Zombies are an interesting creature. They typically cannot be reasoned with and have various origins of how they can come about. Either a virus that is spread throughout or the old typical voodoo magic. The latter has seen prominence with series such as Afterlife with Archie as Sabrina accidentally causes a zombie outbreak in Riverdale.
Now the film where this episode derives it's title from deals with the virus variety of zombies.
A group of misguided animal rights activists free a caged chimp infected with the "Rage" virus from a medical research lab. When London bike courier Jim (Cillian Murphy) wakes up from a coma a month after, he finds his city all but deserted. On the run from the zombie-like victims of the Rage, Jim stumbles upon a group of survivors, including Selena (Naomie Harris) and cab driver Frank (Brendan Gleeson), and joins them on a perilous journey to what he hopes will be safety.
Now the way, the zombies err ponies, zombponies (Nah) are shown in this episode are presented as though they were turned via a virus. Let's make this clear straight away, we all know there are no real zombies in this episode as it is just a prank the town is playing on Dash. However, I wouldn't have put it past the MLP crew to introduce real zombies into the world of Equestria. After all, we all remember Flutterbat.
However, the atmosphere does a good job of selling a spooky vibe and actually making you fear for Dash as the events going on. The premise of this episode reminds me very much of Hey Arnold's Halloween episode.
With that outta the way, let's move onto the plot.
The Plot
The base plot is rather simple, the folks of Ponyville are sick and tired of Dash's pranks. We see this in the beginning when she crosses a line by pranking Fluttershy. It seems that she forgot something Pinkie told her.
Granted, that was back in season one and this episode is from the sixth season and yeah, the prank shows that she forgot this lesson. Her friends meet with her at Twilight's castle and try to explain things to about why this prank was a bad idea. But well, it has an inverse effect as Dash comes away with this lesson.
Nononononono, we can't prank Fluttershy, I mean, she's so sensitive. It'll hurt her feelings, even our most harmless prank.
Rarity: Honestly, Rainbow Dash, if you are not willing to put forth the effort required to pull a prank that everypony can enjoy, you may as well not pull one at all.
Rainbow Dash: Fine! If you ponies want effort, then that's just what you'll get.
Twilight Sparkle: I'm not sure she understood what we meant.
So taking this into account, we get a montage of Dash pulling off a bunch of pranks that at first seem harmless such as replacing Rarity's tools with cake replicas but things start to go from bad to worse when she puts a brick in Mr. Cake's sandwich or disrupting Cheerliee trying to teach the fillies and colts at school. However, everything comes to a head when she decides to go out with The Filly Scouts and their sisters to sell cookies but she replaced them with joke cookies. She visits Pinkie first and sees Pinkie not looking good and this is the first hint at what the ponies are planning.
Now as stated up-top, if there were an actual zombie story, the zombies would've come about because of a virus. Which while not uncommon, I'm not sure how many zombies actually come about because of digesting something. Perhaps Drew Barrymore's character in Santa Clarita Diet but this gives us an idea of what to expect and we can look at Pinkie and see how pale she is. And that could be a stand-in for rotting flesh on a kid's show. But the big giveaway here for these ponies turned zombies is the rainbow coloring around their mouths.
The cookie sales go fine and day leads to night and Dash is wondering where everyone is as the town is barren. Things go from bad to worse as we see a zombie Pinkie and it's actually a little creepy.
We are hit with more Zombified ponies as the episode continues such as Twilight, Spike, Fluttershy, Angel Bunny and so many more. Dash explains to AJ and Rarity what is going on and at first, they don't believe her. So, his episode kinda takes on a Boy Who Cried Wolf situation as well. They see it for themselves and head to the barn to hide but contrasted with popular thinking, that barn may not be the best place to hide as it can bring the zombies to you. And that can go one of two ways, you can either fight off the zombies in one location or you could allow the zombies to attack you that much easier, which is what happens as AJ & Rarity are seemingly turned after discovering the cookies. Though, AJ's acting may have given it away as most of the zombified ponies were just shouting cookies. Rarity & AJ, however:
Rarity: That's lovely, darling, except for one thing... [droning] We've already eaten theeeeeeeeeemmmmm...
Applejack: [droning] Looks like your prank up and backfiiiirrrrreeeeed...
Now, while most traditional zombies just groan and moan, there are some zombie stories where we see the zombies can retain a sense of intelligence. Again, this is just acting on the part of AJ and Rarity but it is interesting to bring up. And makes one think that if this were real, that maybe these two wouldn't be as far along as the others. We also get this eerie shot.
Dash gets a taste of her own medicine and learns her lesson that sometimes pranks can go too far.
Rainbow Dash: [scoffs] Well, I don't think it's very funny! And I'm the one that got pranked! I was really scared! I thought I made everypony sick! You can't just go around—Twilight Sparkle: —pranking whoever you feel like?
Fluttershy: Without thinking about how it might make them feel?
Rarity: Or if they'd even enjoy it?
Applejack: Or think it's funny?
Rainbow Dash: Yeah! [beat] Ohhh. I see what you did there.
And as of this episode, it seems like Dash has learned her lesson and stuck to this. Sure, she's still a bit brash and strong-headed but that is who Dash is gonna be. And I feel this episode handles a similar concept to Mare Do Well but in a manner that felt better thought out.
Character
Rainbow Dash voiced by Ashleigh Ball
Boy, if that face doesn't sum it up. Dash doesn't know what is going on but she is scared because of the revenge that the other ponies are getting on her. She really feels a sense of dread and isolation as she is the only pony that didn't eat the cookies. And that had to be eating at her. (heh) Which also takes us back to the zombie aspect, there can be a sense of isolation as you'll feel like you are the only living being left alive. And that has head to be something that Dashie was thinking as the events of this episode went on. Though, she deserved what she got.
My Final Thoughts
A fun zombie episode, even if the zombies weren't real that showed what would happen if you go too far with the pranks. And how people will get fed up with them if you push them too much. Peace!
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