S02E21: Dragon Quest

[jaybud4Tell your friends, I got a factory of PONIES]

The picture that Spike's just sortof taped into during the letter sequence?
That's probably Fancy Pants he's covering up.
Because, you know, the background there is definitely the gardens from S&E.

[SlateSlabrock]

This was another episode that had so many excellent bits and bobs. I wasn't immediately sold on a G1 repeat, but they really know how to punch up even the (for us older kids) tediously common stories. That said, I think I've had enough "Spikey-Wikey" for the rest of the series.

I liked seeing Twilight using magic more often in this episode. She didn't solve every problem like that, and she has to practice sometime. On the other hand, why not write to Celestia when the question first comes up? I suspect Twilight is gunning for her Ph.D by getting Spike to research dragon behavior for her.

One thing that's been bothering me a little about the beginning: there have been a lot of episodes where the conflict is kicked off or exacerbated by everyone laughing at the episode's main character. Lesson Zero sort of touched on this, but I wonder if they ever plan on having a "We're sorry we were such jerks" moral.

The phoenix fire glide was awesome. It reminds me of something I can't quite place my finger on.

Crackle, and Crackle's "cousin" cracked me up, and I was getting the same vibe someone mentioned earlier about the teenagers being some fusion of characters from How To Train Your Dragon. Also, a belching contest. Was not expecting that.

Amazing that Spike had to paste himself in a party photo. That's gotta be an inside joke.

[SlateSlabrock]

The dragon in Dragonshy giving us the "But that rainbow one kicked me " line was a gag and a twist—up to that point we were led to believe adult dragons couldn't talk at all, but that showed that they can, they just generally don't.

Well, there's also Steve Magnet, if you're allowing the pilot. Which, given the dragons we see in this episode, I'm not sure I would, either.

So Crackle is basically covered in food? Does he just have terrible eating habits or is that the dragon equivalent of chronic acne? I guess with stubby limbs like that it must be hard to clean yourself.

Smaug, the dragon from The Hobbit, was nearly impervious to attack from below because he spent his days lying on his treasure hoard, and his belly was almost completely encrusted with gems.

[Aurora]

Avatars and such here, as always: viewtopic.php?f=16&t=1246

[PinkemonIts SO limited edition! :'D]

The phoenix fire glide was awesome. It reminds me of something I can't quite place my finger on.

I sure know what it reminds me of.


Rising phoenix!

[Crow.Why, of course!I'm clearly insane! .]

I really hope at some point Spike grows wings, considering every dragon ever shown has wings; the teenage leader dragon also mentions Spike not having wings.

An episode of Rainbow Dash teaching Spike (bonus: along with Scootaloo) how to fly properly would be. so. awesome.

Well, there's also Steve Magnet, if you're allowing the pilot. Which, given the dragons we see in this episode, I'm not sure I would, either.

Steven Magnet was a Sea Serpent!

[IsaakEquus Ludens :3]

It is time.

- Having missed the cold opening, I'm excited
- Ooooh... so that's where Fluttershy went.
- "Am I not the toast of the trench?" "You'll be toast alright..."
- "Nice is an understatement! I look fabulous! Who says camouflage has to be drab?" is the most fantastic line ever.

- Echoing what Headless said: Tara's delivery in the late night scene following is fantastic.
- Awww, Twilight offering to help him
- Twilight knows speedreading.


- Surprise!
- You know, this brings up a few questions like, how did that conversation go? "Hey Rarity, wanna pick up Twilight and have breakfast?" Or was it the other way around?


- This right here is an odd angle and it switches back and forth between this and others three times becoming repetitive.

- Man, Anderson had a field day scoring this, love the epic adventure soundtrack.

- LOVE how the following shots follow each other up:



- We start out with Huckleberry Spike and Cranky Doodle Lookalike placed in the center of the frame, this fades into



- so for a short while the viewer's focus remains in the center and then, as we're wired to look for patterns, goes towards Spike walking towards the horizon.
- But what's this? *SNAP* the focus immediately shifts towards the brightly coloured phoenixes on the right, foreshadowing what's to come.
- It also looks really, really, really, really, really, really, really good.

- Well into Act Two now



- I've called many things the greatest thing. The above is one of them.



