Owl's Well That Ends Well

Dear Princess Luna..

Earlier today I added a section to the right for future/episodes I haven't seen ideas as well as a section to try and gather my analysis of the characters. I should definitely have started up the latter much earlier, but c'est le guerre. I also learned that I have very few solo pictures of Applejack, even though I thought I took some. I have tons of Pinkie Pie pictures though, I guess since she's had a bunch of episodes about her and is usually doing something crazy enough to warrant screenshots.

We start off in Twilight's library, where Spike is packing a wagon full of food and supplies. A meteor shower that only occurs once every 100 years is going to take place. Twilight says Spike is her 'number 1 assistant' and Spike plays the 'I can't hear you, do what now?' routine. I'm pretty sure Spike is her only assistant, so, yeah.

Twilight says she wants to bring an astronomy book and Spike runs off to get it. He stifles a sneeze, caused by all the dust on the book, then opens it, where he then sneezes and scorches the book. Twiilight yells from the other room, asking what's taking so long, and Spike just puts the book (which is just a burnt out husk) back on the shelf.

"It's just a little burned, it's still good, it's still good..."

We then see Spike and Twilight climbing a hill, where Spike has apparently lied and claimed the book Twilight wanted wasn't there. Twilight is sure she put it back, Spike says she doesn't need it because she's so smart she probably knows everything anyway. That may be true, Spike, but it doesn't excuse destroying a 'really old' book and trying to cover up your crime against knowledge.

Spike sets up the blanket and food, Rainbow Dash is there and comments that she wishes she had an assistant that would do anything she asked. Hah, when I was writing that 'cast' page I put that Scootaloo wants to be like/idolizes Rainbow, and here we have proof of that as she volunteers to be her assistant.

"Why, yes! I would like to be your dogsbody, Rainbow! I mean, I'm a little girl and obviously look up to you, but hey, why not force me to do humiliating tasks instead of just spending time with me!"

Other members of the 'mane 6' plus Sweetie Belle and Applebloom arrive, all the ponies are impressed with the food Spike has prepared. Rarity made him a bowtie studded with gems (so he'll probably eat it) and uses magic to put it on him. Spike then asks Twilight to compliment him as well, but she says enough is enough.

"You're lucky we're out in public Spike or you'd be getting the Magic Slam again!"

The meteor shower begins, and the Crusaders especially are impressed and awe struck.

Twilight orders Spike to get them some more food after the gluttonous Pinkie Pie gobbles it all up, but he is asleep in the punch bowl. Pinkie says the punch has been Spike'd and they all laugh. Twilight brings him home and puts him in bed, then begins writing a paper about comets. A strange sound outside gets her attention, she investigates and sees nothing, but leaves the door unlatched. A dark shadow is shown flying around outside, and eventually a gust of wind blows Twilight's meteor paper out and it goes sailing into the night.

Twilight is upset, saying this is a job for Spike, and turns around to see an owl has recovered her scroll. SPOILERS I'm pretty sure that Twilight had an owl pet in, ugh, May the Best Pet Win, so this is probably where she gets it.

So the owl distracted Twilight, causing her to investigate and leave windows/doors open, which then caused her paper to fly out, which the owl conveniently retrieves, and Twilight doesn't think it's a set-up?

Twilight thanks the owl and invites him to stay inside with her since it is so cold out. The next morning,  Spike has overslept and races downstairs, hoping Twilight isn't going to beat him. Twilight says it is okay, and that they have a new junior assistant, Aloiscious (or more likely, Owloiscious). Spike is upset, asking why they need another assistant, Twilight says it's so he isn't so tired all the time.

Spike gets enraged as all Owloiscious says is 'hoo?' and dismisses him as a 'man of mystery.' Spike thinks Owloiscious is after his job as number 1 assistant, and starts working to take him out. Later, Twilight is showing off the owl to all her friends while Spike is reading a book on owls to find any weaknesses.

"So it says here owls are weak against lightning! Oh, crud, why are they staring? Did I say that out loud instead of thinking it?"

Rarity must have just met Owloiscious, and has already made a gem-studded bowtie for him, which seriously enrages Spike. That owl is not only after his job, but his crush as well? Twilight's friends say they think Spike is jealous of the owl and fears he may be replaced, Twilight foolishly believes that Spike knows he can't be replaced. Which is true, sort of, since Spike is essentially her slave, and Twilight would be hard pressed to find someone willing to get smashed into walls for incompetence and all the other BS Spike goes through.

Inside, Twilight starts asking for a book and Spike tries to step up his game, going to Radar O'Reilly levels of personal assistantness. However, Owloiscious, somehow is able to find and bring back the book before Spike sets up his precarious book ladder to reach the shelf.

So in Party of One, and other episodes, we saw Twilight just snatch books with magic, why isn't she doing that instead of sending Spike/the owl.

Twilight requests another book, which turns out to be in Spike's book ladder, Owloiscious snatches it and Spike tumbles to the ground as Twilight tells him to get down before he falls.

"I told you so."

Twilight's last writing quill breaks, and Spike sets off to find one, trashing the house. I didn't mention it earlier, but this episode has given some insights into Ponyverse meals. Spike asked Twilight if she wanted him to make her oatmeal, a sunflower smoothie or grass pancakes for breakfast. Now we see a sandwich made of daisies and something else.

Wait, wouldn't Spike have probably made this sandwich anyway, since he seems to prepare most of Twilight's food? You'd think he would have known there was no quill in there.

