Well I'm running awfully late tonight with the review and I feel pretty bad about it and at the same time I want to make sure I get this done is a prompt manner due to having obligations int he morning so let's get this show on the road! MLP:FiM season two episode review for the latest CMC episode, LET'S GO!
*spoilers follow*
As with any episode starring the Cutie Mark Crusaders (well, except "Hearts and Hooves Day" I suppose), the trio of fillies is trying to earn their cutie marks! This time, Apple Bloom has the idea to try and earn them through working as part of the school paper! Things unwind somewhat when they discover that none other than Diamond Tiara, bully extraordinaire, is the new editor-and-chief of the staff, but the CMC grin and bear it in hopes of turning out their cutie marks.
Oh, and we are introduced to Featherweight, a colt who is both adorable and conniving as heck, as we'll soon see.
The CMC unfortunately get off to a rocky start with making stories until they stumble upon a topic that entrances the entire school: slanderous humor stories about other ponies! Which is to say, gossip. Because if grocery store checkout lines are anything to go by, everypony loves gossip. This holds true here when a series of events end up with the school paper being read by everypony in Ponyville and the CMC's gossip stories, published under the pseudonym Gabby Gums, expand to match this.
As one might expect, the ponies that are being gossiped about are none too happy. The CMC realize this quickly, and try to put a stop to their gossip, but Diamond Tiara straight-up blackmails them into continuing, because she's Diamond Tiara.
The overarching plot works very well - it's not terribly surprising, but it definitely has some twists in the form of Diamond Tiara becoming the antagonist (a real antagonist, which is pretty hard to come by in Friendship is Magic) and the ways that the CMC ultimately get themselves out of the situation. Oh, and the subplot of sorts with Featherweight, making him quite possibly the worse villain of the episode. No seriously, it looks for all the world like he set the whole thing up to get Diamond Tiara out of office so he could take over. Just watch him!
The real strength of the episode is the cameos and little Easter eggs, though, as well as the development of the setting and characters. The Gabby Gums articles do both with gusto, giving us amusing and pointless information on ponies, such as Fluttershy's tail extensions, and allowing things like a one-off mention of a certain magical pony that Equestria Daily likes quite a bit. It's a lot of fun, really!
It's also nice that the episode feels so relevant. Celestia knows that there are far too many gossip magazines out there, and Luna knows that kids could use some reinforcement that gossip is bad. Because not only is it bad, it's just stupid. You know it in your heart to be true.
My biggest problem with the episode is that it just feels a little bland and predictable. It's certainly not the worst episode in either of those regards, but both elements are there. The lesson is pretty solid, though, the the episode certainly manages to stay interesting, so it's hardly bad, but it just lacks that extra "oomph" that makes it a great episode.
Again, though, it's a very good episode with very few real flaws overall. I'll give it a...
8.5/10
Pros:
-Fun development of the setting and silly "facts" about characters
-Featherweight
-Good moral
Cons:
-A tad bit bland and predictable
-Plot isn't all that unique
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Again, sorry for the lateness! I lost track of time whilst finishing an indie game about a blue fish lady. It won't happen again! Probably.
Next time, mysteries on the Excess Express!
~C.O
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