The most recent episode of MLP dealt with an issue near and dear to the Cutie Mark Crusaders’ hearts: Bullying. Although they already had to deal with it before, this time, Applebloom’s cousin Babs was willing to take it a step further. Thus began the tangled web of intrigue and deception barreling towards an admittedly standard, Boy Scout Handbook moral. So how was it? If you somehow still value my opinion, make sure to click past the break, and discover what jumbled thoughts were racing through my head as I beheld three fillies dealing with themes of rejection and revenge. And “awww” doesn’t count.
Well, first off, let’s cover the plot of this episode. To be perfectly honest, it was a little bit predictable to me. Of course, I’ve been able to predict plots before, like with Party of One (minus the crazy part), and it still ended up being one of my favorites. So what did this episode use as its hook? I’d say that the focus of this episode was Babs Seed herself. The episode used the idea of how bullies can have their own motivations, and how in fighting them, you too can become a bully. Not exactly revolutionary, but it’s still a good lesson for kids to learn. However, as a result of the time limitations and the nature of the plot, Babs herself only existed to demonstrate the moral. And while it would be nice to further her character, if she never shows up again, it would be perfectly understandable. Babs served her purpose, and we would need further development to justify any future appearances.
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| But she will always live on in the hearts of the sad fic authors. |
Something that I did like, however, was the choreography during the song. It helped to show the overall quality of direction and creativity that can go into even the more run-of-the-mill episodes. There was certainly some recycled animation thrown in, but it can be forgiven by the overall product. While it wasn’t enough to make the whole episode a stand-out, it’s still an example of the effort that the staff has been putting out year after year. It was charming and creative, and sometimes that's enough.
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| Well, when it wasn't being completely horrifying |
So, in summary, the song was pretty good, the plot was alright, and Babs herself was alright. I just feel like...more could have been done with it. As it stands, it was a mildly entertaining episode, but rather cut-and-dry.
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| On a different note, didn't this scene end differently in Goldfinger? |
