History Recap / MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS8E11MoltDown

* RiseOfZitboy: The first sign of Spike's impending molt is a red stone scale on his cheek. The next morning, his face is covered with stone scales, and later that day they're all over his body. At one point, he even tries to pop a stone scale as a teen would pop a zit. Rarity initially downplays it as just "the occasional odd blemish," and Twilight compares it to stress-related breakouts she used to get in Magic School; turns out Spike's going through dragon puberty. Zecora says as much when Spike asks her to help cure it.

** When the roc flies off carrying Spike, Rarity, and Zecora, the former paraphrases Charlton Heston in ''Film/TheTenCommandments'' with "Let my ponies go!"

* {{Mondegreen}}: When Spike strains to speak in complete sentences, ponies, Smolder and Zecora mishear him as saying different things than the original intent.

* {{Retcon}}: In this episode, Phoenix feathers are shown to cause temporary deafness in ponies. But in "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E22ABirdInTheHoof A Bird in the Hoof]]", Fluttershy was given a feather from Philomena (placed in her mane) with no ill effects. (Though admittedly, Zecora only says that the ear clogging "can" happen, not that it "will" happen.)

** Red itchy spots on the skin, uncontrollable volume pitches, sleeping in late and smelling bad, all of which are viewed as signs of growing up. Dragon molt symptoms are almost identical to those of puberty. GrowingWings can also be seen as a metaphor for SomethingElseAlsoRises, which also happens involuntarily during puberty.

->''The molt? Super painful stone scales, fire burps, uncontrollable volume shifts? It's all part of growing up dragon.''

* AshFace: After Spike blasts it with a close-range gout of dragonfire, the roc's face -- and as revealed in the following scene, its entire body -- except for its yellow eyes becomes covered in ash and visibly charred feathers, trailing lines of smoke as the giant bird flies away.

* TakenForGranite: In the final stages of the molt, Spike's body is magically covered in rock. When he breaks out moments later, he has wings.

->'''Smolder:''' The molt? Super painful stone scales, fire burps, uncontrollable volume shifts? It's all part of growing up dragon.

* WhamEpisode: After eight seasons, Spike undergoes a permanent change by GrowingWings just like all the other dragons depicted in the series.

* TheCameo: Sandbar and Yona briefly appear in the library.

* SupernaturallyDeliciousAndNutritious: Young dragons becomes this during their molt, as Spike finds out the hard way. The smell they excrete, while repugnant to most other creatures, attract giant predators such as hydras, tatzlwurms or rocs.
Thus Spike nearly gets eaten by a very persistent giant bird in the Everfree Forest.

Spike is helping Rarity locate phoenix nests, as she needs some feathers for her next dress, but Spike tries to keep a "stone scale" on his face hidden from her. They run into Peewee, the phoenix chick Spike rescued and is now grown up, but the bird touches the stone scale, sending Spike into pain. Rarity suggests that the blemish will go away after a good night's sleep. However, when Twilight wakes him up, Spike finds his entire body now covered by stone scales and is extremely itchy. Worse, he starts to uncontrollably breathe fire. Twilight suggests Spike spend the day outside instead.

* BeamSpam: Twilight once again uses this as her main form of attack when she engages the Roc to try to save Rarity and Zecora, albeit with [[ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy questionable success]].
* BehindTheBlack: Zecora somehow fails to notice the massive Roc that was right behind her when it swoops in to grab her.

* CeilingCling: Smolder ends up clinging to the ceiling of the closet after dodging one of Spike's uncontrollable gouts of fire.

* FunnyBackgroundEvent: While Spike is encased in stone, Twilight is seen chasing the Roc in the background and blasting at it trying to save Rarity and Zecora.
* FunWithHomophones: Spike is momentarily confused when Smolder tells Spike that the predators attracted by "molt smell" include Rocs. Smolder has to literally spell it out for him to get the idea.

'''Smolder:''' R-O-C-S, ''Rocs.''
* GeographicFlexibility: The fight with the Roc happens in a very large, mostly treeless field, which is apparently a short distance from Zecora's hut -- yet we've never seen it before.
* GiantFlyer: The Roc is an example of the Large Flying Predator variety -- it's a colossal bird of prey the height of a two- or three-story house, and its actions are primarily motivated by predatory instinct.

* KillItWithFire: Spike defeats the Roc by blasting it with a huge, point-blank burst of dragon-fire to the face. It's apparently non-lethal although the bird does get severe AshFace.

* LazyBum: After fending off the Roc, Spike has Twilight carry him back home, despite his new wings.

* {{Mondegreen}}: When Spike strains to speak in complete sentences, ponies, dragons, and Zecora mishear him as saying different things than the original intent.

* {{Retcon}}: In this episode, Phoenix feathers are shown to cause temporary deafness in ponies. But in "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E22ABirdInTheHoof A Bird in the Hoof]]", Fluttershy was given a feather from Philomena (placed in her mane) with no ill effects. (Though admittedly, Zecora only said that the ear clogging "can" happen, not that it "will" happen.)

** When the Roc flies off carrying Spike, Rarity, and Zecora, the former paraphrases Charlton Heston in ''Film/TheTenCommandments'' with "Let my ponies go!"

* TookALevelInBadass: Spike finally grows a pair of wings, allowing him to outfly an angry Roc, help Twilight save Rarity and Zecora and defeat the Roc with one massive fire breath.

* TrashTalk: Used by Spike when he agrees to distract the Roc while Twilight tries to free their friends.

-->'''Smolder:''' That molt stench is a magnet for predators. Tatzlwurms, hydras, rocs...
-->'''Spike:''' Dragons are scared of rocks?
-->'''Smolder:''' R-O-C-S. Rocs? Humongous birds of prey that can snack on a molting dragon like candy!