No, Sunburst simply left Twilight's team and rejoined with Cranky. Twilight just reset her team's score.

Post of the Day #2612

Posted by Hourai Rabbit on Sat, 29th Dec '12 9:24:46 AM - Post #323060 in the old thread

I'd say we're more in a cool down than oblivion. My prediction is G5 will lead to a Newbie Boom.

Edited by SantosLHalper on Aug 19th 2019 at 10:39:16 AM

Possible, though the show will have to work for that to happen. The first time around they really struck gold, and there was not much competition from other shows for a periphery demographic. Now there will be a lot more competition from other cartoons for adults' free time.

I imagine that if G5 is any good those of us who end up sticking around for it will end up reigniting the fandom to an extent. And that's without factoring in the actual target audience.

Equestria Girls - Sunset's Backstage Pass

Well, here we are. The final Equestria Girls movie. Well, sort of. Apparently the series has been cut short by management, so this was not supposed to be the ending of the show. Prepare to be dissapointed by a finale that was never intended as one.

The Humane Six are at the... Starswirl Music Festival. Interesting naming choice, considering Starswirl is the unicorn who loved dumping Equestrian villains into this dimension. It's a bit like native Americans celebrating Columbus Day.

The episode focusses on Pinkie and Sunset, who are here for some sort of reunion tour. And of course they are "very special friends", though apparently not special enough to not break up the band.

Apples has apple shaped sunglasses. That's really tacky, Applejack.

Starswirl day one, and Sunny comes out to... accidentally get spanked by Dash. With a giant wooden paddle, no less. I'm surprised they got that past the censors.

"Not gonna let a little thing like intense pain ruin this perfect day." Intense pain? She barely touched you with that thing. You flinched slightly, and that was it. This dialogue does not match up with what we just saw.

"So I sez to Big Mac, get your own chicken coop." And Flutters does a Spit Take on Apples, which seems rather... extreme. Maybe it makes sense in context, but since we didn't get that context, it just seems random.

"Sorry, that one had animals in it." ... what? I don't get this reply. What is Flutters on about?

Then Sunset steps into a mud pool and trips against Sci Twi. These are all rather random and insignificant moments, so I'm sure they will become relevant later on somehow.

"So many lines to stand in. This day is already amazing." Pinkie gets excited by queueing. Must be her British blood speaking.

Next up on the "irrelevant background things" is a very slow security guard.

And after that, Pinkie getting distracted by a thousand things. I can already see where this is going: Sunny is going to miss the concert.

Sunny gets spashed with paint by an overzealous waterballoon paint artist. Pinkie splatters paint shaped like Rarity with a moustache. Then she and Pinkie accidentally smash a food cart, and they get tossed out of the concert, because clearly, there is NO such thing as accidents at THIS concert. Incidentally, it is the same security guard Sunny yelled at earlier, so I'm sure that will come up as well.

The two return, Sunset understandably upset about Pinkie ruining her evening.

"I wish we could do the day all over again, do things different." Yep, that's going to be the plot: a "Groundhog Day" Loop.

Sunny is pretty pissed, and states that she'd do the day alone if she had the chance. And that's going to be the lesson, no doubt.

She sits on a hill and is hit by a wave of magic. Where it comes from is not clear, some sort of explosion.

Day two, and Sunset gets spanked again. Never thought I'd be writing THAT for this show.

Man, DWK is going to have a field day with this one...

Of course things start repeating from the day before. Hey. Hey Sunset. Want to bring this up? No? Just gonna trundle along after everyone else? Alright then.

I mean, it's hardly the first time something weird has happened around her.

She finally mentions something is off to Sci Twi, who goes with her after Pinkie this time.

I also notice that Pinkie is behaving somewhere between an easily distracted child and a wayward pet this episode. Well, it's better than being the designated pity friend, I guess. At least Sunny and Pinkie behave like they are actually friends.

Sci Twi is setting an actual box and stick trap for Pinkie. See what I mean about her being treated like an animal?

This time around at the painter, Sunset and Sci Twi both get a facefull of paint. Clearly this painter has zero manners.

Sunny proves she is right by predicting Pinkie's Rarity shaped paint splatter. Not sure why that was neccesary. Sci Twi clearly does not doubt Sunset for a second, and anyway, why wouldn't she believe her? Crazy shit like this happens to them all the time.

"What do you think, Twi? Any scientific explanation for this?" Why are you asking for a scientific explanation? It's obviously something magic. You KNOW there's crazy Equestrian magic on the loose all over the place, so that is very obviously the correct answer.

