Verily, in article <
UBI20250713@dont-email.me>, did
weberm@polaris.net deliver unto us this message:
What did you watch?
I woke up very early and couldn't get back to sleep, so I binged My
Little Pony episodes. Prepare yourselves for a whole lot of pastel
ponies.
S07:E10 - A Royal Problem
Celestia and Luna have been squabbling, and Starlight learns that each
believes the other doesn't appreciate her work, so she switches their
cutie marks. Both are soon in over their heads. Luna's failure at
Celestia's job isn't so bad, but Celestia's lack of expertise with
nightmares could scar Starlight's psyche forever.
This was really good. Daybreaker was appropriately menacing, and the
real menace to Starlight added some tension. I wonder if we'll see
Daybreaker for real? That would be awesome.
S07:E11 - Not Asking for Trouble
Pinkie Pie visits Yakyakistan for Yaktoberfest. The yaks need help but
are too proud to ask.
This one was mediocre, IMO. The Yaks are stereotypical, but not in a
single way. They're like German Viking Klingons.
S07:E12 - Discordant Harmony
Fluttershy has Discord over for tea every week, and he realizes he
should return her hospitality. He tries to tone down the chaos so she'll
be comfortable, and worriedly creates a home so conventional that he
begins to fade away from lack of chaos. Fluttershy, who may be the least
anarchic pony in Equestria, must create some chaos to restore her
friend.
The moral's predictable, but getting there is fun. Discord's devotion to
Fluttershy, his first and best friend, is adorable.
S07:E13 - The Perfect Pear
Apple Bloom meets a mysterious but kind old man named Grand Pear (Grand-
père, get it? Get it?). The Apple siblings learn that their mother, whom
they'd known by her nickname of Buttercup, was a Pear whose real name
was Pear Butter. Grand Pear and Granny Smith were feuding, and Pear
Butter/Buttercup was disowned for seeing Bright Mac. The older Apple
siblings have grown up hating the Pears as much as Granny Smith does,
but when little Apple Bloom asks *why* they're feuding, they don't know.
Eventually, Granny and Grand settle their differences. Unfortunately,
it's too late for Bright Mac and Pear Butter.
This episode has William Shatner voicing Grand Pear and Felicia Day
voicing Pear Butter. It wasn't a kids' episode. The general forgiveness
message is accessible to all, but the main theme about generational
shadows was more for the adult viewers.
S07:E14 - Fame and Misfortune
Twilight and some friends, including Cadence, go on a luxury balloon
ride. Unknown to them, it's run by the not-evil-but-bizarre Iron Will,
who pitched it to everyone else as a chance to spend personal time with
two princesses. They're swarmed by fans, while Iron Will tells lies in a
tour-guide voice.
I didn't expect to enjoy this dumb episode as much as I did. Iron Will
is always funny, and he's hilarious here. It's implausible that all the
fans abruptly realize that even princesses need personal time, but I
guess they had to wrap it up somehow, and Iron Will's abrupt departure
is awesome.
S07:E15 - Triple Threat
Spike invites both Ember and Thorax to Ponyville on the same day, by
accident. He then tries to keep them separate, assuming they won't get
along, but doesn't tell either of them the truth. He eventually learns
his lesson: "I was so focused on how it could go wrong that I didn't
think of how it could go right."
I usually dislike Spike episodes, and this one was no different. How
exactly does Spike, a personal assistant who keeps Twilight's schedule
for her, manage to invite both the Dragon Lord and the King of the
Changelings and then *forget* about it? Worst assistant ever, I guess?
It was okay, though, and many viewers did like it.
S07:E16 - Campfire Tales
When their camping trip is ruined, Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash
tell the Crusaders their favorite legends.
I gather that this one tied into the comic book, which I never read. It
was still an okay anthology of legends, but I do have some reservations
about the messaging in the legend of Mist Mane.
S07:E17 - To Change a Changeling
Thorax, the relatively new King of the Changelings, has a brother named
Pharynx who didn't accept the peaceful new ways. The gang keeps trying
to convert him to the path of love, but he refuses to give up his
warrior's ways and eventually concludes he must leave his beloved hive.
Then, when Thorax goes to find him and a monster appears, Pharynx
intervenes to save everybody. The hive realizes it still needs some
warriors, since not everyone else is peaceful.
I liked this one. It was more for the older viewers, though kids
probably got it. Just beaming love in all directions is okay for many
situations, but not all.
The changelings seem like a metaphor for abuse survivors. They grew up
in a harsh and hateful environment under Queen Chrysalis, where they
were always starving for love and snatching any scrap of it just to
survive. When healthier people introduced them to real affection, they
filled up from the inside and could heal. Pharynx wasn't unfixable, but
he had a slightly different nature and required a different approach. He
now uses those old skills to defend, not attack, and that was what *he*
needed to metamorphose into his true form.
S07:E18 - Daring Done
AK Yearling has decided to stop writing Rainbow Dash's favorite series.
In a previous episode, the show made the mistake of establishing that AK
Yearling is Daring Do's secret identity and all Daring Do's adventures
are real. Rainbow Dash must convince AK Yearling not to stop adventuring
or writing.
I don't like the idea that the adventures in the books really happen.
I'm just going to ignore this one.
S07:E19 - It Isn't the Mane Thing About You
Rarity mixes up condition with hair remover and dissolves most of her
mane. This is a real problem, since she has an upcoming photoshoot. She
tries to hide the problem. Her friends have both magical powers and
considerable crafting skills, yet none of them can make her a wig (they
have literally made wigs in other episodes). She then decides to "shine
from the inside out" and adopts a punk look which suggests that she did
it on purpose. Behind her back, her friends hire Photo Finish to do a
creepy photoshoot while she's just walking around town, and this is then
featured in a magazine without Rarity's permission or even knowledge.
We've got some dubious messages here. Rarity, the epitome of feminine
elegance, adopted a look very much against her personality and managed
to carry it off. That doesn't mean she wants to be seen all over
Equestria in that state. Also, big no to the creepshoot.
At that point it was past 5:00, so I just got up.
-- Saturday Doctor Who watch party 1:00 p.m. Pacific timeThis week: The War Games (pts 6-10)https://discord.gg/Fd6Znkme?event=1393948552253935706
What Did You Watch? 2025-07-13 (Sunday)
Re: What Did You Watch? 2025-07-13 (Sunday)
