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https://sfdebris.com/videos/animation/mlpspecial6.php

I always liked the touch in Hurricane Fluttershy that while her wing power did improve and was critical for the climax, it didn't jump to some tremendous level simply via training montage. Much like with her anxiousness and insecurity, the show was grounded in making Fluttershy's improvement gradual rather than easy fixes.

Chuuuuuck, I appreciate the bonus content but you're supposed to be on vacation!

Leave no B-list holiday un-review-specialed! The hierarchy approves.

Oh MAN, this takes me back.

You would not believe the amount of Lightning Dust apologists I argued with. @_@

"Suck on those road apples". Chuck is a master of his craft.

Honestly these episodes made me start to think that the Wonderbolts are a corrupt organization.

Also Dashs' problem with highlighting is so my college experience.

MerelyAFan wrote: ↑Sun May 05, 2019 8:18 pm https://sfdebris.com/videos/animation/mlpspecial6.php

I always liked the touch in Hurricane Fluttershy that while her wing power did improve and was critical for the climax, it didn't jump to some tremendous level simply via training montage. Much like with her anxiousness and insecurity, the show was grounded in making Fluttershy's improvement gradual rather than easy fixes.

To me, Fluttershy IS capable of great speed/maneuverability, but she has a psychological block against flying that well due to the teasing.

She also DID improve from her original ability for flying too, so your point stands as well.

Very much an episode about both surpassing psychological limitations, and about improving from where you start.

Also with a side moral of "Don't assume others are faking because one person tried to fake sickness.", and "support those who need support in a manner that suits them".

Nuance! I love nuance. ;p

Fuzzy Necromancer wrote: ↑Mon May 06, 2019 3:31 am Oh MAN, this takes me back.

You would not believe the amount of Lightning Dust apologists I argued with. @_@

"Suck on those road apples". Chuck is a master of his craft.

Honestly these episodes made me start to think that the Wonderbolts are a corrupt organization.

Also Dashs' problem with highlighting is so my college experience.

Later episodes reveal at least one corrupt person who is a major figure in the Wonderbolts leadership from the past.

My theory is that The Wonderbolts WERE good, about 4 to 6 generations ago. However, the leadership became vain and selfish in the couple of generations before Spitfire became the leader.

Spitfire DOES try to live up to the Wonderbolt standard... but her teachers and leaders were selfish jerks, so she's got her priorities mixed up.

Hence why an outsider/fan has to keep reminding Spitfire and the others about true Leadership and Loyalty. The organization lost at least some of it over the past couple generations, and needs reminding.

The Wonderbolts also show signs of improvement in later episodes too.

Fuzzy Necromancer wrote: ↑Mon May 06, 2019 3:31 am You would not believe the amount of Lightning Dust apologists I argued with. @_@

Honestly these episodes made me start to think that the Wonderbolts are a corrupt organization.

Lightning Dust wasn't the problem in that episode, Spitfire was. Lightning Dust just recognized the Wonderbolts for what they truly were.

Lightning Dust does something reckless, Spitfire rewards her behavior. Lightning Dust does something more reckless, Spitfire rewards her again. Lightning Dust endangers lives. Spitfire approves. Rainbow Dash tries to explain the concept of "morality" to Spitfire, and Spitfire literally responds with "What are you saying, Newbie?" Rainbow Dash resigns. Spitfire is shocked.

Ten minutes later, Spitfire comes over, makes an extremely dubious claim to moral superiority over everyone, and throws Lightning Dust under the bus, stripping Lightning Dust of her rank and possibly having her hauled off by MPs. I'm guessing that Spitfire calculated that since she could no longer have both, that a Legendary Hero/prodigy was worth more to the Wonderbolts than a no-name prodigy.


Also note, in the previous episode, water collection was an essential civic duty which the Pegasus ponies turned into a competition. Spitfire came over to judge the competition. Ponyville was set to break a record, before illness made it questionable as to whether they could even complete the task.

Ponyville just barely manages to pull together 795/800 wingpower needed to complete the task and is teetering on the brink of collapse. While Spitfire just stands there on the ground.

Fluttershy eventually dug deep and mustered up the 5 wingpower that Ponyville needed. Rainbow Dash suggested that the average hick-town Ponyville Pegasus should be able to manage 10. Rainbow Dash herself could do 60.5. How much wingpower do you think a Wonderbolt like Spitfire could have contributed?

Spitfire would rather watch an illness-ridden Ponyville crash into absolute failure (with whatever real-world consequences come with that) than step up and disqualify the clearly-failed team by setting down her judge's clipboard and helping them across the finish line.

If Chuck had more time I would have suggested also possibly adding the episode where Dash actually does become a Wonderbolt, but maybe that's being saved for something later down the line.

I agree with @Cheerilee about Lightning Dust Spitfire can't kick the former out of the Academy, as proved by a later episode, for conduct she approved of till Rainbow called her out on it.

One thing I don't understand about these things is how everyone seems to treat the main cast as basically nobodies, maybe Twilight gets a little attention from being Celestia's apprentice, but:

First episode, so everyone is living under the reign of the god-empress Celestia who has an evil sister that is almost as powerful, said evil sister escapes from her prison and threatens everyone ...

The main characters then proceed to defeat and purify said evil god-like threat and now the realm has lost it's apocalyptical threat and has gained another benevolent god-like empress.

This is the first episode, and the for the rest of the show Rainbow Dash is obsessing over how she can prove she is a good pick for some fancy elite unit ???

She should be fighting off every commander in their army who is trying to ply one of the greatest heroines of the age with instant ranks and honors to get her under their banner !!!

Same for the other girls Rarity should be swamped by noble princes who want her hand in marriage etc

I know a lot of people love it but I can't stand Hurricane Fluttershy. Just find the moral really offputting and think it doesn't at all land the way it's supposed to and reads much more to me as a,
"You owe it to others to do things you don't want to do for their sake," spiel than anything.. Though it's not as bad about it as A Hearth's Warming Tail is.