"Why only me? The only time I was alone was on the hill when I wished-" No, you didn't. You clearly made that wish while you were with the group, well BEFORE that magic wave hit.

"This may sound crazy, but I think Equestrian magic has just given me another chance at Post Crush." "Eh, not that crazy." Couldn't agree more. This universe has gotten pretty crazy since you showed up, Sunset. Of course, you wouldn't know, being the cause of it and all.

Also, Post Crush? Is that supposed to be a reference to the end of the show or something? The last final goodbye tour before the end? Kinda meta.

Of course Pinkie ruins everything again by running into the food cart again (because she is a klutz now, apparently), and they get thrown out. I'm not sure why the security guard throws their torn wristbands after them, by the way. Jerk.

And of course the next morning it starts all over again.

"Star Swirl day one, come and get it." "Thank you." She just thanked Dash after being spanked. They are definitely doing this on purpose. This is probably the most risque joke this show has done so far.

Sunset decides to head out on her own, leaving everyone baffled.

"Keep Pinkie Pie busy, thanks!" Dumping your friends without explaining anything! Because you couldn't have possibly taken a minute to explain yourself, right Sunset?

And of course Pinkie chases after her, causing Sunny to flee from her.

"Sunset, are you... ditching me?" Finally, some self awareness from Pinkie. Or any awareness, really.

Sunset actually makes it this time, but of course, she is alone, so that end doesn't count, even though it technically fulfills the wish to see the concert. But these groundhog day loops are always a bit wishy washy about their rules, anyway.

"What a perfect day!" Well, except for the part where you totally ditched your friends, that is.

"Pinkie Pie is acting mighty strange this evening. Any idea what might have happened to her?" Apples does a great 'stern mom who already knows exactly what you did' impression here. Taking Team Mom to a whole new level, she is.

Pinkie made a creepy life sized doll of Sunset. Whelp. She snapped. It's Party of One all over again.

"How was the show?" "It was... perfect." "I was being judgemental, darling. What is the point of thowing shade if there is no one there to catch it?" Wow. Bitchy Rarity is harsh. Ans Sunset totally missed it.

She is kinda holding the Conflict Ball, here, too. It feels a bit odd for her to ditch Pinkie this readily. Or to be oblivious to the consequences like this.

Oh, I see. Sunset is counting on the loop continuing, and is now in the "I-don't-care-let's-be-an-asshole-about-it" phase of the loop. You know, punching Ned in the face, and all that. Maybe she's gonna snog Dash after that spank, who knows.

Oh, wait, she DIDN'T expect the day to repeat. She was just being a MASSIVE asshole about ditching Pinkie. Right. Not the best characterization, there...

And NOW she is going into endless loop mode. Okay. I think that would have worked a LOT better if she had started that before being such a massive jerk without relying on the reset button.

"You could have warned me, you know." "Tried that, you called me a witch." "Are you?" Well, depends on what you define as "witch"...

And yes, we are doing the full Groundhog Day movie plot, basically, complete with Sunset exploring the festival grounds and finding random events left and right, like the painting guy breaking up with his girlfriend. If any of you have watched the original, you all know what is going to happen now, I suppose.

Cue the wild car ride out of town to try and break the cycle. At least no suicide in THIS version, though I still expect things to get pretty bleak for Sunny.

The camper crashes in a decidedly less spectacular fashion (it breaks down over a tiny bump in the road), leaving them all stranded in the middle of the woods.

Sunset mimicking Sci Twi word for word is amazing.

"You sure it is only about Post Crush?" Why are you glancing at Pinkie? How would you know it's about Pinkie, Sci Twi?

"Sorry, I'll be more careful from now on." "No, Rainbow Dash, you won't! Every day you say that, but you never are! Why wont you change??" Well, technically, she only did it the ONE time... Also, how are you still letting yourself get spanked on the butt after WEEKS of this, Sunset? It's literally the first thing out of the camper. Are you enjoying it, or something?

By the way, Sunset is in the role of Phil, and Pinkie is basically her Rita. Yeah, if that isn't shipping, I don't know what is... And yes, there IS a ship called Sun Pie, and no, it doesn't seem to be very popular at all. This is a pretty out there ship to focus on for this movie. Why not pair her up with Sci Twi? That's the popular one, after all.

Twilight finally picks up the, um, book. "Sunset, I've been doing some research, and it looks like you found another long lost Equestrian artifact." WHAT artifact? There is no artifact that I could see. It was just a random wave of magic.

