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Author Topic: FiM: S9E9 "Sweet and Smokey"  (Read 4703 times)

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Offline Al-1701

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FiM: S9E9 "Sweet and Smokey"
« on: May 25, 2019, 03:42:12 PM »
Well, we're about a third of the way into the final season, and this just happened.

Spoiler
This episode felt like it just happened with little rhyme or reason to its events that do not fall back on the excuse Equestria is on a planet-sized idiot ball.

First:  When did Fluttershy just get over her crippling dracophobia.  I mean, this she was terrified of just watching dragons suddenly she is not only okay with going into the heart of their territory but thrilled about it.  I know she has a thing for baby dragons, but she would have to contend with the mama dragons.  I know she's developed as a character (the result of that development being questionable), but you don't just get over that level of phobia.

Though, I noticed a distinct lack of full-grown (a.k.a make Drogon from GOT look like a shrimp) dragons.  Are we forgetting dragons grow to the size of a city block in this world?

Second:  This is where the stupidity comes in.  I know they needed Ember to not know the problem, but her father should have explained how the thing that is vital to the continuation of their species.  She knows the nests should be kept warm, so she should have been checking the temperature regularly.

Third:  I really didn't care about the Garble plot.  I've never cared about this character, and this little wrinkle is literally too little too late.

My final verdict for this episode is this.  This is an episode that is filled with careless decisions and contrivances to pick apart and is not entertaining or engaging enough to distract from that.  As much as a I hate shameless pop culture references, I would have welcomed Ember screaming "dracarys" for the laugh.
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Offline Leave a Whisper

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Re: FiM: S9E9 "Sweet and Smokey"
« Reply #1 on: May 25, 2019, 04:17:30 PM »
Ouch! (Not unimaginable but still) I have noticed a distinct lack of regard of the ponies for the important crap in every other culture that isn't there's.

Simply put, if they were tourists they'd be the ones to grafitti on temples, and stick gum on ancient artifacts.
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Offline Zapper

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Re: FiM: S9E9 \"Sweet and Smokey\"
« Reply #2 on: May 25, 2019, 05:34:58 PM »
I don't buy Garble as Smolder's sibling. Adopted, maybe. They don't look alike because their relationship was invented just for the episode.
Can't wait for Gabby and Gilda to be related to Gallus :lol:

Post Merge: May 25, 2019, 05:38:13 PM

Simply put, if they were tourists they'd be the ones to grafitti on temples, and stick gum on ancient artifacts.

My favorite running gag to come out of G4: ponies are horrible :lol:
« Last Edit: May 25, 2019, 05:38:13 PM by Zapper »

Offline Al-1701

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Re: FiM: S9E9 "Sweet and Smokey"
« Reply #3 on: May 25, 2019, 06:53:41 PM »
We really needed an actual pony civilization.  How else could we make them the master race?

Spoiler
And did we really need everyone to want to be beatniks at the end?  That's just such a forced and unneeded FiM ending.
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Offline CloudyGlow

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Re: FiM: S9E9 "Sweet and Smokey"
« Reply #4 on: May 25, 2019, 08:26:37 PM »
I don't know, I liked it more than other episodes.

Spoiler
The Beatnik thing is so stupid it's funny. And I don't think this is random or out of the blue. In "Molt Down" Smolder mentions having a brother. So they could have been planning this a while.


Offline tailrustedtealeaf

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Re: FiM: S9E9 "Sweet and Smokey"
« Reply #5 on: May 25, 2019, 08:32:16 PM »
The person who wrote this episode also wrote Non-Compete Clause, AKA Fair Weather Friends minus the season 1 charm.
Not my favorite for sure, and I didn't like her other episode. As far as the ponies exploring other cultures goes, can we have them actually trying to be less like tourists? There does seem to be an air of disregard for the different cultures.
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Offline TJgamer

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Re: FiM: S9E9 "Sweet and Smokey"
« Reply #6 on: May 25, 2019, 08:51:37 PM »
The annoying, irredeemable dragon is related to my least favorite of the six students? You don't say.

So yeah, we got from the best of the season thus far to the worst of the season so far.
My expectations were already low this time around, just like every other episode that is about dragons (though Gauntlet of Fire was decent). Even so, I still felt disappointed.
All that talk about Garble "really being sensitive on the inside" and was sad ever since Smolder left for school? Not buying it, at all.  :pout:  His redemption did not feel earned. He has been a complete one-dimensional jerkass since the beginning. How do you go from wanting to commit murder for fun to this?

That said, it doesn't help that I'm biased towards Spike, who continues to be such a lovable role model. Seriously, I don't think any of us would nearly have the patience he has for such an obnoxious turd. He's probably now within my top 5 favorite characters in the show. And it continues to drain my soul every time I see him get pushed around.   :(

As for Al-1701's point, it's true that the giant, adult dragons have pretty much been pushed out of the spotlight since season 2. I guess the show staff felt that the smaller dragons we have now are a better representation of the dragons as a whole with Torch being the exception, as he was their lord.

On that note, I totally agree on Torch not telling Ember what to do about the eggs being very contrived for the sake of the plot.

Also why hasn't Ember decreed this celebration of differences sooner?   :huh:

And really, Smolder, you didn't notice Garble abusing Spike?  ¬_¬

Fluttershy was pretty good, though I wish we got more of her with Spike. And I really wanted to see her punch Garble's teeth in.
:enraged:

Overall, it's not the worst episode ever or anything (Dragon Quest is still more insulting and painful), however it's not good either; below average in my book. But really, it would take a lot to get me to enjoy an episode about Garble, who is at a very close 2nd behind Flim and Flam as my least favorite character in FiM.

