[Blind Reaction] MLP:FiM S06E05 - Gauntlet of Fire

In case you're confused while watching this, the inserted clips are meant to represent a new character ship being launched. ^_^
Blind reaction and commentary on My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Season 6, Episode 5 - Gauntlet of Fire.
Commentary background music: www.bensound.com
COPYRIGHTS: FAIR USE, Title 17, US Code (Sections 107-118 of the copyright law): All media in this video is used for purpose of review & commentary under terms of fair use. All footage, music & images used belong to their respective companies.

[@1LuvMLPFiM]

To those who are questioning how come Ember was green before the Gauntlet started, then turned blue, it wasn't an animation error. If you'll notice after she gets saved by Spike from drowning, she left a trail of green while Spike was dragging her to the shore. Even after regaining consciousness, there was a trail of green coming from her in the sands. She perhaps repainted herself green and wore all that armor to disguise herself from her Dad.

[@Depths17]

yep you're right

[@binkyboy448]

Rarity got covered in bat poop and her only concern was Spike's safety. If that doesn't show she cares, I don't know what would.

[@princesslightningstrike4592]

Of course she cares. She is such amazing friend.

[@icysweetnexi]

Poor Rarity.

[@universalsubs6935]

I think it was dirt if it was poop she would be more freaked out

[@josephschultz3301]

Laughed pretty hard at the shipping joke. Nice, man xD .

[@applegeek2597]

Joseph Schultz Hehe, thanks. It confused a lot of people due to poor execution on my part, glad to see somebody who got it. XD

[@gameplayezssoiinnychgier300]

Yep ahaha

[@arbisplaat4577]

I was about to say "what's up with this people ruining the show? "

[@shaneaycock9306]

BTW, that ship moment, did you go on that ship once? Thus, resulting in that clip?

[@awolvesarecute9531]

@@applegeek2597 I thought it was an ad LOL also you missed one opportunity to do that joke when Spike hugged Ember she blushed. Also I just have to say *grabs microphone* 🎵 I DON'T CARE! I SHIP IT! 🎵

[@christiantracey1479]

8:40 - 8:49 LOL I get it...The ship has sailed for Spike and Princess Ember

[@applegeek2597]

+Christian Tracey Wait for it...

[@christiantracey1479]

Applegeek just a hunch for them two

[@applegeek2597]

+Christian Tracey I meant wait until you saw the other clips. ^_^ Glad you thought it was funny.

[@christiantracey1479]

Applegeek and they were

[@christiantracey1479]

***** ok.....it just sounds like he said amber

[@GlaciaGalaxy]

"Be sad!" Lol i love that part.

[@princesslightningstrike4592]

Same.

[@Viola_mlp]

Ember won by being loyal and friendly towards Spike

[@LadaFunDeshOfficial]

8:40 ...waаааааt the hell is that?... 16:30 ....am I stupid or that.....ohhhhhhhhhhhh..Ship... i get it. It's to hard for my brain.

[@Dragon1813]

I was the same way.

[@ivicamilica]

Yea me too

[@BlueflagAlpha]

i thought it was ads

[@res.1123]

19:57

[@ryubimaru]

Basically this is the episode where Spike takes everything he has learnt in all the other episodes focused on him (both the good and the lacklustre ones), gains a future potential love interest which sets up for a future episode to address his Rarity Crush and maybe a future transformation/Power up via that Bloodstone Sceptre (the reaction it had to him compared to Ember is very telling so I expect future consequences). I love it, easily best episode this season so far.

[@applegeek2597]

+ryubimaru You know, I should have commented on that weird eye effect thing that occurred when he grabbed the sceptre. I guess I decided to focus on other things than that little tidbit. Almost makes you wonder if it triggered something, such as a growth spurt of some kind. Maybe he'll get wings soon? That would be AWESOME if he did, especially considering the lack of wings was once again highlighted in this episode. But yeah, Spike has gone from one episode to the next to the next, supposedly learning things the hard way every single time. The problem is that he's never been allowed to actually show the maturity of character that should come from learning those lessons. He seemed to just keep resetting back to the same old Spike every time. He seemed much better in the S5 finale and S6 premiere, but the focus wasn't on him enough to really see how much he's grown. I'm really flag they finally gave him a chance to show his maturity. Also, now that he's been shown as a true hero (sorry, the whole "I saved the Crystal Empire twice" thing doesn't really count for me), I expect more good things for Spike going forward, because it wouldn't make any sense to reset him to the Spike of past seasons anymore now.

[@RarutoUchiha2]