"The Time Twirler." How could Twilight possibly know what the artifact is, when Sunset doesn't even know about it to bring it up? The narrative is cheating a little here.

"What you're experiencing isn't simply magic run amuk, or a wish gone awry, somepony is using the time portal to cause this." How could you possibly know this?? What evidence is there? This is quite an Ass Pull right here.

... I bet it's that band. Post Crush. They found this Time Twirler, and are now endlessly resetting time so that they can relive their goodbye concert over and over again. No idea how Shimmy would have gotten caught up in it, though.

So, after that little Deus Ex Machina Plot Exposition from Twilight, Sunny is on a new mission: to find whoever is behind all this.

And then they find the Sirens performing at the festival. Of course, Sunny is sure they are behind it, but I smell a red herring.

"You are a V important P to ME!" There's that Sun Pie shipping again. Someone is clearly a fan. Oh, and Sunset totally snubs her comment, in case you were wondering.

Sunny finally asks Pinkie to help her get past the guard, using her knowledge from the time loops.

And she keeps forgetting about getting spanked.

Sum Pie (as we might as well call them now) manage to convince the guard to let them backstage with a kitten.

Oh, it really IS the Dazzlings causing the loop. Oh well, then. My idea would have been neat too.

Hey, that van looks a bit familiar... It looks like the Mystery Machine from Scooby Doo, with another paintjob.

Sunset sneaks into the van, and Pinkie stands guard, but of course she is distracted by pastry. And this is why no one trusts Ponks with anything important.

"Don't even THINK about eating our toast, Sunset Shimmer." Best line.

Turns out Adagio was talking about looping a vocal track, and Sunny confirms with her mind reading power that she is telling the truth, so I'm back on track with my suspicions about Lost Crush. By the way, does Adagio sound... different? Maybe the VA changed.

Apparently the Dazzling are just... getting on with their lives, touring with their now normal band. Well then. That answers what happened to these three. I hope you're satisfied, fans, because it probably won't get better than this.

"If the day is always the same, maybe you're the one who needs to change." Interesting idea to have the revelation come from the Dazzlings. And yes, of course this is the obvious solution.

And NOW, FINALLY, Sunset dodges the paddle. This joke just keeps getting better.

"You call her Pinkie Pie because you spell her name with three I's." And then she twirls away with Pinkie. Yep, there's a shipper on deck in the writing room.

So the rest of the cycle is Sunset having the perfect "date" with Rita- I mean Pinkie. See how closely this mirrors the movie? In the movie, Phil's unspoken goal set by the loop is to win over Rita's heart and have the perfect date with her. It is not enough to simply entertain or seduce her, he needs to fall in love with her and form a genuine connection with her to break the loop. So, going by that, this attempt, like the one in the movie where Phil finally goes to bed with Rita, will fail, because it isn't genuine enough.

Man, I think this is the shippiest moment in the entire show right after Lyra Bon and their spy storyline in the 100 episode special. How much more shipping can you get than pretty much reenacting the romantic part of a classic comedy film with two main characters?

Of course, in this case, the loop will fail because of the time twirler, not because of a disingenuous romance. Which is way more explanation than we got in the original movie, by the way.

And the solution to the food stall is... simply walking up to it. Because of course it is.

"You know, when I did things alone my way, I realized having a perfect day wasn't perfect without - you." Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached maximum shipping. All that is needed now is a kiss and holding hands while walking into a portal. Or something like that.

So the food is apparently inedible, though smelling really good, and the painter is the baker's girlfriend, who promptly breaks up with her.

How large IS this festival ground, anyway, that they can race around on bike? Also, you'd think that would be banned.

"Hey, the usual delivery guy looks like two girls today." Yep, it's them.

Sunset tricks one of the band members to touch her hand, and reads her mind, revealing that they found the time twirler (which was JUST LAYING ABOUT, by the way), and started the loop. Their goal is to have the perfect farewell concert, which apparently took them many, many, MANY tries. Clearly, they are very perfectionist.

Sunset confronts them, and the two retaliate by making sure they are banned from the festival in the following loops. They do this by drawing their pictures. Badly. I can see why she dropped out of art school. Amazed that she got IN, honestly.

The girls are locked up and need to escape before the loop is reset. Why the villains don't reset it then and there, I do not know.

"It was a bit inedible for my taste... like eating a crowbar!" Of all the ridiculous Checkov's Guns...

But instead, the security guard lets them out, because they showed respect to him earlier.

"Wait." "What's wrong?" "It's just that, I've already seen Post Crush, but if we break the time loop right now, you won't." TIME AND PLACE, Sunset! You have more important things on your mind! Not to mention that I think Pinkie cares a whole lot less about that band right now, what with them being evil and all.

