Daring Don't (with The Second Opinion)

Moviefan12:  Hello & welcome back to Trotting Through Life, as today we take a look at Daring Don't. A decent action/adventure episode.  Y'know, with a title like that,  one is inclined to want to include this music throughout the review.  I think this calls for the Indy theme.  And why not, as Daring Do is pretty much Equestira's Indy.  So join us as we travel by map to get the treasure from  Ahuizotl.  

And please watch out for any rolling boulders.  We don't have the insurance to cover damaged readers.

The Second Opinion: That's right, just do what he says and I'll be with you as soon as I finish this sword fight I'm locked in. 
Alright, sorry about that. Back again to put some hard-headed realism into the mix, and I'm definitely lookin forward to this review. (And yes, I'm pretty sure it's really me this time.) But if we're putting theme music in, the appropriate tune to start out with might really be a little different. Daring Do, you'll remember, is actually the main character of Rainbow Dash's favorite book series. But it's one series that's about to back up I can go anywhere/I can be anything in spades.

Fangirlism about to reach a whole new level



The Plot


Moviefan12: We open the episode on Fluttershy teaching a pair of chicks teaching how to fly, when Rainbow Dash comes by and asks, if she's excited because the next Daring Do book will be released in 4 months.  Hmm, that sounds like me, when the show got closer to season 4 starting up. Is the show trying to say something about Bronies again?   In her over-excited state, Rainbow flies into a tree.  After the cold open, Dashie goes to Golden Oaks Library, now excited that the book is only three months away from coming out, until Twilight Sparkle gives her the news that the book had been delayed.   Yep, been there too.   She gets a bit frustrated at Twilight Sparkle for knowing more about the series, then she does but Twilight reminds her that she was the one that introduced Dash to the Daring Do book series.  Again, are you guys using this episode to say something about fandom?  Because if so, I approve!  

Rainbow Dash asks Twilight Sparkle, if she knows, where the author, A.K. Yearling lives, as she's figured that Yearling has been distracted everyday distractions and wants to go there to help her finish the book.  Oh god,  don't turn into Stephen King's Misery.   Ahem, back on topic.   Twilight is hesitant about the idea but slowly comes around and so, the Mane Six head off to find A.K. Yearling.  

Hey, I already made that joke.

The Second Opinion: So after going ahead with this rather awkward idea, the six arrive at the home of A.K. Yearling, only to find it trashed and empty. Before they can piece together what happened, the author returns home and, surprised, begins searching the house, barely noticing the pony gang as they try to explain. When she finds the golden hoop she’s looking for, Rainbow Dash decides to keep pretending that doing chores for an author to get them to write their book faster is a notion the episode is seriously going to consider. So Twilight Drags her outside to give her the lecture on respecting privacy, when Pinkie Pie interrupts.

“You should tell that to those guys.” She says.


Totally surrounded, A.K Yearling throws off her homely outfit to reveal that she is dressed as Daring Do herself. And yes, it really is because all of her stories are true, and she’s the one and only Daring Do. My bad, I’ll switch my choice of theme music now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KThlYHfIVa8&feature=kp


After a fight sprawling all over the room for the hoop, Daring Do goes down in what I think was supposed to be caused by a concerned cry from Rainbow Dash distracting her. The head honcho shows up and reveals that he intends to sell the hoop to Daring Do’s nemesis, Ahuizotl, despite Daring Do’s pleas that it will doom the valley Ahuizotl occupies to 8 centuries of unrelenting heat. (At this point, I’m glad Rainbow Dash isn’t a fan of the World War Z series.) The 6 then realize that they should probably do something and enter to help Daring Do pick herself up. But the adventurer insists she’s a one pony trick and takes off with her leg in a splint. Twilight is worried they might be in over their heads and should go back to stopping world-dominating, reality altering, darkness spreading armies, but Rainbow Dash flies off, clinging to the hope that she’s worthy of helping her hero against, uh, this guy:

Moviefan12: Wait, so A.K. Yearling is Daring Do. I wonder, I'll be right back. Ah, here's the portal.

In Equestira


Here I go,  She has to be around here somewhere. I just know it,  Oh, come on where is she.  

I'm back, I'm back.  I found who I was looking for.   Behold,  Fausticorn.  

There were rumors that Faust was actually an alicorn and is the mother of Celestia and Luna and I got a picture of her. Hey, wait a minute, something's not right...

I'M A PONY!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Uhm, uh, while I figure out how to turn back into a human, let's continue... wait a minute, I'm Magic Dust.  Oh boy, this is awkward.  Let's get back to the review. Wait how am I typing.  Oh, horn.   

Rainbow Dash flying off isn't the best idea but she is so caught up in wanting to impress her idol that she doesn't realize this.  But Daring, doesn't seem to like this idea and just believes that Dash will slow her down.  We later see Do and Dash arrive at the campsite of the henchmen, where Daring makes a disguise to try and get the ring but she reveals herself to Ahuizotl.  While Dash just watches from the sidelines and we get one of the best one-liners from Do.




"Now, Ahuizotl., you know I love you but I can't give you the ring 'til I've properly proposed."

