Rating:
Despite enjoying the rule 34 as much as the next
guy, I still have to admit feeling a bit weird about all of the pony
hindquarters on show in Call Of The Cutie.
This fascination the pony culture has with tattoos continues to amaze
me, and the solution to those with “blank flanks” is obvious. Head down to the local parlor, say you’re 18,
and voilà, cutie mark. That would spare
us the most frustrating yet somehow effective arc in the entire series. Even though the Cutie Mark Crusaders knew
each other in the pilot somehow, we still don’t know who they are yet up to
this point, so Call Of The Cutie acts as an introduction to the later episodes
dealing with these characters. As such,
it kind of plays like a streamlined version of The Cutie Mark Chronicles, but
without most of the intrigue and revelations (Rainbow Dash does relate her
cutie mark story, but not in quite the same amount of detail). Apple Bloom takes center stage since she
hasn’t met her friends yet (even though she has), and she spends most of the
episode being annoyingly mad about not having her cutie mark yet. Yes, kids usually react like this when
they’re at ages when years feel like centuries, but that doesn’t make it enjoyable
to watch. Considering how much attention
the Cutie Mark Crusaders receive after this episode at the expense of the mane six, it’s debatable
how good the “influence” of Call Of The Cutie is.
Even though it would get you thrown in
jail if you did it in real life, we’re greeted with ass shots of a number of
young pony students (and the teacher Cheerilee) in an apparent elementary
school class. As we see, most of the
ponies already have their cutie marks, but they still have to learn about them
in school anyway. This goes as well as
you’d expect, as only Apple Bloom pays close attention while a certain couple
of students goof off. Cheerilee
explains to us that the tats magically appear whenever the pony in question
discovers their “special talent”. She
shows a picture of herself from the ‘80s (delightfully accurate), and somehow
interpreted that her cutie mark of three smiling flowers meant she should go
into teaching (while the agricultural industry gets closer to bankruptcy every
year).
We’re also introduced to the main
antagonist of the Cutie Mark saga, who, like Gilda and Trixie before her, has
no redeeming features. The upper class
Diamond Tiara gloats about her cutie mark the entire episode, and plans a
“cuteseañera” with her crony Silver Spoon to celebrate. Apple Bloom and her friend Twist (the
obligatory “nerdy” pony with glasses and a lisp) are invited apparently only so
they can be made fun of. Hoping to have
someone to go to this party with, Apple Bloom becomes dismayed when she finds
out the next day that Twist just got her cutie mark too.
Most of the episode is devoted to Apple Bloom quickly trying to get her cutie mark, which is also a preview of the other Cutie Mark Crusader offerings. She naturally starts out with apples since her entire family has apple cutie marks, but one day spent trying to sell apples with her sister Applejack ends Apple Bloom’s career in that area (it does almost go that badly, as apparently a dirty look can get you bucketloads of free apples). Rainbow Dash steps up to help, and it turns out she is the one responsible for the Cutie Mark Crusaders doing as many stupid activities as they can think of to try to get their cutie marks. Even though she found her cutie mark doing something she loves, Dash advises Apple Bloom to try as many things as quickly as possible, which Apple Bloom obviously takes to heart. She of course fails at all these activities (juggling, hang gliding, karate, kite flying, roller derby), but then Pinkie Pie comes along and suggests cupcakes. Apple Bloom immediately leaves Dash alone so she can head to the bakery.
Apparently, we have this section to thank for the legendary Cupcakes fanfic. Pinkie Pie sings a song about one of her favorite treats, which is somewhat memorable despite its brevity, but the repeated “cupcakes” refrain stuck in somebody’s head a little too much. Call Of The Cutie certainly can’t be faulted for what happens in that story though. It’s fortunate for Apple Bloom that Pinkie Pie will apparently eat anything (like Applejack’s questionable cupcakes in Applebuck Season), since no one else could stomach the completely burned treats Apple Bloom makes (we will see in Sisterhooves Social that Sweetie Belle has the same cooking “talent”). Twilight shows up out of nowhere (as she is often wont to do) and gets roped into trying to magic up a cutie mark for Apple Bloom, but this doesn’t work either.
