My Little Pony XL: The Plot Thickens!

[Pokonic]

Hey, ponythread: anyone else remember some interveiw or another which said the season was going to have a recurring antagonist? I am still waiting for another Flim Flam brothers song!

[Man on Fire]

But Discord was an awesome villain and nearly everyone loved him. Even you loved him, based on the fact that your complaint is that we didn't get enough of him. Having your fans telling you that they like your characters and want more of them is a pretty good place to be for any piece of media.

Yes, I loved him. And that's why I am so mad that he was wasted in this show - he wasn't given respect such good villain deserves. This character had so much potential that wasn't used properly I grin my teeth whenever I think about it.

Do you really believe this? It's true, it's a possible interpretation based on what is literally shown on the screen. But the way you're understanding this episode is clearly not what was intended by the show's creators. And it's not the way that most fans have interpreted the episode (which is not to say that nobody theorized that Twilight messed with her friends minds, it's just not the majority interpretation).

Sometimes the message of the story can be twisted into something it wasn't intended to be based on what's happening in the story that writer didn't noticed. Like in this case, where events on the screen can turn the message into something it clearly wasn't intendent to be. I blame bad writing.

Here's a comparison. Let's take Firefly, since it's so universally beloved on the Internet. Do you think it's okay to shoot people because you've seen Mal do it? Or even if you want to be more specific, is it okay to shoot someone from behind when you're in a rush and walking onto a dangerous scene when you're not sure what's going on?

Frankly, reality does not present the opportunity to tackle people very often, and it never presents the chance to use magic to alter their minds. One can get across an idea (it's important to stand up for things you care about) without having to outline each and every possible method.

I don't think that Firefly is trying to teach a lesson after the end of every episode. I don't know if it even has any message at all because I didn't watched it.

No. But it might be worth investigating. In fact, if you have a friend who suddenly starts acting like a jerk, one of the best things you could do is investigate and maybe even confront the person. They might not realize that they're doing anything wrong and they could be suffering from severe stress or even depression. Would you just ignore a friend who started acting mean all of a sudden?

If would be nice if Twilight would do that, instead of basically forcing them to be happy with violence. There was no compassion, no understanding, no friendship in what she did - she didn't tried to make them confront what turned them into Chaos Ponies, she just forced them to be how she wants them because she needed them that way. Nothing different from what Discord did, only she is supposed to be a good one here.

We see this with Applejack. Seeing that same thing again 4 more times wouldn't be edging toward padding in a story pressed for time.

That's why they should fight their inner demons themselves, with only a little push from Twilight.

Now mind you there is a certain problem with pacing in the episode. I remember getting the idea that it was very originally plotted as 3 episodes and cut down to 2 so it feels rushed. Yet on further digestion I realized its not really suffering from the plot, but that it lacks the same proportion of gags to fix the pacing. An additional episode wouldn't have changed the story, just given more to time to play out.

Time was something this story desperately needed. And additional jokes won't fix the flawed and badly planeed storyline.

I see your point here but its really at the core still padding.

Character development is never padding. By that definition entire Persona 4 is nothing but padding and the same but more. You don't give up the idea to make caracter more interesting and three-dimensional because it's "padding" - that's the most important part of every story. It is terribly lazy writing to just have her magically make everything better in five seconds,on Spider-Man: One More Day levels of badness.

Now as for using magic at all, there is still the point that the ponies were not themselves. Thanks to evil magic. Even Twilight needed outside help from Celestia.

If she could free herself by reading letters, I think that the rest didn't needed to have her stab them in brains with her magical horn.

This is not even remotely like someone having a change of personality as the course of events, this is about being a friend enough to be there when your friend can't be there for themselves. That just because you encounter a problem you don't give up on somepony, you find out just what the hell is wrong.

Which is not what Twilight did, choosing to use quick way out of her trouble.

Factuallly speaking Discord is Q,

I'm not talking about Discord. I'm talking about this whole mindrape thing being compared to some Vulcan thing from Star Trek. Mindmelting, mindmending, mindbending...that thing Kirk and Spock's dad does in third movie. I'm talking about the fact they could have let the plot go to make that refference.

