November 30, 2014

[Short-Lived Showcase] Captain Power, Episode 10 "Wardogs"

"These first few minutes are fantastic. Exciting, rich, laying in neat characters and a nice conflict I want to see explored. Then things go wrong."

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November 29, 2014

[Deconstruction is Magic] My Little Pony, episode 20 "Green Isn't Your Color"

"It’s a fun setup, mixing the plot of Fluttershy accidentally being thrust into all the fame and attention Rarity wants and how their mutual feelings of disappointment simmer and build, with Twilight finding herself stuck between two friends she wants to help but struggling to find a way to do so without betraying the trust both have placed in her. Pinkie Pie as the crazed Jimminy Cricket voice always reminding Twilight of the promises she made is a particularly clever way to make use of her character to enrich everyone else’s story, and again shows Meghan McCarthy’s gift at handling ensembles."

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November 22, 2014

[Deconstruction is Magic] My Little Pony, episode 19 "A Dog and Pony Show"

"As for the mule gag... there has yet to be a single episode written by Amy Keating Rogers that didn't have at least one bit which came off as downright mean, at best thoughtlessly callous, and this is no exception. Tessa ends her pointing out of the line with jest, but I'm going to stay dead serious and ask Rogers: why did you do this? Why did you think it was a good idea? You very literally have one of your main hero characters, who's supposed to be a role model figure in an educational show for children, outright stating that being labelled a mixed breed equates being called ugly. There's no reason for this, no lesson that's being learned, Rogers is just opening the same exact can of toxic worms she did in 'Bridle Gossip' when, on top of a vast many things, she labelled foreign cultures as 'scary'."

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November 15, 2014

[Deconstruction is Magic] My Little Pony, episode 18 "The Show Stoppers"

"Everything we got in the last episode was about what the CMCs weren't good at, and by here revealing what they are good at, it deepens them as characters who are so caught up trying to be something cool or following in a hero's footsteps that they overlook what makes they themselves special and fail to recognize talents for what they are. And to the credit of our adult characters, they recognize this in the children, and instead of trying to forcefully point out what the kids don't understand, they're gently trying to guide them in that direction, and patiently sigh as that doesn't work, as they know the CMCs will figure it out some day."

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November 8, 2014

[Deconstruction is Magic] My Little Pony, episode 17 "The Stare Master"

"The lesson about them having boundless potential has been swept aside as they're all painted as failures who excitedly make a mess of everything, and instead of them using teamwork to put their heads together and triumph where none of them is capable of doing anything individually, they all just fail together. There's a lesson that could have been taught here, about bonds and friendship, but we instead just triple the ineptitude for gags of things failing with increasing spectacularity."

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November 5, 2014

SPECIAL BONUS! Castle Rock Companion Video Review: Big Driver

As I was down south for a visit over Halloween weekend, Angie and I decided to team up for an in-person joint video review of one of King's latest, and I think it turned out great! Check it out here.