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My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic Season 3 Episode 11

Just for Sidekicks

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8.8

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Episode Summary

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AIRED: 1/26/13

Spike volunteers to take care of the ponies' pets while they take a trip to the Crystal Empire, in exchange for some gems that he needs for a cake he's making for himself. But Spike soon discovers that taking care of six different animals is a lot harder than it looks.

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By Noel Kirkpatrick, Jan 27, 2013

Fan Episode Reviews (5)

awesomeeeeeeeeeeeeee

10

By robacraftmine, Feb 08, 2013

I'd rate it 10000000 zillion lulz
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8.0

By AriSky, Jan 29, 2013

Spike does not have it. But he's learning. This was a fun episode if only that we got to see the group of pets again, which we haven't seen all of since Dash got hers. I'm not sure how I feel about everything being alright because the pets "told" Spike he was mistreating them. It's not a realistic message, because unless you're attuned to your animal (which you wouldn't be if you were mistreating them anyhow), you're not going to know something is wrong. It was a good idea for an episode, but I think it could have been better executed.moreless
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Spike Ace Ventura

10

By Watershiprabbit, Jan 27, 2013

This time are Spike a pet daycare. Poor Spike is left outside again by his friends. But let us hope he saves the Crystal Empire again. Peeweee is released again just like in one of my fics. And it goes overboard with a runaway to the Crystal Empire. The CMC are with Spike and the pets. A fanart back in summer might had foreseen this. Recommended for old school Spike fans. But beware of the Season 3 climax spoilers that is mentioned under the episode. 10/10moreless
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A huge improvement over the last Spike episode

9.0

By That_TV_Dude, Jan 27, 2013

The last Spike episode that aired was a rather mediocre one that left mixed feelings in me. But now we have ourselves another Spike centered episode. Is it any better then the last one, or is it another disaster? Our episode begins with Spike making a jewel cake, but inadvertently eats all the jewels. Spike mopes a little about it, but Fluttershy then comes in and asks Spike to watch over Angel while her and the rest of the gang go to the Crystal Empire to welcome the inspector for the Equestrian Games. In exchange for it, she gives Spike a big jewel and he agrees to it. Hoping to get more for his recipe, Spike convinces the others to let him watch over their pets in exchange for some more jewels. As the others leave, Spike thinks watching the pets and cooking will be no problem, but it all goes downhill immediately. While rounding up the pets, Spike and the others notice Angel running off and gives chase. Spike and the other pets soon find Angel at the Cutie Mark Crusaders' clubhouse and offers them a chance to watch the pets and get their cutie marks. They agree to do so, but want one of Spike's jewels to help cover some things to watch the pets. He reluctantly agrees to do so and goes to get stuff for his cake. As he heads home, he hears the CMC again and goes to see what's going on. He discovers that things didn't go so well since the pets were part of the CMC's attempts to get their cutie marks and decides to take them back. Things get only worse though as the pets, especially Angel, cause more trouble and makes Spike aggravated. Eventually, Angel hops aboard a train towards the Crystal Empire and Spike tries to stop him. He gets the CMC to come along in hopes of stopping the whole thing and everything seems to go as planned at first, but Angel soon finds a way to escape and find Fluttershy. He soon comes across her at the Crystal Empire train station, but Spike stops him again. The group heads back into a train, but they're trapped when Twilight and her friends enter the same cabin they're in and have to hide. Angel, in an act of hatred, tries to stir things up, but Spike finally gives in and decides to let Angel do what he wants. Spike realizes he was putting his own needs before the pets and that he tells them all they're sorry. Angel in turn decides to give Spike a break and goes to get the last jewel Spike used to distract the others. The group gets off the train before Twilight and the others realize what happened and they all thank Spike for a job well done. Our episode ends with Spike using the last jewel to make his cake, but accidentally eats it and yells in despair. This episode was a HUGE improvement over Spike at Your Service. While Spike's intentions seemed greedy and selfish, he did eventually learn about what was really important, the pets. There were a couple of good jokes involving Pinkie listening to Gummy. I especially liked how the Cutie Mark Crusaders made a return in this episode to help Spike out and tried to get their marks with the pets. It was pretty hilarious to see what happened to them. I also enjoyed the numerous short songs Spike was singing in this episode. Granted they didn't last long, but at least he DID sing again, which I have no problem with. I have two complaints with this episode though. One, Princess Cadence didn't invite Spike to help with setting up the games. Why did she do that? Spike was the one who saved it and he deserved to at least go back there and help out some more. At least Twilight and the others were compassionate and felt sorry that Spike didn't come. I can only hope that since this episode takes place during the next episode, Games Ponies Play, that there's some sort of explanation. My biggest complaint though has to go to Spike's pet phoenix, Peewee, being written out of the show. If you look in the intro, you can see Spike was forced to give him up. I suppose you could argue that since the pics showed Peewee being a nuisance that Twilight and Spike had to give him up. But what I didn't like is how they used only pictures to showed what happened. That could've been a great episode, albeit a little sad, but still a nice episode to see Spike parting with Peewee. It's annoying and seems like a cheap cop out to remove a character like that. I really wish he wasn't removed like that and that he returns one day to be Spike's pet again. Although the writers didn't forget about Peewee, I still wish they could've done something more then what they pulled in this episode. Aside from that, this episode was excellent and I did find it to be a lot better then Spike at Your Service. Overall, some good jokes, pretty nice Spike musical bits, and a good moral all around. It's not my favorite Spike episode, but it's still a great episode all around.

