The previous dragon centered episodes were very variable. The best being "Gauntlet of Fire", a strong contender for being the best Spike-centric episode and one of the few winners of Season 6. And the worst being Season 2's "Dragon Quest", one of my least favourite episodes of 'My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic' ever. Spike came on a long way in development in the latter seasons, his character writing being one of Season 6's few improvements over the previous five seasons. Was never however a fan of Garble, but was interested in seeing a different side to him.
Season 9's "Sweet and Smoky" was a bit of a mixed bag in this regard and struck me as a difficult episode to rate and review. Not just of Season 9, an uneven season, but also of the whole of 'My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'. It is a good deal better than "Dragon Quest" but is a long way from being on the same level as "Gauntlet of Fire". Is "Sweet and Smoky" a terrible episode? No. Is it particularly good? Not really and actually it could have done a lot more with its premise.
Will start with the good things about it. The animation is colourful and polished and the dragon designs have improved immensely since "Dragon Quest". The music has character of a wide range, always dynamic with the action. The voice acting is excellent, although Garble is really not a favourite character of mine in general it is through no fault of Vincent Tong who is great. Cathy Weseluk and Andrea Libman are strong as usual. The lesson is good and delivered with honesty and the episode has a very promising opening where the character progression already shows.
Fluttershy is a big highlight here, she shows an assertiveness that has happened quite a few times before in episodes where she plays a major role and in a way that isn't out of character or out of the blue. Her standing up for Spike made me really admire her, and her expressions when cross really do bruise. Spike also isn't out of character and shows good intentions, he was relatable here and he has come on a long way since his first Spike-centric episode "Owl's Well that Ends Well" in Season 1 (not a good episode and sees him in a bad light). He has flaws but not in a way that's exaggerated unlike the Spike-centric episodes in the early seasons. Smolder continues to grow and is well fleshed out, she is much more considerate and not as proud.
A big problem with "Sweet and Smoky" is that Garble has a prominent role, but to me a lot more could have been done with him. Really did appreciate seeing a softer and more conflicted side, but after seeing him over the top brutish and annoying in his previous appearances it was like too little too late. Also had a sense that he wasn't genuinely willing to change and not always decisive, something of a more to lose attitude. Too much of the humour is at Spike's expense and sadly it's not particularly funny, actually found it too mean at its worst and undeserved (another common issue with early seasons Spike-centric episodes).
Despite the story having promise, conceptually it is a bit of a retread with familiar ground and not much innovative or insightful is done with it. The climax is very predictable and on top of it it is too schmaltzy and over-convenient. None of the rest of the characters stand out. Some of the writing is too forced.
Concluding, a bit mixed here. 5/10.