"We're ruining Post Crush's only renunion show." ... Seriously? Why do you care at this point?

"Are you kidding?" Thank you, Pinkie Pie.

The two band members are bickering, when Pinkie... blows the door off its hinges. Oh yeah, she can let confetti explode, or something, right? Well, at least the writers remembered it for once.

Pinkie manages to knock the time twirler from one of the girls' hairdo (where she could have easily activated it, like she did so many times before). They fight over it, when they get raised on stage, and Sunset finally manages to smash it. Sunset tells the band that their fans don't want perfection, they just want a fun concert from them.

We get a reprise of "Perfect Original" (if that's the correct title of the song, at least)... with flashbacks of Sun Pie's perfect date. This all happens while they play along with the song, which features giant hearts as it's main theme.

And of course Pinkie and Sunny know the song perfectly, so they can perform right alongside the band. While synching movements. Who needs practice?

The next day, it is finally day two of the festival. And that's the end of the mvoie.

Wait, no answer as to why Sunset was caught in the loop? Oh well, then.

Also, no resolution to that painter guy breaking up, or the baker quitting? I guess Friendship isn't always Magic, after all.

Well, that was pretty fun. The villains weren't really all that evil, but that is pretty much par for the course these days for Equestria Girls. This one is definitely worth a rewatch one day.

It's a shame though that this is now the LAST one. We will likely never get a resolution for the overarching plot of leaky Equestrian magic, which is a shame. This series still has plenty of potential, even with the occasional stumble.

Here's hoping Sunset will at least make a final appearance on the main show before it's all over. Otherwise this would be a bittersweet ending to what is, essentially, HER show.

Edited by Redmess on Aug 19th 2019 at 11:11:10 AM

Oh Redmess is reviewing the EQG thingie? Guess I better go watch it first so I can comment too.

Err: Does anyone know where I can watch the specials?

Edited by storyyeller on Aug 19th 2019 at 10:36:17 AM

You know, I haven't caught up with the Equestria Girl stuff after the fourth movie. I really should. Perhaps after I finish the actual tv show.

It's on Daily Motion.

Post of the Day #2613

Posted by Japanese Teeth on Sun, 19th Jan '14 9:14:25 PM - Post #40406 in the new thread

Well, the continuing franchise is ultimately all about money-grubbing....

It is, like many an 80s cartoon, a glorious commercial enterprise that has, on a few happy occasions, produced meaningful art.

Mine?

Not so.

Edited by Pannic on Aug 20th 2019 at 9:36:46 AM

I just realized that, in a way, Equestria Girls has been preparing us for a soft reboot for years now, getting us used to the idea of having the same characters but slightly different, with different histories and interactions.

I mean, that's standard Hasbro MO. It's how MLP and Transformers have worked since their inception. Older MLP fans and any fan that is also a Transformers fan know the deal.

What G4 most likely did is completely rework the way the reboots will be going forward, as new MLP from now on will probablys stick to the Transformers mold of reworking a set of M Cs each gen now that they struck gold with the Manes.

Holefully other fan-favourites will get similar treatment (it would be a shame if, say, Sunset Shimmer never shows up again).

Sunset is a fan favorite, I'd be surprised if she didn't.

So time to watch EQG: Spring Breakdown

• How exactly did the afford such a luxurious cruise again? I remember the time they had to win a contest to raise money, but it wasn't that much money.
• Rainbow Dash lampshading how they always end up fighting monsters powered by Equestrian Magic (TM).
• What was that about Equestria World? Was that an EQG special I forgot about?
• And now's the part where RD ruins everything before the real plot starts.
• Even the animals are pastel colored here.
• How is she speeding around without the amulet? When did they get the ability to use their powers without the necklaces?

• RD continues to ruin everything. Maybe that is the plot after all.
• The argument about whether they are superheros or not was hilarious though
• Sunset, if you hadn't brought magic to this world, Twilight wouldn't be with them, and hence they wouldn't be having that Spring Break together anyway.
• Gotta love that amazing bouncing lightning
• Wait, they become PONIES? I was not expecting that.
• Another obligatory 20% Cooler reference. They sure our beating that horse a lot nowadays.
• Because it wouldn't be a proper Spring Break without millions of dollars in damages
• Oh, I guess the geodes got transformed into magic jewelry at some point and that's why they can use their powers now
• Why does the boat even have bunny shaped life jackets? That was some amazing forethought, though I can't imagine who would even manufacture those.
• Wow, they really aren't getting the deposit on that boat back
• WTF kind of cake is strong enough to hold someone in place, even when it isn't soaked with water? Speaking of which, that cake is probably a disgusting piece of trash now, even if you ignore the fact that the flood waters aren't exactly clean or sanitary.
• Gotta have emergencies tailored to each of the 7's powers.

