Wonderbolts Academy

Dear Princess Luna...

Alright, this episode is scheduled to air today, but it was leaked earlier in the week. I've been trying not to get spoiled. Why, you might ask? Because the premise for this episode is something I envisioned way back when. I had listed "Wonderbolts being shown as awesome" and "episode where Rainbow Dash goes to a JROTC type thing for the Wonderbolts" on my list of things I'd want to see in the future.

The second one certainly seems to be happening, and presumably the first should as well, so I am looking forwards to this one! =]

Alright, we start off with Rainbow Dash's house! We've seen the exterior a few times in the past, and the interior once or twice. Looks like Rainbow and her friends are camping out by her mailbox on the ground below her house. I'm pretty sure we've seen mailboxes in the show before, but I don't think they looked to represent the owner's cutie mark like this one does, but it is Rainbow Dash, so of course she has to have an awesome mailbox.

Turns out they are waiting for a letter about whether Rainbow 'got in' and since we know the title of the episode... Pinkie is freaking out about it for some reason, and Rainbow is extremely confident. Applejack proclaims her the 'best flyer in Ponyville' and Rainbow counters that she is probably the best in all of Equestria. Now, Trixie is still fresh on my mind, and both the instigators are sitting right here, but instead of pulling another Mare Do Well and trashing Rainbow for boasting, they just sit there.

Rainbow flies up into the sky and rapidly flies around a cloud, shaping it into a slide which she then slides down on her back.

 The postman comes and delivers the awaited letter.

 Rainbow decides to continue to be a jerk and pretends that she didn't get into the Wonderbolts Academy. Of course, she did get in, probably because Spitfire (the captain of the Wonderbolts) hasn't seen how Rainbow acts when she isn't around. Imagine if Rainbow didn't end up meeting her friends she has now, since her previous plans to join the Wonderbolts were to interrupt their shows and make them recruit her because of how awesome she is. I suppose it's possible they would, but more likely she would have been blackballed from the Academy.

I may have spoke too soon regarding Mare Do Well, look at the looks on Twilight's and Applejack's faces. We've definitely seen that kind of thing before, so there may be some Twilight Worth justice being dispensed in this episode.

Pinkie Pie allegedly is friends with everypony. I think she is rarely seen hanging out alone with her other 'mane' friends, without looking I can only remember her hanging out with Rainbow Dash in Griffon the Brush Off, Twilight coming to help her foalsit in Baby Cakes, and Applejack inviting Pinkie to help her build a barn and Rainbow wanting to hang out with her in Too Many Pinkie Pies. So, it would appear Rainbow is her chosen friend from what I can remember, especially the touching moment in Too Many Pinkies where she went and got a raft so Rainbow could relax while she had fun pushing her around the water.
Anyway, Pinkie continues freaking out about Rainbow getting in and/or leaving them for a week and gives her a bone-snapping embrace, which Rainbow eventually breaks free from then flies off, continuing to believe she is just going to instantly become a Wonderbolt. I'm pretty sure Rainbow will not be fulfilling her dream, especially the way she is acting here.

Soaring high through the clouds, Rainbow makes her way to the Wonderbolts Academy. A picturesque location, the Academy features an airstrip atop a massive stone pillar as well as buildings up on the clouds.

As Rainbow flies in, she sees other pegasi training: going through loops, flying and  moving in formation, doing push ups, doing pull ups, flying through hoops.

The new cadets line up and I can see some familiar ponies. There's the bulked up pegasus, the purple one with the cool mane, and the black one with the mohawk (and maybe the others too) from Hurricane Fluttershy,

What the hell? The Wonderbolts' captain, Spitfire, appears and she sounds nothing like what I remember. She didn't have many lines in the past from what I recall, but I'm pretty sure she couldn't have sounded like this. Perhaps she's putting on an act since she's acting like a drill instructor.

Spitfire asks them if they think what they have to be a Wonderbolt, an elite flyer, they all answer, "Yes, ma'am!" Spitfire tells them, no, they don't, because if they did, they would already be a Wonderbolt.

Spitfire goes down the line, signaling out the cool-maned one (Cloudchaser is apparently her name), the bulked up one, Rainbow, and the one next to Rainbow. Rainbow was noticeably angered as Spitfire told her she was probably the worst flyer in the whole Academy and would quit after the first day. Rainbow tells her she would never quit.

The one next to Rainbow is a feisty little one, and instead of cowering like the others, defiantly tells Spitfire to let her show her what she's got.