- Crackle.png is too the greatest thing.
- Seriously that had me laughing out loud the second time.
- I'd like to remind people that we are watching My Little Pony. The above screenshot is from a My Little Pony cartoon.
- This iteration features a giant crater with pools of lava and hundreds of giant dragons.

- "Nice going Rainbow Dash, I can't believe your silly plan actually worked!"

- "Ow..."
- Look at how the fabric actually follows Rarity's contours.


- "So how about you wrestle him."
-


-
- I seriously did not expect that...

- Act Two is dragging a bit, yeah.

- Okay, I like how the teenage dragons go from run-of-the-mill jerks to actually accepting him. Even though it's because of a belly flop. Then again: Jackass.
- Oh, wait. They're jerks, yeah.

- OH MY GOD THIS SHOT ! This is so well done! It immediately links this scene together with the previous shot of the phoenixes and zooming out like that establishes before settling on the Dragon Gang tells the viewer their relative placement allowing them to break the 180 rule mere seconds later.

- Phoenix vs Dragon Awesomeness

- It appears imgur is crapping out on me, so I'll just use "Copy URL from this time": This right here, "It got away!" and "Hey, you stole an egg?" illustrate just how much difference highlights in eyes can make in a character's appearance.

- Love how Spike's fumbling with the egg as the red dragon slaps him tells that he really doesn't want to drop it, it nicely foreshadows what's to come.
- Smash the egg? As in killing an unborn sentient being?
- Rarity has best fighting talk. Holy Cow Tabitha is amazing!
- Huh, Spike's not even surprised that his friends were there. Even though he wrestled them...

- "You're more than friends, you're... family." has me tearing up.
- Fantastic lesson.
- Good show Williams, good show.

I really like how this episode takes the show in wild new directions. It does fumble here and there because of that but it's an all around treat I think.

[synthorangeLook at me, I'ma talking butt!]

Dear Princess Celestia, today I kidnapped a baby.

[WildfireYa ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ya ta ta ta ta ta ta ta do doh duh va zha da ya dya da KABOOM. KABOOM.]

The dragon costume reminded me of this fucked up little gem of an anime from way back.



Anyone else remember Unico?

I've got that same Unico movie on tape (recorded it off of Disney in the late 80's) and I didn't even think of that.

Now that i've got time: IDK to me the episode wasn't as good as the previous ones. It did have it's funny moments though (Fluttershy being assertive once again XD). That was kind of a Brodyquest ref'.

Kind of poor quality but nonetheless:

Click here to view video.

[Headless Horse]

I love that opening, Fluttershy stomping the crap out of Rainbow Dash for trying to guilt her into something she was afraid of/uncomfortable with was the best thing. That shit don't fly in Ponyville, Dash.

It's nice that this show can have not one but two instances of "don't let jerks pressure you into stuff" without it being, like, the exclusive point of a Very Special Episode or anything.

I'm really digging this. It didn't really even occur to me that the cold-open was a pre-statement in full of the larger episode's message/conflict (I don't think we've seen them do that much or at all), but it works brilliantly well on so many levels: foreshadowing Spike's plot, recapping Fluttershy's previous story, adding lots of depth to Team Shock and D'aawww.

Also, fuck it, I'm just gonna say this: the thing about "I sat through that boring chick flick opera butterfly migration, now you have to come to my monster truck rally action movie dragon migration" is a classic piece of relationship negotiation that shows up not just in fiction, but in real life, all the time. It's like something out of a Tim Allen routine.


E: speaking of, here's 1080p of this:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5375965/2012-03-18_09-35-24.png

It really captures Dash's expression.

(Also look at the "weathering" effect on the photo. That's pretty remarkable.)

[PhoolCatKeep on Trottin']

I don't think Dash getting mildly bored doing Fluttershy's thing equates with Fluttershy being terrified doing Dash's

[synthorangeLook at me, I'ma talking butt!]

Is she bored, or watching the wrong butterflies by mistake?
These butterflies havent moved off your butt in hours Flutts!

[FlareShardThe applest of Jacks.]

I'm so calling dibs on a Pee Wee the Phoenix av, you guys

[AramekYour MRI results have shown total infection to now be approximately one fifth of the full mass of the tissue."So you're saying..."Your brain is about 20% tumor.]

I really liked this episode.

