Flight to the Finish
The Cutie Mark Crusaders vie to carry Ponyville's flag.
The fifth episode of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic's fourth season, "Flight to the Finish," debuted on The Hub on December 14, 2013. Ed Valentine wrote it. In this installment, the Cutie Mark Crusaders vie for the honor of carrying Ponyville's flag at the Equestria Games.
Quick Facts
- Series
- My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
- Writer
- Ed Valentine
- Air date
- 14 December 2013
- Length
- 22 minutes
Facts from the source article.
Plot
The Cutie Mark Crusaders learn of a competition at the Crystal Empire to carry the Ponyville flag at the Equestria Games, with Ms. Harshwhinny as judge and Rainbow Dash as their coach. They create a routine showcasing friendship among unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies, each filly representing her type. Rainbow Dash loves the routine but gives only lukewarm feedback to maintain professionalism. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon witness the performance and, realizing the Crusaders could win, target Scootaloo's insecurity about representing pegasi despite being unable to fly. They convince her she needs aerial stunts. Scootaloo attempts to add flying but fails to maintain flight for more than brief moments. Despite Rainbow Dash's advice to stick with the original plan, Scootaloo becomes frustrated and quits, telling Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle at the train station that her inability to fly will hurt their chances. They board the train without her. Rainbow Dash stops the train, retrieves Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, and finds Scootaloo in her bedroom, having thrown her scooter in the garbage. They convince her she does not need to fly to represent pegasi, as her determination and spirit embody what makes them special. Rainbow Dash reassures her she is all kinds of awesome whether she can fly or not. Scootaloo retrieves her scooter and races to the Crystal Empire with her friends, arriving in time to perform their original routine before a packed stadium. Their performance wins the competition, earning them the right to represent Ponyville at the Equestria Games.
Reception
Sherilyn Connelly, author of Ponyville Confidential, gave the episode an A rating. Daniel Alvarez of Unleash The Fanboy gave it a perfect 5 out of 5, calling it not only the best episode of Season 4 thus far but also the best Cutie Mark Crusaders episode overall. Alvarez praised Ed Valentine for creating one of the best Rainbow Dash portrayals and noted the episode was the first to address Scootaloo's inability to fly, calling the song Hearts Strong as Horses the new official theme song for the Cutie Mark Crusaders. In a critical analysis, Jen A. Blue noted that Flight to the Finish directly addressed fan speculation about Scootaloo's disability while depicting Diamond Tiara as a socially adept bully skilled at exploiting victims' weaknesses. Blue analyzed Rainbow Dash's character development, arguing her supportive coaching style represents a complete evolution from earlier harsh competitiveness, and praised the episode for handling disability themes without using the term disabled. Blue interpreted the episode through the lens of social construct of disability, writing that Scootaloo becomes disabled when Diamond Tiara teases her and ceases to be disabled when Rainbow Dash talks her through it, arguing disability is defined by the interaction between physical condition and social circumstances. Blue concluded the episode shows Scootaloo taking a huge stride forward by rejecting arbitrary standards for what a pegasus should be and finding comfort with herself as she is.
More in My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic Episodes
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced