Greetings non-pony fans. WeAreBorg here with the followup for "Triple Threat" featuring the triple threat of your favorite non-pony side characters. It's got fire, explosions, bears, political intrigue, lavish parties, and a lot of Spike panic faces.
Check it out below!
As is my style I'd like to break down the moral lesson for you so as we go through it, you can see it unfold. The moral is that you should never have friends and never invite them over. Joking. That's what we are trying to avoid. The episode here offers us a simple twist on a few similar morals; giving somepony the benefit of the doubt, and trusting your friends.
Now I will be the first to admit that this episode likely isn't making anyone's top favorite for the season, but as we learned from last week's "Fame and Misfortune" maybe we shouldn't rush to blame character actions or writer decisions. The episode had some potential to be epic and full of conflict but it was rather slice-of-life and that's okay!
Let's dive in...
So does Twilight have a royal budget set aside for friendship making? Is there a finance pony who gets half a handle deep into some fruit schnapps when reviewing this budget? It's clearly big enough to hire a bunch of ponies to set up decorations. Also is this a party without Pinkie Pie? Pinkie would lose her cupcakes if she wasn't helping with this. Maybe Twilight was like screw those boring ponies, Glimglam is new bestie. That's right people, Twilight's old friends and Applejack have been replaced!
Hate comments can be directed to my twitter.
This banner looks oddly familiar. Also can't Starlight also levitate? Am I being too picky?
So this right here is why Spike has trouble fitting in with dragon culture. Twilight's lists. He's such a pony, but we knew he was doomed from the start with his choice of love interest. And not only his use of lists but he's not sure if dragons like or dislike flowers...
So remember ponies are opportunistic carnivores herbivores so they aren't really ripping up flowers here as much as relocating a box of cookies. Actually, if these are Morning Glory plants then it's more like they're harvesting their LSD for later. Truly Equestria is a utopia. I think dragons might like these flowers, Spike.
What else are you trying to get ready?
The first thing you learn in Chemistry is to waft and not stick your face over the bottle. Poor Spike and his sub par home schooling...
That's what you get. Survival of the fittest taken to the next level with a species immune to fire. Also did Twilight say he was getting worked up for no reason? Takes one to know one as the saying goes.
I'm surprised Spike's diplomatic status in the Crystal Empire wasn't mentioned.
Lists. As I mentioned earlier, hanging out with Twilight too long, i.e. his whole life, has permanently changed him. I've read a number of fanfics where this has set Spike down a path to being transpecies. If that's the way he wants to go, luckily Equestria has plenty of magic. If he was a changeling he could be a step closer...
Did I say changeling?
Resplendent! The plot thickens! Also, the name of Pinkie's next rap music video. Also, no way everypony is comfortable and familiar with new changelings or changelings period. Giant bug creatures showing up in town is exactly the reason why these ponies need Morning Glory...
My face too when suddenly confronted with a large insect above eye level.
Shouldn't a species whose survival depended on taking the place of ponies and blending in with their culture, be better at picking up on context clues such as the ones that point out that this shindig ain't for him? Survival of the fittest taken to the next level with a species drawn to fire...
Like a moth to a flame...
Caught Spike mid blink on my screenshot. Insert Morning Glory joke here. This is where last week's episode's moral comes back to fend off questions like: Why aren't the adults fixing this? So to be fair, Twilight might be suffering some PTSD right now as a result of entertaining yaks and up until a year or so ago Starlight's idea of hospitality involved a small room with a lot of "manifesto" copies. This is why they need Pinkie.
This episode is full of great Spike faces.
Also, when ever you stare into a fire long enough and see something weird, you're seeing another fire in Equestria where something weird is staring back.
Anyway, who wrote this?
Ah, Josh here is back for his second episode after "Parental Glideance" which was a knock out of the park. Josh, by the way, has over a decade of animation writing experience.
Thanks for the recap of Ember's personality. Maybe if we had more Ember episodes we wouldn't need that exposition. Hint, hint, wink, wink, to all those FiM directors, reading.
Let's use some scene to get Thorax's personality...
He's gotten pretty touchy feely.
Also, That stallion's brain freeze.
Anyway, let's checkout Spike's doomsday scenario...
Morning Glory seeds...
I smell a Death Battle coming on...
Spike, this isn't what happens when changelings and dragons fight. This is what happens when Twilight gets all the Alicorn power...
...
Good times!
Don't worry Spike. It'll all be over soon. So this moment is a bit strange with Twilight calming him and tell him his worst case fear is nothing to worry about. Let's watch it all fall apart...
Ember is badass even when she's flying. Let's give her a proper ponyville welcome...
So look at these cute mares all the way from Canterlot...