[Mr. BigBrush is mightier than pen.]

I'm so calling dibs on a Pee Wee the Phoenix av, you guys

Hopefully he'll stay away from movie theaters

[Scuderia FerrarityThe Corndogs Of Today are the Tacos of Tomorrow]

Pee-Wee - That's what the other dragons called Spike.

- "Nice is an understatement! I look fabulous! Who says camouflage has to be drab?" is the most fantastic line ever.

Sometimes Rarity operates on a completely different set of criteria than everyone else.

[FlareShardThe applest of Jacks.]

Pee-Wee - That's what the other dragons called Spike.

It's a babby phoenix. He's small. I stand by my naming

[Wayoshi]

So I just read this somewhere so I take no credit, but...



Is that Spike in a fetal position on an egg-shaped shadow? Yes.

[MordjaLYRA is the cool pony who likes to hang out. You can find most of the cool ponies with her. LYRA can just chill and do whatever and totally relax. "Take it easy" is the LYRA motto, for example, that's how laid back she is.]

So I just read this somewhere so I take no credit, but...



Is that Spike in a fetal position on an egg-shaped shadow? Yes.

I always have to wonder if details like this are written into the script or if they happen through the animators' volition.

[Mechanical ApeAnd I thought they smelled bad on the outside!]

Shouldn't have eaten all that ice cream, Spike

Seriously though, that is fantastic. I didn't notice that the first time, but I did notice that when Twilight walks into frame, it's a rare moment where we get a pony shot from a straight overhead perspective.

[Pocketis she just gonna go booty booty]

I always have to wonder if details like this are written into the script or if they happen through the animators' volition.

I think it's usually the storyboarder's idea.

[BartonFink]

Spike's just pasted into this one. Looks like a party photo, guess Spike wasn't invited... again

I just rewatched the episode (my earlier opinion stands) but I completely missed this on the first watch. That's awesome.

[Herr Generalfabulous]

Spike, are you drunk?

SPIKE IS DEAD

Right, now that that's over with: absolutely fantastic episode. So many great little bits in it that I loved.

-Once more, this show blows my mind when it comes to scenery/backgrounds/wallpapers. It's incredible.

-Fluttershy is really violent when she's being assertive- she took out Rainbow Dash, the pony who can smash into a barn with a nuclear explosion and be unhurt.

- Despite the "deus ex machina" nature of it, I'd have loved for Celestia to show up during the faceoff and be like "Bitch, NOBODY messes with MY dragon." (cue a major ass kicking). I wish the animators would release deleted/alternate scenes for some episodes. If it was only on the internet, then they could get away with disregarding some of their rating limitations too!

This is definitely in my top ten.
Merriweather Williams, despite a pretty rocky start, you have more than redeemed yourself with Putting Your Hoof Down and this episode. Props to you for doing so well.

[Scuderia FerrarityThe Corndogs Of Today are the Tacos of Tomorrow]

Is she bored, or watching the wrong butterflies by mistake?
These butterflies havent moved off your butt in hours Flutts!

:"I'm tripping so hard right now."
:"Hey, Rainbow, look at the sky! It's full of Butterflies!"
:"GARBLRBRBLABLRARBLGARBL"

Also, fuck it, I'm just gonna say this: the thing about "I sat through that boring chick flick opera butterfly migration, now you have to come to my monster truck rally action movie dragon migration" is a classic piece of relationship negotiation that shows up not just in fiction, but in real life, all the time. It's like something out of a Tim Allen routine.

I keep forgetting a lot of famous comedy actors got their start in standup.
Flutters lowers her eyes just as RD mentions the butterfly migration was stupid, like she hadn't feigned interest in it all that time.

(Also look at the "weathering" effect on the photo. That's pretty remarkable.)

I was wondering what that was.
:"Get your thumb off of that picture, Rainbow. You'll wreck the print!"
:"My what?"

[VoodooTikiALL the gems.]

Maybe?

[RagnarWhat's older? Unicorns, or stars?]