Alas,  Do is captured with the ring by her foe leaving Dashie to feel as though she has disappointed her idol and willing to give up, when the Mane Six catch up to her, Twilight Sparkle knocks some sense to her and tells this isn't the Rainbow Dash, I know.  Second Opinion, you take it from her, I'm still trying to find a way to turn back into a human.



The Second Opinion: Ungh, wha? Oh, sorry, I must have fallen asleep during week 2 of sitting here. Anyway… HOLY HECK, HE’S A PONY!!! I… is this normal?! I mean, I know we just got done with Darkfan turning himself into me, but…


Oh, right, the review. Ahem, theme music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y983TDjoglQ


Seriously, I know she’s not Daring Do, but isn’t Rainbow Dash a black belt and an unmatched speedster in the air? Now Ahuizotl just puts his hand around her and she doesn’t even want to try anything? What’s with the helpless routine? I know she’s supposed to be feeling out of her league, but the whole thing’s completely rushed, which leaves the drama feeling unjustified. Still, after spending most of the episode trying to comprehend Rainbow’s nonsensical thought process, it’s here that she becomes identifiable, turning her unbending passion on herself for her perceived failure. She even brushes off the others’ attempts to put her in a better light, until Twilight calls the situation for what it is. Cut to Daring Do…

“I’m going to place him in an easily escapable situation…”


Ahuizotl leaves her in a flooding room filled with piranhas. She struggles, but it turns out her bonds are actually attached to concrete blocks that slide out of the wall. She pries them loose anyway but finds them too heavy to fly with. 

“You could flap too, ya know!” Rainbow scoffs at her hero.

And so, Rainbow Dash makes the save and finds her voice, matching Daring Do barb for barb when she tries to brush Rainbow off again. She also returns the adventurers hat with style, finally winning her over. And so, with Rainbow finally herself again and the two of them about to go partake in the team up of the season, we can finally sing the right tune: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7G_PB0hk9j8 

(Wait, I might be confused... sorry if that's actually the Star Wars theme.) Anyway they make their way to Ahuizotl’s chamber together, while the other 5 attack head on, providing a distraction.

 “Drop the ring Owwie… whutever your name is!”




Moviefan12:  That was indeed a great moment and the fight between the rest of  Mane Six and the baddies was a blast to watch and Pinkie probably  gets the best moment (I promise to try and be easier on her from now on).  

Do and Dash work together get the rings on and they succeed in causing the fortress to collapse. 

After the fortress is destroyed, Do thanks Dash for her aid and puts out her hoof for hoofshake but Dash goes in for a hug. Can't blame her, I'd do the same with Andrea Libman.  

Our epilogue has Dashie writing  in the friendship journal, when the mail arrives with the newest copy of the newest Daring Do book and who should be on the cover other then...

Fluterrshy, oh wait no,

it's Rainbow Dash

All in all,  I thought this was a very fun episode.  A very great action/adventure episode.  Now I know some fans didn't take to kindly to the idea of Daring Do being a real character. Which is an odd hurdle to get over with this episode but once you do, this is a great episode. Let's move onto the characters and hopefully, we can figure out how to turn me back into a human.  Ah, here's a magic spell. I'll try this.  

The Second Opinion: Yoy, this magic stuff is gonna take some getting used to.

The Characters

Main Characters

Rainbow Dash voiced by Ashleigh Ball

Moviefan12:   Dash was just adorably awesome in this episode.  As I mentioned in the plot, this episode like Read It & Weep before it, is a great analysis of fandom.  While Read It & Weep,  was more about embracing something new and accepting that it's okay to like this, even if you think it isn't.  Daring Don't  focuses more on how carried away fans get, especially, when meeting their idols. It almost seems to be a message that we need to remember that the ones, we need idolize are people too, and to not place them on a highly unattainable pedestal.  

The Second Opinion: I give the show a lot of credit for what it’s done with Rainbow as the brash tomboy type. It could have gone the usual route, which is to present their arrogance as its own justification, as though the lady being an aggressive jerk is great because it’s atypical. But this show never tries to make Rainbow’s arrogance a “good” thing. It tries to make it understandable. Like most competitive people, she wants to feel good about herself, and she thinks playing offense is the best way to go about it. But at the same time, she never means any harm (at least initially). She often causes some without noticing, but it’s never to the point where she’s unlikable. Usually, it’s more funny than hurtful, and we still see that she actually takes the needs of others very seriously. She’s not the first to see what’s right, but she’s the first to stand up for it. She’s just a big, fun-loving personality that I really enjoy.


That said, this episode didn’t always seem sure of how it wanted to play her. At first, she’s hysterically overexcited for the new Daring Do book, all well and good, but then she starts to become obsessed in all the wrong ways. Her ideas to move it along don’t make sense, the jokes on how she doesn’t care about anyone or anything except the books miss the mark, her refusal to listen to reason is annoying, and it’s all so one-note as to override the rest of her character. The way she lets herself become a useless fangirl around Daring Do is actually pretty relatable, but it’s also sort of rushed and overplayed. Again, it’s pretty one-note, and the way Rainbow folds up in the jungle cat fight makes no sense.


