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

@Philweasel
 
Oh, I’m not saying that Starlight getting focus is an issue by itself. Technically, the show started to edge away from focusing as much as it did back in Season 5, before Starlight entered the main character roster. I’m saying that I can see why some people don’t like this change, and Starlight is the most visible part of it, even if she’s not its cause.
 
I do agree that the show can’t keep doing what it did in the first few seasons. If nothing else, it can’t keep its focus on learning and teaching lessons without making some change. Most of its early plot types can’t work without making the Mane 6’s characters regress so that they have to relearn what they’ve already learned, which is never good.
 
That’s one thing I’ve personally liked about what it’s been doing recently. It still works in the types of morals it used to, which I would argue are the most important focus, and instead teaches them to characters who still need to learnt them – either the younger generation like Spike or the CMC, or by bringing in new characters. Starlight, for instance, Thorax, Discord, the rest.

I feel once again my arguments have been swallowed by generalizations.
 
I don’t object to Starlight focused episodes (not anymore, S7 made the character finally click). I love that we get to see Trixie recurring through her. I like Starlight’s quirks and her dynamic with both Trix and Twi and Sunburst.
 
But for a character that has been introduced and positioned so prominently, the fact that she has no relationship whatsoever with five of our protagonists is not great.
 
Specially when some of them don’t get that great character focus to begin with.
 
 
And there are a lot of secondary characters with little focus that would’ve been nice to see being thrown a bone to shift focus and spread things out.
 
Starlight is fine for this, but she got shoved so hard that not everybody could get on board with her inclussion.
 
Some people are unreasonably harsh on the character, for sure.
 
Not everyone that has problem with our new mane character does for no reason, however.

@HJSDGCE  
Definitely an unpopular opinion because the general feeling people who don’t throw hissy fits about Starlight’s existence loved the episode.
 
But it seems you’re going to be exaggerating Starlight on this.
 
 
@FrustrationInExcelsis  
Before Starlight Glimmer there was only 1 episode the none of the Mane 6 appeared in.
 
So that 80% definitely feels like a gross exaggeration.
 
In Season 7 there was I believe 6 episodes Mane 5 didn’t appear in which is 76%. If you add in Twilight then it’s still 23 of 26 which is 88%.
 
The characters are still featured over 3/4 of the time.  
They got a movie.
 
Complaining about their slightly decteased focused is making a mountain out of a molehill.
 
It is being unreasonable. When their appearances actually dtop to about half of the episodes and the episode where they aren’t in them are genuinely bad then we can talk but when you’ve had 5 to 6 years of Mane 6 basically dominating the show but then one year they decide to mix it up and slight decrease their appearance in the show, give them a movie and try to avoid stagnating the show then it being ridiculous to complain.

@HJSDGCE  
I think “starring” is beginning to mean “Not actually the character the events of the episode predominantly revolve around, but I don’t like that this character appeared, and I need a snappy way to convey this.”

@kztxl7
 
I’m judging by focus, not appearance. “All Bottled Up” was fairly clearly a Trixie and Starlight episode, the mane six’s appearances notwithstanding. “Dragon Quest” was a Spike episode, although other characters appeared and spoke. Starlight, Twilight and the rest all showing up in “It Isn’t The Mane Thing About You” didn’t make the episode any less about Rarity.
 
Different measurements for different people and different situations, but I personally prefer to look at whether or not an episode was about a character or characters rather than weather it was an episode with them in it.

@kztxl7  
Also, all those times the Mane 6 are completely absent? All but one were CMC episodes IIRC.

@HJSDGCE  

 
You can argue the other, but this? Starlight had nothing to do with the climax, and doesn’t even appear until about seven minutes in. Is that your definition of ‘Staring’?

@Philweasel  
Yeah, if anything it’s Maud the one who stares.

@Josh103
 
Oh, god… that pun is terrible.

@FrustrationInExcelsis  
Well I also consider whether or not Starlight’s appearance was necessary as well, not only whether or not she was the focus. For example, the episode of Fame and Misfortune should have had Spike take the role that Starlight took in the episode. Her presence and role was completely unnecessary and I feel would have made more sense being filled by Spike.