Look at her wing. Wing-hands with Fluttershy was one thing,but aaaaaaa that is some freaky stuff.
Each of those so-called "feathers" is a separate, prehensile appendage. I don't even know what to call them anymore. Maybe they're covered in feathers and/or the ones closer to the base are actually feathers, but those 4 long bits of her wing that Fluttershy used as fingers earlier are currently moving independently of the rest of her wing and each other. They're like weird little tentacles.

ohgawd I just imagined Celestia using all her many little "feathers" as grasping appendages

Feathery tentacles? A lot of sea creatures have appendages that can be described that way. This is of course further evidence for my theory that the whole show is underwater and they're all actually seaponies.

[Lobstoh. hi.]

I'm a huge fan of whenever a cartoon series emphasizes the values of free-thinking individuality, so the moral -- in which Spike considers himself more a pony than a dragon in the end -- is, for me, one of the best things the series has done so far.

Still haven't decided how the episode stacks up against the others, though -- but at the very least, I hope it lays the concerns people have with Williams to rest. What a great little piece of worldbuilding.

[Dead Ponyrapid rapid rapid rapid rapid Individuals]

- Act Two is dragging a bit, yeah.

Who are you to accuse this episode of dragon on.

[Headless Horse]

I was thinking for a bit that Williams was still writing in Jerkass Dash mode, particularly considering the way she rips on Spike in the trench ( ). But really I don't know if I can say that's any more jerky than her calling Twilight an "egghead" or making fun of her hair in Episode 1. Calling Spike a "lame dragon" feels like the kind of tactless buddy-buddy ribbing that is absolutely in character for her—the kind of thing where if you called her on it she'd just be all like "Oh c'mon, you know I was just joshing, grow some thicker scales"

That exchange is especially well textured considering that the ponies in general think of dragons as being nasty brutes and mean it as a compliment when they tell Spike he doesn't act like one at all, which is rather clueless and insensitive on all their parts. It's evoking some really complex social machinery there; Spike is just starting to realize how different he is from his "family" and wondering whether he should be feeling more racial pride, and then the ponies come along with their "Oh but not you, you're one of the GOOD ones" schtick. There's a helluva lot of real-world baggage weighing down those little bits of dialogue, and I'm still kind of in awe of Williams for pulling that shit off.

The only thing that still felt a little bit jarring—and I don't mean in a bad way—was Fluttershy steamrolling right over Dash in the cold-open, stomping her in the gut on the way to the window. Man, that's really pushing the envelope for this show. It felt like it was a gag that would have been more par for the course in some other show, and while it's not impossible to do something like that in Pony, it's such a nuclear option that it really shakes you up when you see it happen.

And because that scene is just so amazing, I'm going to be perfectly happy with slightly higher-than-average levels of jerkiness and violence being just a Williams kind of flavor of Pony, rather than Williams not "getting" Pony.

[Pink Himalayan Saltsee this watch? i got it by Crying. my car? crying. my beautiful wife? Crying. My perfect teeth? Crying. now get the fuck out of my office]

It's evoking some really complex social machinery there; Spike is just starting to realize how different he is from his "family" and wondering whether he should be feeling more racial pride, and then the ponies come along with their "Oh but not you, you're one of the GOOD ones" schtick.

I'm gonna have to admit that's the first thing that popped into my mind when watching that bit.

The only thing that still felt a little bit jarring—and I don't mean in a bad way—was Fluttershy steamrolling right over Dash in the cold-open, stomping her in the gut on the way to the window. Man, that's really pushing the envelope for this show. It felt like it was a gag that would have been more par for the course in some other show, and while it's not impossible to do something like that in Pony, it's such a nuclear option that it really shakes you up when you see it happen.

Why? There's been cartoony violence in this show before and this wasn't really anything worse.

[itinerant nomadSurprise Pedantry!]

There's a clear distinction between a male and female phoenix here, but Philomena (who Celestia referred to as "young lady") looks more like the male without the chest markings. It's pretty easy to mess up bird genders without clear differences between them, but I doubt Celestia would make a mistake like that. Maybe phoenixes get different plumage when and after they mate? I dunno. Gotta make sense of it somehow.

Philomena's overall palette and body shape is close to the larger phoenix. However, the smaller one has the ovoid tips to the crest feathers, and a three-color head thanks to the additional color stripe at the front of the beak.
The phoenix design looks like it was revised, probably once they they were going to use a one-shot creature again, twice over.
It's possible the smaller one is female. By cartoon logic it is supported by the bird equivalent of eyelashes, and a similar head design. There would be some color modifications to distinguish it from Philomena.