Only after the well-played scene in which Twilight puts it all in perspective does she change back into the Rainbow Dash we know and love. Not only does she get to show Daring Do who she’s really dealing with (very satisfying), she gets to play a central role in saving the day. Plus, she’s just a lot of fun as always in this portion.

Daring Do voiced by Chiara Zanni 

   

Moviefan12: Daring Do is a character was a bit rough around the edges at first. She seemed kinda jaded. I do wish that the show had delved into that some more. Do, for her part in the fan/idol relationship seem to show that, hey treat your fans with respect and don't brush them off.  

The Second Opinion: Heck, I know I’m grateful she’s real, if all they could come up with for Rainbow on her own was pestering an author to finish a book. She has a nice combination of standoffish and fun, and I appreciated what she brought to the story. Still though, after putting all your chips with her and Rainbow in the ending, you couldn’t come up with anything better than sliding rings off a pole?

Supporting Characters

Twilight Sparkle voiced by Tara Strong

Moviefan12: Twilight Sparkle also had some great fan moments and I love how she was the one that reminded Dash that she was a fan of the books and that she introduced Dash to the series.  And the girls just rattling off Do info was fun to watch.  And small tangent,  but this made me angry at the last issue of the MLP comics, which supposedly took place after Daring Don't and Rarity, Twily, Dash, and Pinkie got sucked into various books and one of them was a Daring Do book and Twilight knew NOTHING about Daring Do.  

The Second Opinion: Twilight was great support in this episode, and I really liked the turning point in which she convinces Rainbow to keep trying. If you’ve ever met her type, the way Rainbow turned her disappointment on herself was very identifiable, and the way Twilight brings her back was no heart of the cards speech. It was very truthful and to the point, but at the same time, she kept it in an encouraging light. It’s totally believable that it would have the effect it did. I’m in agreement with Moviefan about her fan moments too.

Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy voiced by Tabitha St. Germain, Ashleigh Ball,  & Andrea Libman

Moviefan12:  If there is one issue, I noticed in the early episodes of season 4,  a lot of the episodes seem to think that you need all of the Mane Six in an episode but other then Twilight, the rest of the Mane Six, once again took a back seat to the story.  I think, you could've cut the cast down to three, say Dash,  Twilight, and Rarity,  if you want to do a Dragonquest follow up type episode and you would basically have the same episode. 

 The Second Opinion: Well, I actually sort of like that they don’t always need a Twilight-centric conflict of epic proportions to all go on an adventure together. It’s nice to see that someone else can be at the center of the group if necessary, as we’ve seen before, and while adventures with only a few can have their own advantages, this one did get the nice scene with the other five taking on Ahuizotl’s army. You’ll have to fix the fact that Rainbow is the only one who doesn’t get to take on any of them directly, but otherwise, nice moments all around. Wait, Rarity was in this episode, right?

Villains

Dr. Caballeron voiced by Michael Dobson

  

Moviefan12: If there was one weak link in this otherwise pretty good episode,  it was the villains.  Say what will you will about Sombra or Sunset Shimmer but at least, they are memorable.  Dr. Caballeron,  was obviously inspired by the Indy villains such as  Rene Belloq from Raiders but he didn't really bring anything new to the table.

The Second Opinion: I don’t know, I guess this guy was what he needed to be. They covered the basics, establishing that his motivation was money more than anything else, and he fit the mold of Indiana Jones. (Actually, I just realized that he got away clean with the cash. Shouldn’t somebody be bringing him to justice?)

Ahuiztol voiced by Michael Drummond  

Moviefan12:  While Ahuiztol does have an interesting design,  I again feel that the villains took a back seat to the whole fan/idol storyline with Dash and Do.  He's not bad, and if were to be fleshed out a bit more in a future appearance, I think he could be a rather entertaining baddie but as it stands right out now, he leaves something to be desired.

 The Second Opinion: Again, he was what he needed to be, nothing less and not much more. I agree that the design is cool, and he plays off Daring Do pretty well as the Snidely Whiplash that he is, but he wasn’t the point, and he doesn’t do anything particularly memorable. That’s all just fine, but they should probably note that there’s potential to bring out here if there’s a next time.

Our Final Thoughts

Moviefan12:  Before I give my final thoughts, I want and try see if this spell works to make me a human again. Let's try. 

 

I'm starting to feel different. Hopefully, this works.   I think I can go ahead and give my thoughts now.  I liked this episode for the fandom message, that it was sending.  Don't go overboard and remember that the people, you idolize are people too.   I think this is working.

The Second Opinion: There’s a lot of fun action and funny, entertaining moments to be found here, but it falls short of what it could have been. I know we’re not supposed to like the direction Rainbow is on for the first 2/3, but like I said, this portion is off even on its own terms. And then the big finale, our cathartic payoff, is only about a 6 or a 7 on the awesome scale. [Insert line on how it needed to be about 20% cooler] Overall, I guess that still adds up to a decent episode, and I definitely enjoyed it more than the last one. But I should note that it hasn’t been the easiest thing to get me to question a Rainbow Dash episode. I even liked The Mysterious Mare Do Well more than this.

