Aren’t both Songco and Lewis just M.A. Larson’s pen names?

@Background Pony #4BF3
 
Yeah, that’s another way I look at it.

@Jarkes  
It was Snips and Snails that sabotaged Fluttershy.
 
Anyway, I agree with your points - though for the Equestria Games I also think it was because of the sport. To be precise, flying in front of others was a problem she overcame. Just because you stopped being shy about one thing doesn’t mean you aren’t shy about other things.
 
I can dance in front of others but not act despite people saying I’m fine.
 
Same thing, I can’t think of any other instance of Fluttershy having to fly since Hurricane Fluttershy that caused her anxiety.

@Jarkes
 
@PonyPon  
Honestly, I think the whole reason that was a thing is because Corey Powell, the writer of Rainbow Falls, couldn’t characterize any of these characters for shit and they just had to follow up on Powell’s episodes in spite of it.
 
Even her best episode, Sleepless in Ponyville, was hampered from being as great as I would’ve liked it because she didn’t characterize the characters very well. It got much, much worse after that.
 
Probably why Powell had all of her later episodes as a co-credit with Meghan herself before leaving the show, honestly .-. She almost, almost hit IDW tier of poor characterization.

@ghostfacekiller39
 
I’d argue that a lot of her assertiveness HAS stuck, especially in this season and, yes, even season 4.

@PonyPon
 
I have a defense for that bit figured out too:
 
Fluttershy was able to handle the Equestria Games because the focus was not ENTIRELY on her or her and a small group of friends. With the audience’s attention focused on every competitor, they’re not always focused on HER, so she doesn’t mind it as much.
 
We see the same thing with her human counterpart in Rainbow Rocks. She has no problem performing on stage in general, but when Trixie (I think it was Trixie who was sabotaging that particular part, but it might’ve been the Dazzlings; I don’t remember) put a spotlight over her (thus drawing more attention to her), she suddenly got a lot more nervous and started trying to hide.
 
Boom. “Plot hole” filled.

@Jarkes  
This was like, the fourth or fifth Fluttershy episode about Fluttershy trying to overcome shyness. It’s really at the point to where they need to stop negating development and have it happen already instead of just cheaply dodging any lasting development with excuses like that. If it was the first or even the second episode it’d be fine, but it’s gone far past that.
 
I don’t think I’m impatient with development, but I think that it’s not unreasonable to get irritated with something like this after seeing so many episodes about it over the course of the series and see so little change at all. This isn’t baby steps, it’s like someone running into a door over and over again and wondering why it isn’t opening.

@Jarkes  
Was that the same season she was in the equestria games?

@Rainb0wDashie  
Also, character development isn’t automatically a good thing. If it’s done poorly, it could really harm the character and the episode itself. It can be a very good thing, but it doesn’t automatically make an episode or a character good just by having it.

@ghostfacekiller39
 
Wrong. The whole point was that change happens slowly, and getting over a problem once doesn’t automatically mean that it will never be a problem again (something this fandom could stand to learn when it comes to certain characters, especially Fluttershy). Like Fluttershy said, “Baby steps.” The point was she’s willing to perform her singing for her closest friends, but she’s not quite ready to do it in front of a large crowd yet.

@Rainb0wDashie  
Filli Vanilli has character development?
 
Could’ve fooled me. I remember it destroyed the character development at the end of the episode by having Fluttershy not change at all in terms of shyness and having her explain as much to the audience.
 
Development usually means change for the better or worse. Showing a character going out of her way to avoid change throughout the episode (hiding in a barrel while singing, etc.) and then say “Nothing changed” at the end isn’t development.

@ender1200  
Writing credits can get super weird and confusing due to the screenwriters’ guild and its obtuse regulations.
 
Lethal Weapon 3 anyone?

Notice that “story by” and “written by” are two different credits. Only Songco and Lewis are credited for actually writing the scrip. Larson and Mccarthy have most likely helped with developing the idea, or maybe counseling.

@rdibp
 
Dude, Fluttershy singing in a barrel, cutest thing ever. And then her hamming it up in her last performance.
 
This fandom has some real retarded reasons for not liking certain episodes. Mysterious Mere-do well, Keep Calm and FLutter on, Filli Vanilli. Coincidentally all episodes that have character development.

@ghostfacekiller39  
I agree with your points about this episode, but I disagree with everything else you say. I do not feel like arguing though.

Larson: Meghan, get me everyone.  
Meghan: everyone?  
Larson: EV-REY-ONE!!

Four writers writing the story for an MLP episode? That’s an academy record.
 
(Can’t believe no one else did that joke yet)

@Mojo  
This was probably the first episode of MLP in a long time that I actually had fun watching. People seem to take for granted all of the hard work put into these episodes, with the animation, music, writing, voice acting, etc…
 
Reminds me of when Filli Vanilli aired. I enjoyed the songs and the bittersweet message at the end. But since Pinkie said some lines that made Fluttershy cry, people were like “OMG! Worst episode ever!!” I mean I found Pinkie obnoxious myself, but it didn’t ruin the whole episode for me, and people went out of there way to send death threats to AKR because she made a fictional horse cry.

@ghostfacekiller39
 
What you say about hte episode is true,the people whining about it being predictable are missing the damn point. The Mystery was there to facilitate the character interactions crazy noir stuff. WHO GIVES A DAMN ABOUT something being predictable when it’s FUN, ENJOYABLE, ENTERTAINING.
 
I had a smile on my face the entire episode and once it went all noir I was just laughing non-stop.

@Mojo  
THAT’S ONE EPISODE, BABY!! YOU WANT FRIES WITH THAT!!?

I guess those four pitched the story in a meeting, and then Joanna and Kristine wrote the actual script.

This is probably my favorite episode so far in Season 5 - it wasn’t heavy or deep or mature, it was just good fun. Something this show has forgotten all about, it feels like.
 
Of course the culprit was predictable because he was the only new character, but I do feel as if the adventure getting there made it all worthwhile. It was humorous, explored a dynamic between Rarity and RD (which, honestly, has been neglected for far too long) and I loved the noir aesthetic and Rarity’s outfits quite a bit.
 
I had a lot of fun with this episode - a whole lot of it - and it reminded me why I didn’t just quit the show after the first half of Season 5. When this show doesn’t try too hard to break social norms, it really hits it out of the park.

Must be a new record of people being involved for the story of an episode. But it’s a pretty good episode, so hooray for them and us.

Thats a lot of writers.

Same writers as Castle Sweet Castle? Must be why I liked this episode. :D