A Dash of Awesome: 2,4,6, Greaaat

 

I'm going to sound like a broken record as I've said this about two recent episodes that I looked at but it applies here as well. This episode's placement is odd and does not feel like it should be a final season episode. If this episode had come in the first four seasons, this episode would have worked because as it is, there is a lot of character regression on the part of Dashie in this episode. 

The Plot

Princess Celestia has set up a new Buckball league and the first game is between her school and Twilight's.  Dash is excited as she thinks that she's going to be picked to be the coach for said team. That's not the case and instead, she is picked to coach Cheer Squad. This is where my issue comes in as Dash acts so belligerent towards the Cheer Squad as she doesn't believe cheerleading is a real sport. Jeez, that is such an outdated belief and also one of the coolest cartoon characters was a cheerleader.

 

Rainbow Dash has no interest in helping the cheer squad get any better and actively ignores them. Which is a problem as Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie wanted to see their performance before the Buckball game and to say that they were bad would be unkind to the word bad.  Rainbow Dash doesn't do anything to actually want.  It's actually rather annoying how much Dash ignores the cheer squad just because she doesn't like cheerleading. Thankfully, Smolder one of the Young Six does call Dashie out on her behavior.

.... everything's always awesome with you! Or twenty percent cooler! Or whatever! You're the most enthusiastic pony in Equestria when it's something you care about. I just wish we were one of those things.

This does help Dash to realize that she is going about things and because of this, she helps the cheer squad and helps them to deliver a stellar performance and this is where we find out that Twilight knew the lesson that Dash needed to learn before she did.

Rainbow Dash: Wait a second. Was this one of those things where you knew the lesson I needed to learn before I learned it?

Twilight Sparkle: You mean like how you don't have to care about a thing other ponies like as long as you care about the ponies who like it? Nope. Don't know what you're talking about.

Yeah, this episode is okay but this should not have been a season nine episode.

Characters

Rainbow Dash voiced by Ashleigh Ball 

This episode felt very much like a character regression for Dash. Dash is usually enthusiastic and willing to try new things for her friends or in this case her students. Sure, she may have put things down before she tried them like reading but that was season two and this is season nine.  Dash has had a lot of character progression since then. 

The Cheer Squad voiced by Shannon-Chan Kent, Devyn Dalton, Kelli Ogmundson, & Diana Kaarina, & Katrina Sailsbury 

I do like the cheer squad and I do like how the episode makes it easy to root for them. You really feel for them as Dash just straight up ignores them and doesn't care about them. They really do want to try and be better because they enjoy cheerleading. Just a shame that it takes until the end of the episode for their coach to care.

My Final Thoughts

This shouldn't have been an episode in the final season as this is a story and moral that Rainbow Dash shouldn't need at this point in her growth. It's actually a little annoying that this episode came so late in the show's run.  Again, if this episode came earlier in the series, it would've been fine but because of that, it rings hollow. Join me as we finally close out A Dash of Awesome by looking at the very last Rainbow Dash episode as we look at...

Daring Doubt