Moviefan12:  Well,  I feel different.   But I look smaller. Join us next time as we take a look at Flight To The Finish.  Those Blank Flanks.

Moviefan12:  Did I just say that?  Uh oh!  

   

The Second Opinion:   So, Moviefan, it looks like… oh boy…

 

Questions For Magic Dust # 7: Let It Go, Fluttershy, Sunshine Rhyme, & The Crystal Empire

Dustie: Let It Go, Let It Go. 

Moviefan: Dustie,  it's time for another question session.  You guys, got to see Frozen in Equestira.  


Dustie: No silly, you showed it to me, remember and I've been listening to this Luna version of the song ever since.


Moviefan: Really, can I hear that?


Dustie: Sure, here ya go.

 

Moviefan: Wow, that's pretty good.  I wonder if there are any other good pony-fied versions of songs, I like.  Anyways, sorry we couldn't get together for Hearts & Hooves Day, but I understand that you had a date.  Was it with Fluttershy?

Dustie: Ah no,  I gave up on Fluttershy, a while back.

Moviefan: WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Dustie: Kidding, I wanted to ask her out but it looked she was preforming and wow, her voice was just so pretty.  I don't know why, she doesn't like to perform but that's her choice.

So,  I kinda chickened out and decided not to ask her out.  She seemed to be having fun though.   Maybe, I'll try again next year.

Moviefan:  I hear ya,  and good luck with that.  Hey, I know you don't like questions about your cousin but...

Dustie:  Stop, here comes the obligatory Twilight Sparkle question and no, you cannot go to Twilight Time, either. That is only for the Crusaders.  

Moviefan: No, my question is there a reason why Twilight and Cadance stopped doing the Sunshine Rhyme.

Dustie:  Because they realized it was dumb and immature.

Moviefan:  It's not dumb.  

Dustie:  It really is,  all right, speaking Mi Amore Cadenza.  Didn't you just try and go back to The Crystal Empire. And were there any spies there?  

Moviefan:  Hey,  I'm the one asking questions but yeah,  and thankfully I found a potion that made me a pony, so things weren't so weird.  Well except for the fact that Shining Armor thought I was hitting on his wife.  And that was not the case at all and decided to throw me out of the castle.. literally.  He picked me up, and threw me from the second story balcony.   And I wasn't even a pegasus,   I was an Earth pony,  so you can imagine, the damage that left. Thankfully, I did meet a Doctor

Uh,  Moviefan,   I hate to break this to ya but that guy isn't a medical doctor.  He's just some nutjob that claims robots and aliens will attack Equestira.  He actually runs  a clock store and his wife, is the mailmare.

They are a sweet couple,  have two daughters, Sparkler and Dinky but I'm sidetracking,  why did my cousin throw you out this time?

Moviefan:  I don't know, Cadance and I were just playing a game.

Dustie:  What game?

Moviefan:  Twister

 

Dustie:  You don't see a problem with that?!?!

Moviefan: No, not really

Dustie:  Oi, I think we're done here.   

Moviefan:  I'm kidding, it was Scrabble and granted I was winning.

Dustie:  Oh, that is weird but yeah, I think we're done.  I'm going to listen to Let It Go, again.

Moviefan: Later, Dustie.  

 

Castle Mane-ia (with The Second Opinion)

 

Moviefan12:  Hello & welcome back to Trotting Through Life. Joining me again as we enter this dark and spooky castle is The Second Opinion.  Did someone say dark and spooky?  Zoinks!  Jinkies, I found a clue.  I'll do this review for a Scooby Snack.  You may be asking, what's with the Scooby Doo references? Well, it's  quite simple, new writer for the show, Josh Harber was inspired by the Great Dane for the idea and story of this episode. And in that regard, it's a love letter to Scooby fans.  Much more then this piece of dreck!

This episode is set up like a classic, Scooby Doo, Where Are You? episode with the ponies split up in a dark and spooky location. And a mysterious figure haunting the castle. Ooh!   And as someone that grew up watching every version of Scooby Doo (Mystery Inc.  being the best),  I was in love with this episode.  If you recall,  My Top 20 Favorite Characters List, Scooby and Shaggy were on the list at # 20, because they're childhood heroes/icons.  And this episode as previously stated was a love letter to Mystery Incorporated. Besides that though, it was just a really fun episode.  

The Second Opinion: Well, I certainly appreciate some Scooby Doo - heck, when I was younger, I used to willingly watch the episodes with Scrappy - and I'll give you that it's a better tribute than the movie from the guy who made The Smurfs 1 and 2. But frankly, I think I'm going to turn out to be the villain of this episode. Something about it set off my inner cynic in a big way, and I intend to have my revenge before any of you leave this haunted house. 

For now though, I'll let the reason why remain a mystery for the rest of you to ponder. Ready to split up and search for plot points ?

Moviefan12:  R'okay,...  okay,  I'll set up the trap to capture Old Man Jinkins.   Let's gets this review started.  

