Post by ShadesofGrey18 on Dec 28, 2011 20:53:47 GMT -5
"Y'know, I was browsing through TVtropes and I was looking the MLP:FiM page. I had watched "Mysterious Mare-do-Well" not long ago and looked the episode summary up as well as tropes related. Well, one of the top ones I saw was "Base Breaker." The reason I put this in Ranting Corner was because, when I went to the discussion thing on EquestriaDaily for this episode, I saw this post. A lot of them were rather immature, but this one made me think a bit.
Giniko said...
I have finally decided what I don't like about the new direction of season 2.
There is no continuity.
In season 1, we were introduced to Faust's vision of Equestria; essentially a knights and castles society with magic as technology, pretty much a D&D world with ponies (despite a few exceptions).
Our characters were well defined: Twilight as our protagonist, Pinky as being comic relief that is also fearless, and so forth.
Equestria seemed a solid place, with rules, a place where sapient ponies could learn about friendship and deal with each other.
The world was interesting, the technology relevant to a medieval land (mostly. As Faust herself noted, there were some unfortunate exceptions.), and the stories actually taught something about friendship.
In this season we find Equestria very different. Now it has become Wacky Land out of Tiny Toon Adventures, with whatever prop is needed - be it a hydroelectric dam for a superman reference, or a stupidly dangerous cliff for a street - suddenly appearing so that we can have cartoon comedy.
I keep expecting Buster Bunny to pop up at any moment. The world no longer has a soul, it has become a stage for gags.
What is next, parodies of Star Trek, or perhaps more Marvel Comics?
Worse, they just recycled a plot. We've already seen Trixie be a boastful entity, now we get the same lesson shoved down our throats only using Rainbow Dash.
For me, this was the worst episode thus far - because it destroys the world. Equestria no longer has a unique identity; now it is just... the modern world, or whatever they need it to be, so long as it serves a cartoon gag.
The show has turned from a heartfelt story of ponies into a series of gags. It used to be more than merely a cartoon, now a it has become a cartoon of itself.
Think about it: even the world of the bloody Thundercats - or the world of the awful Smurfs - is more self consistent that Equestria is after this redundant episode about Trixie - um, Dash - being boastful.
I want Lauren Faust back, and I want her to fix Equestria. I want her vision, not this new gag-a-thon of internet jokes and parodies of movies. I've already seen Freakazoid, I don't need another season of that show.
I need another season of the show I fell in love with, My Little Pony, Friendship Is Magic."
Now, when I read that, I got to thinking a bit. I don't really care for that episode, either, it's probably among my least favorite episodes... I believe that this person's post raises several very good points. I'd also like to add my own thoughts onto this.
First off: Characterization. Not just like the previous quote said, addressing the breaking of typical character roles, that's actually (when done well) quite refreshing. No, I mean like a Flanderization type characterization. Rarity had it in Lesson Zero a bit with her overreacting... and Rainbow got hit with it hard in this episode, imo. It just seemed a little jarring to me... really over-the-top with her boastfulness... It also seemed really out-of-character for Fluttershy to be in on the whole thing... especially the scene where the five were praising "Mare-do-Well", it seemed really mean for someone like her to do...
Second: ...The moral. For a show like this, you have to be careful, especially with a tricky moral like this one... Feeling Pinkie Keen is another episode with this same issue... the moral becomes quite toxic if you look at it from a slightly different viewpoint... One scene in particular, where the rest of the "mane" cast are basically praising "Mare-Do-Well" really makes their actions seem a lot less justified... considering the "secret" and it really does nothing to help the situation.
I'll add this, too: They were going for a superhero theme... they got it; even in the moral. Another person commented that the one thing they didn't like was Mare-Do-Well's purpose; in his words... "She's there to shame Rainbow Dash into learning a lesson by systematically ruining everything she holds dear, crushing her self-confidence, and then rubbing it back in her face before letting her know it was for "her own good."" Turns out, Silver Age Superman was something of a sociopath; he did much the same thing to the people he saved...