To those who are in charge of G5, if you're going to bring back dragons, please... don't do this again.
« Last Edit: May 26, 2019, 02:14:25 AM by TJgamer »
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Offline Al-1701

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Re: FiM: S9E9 "Sweet and Smokey"
« Reply #7 on: May 26, 2019, 04:57:20 AM »
And we also have to remember Faust gave her blessing to breaking the dragons back with Dragon Quest because all she cared about was her message about boys liking feminine things and never thinking of how she was allowing the show's worst writer FUBAR the culture of a race that has been a significant part of MLP's lore since the beginning.  Thanks, Lauren, thanks a lot.

Maybe G5 should just ignore dragons after this debacle.
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Offline Zapper

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Re: FiM: S9E9 "Sweet and Smokey"
« Reply #8 on: May 26, 2019, 06:35:12 AM »
Maybe G5 should just ignore dragons after this debacle.

If Hasbro sticks by one of the e-mails we saw in the leaks,

Spoiler
the dragons will become almost as important as the ponies and Spike will be their prince.

I hope that won't happen for a bunch of reasons. Obviously, they will bring in new writers but I don't want MLP to become "MLP but also dragons because we need another dragon franchise".
Make a Spike spin-off if you must but I am a little fed up with this theme of "dragons and ponies are opposites".

Offline Leave a Whisper

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Re: FiM: S9E9 "Sweet and Smokey"
« Reply #9 on: May 26, 2019, 06:46:46 AM »
I wouldn't mind getting dragon toys.
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Offline Al-1701

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Re: FiM: S9E9 "Sweet and Smokey"
« Reply #10 on: May 26, 2019, 07:02:58 AM »
I know the G1 comics has the Land of Dragons, but dragons were actual characters.  They weren't TNG Klingons only stupid.

Spike is a sidekick.  He's always been a sidekick and works best in the role.  I would like to see the six other dragons who came with the princesses in Europe to make an appearance.  Maybe they're all broodmates.
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Offline MJNSEIFER

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Re: FiM: S9E9 "Sweet and Smokey"
« Reply #11 on: May 27, 2019, 07:18:24 AM »
And we also have to remember Faust gave her blessing to breaking the dragons back with Dragon Quest because all she cared about was her message about boys liking feminine things and never thinking of how she was allowing the show's worst writer FUBAR the culture of a race that has been a significant part of MLP's lore since the beginning.  Thanks, Lauren, thanks a lot.

Maybe G5 should just ignore dragons after this debacle.
I honestly never had a problem with "Dragon Quest".  I'll have to rewatch it, but I remember enjoying it, and I never got the impression that it made all dragons who weren't Spike look bad (I remember you saying that "all dragons are brutes" being the message in this episode - I never got that), it always looked to me, like we were dealing with some bad dragons, but I never got the impression that they were all like that.

That being said, I was geeking out over the fact that part of it reminded me of Final Fantasy, so I could have missed it.

Unpopular opinion: I also liked Merriweather's episodes back then - she's made mistakes in my mind, like all writers have in all our minds, but she did what I consider to be likable episodes like "Hearths Warming Eve", "Wonderbolts Academy" and "The Mysterious Mare Do Well" (yes, I meant to include "Mare Do Well".)

As for
Spoiler
Smolder and Garble being related
it could have been planned, but it really wasn't needed.  I don't think it really affects anything about either character...
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Offline TJgamer

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Re: FiM: S9E9 "Sweet and Smokey"
« Reply #12 on: May 31, 2019, 08:23:44 PM »
You know what would have helped make this episode bearable? Have Smolder play a more active role.
Smolder said that "if [Garble] were to mess with Spike, he'd mess with her." None of that ended up happening, despite Spike being bullied right in front of her.
It would have been more funny to see Garble attempt to pick on Spike, but Smolder catches him before he fully commits and he quickly changes his action to be falsely sweet just to stay on her good side.
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Offline Pinkie21

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Re: FiM: S9E9 "Sweet and Smokey"
« Reply #13 on: June 01, 2019, 12:20:07 PM »
Huh.  For a non-pony episode, I liked it.  I mean, it had barely and actual pony in it, so for me, that’s an automatic disqualification for me loving it.  But it was enjoyable enough due to Fluttershy.  She’s the only reason I even like this episode at all.  She was just plain adorable!  I wonder, though, if Spike will ever toughen up.  He’s always been the weakest of the main characters, and that’s getting a little obnoxious, TBH.  I was hoping he’d toughen up after hanging out with Smolder, but he’s still weak.  It would have been cool if this episode had him trying to be like Garble in order to impress Smolder or something. Then Fluttershy could have stopped him from going too crazy, and he could learn he can be a strong, tough dragon while not being a jerk.   

Offline kingluke

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Re: FiM: S9E9 "Sweet and Smokey"
« Reply #14 on: June 02, 2019, 01:18:46 AM »
It does look like Smolder got gravel as a brother just for the episode. Those dragon babies were cute tho. But laugh fire...🤔😓


I honestly thought that rhyme thing that gravel did was weird. Like, is that a thing? And that silly outfit.

I did like smolder tho. She is always Nice to have around.

It was an okay episode, won’t actively rewatch tho.
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