Suddenly, it’s party time already. Apple Bloom tries to hide herself, escape, and hide her flank with a hastily made dress, but all of this fails and she gets laughed at by the two antagonists. Just as the whole party is about to join in the laughter, Scootaloo calls out Diamond Tiara from under a table. While apparently both her and Sweetie Belle were equally ashamed of their blank flanks and hiding just like Apple Bloom was, they now spin it so that not having a cutie mark means you’re full of “potential”. Twilight and Applejack both agree (even though neither should probably be there), so now the whole party thinks Apple Bloom is cool.
The three new friends decide to band together, which gives birth to the most unholy alliance in My Little Pony history. Sadly, the drama that will happen when one of them gets their cutie mark before the others will have to wait until later episodes. Oh, and we end with a shot of Celestia reading Twilight’s note so that she can show off her cutie mark too. Some ponies have boring things like apples and candy canes and butterflies, but not the ruler of all things. She has the freaking sun. That kind of puts everyone else’s cutie marks to shame. So why were they celebrating them again?
The idea behind cutie marks is actually one of the most important and interesting the show has done, but the problem with Call Of The Cutie is that it’s portrayed much more effectively in later Cutie Mark Crusaders episodes (especially The Show Stoppers and The Cutie Mark Chronicles). Watching Apple Bloom do activities that couldn’t possibly produce a cutie mark (and the endless whining when she fails) is even less fun than when the three do them together, and so the point at the end doesn’t really come off. In real life, not having your “cutie mark” until later doesn’t mean you have potential, it means there’s something wrong with you. If you’re not sure what you want to do with your life by the time you’re 18, it is an extreme setback that is difficult to ever completely overcome. The earlier you get your cutie mark, the better, so Apple Bloom’s whining is actually justified. And it’s real easy for Twilight and Applejack to spout off about potential when they got their cutie marks at a young age (even though Applejack was the “last in her class” to get one, she later relates that she was younger than Apple Bloom is now). The longer this goes on, the more likely Apple Bloom and company will be making slave wages for the rest of their lives. Call Of The Cutie may try to spin “blank flanks” being a good thing, but society has never accepted this as the case.
Potentially, this episode could have conflicted with The Cutie Mark Chronicles, but for once intra-episode continuity is actually preserved. Applejack’s comment about being last in her class technically happens, as she doesn’t get her cutie mark until after she returns home (which would be after all of her other friends got theirs). Rainbow Dash did indeed get hers at a race, and since the sonic rainboom was necessary for her friends’ cutie marks, she was technically first. Of course, it’s unlikely all of them were in the same class (obviously Twilight wasn’t), and that would be an awfully small window anyway, so those comments can’t really be considered inaccurate. After Rainbow Dash’s story though, it’s a wonder that the Cutie Mark Crusaders haven’t asked Dash to perform another rainboom in their vicinity just to see what would happen.
When it comes down to it though, Call Of The Cutie just doesn’t have enough substance for a passing grade. The idea was only a setup for future episodes, while no effective points were derived from it. Having to watch Apple Bloom do an endless string of stupid things isn’t enjoyable, the introduction of another one-dimensional villain is uninteresting, and the reception of “blank flanks” is completely misrepresented. It probably should be alright for people who need a bit more time to decide their entire futures, but it’s not in any society that’s ever existed on this planet. Speeches from a disingenuous Twilight and Applejack just make the offense worse. Call Of The Cutie isn’t as painful as the previous episodes, and at least some sort of point was trying to be made. Perhaps it’s best to give the episode an “I” for incomplete, as the room for improvement Call Of The Cutie leaves is only realized later.
Most of the episode is devoted to Apple Bloom quickly trying to get her cutie mark, which is also a preview of the other Cutie Mark Crusader offerings. She naturally starts out with apples since her entire family has apple cutie marks, but one day spent trying to sell apples with her sister Applejack ends Apple Bloom’s career in that area (it does almost go that badly, as apparently a dirty look can get you bucketloads of free apples). Rainbow Dash steps up to help, and it turns out she is the one responsible for the Cutie Mark Crusaders doing as many stupid activities as they can think of to try to get their cutie marks. Even though she found her cutie mark doing something she loves, Dash advises Apple Bloom to try as many things as quickly as possible, which Apple Bloom obviously takes to heart. She of course fails at all these activities (juggling, hang gliding, karate, kite flying, roller derby), but then Pinkie Pie comes along and suggests cupcakes. Apple Bloom immediately leaves Dash alone so she can head to the bakery.