Yes, Canterlot. First, you only get an all unicorn band from the unicorn heavy Canterlot. Also, only a band from the capital city would be wearing uniforms with royal symbol decorations...
Compare the chariot wheel to the uniform's cap.
Anyway, what does Ember think of this welcome?
1 out of 6 mares agree: The dragon lord is pants-wetting terrifying. Survival of the fittest taken to the next level with a species with a delayed flight or fight response.
"Spike, you must be this tall to not be friend-zoned"
They just invited a dragon with allergies to a village with thatch roofs. What does Starlight think of this?
My thoughts exactly. Also Ember's "Gotta get used to all these pony names. Lots of lights and shiny things." is exactly what my wife Cynder said to me when we started dating.
Spike, if that lasts longer than 4 hours consult a doctor.
Also like my wife: "I could go without you"
Starlight is having too much fun at Spike's expense, and when I say too much I mean not enough.
Every Blogpony's face when asked to do a follow up for a Spike episode...
Additional similarities to my wife...
Nom nom nom.
Meanwhile on this double date trope...
Remember when everyone complained about the new changeling designs? Remember last week's episode when the moral lesson told us exactly where to put such opinions? Good times.
Also, Twilight actually does have a thing for chairs...
Twilight, like my wife, Cynder, is a chair aficionado.
Is it hard making faces with chitin?
OMG Thorax is so cute. As a leader, this is part of his flaw as we'll see later. Anyway, Spike's charade is starting to unravel.
Needs a whip and some lions now. Fluttershy wouldn't like that.
I got 99 problems and they're all about friendship.
So this was almost surprising in that I had forgotten how much I was waiting for this. It's funny the table uses Spike's form in the upcoming movie. What do you think about that Spike?
That's what I thought. I love these Spike faces.
I had an '96 Impala SS with sequential turn lights like that. Also Twilight nerding out on a new map capability is classic Twi.
Starlight Glimmer here to let you know a dragon and changeling are wandering around the castle unsupervised.
There's a lot of purple in this show. Like it's affecting me. I may have made the nursery Twilight colored.
Also, I had to stop and get ice cream at this point. It was rocky road. Speaking of
I know there's 4 to 1 mares to stallions ratio Spike, but you don't have to ruin a guys chances.
Spike, I think these two guys were doing just fine without your interruption. I was going to say that most decoration in Ponyville contains flowers and little hearts in things but that's a sink right there and the only way there is a sink right next to a table is if its a private house. So Spike busted into some Stallion's home who's kitchen is filled with hearts and flowers. I believe these two are Star Bright and Silver Script. Start Bright was bad at Buckball if you recall.
Spike to help Lyra and Bon Bon's "friendship". It's fun to see the Bon Bon voice gag taken to the next level.
Ember must be under some stress to not notice that the entire structure is made of dragon food. Also how big is her stomach? Twilight doesn't mind that much. The place still isn't her Golden Oaks. Too soon?
Two things in this scene. First Thorax is a goof and secondly, unsurprisingly, Starlight is the best liar. Also the expression "go to town" most recently more mainstream due to Pokemon Go.
Still no Bon Bon voice.
Your web of lies grows Spike. Maybe you should spend more time with Applejack. Oh, wait. That Spike episode wasn't any better. Starlight's got top gesturing skills.
The important bit though is in the following conversation where Thorax reveals that a bunch of changelings are unwilling to change their ways and still feed off of love. All you fanfic writers can feel validated now.
Speaking of validation, let's check-in with Ember...
My name is Ember, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
♫ The fire of friendship lives in our hearts... ♫ It's even the same color. You'd thinm ponies would be all over this.
Vaguly uterus-ish though. Cynder glanced at my screen and was wondering WTF I was watching. Related, Cynder has one of these guys girls in and amongst my pony plushes. It's cute.
Speaking of cute...
Derpy! We've been missing a full on Derpy encounter this entire season. Ember, how could you violate the sanctity that is the muffin? Also, this is a metaphor for Hasbro's decision to rename her. Oh, muffins? Yeah, we're just gonna take that about you and smear in all over your toys. Like that, don't you?
Meanwhile in the rest of the Equestrian utopia...
Ah, Rainbow Stars. She has a little sister named Rainberry that we saw in "Brotherhooves Social". No one cares about the dude ponies in this how. Moving on...
Spike might get a cutie mark in pony matchmaking. How cruel and unusual would that be for him. Also props on tuning out Thorax for that long. I took the same approach to Chemistry 101. Likely the reason for only knowing how to make thermite.
How's his date with Thorax going?
Poor Thorax being stood up again. Will things never change?
Get it? It's funnier if I have to rub your face in it, like that table cloth.