And Celestia can't beat Discord issue - it raises another question - why he didn't do anything to her? She turned him into stone statue for thousands of years and he doesn't look like a guy who would let something like that slide - why he didn't just went to the palace and punched her into a duck?!

And for the second I have exactly zero idea the heck you are actually talking about.

About increasing thendency to make RD be always wrong and needed to be taught a lesson. Like Wheeler from Capain Planet.

[Gamerlord]

Hey, ponythread: anyone else remember some interveiw or another which said the season was going to have a recurring antagonist? I am still waiting for another Flim Flam brothers song!

The closest thing I can think of is Jayson saying there would be another villain at the Bronycon that happened during the airing of the second part of RoH. Though he may have meant more antagonists by that.

On a completely unrelated note, have some Twilight being....Twilight:

Spoiler

Show

[TheAmishPirate]

Hey, ponythread: anyone else remember some interveiw or another which said the season was going to have a recurring antagonist? I am still waiting for another Flim Flam brothers song!

I...sort of remember something along those lines? Maybe? They might've just said more antagonists rather than a single recurring one. *shrug*

And because it hasn't been said yet...

*grabs hapless wardroid, hoists over head*

HEY! RIOT!

[Thanqol]

Yes, I loved him. And that's why I am so mad that he was wasted in this show - he wasn't given respect such good villain deserves. This character had so much potential that wasn't used properly I grin my teeth whenever I think about it.

That's what fanfiction is for, seriously.

Sometimes the message of the story can be twisted into something it wasn't intended to be based on what's happening in the story that writer didn't noticed. Like in this case, where events on the screen can turn the message into something it clearly wasn't intendent to be. I blame bad writing.

No, no, that's not how bad writing works. Writing is communication. By communicating to a mass market, you'll get distortions and variations by necessity - hence best pony arguments. This isn't bad writing, this is subjective taste.

Bad writing would be if the show produced this reaction amidst the target audience of small girls. That is a failure of communication.

If would be nice if Twilight would do that, instead of basically forcing them to be happy with violence. There was no compassion, no understanding, no friendship in what she did - she didn't tried to make them confront what turned them into Chaos Ponies, she just forced them to be how she wants them because she needed them that way. Nothing different from what Discord did, only she is supposed to be a good one here.

...

If she could free herself by reading letters, I think that the rest didn't needed to have her stab them in brains with her magical horn.

...

Which is not what Twilight did, choosing to use quick way out of her trouble.

Your views on magic are very limited. Magic isn't a shortcut to solving problems. Magic is a whole new world of communication, action, reaction and truth. Implying that using magic to solve a problem you care about is more expedient and therefore lesser than using mundane means shows you've been sadly indoctrinated by rulesystems such as D&D.

Magic is more than a tool, and it's use isn't the same as using a hammer. Magic is more than a weapon, and it's use isn't the same as using Dominate Person. Twilight is the element of Magic which is just as pure and true and good as Loyalty, Honesty, or Kindness.

And Celestia can't beat Discord issue - it raises another question - why he didn't do anything to her? She turned him into stone statue for thousands of years and he doesn't look like a guy who would let something like that slide - why he didn't just went to the palace and punched her into a duck?!

Yeah, actually... he does. I can't see him holding a grudge, even over that.

[Coidzor]

Yeah, actually... he does. I can't see him holding a grudge, even over that.

Eh, I can see him going either way. Or both holding a grudge and throwing it away and then picking it back up again as either amused him or confused others.

Certainly messing with the all powerful god empress seems like it would have been something he'd find amusing after getting bored with her would-be champions. Though to be honest, there were a few places in that segment where he seemed to be rushing and not out of boredom or out of a sense of getting something amusing....

[Aotrs Commander]

*slightly smoking with rainbow-coloured smoke, but otherwise unharmed*

It is fortunate that my new metallic hide appears to have made me somewhat more resistant the the OFC, and that my normal combat buffs were in play before I left Bleak Despair.

Well, actually it did hurt, like the blazes, in fact, but what it did not do was do any serious damage to me.

