MLP:FiM - "Cart Before The Ponies"

[Death Blossom]

Eh it seems in this universe kids are trusted enough to help out with the building. Hell, even Diamod Tiara was helping to build her cart, not just making Randolph do it. The thing was that the 3 Sisters didn't even let their younger siblings near it, hiding it behind a veil and then showing it to them. And the whole ignoring their wishes because they wanted to live vicariously through them like your typical pageant mom didn't sit well with me. Maybe it's because those type of people disgust me in real life, not letting their kids do what they want and forcing them to do something because you have bad self image issues. But yeah, it just, this episode, it didn't sit well with me.

And it's not like I went in wanting to hate it. The beginning was hilarious. Just Cheerilee walking in and going "physics!" to a bunch of young fillies and talking about kinetic energy. That was funny. It wasn't until the older trio made their way into the episode that things went downhill fast.

[1234]

As much as I like RD, when Scoots said "With Dash on my team, how could anything go wrong? ", I had to say "How? Geez, let me count the ways anything could go wrong..."

27, maybe? I lost count.

[Silverwing]

It wasn't the greatest episode, but I enjoyed it.  I liked seeing the good animation during some of the race scenes and 3-D cars fluidly animated.  I would rate this episode a 6 or 7 out of 10.  It wasn't great, but it wasn't like offensive.  It was pretty predictable. 

[Silverwing]

This episode made me hate Applejack. Applejack, the most mature and sane of the entire cast (besides Big Mac) acts like people characterize her in fanfics as a stereotypical Deep South hick who only revolves around deep set tradition.

The last handful of episodes with Applejack in them, have sadly made her looks truly stupid.  I will agree with that.  There was that one episode that was good, then she comes and does all this stupid stuff to on her farm and doesn't realize it is slowing her down.  She was equally as dumb in this episode... Rarity and her. (Rarity made the ugliest car, fyi)

I can understand Rainbow Dash being too dense to realize what she was doing.  

But I still don't think this episode was horrible, far from it.  I thought it was cool to see automobiles brought up in the pony world, and it adds some depth.  I wish we could have learned more about them, as some of the designs were quite modern in appearance.   Also we got a really quick, but good scene of Cheerilee's butt.   Lol! 

[1234]

I have to agree: AJ was dumb and somewhat mean in this episode. Not like the AJ we all know.

[MasterXtreme]

If we get over critical about a cartoon, don't we lose the fun we are intended to have?  I am in no way defending this episode, as it hit some crimes against bro-manity, but overall, it was a carefree episode, run of the mill.  It also did add an interesting aspect I have always wondered about in Equestria.  I just figured cars never existed, but they do exist in the form of "Carts."  So it was interesting to see this and the different interests of the CMC.  They were fine in this episode. 

The biggest minus of this episode was introducing Rarity, Applejack, and Dash, and making them as dumb as doornails.  Besides that, it was a fun episode, with fairly forgettable music, but fun animation sequences, and many nods to the original, "Speed Racer" and "Wacky Races."  It was also nice to see some other fillies with different characters and even a filly Derpy.   Neat to see some backstory on characters too.

Anyone else find it funny Scootaloo was trying to make a chicken themed car? 

Good episode, not great, not bad, but good enough, decent.  6 out of 10 seems fair. 

[RainySunshine]

I can see Rainbow Dash in my head at a NASCAR track having a tailgate party at some RV now, chugging cider.

Fun episode for the most part, but also just sort of an "almost ran" kind of an episode.  Please excuse me, I will make several car jokes in this mini review. 

I don't think this episode deserves the seething road rage I read from a special someone else, but it certainly wasn't the Cadillac of episodes, and definitely not a Rolls Royce, though it was nice to see the CMC do something they wanted to do.  It was nice to see Cheerilee in a cheerleader outfit.  It was good to see this episode wasn't running on just two wheels.  It at least had some good things going for it.  Some auto history, some more backstory for Sweet Apple Acres, and even the joy of Applejack, Rarity, and Dash wanting to build a car.  That was cool.  How they handled building the cars, that wasn't cool.  The song was pretty ho-hum.  Tacky.

While some people's radiators blew, I actually felt like the AC was turned on with this one.  It was just kind of there, flowed by, sped by super quick like a race car.  It just wasn't all that memorable.  Ponies did things, and that was that.  Sort of like a Mitsubishi Mirage.  It's just there, it did something, but no body quite remembers what it did. Just another Corolla, Camry, Civic, or Accord in the parking lot.

So yes, it was a decent enough episode, but I felt it could have been done better.  The dumbing down of the Mane 6 is not something I think most of the fandom wants.  But if you take this episode for the face value, it did it's job, and for the most part inoffensively. So a mid range trim level grade from me. 