Spike runs off into town to find a quill, ignoring Twilight's yells for him to stop. He goes to Quills and Sofas, which is sold out of quills. He then stupidly asks Pinkie Pie for one. That's akin to asking Bugs Bunny for two lumps for your tea. She gives him a quince, a quail, a quilt, a quesadilla, a quince, then says she's all out of quills.

He then breaks into some pony's chicken coop and gets his ass whooped by the chicken.

"Chicken...gave me a bad coupon."

One feather fell off the chicken and Spike returns triumphantly, only to have it be revealed that Owloiscious gave Twilight one of his feathers to use. Spike is not pleased, clenching the feather so hard it bursts into flames. Spike gripes that he'll go do his chores, if Owloiscious hasn't done them already, and Twilight cheerfully says nope, there's still quite a lot of them. Spike then passes out on the stairs.

You would think Spike would have tried to rip out the owl's feathers himself, instead of going after a chicken.

Spike wakes up to see the book he trashed in the intro slammed next to him and a really pissed off Twilight. Owloiscious found the book. Spike says he just didn't want to disappoint her.

"Have you ever seen a dragon sneeze?" "I've seen a dragon die."

Spike blames Owloiscious for setting him up, even though it was completely his fault the book was trashed in the first place. He then wanders into Ponyville trying to find a way to get payback. He sees a mouse run past and gets an idea. He busts out a tophat, cape, and moustache like a true villain.

"Where's that damn owl? Someone needs to be tied to the railroad tracks."

Spike apparently did absorb the knowledge of that owl book he was reading. He breaks into Rarity's and steals Opalescence's mouse toy. Spike's plan is to rip it up and put it on the floor so Twilight thinks the mouse-eating owl did it.

He trashes the toy and then dumps ketchup on it to look like blood. Okay, this would probably work if it was Pinkie Pie he was trying to fool, or a filly, but Twilight? One of the smartest ponies around? I don't think so.

This is probably giving Spike too much credit, but do you think he chose Opal's toy to get a double whammy, getting Twilight upset at the owl, and Rarity as well?

Not enough, he then grabs Twilight's pillow and rips it apart, also leaving ketchup footprints across the floor. Unfortunately we don't get to see Twilight's reaction, as she enters while he is in the middle of setting up the scene.

"Uh, a wizard did it."

Spike tries to play it straight, acting like he didn't just set it all up. Twilight says she doesn't know what is worse, the fact he tried to set up the owl, or that he thought she would be fooled. She says he isn't the Spike she knows and loves, Spike thinks that means she doesn't love him anymore.

Spike packs his hobo stick and heads out into the forest, it starts to rain and he seeks shelter in a cave. Inside, he finds a huge hoard of gems. So, either he just found a Unicorns secret stash, or he's in a dragon's lair. Either way he will probably end up getting beaten or killed.

"Am I dead? Is this heaven?"

It is a dragon's lair, and the dragon is not pleased that Spike is in his cave and eating his gems. Spike tries to act like a tough guy, despite the dragon being like 200 times his size, and flees as the dragon tries to kill him.

Look how big this thing is, even the massive mountains of gems looked like they would only be a mouthful for this thing.

Spike is cornered, when suddenly 'hoo' echoes around the cavern. Owloiscious flies in and starts wrecking up the dragon, using his agility to dodge the attacks and cause the dragon to smash himself on the head with his spiked tail. Twilight yells for Spike and they run out of there.

The Crown Prince said, "Me kingdom for an 'orse!" So I gave him the one me missus dries the clothes on, and he gave me me old Iron Cross!

The dragon isn't giving up and gives chase, Twilight says it is too dark, and instead of using magic to light the way, Owloiscious becomes her eyes, flying in front and guiding her through. The dragon gets ensared and they escape.

Look at the range on his breath, you're telling me he couldn't have smoked them if he tried? He wasn't that far behind.

Twilight says they were so worried about him and asks why he ran away. Spike says he thought she didn't love him and didn't need him anymore. Twilight explains she only got Owloiscious so he can help her at night, and that she'll always love Spike.

"Oh, Spike, you know you'll always be mine, because you're my property."

Spike asks how they knew where he was, he apparently left a ketchup footprint trail. Spike comments how the ketchup blood looked pretty real, Twilight just stares and he awkwardly laughs.

"I'm not even going to dignify that with a response."

Back at home, Twilight is about to write to Princess Celestia, but lets Spike write for himself. Spike writes that being jealous and telling lies gets you nowhere in friendship, and that there's plenty of love for every friend to share. As he begins writing about something he promises to do or not do, he falls asleep. He probably just has narcolepsy.

Twilight falls for the hoo?/who? bit, then laughs as she realizes her error. Owlowiscious turns to the 'camera' and winks, and the episode ends. So he was probably 'trolling' Spike the entire time.

"Hoo." "The guy playing first." "Hoo." "The first baseman." "Hoo." "I'm asking you who's on first!"

What I learned from this episode:

• You'd think Spike would have improved for Season 2, but I'm seeing he's still pretty much the same terrible 'person' in Season 2 that he was in Season 1.
• Spike is just a complete failure of a dragon, getting bitched out by ponies, upstaged by an owl, and beaten up by a chicken.
• Owloiscious is a boss, but one must question his motives. Consider that he had been at the library a very short time and already knew exactly where to go for books, along with his super convenient way to get introduced to Twilight. He is probably a Changeling or polymorphed rival Unicorn trying to get some secret info.
• Update: I just came back to this episode and read the above, we know Trixie is coming back, wouldn't it be crazy if Owloiscious was her spy/herself transformed? =]