Edited by storyyeller on Aug 20th 2019 at 11:38:22 AM

They are SUPPOSED to have their amulets with them, but the animators just get lazy.

Unless the scripts calls for their explicit presence or absense, the animators just won't include them (specially when they are in alternate designs like in this special).

There's one specific instance of writer/animator lazyness in the climax that baffles me. You'll probably do do a double take when it happens.

As for Equestria World, it is probably an error and refers to the park from Rollercoaster of Friendship.

Also, we do have a thread for EQG, just sayin'

Edited by MrSeyker on Aug 20th 2019 at 8:39:10 AM

There's one specific instance of writer/animator lazyness in the climax that baffles me. You'll probably do do a double take when it happens.

What was it? I must have missed it.

Speaking of which, I was a bit puzzled by the fact that Twilight got wings in her Rainbow Lasers form, especially since she doesn't have them as a pony.

Edited by storyyeller on Aug 20th 2019 at 11:39:49 AM

Post of the Day #2614

Posted by Calnos on Fri, 18th Nov '11 2:40:11 PM - Post #41322 in the old thread

Equestria Girls - Spring Breakdown

Well, looks like another special slipped through the cracks. This one takes place before Sunset's Backstage Pass.

The Humane Seven are on a cruise. How they can possibly afford this, I do not know. These were the same characters who were happily going to summer camp not too long ago, but now they seem to have taken a class upgrade, going for the rich kids summer camp - on a cruise ship.

I fully expect to see Diamond Tiara snipping at the poverty clique being on her cruise, or something.

Oh, and of course the entire school is here, too. Maybe they all won the lottery or something.

... Why is Pinkie doing the Titanic pose with Bulk Biceps? Are we shipping these, now?

"Welcome aboard the Lux Deluxe, where you'll set sail for a full week of luxurious luxuriating on our most deluxe luxury liner." I'm not sure if it's supposed to sound like a scam, but this totally sounds like a scam. Also, in real life, that line would probably get you fired for writing it.

Hey look, the farm girl doesn't have sea legs! Isn't that funny? Wait, hasn't Apples been on a boat before?

Dash has an imagine spot of defeating a sea monster, and even her friends think this is a really weird thing to fantasize about. And of course the monster will befriend them in the end. Because they always do on this show. These movies are becoming increasingly self aware, it seems.

Dash is enthousiastic about being a superhero, but the others are clearly quite sick of having to play the hero every time something bad happens. Well, that never happens to the mane six.

Then suddenly Rarity freaks out over being in international waters, which means... tax free shopping. That joke doesn't really work when she was reacting in horror at her phone...

Also, that is not really how that works. Here's an article on it. Suffice it to say, it's a bit more complicated than "international waters means tax free shopping".

Next, Pinkie is about to get some cake, but Dash tackles the chef because she... had a spatula. They both get thrown out of the restaurant, naturally. Looks like Dash is firmly grabbing the Conflict Ball this episode.

Next up, Dash is being a jerk to Fluttershy by interrupting her... um, petting zoo visit? Why does this cruise have a petting zoo? One that looks like a day care centre? Weird.

Next, Dash harasses Applejack, whose thing today is being very, very seasick. I'm surprised the writers resisted the temptation to have Apples puke all over Dash. That would have been a good comeuppance right there.

Dash continues to look for (and be) trouble, but of course there isn't any, and this is already getting a little dull, honestly.

Dash investigates something that is made to look sinister, but of course it's just Trixie's magic show, and at this point you can see it coming a mile away.

Next up is a montage of Rarity shopping (because that is her character now, apparently... so much for being a fashion designer, now she is merely a consumer).

And then Rarity meets a guy who... looks like a male version of Applejack. Like, literally the same design, but male. And he talks like a Charles Dickens character, for some reason. I guess the writers think that is how English people talk?

Oh gods, this guy is NOT going to be Rarity's love interest, is he? And make him an Applejack clone, on top of that? So instead of confirming Rarijack, they are turning it into a heteronormative couple? That is... wow. That is really insulting, actually. That is the worst case of hetcon I have ever seen.

Why can't this guy speak his own language? Rarity is not that different in British English. It is especially confusing since the show is produced in Canada, and uses the British pronunciation of Rarity to begin with.

