MLP FiM Season 5 Episode 18

Well it's...been a while since I've done one of these. And for those of you that don't care and just want to get on to my thoughts, skip the next couple of paragraphs. Just go past the bold spoiler text.

So why haven't I done more of these? One, I kinda find doing these to be a little tedious. It's why I've kinda stopped doing the Pokemon ones as well. It requires me to constantly pause and unpause in order for me to give my impressions as I'm watching it. And that sort of ruins the experience of the episode. And yeah, I could just watch the thing and give some brief thoughts on it, but I also like making jokes which I only feel like I can do while watching the episode.

As for two well...
...
...I've honestly only watched four episodes of Season 5, this being my fifth. I've seen the two part opening, the Apple Bloom dream episode, and the so bad it's good 100th episode. So yeah...I'm a little behind. Why is that? I've honestly been focusing on Pokemon more, especially since the fourth game in my favorite spinoff series is coming out soon, so watching the episodes hasn't really been a priority for me. And MLP hasn't interested me as much as previously. It's not like I suddenly hate the show or anything, I've just been focusing on other things. Like gaming. Heck, I'm only doing this because I was asked for my thoughts on this specific episode so I decided to give them. But that's beside the point and this has been going on for way too long.

Time for the episode. Spoilers below. Speaking of spoilers, I should note that I've been on the TV Tropes page for this episode so I pretty much already know the major spoilers. But I'll save my thoughts on those until I reach the episode. 

So this episode starts at the CMC clubhouse with them trying to figure out what they're going to do next for their CMs. And...then we're hit with a song. Ugg.

I think I've mentioned this before, but I'll mention it again for those of you new. There are very few songs in MLP I like. And even less that I listen to regularly. I still have yet to pinpoint why but I don't really like the songs. And from what I've heard, this is going to be a musical episode akin to Magical Mystery Cure (which is an episode I dislike strongly). Granted Pinkie's Pride was also a musical episode and I liked that episode, so the fact that this is a musical episode isn't necessarily a bad thing, but more songs means less time for plot. 

As for the song itself, it's short and ok I guess. I don't hate it but well...see above.

Afterwords Pipsqueak bursts into the clubhouse. In the middle of the Apple Family Orchard. They must really be casual with who they let on their property. Anyways Pipsqueak bursts into the clubhouse asking the CMC to help him win election for the very racist office of Student Pony President (this is why putting Pony on everything isn't always a good thing. What if there are Griffons that want to run? Huh?)

This is something I've always found odd (not the naming). Where does the plot device of running for Student Council President come from? Especially in shows that take place in Elementary School. I know for a fact that my Elementary School didn't have Student Council President elections (though to be fair, I might have forgotten about them but 'to be fair' my little sister wouldn't let me if there were some). Heck the only time I've cared who's Student Council President is in College, and that's mostly because I'm friends with the Student Council President. So I've never understood this plot device. Though it might be because of how small my school was.

Anyways because this is a Student Council President plot, guess who's his competition. Yep, Featherweight. And he's winning too with his rousing speeches about newspapers or whatever. He is clearly going to dominate the ele- oh who am I kidding, it's Demon Twat. This is a Student Council President plot. Who else but the school bully is going to be competition?

And as usual, the character we're supposed to be rooting for plans on using the power (how much power would an Elementary School kid have exactly) to fix up the school, in this case the playground since it was destroyed in Twilight's battle with Tierk (nice continuity nod BTW) whereas the school bully only plans on using the power to further their own vanity. Seriously, a statue of you in the courtyard? Really? If this were any other genre I'd get the satisfaction of seeing you get you're @%& kicked by the main protagonists right about now.

Let's see...meh song...Demon Twat trying to blackmail everyone for a vote because of course she would, the elections happening...now because...campaigning that day FTW? Diamond Tiara goes from blackmail to bribery, because even more of an @%& by insulting Silver Spoon right in front of the entire playground (smooth move) and then the...elections are over? We're only six minutes in? ...Ok so the majority of this episode won't actually be the generic Student Council President plot. Ok then.

So after Pipsqueak wins Student Council President (yes I refuse to say what the show calls it), because of course he was going to, Demon Twat decides to recount. She only got one vote. She didn't even deserve that (and yes I know it was hers). Even Silver Spoon didn't vote for her, breaking their friendship. Fun. 

So the CMC decide to tail Demon Twat (you know, after this I'm probably going to learn the real definition of twat and feel pretty bad) as she walks sadly through Ponyville. And we are introduced to her mother, Spoiled Rich. And yes, Spoiled Rich is a %$@#%. Yep, I see where this is going.

So we get a sob song from Demon Twat and the CMC start sympathizing with her. So they decide to invite her to their clubhouse, turning Demon Twat into Tsundere Tiara.

*A Tsundere Tiara Blocks the path

Fight Act Item Mercy

I know what I'd choose, but luckily for her the CMC are on a Pacifist playthrough.

Anyways, the clubhouse visit with Tsundere Tiara goes about as well as you can expect. But before something could happen, Pipsqueak interrupts the plot yet again. He can't get the board to approve of his playground fixing because 'there isn't enough money in the budget' (which brings me back to my earlier point of what is the point of the president?) and Tsundere Tiara takes this chance to turn into Demon Twat again and use this as a ploy to become president. Joy.

