S01 E13: "Fall Weather Friends"

S01 E13: "Fall Weather Friends"

"Where the fuck was autumn, exactly? And the rest of winter, for that matter..."

Well, I guess this episode answers that particular question. Apparently this one was made earlier in the production phase, but got aired out of sequence-- not that it'll likely matter since this series barely has continuity. But I could be wrong! This seemingly nondescript episode could be the linchpin to the entire MLP mythos!

*chortles*

What I liked

• The teaser opening wasn't particularly long, but it set up the episode really efficiently with the time it had, and I appreciated it. Especially since it didn't resort to out of place elements to establish some kind of mystery or end on a lame joke. Lookin' at you, Swarm of the Century and Winter Wrap Up.

• Spike breaks the 4th wall while he does the "announcing". I'm pretty sure he has "Favorite Supporting Character" locked up. 

• I had a 3 minute block of thinking about nothing but how Rainbow Dash shouldn't have been aerodynamic enough to speed through all those barrels...I really need to stop noticing these things.

• That was total bullshit how Dash won the Long Jump event, she used her fucking wings! I would have hated this if shortly after Applejack hadn't called her out on this and the several other times she cheated. 

• Okay, there's a moment near the end of the first act where Dash and AJ spit on their hooves and, uh, touch or something to symbolize sealing a deal. They look aggressive, but they briefly laugh during it, and I like that detail because it shows the competition is still friendly...for now. 

• Aww, poor Spike got his announcer job taken away by Pinkie Pie! Although she is kind of better suited for it...and actually has a megaphone.

• I like that Applejack literally ties Rainbow Dash's wings behind her back when she starts to brag. I'm not going to count this episode against Rainbow Dash since it was made before her improvement in the last episode. 

• Woah, Twilight's gonna race? Wasn't expecting that, but now I expect her to win or for some random nobody to win so everyone can learn a lesson about being a good sport. 

• OMG, WTF ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT PINKIE PIE, YOU'RE LIKE LUNA LOVEGOOD WHEN IT COMES TO ANNOUNCING

• Twilight is wearing a card with number 42 on it...nice. 

What I Hated

• The episode starts off with Rainbow Dash and Applejack playing color-coordinated horseshoes, and it's established that Applejack is (allegedly) quite the athlete! It's nice to see any of these characters get a little depth beyond their niches in Ponyville, but I have to admit that I'd rather have had it go to Rarity or Fluttershy. Of the six, I'd go so far as to say that Applejack is the most developed so far, so any of the rest need some spotlight episodes, stat. 

• Umm, whoa-- sharp-ass downturn on the background quality for the most part. Given the heights they've reached in the past, I can definitely see this being made earlier in the production run. 

• "Why would you care about the race, it's only for ponies!" nice CASUAL RACISM there, Twilight.

• I knew at some point things would just devolve into Wacky Races, but at least it happened relatively close to the end. 

• Called it on the lesson of the week, *sigh*

Final Thoughts

Yeah, so this episode ended up warranting all that sarcasm in the intro section. Little in particular stood out besides Pinkie Pie's announcing, and the background quality took a sharp decline. Adam told me he barely remembers a lot of the first season, and if the bulk of the episodes are this mediocre then I can see why. Not much else to say, so that pretty much wraps things up for me.

See you next time for Suited for Success!

-Apathy Pony