Spitfire tells her if she wants to show her something, she can start by doing 500 laps, and then orders all the others to do so as well.

The cadets race around doing their laps, with Rainbow Dash and Miss Feisty keeping pace with one another.

Spitfire compliments the two and walks off. Miss Feisty reveals her name to be Lightning Dust, and invites Rainbow to go eat with her in the mess hall.

Back in Ponyville, Pinkie Pie is constantly opening her mailbox, looking for a letter from Rainbow Dash. Applejack tells her to calm down, it hasn't even been a day yet, and that they could go see Twilight, who is working on some new spells Princess Celestia gave her.

Pinkie agrees, then proceeds to freak the hell out, using her Pinkie Logic to conclude that if she isn't near the mailbox to read Rainbow's letter right away, then it will kick off a series of events ending with Rainbow being kicked out of the academy with Pinkie to blame. Sorry, Pinkie, but I'm pretty sure Rainbow is not going to write you at all.

Man, that voice just really doesn't seem to match Spitfire. Spitfire explains that the Wonderbolts are the fastest, best precision flyers in the world, but spin outs can still happen, and if they do, a Wonderbolt needs to recover immediately.

For the next part of their testing, the cadets will have to endure the Dizzitron, which Spitfire assures them will make them very, very dizzy, then recover and fly straight again.

The first one 'volunteered' is a little pink pegasus. The machine spins her around and Spitfire orders the operator to 'Release!' sending the pegasus hurtling through the sky. The pink pegasus recovers and returns, clocking in at 15 seconds.

Rainbow and Lightning both raise their hooves to go next and Spitfire picks Rainbow Dash, who eagerly flies into the device. Rainbow ends up with a time of 6 seconds, an Academy record.

Lightning Dust is up next, and asks to have the machine set at maximum speed, because she wants to push her limits.

Spitfire okays it, and Lightning Dust gets rapidly spun around.

 She goes spiraling off into the sky, leaving a trail in her colors behind her.

 She swiftly recovers, drops towards the ground, then zooms past Spitfire, clocking in at 6.5 seconds.

The rest of the cadets go through the Dizzitron, and Rainbow gleefully notes that none of them even came close to six seconds. Lightning remarks that they should just make the two of them Wonderbolts right then, and Rainbow agrees.

Spitfire comes by and announces that they will be working in pairs with a lead pony and a wing pony, and wishes them good luck. Lightning remarks, "Like we're gonna need it." and Rainbow agrees.

The next morning, the cadets gather around the list in the mess hall. Rainbow boastfully asks Cloadchaser and pink pegasi which one of them gets to be her wing pony. They snicker and tell her to check the list. Rainbow is a wing pony. Goodness, despite all the aeronautical stuff I've read over the years, I honestly can't remember anything about it, but I don't think being a wingman instead of a flight lead was an indicator of skill, or lack there of. Regardless, Rainbow is upset.

Rainbow mopes and walks away and Lightning Dust comes up and tells her that they made them a team. Rainbow looks happy for a moment, then returns to upset. Really, now, Rainbow? Lightning and Rainbow kept neck and neck in their 'race' and none of the others matched their recovery time. Gee, I wonder if those two should be a wing?

Spitfire is in her office, mass-signing pictures of herself.

Rainbow Dash requests permission to enter. She's not really going to complain about being a 'wing pony' is she?

She is. Rainbow whines that she had the best time on the dizzitron. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that exercise was solely to recover after a 'spin out' aka something you shouldn't be doing in the first place. This is Rainbow Crash after all though, so at least she does have a quick recovery time..

Spitfire asks, "And?" and Rainbow whines that she got made a wing pony instead of lead. Spitfire says that was because she thinks Lightning and Rainbow will be an unstoppable team, and asks if Rainbow thinks they would not be an unstoppable team. Rainbow gets confused trying to answer, but says that they will be.

Spitfire asks what the problem is then. Rainbow whines about not being lead pony again, and Spitfire explains she made the decision because Lightning Dust pushes herself a little harder than Rainbow.

Spitfire is apparently annoyed at having to justify her decisions and slams her hooves on her desk, leaning forward and sneering at Rainbow while asking, "Got it?" Dejected, Rainbow walks out.

Out on the field, the cadets gather for the next trial. Lead ponies get a golden badge while wings get a silver.

Spitfire explains that they are being split into two teams, red and blue, and the objective is to capture the opposing teams flags.