If Hasbro plays their cards right (which I doubt very much they will) Ember's introduction to the show could be the best thing that could happen to Spike as a character (emphasis in could). Like you said, they could finish once and for all the whole SpikeXRarity that has been going in an endless loop for 5 seasons already. It's obvious that the writes have no intention whatsoever of making their relationship either grow or cut it. Why I don't know for sure, maybe they're scared of the backslash from the shippers, maybe they're simply not interested in touching the romantic subject in a series like this one, who knows? What is clear for everyone who cares about these characters beyond only having an entertaining short time once a week is that this thing needs to stop, Spike has to let go his crush for Rarity. Because given the amount of non-established complications, it's obvious that Spike and Rarity don't have much of a plausible future as a couple in the show, anyone who has given them more than a second thought to them knows what they are. But beyond those, there are also some problems to the relationship they currently have in the show: -Spike's crush on her came totally due to her beauty, he didn't even know her name before he started fawning all over her. What does this tells us? That Spike is mostly attracted to Rarity for her looks rather than from her whole being. -Spike and Rarity's interactions are mostly of Spike crushing on her and trying to win her attention and affection, that tells us that their relationship as merely friends is almost nonexistent. No seriously, give this a thought: how would Spike's and Rarity's relationship be like if Spike wasn't constantly trying to woo her? You don't really know, do you? That's normal, I don't know either, and that's because the show has almost never portrayed them interacting only as friends. Why is this a problem? Because that means that someday, when Spike gets over his crush, his relationship with Rarity will suffer a heavy blow, neither of them will know how to treat the other when they're no longer wooing/exploiting the other. That's it, their friendship would weaken considerably which is very detrimental in a show that basically seeks friendship like the Buddhists do to enlightenment and literally studies friendship like one of the fundamental forces of the universe. And it's not only Spike who is at fault here, Rarity is to blame as well. She has always been looking down on Spike's attempts to gain her affecting, treating him just like a little kid who has a crush on a beautiful and "generous" young woman. Generous is the keyword here, because Rarity has always been exploiting Spike's feelings for her to her benefit, taking advantage of him. This is very demeaning for Rarity as a character since she is supposed to portray the generosity in friendship, and taking advantage of people's circumstances so they can make favors for you is not being generous. Now that we reviewed the negative points of Spike's relationship with Rarity, let's take a look at what could be of Ember's relationship with Spike. First we have to praise the way she was introduced to the show: -She was not created to be a one-time-thing character, it is very probable that we're going to see more of her sooner or later. -Her interactions with Spike were ALMOST spot on, what I mean by this is that Spike didn't succumb to the cliche of falling in love with a newly introduced and attractive (?) female character. This is good because friendship is the first step to a healthy romantic relationship. Plus points because Spike also didn't start fawning all over Ember (like Scootaloo does to Dashie) to finally have a dragon friend, that's good, because their friendship came naturally, or at least as naturally as it could have been given the circumstances of Ember's upbringing. -Not only for a potential romantic bonding, but also for only friendship. Spike could be to Ember what Twilight is to Starlight right now, this is extremely good beyond measure. This finally could mark the start of a much awaited and desired character development for Spike, it's time for him to start growing, at least mentally. Seriously, a shiton of other characters have had great amounts of character development, but nothing for Spike. -The Mane 6 in Season 4 and Twilight in the entire show. -The Cutie Mark Crusaders. -Even fucking Diamond Tiara had it. -Big Macintosh. -Discord. -Gilda. -Trixie. And the worst part is that most of these characters are less important to the show than Spike by an order of magnitude and yet we had to wait seasons through seasons for an episode of Spike this good, where Spike does something else besides being a comic relief and allowing boys to empathize more with the show. Spike himself never had a greater role to play other than that. Jesus Christ, I understand that the show is called "My Little PONY", but this is ridiculous. That's why I'm on the opinion that SpikeXEmber is OTP and that the writers really shouldn't let pass of this perfect opportunity of finally doing something worthwhile with Spike. But meh~, I wonder why I even bother, when it's much more easy for them to just let things follow the normal course they have doing with Mr. The Dragon. But hey, at least we still have fanfics :3 BTW, I loved your reactions and analysis of the episode, keep them coming =D The ship footage made me laugh a lot XD

[@applegeek2597]

