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My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Review
Season 5, Episode 8: “The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone”
In the city of Griffonstone, which sways in a rickety state somewhere in the
mountains of Equestria, nobody can hear you scream...unless you cross their
palm with silver, in which case they may do you a good turn. “The Lost
Treasure of Griffonstone” shows griffons in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
as being covetous and greedy, and this particular trait has caused their city to
fall into ruin.
Cue the involvement of Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, an (un)likely team, who
are sent by Season 5's mysterious map to solve Griffonstone's problems by
teaching its citizens that friendship is more important than gold and that giving
free scones to people you don't get on with is the first step in making a new
buddy. Along the way they run into a familiar face – Season 1's Gilda the
Griffon – who is still a despicable individual with few likeable traits.
That is until a flashback reveals a cute kid-Gilda befriending Rainbow Dash
back when they were youngsters – including the implication that Gilda would
have been picked on by bullies without Rainbow Dash there to help her. This is
the kind of back-story expansion that Friendship is Magic fans seem to love.
The episode also spends a good deal of time fleshing out additional lore for
Equestria, such as new geographical locations and legends regarding the
Griffon Kingdom, which will undoubtedly result in plenty of new fan theories,
griffonsonas and lofty fan-fictions.
Outside of this, “The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone” is a straightforward episode
about how being nice to people can yield good results. Pinkie Pie is portrayed
in a positive light, revealing a rock fetish that has only been hinted at in
previous episodes after flirting with a statue of an old griffon king. Rainbow
Dash, meanwhile, forgets how to fly for a bit and falls off a cliff, wounding
herself somehow and finding herself in need of rescuing. Gilda comes to the
rescue, remembering that she isn't quite willing to let her old friend die in
the...um...Abysmal Abyss.
In the process of saving Rainbow Dash, Gilda and Pinkie Pie also fall down the
chasm – woops, butterfingers! - and just as Gilda is about to try and help her
new friends climb to safety she sees the lost treasure alluded to by the
episode's title. This poses Gilda a predicament that an average person faces on
a daily basis: having to pick between saving an ancient relic that is hanging
precariously over a black void or saving two people who are relying on you to
pull them to higher ground. Most people let their friends perish in this routine
scenario, but Gilda has a heart of gold that puts many to shame – she saves
the day and makes amends with Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash.
At one point it seems as if Pinkie Pie might give the musicians working on the
show something to do by bursting into song, but her attempt to do so is
silenced. Equally silenced is the distress call coming from Griffonstone at the
end of the episode, suggesting that Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie have truly
saved the day by...
Wait a second. What did Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie do in this one? If the lost
treasure means nothing and friendship is the cure for the kingdom, perhaps
their greatest success was instilling a fresh new attitude in town that others
can follow the example of? After all, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash have it so
much better back in Ponyville, right? Both single...one living with her employer
and the other living alone, her pet tortoise frozen and probably dead under an
old withered tree.
Pinkie Pie, a diabetic jester, oblivious to the entire town gossiping
behind her back, sniggering at her pudgy body.
Rainbow Dash, a failed glider who will never be hired by the
Wonderbolts onto their aerial squad.
Those griffons could sure learn a thing or two from these successful ponies...
B-