My Little Pony XXXIX: There is no Pegasus Mafia!

[MCerberus]

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Future!Twilight looks too familiar. I am sure of it now.
I am duke of Manehatten. A number 1!

[Kyouhen]

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And Starswirl totally could show up given that HE INVENTED TIME TRAVEL

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But! He can only do it once and only for a few seconds.

Finale Speculation (Which may be completely wrong since I haven't actually read spoilers about it)

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"Are there any here who think these two should not be wed?"
*ZZZZAAAAP*
"Me."

Also I am a happy pony. One of my friends stopped by for a few minutes waiting to meet up with someone and said she had a surprise for me. I correctly guessed it was a McDonald's toy. It was Rarity, not best pony but still an excellent surprise! We watched the better chunk of Lesson Zero together (she was curious why I liked the show and apparently was somehow unaware of the Brony phenomenon, and I decided to show her one where she could get a taste of how dramatic Rarity could be ) before she had to leave. I figured I'd sit down and watch the last 10 minutes of it anyway, and at the end of the episode I realized I had been brushing Rarity's tail for the entire 10 minutes. Gods that's addictive. I'm totally going to have to dig up one of those styling guides and get some rubber bands so I can get that thing looking fabulous though.

Also my friend seemed interested in the show. Let the conversion begin.

[Kairaven]

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- Twilight has meetings with the Ponyville Hay board, does that mean she serves as some sort of city council positions?
- invisibility spell canon, also is Thornhill a pony historian?
- Why is Pinkie hair cut an emergency prevention measure?
- new locations: Las Pegasus (or Los Pegasus, depends on your interpretation), Baltimare, Tartarus.
- I like that Horsehead Nebula is real.
- Star Swirl the Bearded wing as Soras said, can be interpreted as just a wing named after him, containing spells and scrolls from other pony authors, magician and historians.

[Kyouhen]

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- Twilight has meetings with the Ponyville Hay board, does that mean she serves as some sort of city council positions?

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...What were we just saying about Chuck Goodrich? Because I believe that answers your question.

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- Why is Pinkie hair cut an emergency prevention measure?

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We need to know if she's got a stray hair or if it's just the wind. You have no idea how important it is that we know if that's a stray hair. Stray hair means very bad things.

[MCerberus]

Gods that's addictive.

I believe the term for this phenomenon is "Brushy brushy."

[Jahkaivah]

Well that was a silly episode.

And I liked it!

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It had ponies in it!

[Selpharia]

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- Why is Pinkie hair cut an emergency prevention measure?

Reason

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Why, because it was a fashion emergency of course, darling!

[TheAmishPirate]

Can we expect a Siuis style megaquote?

The irony here is that I didn't even last an hour. I've got the new episode streams up and ready to watch, but the little sniffle I've had seems prepped to go into a full-blown cold at the start of a new school term. I think I'm just going to wait until tomorrow, and see if a 12-hour nap can nip this thing in the bud.

[PrinceAquilaDei]

The irony here is that I didn't even last an hour. I've got the new episode streams up and ready to watch, but the little sniffle I've had seems prepped to go into a full-blown cold at the start of a new school term. I think I'm just going to wait until tomorrow, and see if a 12-hour nap can nip this thing in the bud.

Let's hope so. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you over here.

[Lix Lorn]

New Episode: Initial thoughts...

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After a great deal of faffing around with ME3 - and still some to go before I even get as far actually, y'know, playing the damn game, I thought, bugger this, I'll go and watch pony... After mentally setting my mental standards for another okay episode, as would be true to form...

So, I was pleasently surprised - for once - when my cynicismed proved to be wrong. That was more like the pony I've missed for the last few episodes, even including random magical monster attacks, Fluttershy back to herself and hysterically funny moments, and comically inept Twilight.

Bonus for extra Spike, and Pinkie, as usual - though I don't tink she quite stole the show this time, as everypony was on form.

I am reminded again, that, if Spike and Rarity would never happen, RD and Spike woud be a close second; they certainly do very much have sense of humour in common...

Twi getting caught by the guard was hilarious, as was Celestia's cameo. Poor silly Twilight - common sense if just something that happens to other ponies for you, sin't it?