+GaRbS Holy wall of text, Batmare! I'm normally the one doing that, but I think you 1-up'd me here! Let's see if I can counter! Okay, to start, I think I agree with you on pretty much every point. I almost toyed with the idea of doing a video just for the purpose of talking about Spike and Rarity's unhealthy relationship, but I just felt like it would be viewed as too much complaining and/or whining, so I decided to avoid it. Even in this episode, I didn't go nearly into my issues with it, because I didn't want the video to go on forever, so I just touched on the high points briefly. As for WHY Spike hasn't gotten decent character development, there are videos out there that explain this a lot better than I can, but the root of the problem seems to be the fact that he was never given any significant goals that he's been reaching for. All the Mane 6 have had things they've had to work and grow towards, whereas Spike has basically been largely content being Twilight's assistant. In fact, in the S3 premiere, it was revealed that apparently his worst fear is (or at least was at that point) being sent away by Twilight because she didn't need him anymore. Clearly he has a special bond with Twilight, and having always been with her, can't imagine a life of his own without her in it. This could change over time as he grows up, but for right now, being kicked out by Twilight would be like being disowned by his mother. The fact that he's tied so closely to Twilight is part of why it's hard to give him goals. Dragon Quest had Spike taking a big leap by going out and trying to discover what dragon life was supposed to be like, and try to prove himself worthy of his heritage. Basically, identity crisis 101. The problem is, we all knew there's no way he would ever just up and leave Twilight and Ponyville like that, so his quest was basically doomed to fail from the start. Even if he learned something from it, it stinks that he had to learn that dragons were basically bad news for the most part. It would have been better if he had been able to find SOME good in their culture, so that he would decide that he eventually wanted to go back and live with his own kind some day. That would have given him a goal to work towards at least, but that would have resulted in him being effectively written out of the show, which wasn't about to happen, so nope, the whole thing fell flatter than a pancake. That aside, all the Spike-focused episodes ultimately ended up creating problems and character flaws for him out of thin air just so they had some kind of story to tell while giving him a bit of the spotlight. And therein lies the problem. Character flaws that are created out of thin air are always lame, especially when they end up being resolved in the same episode they're created in (Spike at Your Service, Princess Spike). That kind of thing always feels rushed and forced. This is why the episodes stunk so bad. Furthermore, Spike kept basically resetting after every one of his episodes. He never got a chance to show that he actually retained and applied any of the lessons he learned, or that he's learned anything from all the lessons the Mane 6 have learned along the way either. Furthermore, the Mane 6, especially Twilight and Rarity, have never really grown at all in how they treat Spike. It ticks me off to no end how Twilight constantly takes him for granted, and actually abuses him even more than Rarity in some aspects. At least Twilight doesn't really do it intentionally like Rarity does. She simply fails to notice what she's doing to him, just like she fails to notice a LOT of things around her while she's focused on one thing or another. I had really hoped after Power Ponies that the girls would have appreciated Spike a lot more and given him the respect he deserves. But nope, once again, everything reset afterwards, same old Spike, same old treatment of Spike. But then we finally got the S5 finale. While not focused directly on Spike, I noticed that he was actually given the perfect chance to shine in the support role he does best at. Instead of just being there for comic relief (which was still a part of it), he was actually very helpful to Twilight, making observations of obvious things that she was missing (for character flaw reasons I already mentioned), always remembering to grab the spell scroll between each jump, and staying out of the way when not needed. This was Spike being the perfect support character we always knew he could be. This new behavior continued in the S6 premiere, where he provided a bit of comic relief, but was also quite helpful in volunteering to help Starlight and Sunburst re-unite while Twilight had to take care of other matters. He also showed some maturity by putting the brakes on his ego during his story-telling session with the crystal ponies because he knew he had to help Starlight get going on her lesson. An older version of Spike would've forgotten all about that and just basked in the praise of the crystal ponies for as long as he possibly could. And then we got this episode, where he stepped up all on his own to try to save the whole of Equestria from an invasion of dragons, which he did, all while teaching a fellow dragon about friendship and standing firm to his values by helping those in need (i.e. Garble) even when there was no benefit to himself. Somehow, the writers have finally figured out how to allow Spike to show some real maturity of character, while also setting the stage for some future growth. There were even some hints at things to come, like the weird eye effect thing when he grabbed the scepter. Sure, Spike still needs to stay home, for now, but at least they have now opened the door for options. Previously they just kept slamming door after door in his face.

[@RarutoUchiha2]

Applegeek Yeah, I agree with you completely, though I don't know if you 1-up'd me with your wall of text ;) You should really keep doing the reviews at the end of the reaction to the episode, it adds more depth to the experience of watching not only how someone feels about the episode, but also about what they think about it.

[@applegeek2597]

+GaRbS Heh, guess I wasn't actually trying to, so it's all good. :D And thanks for the feedback. I'm always torn between wanting to talk a lot and trying to keep things shorter for people that get bored by lengthy commentary. I'll try to go a bit more in depth on the next episode.

[@princesslightningstrike4592]

Honestly there is no so many romantic loves stories and I'm glad that most Mane 6 don't have their boyfriends because if they would have, they would probably be so feministic like Winx sometimes are. Seriously I love Winx when they save the world or do some girly things but when they start to talk about their boyfriends, how annoying they can be, I am angry at them. I'm glad MLP don't have something like this.

[@Icy-be5vl]

Can't blame Spike for loving Rarity. She is beautiful.

[@BillErak]

at First I didn't get the ship joke. ended up Getting it at the third time. i really liked this episode. probably my favorite Spike episode.

[@applegeek2597]

+Bill Erak Dragón Dorado Sorry, I got the idea to throw those clips in there, thought it would be funny, probably could have been executed better. I'm glad you figured it out at least. :D

[@c5l6t4]

I'm dying of laughter from all the ship clips X'D

[@flidrl]

It took me a while to realise why there were those cuts xD

[@haylox669]

Hands down, my favorite spike episode by a mile. They are really stepping up his character this season. Great reaction as always!

[@BronyNumber4096]

9:55 I'm just going to assume that Ember was including _this_ chucklehead among the dragons she says she's smarter than. But yeah, great that a TV show's writing staff, for once, _didn't_ make such a conflict about boys vs. girls. Torch never flat-out said that that Ember couldn't compete because she's a girl, and Ember never flat-out said that she should be the Dragonlord _because_ she's a girl, when it could have _so easily_ been turned into that. They had the good sense to realize that, Spike episode or no, writing the episode like that would have sunk it. So, yeah. Good on the writers.

[@christiantwist3360]

4:06 I love how a comic pointed out to me how Luna always raises her hoof in that way when explaining things. It’s a funny character quark that I can’t help but notice now

[@mrtoast244]

Which chapter is that from?

[@christiantwist3360]

@@mrtoast244 it’s from a fan comic. I wanna say it’s called royal horse noises, but I could be totally wrong

[@booklover4330]

Yes finally! A awesome Spike episode! Loved it! He wasn't stupid, he wasn't greedy or selfish or any negative emotions (except when he spoke to Garble but that's to be expected because he's a jerk and even then he wasn't too mean). This was a great episode! My new favorite. XD love it! XD Love Spike! Yay Spike! XD I also really liked Ember and hope we see her again. XD Great reaction and can't wait for more.

