/pony/ - Show Discussion

Finally got around to the Christmas Special, or as Netflix calls it, Chapter 3: Episode 1. Production values seem on point for what we saw in Chapter 2. No great improvements, but let's give it a watch a share our thoughts.

Very start and I can already tell all the music will have a festive feel (aka suck) but that's to be expected. We start out with Hitch and Sparky heading through Mareitime Bay to the Brighthouse to a festive song. Everypony is getting ready for whatever this holiday is. Wishday or something? Izzy is going through boxes in the basement. Zipp has apparently forgotten how to sing despite having performed in the past. I think she might have been replaced by a Changeling, but more on that in a sec.

So Sunny can't wait to hang out with everyone, but uh oh, no one has time for Sunny. Everyone has their own plans she was unaware of, even though she's known Hitch from foalhood and two of her other friends are literally practicing for their thing two feet away from her. Sunny channels her inner Twilight though and decides to try to schedule everything into one day. How ever will they travel between Zephyr Heights and Bridlewood in time?

Enter the Marestream. This is the bus thing Izzy and Zipp built in Tell Your Tale a week ago. Good to see the timing lining up. I knew this thing was here to stay. It's turned back into a hunk of junk though, but luckily the Brightlantern is nearby. Oddly though, Zipp seems to have no memory of it transforming before, acting amazed once she's inside, hence my Zipp is a Changeling now theory. They discuss how there are six seats and only five of them, briefly giving me some hope they'll include Misty and let her have a little joy in her life, but that's quickly dashed by Izzy filling the seat with Senor Butterscotch.

First stop will be Hitch's grandmare, but before we get there it's time for another song. Everyone knows a different version of the song though, uh no! Pipp says they should all sing the melody and alternate verses, to which they agree and sing one verse total. That's it. Think we're animating more than that? Good fucking luck. This part of the script probably should have been changed. They literally go "Let's sing all the verses" then sing one verse and it's Pipp, the Pegasus, singing the Earth Pony verse, which she just said she didn't know. Then Zipp almost runs two fillies over with her new bus and proceeds to tell those stupid Pegasuses off for being in the sky. Good for her.

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So we arrive at Grandmare's house and Hitch is surprised there are trees now. Earth pony magic, I guess? He gives everyone a speech about his Grandmare and how she's 108 years old and thinks it's still 1952 or something (he actually just says she likes things a certain way.) Granny seems nice. Turns out Hitch is the stick in the mud, not her. The fact it has never snowed in town before is mentioned for a third time, so I guess it's important. Zipp begins investigating. They make some nice gingerbread houses and leave. Zipp steals a book. The snow gets some sinister music.

Bridlewood will be next, but they're running behind. Sunny starts to worry. Zipp contemplates reading that book she stole while she drives. There's a lot of snow now. Izzy presents everyone with a scarf she made. What a nice filly. She spots Alphabittle though and starts wasting time with him. Alphabittle wins a game and takes Izzy's special ornament but it's cool, she made two apparently. The poetry pony (Onyx) is back and wastes more of their time. They eventually carry Izzy back to the Marestream.

Zipp is panicking about the schedule and driving recklessly. She also can't see because of the blizzard. Izzy's weird magic does, something, to the Marestream and they make it alive. Zipp and Pipp break off to see their mom, but give the others tickets to their show. The girls proceed to hurry their mom through their day. The others steal some empty boxes and make the guards lie to them about how air is a traditional gift. Queen Haven drops the bomb that this year the show is twice as long, so tough luck Sunny, you not gonna have time to, uhm, go home or whatever it is you wanted to do. Pegasuses sing. Everyone falls asleep.

The snow is now a full blizzard and the Marestream is buried in snow. Snow that I just noticed ponies don't leave hoofprints in. Izzy makes a wish to find the Marestream and the lantern grants it. Finding their car is deemed a miracle. Zipp figures out the Unicorns are behind all the snow. Evil unicorns. They fly back to Bridlewood and exterminate them, er, I mean, tell them to stop. The Unicorns switch to causing global warming instead.

They make it home in time, so I guess Sunny can't plan a schedule; everything was fine enough. Nopony bothered to get gifts for anypony, except Sunny, who made a lightshow. Izzy remembers she did get everyone something (despite giving them all a scarf earlier) and gives them more empty boxes. The end.

All in all, very skippable. If you've read all this, I've covered everything. No lore, no stand out songs, no Ovaltine, no Misty. Really, this added nothing. I feel like I'm the one who just received an empty box.

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