It thus now I fear I should point out that, explosive as these old wardroids are, they are also not alive, nor have any minds to speak of, thus shooting them with a postive-energy-infused orbital befriending weapon is not, as they say, especially effective; nor does it endear you to the Magical Evil Space-Lich, especially when he goes all to all the effort of bringing amusingly destructible things for which ponythread to riot upon (never let it be said I do not carefully plan my acts of random excessive violence) when you shoot him with it - twice . It also behooves, ahaha, one to remember that said Space-Lich is this close to having his armada shoot all of those damn stations out of the sky with actual weapons!!!!

I'm fine, thanks for asking.

What? How?

Improved Evasion. Duh.

That doesn't even... You know what, just you shut up and shoot the wardroids. I'm going to sulk in my meditation chamber.

*shrug*

*resumes blasting wardroids in between needless acrobatics*

And by "sulk" I mean "plan an elaborate revenge scheme that no-one will see coming, long after they have forgotten what has happened, in particularly vicious manner."

Sorry, did I forget to mention earlier that I hold grudges...?

[Man on Fire]

Your views on magic are very limited. Magic isn't a shortcut to solving problems. Magic is a whole new world of communication, action, reaction and truth. Implying that using magic to solve a problem you care about is more expedient and therefore lesser than using mundane means shows you've been sadly indoctrinated by rulesystems such as D&D.

Magic is more than a tool, and it's use isn't the same as using a hammer. Magic is more than a weapon, and it's use isn't the same as using Dominate Person. Twilight is the element of Magic which is just as pure and true and good as Loyalty, Honesty, or Kindness.

Too bad that in this episode magic is used as a shortcut to solve your problem.

That's what fanfiction is for, seriously

I have better things to do than write fanfictions about show I despise.

[Thanqol]

Eh, I can see him going either way. Or both holding a grudge and throwing it away and then picking it back up again as either amused him or confused others.

Yeah, more or less. It's a source of amusement and is to be treated as such.

Certainly messing with the all powerful god empress seems like it would have been something he'd find amusing after getting bored with her would-be champions. Though to be honest, there were a few places in that segment where he seemed to be rushing and not out of boredom or out of a sense of getting something amusing....

Thing is, though, he finds Celestia boring; he said as much. He didn't need to go mess with her because he was having way more fun in Ponyville. Presumably he'd swing by eventually but he's not a person, and he's not driven by anger or hate.

Too bad that in this episode magic is used as a shortcut to solve your problem.

No it's not.

I have better things to do than write fanfictions about show I despise.

I don't!

[Pokonic]

I have better things to do than write fanfictions about show I despise.

Lovely. There are whole sections of other forums dedicated to this sort of stuff. In other words, if you dispise the show, would it simply not be better for your to go elsewhere and be upset and annoyed, let alown be on the ponythread? Please, find other areas of the site if you "dispise" the freaken topic.

[erikun]

Hey, ponythread: anyone else remember some interveiw or another which said the season was going to have a recurring antagonist? I am still waiting for another Flim Flam brothers song!

I don't recall that, but then again, I've been intentionally avoiding spoilers for the most part.

Of all the past antagonists, I'd say Trixie or Discord (or perhaps Nightmare Moon in a form) as the most likely to return. Trixie would be most appropriate for a Canterlot appearance, although one of the previous season-opener antagonists showing up for the two-part ending might work out.

Of course,

Spoiler

Show

I would be quite amused if the griffon-chef from M-M-Mystery on the Friendship Express turns out to be Gilda in disguise. I wouldn't necessarily put it past the writers to poke fun at Scooby Doo at the ending.

[Pokonic]

I don't recall that, but then again, I've been intentionally avoiding spoilers for the most part.

Of all the past antagonists, I'd say Trixie or Discord (or perhaps Nightmare Moon in a form) as the most likely to return. Trixie would be most appropriate for a Canterlot appearance, although one of the previous season-opener antagonists showing up for the two-part ending might work out.

Why hello my dear lady, are you searching for a gown?

Because we know where the best ones are to be found!

[Man on Fire]

Lovely. There are whole sections of other forums dedicated to this sort of stuff. In other words, if you dispise the show, would it simply not be better for your to go elsewhere and be upset and annoyed, let alown be on the ponythread? Please, find other areas of the site if you "dispise" the freaken topic.

