Season 7 Episode Discussion [Speculation, Discussion, Spoilers] (SPOILER YOUR LEAKS)

@Background Pony #68F0, @Philweasel  
I will admit to finding how they were having Rarity be the hated member of the Mane Six confusing given how she is pretty much the most popular as the years went by. Everyone hating her seemed very different from the reality, since she pretty quickly I felt became very popular among many fans of the show.

@EquestrianScholar  
Back during the day Applejack was the least popular Mane 6, but that’s because a lot of people thought she was boring. Rarity normally polled just above her, on force of sheer, frothing hatred.
 
She had her megafans (me among them), but there was a lot of people who didn’t like her.

@Philweasel  
Yes, I remember very early on during the 1st season and a bit during 2nd season there was a lot of hate directed towards her but as episode out of great episode went out on her which developed Rarity’s character with standout performances… I was pretty sure opinion on her changed rather quickly.
 
I mean sure, you had those who fixated on certain aspects of her character, often exaggerating them, given how characters like Rarity are the ones least liked but she I felt proved quite quickly that she wasn’t the stereotypes. That despite caring about her appearance, fashion, overly dramatic, seemingly shallow, and caring much in how others perceived her, Rarity was still very much a generous and big hearted mare.
 
Seriously, the idea that everyone hated Rarity seems very much three seasons ago at least. Even then, it was those who were often quick to judge based on initial appearances or had a bias against those like Rarity. Hell, it has often been said in any other show a character like her would often be made an antagonist. Into the stereotypical popular, vain, mean girl who only cared about fashion, shopping, their appearance, and in being popular.
 
That fact Rarity is very much not these things is what in part drew me towards Rarity. She wasn’t vain and shallow, she wasn’t purposefully mean or caring only of fashion and her appearance. The mare quickly showed herself to be far more than what the stereotypes were.

@EquestrianScholar  

 
Sorry I couldn’t answer right away, I’m at work.
 
Condemnation is how I interpeted the mane six just giving up at the end and the plot basically being left dangling possibly forever.

@EquestrianScholar  
Well there’s always got to be someone who ThoseFans can use as an outlet for their unceasing rage. Rarity was popular in seasons 1-2 (three less so, but only because she didn’t have an episode), then it was Princess Twilight, now it’s good old Starlight.
 
And I get the impression this script has been lying in the ‘reject’ bin for a long time.
 
@PonyPon  

 
Put simply, that’s realistic.
 
You cannot change peoples minds with a big speech, a song, anything. Opinions like that change slowly, over long periods of reflection. Saying “Here, this is the answer to this problem” would have been disingenuous, because there is no answer.

@PonyPon  
Well it was as Twilight said, the crowd of ponies outside could wait and to not ruin the friendship moment.
 
I am sure they’d get things taken care of and straightened out, or at least have the ponies go on their way with things basically going back to normal. Them leaving those details not shown, and the issue dangling is far less an issue then other things the show or writers have offered. Personally even if they don’t explain how, I am sure everything will be resolved by next episode.
 
 
@Philweasel  
I fell in love with Rarity, not so much romantically but as a character, nearly as soon as she was introduced. Admittedly it was because of this that it bothered me so much when she was hated. She and Twilight were my two favorite ponies from the very beginning… and Rainbow Dash my least favorite. Chuckles
 
I suspect everyone has their bias or traits they like the least and for myself it was the characters with huge egos. The braggards, try to hard to look cool, and generally the full of themselves athletes who thought they were all that. Yet, despite this I don’t think Rainbow Dash is a bad character and feel she too has proven to be more then her stereotypes.
 
Also, I agree this episode felt in a few ways more appropriate and aware a couple of seasons ago.
 
Yet at the same time some things did fit with the fandom more currently, such as how Fluttershy has finally been allowed to be more assertive of which I cannot be happier about. Admittedly, there was a few pretty major setbacks on her characterization such as Filli Vanilli with Flutershy’s sudden out of nowhere and annoyingly crippling stage fright but hey.

@EquestrianScholar  
Let me relate to you two of my favorite characters from animation. Georgette from Oliver and Company and Amber from Sophia the First.
 
So yeah, safe to say I’m a bit of a ‘diva’ fan.
 
I also might have a tendency to gravitate towards… cough
 
…underappreciated characters.