Meanwhile, the rest of the group is preparing a concert. Maybe that is why they can afford the cruise? Though that still doesn't explain how the rest of the school can.

"But, you're still having fun, right?" What, after the three of them told you how Dash ruined their day? Also, since when is Sci Twi the worrywart of the group? That's Sunny's job.

"I'm sorry, everyone." "It's not your fault." I really don't get why Sci Twi is being so guilty over this. Is this her guilt complex over nearly destroying the world, or something? I thought that plot was over, but maybe not.

Dash shows up and wants them to pony up for the concert (cue argument over what it is called, which I didn't even know was an argument to begin with), but the rest ain't having it, and Sunset takes Dash aside for a moment.

"Twilight worked really hard to plan this trip for all of us." She did? This was all HER idea? Dis she pay for it, as well? That wasn't really clear from the start of the movie.

"And... how can I say this without being mean..." Just say it already. Is this because she chewed Twilight out during the Friendship Games? Because that one was totally justified, as it is here. Dash has made a complete jerk of herself, and she needs a good chewing out.

"Ugh, just say it!" Thank you, Dash.

Sunny rather halfheartedly tells Dash off for ruining the cruise for everyone, but they are interrupted by Rarity and her love interest. The others seem disturbed by his resemblance to Apples, who conveniently shows up in the same shot for those who missed it. So this is not just lazy animation, it is a plot point.

And suddenly the weather goes from clear sky and daylight to dark and very cloudy, in the span of one sentence of dialogue. What's going on here?

"It's like he fell out of a historical romance novel." And not a very good one, either, being such a stereotypical I Am Very British Quintessential British Gentleman character.

And NOW there is a time lapse of the sky darkening and clouds rolling in. It seems like the editors messed up a little here. There probably was a longer scene between Rarity and the nameless Apple Clone originally, which ended after that little time lapse, but it was cut, leading to a rather obvious out of order sequence here.

Hey, a storm is rolling in, thunder can be heard already... but let's continue setting up the concert anyway! What could possibly go wrong?

The concert starts, and Dash encourages the others to pony up, which they can apparently do on command, and voluntarily, now. I thought it was supposed to be an unvoluntary thing that only happened during strong friendship moments, not just something they can turn on at a moment's notice? That was even a plot point in Rainbow Rocks!

And then there's a rainbow effect, and all the lights on the ship pop.

"It's about to go down!" Cue panic.

Seriously though, why is anyone acting like they've never seen these girls pony up before? Doesn't everyone know by now? Or was it supposed to be kept secret? Not even sure how that would work at this point.

And now we get a scene of people turning on flashlights. The exact same scene we saw earlier when Apple Clone left, too. Man, this is an editing jumble! So that is why that guy was turning on a flashlight for no apparent reason earlier. It's quite the continuity snarl.

So apparently the entire ship has lost power, including the engine.

"Let's not let a little thing like total mechanical and electrical failure ruin our fun." What is with you today, Sci Twi? You seem oddly neurotic about all this. I feel we are missing a bit of setup for her acting like this. The idea seems to be that she is being neurotic over having a good time no matter what happens, and is doing her best to ignore any issues that come up.

Dash is convinced something involving Equestrian magic has caused the power failure, but is fairly obvious that they themselves were the cause somehow.

I don't know what it is with this episode. Is it trying to deconstruct how these episodes tend to go? Why should it be Dash to turn delusional over this? You'd think Sci Twi or Sunset would be the more obvious choice, there.

"I'm not trying to tell you how to do your job, but... may I?" I'm pretty sure that would not be allowed even if you WERE qualified to fix a cruise ship engine... Which Sci Twi obviously is not.

Also, the ship's crew is being completely useless, because of course they are. Not so much as trying to calm the passengers or take control of the situation. Nope, it's all up to the kids, apparently.

And she slides under a panel like she is fixing a broken down car. Show is blatantly ignoring how ship engines actually work.

Meanwhile, Pinkie is breaking into the banquet to get her cake. Yep, that's the B-plot right there. Riveting, ain't it?

"Hello, ragamuffin?" Annnd there's the other B-plot.

Apple Clone is below deck, doing... River Dance? On his own? Okay.

Sci Twi is about to apply a conveniently easy and nonsensical fix to the engine, when Dash interrupts to show her something, ruining the job in the process, because Dash Ruins Everything today. The thing being some glowy thing in the water.

She does the same to Pinkie, who is abusing her power to commit petty theft of cake, and to Rarity, who was about to kiss the Apple Clone. Well, at least I'm grateful for that last one. Eugh.

