I liked the lesson, and Rainbow Dash was actually tolerable this time around. The history was nice too. Also, Pinka Pink (it's what I'm dubbing her rapper persona, after Flava Flav because of the clock) was so bad in a hilarious way, I loved it but facepalmed at the same time. Aside from that, not a ton happened.
The Hub already has it online. http://www.hubnetwork.com/shows/my-...ode-testing-testing-1-2-3-episode-22-season-4 And what is wrong with Applejack? Spoiler: AJ go away. RD: I need to learn about the Wonderbolts. AJ: (Insults Rarity's method) RD: So how would you teach it? AJ: I got nothing! RD: Ummmm.... AJ: I know about apples! Apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples, apples. And then she brings up apple history again later. Big Mac was more useful in this episode and he was just in the background. I bet AJ already spent that bit from the last episode. Ok, good things - The lesson they all learned was a good one and Pinkie Pie rapping is freaking awesome.
Applejack was rather useless, wasn't she? Oh well, at least now we know that Granny Smith has always been Granny Smith, and that Granny Smith apples are named after her, and not the other way around. We also learned that Equestria didn't have a formal military until after the Nightmare Moon incident, which means that I'm going to have to retcon one of my OCs. Again.
I give this episode three "woo hoo's" WOO HOO WOO HOO WOO HOO! And an extra "woo" for good measure. WOOO! Lol I had to. This WAS a really good episode though. It's been a while since we've had a good rainbow dash episode and this was a great return for her. But I can't get past the holes I poked in the story. I have to say though, I like twilight (second favorite after rarity) but it was pretty nice to see her knocked off her "I know everything" pedistal without discord being involved... Also did anyone else notice that she looked just a bit off in the very first scene? Idk what it was but she did... Anyways back to the actual story. I'm glad to see the pets (and spike) playing a role (however minor) in the episode.
Holy cow, this is in my top 3 of S4. Like holy cow I loved it. The way the characters played off each other was just incredible. WOW! LOVED IT!
I loved it! Not just because it was a Dashie episode (not lying... this time), but there was plenty of relatable material for me. The fact that Dashie gets really down on herself when her attempts fail probably hit the closest to home. I thought Pinkie's rap was funny as hell (I'd like to see it crossed over with an Aerosmith song now). I was not expecting a total headcanon crusher but it turns out that Firefly was the founder of the Wonderbolts!!! I'm not mad though. It actually seems to make a lot of sense to me. Lastly, did anyone else think that the pedal-copter should have had a BUY OUR TOYS banner behind it? Anyhoo... 10/10!!!
*takes a deep breath* Rainbow didn't bother paying attention to anything her friends had to offer and was then told she was secretly a genius. It seems the lesson she'll take away from this is, "I don't have to listen to anypony else's suggestions because I am awesome and don't need help. Back to flying!" It's a self-centered ego trip for her the entire time! She'd shown a lot of heart recently in seasons 3 and 4 and I was really enjoying how she'd progressed, so this episode feels like it set her back about a year or two in character development v.v Meanwhile, I really loved Twilight in this episode. Honestly, I felt that Twilight's study-methods were probably the most straightforward and easy to comprehend. It really rubbed me the wrong way to see Rainbow give her the cold shoulder right from the beginning. She didn't even try to pay attention. It made Twilight's uppity moment of boasting, stating how she could be a Wonderbolt, seem completely justified to me. Rainbow showed very little respect for any of her friends this time around, so I can totally understand Twilight flipping out... But still, at least Twilight got to walk away with a good lesson. "Not everypony learns the same way. Everypony is special." That's a very positive lesson, though as I stated earlier, I'm certain it's not the same lesson that Rainbow is walking/flying away with. e_e Another thing that bugs me was that throwaway line from Applejack.. Saying she doesn't know much about anything except apples seemed like an unnecessary pie in her face. AJ is under constant fire from people saying she's only got apples on the brain and not much else, so I feel like the writers really shafted her by making her appear to be such a simpleton. I was really hoping it would be AJ (the Captain of Common Sense) to give Rainbow a shove in the right