[@mettaton4876]

6:44 You do realize this is MLP right?

[@retrohunter1877]

16:12 remember twilight can teleport.

[@OneBrokenEgg]

Garble had that beat down coming!

[@Tibadude]

That episode was.....different. But good. Things I noticed. Luna's voice sounded...slightly off. Rarity's sneeze sounded more like a fart. Spike meets a girl dragon...yea.... 5 episodes in, and each one has its own end credits music(which was really good this episode) and not the regular outro music.

[@applegeek2597]

+Nate W Thibodeau Hmm, Luna was voiced by Tabitha St. Germain, as always. But you're right, I actually did think it sounded a bit off as well. To her credit though, Tabitha St. Germain has been getting quite a voice acting workout so far this season. She's been in every episode so far this season, sometimes with multiple characters. I love seeing how dynamic she can be in her roles. Oh, and yeah, the sneeze fart, totally forgot to comment further on that afterward. Very clever, using a "sneeze" to insert a fart sound effect in a kid's show. XD And then Spike of course took the blame, because he was just awesome like that for the whole dang episode!

[@Tibadude]

+Applegeek I still wonder about why Princess Ember was a different color....also, whats with the weird...boating clips...

[@applegeek2597]

+Nate W Thibodeau I'd have to go back and look at the animation thing, sounds like it's most likely just an error though. The clips? Hoist the sails, launch the ship, all aboard the SS EmberSpike! :D

[@Tibadude]

+Applegeek lol...sorry I don't get the reference..

[@1LuvMLPFiM]

She probably disguised herself in paint or some color changing item, so that her Dad won't notice.

[@sonicgen20]

Well now things have come full circle. Spike denied the dragon lord title when he was still young, but would eventually take up the mantle in the far future.

[@electricblizzard1880]

Gauntlet of Fire... Reminds me of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire...

[@revaslatts8011]

Yeah, I agree. I love Harry Potter! And that episode totally reminded me of that.

[@BlueflagAlpha]

never heard of harry potter so i have no idea

[@princesslightningstrike4592]

Gauntlet of Fire sounds so badass. I love it.

[@zecorasvenskendavidsson4940]

A thing i really liked was that when ember and spike came out of the tunnle. Ember did queastion how they came there so fast. my theory is that Twlight teleported her and Rarity.

[@applegeek2597]

+zecorasvensken davidsson Yeah, that's the most likely explanation. Still, we didn't see them teleporting, like we usually do with Twilight. Also, I'm not sure Twilight can teleport to places she can't see or has no knowledge of. Just seemed a bit odd the way it was presented.

[@christiantwist3360]

24:41 finally, an episode that doesn’t end in sickening laughter

[@sirclassicalhou3650]

This episode was really enjoyable for me! At first, I didn't get what the live-action clips with the ship sails meant, but when I watched your commentary, I realized what the "ship" sails meant. XD

[@midnightdance4965]

This is the first video I've seen in your channel and I'm loving the intro!

[@applegeek2597]

+Crystal Shard Thanks! It's a fairly recent addition (beginning of season 6), as is the new and improved microphone. Sorry for the poorer quality on older videos. ^_^

[@midnightdance4965]

+Applegeek what do you mean, "poor quality?" It's far better than mine. Like, oh my Celestia! Best. Microphone quality. Ever! And an even better brony reacting to some pretty sweet episodes. It's nice to know there are other people who love My Little Pony.

[@applegeek2597]

+Crystal Shard Everything I have up through the S6 premiere uses the webcam mic. Probably not the worst webcam mic in the world, but still far poorer than the new Blue Yeti mic I got, which I started using in S6E3.

[@revaslatts8011]

Ember has total girl power! I love it.

[@icysweetnexi]

Winx has girl power. Ember is not even girly.

[@davvvvo]

14:37 Wilhelm scream.

[@Mkronox]

Thanks for the reaction it was really nice and I quite agree with you on the whole Sparity ship, as much as I like the ship it is getting anoying how there is no progress or rejection for it, also its nice that Spike finally got a good episode. Also just want to point out how greate it was that troughout the whole gauntlet Spike didnt need any help from Rarity and Twilight, and they both respected the fact that Spike wanted to win with his own "strengths". I almost forgot to mention it really liking the text that you keep using for details you miss or extra stuff you notice while editing keep at it and hope we get some more short video reactions in these minihiatus.

[@applegeek2597]

+Mkronox Thanks for mentioning the text comments, wasn't sure if anyone cared about those or not. And yeah, I do want to do some more reaction stuff soon. MAS took a lot out of me, honestly, and I just needed a break. Also, the reactions for the main season seem to take a lot more time to put together than some of the other stuff, both due to the length of the episodes, and because I'm trying to put more care into my editing. My sub count also went crazy with the new season, as did the amount of comments on my videos, so keeping up with that has been...fun. XD

[@okami1101]

love your ship reference and the fact you used a actually ship clip

[@snezanamanojlovic8741]

"I hate when he does that!" Yeah so do Obi Wan

[@Diavilos]

I watch these a few times for kicks but I couldn't ignore that harry potter line because a Gauntlet is a real thing that has nothing to do with the other. Come on (people in general) not every term is reference to some fad. (no offense intended this is just where I finally snapped on the subject)On a lighter note you are my only pony reactor and I thank you for all your hard work.