That exchange is especially well textured considering that the ponies in general think of dragons as being nasty brutes and mean it as a compliment when they tell Spike he doesn't act like one at all, which is rather clueless and insensitive on all their parts.

It may be insensitive, but not necessarily clueless since the episode in no way contradicted their prejudices. Spike went so far as to self-identify even more strongly with his Ponyville family by rejecting this brutish stereotype and dragon kind as one and the same.
The only teaser that they can play any role beyond background brutes might be the throwaway line that Sweetie Belle made in "Hearts and Hooves Day", when she read the outcome of the history of the love potion.

The only thing that still felt a little bit jarring—and I don't mean in a bad way—was Fluttershy steamrolling right over Dash in the cold-open, stomping her in the gut on the way to the window. Man, that's really pushing the envelope for this show. It felt like it was a gag that would have been more par for the course in some other show, and while it's not impossible to do something like that in Pony, it's such a nuclear option that it really shakes you up when you see it happen.

I think Bruce Lee did a similar stomp move in Enter the Dragon (-shy ). This one did turn out far better for the stompee, however.

[Daionus The 23rd:3]

I find it pretty neat how the phoenixes, unlike everything else, have no outlines.

[Sobana]

Well, they do establish a bit of dragon society. We learn that dragon culture is based on strength and endurance. Dragons prove their worth and social standing through tests and trails. It is understandable that other races who are not familiar with dragons would view them as fierce and scary. The older dragons must of already proved their worth and won a level of respect so as not to need to continually show off their strength.

One thing of interest to me is in Dragonshy they said that one red dragon would hibernate for 100 hundred years yet the dragons migrate once every generation. I think ponies live a lot longer then they are letting on. Seeing how there is no newly hatched dragons, only teenagers to adult dragons, and how it was established that dragons are solitary creatures, it seems most likely this mass migration is a type of breeding season and the volcanoes are their spawning grounds. That could actually be the origin of Spike's egg!

[HyliusWhat? Heroes are cool too.]

I think ponies live a lot longer then they are letting on

Considering in Winter Wrap up Twilight mentioned Ponyville had cleaned up winter manually "for hundreds of years" and Granny Smith was around at the time of it's founding...

Yet no one remembers Luna after a "mere" thousand years of banishment, which was "generations" and "olden times". I think any attempts to figure out a pony's life span would just end in tears.

[MochaBean]

The phoenix fire glide was awesome. It reminds me of something I can't quite place my finger on.

I was trying to put my finger on that as well, and although I can't speak for you, I finally realized what it reminded me of: The dragon firework from Fellowship of the Ring.

Click here to view video.

[Whitenoise PosterI am going to eat this entire oak tree because I am a powerful wizard!]

Ponies are clearly just kinda dumb and tend to forget unpleasant things like the nightmare moon event.

[synthorangeLook at me, I'ma talking butt!]

With the annual Nightmare Night and that big statue and everything? "Well, well, well, somepony who remembers!"

[The DoctorTurner Of All Things Timey Wimey]

With the annual Nightmare Night and that big statue and everything? "Well, well, well, somepony who remembers!"

There's a lots of little things in the pilot that don't make much sense, i just write it off as being the pilot. How would the ponies not know the origin story of their ruler who lives a short train ride away.

[Headless Horse]

It's funny, I actually feel like this show has done remarkably well with keeping itself internally consistent and the premise as shown in its premiere fairly plausible. There's a lot of shows and movie properties that have had to retcon the hell out of themselves within just two or three years—big ones too, like the Simpsons and Star Trek, and even Futurama, as nerdy and fastidious as its writers are.

Pony is still in the phase where it's revealing big things about the universe (i.e. what dragon society looks like), and the fact that it remains so compatible with what we've seen so far is really pretty exceptional. Especially "for a kids' show"™.

[thatbastardkenWant it, Need it]

With the annual Nightmare Night and that big statue and everything? "Well, well, well, somepony who remembers!"

There's a lots of little things in the pilot that don't make much sense, i just write it off as being the pilot. How would the ponies not know the origin story of their ruler who lives a short train ride away.

Really I'd put that down to everyone except Twilight being too terrified to speak. Also let's face it, Rainbow Dash isn't very likely to have paid attention in history class.