The Plot

Moviefan12:  We begin the episode back at Golden Oaks Library, where Twilight is trying to find information on the locked chest but to no avail.  She later gets a letter from Celestia suggesting that she head to the Everfree to look for a book in the Royal Sisters' old castle to look for a book that might help her. Wait a minute,  didn't Celestia say at the end of Princess Twilight Sparkle that she didn't know anything about the chest.  Okay, either Tia is lying or this is a continuity flub.     I'm going for the latter as I refuse to use the Trollestia meme.

The Second Opinion: The "Trollestia" meme...? I don't even wanna know.

To be fair, I suppose Celestia could have meant that there's an offhand chance one of her old books has something helpful in it, some information none of Twilight's books have. But either way, the mention of an old library is all it takes for Twilight to book through the Everfree forest. Upon arrival, Spike eyes the creepy statues and spiders and wants to go home, but Twilight has every intention of spending the night studying. 

Cut to Rainbow Dash and Applejack rehashing Fall Weather Friends, now competing to see who is the "most daring" pony, and, woah...

I guess they're auditioning for Fear Factor

Unfortunately, the bee keeper ends up asking for his bees back, all of which follow him at the sound of his whistle. Pinkie Pie, who's keeping score, has them exactly tied, and now has to go fulfill the job that nobody else volunteered to do, for some reason, ringing the school bell all week. But Applejack gets an idea to break the tie, leading Rainbow into the Everfree Forest towards the castle.

Meanwhile, Rarity is leading Fluttershy and Angel through the forest towards guess where, having decided to stop waiting after three seasons and go restore the old royal tapestries in the name of fashion. She needs Fluttershy's help to carry them back, which she does admit isn't the most important cause Fluttershy's ever braved the Everfree Forest for, but still...

 They all just miss each other upon entering the castle, and Applejack, kicking off the competition with Rainbow, reveals the old legend of how, when Nightmare Moon was banished, not all of her dark magic went with her. Late at night, it emerges in the form of The Pony of Shadows.

So far so good.



Moviefan12:   Reah, I ron't see see anything to complain about Recond Opinion.   Hmm, the idea of not all of Nightmare Moon's magic being banished reminds me of one of my favorite fanfics, Past Sins, in which  a cult of ponies try to create a new Nightmare Moon but they just end making this adorable filly, Nyx that becomes Twilight's daughter. 

Still, have plans for Nyx-vember,  back to the episode at hand.  In the  spooky castle, hold it, with the Scooby  tribute, something is just missing. 

There, that's better.  At the castle, while  AJ and Dashie continue to practice for their Fear Factor audition and failing miserably, Fluttershy and Miss Rarity, find and old tapestry that belonged to Princess Luna that Miss Rarity wants to take back to the boutique to fix up.   So, she has my girly fly up and get the tapestry.  I just love Best Pony's face here.

When my girly flies up to go and get the tapestry, she accidentally activates the wall move and on the other side of this, Dashie and AJ see this and get scared and run as they mistake Flutters for The Pony of Shadows. The wall turns back around and Flutters has a sprained wing. Deciding that the tapestry is just too big, Miss Rarity decides they'll look for a smaller one.

The Second Opinion: You don't? Well, I suppose I should continue...

Angel accidentally activates a trap door that drops Fluttershy and Rarity into a dark pit, separating them from the rabbit. Meanwhile, Applejack and Rainbow Dash make their way through the castle while the eyes of a painting follow them, challenging each other not to be scared. Climbing down a spiral staircase, they come across a hall filled with disembodied pony legs. So now we have creepy settings trapping and separating the friends, a mysterious figure who could intend to do absolutely anything, and an old legend at the front of all the strange things in this castle. Sounds like some full-force buildup right?

Rarity reaches through a whole in the wall, which it turns out reaches the hall Rainbow and Applejack are in. Rainbow feels her hoof, thinks it's one of the disembodied hooves come to life, and runs away screaming about it with Applejack. Rarity jumps back, claiming she felt something, but Fluttershy thinks its Angel and tries herself, accidentally pull a lever that flips the wall and frees them.

You spin me, right round

 Twilight, meanwhile, leads Celestia's old diary, explaining everything the others just witnessed as the castle's old gimmicks that Celestia and Luna used to play with. She then gets to the part about the latest funhouse gimmick called the "organ to the outside," which the mysterious cloaked figure begins playing, causing more walls to flip on the bewildered ponies. Starting to see the problem yet?



Moviefan12: Yeah,  I gotta be honest, other then Twilight reading the Royal Sisters' journal, which was very inconsiderate of her, especially considering that she'll be able to buy a copy at her local bookstore in a few months,  I have nothing to complain about.

  











This episode is just a lot of fun.  I know some people don't like episodes where character barely miss each other but I thought this episode handled it pretty well.  Ah, yes the organ to the outside and this is where Angel Bunny meets up with Twi and Spike.  And we get one of the best shots from the entire series featuring Dash and Applejack.

That staircase sequence is just stunning.   While Dash and AJ head down the stairs,  Flutters and Rarity have ended up trapped in dark and tiny space, while my girly worries about her bunny.   He's fine.  No, really!  

 

Our cloaked figure keeps on playing the organ causing the girls to continue to freak out until they all meet up in the castle's foyer, where Twilight gets to calm down and leads them to our organ player. And it turns out, it was Pinkie Pie.  Yeah, saw that coming!

