Absolutely loved the character of Maud Pie ever since she was first introduced and she was one of the few recurring characters to seldom if ever disappoint in every episode she appeared in and she made all of them better. Not many characters anywhere can make nonchalance/deadpan funny, it's actually even difficult to make it interesting, but Maud was a fine example of a character where that character trait was nailed and not annoying or bland at all.
"Rock Solid Friendship" is up to this point of Season 7 the best of the four episodes and is much more than a rock solid episode. Actually think it is great and in the better half when ranking Season 7. It is not quite a high point like "A Perfect Pear" and "A Royal Problem" were, but those who loved Maud from the get go will not be disappointed in any way. "Rock Solid Friendship" is also an episode that shows how much Starlight Glimmer has grown on me since Season 6 and how much more plausible her reformed personality is in my view.
My only complaint is Pinkie Pie being annoying and while other episodes do worse at over-exaggerating her negative traits her behaviour is borderline psychotic. The episode is at least acknowledges though that how such behaviour can be counter-productive to not just forming relationships but keeping them, which was a good thing to address, and did like the touch of seeing for the first time Pinkie Pie genuinely angered by Maud's nonchalance.
So much works in "Rock Solid Friendship". The animation is wonderful, particularly loved the work that went into Maud's reactions and expressions which told so much even when small. It is very vibrantly coloured, richly detailed and it is very clear how much more polished the visuals became overtime on the show. The music is dynamic with the action and has a lot of character and atmosphere.
Writing is spot on too. The humour is dry and deadpan, but this is an example of dry and deadpan humour actually working. This kind of humour can easily be interpreted often as condescension, but there is plenty of humour here and all of it works. None of it is forced, tired or misplaced. Balanced with the humour though is a big heart, the more dramatic moments are heart-warming and very poignant and it doesn't come over as too heavy or too sentimental. This balance of humour and dramatic emotion is brilliantly done, one is not favoured over the other, both work equally brilliantly rather than one working and the other not and both work just fine individually.
Any initial reservations had with Starlight beforehand completely vanished in "Rock Solid Friendship", where we see a character with strengths and flaws where we see signs of her old personality creeping in on occasion. Loved her charming chemistry with Maud, who steals the show not unexpectedly. Great comic timing and her more vulnerable moments are touching, she is a very funny character but we see a good deal of depth with her here as well. Ingrid Nielson does an exemplary job voicing her.
Concluding, great. 9/10.
"Rock Solid Friendship" is up to this point of Season 7 the best of the four episodes and is much more than a rock solid episode. Actually think it is great and in the better half when ranking Season 7. It is not quite a high point like "A Perfect Pear" and "A Royal Problem" were, but those who loved Maud from the get go will not be disappointed in any way. "Rock Solid Friendship" is also an episode that shows how much Starlight Glimmer has grown on me since Season 6 and how much more plausible her reformed personality is in my view.
My only complaint is Pinkie Pie being annoying and while other episodes do worse at over-exaggerating her negative traits her behaviour is borderline psychotic. The episode is at least acknowledges though that how such behaviour can be counter-productive to not just forming relationships but keeping them, which was a good thing to address, and did like the touch of seeing for the first time Pinkie Pie genuinely angered by Maud's nonchalance.
So much works in "Rock Solid Friendship". The animation is wonderful, particularly loved the work that went into Maud's reactions and expressions which told so much even when small. It is very vibrantly coloured, richly detailed and it is very clear how much more polished the visuals became overtime on the show. The music is dynamic with the action and has a lot of character and atmosphere.
Writing is spot on too. The humour is dry and deadpan, but this is an example of dry and deadpan humour actually working. This kind of humour can easily be interpreted often as condescension, but there is plenty of humour here and all of it works. None of it is forced, tired or misplaced. Balanced with the humour though is a big heart, the more dramatic moments are heart-warming and very poignant and it doesn't come over as too heavy or too sentimental. This balance of humour and dramatic emotion is brilliantly done, one is not favoured over the other, both work equally brilliantly rather than one working and the other not and both work just fine individually.
Any initial reservations had with Starlight beforehand completely vanished in "Rock Solid Friendship", where we see a character with strengths and flaws where we see signs of her old personality creeping in on occasion. Loved her charming chemistry with Maud, who steals the show not unexpectedly. Great comic timing and her more vulnerable moments are touching, she is a very funny character but we see a good deal of depth with her here as well. Ingrid Nielson does an exemplary job voicing her.
Concluding, great. 9/10.