[@MargotBst]

Why does rainbow dash wasn't there with rarity and twilight ? :( She was present the first time !

[@applegeek2597]

+Margot B. Huh, excellent point. I hadn't thought about comparing this episode with Dragon Quest in that regard. Oh well, she's got her own episode coming soon. Really looking forward to it!

[@MargotBst]

+Applegeek You're right, I can't wait to see more !

[@darnelismalte]

Margot B. EXACTLY RAINBOW IS BEST PONY WHY WASNT SHE THERE?

[@SarpErsoy]

5:50 Rarity's glance looks like she's going to kill him lol

[@Peppermint88]

Ember is so awesome XD

[@sonicstallion4735]

15:05 Unintentional puns, yay!

[@anthony2295823]

The clips are a good idea, but i think they need to be a lot shorter. Say between 3 and 5 seconds tops

[@priscillapalomino4500]

Spike has no wings yet...😑😱😭🤔🐉🐲

[@applegeek2597]

Yeah, I know. Still wonder about the weird thing that happened with his eyes when he grabbed that scepter though. I don't think they're done with Spike yet for the season, have to wait and see what happens after the hiatus.

[@andyreacts]

Lovely reaction! :D

[@keanankinman1508]

Hey you! Greetings from a terrible country!

[@keanankinman1508]

AKA America.

[@thenerdiestandroid5841]

lol

[@alexiebmw]

7:14 I'm getting Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess vibes from this episode

[@icysweetnexi]

Well Twilight Princess. We have Princess Twilight in this show.

[@plantfoxproductions7877]

14:34 Wilhelm scream

[@brigidtheirish]

Aww. I like Spike episodes. The Power Ponies one was fun. And the pet-sitting episode had a good moral. Sure, he makes a lot of mistakes and gets in trouble. He's a little kid not much older than the CMC. He's the (often annoying) little brother of the series.

[@BronyNumber4096]

*GAUNTLET OF FIRE* /// Another goddam Spike episode??? /// (slamming my head repeatedly in a door) WhyWhyWhyWhyWhyWhyWhyWhy...!!! /// *ONE EPISODE VIEWING LATER...* /// Why did we have to wait so friggin' long for a good Spike episode??? /// (slamming my head repeatedly in a door) WhyWhyWhyWhyWhyWhyWhyWhy...!!! /// Why was it so hard for the writers to write Spike like this? This is actually good! I mean it's not *great,* but it's a hell of a lot better that what we've always gotten for Spike episodes. /// He's actually a *character* for once instead of being an unflattering carica*ture* of the male gender. His reason for wanting to compete in the Gauntlet wasn't because of arrogance, or even lust for Ember. He just wanted to protect the ponies from the other dragons. /// And all the stuff that happens to him throughout the episode is NOT because of "useless, idiot Spike," but instead is because of that fuck-bag Garble, who (and this is very important here) RECEIVES PUNISHMENT AT THE END! Punishment administered BY Spike, I might add! Okay, it was a *wussy* punishment, sure, but it works for the show. This is a kid's show, you can't show characters getting their flesh flayed from their bodies. /// This is a well-written Spike episode. Is it a perfect one? No. But I want these two writers writing for Spike from now on. Get these two on Spike-writing detail, and get rid of that "Princess Spike"-writing ass-ball Neal Dusedau!

[@applegeek2597]

+BronyNumber4096 Keep in mind that Josh Haber wrote Spike very well in a support role in both the S5 finale and S6 premiere, and he's also the story editor for all of S6. It looks like we finally have production staff that appreciate Spike, and will do his character justice this season. ^_^

[@1LuvMLPFiM]

Inevitable Spike X Ember shipping, inbound. Possibly some R34 as well. Nothing escapes Rule 34 of the internet anyways...

[@keanankinman1508]

Nothing! I saw the rubble of 9/11 having sex. Not fucking kidding.

[@darinae34]

I checked and there are already images on the movie,it havent even come out and its already in it.

[@ShizuruNakatsu]

I wonder why the Dragon Lands only ever seem to have younger dragons. They're usually teenagers, or at least small (relative to other dragons). Did the Dragon Lord not call ALL dragons for the competition? Or maybe he wants a young successor so he only called those below a certain age. We never see the big, full-grown, scary dragons. Like the red one that was sleeping on the mountain in early season 1, or the green one that almost killed Spike, or all the big ones we see in the dragon migration. Those dragons are never there.

[@ShizuruNakatsu]

For that matter, why wasn't Smoulder summoned? And what about other baby dragons? Is Spike the only dragon in the world as young as he is?

[@grandfathernurgle283]

Spike hasn't placed his name in the gauntlet of fire. But it still threw out his name. He is underage and shouldn't be allowed to compete. But still must compete because the gauntlet of fire said so.

[@christiantwist3360]

14:20 it’s official; spike is terrible at coming up with names at a moment’s notice

[@funcoolfunfun]

You're right in that Spike and Rarity is getting kind of old in its current form. However,i don't ship Spike and Ember.I ship him and Starlight

[@applegeek2597]

+funcoolfunfun I don't see him and Starlight as anything more than friends, but to each his own.

[@funcoolfunfun]

Applegeek To be fair, the same could be said for any of Spike's ships (even the classic Sparity, even though).

[@ayoh4864]

13:15 I WILL BECOME BEST HOKAGE!!!