@EquestrianScholar
 
In general Starlight’s role seems to be to hijack the roles of main characters in order to establish her as this best of both worlds of main and secondary characters, only appearing when she has to, but immediately taking over the plot whenever she does.

@Poison Trail  
Not one word of that was remotely true, so I’m not quite sure how to start.

@Philweasel  

 
How about not acting like a pretensions ass that goes off when ever someone says even slightest negative thing about Starlight?

@Villain Pony  
Well she doesn’t take over the plot whenever she appears as… apparent in ever episode of season 7 she’s in.
 
We’d literally just done discussing this. It’s on this very page.
 
As for taking over main roles, the only main character role she’s taken over is the one Twilight vacated back in season 3.

Thing is, I really don’t think Twilight left a void. As the seasons have progressed, they have shown that Twilight is still very much the same character, and can still fulfill her old roles.

@Villain Pony
 
How about not grossly exaggerating her actual role in things just because you personally don’t like the character?

@MrSeyker  
In theory yes, but many of us (certainly me) really found ourselves missing the ‘earnest but socially incompetent magic student’ side of her character. It really seemed to disappear into her identity as a Princess.

@Philweasel  
Some say that’s why Starlight is there, that’s her new role now.

@Philweasel  

 
And some of us (CerTInly mE) prefer that is that way.

@Jarkes  

 
Like how you and Philweasel like to do?

@HJSDGCE
 
This is obviously just my opinion but I swear that people overexpose Starlight’s role in episodes.
 
Rock Solid is a pinkie and Maud episode. Starlight just happens to be the person maud gets on with. If anything she’s serving the Applejack role from Sisterhooves social. The moral is pinkie’s to learn. Maud is the character we learn more about.
 
Royal Problem is a Luna and Tia episode. Starlight is in the background for over half the episode.

@Josh103
 
Maybe in season 6, but that role ended when season 7 began.
 
I get your points, I really do. But I see Starlight as basically fulfilling the same roles as Twilight. And since I ALWAYS had an issue with how much focus Twilight gets over the other five, to me the inclussion of Starlight into a permanent mane character spot just completely demolishes what little balance they used to have.
 
I like Starlight as a recurring supporting character. She can totally star her own episodes, specially if she brings Trixie along, but I don’t feel she has a place in Ponyville outside of being Twilight’s twin star.

@MrSeyker
 
Ember being racist was one of my fav season 7 gags. If Twilight/Starlight drama gives me more jokes like that from Based Ember. Sign me up, sailor.

@MrSeyker  
I can see your point, but if you don’t like Twilight… well things have gotten better for you at least, because the first two seasons she was pretty much the main character of every episode. But yeah, it’s always been explicitly the Twilight Show.
 
Personally, I’m celebrating her finally looking like the main character again after staring at that map for pretty much an entire season.  

 
@Josh103  

 
Yeah, that was my point. I liked having that role on the show, and so I pretty much leapt on Starlight.
 
And I think it’s still there in season 7. It’s just a little less obvious, because she hasn’t had as many episodes focused on her (and the three that did, Bottled up, Uncommon Bonds and Change a Changling, all had that side of her very apparent).

I do like Twilight. She’s cute, dorky, intelligent, resourceful. She ususally ranks fourth best pony.
 
It’s just that ever since season 3 she has become more and more important in the lore episodes, and this issue transfered to Starlight due to the way they constructed the character.
 
I would love nothing more for season 8 to make me eat crow and show me that my fears of Starlight/Twilight continuing the trend was unfounded. I want to believe they can balance seven mane characters.
 
The season 7 finale does give me some hope, despite my previous posts arguing against Starlight’s prominence in the central conflict.
 
It’s not so much Starlight herself the problem, just that it’s a three way conflict between the resident unicorn master race at the center, with two sets of heroes just playing support to them.
 
It was a step in the right direction, nontheless.