This episode probably was a bit of a disappointment for some for many reasons. Either because we’ve had a pretty good string of episodes, it’s preview made it look more exciting then it turned up being, or the fact Spike episodes were actually really good in Season 6 but once we got our first Spike episode of Season 7 it falls for some of the tropes that have made Spike episodes infamous to the fanbase.

Now I don’t think the episode was terrible per se but maybe I can tolerate most Spike episodes more then other people can. But yeah it’s not doing any favors about the reputation of Spike episodes with him generally bumbling around for most of the episode. Though that’s not to say this episode didn’t have good parts, there was plenty of humor, Thorax and Ember both were pretty much the best part, and from the sounds of it some foreshadowing for a future episode may have been done regarding some changelings who reject Thorax’s rule.

I also liked some of the small things such as Twilight freaking out a little bit with a list at the beginning. And the scene where Thorax and Ember talk and give advice was genuinely heartwarming. It’s also nice to know the map can call Spike after all. As heck when the castle was made it did add Spike in the equation since it gave him his own small throne at the table.

But if you weren’t a fan of most Spike episodes before for the Spike part of the episode, it’s something you could probably skip or at least not watch a 2nd time. I did like some of the gags such as the chair thing (Which I used for the episode response this time over on Genie Twilight) and Ember smushing that muffin in front of Derpy (I felt bad for her, awwww)

I’d at least say it’s better then Princess Spike from Season 5. Though again, a disappointment compared to the Spike episodes that debuted Ember and Thorax in the first place. One of the pros of Season 6 was that the Spike episodes were some of the best in that season… though for the most part that came at the expense of most of the other episodes feeling rather lacking. But Season 7 seems to be back for the norm when it comes to main pony episodes, and that unfortunately is the same with Spike.

Next time we have a camping episode with the CMC and the members with their sisters (Or in the case of Scoots and Rainbow, honorary sisters)