[@TheLostBear78]

On the Spike and Rarity crap. It did make me feel a little better about it, when she rushed him into the castle. She was COVERED in mud, and all throughout the reaction in the castle, she paid no notice of her state for the worry for spike.

[@TheLostBear78]

Also I was EXCEPTIONALLY happy that not even a single time, did Twilight or Rarity lift a single magical drop throughout the entire episode.

[@TheLostBear78]

Oh, and someone brought it up, don't remember who. We now have the Yak's, Possibly Griffons, and now dragons allied with the ponies. Wouldn't it be something like movie worthy to have them have to call on all the races to save equestria.

[@applegeek2597]

+Kevin Johnsen I thought about that, but Rarity has already moved past her issue with getting dirty. Remember, she willing got her hooves dirty back a couple episodes as an excuse to try and get away from Maud Pie. The only thing about that scene was that she was frantically worried about Spike, which I would never doubt, because she is still a good friend despite her flaws. Oh, and yes, I loved the fact that Twilight and Rarity basically did nothing other than be there for moral support, because it allowed Spike to work things out on his own like a big boy. Regarding the allies, yes, I've noticed the accumulation of neighboring allies. I'm not sure if this is intentional world-building for something bigger down the road or not, but it is interesting nonetheless. I could be way off base, but I feel like Chrysalis will make a reappearance for the season finale, and it may be a much larger attack this time, causing the princesses to request assistance from their allies. That's a bit of a stretch for a kid's show, but then again the writers already gave us one changeling invasion, not to mention the alternate reality Crystal War, so I would say anything's possible at this point.

[@sadlobster1]

Lord of the Dragons is such an awesome title to have

[@icysweetnexi]

I prefer title Princess Of Faires And The World.

[@sebid1343]

*8:39** started* Me: Wait What *Gets more farther from the clip* Also Me: Wait......WAIT....*Wait*...*NOOO-* Edit: Also am I the only one who doesn't ship Ember & Spike

[@TheMessinger47]

Whip crack sound effect at 19:34. It cannot be unheard

[@Peppermint88]

anyways CELESTIA LUNA ehehe XD especially there expressions at twilight when she nerded out on dragons

[@applegeek2597]

+Peppermint presents Yeeeees! I forgot to comment on that. The look on their faces was priceless! XD

[@Peppermint88]

+Applegeek plus that first dragon who got a hug from Garvel that was adorable XD

[@1LuvMLPFiM]

Giving that royal "Shut up, Twilight."

[@Peppermint88]

+Lunare Crepuscular XD as Luna would say Thou are not amused

[@heroinchic7676]

💜 Spike x Ember 💙

[@434444334]

embers laugh is cute

[@luwucian4497]

8:38 What was that ?

[@pouncerlion4022]

I wonder who many get the the G1 reference of Spike and Ember.

[@midnightblaze4155]

Pouncer Lion OHHHH! I never noticed that, despite having see Escape From Midnight Castle a couple of times. Thanks!

[@theemeraldminecart8138]

At 15:44 it sounds like that small jumpscare form foxy in fnaf 4

[@niigo-celeste]

I have no I dea what's going on 16:20

[@_wowzaimshook_9368]

I don’t really think the ship works here- Spike is supposed to be a baby and Ember is a teenage dragon. She’s a little too old and this is shown as only a friendship

[@jordandotcom]

Ember sounds like Gwen from spiderman into the spider verse.

[@Depths17]

lol! love the ship thing you put in there, also GREAT T-shirt!!!!!

[@applegeek2597]

+kemi J Thanks, on both counts. :D

[@universalsubs6935]

Which came first the show or fnaf 3 because you hear the fnaf 3 jumpscare noise in multiple episodes

[@christiantwist3360]

13:26 it does help with this competition though

[@sebid1343]

6:38 Turn On Captions

[@icysweetnexi]

This episode is the reason why Garble should never be reformed. He literally said that he will burn the entire Equestria. There should be no reformation for someone like him. If he would won this race. He would be another villain but it would be interesting if Garble was the main villain in Season 6 final instead Chrysalis. Garble is a sexist. That's the thing people don't realize.

[@foxwolf316]

hey i know my name is sparity and the shipping mite be old, and maybe not that much, but i don't care like some people do some don't and my channel is at stake, so come on, let's not over do it as much, so people wont hate me, OKAY?

[@ErikButterworth]

Before I forget, Applegeek, the weekend we have off from a new episode of Season 6 is also the weekend of BABSCon over in San Francisco, so perhaps they did not want to have a new episode airing during the weekend of one of the big Brony conventions this year.

[@applegeek2597]

+Erik Butterworth I kind of doubt Discovery Family cares about that. Case in point, unless something changes, Applejack's Day Off is going to be airing on Memorial Day weekend, which also happens to be the same weekend as Midwest Brony Fest, which seems to be one of the larger cons. If anything, I would've thought that weekend would be skipped because of the holiday, but it doesn't look like it. Btw, I will be attending MWBF, so it looks like I might end up having to haul my equipment with me to do a reaction from my hotel room that Saturday night. XD

[@ErikButterworth]

Applegeek Alright, thanks Applegeek. Be safe while you're there and be careful on the way up and back.

[@applegeek2597]

+Erik Butterworth Up? Don't let the hat fool ya, I'm from Minnesota, so it's down and back for me. ^_^ I do appreciate the concern though. Just FYI, I'll also be at my local con this year, MLP-MSP.

