MLP G5 Discussion and Speculation Thread
Pinto Bean 
refried sans lard
I think a lot of the stuff in G5 is going to feel more earned.
Meanwhile, it’s clear that this journey really was something Sunny, Izzy and Zipp needed for themselves.
Yeah, I do appreciate that those three in particular were motivated by their discontent with the status quo and curiosity about the other pony races. Each of them were also defiant and took risks in seeking out what they wanted. You get the sense that a big part of this series will be about following one’s heart.
I guess that must be why I loved the story of how Izzy & Sunny met and became friends. They were brought together by courage and rewarded with each other. Then together, they set out to reunite a world that had been torn apart.
DerpyFast 
Something I really like about Argyle is that he casually roasts Phyllis, but doesn’t overstep his bounds by trying to push his research on someone else’s kids.
Cosmas-the-Explorer 
Explorer in Training
@DerpyFast
If only his daughter learned that lesson about overstepping her bounds.
If only his daughter learned that lesson about overstepping her bounds.
The two have similar goals but her father is calm and controlled whereas her daughter firey and passionate.
Sunny is clearly the one meant to change the world but she often a bit crude how she executes it.
Roseluck 
@Cosmas-the-Explorer
There’s another lesson Sunny never bothered to learn: the magic of evidence.
There’s another lesson Sunny never bothered to learn: the magic of evidence.
Presumably, her stance on pony unity comes from her father’s research. She knows that all three races lived in harmony in the past because her house’s full of proof gathered by Argyle.
She’s sitting on a pile of evidence, and yet, how does she try to convince the other earth ponies? Stating her opinion and appealing to emotion: “just imagine if you had a friend who could fly!” Take her word for it, actually proving your theory is right is for chumps!
How does she react to Hitch telling her to “prove it, then” that there’s nothing to worry about from the other races? Yeah. “I wish you were here, Dad.” Not, “you know, Hitch is right, maybe I should prove that I’m right instead of demanding ponies believe me just because I say I’m right and getting upset and depressed when they don’t.”
The movie’s got a good timing with Izzy, that’s for sure. Sunny feels coincidentally right rather than actually right to me. Way to go, role model #1.
I love literally everything else about the movie, but Sunny comes off as the First Among Equals when it comes to the protagonists. Will be hard for me to like G5 if its real title should have been The Sunny Starscout (Is Always Right) Show.
Cosmas-the-Explorer
Explorer in Training
@Roseluck
I was hoping this movie would show how Sunny would benefit from her other friends like maybe Hitch’s reason would rub off on her.
I was hoping this movie would show how Sunny would benefit from her other friends like maybe Hitch’s reason would rub off on her.
Sunny is the spark but she needs some wood to have a foundation.
This movie seems to suffer from themes over characterization and character interactions at times.
Maybe there could also have been a theme about passion vs reason. And how one needs both.
TOMNICE 
Hungarian G1 pony fan
@Background Pony #EB72
How is Flash Sentry a gary stu? He does nothing and we know nothing about him.
How is Flash Sentry a gary stu? He does nothing and we know nothing about him.
Roseluck
@Cosmas-the-Explorer
I feel we’ll get what you wanted in the show itself, with the movie merely setting the stage for the actual premise. The journey seems to start with ‘let’s be friends again’ rather than that being the destination.
I feel we’ll get what you wanted in the show itself, with the movie merely setting the stage for the actual premise. The journey seems to start with ‘let’s be friends again’ rather than that being the destination.
Considering the distrust and fear turns out to be entirely misplaced, that’s fitting. This isn’t the four three countries of Avatar: The Last Airbender trying to rebuild themselves and get along after a whole century of ruthless warfare, or even the post-Windigoes era. It’s “oh, wait, you never were hostile? We’ve been worrying about nothing all this time?”
I love that, by the way. Yeah, sure wouldn’t fly in the real world… but sometimes I want something cute and hopeful like that. Suits the intended audience too, without talking down to them because ‘children are dumb,’ I feel.
@TOMNICE
From what I’ve seen, “mary sue/gary stu” is an extremely bastardized term.
From what I’ve seen, “mary sue/gary stu” is an extremely bastardized term.