Of course, the thing is long gone when Dash returns with the others, and Sci Twi thinks it was just fluorescent algae. Dash proposes taking the ship to investigate (who is in charge of this thing, again?), and they have a fight over whether or not they are superheroes. Everyone else is really apathetic over it, leaving Dash frustrated.

Sci Twi is upset over being angry at Dash, and clearly just wants to have a good time with her friends. It still feels a bit out of nowhere, though, there is just no setup showing where this sudden need for validation comes from.

Of course Dash went off alone in a small boat, during a storm, because she is a complete idiot today.

"You're going out there?" "She wouldn't even be out there if I hadn't brought magic into this world in the first place." Really? That is a really convoluted line of reasoning to go after her. This is hardly Sunny's fault. Dash is just being a reckless, paranoid idiot.

Besides, Sunny was hardly the first one to mess with this world. That dubious honour goes to Starswirl "let's shove our problems over there" the Bearded. The Sirens, and the Equestrian magic amulets they brought with them, were there long before Sunset came there.

For some reason, only Sci Twi goes with Sunset. The others seem rather... unconcerned.

"I'll fix the engine while you're gone. We'll be ready to go before that storm hits us." I'm pretty sure it's already here. There have already been two lightning strikes.

"I'll help keep people calm... with cake." Keep them calm? They seem mildly annoyed, at best. A bunch of them were partying below deck. This is the calmest cruise calamity I have ever seen.

Clearly Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Rarity are more concerned with their Plot of the Day than, you know, the safety of their friend. Also, Apples nearly pukes while Rares is talking about the Apple Clone, which almost seems like tacit acknowledgement of how sappy that subplot is.

So of course Sunny and Sci Twi take off in their dinghy without so much as warning the crew, as well as taking away a life boat in the middle of an emergency AND an approaching storm. So much for showing responsiblity.

They arrive at Generic Tropical Island, where Dash seems to have taken off into the jungle.

"Where is Fluttershy when we need her?" Making life jackets for bunnies, because that is clearly MUCH more important than saving her friend.

The parrot repeating Dash's words is great.

They quickly find Dash, who is stuck in quicksand. Not sinking (for once), just stuck. And no one is particularly panicking about this, so clearly they are subveting this cliche. It's pretty much like real quick sand. You won't drown in it, but it is hard to get out on your own power.

And Sci Twi just shakes her head and walks off in frustration, not even helping Dash out. What IS it with these girls today not helping each other out?

And suddenly there is a giant plant monster... because of course there is. Random.

"I've seen something like this before." Like what? What about this screams Equestrian magic? Except it being, you know, weird? Also, magic that forms... a quicksand puddle. That seems rather mundane all of a sudden.

The quicksand is... a portal? How did Sunset know? And if it is, why didn't Dash fall through right away, when the others could just dive right through it?

Yes, the three of them are in Equestria, and they are now ponies. Sci Twi freaks out, and screams like a Japanese anime girl. Not sure where that came from.

"But my things are horse things." "Around here we call them pony things." That seems... oddly specific. Maybe horse is some ancient pony slur, or something?

Hey, look, it's the return of Rainbow Crash.

Sunset is surprised that there are more than one portals to Equestria, but I don't know why she should be. It's pretty obvious ponies like Starswirl have been routinely opening portals to who knows where for centuries.

Dash is oddly okay with being a pony. She must have thought about that a lot.

Meanwhile, on the cruise ship, the others are terrorized by bolt lightning from the storm. Why they are still on deck, I don't know.

"Breaker, breaker, four and a half, this is Red Delicious requesting a storm status update, over." You're not driving a truck, Applejack. Stop using truckie-speak.

And another ligntning bolt hits the deck. I say lightning bolt, but this thing sure doesn't behave like normal lightning, ricocheting around like a bolt shaped bullet.

Also, WHY ARE YOU STILL ON DECK? Why is anyone still on deck? How useless is this ship's crew? Why are the kids in charge?

Meanwhile, the three visitors are infiltrating Ponyville, and being super secretive about it... why exactly? How secret is this stuff supposed to be? Wasn't all this about Twilight traveling to Canterlot High and all in that journal they published?

"Rainbow Dash, other me. Good to see you both again." ... How do you know it is the OTHER Rainbow Dash? They look exactly the same. Also, they really need to come up with an in-universe name for Sci Twi.

"What about the others?" "Oh, they're back home waiting for us, but they're fine. No reason to hurry back." Everyone is oddly cavalier about the others being in danger today. Also, Sunset's delivery almost makes it sound like she doesn't really want to go back.