It pretty much had to be Pinkie as she was the only mane character not in the episode and that brings me to something I've been noticing throughout the season, a  problem,  a Pinkie Problem as it were. There have been little moments all throughout the season, where Pinkie has been coming off less like the lovable Pink Party Pony from the first three seasons and more like well, an idiot.  The Pinkie Problem first showed during Princess Twilight Sparkle, when the girls were looking through the books for information and Pinkie said "Ooh, I found something". and she was just coloring.

Look, while I do believe that Pinkie is the youngest of the Mane Six and the most childlike, that was pushing it too far.  Pinkie Pie knows when to be serious and when to be silly, and this was not the time to be silly. And alas our Pinkie Problem reared it's ugly head in this episode as well. Just look...

Okay, seriously.   Yeah, this deserves something.   A lot of something's....

Thank you.  That one scene is one of the STUPIDEST THINGS I'VE EVER SEEN IN MLP AND I  WATCHED DOUBLE RAINBOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!     You know what this calls for,  Royal Canterlot voice. Ah, there's the button.

DOESTH THIS WRITER THINK THAT MAKING THE PINK MANED ONE RING A BELL WITH HER HEAD  IS SOMETHING THAT'LL  AMUSE THE MASSES. THIS CHARLATAN IS  INCORRECT IN THINKING THAT.  THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MAKING CHARACTERS SUCH AS THE ONE NAMED PINKIE UP ABOVE HUMOROUS AND ENDEARING TOWARDS THE AUDIENCE AND MAKING HER SEEM LIKE THE VILLAGE IDIOT.  WE SIMPLY ARE NOT AMUSED BY THIS LITTLE THING THAT BARELY PASSES FOR A JOKE, AND IF WE ENCOUNTER ANY MORE ISSUES LIKE THIS THROUGHOUT THE SEASON, WE MAY JUST CONSIDER A PUNISHMENT WORSE THAN BANISHMENT TO THE  MOON.  WE WILL MAKE THE WRITERS SIT THROUGH THAT VAPID AND SHALLOW AND INSULTING PIECE   OF GARBAGE THAT IS DOUBLE RAINBOOM!    OKAY, WE SHALLTH TURN OFF THE VOICE NOW! 


Sorry but that "joke" just pissed me off as a long-time Pinkie fan.  There is a difference between Pinkie being Pinkie and treating her like an idiot.  Heck, Equestira Girls remembered who Pinkie was better then season 4 has (save for Pinkie Pride)

 This human character has more in common with my now third favorite pony, then the way season 4 has been mistreating her.  The way, Pinkie has been acting, I almost expect her to be in a preschool.  




The Second Opinion: Come to think of it, I don't know if this show has ever offered any evidence that Pinkie Pie is smart. If she's supposed to be, then, yeah, they might want to get on that. At best, you could argue that her mental capacities are at least average, and it's just that her attention span is all over the board. To be fair though, we've seen her go to these extremes before, like taking one last dip in the chocolate rain when the others were lined up to defeat Discord and accusing her rival cooks senselessly in MMMystery on the Friendship Express. To her credit, one of Pinkie's most welcoming qualities is that she's never worried about seeming stupid, doing whatever brings her joy.

But going back to the plot, well, I'm surprised Moviefan. That's all you have to say about the rest outside of Pinkie Pie (though I appreciate the hate from you there), and you still don't see it? Let's go through it again:

 Everyone heads to the castle, which has lots of creepy rooms and an old legend surrounding it? Good setup.

Then the castle starts trapping them, and a mysterious figure follows them around? Good buildup.

And then, directly after that... Twilight reads the journal explaining that everything we see before and after is harmless fun house stuff. The pony playing the organ is doing nothing except changing the rooms around, and the others are spending all their time wondering what we already know.

So, if we already know the answer to the conflict, nobody's in any danger, and nobody's trying to accomplish anything we're supposed to be invested in, then...

WHY

SHOULD

I

CARE

?!?!?!

Because the five look cute screaming? Because I've never seen a creepy castle before? I guess Rarity has some funny moments in her struggle to get her hooves on royal tapestry, but otherwise, we've flown at full speed to land three feet to the left. It's the story of the gang chasing their tails in circles for 15 minutes. It's boring. 

Let's wrap this story up. The gang unwinds back upstairs with Twilight, who tells them she was glad to be there to help, even if she didn't learn anything about the mysterious box (just to make sure that nothing was accomplished here). They give us the moral about not letting your imagination run away with you, and Twilight, drawing inspiration from Celestia and Luna's journal, suggests they keep their own journal on what they learn, replacing the letters to Celestia. Everyone agrees, starting with how glad they were that the legend of the shadow pony wasn't true. But then the focus shifts out into the hall, where a mysterious shadow creeps up the wall.

Hmm... well, since this is what you've been building up the entire episode, it'd be shame to let it end here. After all, then it'd be just another creepy lead that didn't amount to anything, and unlike the others, this one is clearly something real. Why don't I tell everyone what happened after this little cliff hanger? >D

The ponies were chatting excitedly about their journal and didn't think to glance outside the room. They didn't see the shadow creeping up the wall to the door. They didn't see it's glowing eyes narrow. They didn't see it raise a mangled hoof from under its cloak.

