MLP:FIM Viva Las Pegas

This is the second episode written by the team of Chris Wyatt and Kevin Burke. They had previously written the episode of The Times They Are a Changeling. While this episode might not as good as that first one, it is still a good episode. This episode was storyboarded by Megan Willis (who started storyboarding earlier this season) and Jeffery Amey.

The animation is really good. Impressively the crowds are extremely well animated (if anyone working on the show happens to read this I am very impressed by this and you should be proud of your work here). The characters are just as likable as ever. Fluttershy and the animals were adorable. Applejack's mistrust of the Flim-Flam brothers as well as both her and Fluttershy's uncomfortableness in Los Pegas are quite well handled. Gladmane was a fun villain, and use of Elvis as a basis for this character was fantastic.

Despite this episode having a lot going for it, it does feel like the show playing it too safe. The story feels like it has been done before on this show, and sometimes better. At times it feels like another map episode, and follows the guidelines of those episodes maybe a bit too closely. However watching much of the rest of this season, we know the show is not falling into this trap, and the episode is quite good in spite of this. Because even when this show plays it too safe, there is quite a bit to recommend as there is here.

-Michael J. Ruhland