Pink Pegasus says it sounds like fun, and Spitfire doesn't hesitate to correct her, saying it is a training exercise, not recess. She also explains that lead and wings must fly together, and if they get split up they are disqualified. Spitfire blows her whistle and they are off.

 The pegasi take to the skies and Rainbow and Lightning soar off in search of flags.

 The two rapidly fly around the area and finally spot a flag down below in what looks like a ravine or something.

As they dive towards it, Rainbow starts to panic, saying she doesn't think they both can make it at that speed. Lightning doesn't care.

Instead of slowing down or breaking off, Rainbow follows Lightning into the ravine thing and ends up smashing her wing. The two turn in the flag and Rainbow is visibly injured, but Lightning just wants to run off in search of more flags. Spitfire gives Rainbow a look as she sits in pain, but dutifully follows her lead.

Apparently the writers have decided this 'Pinkie is obsessed with Rainbow' bit is a good thing, as it cuts to her still by the mailbox and looking frazzled. In an alley, the rest of her friends and standing/lying and watching her.

Pinkie is still freaking out about Rainbow, and now she believes that since three days have passed with no letter, Rainbow has forgotten them already. Twilight tries to calm her down and tells her to send a letter first, then Pinkie decides a care package would  be a better idea. She starts to freak out over this because some other pony could get it and steal it, then that pony would remember them and the real Rainbow would forget them. To counter this, Pinkie says they should deliver it in person and the others agree.

Back at the academy, next up is their famous air obstacle course, made by using weather machines.

Spitfire explains the object is work on precision flying in extreme circumstances, and clarifies that it is not a race. Lightning Dust winks at Rainbow after that remark.

The pegasi take off in their wings and apparently they all have to follow each other, as Lightning Dust takes off with Rainbow at her heels and they come to halt after catching up to the flight ahead of them. Lightning Dust starts whining about how slow they are going, and Rainbow tells her not to worry, they can still show off to Spitfire by flying in sync. The flight ahead starts to have some issues when they go into a windy rainstorm obstacle, and Lightning Dust starts complaining again.

As they clear the rain cloud, they come upon those wind wall things and Lightning says it's the time to pass the slowpokes. They ram ahead, scattering the first two flights and weaving through the wind walls, landing back at Spitfire. Spitfire tells them they did it in record time, and that making them a team was the right decision. Is Spitfire oblivious, or is she sanctioning them just ramming the hell out of the slower pegasi?

Spitfire sees the ponies Lightning and Rainbow rammed, still stuck in the cloud they were knocked into, and heads off to help them, but not before telling the two to go to the mess hall early. Rainbow is feeling guilty and tells Lightning that maybe they shouldn't be douchebags next time, and Lightning Dust defends her actions, saying the other ponies had crappy times on the Dizzitron, spinning out is part of being a Wonderbolt, therefore the practice would be good for them.

Lightning further says it's not their fault they are better, because not every pony is destined to be a Wonderbolt, and that only the best of the best can be one. Rainbow agrees, but is clearly torn up about it.

Some time later, the next exercise is apparently cloud busting, with each wing competing to rack up the most 'kills.'  Despite Lightning and Rainbow being in the lead, Lightning says she has an idea that will literally blow away their competition.

Rainbow doesn't think it's a good idea since they are already way ahead, but then hears Spitfire's explanation about Lightning pushing herself a little harder in her mind, so she agrees to the plan.

The plan is apparently to make a tornado, something we have seen Rainbow do by herself before, as well as a chunk of the Ponyville pegasi.

The tornado starts demolishing clouds and the pair are wracking up kills, but even they are not able to handle the tornado and it is soon out of control.

The tornado wrecks the hell out of the hot air balloon Rainbow's friends were using to come visit her, and they are sent hurtling towards the ground. Rainbow screams and zooms into action.

 Rainbow races down through a hole, for some reason, coming out below the falling ponies. She rapidly flies around a cloud and crunches it up into a pad which her friends are caught on.

Rainbow then launches them into the air, where they are then caught by the other cadets, sans Lightning Dust. Fluttershy sheepishly starts to fly and gets a look from Cloudchaser.

Rainbow sees Pinkie on the ground, who starts crying and jumps onto Rainbow, happy that she remembered her.

Rainbow asks why they are there and Applejack says to deliver a care package, but they didn't realize Rainbow would be in the middle of a crazy tornado drill.