FINAL SCORE: 9/10moreless
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Enjoyable? YES!!! Funny? NO!!! Amazing? NOT EVEN CLOSE!!!

7.0

By tigerdude22, Jan 27, 2013

Although, Spike isn't my favorite character of the series... his episodes this season have been weak. How this episode hold up? Well... It's a bit better than "Spike At Your Service" but not by much though. This is a good episode but it was NOT a very funny episode in my opinion. I barely laughed in this episode and chuckled probably once at a part. I think I only laughed at Pinkie Pie's appearance near the beginning of the episode, Applebloom tickling Spike to get out of the way, Granny Smith catching Spike not being good with the pets and Spike giving her gem pretending that nothing happened, and that's it. The "Who" jokes in the beginning were repetitive though. When Owlicious made his first appearance in that Season 1 episode, the jokes were funny but here it was just repetitive and didn't get a single laugh or chuckle out of me. I got very annoyed with Spike eating his gems and not even knowing he ate it. What the hell? it was very stupid and not even funny at all and had me wondering why his tongue kept sticking and Spike's "WHY???" had my eyes rolling. Angel Bunny got on my nerves as well. The adventure of Spike and the Cutie Mark Crusaders chasing after Angel Bunny was a fun adventure to look at and I'm glad that the Cutie Mark Crusaders (Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo) were involved in the adventure. The adventure was fun, I'll give it that so it is an enjoyable episode but it just wasn't the most amazing episode ever. And then after all that, they show gave me, probably, the weakest ending I've seen in an episode. After all that, Spike eats his gem like a dumb idiot once again and says "WHY???". I don't know what the writers were thinking but I'm sure they can do a better ending plus a better episode overall than that. So in the end, it is a decently enjoyable episode but it's nothing special. It's an episode that barely had funny moments, pretty weak writing, a couple of repetitive jokes, and a very weak ending so I think Spike fans will find this episode pleasant but I, for one, don't think this is the most spectacular episode ever but since it was enjoyable and I'm a huge fan of the show... I'll give this episode a 7 out of 10 because it definitely wasn't anything special and it was very predictable and cliche too but it, for what it was, it's enjoyable. 7/10moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Tara Strong	Twilight Sparkle
Ashleigh Ball	Applejack, Rainbow Dash
Andrea Libman	Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy
Tabitha St. Germain	Rarity
Cathy Weseluck	Spike

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Michelle Creber	Apple Bloom	Recurring Role
Madeline Ingram-Peters	Scootaloo	Recurring Role
Claire Corlett	Sweetie Belle	Recurring Role

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (4)
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- Doughnut Joe, from the episodes "The Best Night Ever" and "MMMystery on the Friendship Express," makes a returning appearance in this episode.
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- Running Joke: Spike being forced to give one of his gems to someone else.
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- At the beginning of this episode, we are shown, through photos, what happened to Peewee, the baby phoenix that Spike adopted at the end of "Dragon Quest."
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- Screw Loose, the crazy, barking pony from "Read It and Weep," makes a cameo appearance in this episode.
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QUOTES (9)
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- Spike: What I say, goes!
  Owlowiscious: Hoo!
  Spike: Spike, the boss of you, that's who!
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- Rarity: (While wrapping Opal in a blanket) Oh, I know. It's a chilly 81.2 in here. Spike, take care of this, would you please?
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- Pinkie Pie: (To Gummy) No, no, no, no,I love you more. (Puts to her ear to Gummy and gets a bit mad) No! I love you more! (Puts her ear to Gummy again and shouts) I LOVE YOU MORE!
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- Zecora: Zecora can take the bad away. If you do just what I say.
  Spike: Really?
  Zecora: But before I can do my duty. I am going to need some of your booty. (Spike groans and hands Zecora one of his gems and she walks off with it)
  Spike: Where are you going?
  Zecora: You think jewels are what you need. But there is no worse mojo than dragon greed. (Puts the gem in a charity box)
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- Scootaloo: (While looking at the Crystal Empire) It's so beautiful.
  Spike: Well enjoy it while you can, because we're not getting out of this car until we're back in Ponyville.
  Apple Bloom: There is no way, no how, we're coming all the way to the Crystal Empire without looking around.
  Spike: (Blocks their way) Nopony is going to get past this dragon.
  Apple Bloom: (Plucks one of Scootaloo's feathers) Don't make me use this.
  Spike: You wouldn't dare. (Apple Bloom tickles him)
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- Applejack: Whooee, my dogs are barkin'. (Winona barks under the seat Applejack is sitting on) Did y'all hear that? (Looks at one of her hooves) They really are.
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- Sweetie Belle: (While at the Crystal Empire) I'm in Crystal Heaven!
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- Spike: Thought we'd meet you at the station.
  Sweetie Belle : So we can hear all about the Crystal Empire and find out if you brought us one of the crystal snow globes that they sell at the train station.
  Rarity: How did you know about the snow globes?
  Sweetie Belle : Um, lucky guess?
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- Zecora: Zecora knows just what to do. About all this bad mojo that is floating around you.
  Spike: (About the pets) I'm thinking a cage and a great big lock might be next.
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NOTES (3)
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- Friendship Report: Spike learned that when you are taking care of someone, be it either a person or a pet, you should think about their needs and not your own.
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- According to the production order, this episode is listed as Season 3, Episode 8.
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- This episode revolves around Spike.
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ALLUSIONS (1)
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- Just for Kicks: The episode's title is a pun off of this phrase, meaning to do something for fun.
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