• Welcome! The TrekBBS is the number one place to chat about Star Trek with like-minded fans.
    If you are not already a member then please register an account and join in the discussion!

MLP:FIM S6E04 - "On Your Marks" - Grading & Discussion

Episode Grade

  • Total voters
    7
  • Poll closed .
A

Amaris

Guest
Episode Title: "On Your Marks"
Air Date: April 9th, 11:00 AM Eastern Time (3:00 PM GMT/UTC)

Summary: "With their cutie marks finally acquired, the Cutie Mark Crusaders struggle with the question of what to do now. Apple Bloom suggests they embrace their destinies, but she and her friends don't exactly agree on how."

Live Streams:
HasbroMLP
BronyState Theaters
Brony Network
Equestria TV
Otaku Ascended

REMEMBER: NO OPEN SPOILERS UNTIL 3 PM ET (7 PM GMT)

=-

Ruminations:
We get to revisit the CMC this week! This will be their first episode of season six, and I'm curious to see how they'll interpret their roles as cutie mark mentors.


EPISODE TRAILER (possible spoilers):
To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.
​
 
Bulk's talking! And I'm glad they're showing this aspect of growing up. Just because you find what you're meant to do doesn't mean it's going to be easy.
 
Peach Wookiee said:
Bulk's talking! And I'm glad they're showing this aspect of growing up. Just because you find what you're meant to do doesn't mean it's going to be easy.
Click to expand...
Indeed. Now that they have acquired their marks, they're not certain what to do with them, or how to go about it. It's another way we get to see them grow and develop.
 
Coloratura said:
Indeed. Now that they have acquired their marks, they're not certain what to do with them, or how to go about it. It's another way we get to see them grow and develop.
Click to expand...
I think it's good that the writers show this. And it reminds us all how it is. I've thought about my figurative cutie mark and it was this past year that what I had my mark in finally came to fruition.
 
Man, Cadance's pregnancy must have lasted all of a week or what?

11 months on from Season 5 and Starlight hasn't got a clue where anything is in the castle despite living in it all that time, and now the CMC's are acting like they got their marks yesterday.
 
My point was that the scene played out, both dialogue and behaviour, as if they'd got their marks very shortly before the episode and no time at all had passed since the near end of Season 5.

When it should be closer to a year, have they spent all of that time apart from each other staring at their behinds like that? I can't see them still being like that 11 months on. No meetings, not even talking, just lying in a stupor somewhere?

And the twins still haven't aged at all after 4 years.
 
***SPOILERS***

I thought the episode was okay. It's good to see the CMC wanting to try things on their own now that they have their cutie marks. Individuality is important, and helps us develop the sense of personality we carry with us the rest of our lives. Apple Bloom has trouble, clearly, but then she's used to family, and since the CMC is hers, in that sense, doing things without them feels wrong for her.

There were a few quibbles I had with the episode: Firstly, how much time has passed from the last season to this one? I can imagine the CMC being enamored with their cutie marks the first couple of weeks, maybe, but this? A lot of time has passed since that last episode, if Cadance's pregnancy and childbirth is any indication, yet here they are.

Secondly, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle make it perfectly clear they just want to do a few things on their own. The dialogue is explicit, but Apple Bloom later seems to indicate she didn't understand that. Now, I understand emotions get in the way sometimes, but AB's always been rather clear headed on such matters. So it kind of feels very contrived.

The main event itself, involving the dancing studio, and the colt who was afraid of crowds was pretty cute, though it felt really rushed, and I think they could have pared back elsewhere to make it work more fluidly, and to have the organic feel of accomplishment rather than something that felt a bit tacked on.

All in all, a fair episode, nothing to write home about, but still pretty cute, and it's nice to see the CMC trying to explore their options post-cutie mark. I give this episode a B.
 
Chemahkuu said:
I was too busy watching her to notice the other ponies. :lol:
Click to expand...
It looked like an Andy Warhol type pony, and he was painting a Treehugger diptych. Once I saw Treehugger, though, my reaction was "oh my." :D
 
The background ponies got a lot of attention this week. LyBon and Octavia in the audience, Berry and her friend in the vineyard, I think there were a few new ones too. The Mayor hasn't been in it as much, Derpy, the new Bubblegum pony.

It was nice that they even got to appear even if they didn't talk.
 
B for me as well. Coloratura, I think I do understand why AB might not have been so clearheaded... remember last season's episode when one of her dream fears was being ditched by her friends?
 
Chemahkuu said:
The background ponies got a lot of attention this week. LyBon and Octavia in the audience, Berry and her friend in the vineyard, I think there were a few new ones too. The Mayor hasn't been in it as much, Derpy, the new Bubblegum pony.

It was nice that they even got to appear even if they didn't talk.
Click to expand...
Yeah, that was fun to see. I love seeing the Lyra/BonBon pairing. I realize they can't just come out and say it, but I love that they've come as close as they can without having certain parents go nuts (which I'm sure some have anyway). Everyone deserves a little representation, especially now that we know more about when those feelings start for some kids.

Peach Wookiee said:
B for me as well. Coloratura, I think I do understand why AB might not have been so clearheaded... remember last season's episode when one of her dream fears was being ditched by her friends?
Click to expand...
Actually, I had forgotten about that. Maybe that's why she missed what I saw as a very clear, explicit point that they weren't breaking up, just taking the chance to explore some things on their own.
 
Peach Wookiee said:
Judging by the dream in "Bloom and Gloom," she worried that they'd follow their own interests and then separate.
Click to expand...
That makes sense, then. Still, the episode gets a solid B from me, which isn't bad for slice of life, and featuring (mostly) the CMC. For a lot of people, Dave Polsky's either hit or miss. I'm fine with him either way, but this seems to be the weakest episode for me so far, though we're only 4 episodes in so that's not saying much. :p
 
Someone was pointing out on another site, this is the first episode to feature none of the mane6 at any point.
 
Chemahkuu said:
My point was that the scene played out, both dialogue and behaviour, as if they'd got their marks very shortly before the episode and no time at all had passed since the near end of Season 5.
Click to expand...
This isn't the first time we've had time jumps like this - otherwise weather seasons would only last a week or so, too. The episodes we see over a season aren't necessarily all in chronological order. The episode itself makes it clear that it takes place shortly after the three have received their cutie marks.

Well, it featured the Cutie Mark Crusaders so how can I not award an A? I also want a gif of Scootaloo turning around in circles to look at her cutie mark. Apple Bloom working herself into a frenzy didn't seem out of character for her. It's not the first time she's come to rather weird conclusions from what others have said. She also strikes me as someone who would go along with others and be a bit passive in the collective decision-making. Plus, this is a difficult transition from one clear purpose they all had to less clearer ones.

I liked how they solved Bulk's cutie mark problem. Would be nice if he hadn't damaged the tree house in the process, though. ;)
 
1128989__safe_screencap_animated_cute_scootaloo_cutie+mark_the+cmc's+cutie+marks_cutealoo_silly_behaving+like+a+cat.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
If you are not already a member then please register an account and join in the discussion!

Sign up / Register


Back
Top