Lightning Dust arrives and says that was awesome! Rainbow is pissed since her friends were in danger.

Lightning Dust counters that Rainbow's friends are safe now, then brags about how many clouds they took out.

Lightning wants a 'hoof bump' and Rainbow is enraged.

She starts to rant about Lightning, saying Lightning made her clip her wing, sent half their class into serious tail spins, and unleashed a tornado that nearly demolished Rainbow's friends. Lightning responds with, "Yeah, and?" Rainbow says she understands Lightning wants to be the best, she does too, but Lightning is going about it the wrong way. Lightning doesn't understand Rainbow's rage, saying the Wonderbolts don't seem to think so, and Spitfire made her the lead and Rainbow the wing. Rainbow says, 'You're right, she did.'

Spitfire is pissy, saying Rainbow is supposed to be up busting clouds. Rainbow says they are done with that.

Spitfire checks the clock and is impressed, another Academy record broken. She demands an explanation.

Rainbow says Lightning Dust used a tornado, which Spitfire says was a bit excessive for the task at hand, but obviously effective given the time. Rainbow starts raging, saying how that effective tactic almost took out her friends. So, if Pinkie hadn't been obsessing over her, they wouldn't have gone up there, and there would have been no danger, right? Good job, Pinkie.

Rainbow says if being reckless is what gets rewarded and is what being a Wonderbolt is all about, then she doesn't want any part of it. Spitfire asks her to explain, Rainbow says she quits. Rainbow pulls off her wing pony badge and puts it on Spitfire's desk, then walks out.

 As the door shuts behind her, Rainbow looks back, her dreams shattered. :(

Back out with her friends, Rainbow has collected her things and just broke the news to them. They can't believe it. As they hug their friend, Spitfire runs out.

Spitfire asks Rainbow how dare she storm out of her office without giving her a chance to respond. She says Rainbow was right. The Wonderbolts are looking for the best flyers, but being the best should never come at the expense of other ponies. It's not just about pushing oneself, it's pushing oneself in the right direction, and Rainbow has shown she is capable of doing that. Two Wonderbolts step aside and expose Lightning Dust, and Spitfire rips the badge off of her uniform after getting all up in her face. Lightning Dust is devastated and hangs her head as she slowly walks away, the two Wonderbolts escorting her, so quite possibly she got kicked out of the Academy. Nice job, Pinkie Pie.

Poor Lightning Dust :(

Spitfire attaches Lightning's gold badge to Rainbow's uniform, telling her she's no wing pony, she's a leader. Rainbow is so happy, and goes into her cute little "Ohmygosh!Ohmygosh!Ohmygosh!Ohmygosh!Ohmygosh!" like in Sonic Rainboom.

Rainbow flies up to the remaining cadets and they all salute each other, then she leads them on the twenty laps Spitfire just ordered her to do. Pinkie Pie freaks out once more, because Rainbow didn't open the care package.

 

What I learned from this episode:

• What was going on with Pinkie Pie? She was getting worked up over Rainbow Dash being away and how she was so afraid her actions would cause them to lose their friend or Rainbow to wash out of the Academy, then her actions ultimately ended up with Rainbow quitting the Academy and Lightning Dust likely getting thrown out. Nice.
• I did enjoy this episode overall, but I think Lightning Dust needed to be fleshed out more. As evident from my favorite characters, I like the 'bad' ponies usually, and I did like Lightning Dust, but she didn't wow me the way Trixie does or Cadenza.
• Thinking of Lightning, that was really messed up what happens to her, especially if she got thrown out. Spitfire seemed more concerned with getting new records and signing her autographs than mentoring her potential Wonderbolts, not even monitoring their exercises it seemed.
• Despite her bragging at the beginning, I'm not sure if Rainbow Dash even 'learned' anything here, as it seems Lightning Dust and Spitfire were the ones being preached at. She did have that heartbreaking moment where her dreams went down in flames as she shut the door, but I don't think she even cried like one might expect. I guess her disappointment at the Wonderbolts helped negate the sorrow.
• The episode also left the door open so they could have future episodes with Rainbow continuing her training at the Wonderbolts Academy, letting her take steps towards her life's dream, which was good to see.
• As mentioned at the beginning, this general episode idea had been something I had wanted, and it didn't disappoint. The only thing it didn't really do was to give the Wonderbolts the respect their elite status should deserve, but it did give that to Rainbow Dash, so I am happy. =]