I was asked in another thread what are my issues with Return of Harmony but the thread was closed before I had a chance to answer. That's why I'm here - to answer a question I have been asked and defend my opinion given i nthat answer.

[Siosilvar]

It thus now I fear I should point out that, explosive as these old wardroids are, they are also not alive, nor have any minds to speak of, thus shooting them with a postive-energy-infused orbital befriending weapon is not, as they say, especially effective; nor does it endear you to the Magical Evil Space-Lich, especially when he goes all to all the effort of bringing amusingly destructible things for which ponythread to riot upon (never let it be said I do not carefully plan my acts of random excessive violence) when you shoot him with it - twice . It also behooves, ahaha, one to remember that said Space-Lich is this close to having his armada shoot all of those damn stations out of the sky with actual weapons!!!!

*pokes head out of 90 degrees to tomorrow* So the OFC doesn't work on robots? Hmm... actually, I think a spinal mount rainbow laser - well, it's not really a visible light laser so much as it is a magic-boosted x-ray free-electron laser powerful enough to ionize the air to whatever color you choose that I have set on "color rotate" because it looks cool even though it'd be more efficient to compute the wavelength and power of the laser based on distance to target but it's overkill enough already on most targets - theoretically of course, I mean I haven't got a power source ready for the handheld version - which reminds me that I was saying that spinal-mounted wouldn't have as much of a problem with finding a big enough power supply as the handheld prototype does. *takes breath*

Did I just talk myself into creating an overscaled MAD SCIENCE!!! weapon for ponythread? I think we're gonna need a montage. *ducks back into cover*

[the_druid_droid]

*Eyeglows the riots*

Somepony find Druid Droid!

Druid Droid, wherever you are, quick, do something rioty!

*Begins stuffing Thanqol's TV into his chest compartment*

I might be a little late for the riots, but now it's time for LOOTING!

[Grif]

Too many well-wishes to quote, so instead, have a Pinkie Pie as thank you.

I declare myself to be the Ponythread Element of Metal!

Element of Cascading Style!

I like. Since kippy has not made a claim, I dub thee, Element of Penguins.

Elements of Ponythread v2.7

Pony, EsperDerek
Insanity, Grif
Awesome, DBC
Bondage, PhoeKun
Heartburn, MCerberus
Logical Inconsistency, Shadowy
Hipster, tonberrian
Lurking, Level8Mudcrabs
Quotes, SiuiS
Happiness, Irbis
Surprise, Thanqol
Pirates, TheAmishPirate
Moustache, Sweetie Welf
Clockwork, the_druid_droid
Phantasy, Raz_Fox
Adventure, Rebelhero
Bacon, Kris_Strife
Snarking, Etcetera
Stealth, Kyouhen
Chemical Reactions, Gamerlord
Not Being Significant Enough to Be an Element, erikun
Paranoia, Titanium_Fox
Depression, Gadora
Great and Powerful, Trixie
Boron, Bayonet Priest
Perversion, Soft Serve
Recursion, DeadManSleeping
Apathy, Lord Raziere
Ink, InkwellPony
Hope, ScionoftheVoid
Duels, dromer
Lead, RdMarquis
Hot Pony Kisses, Benson
Killjoy, Brazen Shield
Corruption, Vent Reynold
Persuasion, Anarion
Shipping, Lix Lorn
Quietness, Lex-Kat
Compassion, Blue Ghost
Evlul Bastard Spears, Aotrs Commander
Ancient Pony History, WJMill
Demanding Cults, Pokonic
Style, Kindablue
Silly Hats, Capt. Ido Nos
Flow, Metahuman1
Stormtrooper Academy, Kurgan
Stars, Geno9999
Hugs, Deadly
Poison Joke, Diego Havoc
Elements, Triscuitable
Dreams, Topaz
Booze, otakuryoga
Puns, Dexam
Reading, fizmat
Aliens, Dirtbag
Balance, invinible
Youtube, Eakin
Challenge, PrinceAquilaDei
Wiki, Soras Teva Gee
Vigilant Noninterference, Sean Mirrsen
MAD SCIENCE!!!, Siosilvar
Griffons, Athaniar
Veneosaur, Neoseanster
Dungeon Mastering, DigoDragon
Cascading Style, Rawhide
Penguins, kpenguin
Metal, Sadistic Seraph

Is it too late to ask for a big picture of all the elements combined?