And...apparently a chase scene warranted a song? Because...while running is the best time to sing? Granted the song is reasonably fast paced enough for the run so it works but...you know what, I'm just going to shut up now. Though I will say the part of the CMC singing while running backwards looked...awkward. And I don't usually notice things like this.

So they reach the school but before Demon Twat could say something her mother interrupts her. Nice Job Fixing it Villain? This gives...fine I'll use her actual name now...This gives Diamond Tiara the chance to Call the Old...Woman I guess...Out. And defend the CMC, whom she considers friends now. Afterwords she gives her mother a note to send to her father for the money needed and then we get a song number. Again. Oh well.

So after all that's said and done the CMC decide to help others with their CM problems instead of looking for their own. You know what happens here.

*The knowledge that you are going to help others find out who they truly are fills you with determination.

*You have obtained your Cutie Mark.

...I suppose I should talk about this.

Now I'm split on this. Not them getting their CMs, this was a long time coming, but what they got. So I suppose I'll go into that.

On one hand, I like how they went with a little twist to the CMCs CMs. The generic Sweetie Belle ends up getting pushed into singing idea (which even the show satirized in the dream episode) thankfully didn't happen and whatever would have gotten Apple Bloom and Scootaloo their CMs. Plus the idea of them helping others with their CM problems could arguably be seen from the instillation of the CMC and there are plenty of future headcanons that suggest that as well.

The other side of me though would like to remind me that I'm getting that feel mostly from fanon more than canon, that the CMC's CMs were pretty much established in their first combined episode, so this twist is more of them breaking continuity for the sake of a surprise instead. And it also finds the fact that they have similar CMs and the design of it to be bad as well, though I would have to say that at least one of those is a little nitpicky and petty.

So I'll just go with meh. Best answer I got.

Anyways the episode ends with a reprise of the first song and their party that I'm not going to even bother spelling. So my final thoughts?

...Objectively this is a pretty decent episode. The songs are fitting enough for where they are and for the most part advance the plot instead of just being filler, allowing it to be coherent instead of a mess like Magical Mystery Cure. The plot was solid enough. 

...But then again, I'm an emotive critic, not a structuralist. So what do I actually think of this episode.

I both like it and hate it. Yeah...that's...a thing.

Basically, this episode has a broken base (then again, which doesn't considering the Brony fanbase can be just as bad as the Sonic fanbase sometimes). I'm going to quote TV Tropes here:

"Base Breaker: This episode cements Diamond Tiara as such. One side views her backstory and reasons for being like she is sympathetic and found that her more positive actions have redeemed herself and are interested in seeing what plots can develop from this. Others find her Freudian Excuse flimsy and cliche, especially for her character type, and, as a result, got off way too easily for her terrible behavior over the course of the series."

...Gonna be honest, I'm in the latter category. Granted, I'll give the episode this: I like how the focus of her Break the Haughty moment was more on her loosing the election than her mother's treatment of her. If it focused more on her mother's treatment of her than you can bet that the love up above would not be here. The trope of bringing in a character that's even more of an @%& than a character we already hate in order to 'redeem' said character is a trope that I have started to massively hate. Not as much as the love triangle but still.

At the same time though, remember when I said I see where this is going above? Even if I did see this episode before reading the spoilers, as soon as I saw Spoiled Rich I would have seen where this episode was going. Because it's a really, really, generic way of giving someone a Heel-Face-Turn. And I'll be honest...I kinda don't like how that's always the excuse. 

Now I'm going to be comparing Apples to Oranges for a second so bear with me because I have a point, but the Partner from Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Gates to Infinity is my current favorite partner out of all of them. Now the Partner reveals in the game that he never had any parents or friends before he met the Hero. Whether this was because his parents died or abandoned him before he hatched is never said, but considering the state of the world when the Hero first gets there, I can easily imagine the latter. Despite the fact that he never had friend or family and lived in a world that loved stabbing you in the back when they get the chance though, the Partner still kept hope and even resolved to build a Pokemon Paradise where this kind of thing would never happen. He even mentions to the Hero that he sometimes felt like losing his faith in Pokemanity (I can't believe I just made that pun), but he didn't. Despite his circumstances, he kept believing in his Paradise and kept working towards it. That's why he's my favorite partner, because I love that kind of thing.

Granted, Diamond Tiara is a kid, so it's kinda natural that she would follow her parent's advice, but I would have liked this episode much, much better if instead Diamond Tiara went from being a jerk to learning how to be nicer rather than have her be 'misguided by her mother.' Have her loose the election, realize that she isn't actually the center of attention that that no one really likes her, and have her then try to be nicer (with several failures involved) and end the episode, not with her being completely changed, but with her at least striving to be better, and I feel this would have been much better. Because I don't feel the Freudian Excuse is really much of an excuse. And I feel that her being redeemed in an afternoon was really rushed.

Especially for someone who, just last season, insulted a cripple with her disability. Yes, that is still my berserk button and no, I have not forgiven her for it. 

So yeah...I like and hate this episode. So this really is Magical Mystery Cure all over again (since I do like MMC's last five minutes after Twilight explodes). But I do at least like this episode better than MMC in case you're wondering. As I said before, the plot's solid, I just hate the Freudian Excuse used for the redemption. You know, I kinda wish there was a good story where a character turns out just fine despite the 'teachings' of their parents. Granted I'm probably forgetting them, but still. It'd be an interesting twist and I love twisting tropes I dislike.