This is an episode I was worried about for a bit since as I said at the tail end of my thoughts on Cart Before The Ponies that the episode’s main core isn’t too far off from a certain other infamous Rainbow Dash episode: The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well.

I’ll just get it out of the way now in saying it definitely handled things better then Mare-Do-Well did, just that might not exactly mean a lot as the idea of the episode alone can make the episode hard to watch for fans of Rainbow and those who may not like her. Let’s just say if you happen to be somebody who isn’t a fan of Rainbow, this episode can give you more of a reason to maintain that. And when you’re a fan of Rainbow, you just kinda sigh at parts on both Dash and her Friends side of things. Rainbow is my 2nd favorite pony so I definitely fall closer to a fan for sure.

One thing I can say for sure is some of Rainbow’s pranks were pretty inventive and to be honestly quite funny such as the sewing machine cake and the letters that prank both Spike and Celestia with the tons of letters, though some were legit dick moves like the Skunk hair on Cranky and possibly the brick in Mr. Cake’s sandwich. Though I suppose either way Rainbow Dash’s “gotcha” could get kinda grating.

I think the main problem though may be the lack of surprise. Even if you didn’t know the synopsis that basically revealed the whole plot of the episode. Pinkie’s behavior kinda outright spells out it’s all a prank. I think the episode could of been a lot better if they had tried at least making it somewhat of a mystery. Like what if they kept it a possibility that Rainbow’s ingredient had some magic addiction effect to it until the very end? As it is though it’s kinda like if the episode Bats! had revealed Fluttershy was going to become a vampire pony before the episode aired. The fandom loves it when they’re surprised given all the spontaneous fanart that’s come from things like the changelings and Flutterbat. Though I suppose even if the whole Zombie thing was a surprise, the simple rainbow color over mouth and somewhat disheveled manes aren’t exactly something that’s some neat new design to draw.

Overall it definitely at least did what it planned to do. Again it handled things better then Mare-Do-Well but honestly a better slightly different version of Mare-Do-Well even with the addition of (fake) Zombies doesn’t have a lot going for it unless you’re a big fan of classic Zombie media. Not as bad as I feared but not exactly a recommendable episode IMO.

At least coming up right next is sure to be intriguing with Spike befriending a possible friendly changeling. Who knows where that will go.