Using TVTropes names for short… but I’ve seen it used when the poster actually meant something closer to a Karma Houdini, or a Creator’s Pet, or someone benefiting from Protagonist-Centered Morality… or characters they feel like don’t belong, shouldn’t be there at all, have the rules of the universe simply not apply to them, read like a self-insert, etc…
Anyone who feels like the creative team’s precious little darling, basically. From each individual’s own personal lens.
Can also be a character brought in the show out of the blue to be a protagonist’s love interest ‘because this is a high school movie.’ And then it turns out he plays the electric guitar, which is code for ‘cool.’ And hangs around the main characters. And gets shipping tease with the spinoff’s own protagonist.
If he wasn’t canon, Flash Sentry could easily be mistaken for a bad OC or a teenager’s self-insert in a fanfic. At least if you count only the first movie. Maybe that’s what they meant when they called him a gary stu? Like I said, the term’s used very broadly from what I’ve seen.
…Probably not related to G5 though, so let’s go back to Hitch.
Yeah, I don’t think he counts as any of the examples I’ve listed. He’s just… normally competent instead of being a joke. Refreshing, after G4’s early days. Or even after Kim Possible; this show that felt like “an apology letter to female characters” accomplished that by making the male protagonists bumbling buffoons who can’t even open a pickle jar without help.
Everyone in the movie feels normal, really. Competence-wise. Except maybe Sprout… He kinda feels like someone who’s not found himself/his purpose yet, his villainy put aside. Could become Tempest 2.0, could actually turn out to be a pretty cool guy.
SunBurn 
@Cosmas-the-Explorer
Everyone in the movie feels normal, really. Competence-wise. Except maybe Sprout… He kinda feels like someone who’s not found himself/his purpose yet, his villainy put aside. Could become Tempest 2.0, could actually turn out to be a pretty cool guy.
I am not so optimistic for his character. The name “Sprout” tells me he is destined to never grow up.
DerpyFast
There’s another lesson Sunny never bothered to learn: the magic of evidence.
Presumably, her stance on pony unity comes from her father’s research. She knows that all three races lived in harmony in the past because her house’s full of proof gathered by Argyle.
She’s sitting on a pile of evidence, and yet, how does she try to convince the other earth ponies? Stating her opinion and appealing to emotion: “just imagine if you had a friend who could fly!” Take her word for it, actually proving your theory is right is for chumps!
How does she react to Hitch telling her to “prove it, then” that there’s nothing to worry about from the other races? Yeah. “I wish you were here, Dad.” Not, “you know, Hitch is right, maybe I should prove that I’m right instead of demanding ponies believe me just because I say I’m right and getting upset and depressed when they don’t.”
While we’re at it, wanting to be friends with unicorns and pegasi because of magic and flight is pretty shallow and superficial. But I think this is all part of the point. Being right is one thing. Being able to make a persuasive argument is something else altogether. When Sunny sees the posters in the station, she says “This is proof!”. To me, that implies that Argyle’s research is kind of scattered and disconnected. That none of it is quite as definitive as the posters in the station, and that it would be hard to translate it into a persuasive argument.
The message of the movie is “Leave your echo chamber and form your own opinions”, and this is something Sunny herself has to do. She learns that she’s completely wrong about these groups she’s been romanticizing. She befriends a unicorn that can’t use magic, and pegasi that can’t fly. Her growth is also represented by finding her own evidence rather than falling back on her father’s. That’s Sunny’s arc.
Speaking of appealing to emotion, there’s an interesting contrast between Sprout and Sunny. Sprout’s song is one giant emotional appeal, but it works because the citizens of Maretime Bay are already inclined to agree with the message.
Ring Team 
@DerpyFast
Basically that.
Basically that.
One of the reasons why Sunny is so great is because of what she learned at the end of the film. I’d like to see more of this G5 world in the future.
Still, not a fan of her being an alicorn.
DerpyFast
@Ring Team
I’m thinking the alicorn thing is temporary. At the very least, it’s more thematically appropriate than Twilight becoming one.
I’m thinking the alicorn thing is temporary. At the very least, it’s more thematically appropriate than Twilight becoming one.