direction, maybe by giving her a quick pep-talk about how she should be more grateful to her friends since they're bending over backwards to help her ace the test. But nope, all we get out of her miniscule screen time is, (paraphrasing) "I don't know about much, other than apples, so you're screwed." In short, this episode could have been WAY better, especially if we'd seen Rainbow be a bit more gracious to the fact that her friends were trying so hard to help her the entire time. She ignored everything they said and went on one pessimistic rant after another about how doomed she was. This is like watching a person lamenting how very hungry they are, all the while you are offering them an apple, but they won't accept the apple because they'd rather have a pear... Sure, this episode did have some positive moments (Fluttershy cosplaying as Celestia is adorable!). Rarity's museum of Wonderbolt wardrobes was very well done and I also enjoy the idea of Pinkie Pie trying her hoof at the School House Rock style of teaching. However, Rainbow Dash's excessive pessimism coupled with her blatant disregard for the feelings of her friends made it a tough pill to swallow.. This saddens me because Rainbow Dash has been in my Top 3 since way back in Season 1, so I really hate seeing her being written so badly.. I really hope next week's episode is an improvement. End Rant.
IDK, Dashie has a hard time focusing or sitting still while Sparky is lecturing her. Some of my best friends in school had ADHD and this reminded me of them A LOT. They had a hard time in class but when they were on their own they could focus like it was no one's business. I was kinda the same way too. I would read a chapter out of a textbook and couldn't tell you what the hell it was about. Then I could turn right around and rattle off about 100 NASCAR facts from the 70s, 80s, or 90s. I said before that much of this episode hit pretty close to home for me and that was one of the reasons why. So maybe you should try and see this from Dashie's perspective instead of just writing her off as being an ungrateful you-know-what.
It's no secret that Dashie gets bored easily. No reason to go chalking it up as ADHD. However, we also know that when she's really applying herself to a task, she pays acute attention to her surroundings and gets things done (a point that they even clarified in the episode for good measure). However, it's clear that she's not applying herself in the slightest this time around because of a stigma of sorts: She equates any and all things educational with boredom. Hence, when her friends try to help her learn something new, she dismisses their attempts immediately (ya know, because of the whole "easily bored" thing I just mentioned). That's just rude. She barely gives them a chance. Thing is, she's never been this respectful to her friends. Not even way back in the early days when she was far more arrogant. I guess it just feels wrong for her to be so very dismissive and rude to her friends, especially after watching her stressing how important teamwork is in "Flight to the Finish." Rainbow and her friends are a team, so seeing her shrugging off their help right from the start is a massive contradiction of character. As usual, it's not Rainbow that I blame. I blame the writing staff for botching her character. It's not Dashie's fault that they screwed her up. All I can do is sit back and hope that next week's episode is better. Best to stay optimistic.
Actually, Dashie in this episode reminded me of somebody with Aspergers or high-functioning Autism. If something doesn't interest them, most won't be able to pay attention long enough to learn anything. However, if something does interest them, they will give it their complete, undivided attention. I'm not saying that Rainbow Dash is an Aspie, but I have mentioned the similarities between cutie marks and Aspergers/Autism obsessiveness before.
I find it odd when people chalk up Dash's behavior to poor writing and dismiss her actions in the show as a result. She may be poorly written. I'm not contesting that, but that doesn't change the fact that that IS how she's written, like it or not. Dismissing her actions as poor writing is ignoring canon for the sake of preserving some image of Dash they hold in their heads.
I don't think that it's poor writing to have a hard-headed character like her. It was expressed in the episode that she learns differently. We've seen in the past that she's had to learn some of her lessons more than once. So I think the writers deserve a little more credit than they get for writing for her. Again, I can relate a lot to Dashie so maybe her personality is more realistic than some want to believe.
