My Little Pony XCVIII: Still Haven't Caught Up on Season 7!

[digiman619]

Rick & Morty too.

At least you have a few seasons to fall back on; You can count every 2017!DuckTales episodes on your fingers and we have had three separate hiatuses.

[Forum Explorer]

A pity. Season 5 seems to be very well regarded.

It had a really bad finale, and I was honestly losing quite a bit of interest by the end of it. That's likely why I quit watching early in Season 6. That and my hatred for Starlight Glimmer.

Is this a bad time to mention that I never finished season five?

If you decide to pick it up again, only watch the first part of the finale. Then read a particularly great fan fiction instead of the second half.

[zimmerwald1915]

It had a really bad finale, and I was honestly losing quite a bit of interest by the end of it. That's likely why I quit watching early in Season 6. That and my hatred for Starlight Glimmer.

No it didn't. It had a really bad ending song that undermined Season 6 and left it without anything to do for itself.

[DigoDragon]

The season 6 ending was alright. Though it's better in hindsight since season 7 did something with the aftermath of it. Probably didn't need the song.

[Fable Wright]

At least you have a few seasons to fall back on; You can count every 2017!DuckTales episodes on your fingers and we have had three separate hiatuses.

Disney did the same thing with Gravity Falls. They know where they put their money, don't want to degrade quality and get diminishing return on investment with too many seasons, but want to milk it as long as they can.

Plus side, we know that the execs see this as a hit on par with Gravity Falls. Downside, well, waiting.

[DigoDragon]

Remember those old Doublemint Gum commercials?

Spoiler

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When you want hugs, but your special somepony will have none of that today.

Spoiler

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And I deleted my autocorrect dictionary 'cause it wanted to change hugs to wangs for whatever reason.

At least you have a few seasons to fall back on; You can count every 2017!DuckTales episodes on your fingers and we have had three separate hiatuses.

I was quite surprised that just a couple hours on a lazy Sunday I managed to catch up on all of duck Tales. o.o
Well almost, there was one episode I didn't get to finish.

[zimmerwald1915]

And I deleted my autocorrect dictionary

This is not merely a good life choice. This is the best life choice.

[Forum Explorer]

No it didn't. It had a really bad ending song that undermined Season 6 and left it without anything to do for itself.

No, I meant Season 5 had a really bad ending, which killed a lot of my enthusiasm for Season 6. I never made it to the ending of Season 6.

[zimmerwald1915]

No, I meant Season 5 had a really bad ending, which killed a lot of my enthusiasm for Season 6. I never made it to the ending of Season 6.

Yes, and I'm disagreeing with that assessment. The story was fine in itself. Foreclosing just about every story that could have branched out organically from it was not.

[Aotrs Commander]

I have to agree with Forum Explorer to an extent - Starlight's face-heel turn was just badly handled.

Heck, it actually only works AT ALL if you take it as Starlight seeing it as "join me and we shall rule galaxy" offer from Twilight and her not really being redeemed so much as redirected. AND only in light of season six and Starlight being Still Clearly Evil. At the time, if you recall, I was as incensed as Forum Explorer still is - but Evil Protagonist in season six won me over, because I found it funny. (And - like the Star Wars prequels - you sort of have to be Evil to appreciate it a bit, I think.)

It would have been so simple to fix to greatly more credible by just moving it into the blasted waste (Angel Bunny) future and Starlight actually getting the consequences of her actions.



But DHX are not immune to rolling natural ones now again, same as the rest of us.



I think the song suffers largely because I got the impression from it that it was written with an expectation of it being the series finale, not just the season finale.

[Forum Explorer]

Yes, and I'm disagreeing with that assessment. The story was fine in itself. Foreclosing just about every story that could have branched out organically from it was not.

Other then Starlight's motivation being completely pathetic? Or how about she's able to duel Twilight for no apparent reason anyways? Or how about how pretty much every scene in the other timelines basically amounts to nothing? Or how Starlight is so insane that she's apparently willing to let the entire world be destroyed in order to get back at Twilight?

