MLP:FiM Season 2 Review #20 - It's About Time

Wow, episode twenty already? We're swiftly approaching the end of the season, but it feels like its just begun... I don't want to be stuck with no new episodes for months on end again! DX

But... ah well. This weekend's episode is Twilight Sparkle-centric as well as time-centric, so it can't possibly not be awesome, right?

Spoilers after the break!



So we're immediately thrust into what one can assume to be Twilight's normal routine (planning things, then panicking because of not having time to plan more things), but then actual plot happens! Future!Twilight from next Tuesday warps in and tries to warn Present!Twilight about something, but Present!Twilight is too busy being wowed by the idea of time travel and so Future!Twilight is sent back without being able to say her warning. In a rather natural manner, Present!Twilight then freaks out and discounts the idea of a single timeline in one fell swoop by deciding that Future!Twilight must have tried to come back to warn Present!Twilight to prevent some kind of terrible, Equestria-destroying disaster!

And since Twilight must descend into madness in all episodes that star her, Twilight does just that as she attempts to do everything she can to prevent the future disaster from happening.

As it turns out, she can't and Equestria is hit by a meteor, killing all lifeforms and ending the season prematurely.



...okay, that's obviously not the case. Instead, Twilight ends up looking oddly similar to Snake from Metal Gear and learning the lesson that one shouldn't worry about every little thing, and should instead let things work themselves out sometimes. On the other hand, though, Spike learns the lesson that one should be wary of future consequences for their actions.

Let's get this out of the way immediately: It's About Time is a very fun episode to watch through. Twilight's descent into general insanity isn't nearly as over-the-top as in Lesson Zero, but is still very funny to watch. It's even more amusing in how it's played off of other characters, from Pinkie's apparently tenuous grasp on what exactly Twilight is trying to accomplish to Spike's general apathy towards the entire situation.

The episode also includes a fun amount of world-building, and if you've read any of my other reviews you should know how much I like that! The reference to Cerberus and Tartarus are fun ones, and definitely are concepts that I'd like to see expanded upon in the future. Maybe as some part of the season finale? I feel like the kind of boring plot of some wedding could definitely be improved by adding copious quantities of terrible hellbeasts!

On the other hand, though, the episode very clearly sets out to teach a lesson and in that regard it falls a tad bit flat. The actual lesson being taught isn't exactly obvious, with the exceptions failing to be developed in a substantial manner. As a result, the entire plot of the episode weirdly feels unsubstantial and underdeveloped. Because of this, I can't help but shake the feeling that not a lot actually happened. I mean, Twilight's character was clearly meant to develop, but it seemed to be on the back-burner too much to actually shine as an element.

All in all, it kind of stands as an odd episode. I find it hard to peg it as a certain "type" of episode, and as a result it has underdeveloped elements of several. It's not exactly bad, and it's definitely one I would enjoy watching again for the gags (and for Twilight being ridiculous as per usual), but it sits as decidedly average for MLP:FiM. I give it a...

7.5/10

Pros:
-Generally very funny
-Nifty world-building
-Great character interaction, especially towards the end

Cons:
-Feels unsubstantial
-Weakly developed and established lesson
-Doesn't seem to have a "specialty", as it were

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In conclusion, I still like Lesson Zero better. If only the lesson here had been better established, I feel like this episode could've been great! But alas, it just feels... I dunno, not tacked on, but just kind of... iffy. I feel like it's not really as well incorporated as it could've been.

Also I love how Twilight knows nothing of time travel. And I love how she makes a stable time loop with the knowledge of where the info on time traveling can be acquired. It kinda makes me want to see more MLP episodes with time travel, I won't lie!

But mostly I want to see Tartarus. Bring on the hellbeasts, MLP writers!

~C.O