Rainbow Dash's excessive pranking gets out of hand; the ponies decide to give her a taste of her own medicine.Rainbow Dash's excessive pranking gets out of hand; the ponies decide to give her a taste of her own medicine.Rainbow Dash's excessive pranking gets out of hand; the ponies decide to give her a taste of her own medicine.
Photos
Ashleigh Ball
- Rainbow Dash
- (voice)
- …
Andrea Libman
- Pinkie Pie
- (voice)
- …
Tabitha St. Germain
- Rarity
- (voice)
- …
Michelle Creber
- Apple Bloom
- (voice)
Tara Strong
- Twilight Sparkle
- (voice)
Claire Margaret Corlett
- Sweetie Belle
- (voice)
- (as Claire Corlett)
Madeleine Peters
- Scootaloo
- (voice)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe music that plays during the montage of Rainbow Dash playing pranks on her friends is a parody of the piece "Clarinet Polka".
- Quotes
Rainbow Dash: [after the others drop the act] What? Wait... What's happening?
Rarity: Just delighting in pranking the prankster.
Applejack: [chuckles] Yeah. How does it feel to get some of your own medicine?
Rainbow Dash: So... you're... not sick? None of you are?
Pinkie Pie: Of course not, silly!
- ConnectionsReferences 28 Days Later (2002)
- SoundtracksSing Me to Sleep
Directed by Rikkard Häggbom and Tobias Häggbom
Lyrics by Alan Olav Walker, Jesper Borgen, Mood Melodies, Tommy La Verdi and Gunnar Greve
Music by Alan Olav Walker
Performed by Alan Olav Walker
Featured review
Sick pranks
On first watch, "28 Pranks Later" didn't do much for me at all. And this is with having absolutely no prior knowledge about the critical reception and what other fans' thoughts on it were. Had no idea that it has always been among the most hated episodes of 'My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic', despite feeling on first watch very negatively about how Rainbow Dash was written and the lack of taste in the writing, later found to be often mentioned criticisms.
Decided to gradually see the whole of 'My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic' again since lockdown and after the show ended (all while gradually getting through reviewing all the individual episodes) and my feelings on pretty much all of them, positive, mixed and negative, still stand. "28 Pranks Later" not only is as bad as remembered but it was worse. For me it's one of the worst episodes of the show and the worst since Season 5's "What About Discord?" This is coming from somebody that didn't care for "Newbie Dash", "Applejack's Day Off" and the previous episode "The Cart Before the Ponies".
"28 Pranks Later" is not a complete waste. Have absolutely no problem with the animation, very rarely did on this show (the character designs in "Dragon Quest" and "It Ain't Easy Being Breezies" being a couple of exceptions). Love the vibrancy and the truly loving attention to detail. The music is dynamic and there is no problem with how it fits the atmosphere, with some upbeat-ness and a little creepiness.
The voice acting is also fine, despite the character writing being badly off. Ashleigh Ball does try her best with what she has, Rainbow Dash's terrible character writing doesn't lie at her door.
As said however, the way the characters are written makes for some of the worst characterisation of Season 6 (this was an aspect that was fairly up and down this season) and of the whole of 'My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'. Season 6 misfired quite a few times with Rainbow Dash in the way not seen before or since really, but she has never been written this badly. Here her character is not just out of character it's distorted, the usual fun and conflicted edge is replaced by gratuitous unpleasantness and it was truly unpleasant to see her treating her friends so cruelly. None of the characters really are that interesting or likeable and their bond here does not feel like a friendship, Pinkie Pie for example is annoying. Their character interaction doesn't come over as caring or friendly.
Really did not care for the writing overall in "28 Pranks Later". The humour is not funny or clever, am really trying not to use mean-spirited too much but that sums the humour up perfectly. Rainbow Dash's uncalled for treatment of her friends is enough to make one be put off her permanently (like "What About Discord?" did with Discord), pranks can be fun but her pranks go way too far the wrong way. They are not funny or inventive, they are just cruel. Also did not feel any real emotion from the episode, other than annoyance. The story is bland and predictable as well as erratically paced (choppy at times and dull in others). The zombie nods idea was a neat idea but too under-explored and personally was too distracted by the less than tasteful characterisation and writing to notice.
Furthermore, the message is botched. A derivative one written with the subtlety of a sledge-hammer. Almost too as if Rainbow Dash had not learnt anything from "The Mysterious Mare Do Well" and it was like the writers forgot that that episode existed (as that also is not an episode that people remembers in a good light one can sort of understand). It's another one that would have resonated more if the characters were written better.
Overall, weak and a strong contender for Season 6's worst. 3/10.
Decided to gradually see the whole of 'My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic' again since lockdown and after the show ended (all while gradually getting through reviewing all the individual episodes) and my feelings on pretty much all of them, positive, mixed and negative, still stand. "28 Pranks Later" not only is as bad as remembered but it was worse. For me it's one of the worst episodes of the show and the worst since Season 5's "What About Discord?" This is coming from somebody that didn't care for "Newbie Dash", "Applejack's Day Off" and the previous episode "The Cart Before the Ponies".
"28 Pranks Later" is not a complete waste. Have absolutely no problem with the animation, very rarely did on this show (the character designs in "Dragon Quest" and "It Ain't Easy Being Breezies" being a couple of exceptions). Love the vibrancy and the truly loving attention to detail. The music is dynamic and there is no problem with how it fits the atmosphere, with some upbeat-ness and a little creepiness.
The voice acting is also fine, despite the character writing being badly off. Ashleigh Ball does try her best with what she has, Rainbow Dash's terrible character writing doesn't lie at her door.
As said however, the way the characters are written makes for some of the worst characterisation of Season 6 (this was an aspect that was fairly up and down this season) and of the whole of 'My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'. Season 6 misfired quite a few times with Rainbow Dash in the way not seen before or since really, but she has never been written this badly. Here her character is not just out of character it's distorted, the usual fun and conflicted edge is replaced by gratuitous unpleasantness and it was truly unpleasant to see her treating her friends so cruelly. None of the characters really are that interesting or likeable and their bond here does not feel like a friendship, Pinkie Pie for example is annoying. Their character interaction doesn't come over as caring or friendly.
Really did not care for the writing overall in "28 Pranks Later". The humour is not funny or clever, am really trying not to use mean-spirited too much but that sums the humour up perfectly. Rainbow Dash's uncalled for treatment of her friends is enough to make one be put off her permanently (like "What About Discord?" did with Discord), pranks can be fun but her pranks go way too far the wrong way. They are not funny or inventive, they are just cruel. Also did not feel any real emotion from the episode, other than annoyance. The story is bland and predictable as well as erratically paced (choppy at times and dull in others). The zombie nods idea was a neat idea but too under-explored and personally was too distracted by the less than tasteful characterisation and writing to notice.
Furthermore, the message is botched. A derivative one written with the subtlety of a sledge-hammer. Almost too as if Rainbow Dash had not learnt anything from "The Mysterious Mare Do Well" and it was like the writers forgot that that episode existed (as that also is not an episode that people remembers in a good light one can sort of understand). It's another one that would have resonated more if the characters were written better.
Overall, weak and a strong contender for Season 6's worst. 3/10.
helpful•90
- TheLittleSongbird
- Apr 5, 2021
Details
- Runtime22 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1080i (HDTV)
- 480i (SDTV)
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