History Recap / MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS9E4SparklesSeven

* ForegoneConclusion: The alarm geese are already going off even before Fluttershy got started in calming them down which meant that Shining Armor and Princess Celestia were pretty much aware that Twilight was going to be in the throne room for sure.

->''No lookout, no distraction, and no word from the ponies inside! I'm starting to think this whole operation might be a giant flop!"''

-->--'''Twilight Sparkle'''

-> Story by Creator/TaraStrong, Creator/AshleighBall, Creator/AndreaLibman, Creator/TabithaStGermain, Creator/CathyWeseluck\\

* AnAesop: Take heed of ''all'' your family members. You might be missing something important without even knowing it.

[[caption-width-right:350:''"No lookout, no distraction, and no word from the ponies inside! I'm starting to think this whole operation might be a giant flop!"'']]

** The outfit Rainbow Dash wears to distract Zephyr is similar to Megara's outfit (and hairdo) from ''Disney/{{Hercules}}''.

* BatmanGambit: Shining Armor sending Twilight the note saying that he knows her whole plan was meant to try and keep her from using it.

* CrazyEnoughToWork: Since Shining Armor can predict any kind of ''competent'' plan Twilight would dream up, Rarity gets the group to come up with one too outlandish and insane for anyone to expect. It [[RealityEnsuez fails spectacularly]].

* CrazyEnoughToWork: Since Shining Armor can predict any kind of ''competent'' plan Twilight would dream up, Rarity gets the group to come up with one too outlandish and insane for anyone to expect. It fails spectacularly.

* FatalFlaw: Even with all the thought Shining Armor had put into the castle defense systems, Spike manages to find and exploit the one flaw that Shining Armor hasn't considered. The fact that none of the defenses will work against a threat that is ''already inside the castle''.

* TheGuardsMustBeCrazy: Despite Shining Armor's efforts to ramp up the security of the castle, the royal guards still aren't starling examples of vigilance. Even discounting Zephyr Breeze (whom Luna assigned with the expectation he'd fail anyway), the other guards are easily falling for distractions -- twice, by "Apple Chord"'s singing and then by Pinkie Pie's party. Also, one guard getting his medal stolen -- which is the key to the doors of the castle -- isn't noticed nor immediately reported. And another guard is easily fooled by Rarity's PaperThinDisguise when she pretends being here to relieve him.

* MythologyGag: Rarity dressing Rainbow up in a fancy outfit harkens back to her [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyG3 G3 counterpart]], who "always dresses in style".

* AbsenteeActor: Princess Cadance does not appear at all in this episode. This marks the first time that Shining Armor has appeared in an episode without her.

** Between Twilight and Shining Armor, and Spike as well as an adopted member of Twilight's family.

* TimeForPlanB: Twilight receives a scroll saying Shining Armor already knows what to expect from the Mane Six and gives up, Rarity gives her a pep talk and prepares an alternate plan. Ironically they're forced back to Plan A when the initial plan doesn't work.

* WinsByDoingAbsolutelyNothing: Subverted. Rarity's original plan for the heist was to have Twilight simply do nothing at all, knowing that Shining Armor would suspect Twilight of organizing the plan to break through his security. However, it doesn't work, and Twilight has to get more directly involved as things go south.

* IKnowYouKnowIKnow: Shining Armor sends Twilight a letter warning her that he knows her so well, he's predicted ''exactly'' what type of plan she'll come up with, and in the letter he lays out an explanation identical to what Twilight just finished thinking of. This freaks her out so much she lets her friends come up with a completely different plan; when that fails, they go with Twilight's plan anyway. And then Twilight's plan works because Shining Armor had presumed that after he warned her he knew what she would be planning, she wouldn't dare try any of it, and even then he knew that after their original plan failed Twilight would likely take over and get to the throne room without a fuss, where he'd be waiting.

* IKnowYouKnowIKnow: Shining Armor sends Twilight a letter warning her that he knows her so well, he's predicted ''exactly'' what type of plan she'll come up with, and in the letter he lays out an explanation identical to what Twilight just finished thinking of. This freaks her out so much she lets her friends come up with a completely different plan; when that fails, they go with Twilight's plan anyway. And then Twilight's plan works because Shining Armor had presumed that after he warned her he knew what she would be planning, she wouldn't dare try any of it, and thus he hadn't been ready to deal with them when she did anyway.

-> Story by Creator/TaraStrong, Creator/AshleighBall, Creator/AndreaLibman, Creator/TabithaStGermain, Creator/CathyWeseluck
-> Written by Nicole Dubuc & Josh Haber

* UnsportsmanLikeGloating: Shining Armor spends a lot of time gloating to Twilight, bragging about his security to her, sending her a letter that predicts her entire plan, and smugly bragging when he catches her in the act. It eventually [[LaserGuidedKarma costs him the competition and the crown]] when Spike and Luna use it to their advantage. Spike tells Luna his whole plan while Shining Armor explains his defenses to Twilight, and since he drags out his supposed "victory" to the last possible second, Luna simply gives Spike the crown while everyone else is distracted.