Seriously, the whole Starlight being as strong as Twilight is really annoying because it's such blatant bad writing. Every other opponent Twilight had faced before then had a reason for being strong, but Starlight was just an ordinary unicorn who is as powerful as Twilight because without it the story just falls apart. She isn't particularly clever, or manipulative. Nope, she's just super powerful because **** you we said so.

Then there's the whole timelines thing. So much potential there, but none of it matters. Think about it. We spend the entire first episode watching the timelines but since none of it carries over, so who really cares? I mean they could've had NMM go through the portal with Twilight, and then try and take over that world as well. And they could've had Twilight and Starlight work together to defeat her. And then Twilight can just talk Starlight down from there and point out that since 'Twilight' had saved the world, altering the past so she didn't means the world is destroyed. Have this logic get Starlight to back down, and then figure out things from there. This also solves the whole 'so insane she's willing to let the world be destroyed thing.'

Instead we get, well what we got. Twilight just keeps dueling Starlight until she finally talks her down anyways.

And then there's the motivation. I could rag on it myself, but I'd rather just quote from a good fanfiction instead.

Spoiler: QUOTE

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"That's it?"

"Huh?"

"That's it?"

"What do you-"

"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard! Your friend moved away, so you think cutie marks are evil? That's just so stupid!"

"Seriously, you've never heard of sending letters?" added a very irate Twilight. "You didn't ever think to visit him?"

"Well I-"

"This is why you tried to brainwash my friends and me? This is why you made your cultists miserable? This is why you've kept me looping through time for over a week?"

"They weren't cult-"

"Did you even see they way they smiled? Cultists."

"That doesn't-"

"You are one of the greatest mages I've ever met. You have enough understanding and raw power to hold your own against me, and I'm the Element of Magic! And this time travel spell is absolutely brilliant! With your skill, you could do something amazing for the good of Equestria, push the bounds of practical and theoretical magic ahead by decades. But instead, due to your amazing inability to figure out the postal system, you decide to hold the most foalish, the most petty of grudges. And if that isn't enough, rather than that grudge being directed at your absent friend or his parents or even the school, you decide cutie marks themselves are at fault. And rather than talking it out or any of the dozens of ways you could solve this, you developed powerful anti-cutie-mark magic, raised a cult, and sought revenge when your obviously evil, misdirected, and unnecessary plan got foiled. Did you ever stop to think during any of this?

I have to agree with Forum Explorer to an extent - Starlight's face-heel turn was just badly handled.

Heck, it actually only works AT ALL if you take it as Starlight seeing it as "join me and we shall rule galaxy" offer from Twilight and her not really being redeemed so much as redirected. AND only in light of season six and Starlight being Still Clearly Evil. At the time, if you recall, I was as incensed as Forum Explorer still is - but Evil Protagonist in season six won me over, because I found it funny. (And - like the Star Wars prequels - you sort of have to be Evil to appreciate it a bit, I think.)

It would have been so simple to fix to greatly more credible by just moving it into the blasted waste (Angel Bunny) future and Starlight actually getting the consequences of her actions.



But DHX are not immune to rolling natural ones now again, same as the rest of us.



I think the song suffers largely because I got the impression from it that it was written with an expectation of it being the series finale, not just the season finale.

I've got to admit, one of my biggest problems with Starlight is that she is Still Evil, and constantly gets away with it. I'd be fine with the Still Evil part if all the other characters treated her appropriately.

[DigoDragon]

She isn't particularly clever, or manipulative. Nope, she's just super powerful because **** you we said so.

If I only get one gripe about Starlight, it would be this. Part of why I really like her paired up with Trixie is that Starlight really should have been more charismatic and manipulative. Like... an evil Trixie. She convinced a town's worth of ponies to give up their cutie marks cause marks are nothing but trouble. And it worked for who knows how long. When Starlight and Trixie ARE together, it doesn't seem like Starlight pulls out powerful spells. She does more little things like bottling up her anger. And try to be clever by luring a dangerous monster to the changelings with food.