Excellent return to form, I felt.

So probably everypony else thought not much of it, then, as usually happens...!

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I love how Twilight is so casual about just going to the gates of hell to prevent a monster apocolypse. "Epic" quest indeed, Spike!

Good episode, good episode.

And didn't I tell you just earlier today Pinkie was psychic. Well, psionic, that's totally close enough!

Yeah, this basically.

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- Why is Pinkie hair cut an emergency prevention measure?

I had that thought. Also,

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Huge hourglass, counting down... down to what?

Well that was a silly episode.

And I liked it!

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It had ponies in it!

DUDE
More nested spoilers for that kinda bombshell. Geez.

[Anarion]

Taking a cue from Aotrs here since I'm far later than usual due to a plane flight. Episode thoughts now, then I'll go back and read the thread.

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Well I enjoyed that episode immensely because it was just fun. I also think this contrasts extremely well with Lesson Zero. When Twilight has an external problem she is very good at coming up with ideas and organizing herself and others to try and solve the problem. When she has an internal problem, she has a bit more of a breakdown.

I also really like that they managed to actually teach Twilight the main lesson in this episode that sort of got skipped in Lesson Zero. At the ending of Lesson Zero they say that you shouldn't let your worries turn a small problem into a big problem, whereas in It's About Time, Twilight actually takes the lesson that she should NOT worry so much and just let the future happen. It's a subtle difference, but hopefully we won't have too many more episodes that could be summarized as "Twilight's OCD causes her panic."

Random other stuff in this episode was great. I didn't catch Derpy, but I wasn't looking that closely. The entire sneaking through the castle scene was spectacular and I assume it to be a Metal Gear Solid reference. I laughed too when the guard noticed Twilight and opened the door. I also laughed pretty hard when Pinkie asked where that flower pot came from. Poor Twilight is truly a magnet for cartoon violence.

Slightly sad that we didn't get to see a magic duel against Cerberus, but Fluttershy doing her thing was still great.

Not sure how I feel about reshowing the full time travel scene at the end. I would have liked that better if it had been shown at double speed or partially fast-forwarded so we could get a few more lines of dialogue, an extra joke, or the beginning dictation of a letter to Celestia at the end.

And finally, poor poor Twilight. This episode started with her monthly checklist being too full, and now she lost days trying to prevent a disaster. The schedule is probably salvageable.

Edit, further thoughts upon reading the thread

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Wow, I didn't even think about Pinkie as a Gypsy and Friendship is Witchcraft. That's awesome.

Also yes Cerberus and Twilight knowing about all sorts of ancient evils and casually taking a ball and running to the gates of hell on an unseen epic quest was great.

Regarding Earth pony magic: Let's say that earth ponies don't have any "magic" in that they neither have special flight and weather powers or all the unicorn abilities. They still, on average, appear to be stronger than other types of ponies, either do to the work they do or naturally. Big Mac also presents an example of extreme strength that could be bordering on magic. Earth ponies are responsible for growing all the crops, which doesn't necessarily require magic, although if they're consistently able, every year to raise just enough food to make everyone satiated, that might be a mild form of magic. I would leave Pinkie Sense out of it though, since that seems to be totally unique.

@Soras: yay your avatar is back. Wasn't paying attention if that happened earlier, but I'm happy seeing it now.

[Thanqol]

I had that thought. Also,

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Huge hourglass, counting down... down to what?

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Counting down to the time they have to turn the hourglass back over!

[Kyouhen]

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Counting down to the time they have to turn the hourglass back over!

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Really? This looks like a job for...

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[Trixie]

*Ducks into thread, looks around*

Happy Birthday Trixie!

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*Ducks back out of thread*

Um... Just wanted to say... Thank you, everypony, for the birthday wishes!

I'll come up with a little something in return in the morning, okay..?

Also, must admit, love SeaPinkie ^^"

Have a drawrequest!

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Oh? Can I ask which date is that on the pic? 2007? ^^"

Also, let me think.

Happy birthday, Trixie! Have some pics.

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Mmm, I like these ^^"

Is that Princess Platinum? A pity she gets so little love, then.

