Crusaders of The Lost Mark

Hello & welcome back to Trotting Through Life.  And... WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   I didn't think that I'd be doing another episode review but I gotta talk about this episode. Saturday, October 10th was the fifth anniversary of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic.   And man, did they celebrate in a big way.  A brand new musical episode, character growth and development for Diamond Tiara including her being redeemed.  Oh, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders got their Cutie Marks.

  

So, I guess that makes them the Cutie Marked Crusaders.   The Second Opinion and I talked about this episode on Facebook  and we both came to the conclusion that this episode had some Magical Mystery Cure vibes but I'm going to say that this episode is actually better than MMC and  I'll go one step further and say that Crusaders of The Lost Mark is a better celebration of the show than Slice of Life.  Slice of Life was a fun episode for the fans to be sure and it celebrated the contributions from the community but this episode actually touched on things that many have wanted to see in the show. The end of the journey for the CMC in finding their Cutie Marks. Diamond Tiara getting redemption and more character than just that of a bully.  And personal for me,  Rainbow Dash being in the trio of big sisters for the Crusaders to congratulate them on getting their Cutie Marks.  I'm gonna warn ya, there isn't gonna be much negative here as this isn't only my favorite episode of season 5, it currently sits as my favorite episode of the series.  Dethroning Dragonshy from that spot.  This episode had everything that I could've wanted.  And the thing is before going in and watching this episode I had no idea what to expect as I had somehow avoided all spoilers other than the title. By the name of the title, I was expecting the Crusaders to go on an epic adventure but this... this... this is so much better.  

And really, it makes sense for the fillies to finally get their Cutie Marks this season as that has been the theme of the season between Starlight Glimmer taking the Mane Six's in the first episode,  Babs Seed getting her cutie mark in Bloom and Gloom and the CMC helping Troubleshoes understand what his cutie mark meant. Forget Magical Mystery Cure or Pinkie Pride, this is the best musical episode that the show has ever done.  Also, it's funny but I remember years ago coming this recipe sheet featuring the Crusaders with Cutie Marks that had the Hub logo on it.   And while those are cute,  I think I like the ones they got in the show better.

With this rather long-winded intro outta the way, let's start the review of my new favorite episode of this show that I love so much.  

Episode Title

Crusaders of The Lost Mark

I found the title unassuming at best as I didn't expect too much from it but apparently, it's an Indy reference.  Wouldn't have picked up on that but it does make sense and in a way, I get it as the girls help Diamond Tiara to come understand what her Cutie Mark truly means.

The Plot

This is when I knew that something was different about this episode.  Because right, when it started  up before the theme song, we got our first song as we hear the CMC discussing how they can their cutie marks but Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom are out of ideas.  But Apple Bloom tells them not to give up, because they'll make their mark.  Just then Pipsqueak comes in to ask for help from The Crusaders to be Pony President at their schoolhouse and they agree to be his campaign manager.  

And through a montage at the school, we see the election go on as the CMC face their oldest foe, Diamond Tiara as she is determined to win this election at all costs and between a back & forth, we hear what each candidate would offer. Pip promises to fix the playground from Princess Twilight's battle with Lord Tierk whereas Diamond Tiara tries to use bribery but it doesn't seem to work and the biggest thing that loses her the vote is her shooting down Silver Spoon, of all ponies. Who was just trying to give her some friendly advice and it is with that, Pip wins the vote.  And this doesn't sit well with the spoiled brat that is Diamond Tiara.   This is when it appears that Diamond Tiara has lost everything and the Crusaders feeling bad for Diamond Tiara decide to follow her and see of she's feeling okay.  And this is where we are introduced to DT's mother, Spoiled Rich and boy, does she ever live up to that name.  The way, she puts down her daughter for losing to Pip is just harsh and not something that a parent should do to a parent.  