@Philweasel  
Most people love the woobie-type characters.

@Philweasel  
Well blame my lack of appreciation on certain writing decisions with how the reform of a certain mare went down.
 
@Josh103  
Yes, if they are actually woobies perhaps.

Am I the only one that wishes that town ponies apologized for their actions in the end instead of continuing fighting?

@Pepsi Twist  
No.

@Pepsi Twist  
I wanted Starlight to set them on fire personally.

@Pepsi Twist  
Like the predictable saccharine ending of a kids show? Maybe. It didn’t need to. Watch as a status quo spell is cast by next week’s episode.

@McNikk  
Speaking of 4chan, I wonder how they reacted to the episode?

@EquestrianScholar  
I felt a bit shocked with all Rarity hate at this episode. She was a pony who her drama-queen attitude during seasons 1-2 and lack of episodes from the season 3, affected her popularity, like saying she’s a bitch and a the pony who Hasbro said “We need the most stereotypical feminine pony”. Obviously with a teen and adult men fans like the show, Rarity was seen as “The Hasbro pony” and of course fans were few. Sums up she didn’t show “her element” at some episodes. I like Rarity because is a great businessmare, dedicated and who wants her vision about the beauty and put her fashion knowledges, whose attitude since season 4 was more “I’m an entrepreneur and I want everypony knows Rarity style” Its better than “wears these frocks darling”. Rarity is a pony who a changed a lot with Fluttershy at the last seasons and this episode remind me how hard was to be a Rarity fan in 2012 or 2013. This episode helped to retrospect some fans about if this series has changed her life about make friends or only wants talk about a fictional characters and her writing, venting all their fury about all “controversial” writers decisions.
 
So to summarize a great episode I felt so personal about don’t get mad if my favorite character receives hate, if a character I hate it, receives praises. The most important part was apply most show lessons and take characters like life example.
 
P.S. Starlight was good in this episode, but I prefer her savage side. Performing her magic skills from a too emotional, because that’s her personality and I like Starlight, like pupil accompanied Twilight at good and bad moments. Not Twilight looking for Starlight like a nanny.

Why the writers loves so much making crowd ponies a complete assholes?

@Splinter  
I’m willing to bet it was to make them look relatable to the fandom’s bad side.

@McNikk  
I have to say your statement on the pones laughing at just about everything Pinkie said is something I kinda experienced myself. And like their treatment with the others, it felt kinda uncomfortable and forced, though not in am entirely bad way. For me after some thknking, it’s a good way of feeling how the M6 are feeling.

@Splinter  
Because the ponies of Ponyville, even to a lesser extent the Mane Six, have the flexibility to be whatever the writers need to be. At one moment singing how awesome Pinkie Pie is and in how she just wants to bring smiles, to their behavior towards Fluttershy and in pushing her around. On one day decent ponies, and on the next assholes mattering which drives the plot.

@Philweasel  

 
I also love Georgette and Amber.

1] The Perfect Pear  
2] Fame and Misfortune  
3] Hard to Say Anything  
4] A Flurry of Emotions  
5] Rock Solid Friendship  
6] Parental Glideance  
7] A Royal Problem  
8] Discordant Harmony  
9] Fluttershy Leans In  
10] Forever Filly  
11] All Bottled Up  
12] Celestial Advice  
13] Not Asking For Trouble  
14] Honest Apple
 
Another triumph for the season, I really like the song as well.

I’m glad that some people got enjoyment out of it, the message was still sound, and the song was great. However, no matter how soft it is, I can’t help but feel like episodes that criticize a fandom are a little too mean-spirited for me to like it. And I’m not talking about MLP, I mean this for all shows in general. I know some fans can be overzealous and even threatening, but episodes like these make it feel like the entire community is on the chopping block over a few jerks and it hits too close to home. Also, they had to make it work by making the ponies into complete asshats, especially to Rarity. Why do they keep giving the mane six so much trouble after saving their kingdom again and again? Whether the writers mean to or not, it makes the background characters ungrateful.
 
It’s an okay episode with a lovely song, but the parallels to the fandom felt a bit too close to home for me to enjoy it.

I think Spike would have killed the ponies who insulted Rarity.

@Background Pony #B91E  
Possibly.

@Background Pony #B91E  

 
Spike is triggered