[Dirtbag]

Happy Birfday Twixie. :D

[otakuryoga]

rarity/sweetie as vampires

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[OracleofWuffing]

Well, I haven't been able to watch the episode yet, however, the following words were spoken tonight, and are currently my facebook status:

How much is it for just a Happy Meal toy? ... Okay, I'll have one. Do I get to pick which one? ... Okay, I'll have Rarity. No, wait, Fluttershy. ... Yellow with pink hair. No, the ponies. ... Yeah, this one. ... Okay, you know what, I'll have a second one, too. Rarity. ... White with Purple hair. Yup, that one. Never thought I'd have to explain this to a girl.

[Thanqol]

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From the Playground's very own Bakuel, too!

[erikun]

Happy Birthday, Trixie! How did I manage to forget that earlier? I guess I was in a hurry, getting ready for work at the time.

Ah well, have some pics.

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- Why is Pinkie hair cut an emergency prevention measure?

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Twilight is THOROUGH.
Why is that word so hard to spell?
Yay physical dictionaries for making it easy to look up words like that. Who says books are dead?

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Related. Sadly, we haven't seen an update in over half a year.

[Rebelhero]

So uh. things arent so great right now and i have no idea why im posting this here, but having exhausted my options all i can do now is wait.

My sister left for a friends house early today, and when she left, she said she would be back tomorrow. Well she arrives at said friends house then leaves, telling one story to the friends parent, and another to mine. No one has seen her since. i suspect shes out drinking... however, no one knows where either of them are, and she has her car with her. no one is answering call or texts.
Trying not to panic, shes 18 and responsible enough.
but there is always that nagging thought.

EDIT: No sooner did i post this did i receive a call from my very intoxicated sister. False alarm.
sorry about that =\

[Sean Mirrsen]

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Well now, this wasn't nearly as bad I had feared, and indeed was quite, quite good. Did re-include some moments I don't particularly like (the damn dam), but all in all it left a good impression. More than anything, it almost felt like a Season 1 episode again, with its treatment of the fantastic as natural, attempts at continuity and worldbuilding, and, for the first time since I've forgotten when this season (at least since Last Roundup, which... wasn't that long ago, was it?), all of the main cast working together and at least pretending they're in-character. It's also a stark contrast with Read it and Weep in one absolutely key aspect. The guard at the library? An actual Royal Guard unicorn, with all apparel that entails. And he wasn't using no stinkin' flashlight. That was the moment when I really felt "back in the old days", when Ponyville and Equestria weren't contaminated by fancy modern human tech.

Even with the dam, it's nice to see continuity. Sure, the way the dam was introduced was awful (it literally appeared out of nowhere, seemingly as convenient), but at least here we see it again, meaning the writers at least cared enough to reinclude it. All the other little bits are good too, though Pinkie's stint as a gypsy seemed odd to me - then again, if it's a sort of a Friendship is Witchcraft reference, which I've yet to see, it gets a "meh, okay" from me. Was rather fun in itself, and suitably random without resorting to toony looneyness.

All in all, the only thing missing was an actual friendship report to Celestia, though with her being in the same building I guess it'd be weird if Twilight wrote a letter. Bottom line? Quite possibly best episode of Season 2 so far, counting Return of Harmony as S1. Or at the very least near the top of the chart for the season. I'll hold off stopping being pessimistic of the show's future in general, plenty of opportunity for the quality to diminish still, but we'll wait and see. Incidentally, that's essentially what the episode was about as well, so there you go. I should note though, even if Twilight was fussing up over nothing in the end, the measures she had taken were at the very least a good idea, and may have actually prevented some kind of disaster at some point, so it wasn't all quite as in vain as it was made to look.

[Forum Explorer]

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I loved it. It was perfect. They nailed this episode straight on the head so hard it cracked open a universe full of fanfics.

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Loved the continuity with the dam as well as the water tower and the bridge.

Pinkie had so many great lines I nearly cried.

Panicking is the new national sport of Ponyville.

Guards recognizing Twilight. Celestia saying hi. The best part? Twilight looking exhausted and dressed as a ninja pirate kung-fu martial artist is nothing remarkable to them.

