DerpyFast
Guess I’ll throw in my two cents.
Fluttershy in general:
Fluttershy fundamentally changed as a character throughout the show. I thought she had a pretty great journey as a character, and got a pretty great sendoff in S9. People like to throw around accusations of her learning the same lesson over and over, but in reality, she was given a recurring set of ideas (kindness versus assertiveness, and as well as confidence) that were explored from a variety of different angles. Episodes like Sweet and Smoky, Daring Doubt and She Talks to Angel highlight just how much she’s grown as a character, with her doing things the S1 version of her wouldn’t have been able to do. The rest of The Mane Six hadn’t really grown that much, so there was very little to actually highlight.
Garble redemption:
Garble’s was the redemption no one asked for, but I saw Sweet and Smoky as a walking tour of Fluttershy developing her assertive side. Spike represents the kind doormat she started out as. Garble represents someone who bullies others to avoid being bullied themselves. Smoulder represents someone who’s tough enough that people won’t mess with her, but doesn’t go out of their way to bully others.
I don’t see it as being about Garble. I see it as being about how Fluttershy has incorporated assertiveness into her personality without losing her kind side, and she’s able to use this to redeem Garble.
It also did a great job at reincorporating the elements from her very first scene in the show.
Ahuizotl and Caballeron:
The recurring themes of the Daring Do episodes are “perspectives” and “re-evaluating one’s position”. So re-contextualizing (not redeeming) the actions of Ahuizotl and Caballeron is a thematically appropriate sendoff.
Grogar Twist:
I understand why the twist exists mechanically. I think it, like the underwhelming sendoffs The Mane Six arguably got, is a symptom of underlying structural problems with the show. I can see why people are disappointed, but I’ve known for years that the pieces for a proper final confrontation and sendoff just weren’t there.
The Trio:
I think “redemption” is the wrong way to look at it. I can’t help but compare them to Thanos. Like Thanos, The Trio were the villains, but also the heroes of their own story. I think what they really needed was their own “Rest and watch the sun rise” moment.
Fluttershy in general:
Fluttershy fundamentally changed as a character throughout the show. I thought she had a pretty great journey as a character, and got a pretty great sendoff in S9. People like to throw around accusations of her learning the same lesson over and over, but in reality, she was given a recurring set of ideas (kindness versus assertiveness, and as well as confidence) that were explored from a variety of different angles. Episodes like Sweet and Smoky, Daring Doubt and She Talks to Angel highlight just how much she’s grown as a character, with her doing things the S1 version of her wouldn’t have been able to do. The rest of The Mane Six hadn’t really grown that much, so there was very little to actually highlight.
Garble redemption:
Garble’s was the redemption no one asked for, but I saw Sweet and Smoky as a walking tour of Fluttershy developing her assertive side. Spike represents the kind doormat she started out as. Garble represents someone who bullies others to avoid being bullied themselves. Smoulder represents someone who’s tough enough that people won’t mess with her, but doesn’t go out of their way to bully others.
I don’t see it as being about Garble. I see it as being about how Fluttershy has incorporated assertiveness into her personality without losing her kind side, and she’s able to use this to redeem Garble.
It also did a great job at reincorporating the elements from her very first scene in the show.
Ahuizotl and Caballeron:
The recurring themes of the Daring Do episodes are “perspectives” and “re-evaluating one’s position”. So re-contextualizing (not redeeming) the actions of Ahuizotl and Caballeron is a thematically appropriate sendoff.
Grogar Twist:
I understand why the twist exists mechanically. I think it, like the underwhelming sendoffs The Mane Six arguably got, is a symptom of underlying structural problems with the show. I can see why people are disappointed, but I’ve known for years that the pieces for a proper final confrontation and sendoff just weren’t there.
The Trio:
I think “redemption” is the wrong way to look at it. I can’t help but compare them to Thanos. Like Thanos, The Trio were the villains, but also the heroes of their own story. I think what they really needed was their own “Rest and watch the sun rise” moment.