[@ErikButterworth]

Applegeek Alright, thanks for the info, Applegeek, and again, be safe in your travels to the cons.

[@tacomaterpstra]

Applegeek your spike is evolving mash b to stop it :) :) :)

[@jhettgreene8994]

The ship bit had me like: "Huh? ... ... ... OOOOHHH, HAHAHAHAHA!!!"

[@yoshifan3077]

I kind of admire ember's determination she shows that you don't have to be big and strong to do anything you just have to show your own way to do things big or small

[@applegeek2597]

+Christopher Ocampo Yes, excellent point! I literally just got back from watching Zootopia at the theater, and Ember, and she really had kind of a Judy Hopps vibe going on here. I do feel like it was a bit too easy at the end to get her dad (Torch) to come around to her way of thinking, but yeah, time constraints and whatnot. Really glad she came to power though. She deserved it more than any of the other dragons, except maybe Spike. Oh, I also loved how Torch sounded disgusted with the idea of having to give up his throne due to dragon law, which makes me wonder what the law actually states about such things, and what else is in their laws.

[@yoshifan3077]

+Applegeek dude I never thought about judy hopps good call on embers comparing on judy hopps and also I did watch the movie three days ago and it was awesome movie ever

[@icysweetnexi]

This should be a lesson for these toxic feminists who say that strong girl has short hair and wear male clothes. It's disgusting.

[@christiantwist3360]

14:30 “I’m funny,” lol

[@kinnie--2347]

UM I know this is from two years ago but I just like to say that 12:25 death in a childs show is confirmed

[@bryanprime3438]

21:37-21:40 Would that kinda count as Spike's Canterlot voice?

[@AlyKailyn]

Stupid question, I know, but why is the opening song muted? Is it to avoid copyright claims?

[@applegeek2597]

I decided to do it both because A) I figured it's easier for you to hear me talking, and B) yes, I'm running scared because of all the BS Sony is pulling on KZbin as of late.

[@AlyKailyn]

+Applegeek thanks a ton! :)

[@knd97arts78]

XD ive seen a few reactions to this episode but i gotta say i really love yours! and finally! someone else who thinks like i do about the sparity ship I'm so happy that ship is ending thanks to Ember and Spike shipping that has most likely gone ablaze xD and very nice using the ship footage xD Im totally subscribing after i write this i really like your reaction you need more subs plus very nice intro ^^ /Subscribed!

[@applegeek2597]

+Lavibubbles KawaiidesuxD Thanks for the sub, and the compliments. I've seen a lot of people confused by the inserted clips, glad to see others really enjoyed them. If I had taken a little more time, I probably could've made those work better. For example, I should have found a clip showing a burning/sinking ship, and labeled that one Sparity. XD Anyway, there are many in the fandom sick and tired of Sparity, so yes, I hope it dies now. That said, I really want the writers to actually deal with it directly, rather than just walking away from it like it never happened. I think they owe us that much. In fact, they owe it to all the kids watching this show to have an episode where it's highlighted how Rarity's treatment of Spike is wrong, and needs to stop. That will both bring proper closure to that ship, and also help address this last major character flaw of Rarity's.

[@knd97arts78]

+Applegeek very true! i totally agree i normally dont like rarity because she just... i dont know :/ her flaws her... using of spike is getting to the point where I'm on the edge of hating rarity I'm worried her behaviour will teach kids and future bullies to use their assets(looks and so on) to get what they want plus i hope spike can grow up and moving on i know spike 'loves" rarity but its obviously would never work out shes waaaay older than him shes like a young adult spike is at least a preteen... but all we can do is hope the writers wont let sparity drag on and like you said address those issues

[@applegeek2597]

+Lavibubbles KawaiidesuxD There's also the whole "not the same species" thing, but I hate to bring that up because that topic seems to get awkward quickly. XD

[@knd97arts78]

+Applegeek true xD lolz that sort of topic can get... graphic sometimes ive had discussions about that with friends oh boy never ends well x3

[@bwipmwqp]

A Gauntlet is a series of trials meant to test one's skill.

[@veemonfan8102]

I think Spike and Princess Ember make a cute couple!

[@Ragnark1]

I agree with the protracted Spike/Rarity crap. It is simply not interesting any more.

[@tmap92]

...I meant 'to every one that wants to kill it because of their own ship canons, or stand by the whole thing of age/species/friendzone' with the F.U comment in the previous comment. and yes, I'm aware that this was commented to a comment that was made at least 1 1/2 year ago.

[@peytonmac1131]

tmap92 - I wouldn't have a problem if they did something with it, went somewhere or at least addressed it, but it just seems to get ignored. Like Applegeek said, it's not healthy and sets a bad example for kids.

[@skykid863]

I like Twilight and Spike.

[@somethingsomething1763]

@@skykid863 That's worse than Spike and Rarity....

[@Icy-be5vl]

Expect Spike, Smolder and Ember maybe, other dragons are so complex.

[@seacrystal5973]

6:38 spike stopped glowing in that scene

[@Satoshi9801]

Looking back on these reactions, it was strange to see you so pessimistic (if that's the right term) before watching an episode - but thankfully it turned out well, and quite honestly, I was also skeptical about this episode before watching it.

[@christiantwist3360]

15:37 kind of a correct stereotype though

[@ellalameifwa5396]

13:36 Spike is canonically stronger than Garble.