And this is when the episode does something that I thought impossible.  It makes DT sympathetic as the next song delves more into her psyche, we see that she doesn't want to be the type of pony that she is but she doesn't know how to be anyone else. Now, I'm not saying that this excuses her past actions but it does help us as the audience to understand why she acted the way, she did.   The next day after school, The Crusaders feeling bad for Diamond Tiara invite her to spend some time with them at their clubhouse.  And y'know what, this is a really good scene as we see Diamond Tiara attempting to take the first step to try and become a nicer pony, when she tells the CMC that they are so lucky that can try all of these activities to figure out what their cutie mark will be and not be stuck with something that they don't understand.  But Diamond Tiara being the filly that she is, reverts back into her old ways, when questioned by Sweetie Belle about if she understands her mark.   This is when they inform their soon-to-be former bully that they overheard her and her mother talking the previous day and felt bad for her.  Which again brings out the old Diamond Tiara as she accuses them of spying. Which isn't too far off the mark.  And  just at this moment, Pipsqueak shows up needing aid from the CMC because his request for new playground equipment has been denied because there isn't enough money in the budget. Diamond seizes this opportunity as a chance to reclaim her position as president.  Once again, seeing bits of the old Diamond Tiara coming out and The Crusaders give chase after her and they know that she knows that there is a better way and throughout this number, you can see Diamond Tiara fighting herself over what to do.  

But when she gets to the school, Diamond decides to do the right thing and asks her mother to take an envelope with money in to to her father, so that they can have the budget for the playground.  And this is after she stands up to her mother, when she calls the CMC, Blank Flanks.  Now, I've seen some people take issue with this scene and how it was handled.  And to an extent, I do get that because Spoiled Rich shouldn't have just taken orders from her daughter like she did but I feel that Diamond Tiara handled herself in a very tactful manner and as far as the name calling bit goes,  well, Spoiled Rich was being a bully and I'm sorry but it's never right to bully and as we saw with Diamond Tiara in the past, the cycle continued through her. So in that regard, it made perfect sense to me that Diamond Tiara would be the one to put an end to the cycle as this episode was about her becoming more than just the bully that she was in the previous 4 seasons. And after this, we get a nice montage of the playground being built and the Crusaders come to the realization that when they don't focus on trying to get their Cutie Marks,  they are pretty good at helping other ponies to understand what their marks mean. Which was part of what we saw with Diamond Tiara here and more so with Troubleshoes in a previous episode from this season.  And in that moment, it finally happened.  The girls finally got their Cutie Marks and each time, I watched this episode and it came to that moment, I was blown away because this is something that I had wanted to see for a long time.  And I feel that the show couldn't have handled it any better.  It makes so much sense for them to get their Cutie Marks after helping Diamond Tiara as she was the one that brought them together all those years ago and to have her be the final obstacle standing in their way of getting their Cutie Marks was genius.  In many respects, just as how the Map has been sending the Mane Six on journeys to solve friendship problems, the CMC had their own friendship problem here in a way.  They had to help Diamond Tiara to realize who she really was behind the mask that she had been wearing for so long.  And when they were able to do that, it was time.  

And then they hit me with the final song and man, did I lose it there. When each of the CMC got to have a sister moment with their big sisters.  I'm sure most fans were tearing's up at AJ's line about her parents.  But I was blubbering a bit more, when Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo shared their sister moment.

I'm so proud of you, little buddy
You've taught me a thing or two

And the biggest reason that this moment got me choked up so much is because out of the three sister pairs, I've been the most invested in Scootalo and Rainbow Dash.  And I feel like this line cemented the fact that the show views them as sisters.  We've seen them go from fan idolizing a hero in season 2 to still a bit of that in season 3 to in season 4,  being mentor and student to this season, finally becoming the sisters that so many fans have viewed them as for years.  Even in the previous episode before this, Brotherhooves Social, we got a small taste of the sisterly bond that these two ponies have as we saw them compete together in the Sisterhooves Social.  And those two lines were the final confirmation that were needed from the show to tell the fans that they view them as sisters too.  





There aren't enough good things that I can say about this episode.  This episode is just fantastic and  easily, one of the best episodes of the series as whole.  I mean,  I count it as a my favorite for a reason.  It does so many things right and dare I say that this is the best musical episode that we have ever had.  I do apologize for gushing so much but I really love this episode.




