History Recap / MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E7WonderboltsAcademy

* DisproportionateRetribution: Lightning Dust and Rainbow did everything together while Spitfire has nothing but praise for Lightning. As soon as an unfortunate accident happened for which Lightning is only partially to blame she gets publicly humiliated and kicked out without even a warning or a chance to redeem herself instead of simply being demoted to Rainbows wingpony like in the original ending. After all it was her first offence and Rainbow got away with several offences that were at least just as bad.

* TooDumbtoLive: Twilight and her friends entering a restricted military area in a balloon during training.

* ThreeDEffectsTwoDCartoon: The Dizzitron was DHX's first use of CGI (atop the Flash animation) within the show, according to [[http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.php?s=1da55af26641c7371279e914f6f5afd3&showtopic=91229&st=20&p=2215230&#entry2215230 artist Nayuki]], though far from as obvious as its used later in "Spike At Your Service".

* ConspicuousCG: {{Averted|Trope}} as the Dizzitron was DHX's first use of CGI (atop the Flash animation) within the show, according to [[http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.php?s=1da55af26641c7371279e914f6f5afd3&showtopic=91229&st=20&p=2215230&#entry2215230 artist Nayuki]], though far from as obvious as its used later in "Spike At Your Service".

* CharacterDevelopment: Rainbow Dash is shown to be a lot more caring, cautious, and responsible than in earlier episodes. Even after an initial objection, she seems to swallow her pride to accept the wingpony position and perform to the best of her abilities in a team where she's not the leader, and she doesn't hesitate to ditch the Wonderbolts if their work comes at the cost of other ponies. Since Lightning Dust behaves much like Dash did at the beginning of the show (with added [[TheSociopath sociopathy]] and lack of Dash's defining [[UndyingLoyalty loyalty]]), the difference shows pretty well.

* KarmaHoudini: Spitfire never takes responsibility for her role in the tornado incident.

* LaserGuidedKarma: Lightning Dust's attempts at pushing herself, which earn her rank as team leader, eventually cost her that rank when she does it at the cost of those around her. {{Justified|Trope}} in that the academy practices the sort of strict discipline you'd expect from a boot camp.

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Spitfire wastes no time in booting Lightning Dust from the class when Rainbow Dash points out her reckless attitude nearly got her friends killed.

* Toodumbtolive: Twilight and her friends entering a restricted military area in a balloon during training.

* Toodumdtolive: Twilight and her friends entering a restricted military area in a balloon during training.

With that, Rainbow Dash plunks her badge down on the desk and dejectedly returns to her friends, certain her dream of being a Wonderbolt is over... when Spitfire catches up and admits that Rainbow Dash made a valid point about pushing oneself. As such, she forces Lightning Dust into the open and unceremoniously tears off the lead pony badge. Once Lightning Dust has left, crushed and with her tail between her legs, Spitfire gives it to the more deserving, ecstatic Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash proudly flies off with her class to finish their training (all while Pinkie complains that Rainbow Dash never opened her care package).

* DisproportionateRetribution: Lightning Dust and Rainbow did everything together while Spitfire has nothing but praise for Lightning. As soon as an unfortunate accident happened for which Lightning is only partially to blame she gets publicly humiliated and kicked out without even a warning or a chance to redeem herself instead of simply being demoted to Rainbows wingpony like in the original ending.

* {{Retcon}}: Sorta. The Enterplay trading card depicts Spitfire's cutie mark as being identical to her Wonderbolt insignia, while here it's a [[DesignStudentsOrgasm surprisingly complex]] [[http://derpiboo.ru/183403?scope=scpe60f1564b3ccc78b7966c721778b1e31e5ec4e511 flame]] shaped like a phoenix.

** What exactly happened to Lightning Dust is left ambiguous. She lost her Leader insignia but it is unclear if she was kicked out of the academy or just demoted. What happened to the other recruits such as Thunderlane and Bulk Biceps is also unknown.
*** Thunderlane is finally revealed to have joined the Wonderbolts as of season 7, but the rest of the recruits are still a mystery.
* WhatTheHellHero:

* AbsenteeActor: Spike is missing.

* CriticalResearchFailure: Much of the military tropes are proven to be inconsistent by [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMRhPl2b-aU Bronies who acually served the army]].

** What exactly happened to Lightning Dust is left ambiguous. She lost her Leader insignia but it is unclear if she was kicked out of the academy or just demoted. What happened to the other recruits such as Thunderlane and Bulk Biceps is also unknown

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: We never did learn what was in Pinkie's care package... Or whatever new spells Twilight was working on...

* FreeRangeChildren: For a paramilitary organization, the Wonderbolts don't seem to supervise what their cadets are doing during their training exercises...

* AwesomeMomentOfCrowning: What happens to Rainbow Dash after she demonstrates the strength of character to resign her commission when she has a moral objection to the Wonderbolts' skewed priorities. At this, Spitfire not only convinces her to stay on, but promotes her to team leader, and she is saluted as such by her teammates.

!!Tropes present in this episode (YMMV tropes go [[YMMV/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E7WonderboltsAcademy here]]):

* AlwaysSaveTheGirl: Rainbow Dash gives up on her dreams of being a Wonderbolt when she assumes becoming one would lead her to make reckless decisions and endanger her friends again.

** Tornadoes have been used to clear clouds (and snow, and parasprites...) in a hurry before--Rainbow Dash made a small one on her own in [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E10SwarmOfTheCentury "Swarm of the Century"]], but it took an entire team to make a full-sized one in [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E11WinterWrapUp "Winter Wrap Up"]].
*** Not to mention [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E22HurricaneFluttershy "Hurricane Fluttershy"]], where a giant tornado created by every pegasus in Ponyville was a major focus of the episode.

* FacePalm Facehoof: Twilight Sparkle's reaction to Pinkie Pie's InsaneTrollLogic about Rainbow Dash forgetting her friends over the course of three days.

* InkSuitActor: [[https://twitter.com/AndreaLibman/status/280080893308194816 It is suggested]] that the pink Pegasus is a ponified AndreaLibman. [[https://twitter.com/AndreaLibman/status/280104971117133824 She doesn't think it was intentional]].

-->'''Pinkie Pie:''' If I'm not here when Rainbow Dash's letter arrives, I won't be able to read it right away. And if I don't read it right away, I won't be able to write her back right away. And if I don't write her back right away, she might think I didn't get her letter, and then she might worry it got lost, and if she's worried about her letter she'll be distracted, and if she's distracted then she won't do well at the Academy, ''and if she doesn't do well at the Academy then she'll get kicked out, and if she gets kicked out THEY'LL NEVER LET BE A WONDERBOLT, AND IF SHE DOESN'T GET TO BE A WONDERBOLT,'' '''''ALL HER DREAMS WILL BE CRUSHED!''''' And it'll be [[PunctuatedForEmphasis all...my...]]''[[PunctuatedForEmphasis fault]]''!

* ResetButton: {{Subverted|Trope}}. Many viewers expected Rainbow Dash to leave the Academy by the end of this episode, thus maintaining the status quo. For a second, she ''is'' going to leave, but instead the episode ends with Rainbow staying in the Academy. While things may not change drastically, this will still probably have some impact considering this show's tendency towards Continuity.

** [[TheWizardOfOz "IT'S A TWISTER!"]]

* VocalEvolution: Spitfire's voice sounds ''much'' higher; [[https://twitter.com/angelheadhipstr/status/269258509466611715 so much higher it was believed she had changed voice actors.]]