So yeah, the whole "Dashie needs to learn to not be a jerk"... ...why is this still a thing? Why do the writers keep Flanderizing Rainbow Dash into an insensitive jerkass? Sure, she's a loudmouthed braggart, but she's not a jerk. She's actually a very kind and sensitive Pony... ...when the writers remember it. I can at least give it credit that the lesson came organically rather than have the Elder Ponies play a mean-spirited prank on her ("28 Pranks Later"), or just being asses to her (Fluttershy in "Tanks for All the Memories"). The whole episode, with Rainbow Dash being horribly insensitive of the Elders just because of the damn rollercoaster, felt massively out of character for her. And the whole thing is hypocritical. Pinkie Pie is a much bigger jerk than Rainbow Dash ("A Friend in Deed", "Filly Vanilly", "Green Isn't Your Color"), yet I have yet to see a "Pinkie needs to learn to stop being a jerk" episode.
So the main character wants to do one thing on a trip but keeps having to put her wants aside because she's been guilt tripped into performing other obligations and eventually has a breakdown at the end because of it. I am speaking of course, of the plot for Once Upon a Zeppelin. Oh wait, that happened in this one too!! No one called Sparky a jerk then... myself included. You can also say Flut needs to learn to not be so shy and Sparky needs to learn to not get so stressed out over details. Dashie seems to get a LOT more flack when she gets roped into a situation she didn't expect to be in. That said, onto the happy stuff!! I enjoyed the hell out of this episode!! AJ's overbearing nature, while cringeworthy at times, usually seems to give way to some good comedy. Dashie could've easily just disregarded AJ's request but, being the element of loyalty, she proved (once again) that she DOES indeed have a conscience. And to be fair, just because you learn a lesson once doesn't mean you have it licked from then on. It's a process. Ask anyone with anxiety... like me. And that ending had SO much of the warm and fuzzy factor!! Spoiler: Tidbits Overall: 8/10
Dear Princess Celestia, Today I learned that Applejack is a right awful *squee!*. Her ghost head is even worse. She literally caused the entire conflict today. Rainbow Dash only didn't speak her mind out of loyalty to her. Applejack continually proves to honestly be the worst pony ever. How the rest of her family can be so awesome amazes me. Granny Smith and her friends know more about friendship than the ponies that are supposed to represent friendship. Are you should you should be letting them teach at Twilight's school? Also, we found Trixie's deadbeat dad, so we know where to send the child support bills to. Faithfully yours, Dragonbait