[HulkbowSMASH]

Oh yeah, I forgot about the chikun cart!  That was one of the fun little details.

Like I said, I didn't hate it.  It was just sort of unspectacular, not amazingly great or bad.  I think over-analyzing is something of a habit by now, at least for me.  In the beginning it was partly trying to tease out every detail of canon, and soon after started being more of "Oh man this episode would've been absolutely perfect if only this thing was done differently!"  Then naturally as things wore on, more of "But that part is completely wrong based on precedence in prior episodes!"  Like in this one, the adults being uncharacteristically dumb (a trend that's wearing rather thin), when we know they're not--although it's not unrealistic for either Dashie or Rarity to get caught up in their own heads and disregard others in the process.

But at the very least it demonstrates that there's still passion for the show in the fandom, even if that passion sometimes goes into "NOOOO YOU DID IT ALL WRONG!" territory.  It's still sparking imagination if we can still think up ways to make it "better."  Would we bother defending AJ's intelligence if we didn't still love her?

EDIT:  Did I say Derpy was with a filly?


Guess not!  And I don't remember seeing that cutie mark before.  Also, notice anything unusual with this?


AJ, Rarity, and Dashie were driving their carts, which they weren't supposed to do.  Derpy's in the passenger seat.  Derpy did it right!

[Soda]

What I learned out of this episode was, WOW!!! Societal and Rarity have horrible design tastes when it comes to building a car.  Like absolutely horrible. 

See, I can't be mad or angry at this episode.  When I compare it to the sea of shows that only have episodes that are just mediocre at best, this is STILL better to me.  I would give this a 6 or 7 out of 10.  I can't hate it because it has a lot of positives such as Derpy, the idea is fun, it adds lore to Equestria and the use of derby carts, and how nearly every town has them.  It added depth to the CMC.  It's biggest fault was the introduction of the adults, who are now actually called adults in this series.  They didn't act too smart, even positively rude. 

Overall it was an enjoyable episode, but not earth shatteringly awesome.  Just okay.  Better then mediocre. 

I think Hulkbow brought up a good point as well, about the fandom defending characters and lashing out at times.   That negativity is a positive then in my eyes. 

[Rainberry]

It was good.  Nothing more.  It was just an episode to pass time, not do much more then that.  Too me that seems like wasted space and time.  If you are going to make a CARTOON, why not make it be the best it can be?  I feel it fell short from greatness and could have been a great opportunity for a lot of fun.  Instead it was just good. 

I know we all agree that the trio of adults were pretty bad, and yes, they were. 

[HulkbowSMASH]

Beware!  Here there be overanalysis:

So, long ago I recall Lauren saying something to the effect that Dashie wouldn't make a good sister...which made things kinda interesting in Sleepless In Ponyville when she enthusiastically agreed to be Scoot's unofficial big sis.  I'd forgotten all about Lauren's comment since then, up until now.  Dashie being self-absorbed at times isn't really surprising for us anyway, though we also know a clue-by-four to the head can shake her out of it and remember her element thingie, so her role in this episode really isn't unusual.  It just occurred to me that it also fits in well with not being that great of a big sis.  No major revelation, I just like the continuity there.

AJ absolutely was off, just as much as in...the pig-feeding episode, the name of which I forget at the moment.  I can't think of a way to explain it away.  Rarity is somewhere in between.  Yes, she also gets overly into her own ideas to the exclusion of others, but...cart-building and racing?  That doesn't really seem like the sort of thing she'd take to readily what with all the grime and physical labor and such.  True that, as in Sisterhooves, she has been willing to endure mud and sweat for Sweetie's sake, but it still seems it should've taken a bit of effort to convince her.

And on that note, I close with this, especially the bit starting at about 1:10.

[Anyponedrawn]

I have a hard time grasping Applejack in this episode.  It just... it wasn't her.  Like... nothing about it was her.  Maybe tradition, but she went to the extreme. 

I can see Rarity getting into it, but I question if she would really be into carts... it just doesn't seem like something she would like, but I'm not the one her knows her canon.

Dash being a bad sis is understandable.  She isn't a good role model.  Scootaloo doesn't have a lot of brains.  

[RainySunshine]

If they could make sure not to make the adults the biggest negative in the future, that would be good.

[Soda]

Sethisto said is best on his followup for this episode.

In referring to Applejack he said this; "Something Something Tradition Tradition Tradition Apples. "

That is all Applejack is anymore.  She seems so... characterized.  They've lost her value and her place in the world and made her simple just a character, nothing more that is believable.  They need to fix this with her character specifically, because Applejack is a good pone. 

[Death Blossom]

To be fair, Applejack was the least complex character of the show. Hence why she has the least episodes. They don't have room with her to do anything because she's content staying where she is now.