Poll MLP:FIM S7E03 - "A Flurry of Emotions" - G&D

[Amaris]

Episode Title: "A Flurry of Emotions"
Air Date: April 22nd, 2017, 11:30 AM Eastern Time (3:30 PM GMT/UTC)

Summary: "After planning a jam-packed day, Twilight Sparkle also agrees to babysit her niece, Flurry Heart. But with Flurry Heart along for the ride, Twilight Sparkle struggles to maintain her title as 'The Best Aunt Ever' while keeping Flurry Heart out of trouble!"

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Ruminations:
Our third episode of the season, and we get to see Flurry Heart again! I realize that for some the reception to Flurry Heart has been mixed, but I think she's sweet and adorable, and I look forward to the coming antics. As we all know, combining a neurotic babysitter with a precocious child is just begging for hilarity, and I think we'll get it this episode. Also, has anyone else noticed the theme of these titles? I wonder if it's working towards anything specific? So here we go to get our weekly dose of cute ponies, and cutest baby alicorn pony! As is now the standard, we are using the extended poll. On to the episode!

 

[Count Zero]

What a thoroughly nice episode. Really heartwarming. Flurry Heart was soooo adorable. I would have forgiven her all the mischief she got into in a heartbeat. It was also nice to see Twilight being so happy playing with her. I don't fully agree with her self-castigation at the end. After all, everything worked out fine. Spike also had some good moments in this episode, especially the scene at the end.
It was just a minor point in the overall storyline but I really liked Spearhead's role in it. Good of the episode to show that everypony can become an artist and that you aren't bound to being solely a guardspony.

 

[Amaris]

What an adorable episode! Twilight foalsitting Flurry Heart may be the cutest thing ever. Twilight working to prove herself the Best Aunt Ever™ is classic neurotic Twilight in every sense of the word, and it's great to see her make a return in this episode. I love Twilight regardless, but her neurotic, adorkable self is just the essence of her character, and what had originally drawn me to her in the first place.

So we get Twilight with a packed schedule, a trip to the hospital to bring snacks, toys, and story time to some sick fillies with the Horsey Hives (adorable alliteration!). Shining and Cadance stop in, exhausted as ever, to see if Twilight can watch Flurry Heart while they attend the art show of Shining's old royal guard buddies. Even with her pressing schedule, Twilight agrees, against Spike's recommendations (and we know he's right on this one). So after playing a cute bear game with Flurry, they head off to the toy store, Sugarcube Corner, and then Cheerilee's to borrow a story book appropriate for the foals.

In each instance, we see Flurry Heart getting in a bit of mischief, but nothing intended to be bad, or negative. She's a curious little foal, so of course she wants to explore, play with toys, and so on. I love the callback to Pinkie Pie's underground party planning grotto, and the fact that, once again, Pinkie Pie knows everything everypony likes. The foals at the hospital are too cute, and of course there's mayhem when Flurry Heart loses her favorite toy (a "whammy," which looks like a snail plush), and it all culminates when Twilight actually reprimands Flurry Heart a little too harshly, and of course she instantly regrets it, because like many of us who are aunts and uncles, we only want to protect our nieces and nephews, because we love them. Twilight says as much here, and it's quite sweet, and of course it's far too cute for human consumption, and the story resolves happily and peacefully.

Also, @Count Zero, I agree she is a little too harsh on herself, but that's just one more aspect of Twilight we've come to know so well now, that she is far harder on herself than anyone else. She is her own worst critic.

On a side note, I loved the scenes with Cadance and Shining at the art gallery. Shining clearly understands my approach to most abstract art, and seeing him interact with his very much subjectivist friend is fun to watch. That they start missing Flurry Heart so much everything reminds them of her is just so very sweet, and it was nice to see a little more depth from the couple. We don't get to see that very often.

All in all, this was a fun little slice of life episode, where we get to see the interaction between Twilight and her favorite (only) niece. This one gets a solid "A" from me. The season continues to start strongly, IMO.

P.S. I want Twilight kisses!
P.P.S. Also, I want Twilight raspberries. ♥