[Pendulous]

Needs more Element of Kupo

[Pokonic]

\

Is it too late to ask for a big picture of all the elements combined?

Well, we have a art thread, soo....

[Thanqol]

*Begins stuffing Thanqol's TV into his chest compartment*

I might be a little late for the riots, but now it's time for LOOTING!

Would you like the extended warranty with that?


Incidentally, thank you AOTRS for linking that Robot Riot song

Well, we have a art thread, soo....

I could do it. It might be a little... abstract though.

[Pendulous]

Holy crap, allmylove

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LnLE...d0FAAAAAAAAAAA

[Pokonic]

I could do it. It might be a little... abstract though.

Like Hot Pony Kisses? Or Veneosaur?

I would honastly like the entire threads ponytars at the bottom, fireing there lazers. Also, we need a name for this rainbow...

[Grif]

Needs more Element of Kupo

Are you volunteering?

Well, we have a art thread, soo....

Would you like the extended warranty with that?


Incidentally, thank you AOTRS for linking that Robot Riot song



I could do it. It might be a little... abstract though.

Do you require pictures of all their OCs? Might take a while to compile though.

[otakuryoga]

Ponythread.

I have an important announcement.

Today is the happiest day in my life since graduating from A-Levels.

Today, I graduate from medical school.

conga-rats

and let me be the 1st to say...

there is this spot of red inflamed skin onnaw...just kidding

so now its off to residency...any idea yet what way you wanna go? pediatrics, ER, etc?

[TheAmishPirate]

Like Hot Pony Kisses?

We also have an Element of Shipping who'd likely be willing to oblige.

[Thanqol]

Like Hot Pony Kisses? Or Veneosaur?

I would honastly like the entire threads ponytars at the bottom, fireing there lazers. Also, we need a name for this rainbow...

That would take like a million years and be a 12000x9000 canvas.

And it should be called the Rainbow of Bandwagon!

Do you require pictures of all their OCs? Might take a while to compile though.

No, no, when I say 'abstract' I mean 'will not resemble anything coherent'.

[Tiki Snakes]

Just you wait. Sooner or later, we're going to get the episode that proves Cloudsdale is really a brutal dystopia where all fillies are taken from their parents at birth and raised in a communal creche because the powers that be consider love a disgusting weakness!

Spoiler

Show

Nothing so simple. The ancient pegasus device that powers the Rainbow Factory runs on Nightmares, so Cloudsdale must create as much angst and stress and pressure to succeed as possible so as to leave the pegasus population with plenty of problems to dream about.

Screw the badfic, the song totaly deserved something far more cosmic horror than slasher.

[Pendulous]

Are you volunteering?

Sure, I am the moogle representative.

[Sadistic Seraph]

Holy crap, allmylove

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LnLE...d0FAAAAAAAAAAA

This is, quite simply, the greatest thing ever. Now we just need someone to make a ponified version of the actual show and my life will be complete.

Also: WOOOO! RIOT!!

*sets The Commodore's robots on fire*

[Pokonic]

That would take like a million years and be a 12000x9000 canvas.

And it should be called the Rainbow of Bandwagon!



No, no, when I say 'abstract' I mean 'will not resemble anything coherent'.

Oh, perhapes, the Rainbow of the Playground.

[OracleofWuffing]

Anyone noticed that we haven't had a Scootaloo centric epsiode yet?

Coincidentally, it was really slow at work today, so I drew this and it came out a little bit better than my Applebloom the Lumberjack sketch.

Spoiler

Show

Here's a comparison. Let's take Firefly, since it's so universally beloved on the Internet.

In other news, I was up quite a bit picturing the "script" of Rainbow Dash going to the DMV to renew her daredevil license. I've never written good fanfiction before, but I guess there's only one way out of my head.

Also, are we supposed to be voting on a new thread name? I know "Season 2 ruined my cannon" is already suggested, and even though it didn't get any votes last time, I'm still hoping for, "Yes, those are roman numerals."