MLP:FIM S5E04 - "Bloom and Gloom" - Grading & Discussion

[Amaris]

Episode Title: "Bloom and Gloom"
Air Date: April 18th, 2015, 11:00 AM Eastern Time (3 PM GMT/UTC)

Summary: "Apple Bloom cannot get the prospect of finally receiving her Cutie Mark out of her thoughts and the increasing pressure she begins to feel results in numerous anxieties that threaten to turn a special day into a nightmare."

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Ruminations:
Up and coming is our first CMC episode of the season, and this one focuses on Applebloom and what might happen once she finally receives her cutie mark. I'm glad to see this episode, because I've wondered this same thing many times before: what would happen with the CMC once they got their cutie marks? Granted, they got together and formed the Cutie Mark Crusaders just for that goal, but they're now deeply devoted friends. Will things change if they gain their cutie marks? What if only one of them gets their cutie mark? How will the others feel? Hopefully, we'll see how this idea plays out in the episode. So I'll see you there. CUTIE MARK CRUSADER EPISODE COMMENTATORS! YAY!

 

[Peach Wookiee]

If she gets it... It'll take some adjustment.

 

[Amaris]

Indeed, though I'm not sure they'll take that chance by giving one CMC their cutie mark, though I could be wrong.

[ Also, this is my 70,000th post! ]

 

[Kemaiku]

Just can't get over how much their voices have changed since Season 1, Sweetie Belle in particular.

More RD stuff lying around in the meeting house, damn it Scoots.

Spoiler: Song and Stuff

AJ's cute little lyllaby and Babs has her cutie mark!

 

[Peach Wookiee]

Spoiler: cutie marks and stuff

LUNA!!!! Yay!

 

[Kemaiku]

There were so many movie shout outs or hints throughout that, and another dig at twitter in a short time lol.

Which is ironic as there was a fun twitter party with PixelKitties, some of the staff and mktoons live commentary going on during it haha.

Spoiler: Nightmare

A lot of people were saying they thought it was Starlight haunting her dreams, but it wasn't Kelly's voice during it. It sounded like they just got the CMC's VA's and altered their voices for the forest scenes.

The Luna thing was coming a mile away, it was obviously going to be a dream, but they did a good job of weaving it along until her reveal.

It was nice seeing some of the little nods, even if they were dreams, Vinyl and Octavia, Scoots flying (complete with little buzzing noise) and so on.

It was a nice touch when they showed Babs's cutie mark that the handle of the scissors, they're an apple anyway.

 

[Amaris]

This was a good story. It answered a number of questions I had about how the CMC would handle somepony in their group suddenly getting their cutie mark. The dream sequences were cute, and I love the pest pony's sunglasses and hawaiian shirt. That pony was already in retirement mode.

As always, seeing Princess Luna appear was one of the best moments of the episode, and I like the message given here. Sweetie Belle's nightmare, and Scootaloo's nightmares were both adorable in their own way. All in all, it was a cute episode. I gave it a solid "A". I like slice of life, and this was a nice, big one.

Spoiler: Nightmare

Yeah, I thought it was Starlight Glimmer, too. I'll say this, that shadow of AB's was hella-creepy!

Also, balloon horse Dash is still creepy.

 

[Kemaiku]

It is.

I love how Luna arrived, and the glowspace again. But the references, Evil Dead and Matrix among them. Luna literally having a backdoor into everypony's head is...creepy, and "conference dreaming" how does that even work?

And Vinyl's magic is lavendar, or rather it's roughly the colour of her glasses and oddly enough, Tavi's bowtie. That's cute that we finally know, although it'll piss off the fandom who keep showing it as light blue.

Would have told Jessi already had I forgot how to Twitter mid-typing, ah well, been so long since I typed much on it.

Speaking of which, the Mites, do you thinl they actually exist? or did Luna create them as a lesson?

And the Parasprite shout outs.

It was a nice character episode, apart from the brat twins, who just really need a good punch in the muzzle. Silver Spoon is getting past any point of redeemability anymore.

 

[Amaris]

I was going to say the same thing about Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, but then I remembered, they're a part of the dream Applebloom is having, so we don't know if they would do that (though they likely would). Then again, I've always given Silver Spoon the benefit of the doubt that she was more a follower than anything, and that she may not be as nasty as she seems. Diamond Tiara, on the other hand, she is naaaasty!

 

[Kemaiku]

 

[Amaris]

*gasp*

That is adorable, and even though it comes out of left field for me (I never read the comics), it does seem to fit Babs.

 

[Kemaiku]

It's not from the comics, it's a fan artist who draws the ponies this way with the distinctive hooves.

I just though it was cute.

 

[Amaris]

It's not from the comics, it's a fan artist who draws the ponies this way with the distinctive hooves.

I just though it was cute.

Oh, I mean the cutie mark. Someone said that there was a comic about it some time back where Babs became interested in cutting hair.

As for the drawing, it is very cute.