[Derjuin]

I pretty much agree with most of the gripes for Starlight. I disliked her through 99% of S6, and only started to enjoy episodes with her in them in S7. Though to be honest, S6 as a whole just felt like a very forgettable season to me. There are a few good episodes, but a lot of meh and some truly atrocious butchering in there as well.

Spoiler: S6, ep by ep, my opinions

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Crystalling: Potentially challenges lore in a book that's supposed to be canon. Also maybe doesn't. Regardless, Flurry Heart is uncanny valley to me.
Gift of Maud Pie: I don't really like Maud except in her first episode; the deadpan humor she has is just too deadpan.
On Your Marks: I forgot this episode existed.
Gauntlet of Fire: Pretty enjoyable, introduces a fun new character in Ember.
No Second Prances: I don't know what it is, but I just dislike this episode. I can't pinpoint why. Maybe it's Trixie's attempted suicide and casual manipulation to "get back" at Twilight after apologizing for being a total plothat a season or two back? Also don't really care for the portrayal of Celestia in this
Newbie Dash: I honestly forgot this episode existed too, but some of it just feels mean and RD's antics just don't do it for me in this episode.
A Hearth's Warming Tail: Best episode of the season. Has like, 4 good songs in it. It's a Christmas Carol episode but I still like it.
Saddle Row Review: Another pretty good episode, but ofc it is, it's a Rarity episode.
Applejack's Day Off: DWK's parody as a Ghostbusters fic is more entertaining than the actual episode. Would have forgotten it existed had it not been for the parody.
Flutter Brutter: Did not forget it existed, but it's not that good tbh.
Spice Up Your Life: Another pretty good episode, but ofc it is, it's 50% a Rarity episode and Pinkie is pretty great in it too.
Stranger than Fan Fiction: EEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Too meta for me. It's cool that Patton Oswalt did a voice though.
Cart B4 Poners: The Faust is Furious: Who Actually Wrote This Garbage
28 Pranks Later: Feels like it should have been left as an unused episode blurb. Also feels mean to RD.
Times They Are A Changeling: I knew this episode had happened, but I forget what happened in it.
Dungeons & Discords: A silly and mostly fun episode. Not bad. Also, comic lore tie-in! Woo.
Buckball Season: I forgot this episode existed, even the memefaces seem to have disappeared.
Fault in our Cutie Marks: Gabby's pretty cool, but it feels like it drags a little to me. Also, kinda forgot it happened.
Viva Las Pegasus: AJ and Fluttershy kinda got the raw end of the deal in episodes in this season. Was neat to see the F&F bros acting as not-antagonists, though.
Every Little Thing She Does: Let's not talk about this episode
PPOV: Felt a bit contrived. Ponies are still very bad at communicating.
Where the Apple Lies: I forgot this episode existed.
Top Bolt: MEMEFAAAAACE but this one was more fun than buckball imo
To Where and Back Again: As with most 2 parters I liked part 1 more than part 2. Changeling mutation is still kinda meh but Chrysalis got some great creepy parts in it. Not as good as S4's but better than S5's I'd say.

S7 is a step up from S6, but I think what helps is that two of the S7 episodes are now my favorites from the entire series (Royal Problem and Perfect Pear). In fact, I'm pretty sure I've watched Perfect Pear more times than I've watched episodes from S6, combined. Call me crazy but I just really like it.

[Alabenson]

I don't quite share the hate for Starlight that a lot of other people have, but I can understand why they feel that way. Starlight initially was a great villain, and to be honest I do think that the backstory we got for her in the S5 finale seemed forced and lessened her overall impact as an antagonist.

That being said, I actually did warm up to Starlight fairly quickly in Season 6, mainly because she added a dynamic to the mane 6 that we hadn't really seen before. Starlight retained a surprising amount of the characterization she had gotten as a villain, being impulsive and prone to throwing around powerful magic at the first sign of any problems.

As for Season 6 itself, I think the major problem I had with it stemmed from the fact that it had a long string of episodes right after the mid-season hiatus that ranged from "meh" to "not very good". That being said, the season eventually improved in time for the finale, which I thought was very good the new changeling design notwithstanding.