Ring Team
@DerpyFast
I kinda see why she got the alicorn thing. She’s supposed to be the key of all the ponies getting along after all this time. But I think there are better ways to visually show what Sunny represents.
I kinda see why she got the alicorn thing. She’s supposed to be the key of all the ponies getting along after all this time. But I think there are better ways to visually show what Sunny represents.
TOMNICE
Hungarian G1 pony fan
I just found a deleted ending scene.
It is way better than the one we got.
It is way better than the one we got.
Cosmas-the-Explorer
Explorer in Training
@TOMNICE
I love how Phyllis was much more firm to him instead of being a cowardly parent. This ending makes me respect her a little more.
I love how Phyllis was much more firm to him instead of being a cowardly parent. This ending makes me respect her a little more.
DoctorWTF
@DerpyFast
Well, back in G4 it was stated that the alicorn upgrade is usually a cosmic reward for performing some “princess-worthy task”. By all logic, there’s no reason reuniting the tribes and restoring magic shouldn’t qualify.
Well, back in G4 it was stated that the alicorn upgrade is usually a cosmic reward for performing some “princess-worthy task”. By all logic, there’s no reason reuniting the tribes and restoring magic shouldn’t qualify.
On the other hand, there is a strong case to be made that permanently transforming Sunny before the series proper even starts isn’t the best idea.
On the other other hand, not doing much of anything with this would also be a pretty big disappointment.
TOMNICE
Hungarian G1 pony fan
@Cosmas-the-Explorer
I love it when Pipp and Zipp snuggle with their mom. It is cute as hell.
I love it when Pipp and Zipp snuggle with their mom. It is cute as hell.
Harmony Gladebloom 
Hooves to Hearts! /<3)
@TOMNICE
That would’ve been so much better than the ending we got! I would’ve hoped for either that to make the final cut or for Sprout to have a scene afterwards where he’s forced to do community service for his crimes. In either case, I also would’ve liked to see an extra scene at the end where the lighthouse gets rebuilt, though that still has the possibility of being an episode in the series.
That would’ve been so much better than the ending we got! I would’ve hoped for either that to make the final cut or for Sprout to have a scene afterwards where he’s forced to do community service for his crimes. In either case, I also would’ve liked to see an extra scene at the end where the lighthouse gets rebuilt, though that still has the possibility of being an episode in the series.
Cosmas-the-Explorer
Explorer in Training
@Cosmas-the-Explorer
Although Phyllis was just as much at fault for her son’s behavior so she should have actually apologized too.
Although Phyllis was just as much at fault for her son’s behavior so she should have actually apologized too.
@TOMNICE
A beautiful bonding moment. I bet even Haven felt some joy in flying especially with her own daughters.
A beautiful bonding moment. I bet even Haven felt some joy in flying especially with her own daughters.
Background Pony #6E1D
@Cosmas-the-Explorer
She likely still made Sprout apologize, off-screen. Reason why she didn’t do it likely had to do with the fact that she probably knew she was at fault and considering that the townponies would call her out, she likely wouldn’t risk it.
She likely still made Sprout apologize, off-screen. Reason why she didn’t do it likely had to do with the fact that she probably knew she was at fault and considering that the townponies would call her out, she likely wouldn’t risk it.
P.S.: She could also apologize too, mainly if to save herself from the backlash.
And Sprout could theoretically still be a deputy, if only cause he at least apologized.
And Sprout could theoretically still be a deputy, if only cause he at least apologized.
DoctorWTF
@Background Pony #6E1D
Well, G4 villains have gotten away with quite a bit with nothing more than a sincere apology.
Well, G4 villains have gotten away with quite a bit with nothing more than a sincere apology.
Mr.Myoozik 
Music Connoisseur
@TOMNICE
I still believe that Phyllis was also at fault for the conflict so if anything, she also could’ve been punished in any way.
I still believe that Phyllis was also at fault for the conflict so if anything, she also could’ve been punished in any way.
Interested in advertising on Derpibooru? Click here for information!
Help fund the $15 daily operational cost of Derpibooru - support us financially!