At that moment, the moon went behind the clouds, and everything was dark. The gang fell silent, unable to see each other. And when the light returned, the chair where Twilight Sparkle had sat a moment ago was empty.

The ponies screamed and jumped up, glancing around the room.

"Twilight? Where'd you go?" Cried Applejack. A malicious voice croaked somewhere in the room.

"You should've kept a better eye on me." It cackled.

"Tw.. Twilight?" Whispered Fluttershy.

"No." 

The gang caught sight of the gnarled, toothy grin just before the lightning bursted through the window. The screams died the second they started, and the room went dark again. This time, when the lights returned, the heroes of Equestria were gone. In their place, some very different figures rose from the floor...

Moviefan12:  Oh good lord,  Second Opinion, reel yourself in, man.  This is taking it a step too far.  I get you don't like the episode but I swear to Celestia, that is CREEPY!!!!!!!!!  What is your motive behind this?   You do realize that we don't insert our own fanficition here.  Try to dial it down a bit.  



The Second Opinion: Don't you get it Moviefan? It's not far enough! By ending with the figure on the wall, the episode left the six at its mercy! It so foolishly thought we'd assume that nothing happens, just because the rest of the episode was nothing happening, but that's not how storytelling works! When you set something in motion, it doesn't just fade away! This is what they left us to interpret, and now it's time they paid! My interpretation is now the only one in writing, so it's the only one that could have officially happened! Your precious ponies are gone, and there's nothing you can do to...




The Second Opinion: Hey Moviefan? I'm ready for the Castle Mane-ia review! ...Who's this guy?




The Second Opinion(?): Who am I? Who are you? What are you doing here in my review?



The Second Opinion(?): That's cute. Like I was saying, what's going on here?



Moviefan12:  I uh.. there are two of you, and he was helping me to review this parading as you but I have an idea of who this really is.






The Second Opinion(?): Well, let's see. Give Applejack some new eyes and she's fine, Fluttershy actually still looks kinda cute, Pinkie Pie, let's face it, has been a lot scarier than this, and, hold on... Rainbow Dash isn't nearly as awesome now! No way, my complicated relationship with this show is hard enough with the combination of cool and complex that she provides! Come here, you sonuva...




The Second Opinion(?): Stay back! If I'm not The Second Opinion, then explain how I have the shiny blue Second Opinion handgun!




The Second Opinion(?): You mean the one I used to do a throwaway Linkara gag in my self-introduction video?




The Second Opinion(?): You mean to say it doesn't work, do you? Well then, let's just see what happens when I do thiseeeyAAAAAAH!!!




The Second Opinion: You get the bejeezus shocked out of you because you didn't unlock the safety switch, that's what. Let's see who this guy really is.


Moviefan12:  Yep, just as I assumed.  Darkfan21.  You learned nothing, and why are you here?  This isn't A Look at Disney. 


Darkfan21:  I just messed with you because I wanted your copy of Songs From Enchanica.  And I thought it be more fun, this way.   and oh yeah, obligatory Scooby Doo villain reference.  And I would have gotten away with it, if it weren't for you meddling Bronies!


Moviefan12:   You could've just asked!!!!!!!!!!!!  And I'm the only Brony here.


The Second Opinion: We all knew that was coming. And please, I prefer "pony sympathizer."




Well Moviefan, looks like I'm just in time to help you wrap this up. Mind taking the lead? Oh right, the creepy fanfic... uh, Rarity woke up from her nightmare and said "That's it! That is the last time I go hunting for royal tapestry in old castles! I suppose I should put this in the journal while I'm up."

The Characters




Moviefan12:  I don't see the need to break the characters down any further then this and also,  we be looking at them in the pairs that they were in, in the show respectively.


Twilight Sparkle & Spike voiced by Tara Strong & Cathy Weseluck

 














Moviefan12:  If I do have other complaint besides my issue with Pinkie,  I feel like Twilight was being a little rude ignoring Spike's fears. Were they over nothing? Yes, but the little guy was genuinely frightened.  I understand shrugging it off and how Twi gets invested in a book,  (one she shouldn't have been reading) but she could've handled this better.


 The Second Opinion: I guess these two are always fine doing what they do, sidelined from the action or not, and there is some fun to be had watching Twilight squeal with delight at reading books in the middle of an old, damaged, spider-infested castle. I also liked seeing her again as the level-headed perspective bringing her friends back to reality, which is always a nice demonstration of what she brings to the group. Truth be told, I barely noticed Spike, but I think I’m actually glad they didn’t make more of a point out of him being scared. The show is often a little quick to make him meek or incompetent, so I do sort of like that while he was nervous, it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle.



Fluttershy & Rarity voiced by Andrea Libman & Tabitha St. Germain

 














Moviefan12: Easily,  my favorite part of the episode.  An entire subplot involving Flutters and Miss Rarity.  Excuse me but...

