MLP:FIM S4E20 - "Leap of Faith" - Grading & Discussion

[Amaris]

Episode Title: "Leap of Faith"
Air Date: March 29th, 2014

Summary: "The Flim Flam Brothers' cure-all tonic promises Ponyville citizens a chance to be rid of their ailments. Applejack has her doubts about the merits of the tonic, until Granny Smith begins taking it and appears to be cured of all her aches and pains."

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Ruminations:
I'm not sure why some sites list this as episode 21, but Wikia, as well as the Hub, has this as episode 20. Anyway, this one looks really interesting to me. I'm a skeptic by nature, so watching the Flim Flam brothers return to peddle a little more snake oil (along with their inevitable downfall) seems like something I'm going to really enjoy. So I am excited, and it will be good to see the Flim Flam brothers again, because we're likely to get a song. I love songs. And so do you.

 

[Kemaiku]

Dull, short, completely predictable from the off and forced myself to sit through yet more of those two idiots.

The "key" episodes have been the weakest this season with the highest proportion of my disliked episodes, if this is how the show is going to go under Meghans shoehorned "rainbow kingdom" crap, forget it.

 

[Amaris]

I liked it. The primary message is a good one: "If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is." The secondary message about what happens when we limit ourselves due to our fears is also important.

This is more in line with the Flim Flam brothers than the previous encounter, where their machine actually did work. This time around, we see them selling snake oil (well, applejuice and beet leaves) as a "curative" tonic, which is an obvious fraud, the tonic being nothing more than a placebo.

As humans we can relate to this, because we have that same herd mentality, where if we see others being "cured," or benefiting from something, then we want it to, and we're more likely to believe it. That's why you see so many personal testimonials on websites shilling such snake oil, because those can be made up, and they'll still be believed by a percentage of the population who wants it to be true.

Applejack shows this by suspending her disbelief in order for Granny to be happy, and while her intentions were good, the road to Tartarus is paved with good intentions. From that point forward, things spiraled out of control. Which brings us to our third message of the episode: It is better to know the truth than to believe a lie, even if that lie is a comforting one.

Honestly, the analysis episodes will have a field day with this one, as there are a number of strong, positive messages in it that can be elaborated upon. Even myself here, as I don't normally post a response this long after watching an episode, at least not at first.

Still, this episode stirs something in me. I am a skeptic, and a critical thinker, and this episode rings true with me because of its layered approach to what harm there is in "magical" thinking, when someone believes a lie because they find comfort and validation in it, even as it may cause them great harm farther along the road.

So this one gets an "A" from me.

Also, Big Mac wears a rubber ducky floaty ring. Instant win.

 

[Saito S]

I liked it! And basically for all the same reasons J did, so rather than coming up with things to say about why I liked it, I'll just vaguely point upward.

 

[Peach Wookiee]

J., you said it. I'd also add that this was a tad of a history lesson. There used to be medicine shows like Flim and Flam's. One thing, though. Why didn't AJ take the tonic to Twilight for analysis?

 

[Amaris]

I liked it! And basically for all the same reasons J did, so rather than coming up with things to say about why I liked it, I'll just vaguely point upward.

Well, when it come to saying the right things, I guess I just know how to say what to talk good about.

J., you said it. I'd also add that this was a tad of a history lesson. There used to be medicine shows like Flim and Flam's. One thing, though. Why didn't AJ take the tonic to Twilight for analysis?

I wondered about that question myself, though would it have mattered? Think about it this way: In truth, Applejack let Flim and Flam tell her what she wanted to hear, if only to keep Granny happy. She let a small lie become a huge one, because she was willing to accept it, even knowing it couldn't possibly work. If she would have taken it to Twilight, her very knowledgeable friend would have been absolutely thorough in her factual analysis (which would have boiled down to 'placebo'), and such proof can be dangerous to a mind who seeks out the warm comfort of a lie.