Meanwhile, Apples has turned the ship into a speedboat, somehow. And they are still treating it like it is a simple car engine.

"Oh, you have to try Ms. Cake's chocolate fondue. It takes twenty minutes, though." Only twenty minutes? Doesn't sound like much of a fondue, unless she is making it out of a packet, which doesn't really sound like Ms. "I own a bakery and make everything by hoof, thank you very much."

"Too hot, I need this to be like, twenty percent cooler." Sigh... They really ARE running that old meme into the ground this season, aren't they?

So the gag is now that the three visitors are having fun hanging out with the mane six, while the others are busy crashing their cruise ship on the same island with the portal.

Also, Trixie is performing her stage show, completely oblivious, not to mention undisturbed, by the current disaster going on.

Annnd then the show turns into Titanic. That was unexpected.

Meanwhile, Sci Twi argues that the mane six are super heroes, which Dash notes sounds familiar. Though I would argue that the mane six, while heroes, are not superheroes.

Then Twilight brings up the Storm King's staff, which apparently now contains his storm powers, and Dash recognizes the symbol from the water she saw earlier.

So apparently some of the Storm King's magic leaked to the human world and is causing the freak storm around the cruise ship.

"Our friends!" "We have to go back!" Oh, NOW you worry? When you already KNEW they were in the path of a storm? It's not like regular storms are not that dangerous, especially at sea. This dramatic moment is rather contrived, and just makes the characters look stupid.

"To the life boats!" Annnd the lightning destroys the life boats on cue. Is this storm sentient now, or something?

And then some orb with the Storm King symbol appears in the sky. But Sunny, Dash, and Sci Twi return with the staff, and promply suck the storm up with it, ending the threat. Well, that sure was easy.

"I can't believe how easy that was." Me neither. What an anticlimax.

Also, why didn't Twilight come along to help?

"I think we all learned a valuable lesson today." And while they recount their lesson, the ship is still going down in the background. I feel the show is making fun of itself, here.

"The ship is still sinking." See?

"Rainbow Dash was right all along." ... Paranoia and jackassery saves the day?

I mean, really, what ARE you supposed to learn from this? Dash was very clearly in the wrong for being paranoid and ruining everyone's day, but then the show pulls some random magic emergency out of its ass to prove her right? That's not really how that works.

They all pony up and set about rescuing the passengers. But... if they have so much powers, and they can build life boats on the fly, then why not use them to repair the ship?

Fluttershy's superpower is... providing life jackets for animals. Okay... What was her power again, anyway? Oh yeah, talking to animals, because of course it is.

The scene is being very dramatic about saving the two bunnies, but they didn't seem in all that much danger to start with.

"Head for the life boats, that way." Sunnys super power here is... telling people to head for the life boats. Basically doing the thing that the crew should be doing.

Oh, she uses her mind reading powers to find a girl's parents. Instead of, you know, talking to the kid.

At least Apples does something heroic that she couldn't have done as easily without powers, breaking down a door. Well, more like lifting it off it's hinges, but sure.

Pie Lady is stuck... under that cake. Somehow. And Pinkie saves her by eating it. Okay.

Sci Twi and Rarity build a boat, somehow (they don't realy show this part), and eveyrone is saved.

Well, that was a bit of a mixed bag for those super powers. Half of them could just as easily been done without ponying up, and the various emergencies are oddly tailored to each person's specific power.

This whole superpower thing feels increasingly out of place, honestly. Sunset's Backstage Pass did very nicely without them.

"Well, I suppose this is goodbye." Oh, it's you. Forgot about that one... Luckily he just sort of sods off with a final joke about romances, which is fine by me.

And the way home is... leading everyone through Equestria to the other portal. So much for being secretive.

What an odd movie. This one is clearly not taking itself entirely seriously. It was fairly harmless for the most part, though I think Sunset's Backstage Pass did a lot better than this one.

The others seem disturbed by his resemblance to Apples, who conveniently shows up in the same shot for those who missed it.

I actually didn't notice the resemblance at all, even when they appeared together.

Sci Twi and Rarity build a boat, somehow (they don't realy show this part),

At least in the version I saw, it does show Rarity building a boat with her powers.

Aren't Rarity's powers to create shields? And Pinkie didn't even use her power (which is exploding glitter).

Redmes, I have to ask, why do you add a smile fave when you are doing your reviews (i'm sorta new here so I have no idea)

I use that to indicate that something is particularly funny.