[Rater202]

For what it's worth, the Equestria Girls short that Starlight gust starred in basically lampshaded that she and most of the other bad guys in Pony tend to get off more or less scot free for what they did if they're sorry enough.

Starlight: Manipulated an entire town into giving up their talents so they wouldn't think they were special.
Twilight: Overpowered by magic I couldn't control and created a rift between two worlds, almost destroying both of them in the process.
Sunset: Turned an entire school into my own personal zombie army in hopes of conquering a distant pony world.
[Juniper stares in stunned silence]
Pinkie Pie: Wow. We are a reeeaaally forgiving group.

[Aotrs Commander]

Well.

I finally managed to make the matre filter button on Fimfic again and frag knows how many years (largely because I wanted to read the other stories in Aragon's contest).

I am already not sure if that was the right decision....

[gooddragon1]

Beat magicka 2 with 3 macros.

;Fast Heal
t::
Send wwwww{MButton}
return

;Birds
g::
Send sdsd{Space}
return

;Speed
c::
Send asf{Space}
return

Thank you AutoHotkey. Lok was a nightmare even on normal.

[Aotrs Commander]

Just out of interest, what is the latest issue of pony comics people have? I am trying to work out how far behind I am (on top of all the other crap I have to deal with from Forbidden Planet) - my last issue from last week was #62.

[Manga Shoggoth]

Just out of interest, what is the latest issue of pony comics people have? I am trying to work out how far behind I am (on top of all the other crap I have to deal with from Forbidden Planet) - my last issue from last week was #62.

Main Comic: 62
Legends: 10

Mind you, that is from Forbidden Planet, although their London staff appear to have a clue.

[Alabenson]

I rewatched Brotherhooves Social recently and I had something of an interesting thought; what if part of the reason the map sent Applejack to Manehattan was to set in motion the circumstances that led to Big Mac and Applebloom reconnecting? Did the map predict that would happen, or was it just complete coincidence?

[zimmerwald1915]

I rewatched Brotherhooves Social recently and I had something of an interesting thought; what if part of the reason the map sent Applejack to Manehattan was to set in motion the circumstances that led to Big Mac and Applebloom reconnecting? Did the map predict that would happen, or was it just complete coincidence?

The prevailing theory about the Map is that it picks the "right" ponies to go on its missions. What variables go into rightness we don't know. We do know that Brotherhooves Social took place at the same time as Made in Manehattan. So I suppose the way to test your theory would be to examine Applejack's impact on the latter episode. Did she bring anything to its resolution that only she could? If not, there's a good reason to say that the Map took the effects of her absence in Ponyville into account (though of course that can't be proved). Likewise, if she was indispensable, the case for the Map taking the effects of her absence into account starts to look weaker (but again, isn't disproved).

Headcanonize what you like, of course.

[DigoDragon]

Spoiler: Merlin the rocket pony

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[Aotrs Commander]

Time to install Witcher 2 over course of day in-between other jobs: hours

Time to check what is actually final save: two minutes



DAMMIT, CDProject, you couldn't have just let us name saves!?

[Rater202]

Spoiler: Merlin the rocket pony

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What is rocket pone?

[zimmerwald1915]

What is rocket pone?

Judging by the name and the cutie mark? A wholly owned piece of SpaceX property.

Bye bye, last commons.

[digiman619]

Bye bye, last commons.

But if there are no more commons, what will we draft around? Not everything will be a cube...

[Rater202]

Happy give your lover diabetes day, Ponythread.

[Derjuin]

But if there are no more commons, what will we draft around? Not everything will be a cube...

Nothing but dollar mythics and taplands ;p

[DigoDragon]

What is rocket pone?

Judging by the name and the cutie mark? A wholly owned piece of SpaceX property.

Specifically she's designed after the Falcon 9 reusable rocket system that SpaceX uses. Merlin is the name of the engine the rocket system uses.

Happy give your lover diabetes day, Ponythread.

I don't know that such a thing would be a happy one. O.o

[Rater202]

I don't know that such a thing would be a happy one. O.o

Well, between the Chocolates and the sappy greeting cards...