>>12166
Twilight brings up banishment to Fluttershy, and we know banishment is a punishment since Celestia banished Luna. I’d be curious to know more about Equestrian dungeons. I wonder which is more common? In a lot of ways, banishment seems more humane, I could almost see that as the go-to punishment in Equestria. It’s also interesting that Twilight says Celestia will go ‘easier on her’ than on Fluttershy. I suppose that means Celestia has the power to make summary judgements. In general we seem to get a picture of Celestia as an absolute monarch (fits since Louis XIV was the ‘sun king’), but possibly the one being in the universe old enough, wise enough and kind enough to actually be able of responsibly using that power. I like it as an idea, it’s interesting and it permits for the kind of fantastical just and noble rule that wouldn’t be possible in our world. I wonder though, as the size of Equestria increases over the course of the show, whether it’s the type of absolutist government where Celestia’s input is actually required, or if it’s the type where the government and industry run themselves but Celestia has a free hand to intervene wherever and however she sees fit with impunity – sort of closer to a feudal-monarchical arrangement only with a more modern underlying structure instead of the manorial system.

Great conclusion to the episode, fantastic characterization of Celestia, no notes. It’s not an episode where I get quite as sucked in, but it’s a lot of fun and very funny with Philomena, a solid ‘just for fun’ episode overall for me. I think I’ll have to put it with the rest of the 8s – that’s where I think the show’s quality baseline sort of rests for this season, with Applebuck Season, Boast Busters and Look Before You Sleep all being smooth, sleek, solid fun throughout without really any visible flaws. And then all the episodes above that rating edge it out to be outstanding, transcending even the consistently good quality of the rest of the show. So yes, a simple rating of 8 out of 10 for this episode.
>>12158
>but part of me goes with a different logical inference that a newly unincorporated place such as here the rules aren't well developed and their isn't some large structuring of subdivisions and regulations outside of the town level
I'd go with that inference personally - I'm not sure it's actually completely clear that this town even is part of Equestria, at least yet or in a formal sense.
>why would she be the only female there?
Might be "dwarf logic", where some of those male buffalo are actually female? It's a weak excuse, not least because since he'd actually read the Poetic Edda in which there's Dwarven seductresses I doubt even Tolkien himself intended for Dwarven women to be mistakable for men.
>>12159
>Though I do wonder if the root of any awkwardness is because of the fact that this particular setting became a touchy subject.
I think also it's jarring for such an early season - if we got Saffron Masala this early that would bother the hell out of me too, whereas in context of the later seasons I don't mind that episode as much. But also it's the species divisions, where here it isn't different cultures of ponies, but two different species based on each culture. I THINK I would have minded it less if it had been Native American ponies, but this is still the era of the show where it's more fantastical and so we explore different species interacting. But I think most of all it's that I feel like this episode opened a bit of a Pandora's Box - the Diamond Dogs and the dragon weren't drawing from IRL cultures, they were just who they were, same as ponies. But with this episode we get our first really blunt parallel and it's a trope I dislike going forward, so, maybe that's why it bothers me.