* JerkassBall: Shining Armor takes ''way too much pleasure'' in rubbing his victories past and present in Twilight's face. He finally drops it once the contest is over and Spike is declared the winner.

** During the scene showing the fans installed over the castle to prevent flying creatures from going in, a small red bird is shown caught in the winds. In the next scene, Shining Armor explain how he had all the underground entrances sealed... and the same bird is seen walking on the ground, wings spread and looking annoyed.

* LaserHallway: Spike imagine himself and Fluttershy doing an AirVentPassageway intrusion to Canterlot's throne room, finding it protected by a laser grid. Fluttershy waltz her way between the beams, throwing the Sibling Supreme crown to Spike, who use its reflective surface to reflect the lasers one by one and disable all the emitters.

* ForegoneConclusion: The alarm geese are already going off even before Fluttershy get started in calming them down which meant that Shining Armor and Princess Celestia were pretty much aware that Twilight was going to be in the throne room for sure.

* FacialDialogue: Rarity makes a lot of very expressive faces in the scene playing off Rainbow Dash and Zephyr Breeze. First her eyes dart from one to the other and then widens as the idea clinks; then she wiggles her eyebrows at a protesting Rainbow, perfectly conveying her intent. And afterward, when Rainbow is not very convincing with her flirt attempt, Rarity makes frantic gestures followed by a kissy face to egg her on.

* FatalFlaw: Even with all the thought Shining Armor had put into the castle defense systems, Spike managed to find and exploit the one flaw that Shining Armor hadn't considered. The fact that none of the defenses would work against a threat that was ''already inside the castle''.

* ForegoneConclusion: The alarm geese are already going off even before Fluttershy got started in calming them down which meant that Shining Armor and Princess Celestia were pretty much aware that Twilight was going to be in the throne room for sure.

* FunnyBackgroundEvent: During the scene showing the fans installed over the castle to prevent flying creatures from going in, a poor red bird is shown caught in the winds. In the next scene, Shining Armor explain how he had all the underground entrances sealed... and the same bird is seen walking on the ground, wings spread and looking annoyed.

* TheGuardsMustBeCrazy: Despite Shining Armor's efforts to ramp up the security of the castle, the royal guards still aren't starling examples of vigilance. Even discounting Zephyr Breeze (whom Luna assigned with the expectation he'd fail anyway), the other guards are easily falling for distractions -- twice, by "Apple Chord"'s singing and then by Pinkie Pie's party. Also, one guard getting his medal stolen -- which is the key to the doors of the castle -- isn't noticed nor immediately reported. And another guard is easily fooled by Rarity's PaperThinDisguise when she pretends to come for relieving him.
* HeistEpisode: The episiode references ''Ocean's Eleven'' in the title, and focuses on Celestia challenging Twilight to steal a crown in order to test out the castle's new security. Twilight gets her friends together in order to do this. The episode also feature's other ''Eleven'' hallmarks, such as plans-within-plans.

* TheCaper: The episode is all about the Mane Six (and Spike) pulling off a heist, although it's just a way to test Canterlot Castle's new security system.

* TheGuardsMustBeCrazy: Despite Shining Armor's efforts to ramp up the security of the castle, the royal guards still aren't starling examples of vigilance. Even discounting Zephyr Breeze (whom Luna assigned with the expectation he'd fail anyway), the other guards are easily falling for distractions -- twice, by "Apple Chord"'s singing and then by Pinkie Pie's party. Also, one guard getting his medal stolen -- which is the key to the doors of the castle -- isn't noticed nor immediatly reported.

* PaperThinDisguise: When going with Twilight's original plan, Rarity disguises herself in a guard's armor to relieve him of duty and sneak into the throne room. The armor barley fits her and she doesn't even ''look'' like any of the other guards since her mane style can still be seen. Despite this though the guard still believes her and leaves his post when she says his shift is over.

* CringeComedy: Rainbow Dash [[GotVolunteered getting volunteered]] into flirting with Zephyr Breeze, and the latter's unwelcome attempts at wooing her in response, are quite the cringy -- and hilarious -- scene.

* JerkassBall: Shining Armor takes ''way too much pleasure'' in rubbing his victories past and present in Twilight's face.

* ForegoneConclusion: The alarm geese are already going off even before Fluttershy got started in calming them down which meant that Shining Armor and Princess Celestia were pretty much aware that Twilight was going to be in the throne room for sure.