But one moment stands above all else

MONITOR EVERYTHING!

Really I have no complaints about this episode or even thoughts on how it could have been better. As for why there was no letter it was because
a) Celestia was right there.

b) This isn't a friendship lesson

[PhantomFox]

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I'm having trouble trying to decide why I don't LOVE this episode like some of the others. I liked it, but I liked Sweet and Elite more. Why is that? This was good, and I guessed the ending, but that's never stopped me before. The gags were good, but nothing made me bust out laughing. The whole episode was... subtler than usual. Which isn't a bad thing. I like understated humor. But what am I missing?

[AlterForm]

S2:E20 -- It's About Time

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But ... the Future refused to change.

Please tell me someone made fanart of the above. (I can't keep up with the massive torrent of art the community makes anymore)

S2:E20 -- It's About Time

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Also, can someone explain what Mrs. Cake was doing with the water tower? Wouldn't a filled one be more prone to accidents since it could not only fall (due to the higher center of gravity), but also cause a minor flood? And Pinkie tightening the bolt on the bridge backwards, but I'll allow that that was probably an animation error.

Oh, and the scribbles on Twi's chalkboard looked reasonably similar to actual formulae. Judging by the constants shown, it appeared to have something to do with gravitational forces. Nothing immediately recognizable from my Phys 100 course, though, so I expect it's just the mathemical equivalent of Lorem Ipsum.

[thubby]

S2:E20 -- It's About Time

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Also, can someone explain what Mrs. Cake was doing with the water tower? Wouldn't a filled one be more prone to accidents since it could not only fall (due to the higher center of gravity), but also cause a minor flood? And Pinkie tightening the bolt on the bridge backwards, but I'll allow that that was probably an animation error.

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in the event of a fire, a full water tower would be invaluable.

[maximus25]

S2:E20 -- It's About Time

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But ... the Future refused to change.

Please tell me someone made fanart of the above. (I can't keep up with the massive torrent of art the community makes anymore)

S2:E20 -- It's About Time

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Also, can someone explain what Mrs. Cake was doing with the water tower? Wouldn't a filled one be more prone to accidents since it could not only fall (due to the higher center of gravity), but also cause a minor flood? And Pinkie tightening the bolt on the bridge backwards, but I'll allow that that was probably an animation error.

Oh, and the scribbles on Twi's chalkboard looked reasonably similar to actual formulae. Judging by the constants shown, it appeared to have something to do with gravitational forces. Nothing immediately recognizable from my Phys 100 course, though, so I expect it's just the mathemical equivalent of Lorem Ipsum.

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That chalkboard was accurate. A quick wikipedia search was all it took to find out. The writers did that easily too, but it's just the fact that they took the time that makes it special.

[BlasTech]

Well, I managed to see the episode this morning, but waited till this evening for the HD stream to be up before tallying my running thoughts.

Overall, my reaction was ...

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... Top Tier! No complaints!

Phew, that was a long summary. To make up for having to read it all, have a 100% spoiler-free picture.
It's 100% full of DIABEETUS! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA

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[Aotrs Commander]

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That chalkboard was accurate. A quick wikipedia search was all it took to find out. The writers did that easily too, but it's just the fact that they took the time that makes it special.

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Then they get extra-special bonus points. While doing something like that should be done by everypony these days, apparently the writers that do bother to spend the five minutes doing so seem to be vanishingly rare.

[Thanqol]

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Then they get extra-special bonus points. While doing something like that should be done by everypony these days, apparently the writers that do bother to spend the five minutes doing so seem to be vanishingly rare.

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Occasionally comes full circle, though. I remember this one fairly impressive drawing in a RPG book of a mad scientist stewing over a blackboard full of indecipherable, arcane scrawl until my astrophysicist friend said that he was deriving Newton's formulae for gravity (i.e. simple and pointless).

[Kyouhen]

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Then they get extra-special bonus points. While doing something like that should be done by everypony these days, apparently the writers that do bother to spend the five minutes doing so seem to be vanishingly rare.

Do I have to bring up Donald Duck here?