Talk:Triple Threat/@comment-10390252-20170819182934

I genuinely liked this episode. It wasn't one of hte instant works of genius but it was a nicely compelling episode with plenty of laughs and that really focussed on the problem and, more importantly how a problem can be started from nothing.

This was a very good Spike episode, following up his move from being comic relief to being a serious member of the group, given his repeatedly-demonstrated solution of minor friendship crises in Ponyville and his genuine concern for Thorax and Ember. His attempts to keep the two guests apart got cringy in places but that was the point, wasn't it?

Yes, let's talk about the two guest-stars for a moment. This episode does a good job at fleshing out Ember and Thorax's characters and giving them a few more dimensions to their behaviour. Furthermore, we get some insight into the problems that they migh thave with both their unexpectedly-gained leadership roles. I also liked the little draconic culture touches, espeically the ritual greeting that suggests that the dragons are Equestria's answer to the Klingons! Ember's bashful side and her embarrassment at her problems and misunderstandings was a nice comic touch too!

The ending was nicely handled and all the more in that the writers showed Spike screwing up, Ember and Thorax then coming to terms on their own and then forgiving Spike. I think that this is the first case where the friendship lesson learned and the friendship crisis resolved was the principal agents own one - Learning to trust his friends to at least tolerate each other.

So, definitely one of the season's best episodes. We know that we have some foreshadowing of Thorax's problems, we hae the possible foreshadowing of a Changling Civil War (with the Dragons now firmly on Thorax's side) and I hope that we'll also see more of Ember's attempts to be a more pony-like Dragon Lord.

BenRG's Rating: 8/10