Granted, yes, it is a little kids' show, yes, the writer was brand new and had never written an episode before, and I use the MST3K Mantra quite frequently... but some fundamental issues like those still just bug me.
"Rant" over. Feel free to pay no mind to this; I just wanted to say all this before I forgot it... even if it is a little out-of-date.
Giniko said...
I have finally decided what I don't like about the new direction of season 2.
There is no continuity.
In season 1, we were introduced to Faust's vision of Equestria; essentially a knights and castles society with magic as technology, pretty much a D&D world with ponies (despite a few exceptions).
Our characters were well defined: Twilight as our protagonist, Pinky as being comic relief that is also fearless, and so forth.
Equestria seemed a solid place, with rules, a place where sapient ponies could learn about friendship and deal with each other.
The world was interesting, the technology relevant to a medieval land (mostly. As Faust herself noted, there were some unfortunate exceptions.), and the stories actually taught something about friendship.
In this season we find Equestria very different. Now it has become Wacky Land out of Tiny Toon Adventures, with whatever prop is needed - be it a hydroelectric dam for a superman reference, or a stupidly dangerous cliff for a street - suddenly appearing so that we can have cartoon comedy.
I keep expecting Buster Bunny to pop up at any moment. The world no longer has a soul, it has become a stage for gags.
What is next, parodies of Star Trek, or perhaps more Marvel Comics?
Worse, they just recycled a plot. We've already seen Trixie be a boastful entity, now we get the same lesson shoved down our throats only using Rainbow Dash.
For me, this was the worst episode thus far - because it destroys the world. Equestria no longer has a unique identity; now it is just... the modern world, or whatever they need it to be, so long as it serves a cartoon gag.
The show has turned from a heartfelt story of ponies into a series of gags. It used to be more than merely a cartoon, now a it has become a cartoon of itself.
Think about it: even the world of the bloody Thundercats - or the world of the awful Smurfs - is more self consistent that Equestria is after this redundant episode about Trixie - um, Dash - being boastful.
I want Lauren Faust back, and I want her to fix Equestria. I want her vision, not this new gag-a-thon of internet jokes and parodies of movies. I've already seen Freakazoid, I don't need another season of that show.
I need another season of the show I fell in love with, My Little Pony, Friendship Is Magic."
Now, when I read that, I got to thinking a bit. I don't really care for that episode, either, it's probably among my least favorite episodes... I believe that this person's post raises several very good points. I'd also like to add my own thoughts onto this.
First off: Characterization. Not just like the previous quote said, addressing the breaking of typical character roles, that's actually (when done well) quite refreshing. No, I mean like a Flanderization type characterization. Rarity had it in Lesson Zero a bit with her overreacting... and Rainbow got hit with it hard in this episode, imo. It just seemed a little jarring to me... really over-the-top with her boastfulness... It also seemed really out-of-character for Fluttershy to be in on the whole thing... especially the scene where the five were praising "Mare-do-Well", it seemed really mean for someone like her to do...
Second: ...The moral. For a show like this, you have to be careful, especially with a tricky moral like this one... Feeling Pinkie Keen is another episode with this same issue... the moral becomes quite toxic if you look at it from a slightly different viewpoint... One scene in particular, where the rest of the "mane" cast are basically praising "Mare-Do-Well" really makes their actions seem a lot less justified... considering the "secret" and it really does nothing to help the situation.
I'll add this, too: They were going for a superhero theme... they got it; even in the moral. Another person commented that the one thing they didn't like was Mare-Do-Well's purpose; in his words... "She's there to shame Rainbow Dash into learning a lesson by systematically ruining everything she holds dear, crushing her self-confidence, and then rubbing it back in her face before letting her know it was for "her own good."" Turns out, Silver Age Superman was something of a sociopath; he did much the same thing to the people he saved...
Granted, yes, it is a little kids' show, yes, the writer was brand new and had never written an episode before, and I use the MST3K Mantra quite frequently... but some fundamental issues like those still just bug me.
"Rant" over. Feel free to pay no mind to this; I just wanted to say all this before I forgot it... even if it is a little out-of-date.