Almost to the climax...
Ember misidentifying ponies and labeling them as the same. I expect to see some SJWs talk about this not on EQD. If only Sunset Shimmer was here to add a touch more confusion.
Set her straight Spike...
Good point Spike about trying to not upset ponies even if you're right but you're still wrong. Yeah, it's all about the loudest voice in the room. And Cynder Ember has a really loud voice...
Yeah, Spike is about to wet himself here. I would throw in another gif of him shivering like a wet dog but I didn't want to make your potato computer cry.
Let's watch Thorax's over reaction...
Ponies, rocks, and animals. Changelings are great for any fandom! Also, to be honest, I genuinely think the bear was a lazy choice. You have a ridiculous assortment of fantasy creatures and they choose a bear. I am disappointed. Like not even an Ursa Minor?
"He's a changeling...and gentle " or you've had too much Morning Glory.
This is the longest 6 feet I have ever seen.
Ah yes, that shot from the trailer that made us think this episode was going to be cooler than it is.
And now that house will burn down....with ponies inside it. Ember, you monster. You'd think either of these two unicorns would be halfway through casting a shield in this moment.
I like Ember. She's pretty quick to catch on. And just like that, the climax is over. Let's move onto the moral lesson.
I want to imagine that Twilight is off to the side rubbing her hooves together like: "Yes, your choices were poor and now you will learn a friendship lesson from them." Like Celestia levels of trolling here. No wonder she sent her friends away. She's practicing messing with Spike before sending Starlight on a friendship quest just in time for the Movie.
"I can say it but you can't" Just like I can't say hey Cynder you look terrible this morning after the baby kept waking up. Insert Borg getting slapped here.
Thorax is upset too, Spike. If bugs could cry, he would. Of course, Thorax is soft on the inside, he has an exoskeleton.
Love the faces in the episode! His cute little fangs.
I just want to point out that the pebbles in Equestria are significantly denser than expected.
Changelings being a "pack" now sort of makes sense. A 'hive' denotes single-mindedness and a single all-powerful leader which they had with Chrysalis whereas a 'pack' still promotes an atmosphere of member unity while also allowing for individual thought and action. This and the other pieces of background information we get from Thorax and Ember are absolute gems as far as world building goes. I wish this episode spent a little bit more time on it.
Mother of Celestia!
Isn't mandible head here totes adorbs?
Also, surprise bonus moral lessons! If you're a leader, be a leader and stick to your guns and enforce your decisions.
Feats of strength. I'd like to point out that regardless of her royalty, she is not the biggest dragon by any means. I suppose the Miss Dragonlands competitions she saves for small dragons and the Fire Duels...
...she uses on the bigger dragons. The bigger the Dragon, the bigger the vulnerable spots. Go for the eyes Ember!
Crushing others in competition and establishing dominance is likely the reason my Cynder has a black belt in a form of martial arts. It's a dragon thing I guess.
What does Ember learn?
And our third lesson for the day is to talk about your feelings. Trying to get your point across through passive aggression, inaction, or some elaborate scheme is likely harder than just talking about it and certainly less healthy.
Too bad Ember is alergic to feelings...
Thorax is worst candle.
"I got there" As quick thinking as Ember is, Thorax is not.
You could hire a bunch of ponies to set things up but not sweep up? I wish Twilight was sweeping, going "♫ Sweep, sweep, sweep, sweep ♫"
Also, what is with all these litter bug ponies in Ponyville? Was the cider too strong?
Nopony wants to hear a dragon say "I feel mad!"
'I'm feeling verklempt!'
I hope I won't have to wait for a comic issue for Thorax to reassert his dominance over his pack.
Hurray, everypony one learned something valuable! Triple Threat everypony.
It's important not assume the worst of people and maybe give things a shot.
It's important not assume the worst of people and maybe give things a shot.
Also wow, this was such a "Spike Episode" that Spike messed up so hard even the Cutie Map was like 'I need to fix this'. He had to fix his own friendship problem. The Cutie Map is more versed in diplomatic relationships.
Ember calling it out again as she see's it; 'Do you always repeat the episode's morals out loud?' Yes, just like I do.
So if this is the party now, what was all the trash from before?
I call BS on the ice sculpture having Twilight on it instead of Spike. That's just cold.
I hope Ember stays away from sawmills and grain silos.
Foreshadowing?
Your voice actors this week.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the episode! It had its moments despite not being about an epic Equestrian race war. I guess race wars are outside the scope of this show, you think? As much as I like to rag on Spike, he's a cute dragon and this was a fun episode!
Please, copy/pasta your pre-written reviews, discuss, and critique below. Also, let me know what you thought of the followup.