[@sbcool1027]

Title ref to Chariots of Fire by Vangelis (Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou)?

[@vincentbarredo8195]

2:50 the first time I've watched it I thought spike is gonna have wings

[@Zangorwarrior]

Welp, looks like BOTH of us has made a He-man reference. Time to compare cocks. XD I place my Scootaloo in Attack Mode. To be honest, first time I saw the ship clips, I was kind of confused because I thought it was just left in there for another project or something. Thought it was your vlog of your tourist trip to Hawaii or something. But DAMN, your laughs sound like me sometimes!! I know other people are gonna say that this episode is the best episode of Season 6 and that this was their favorite Spike episode but through all of my hopes and expectations that this episode might suck for me, I thought the episode was OK, for the most part. I could be guilty of saying that I was expecting more out of the "Gauntlet of Fire" as it does lend itself to pretty awesome action scenes and world-building as both of those scenes were visually appealing. I wanted more of that! Instead of having just 1 challenge, why not 3 challenges to increase the tension, depth and the drama of the story while still having Spike rescue Ember along the way? And I do understand that it's a 22 minute episode to squeeze all of that in but it has potential! I feel like after I was expecting more, I feel like we got the best we had in this episode, not too much, not too less. I also know EVERYBODY is going to ship Ember and Spike together (SpikEmber forever). I FEEL like I'm the ONLY reactor who has ever made the comparison to Spyro the Dragon and NOBODY else has. Then again, I've only seen 6 reactions so far (not the best ones) to know this going in but, hopefully, I can find a reactor who spots the same thing I see! WOE IS ME. I assume Ember is around her teenaged period, hence why she has more of a flexible body and more brighter in tone. Can't really imagine the ship going together though, unless Spike has this weird transformation thing where he actually forms into an ACTUAL dragon after realize who he was meant to be all along. However, in a world where we now have 5 princesses, I would like to see more of Ember, possibly in the finale of all episodes, to redeem the relationship of Ember and Spike and just to answer to the desperate shippers. The designs of the dragons are pretty cool too and I do like that kickass fight around the 3rd act as it what made me REALLY get invested in the fight. I haven't really seen much of that since the Season 2 finale and again, I hope to see more action scenes in the Season 6 finale. But the only problem I have is that the story, again, was predictable as I knew Spike was going to give the scepter to someone else anyway and go back to Ponyville like normal (just like Dragon Quest). We all KNOW he's not going to stay in the Dragon Lands, not this early on, anyway. But if there's ever going to be a FINAL episode to tie up loose ends, Spike will be let go to where he wants to be. Sounds sad now that I think about it. But like I said, OK episode, not the BEST Spike episode I've seen nor the worst, it was just around the middle for me. But at least we get more Spike episodes in Season 6 so, there can be opportunities to top this episode in particular in how awful or good the next Spike episode will be. Only time will tell...

[@applegeek2597]

+Zangor warrior Don't feel bad about being the only one with the Spyro reference. You should be happy that you made a reference nobody else did, as it makes your reaction unique. :D I've heard of Spyro, but never played the games, so I would never have made the connection myself. I'm not really a guy who likes to get into all the shipping, for various reasons. However, I'm all for this one, even if it is a bit forced, because I'm desperate to get Spike out from under his unhealthy obsession with Rarity. Who knows, maybe it will lead to something some day. And yeah, I thought the boat clips would be funny, but I guess the joke wasn't very clear, as they appears to have caused a lot of confusion, so yeah, I'll never do that again.

[@kyletruex]

Teleportation remember that's why it's so easy for a rarity and twilight to move around following spike

[@applegeek2597]

Yeah, I realized that pretty quickly, but we never saw it, nor heard the sound effect. Also, I could be wrong, but I was pretty sure Twilight needed to have a mental image of her destination in order to teleport, which she wouldn't have had in these spots, especially the one in the cave, since she's never been there before. It also doesn't explain where she and Rarity kept getting the different costumes. Oh well, guess they just decided to borrow a bit of Looney Tunes cartoon logic for that episode. XD

[@adamcheck4941]

When that dragon said he would plunder equestria for all their pillows I thought why didn't they just buy the pillows if they really wanted them it is called supply and demand and it is the basis for all economy John Galt would be ashamed of the dragons and the ponies for not seeing the potential for commerce rhat exists there

[@dreiobsitue7748]

Did you mute the intro? Edit: 16:28 were you in that boat?

[@shaunathedancer181]

They got up there because twilight had wings

[@hf.s3edd124]

shiping is magic ^_^

[@Andrew-dy2cn]

Is Spike a type of wingless dragon?

[@currentlyali]

I HEARD GOBLET OF FIRE

[@dragonroarkai8907]

Hey applegeek, I know why you pit ships sailing when Ember saved Spike, it probably means a ship between spike and ember, right😏

[@gameplayezssoiinnychgier300]

The ship has sailed !!!!

[@twist58]

Could the Dragon Lord be modeled after the Bewilderbeest from HTTYD?

[@redrovaeden5143]

Was there supposed to be a pun that I should've notice? what's with the boats?

[@somethingsomething1763]

"Shipping."

[@JayJayM57]

"greates Spike episode without a close second" what about equestria games ?

[@applegeek2597]

+j marine Um, no, that one was painful! XD If I had to pick a runner up for best Spike episode, it would be Power Ponies.