It’s been a little while since I could say a map episode wasn’t average. While I wouldn’t say this episode beats what was the first regular map episode and still the best IMO out of the Map related episodes (The griffonstone one). I think conceptually the map episodes have potential given they seem to always send ponies in pairs (For the exception of the Season 5 Opener) to different locations, and duo episodes can be alot of fun.

The problem in most of the episodes have been painfully average. While it’s probably good that none of them have really been bad, they haven’t had a lot standing out other then Griffonstone. It’s getting to the point where I fear that whenever a map episodes come up it’s going to be another boring or run-off-the-mill episode. But at least time we got an interesting conflict.

Though hey we finally got at least a little recognition of the Mane 6… bit of a shame it comes out from the very antagonist of the story but hey it’s something.

I wonder if having us think Flim and Flam was the Friendship Problem was meant to kinda mislead us into thinking this was literally going to be a Flim & Flam redemption episode. After all those antagonists got their episode to have themselves redeemed, I’m sure many watching this episode for the first time thought this was what the episode was for. Though while they do end up to be protagonists in this episode, they don’t really let go of their conning ways at the end. So you could say for once FiM did not go yet another redemption path. Just basically a truce to bring down an even worse con-pony then those two.

And the interesting conflict I mention comes from a pony who uses Friendship as a veil for nefarious purposes to keep his business running. Definitely a scary thought, and certainly something traveling performers do have to watch for. I think this is one of the few times an antagonist has used friendship in a more corruptive way. The other time was of course Starlight in the opener. You could almost even say Starlight’s was the cons of Communism, while Gladmane was the cons of Capitalism in their ways of corrupting a friendship.

I must also say Applejack and Fluttershy make a pretty good duo. Heck they could kinda seem like one of those Good Cop, Bad Cop duos. Fluttershy as the good cop who talks even to multiple offenders as kind and understanding as possible and Applejack as the bad cop who will grill you if she catches you lying. So cheers to this episode overall.

Next week we have a Starlight episode. Though as much as I’m still lukewarm towards her I’m actually interested in that one. Because from the synopsis it really sounds like Starlight’s own Lesson Zero. I’m definitely wondering how Twilight will feel being in a roleswap of that time. How will Twilight respond to Starlight making a similar mistake? We’ll have to see on Saturday.