How could I not be excited about this?  Besides the fact that these are my two favorite characters,  I feel as though, they had the most fun subplot to follow with the tapestries storyline but I do wonder why Miss Rarity didn't ask Rainbow Dash to help, knowing that Dash is the stronger flyer. Then again the show has confirmed on multiple occasions that these two are best friends.   So,  I guess Rarity just wanted to spend time with her best friend.




The Second Opinion: Truth be told, these two were probably came the closest to getting me invested in anything in the castle portion. Granted, they weren’t trying to do anything important, but at least they were doing things that involved getting from point A to point B. Rarity with her fashion spiels was never exactly my favorite, but she has a certain eccentricity that can provide just the entertainment an episode needs at the most unexpected of times. (In fact, get her wound up enough and she approaches the burlesque.) She made me laugh a few times while fighting her way through the castle, and there was actually a sense that we were getting closer to whatever the payoff was going to be. Fluttershy, meanwhile, was passable support, fighting a losing battle to find a bunny that wasn’t lost and failing to see that she and Rarity really weren’t on the same page. I never thought I’d end up siding with these two over Applejack and Rainbow Dash, but…



Applejack and Rainbow Dash both voiced by Ashleigh Ball 

 
















Moviefan12:  In many respects, this subplot felt like a follow up to Fall Weather Friends from season 1, and that was nice to see.  This was  fun another pairing because as the show has shown in the past, Applejack and Rainbow Dash  work extremely well off each other.





The Second Opinion: The beginning with these two competing as human  pony beehives, judged by Pinkie Pie of all ponies, was all the trademark fun this show made its name on. But once we get inside the castle and the idea becomes clear, their story is a total flat line. They wander around, mention not being scared, and then get scared by one of the castle’s tricks. Rinse and repeat. It’s not really even treated like a competition, just sort of them considering the notion while bouncing around. There’s no point I can gather to any of it.



Pinkie Pie also voiced by Andrea Libman

Moviefan12:  I don't want to spend too much time on Pinkie as I've exhausted most of my energy talking about her already but I feel like the show is walking a fine line between Pinkie being funny and being stupid. 





The Second Opinion: Pinkie Pie has annoyed me before, but not because she was being stupid while I prefer to think of her as smart. What drives me crazy is when her comedy becomes less about naive antics than simply how over the top they can make her for any reason. That comes across like she’s forcing herself on the others, and it’s grating. But otherwise, dense or not, Pinkie Pie has been a key player in winning me over to this show. She belongs in a class with Spongebob, the Animaniacs, Eric Cartman, and all the other great modern day Looney Tunes, and as long as she continues to be her sweetly perplexing, hyperactive self, I’ll be happy. Sure kid, stick your head in a school bell, throw creepy organ parties, keep score in doodles, whatever makes you happy. Just as long as you’re not too dense to notice when it’s not funny, I’m good.



Our Final Thoughts

Moviefan12:  Other then my complaint with Pinkie Pie and my minor Twilight complaint,  I really like this episode.  It's not one of the season's or series' best but I like this episode because it is just a lot of fun.  And MLP  is good with fun episodes and this was a really fun episode.  Did the story go anywhere?  No, not really but I enjoyed the episode for what it was. A fun haunted house story.  That's the key thing, I took away from this episode, it was fun. 



The Second Opinion: I’m guessing Darkfan read through my notes, because that was actually a pretty good impression of my first reaction to this episode. (Although I probably would have caught such a typo as “Twilight, meanwhile, lead Celestia's old diary,” genius.) It’s not even so much that the episode didn’t “go” anywhere. The king of that feat is still It’s About Time, which literally ended right back where it started. But I liked that episode, because it at least acted like we didn’t know where it was going, and since we really didn’t know how Twilight would get there, they were able to make it a fun, crazy, hysterical journey. After building us up with hints at the mystery it could have lead us on, this episode tosses it aside, tells us everything it’s going to do, does it, and then starts repeating it. It seems to think the five getting more lost and scared is rising action, but we already know that there’s nothing to gain or lose or discover on the line, so no, it’s not.








However, when you watch it knowing what you’re getting ahead of time, there are things to enjoy here. Truth be told, the first five minutes were exactly what you’d want, with Twilight moving the box subplot along, Rainbow and Applejack’s bee stare, and Pinkie Pie “winning” the joy of ringing the school bell. And like I said, Rarity and Fluttershy also provide some amusement once we get there. Plus, though the story doesn’t do much to hold your attention, it’s at least a visually interesting episode, in a setting that even gives King Sombra a run for his money. I don’t know there’s enough for me to recommend it, but it did just get Moviefan to use the word “fun” five times in the same paragraph, so there must be something there. It’s only the second episode to make me consider a thumbs down out of sheer boredom, but the last one was all stuff we’d seen before, while this one isn’t, so I think my vote falls “neutral.” It is what it is, and if what it is is something you like, go check it out. Not very encouraging, but at least I’m not so angry as to mutate the main six in revenge… by the way, he forgot Spike:

Moviefan12:  Honestly,  Darkfan forgetting Spike is no better then the way, the show has been treating the poor guy, lately.  And also, that will be the last mutation to appear.  Let's gas up the Mystery Machine as we drive off to our next adventure as we look at...

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