Apparently, we have this section to thank for the legendary Cupcakes fanfic. Pinkie Pie sings a song about one of her favorite treats, which is somewhat memorable despite its brevity, but the repeated “cupcakes” refrain stuck in somebody’s head a little too much. Call Of The Cutie certainly can’t be faulted for what happens in that story though. It’s fortunate for Apple Bloom that Pinkie Pie will apparently eat anything (like Applejack’s questionable cupcakes in Applebuck Season), since no one else could stomach the completely burned treats Apple Bloom makes (we will see in Sisterhooves Social that Sweetie Belle has the same cooking “talent”). Twilight shows up out of nowhere (as she is often wont to do) and gets roped into trying to magic up a cutie mark for Apple Bloom, but this doesn’t work either.
Suddenly, it’s party time already. Apple Bloom tries to hide herself, escape, and hide her flank with a hastily made dress, but all of this fails and she gets laughed at by the two antagonists. Just as the whole party is about to join in the laughter, Scootaloo calls out Diamond Tiara from under a table. While apparently both her and Sweetie Belle were equally ashamed of their blank flanks and hiding just like Apple Bloom was, they now spin it so that not having a cutie mark means you’re full of “potential”. Twilight and Applejack both agree (even though neither should probably be there), so now the whole party thinks Apple Bloom is cool.
The three new friends decide to band together, which gives birth to the most unholy alliance in My Little Pony history. Sadly, the drama that will happen when one of them gets their cutie mark before the others will have to wait until later episodes. Oh, and we end with a shot of Celestia reading Twilight’s note so that she can show off her cutie mark too. Some ponies have boring things like apples and candy canes and butterflies, but not the ruler of all things. She has the freaking sun. That kind of puts everyone else’s cutie marks to shame. So why were they celebrating them again?
The idea behind cutie marks is actually one of the most important and interesting the show has done, but the problem with Call Of The Cutie is that it’s portrayed much more effectively in later Cutie Mark Crusaders episodes (especially The Show Stoppers and The Cutie Mark Chronicles). Watching Apple Bloom do activities that couldn’t possibly produce a cutie mark (and the endless whining when she fails) is even less fun than when the three do them together, and so the point at the end doesn’t really come off. In real life, not having your “cutie mark” until later doesn’t mean you have potential, it means there’s something wrong with you. If you’re not sure what you want to do with your life by the time you’re 18, it is an extreme setback that is difficult to ever completely overcome. The earlier you get your cutie mark, the better, so Apple Bloom’s whining is actually justified. And it’s real easy for Twilight and Applejack to spout off about potential when they got their cutie marks at a young age (even though Applejack was the “last in her class” to get one, she later relates that she was younger than Apple Bloom is now). The longer this goes on, the more likely Apple Bloom and company will be making slave wages for the rest of their lives. Call Of The Cutie may try to spin “blank flanks” being a good thing, but society has never accepted this as the case.
Potentially, this episode could have conflicted with The Cutie Mark Chronicles, but for once intra-episode continuity is actually preserved. Applejack’s comment about being last in her class technically happens, as she doesn’t get her cutie mark until after she returns home (which would be after all of her other friends got theirs). Rainbow Dash did indeed get hers at a race, and since the sonic rainboom was necessary for her friends’ cutie marks, she was technically first. Of course, it’s unlikely all of them were in the same class (obviously Twilight wasn’t), and that would be an awfully small window anyway, so those comments can’t really be considered inaccurate. After Rainbow Dash’s story though, it’s a wonder that the Cutie Mark Crusaders haven’t asked Dash to perform another rainboom in their vicinity just to see what would happen.
When it comes down to it though, Call Of The Cutie just doesn’t have enough substance for a passing grade. The idea was only a setup for future episodes, while no effective points were derived from it. Having to watch Apple Bloom do an endless string of stupid things isn’t enjoyable, the introduction of another one-dimensional villain is uninteresting, and the reception of “blank flanks” is completely misrepresented. It probably should be alright for people who need a bit more time to decide their entire futures, but it’s not in any society that’s ever existed on this planet. Speeches from a disingenuous Twilight and Applejack just make the offense worse. Call Of The Cutie isn’t as painful as the previous episodes, and at least some sort of point was trying to be made. Perhaps it’s best to give the episode an “I” for incomplete, as the room for improvement Call Of The Cutie leaves is only realized later.
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