were all working in the fields?

 

Rainbow Dash can supposedly hear the things that ponies are saying on the ground, but we the audience never hear them while we're watching Rainbow Dash and Twilight flying, despite being essentially at Rainbow Dash's vantage point.

 

So the cloud that Rainbow Dash is lying on turns into a dark rain cloud and begins raining because of Rainbow Dash's mood? Since when do clouds in Equestria change type and start precipitating based on the mood of the pegasus touching them?

 

Finally, it certainly is convenient that all the other ponies involved in helping Rainbow Dash learn her history (not just the Mane Six, but the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Big Mac, and many other residents of Ponyville) are able and willing to drop whatever they were doing (like their jobs) and spend who knows how long preparing and executing that whole plan.

[Sig Hoovestrong 837]

Love it, it head good lesson to the story. And it was really entertaining to me. Surely one the stronger episodes of season 4.

 

 

 

[GenderIsAnIllusion 2,177]

Overall, Testing Testing was...... Actually pretty good. The premise being Rainbow Dashes too cool for school attitude finally bites her in the behind when she realizes she know nothing about the history of the wonder bolts, and is required to pass a test on said material in order to join the Wonderbolts reserve, which drew me in and gave me high expectations that were more or less met.

 

Slight problems I had with this episode was minor pacing issues, and pinkie pie rapping.... Yeah she shouldent do that. (Also notice the obvious cameo from DJ Pony in the rap scene), and most notably Rainbow dash once again so easily giving up her dream..... But to my surprise it didn't take that much from the episode as a whole, and is Definently infinently better than rainbow falls. It was funny, and clever at the same time (especially the scene where rainbow pushes twily out of the way of the helicopter).... My solid rating would have to be a 7/10. Stretch the episode into 30 minutes, and remove pinkie rapping, and I'd say its worth an 8/10. Overall very satisfied with this installment of FIM.

[roptiriolg 49]

What can I say... it was AWESOME! Even though I am more fan of the 'more action' and adventure episodes, I guess what matters more is how thoughtful an episode is made and this is what makes it good, not just if it has more adventure or not. This is an excellent episode not of my type that I loved as much as my favorite episodes! I personally liked Rainbow Falls but this one is probably much better seeing the overall opinion.

 

I haven't had such a nice time laughing at Rainbow's study session in other episodes for quite a while. She was so funny and cute! Yeah with that chair and with Spike and the Owl, then the argue with Twilight  Laughed heartedly there. I too liked Fluttershy's participation in making RD and Twilight chill, it was a nice scene and I liked Fluttershy there too.

 

For the rap, that felt weird, some combination of 'scared' 'surprised' and 'laughing', Pinkie's thin voice and rapping I was like o.O.

 

Yes, I liked the idea and unique way the cute Rainbow Dash has for learning, each pony having their own way to help here, then combining that together, I think the episode was well thought and everything was fine. Really, loved it and it showed me that well thought episodes is better than just having more action.

[Kel_Grym 1,916]

I liked this episode and...thought it was perfect.

 

*shrugs* maybe I'm just easy to please...

 

Something I noticed was that a lot of people are devided on Pinkie Pie rapping. Some love it, some hate it. As far as objective asthetics go, I suppose it did seem forced, yet at the same time it isn't really out of Pinkie's character...I just dunno. As far as subjective asthetics go, it tickled my fancy, so I'm biased for it and can easily overlook any transgressions of objective asthetics that the scene may have commited.

[Fauna Flight 15]

It was fine. I thought Twilight and Pinkie were the best, but the others might have gotten in the way a little bit. The sad thing is, they didn't really advance the problem or episode until Rainbow and Twi fly.  Oh well, I thought the music was awesome! PINKIE RAPPER FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!! The lesson was awesome as well. Yeah... that's it I guess.

[Luffyiscool 397]

This episode was bloody awesome. 10/10 from me.
Also, rapping Pinkie is one of the best things season 4 has thrown at us.

[ggg-2 3,420]

what do you guys wanna bet the reserves are never mentioned again?

[SapAppleJamer 7]

Is rainbowdash ADHD???????

That would be awesome!

 

Love this episode

Probs one of my season 4 faves. 

 

[Ianpiersonjdavis 512]

I loved it, and it's a good thing too-I was really holding my breath after 'Rainbow Falls'    

 

But, luckily this episode was very funny (plus, I think I can see why Dash was kicked out of flight school, now.)