“The Show Stoppers”
The DVD’s first episode, “The Show Stoppers,” is from the
show’s first season, and it tells the story of some young ponies who are hoping
to get their cutie marks. They try several things, including testing their
psychic abilities, but the marks don’t appear. (The mountain-climbing scene is
particularly cute). So they decide to enter a talent contest in order to
discover just what their talents are. One of them tries writing a song, then
says, “Coming up with words is like…really hard.” But Spike has the best
line. Twilight asks, “What do you think they’re up to?” Spike replies, “I
have no idea, and I don’t know if I should be excited or scared to find out.”
Mostly it’s Cathy Weseluck’s delivery of the line that makes it so funny. But
overall, this episode is kind of weak, largely due to the complete absence of
Pinkie Pie. (I think I may have finally convinced my niece that Pinkie Pie is
the best character on the show.)
“The Return Of Harmony”
“The Return Of Harmony” is a two-part episode (both parts
are included on the DVD) that opened the series’ second season. The young
ponies are still in search of their cutie marks. As they argue over the meaning
of a statue of Discord, the statue begins coming to life. Twilight and the
others begin noticing strange things in Ponyville, including bizarre weather
such as a chocolate milk rain, which Rainbow Dash vows to gain control of. Of
course, Pinkie Pie delights in it, asking, “Why would you want to stop this?”
The brief shot of her on her back drinking the rain is wonderful. When Princess
Celestia summons the ponies to help stop Discord, Pinkie Pie reminds the others
of the benefits of eternal chaos: chocolate rain. Discord (voiced by John de
Lancie) creates a game for the ponies, and quickly separates them, trying to
undermine the very things that make each of them strong. I love when he
innocently asks, “What fun is there in making sense?”
In the second part, the ponies have changed, losing the
best parts of themselves. When it begins raining chocolate milk again, Pinkie
Pie’s reaction is: “Chocolate milk? I hate chocolate milk.” But perhaps
the funniest line is Twilight’s “Look out, here comes Tom.” (It will
make sense when you watch the show.) Can Twilight restore the ponies to
themselves and defeat Discord?
“The Cutie Map”
“The Cutie Map” is a two-part episode that opened the
fifth season (the current season), and it is one of the series’ best episodes.
It is about the dangers of cults and group minds. When the ponies take their
seats in Twilight’s new castle, a table with a map rises from the floor. Spike
wakes from his nap to see it and comments: “Is that new? I like it.” A
cute, funny moment to open the episode. The ponies’ cutie marks lead them to a
distant spot on the map, which is at the end of the railroad line (once the
train drops them off, it hightails it out of there in reverse). The whole
village has the same cutie mark and giant fake, creepy smiles (reminding me of
the time I went to the Scientology Celebrity Center). I love that it’s Pinkie
Pie who suspects trouble. And there’s a seriously hilarious moment when her
bright, perky self pops back up, and then she returns to frowning as she slides
out of frame. Starlight, the head of the village, leads her ponies in a song,
which is delightfully creepy. “In our town we work as a team/You can’t have
a nightmare if you never dream.” This is one of the series’ best musical
numbers.
The second part opens with eerie messages of the
advantages of conformity being played over a speaker system in the room where
the ponies are locked up (“In sameness, there is peace”), an example of
the kind of brainwashing and conditioning that occurs in cults. Rarity is
hilarious when she becomes upset over not being able to tell whether the drapes
are tacky. And it’s up to Fluttershy to get the cutie marks back.
Special Feature
The DVD includes the sing-along for “In Our Town,” that
great musical number from “The Cutie Map, Part 1.”
My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic: Cutie Mark Quests
is scheduled to be released on June 30, 2015 through Shout! Factory.
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