Characters



Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, & Apple Bloom voiced by Claire Corlett,  Madeliene Peters,  & Michelle Creber

It was so rewarding seeing the girls finally get their Cutie Marks as they truly earned them here.  And seeing everything that they put into trying to help and befriend Diamond Tiara throughout this episode, just made for all that much more of a greater experience as it shows how much they've learned and grown over the course of the series.



Diamond Tiara voiced by Chantal Strand

I've never been the biggest Diamond Tiara fan and at one point, I even advocated that she should have her Cutie Mark taken away to understand what it feels like to be on the receiving end of the pain and torment that she put the Crusaders through but this episode showed that there was more to her than we first saw.  Now, I do like that she was finally given development to go beyond being just a bully character but at the same time, that is going to make it harder to watch episodes like Flight To The Finish because she really overstepped a line in that episode. And  yes, we can chalk that up to being influence from her mother but at the same time,  I hope that like with Discord's redemption, the show takes it's time with her.  I know to some, it seemed rush in this episode and to an extent it was.  But we haven't seen Diamond in the show since this episode and who knows, perhaps we will see her hanging out with the Crusaders more now and I wouldn't be surprised to see her still having to fight her urges to be her old self.





Music


We'll Make Our Mark (Prelude)








A short little number but it does set up what's to come down the road in this episode.



The Vote







Yeah, this song is just so catchy and I love the back and forth and how the background music changes between our two candidates.  It's a really fun song and I gotta say that I really like Diamond's singing voice here.




The Pony I Want To Be






And this is where I had to ask myself what the show was making me feel.  Making me feel things for Diamond Tiara of all characters.  I didn't think that was possible and the singing here really sells you on the idea that Diamond has been wearing a mask and pretending to be something other than who she truly wishes to be, just to please her mother. and that image of The Cakes behind her during this number as she longs for a better family life, really makes me wonder about her home life because we've seen in the past that Filthy Rich isn't a bad guy but Spoiled Rich, ooh boy.





Light of Your Cutie Mark






This is actually my favorite song of the episode.  Sure, the fork in the road bit is a bit on the nose but I'm willing to forgive that as it does a good job of delving into how much the CMC are willing to do to help Diamond Tiara and how much , we see their former bully question what she's about to do.  She thinks that she has to do this because it is what it expected of her from her family but she knows that she can be better than this.  But you can really see her question, if she should go through with doing the right thing for her to be a better pony or to do what is expected of her.



The Pony I Want To Be (Reprise)






I feel like this song is us getting to know Diamond Tiara for the first time without the mask that she has been wearing.  She has finally let her guard down and realized that it's okay to be nice.  She doesn't need a bully to get people to listen to her.  And we see her becoming a better leader here because she is being her true self.




We'll Make Our Mark







And this is where I lost at the end.  This song brought on a roller coaster of emotions that I just wasn't ready for.  This song is a great cap to a wonderful celebration of the show's five years on TV.  This song just make me teary eyed and joyful because it shows how far, three of my favorite characters have come since they first came together as the Cutie Mark Crusaders. And as I said in the plot segment, I loved the Sister Moments that each of the Crusaders got to share with their big sisters as those were just so sweet.  As I mentioned in intro, this episode is a bit like Magical Mystery Cure and that is most evident with how much this number is like Celestia's Ballad as it flashes back to the past of the Crusaders to show how far they've come.




Antagonist


Spoiled Rich also voiced by Chantal Strand






I would be perfectly okay, if I never have to see this character ever again.  Oh, don't get me wrong, she served her purpose well for the episode of showing why Diamond Tiara acted the way she did but man,  she is such a snob that it's unbelievable. She is easily the worst parent that we've seen on this show.




My Final Thoughts


I love this episode,  like I said before,  I don't have enough good things to say about it. This is how you celebrate such a huge milestone in the show's history.  While Slice of Life  as I said is a great celebration of the fans,  this is the better celebration of the show and how far it has come.  And while I love the fans, it was the show that made me the fan that I am today and episodes like this one are such a great reminder of why I am a fan of this fantastic show that I love so much.   Peace!