Unpopular opinion time

(grin) Yeah, I didn’t mean that quite so seriously either. To be honest, I know little about popular opinions. I would need therefore at least a thought-technical example for such a discussion ;-)

Rainbow dash is the best flyer

Lightning Dust was alright, I never really cared for her. It’s too bad that in The Washouts, it looked like she didn’t change all that much, not for the better or for the worse. I’m not weeping that she hasn’t returned, but on the other hand I do believe in third chances so maybe another return could’ve changed that but oh well. It’s bad enough that I found the Down Under marmite horse and the Benson/Eddy horse to be more interesting.

@Background Pony #2CA7
Easier said than done dude.

@Wayneponeth
I’m tired of talking about Discord drama as well honestly. But I can’t help myself whenever I walk into debates like these.
I understand what you’re getting at. I think Lightning Dust would have been great as the Pegasi answer to Trixie.
I’d like to hear what your alternate headcanon for Discord is like sometime.

@Ring Team
At least Starlight shows regret whenever she causes trouble unlike Discord.

@Wayneponeth
THIS.

@Andyxdr
I know.

@Red-Supernova
discord also shows regret when he causes trouble but anyways people can like discord if they want, people can like starlight if they want

Personally, Lightning strikes me as a somewhat reformed, but not redeemed character. She isn’t sorry for what she did in the Academy and is even still being reckless and dangerous, but she also isn’t ignorantly endangering everybody around her anymore; now she just endangers her teammates (who’ve signed up for this stuff). Her trying to force Scootaloo was a jerk move, but imo she was treating Scootaloo like her other teammates, which is part of the problem because Scoot is a kid and the other two are adults, and when Scoot was hesitant to do the trick, she saw her being a quitter backing out of a deal.

I think Twilight’s a good leader to the Mane Six, and she could be a good ruler for Equestria. The problem is that the show didn’t sell me that she was ready to rule Equestria.

And the second G5 comic didn’t show me that she was ready for it later either. Quite the opposite. Poor Twilight. So much for Celestia and Luna’s big master plan.

Reminds me now of episode 9x25, where Twilight called Flurry Heart the last hope. Yeah… Go on with that, Twiggy. I dare to doubt that statement by now. Alicorn princesses and the principle of hope don’t seem to harmonize very well in the MLP universe. (cough)

Sometimes I miss the good old days of the first two seasons, when many fans still suspected that the two sisters might be goddesses, or demigoddesses, respectively. Nowadays, one single comic panel is enough to turn you from the beloved embodiment of magic to a tyrannical oppressor. At least, in the minds of some fans. GG, fandom. I’m so proud of us ;-)

(who finds the kindly meant cynicism in this post, may keep it) ^^

@DarkObsidian
As far as I can see, no ruler can successfully impose the values of friendship on a people who aren’t ready for them. In the real world, I observe that many people will hate you if your values are too good for them. An unpopular ruler is forced to lead as a dictator.

Even then, however, one trying to force the ways of friendship must succeed at doing this to those they recruit to enforce it. It’s a matter of checks and balances – but to preserve the ruler’s ability to enforce the policies they wish.

Seasons 1 - 5’s episodes are all good. Except the one with the Hoofields & McColts.

@IV’s
Why’s that?

I cannot even begin to express how fucked up Twilight’s intentions were in creating those crystals, if indeed that’s what we’re meant to believe happened.

@Spinny
I guess giving a control freak ultimate power really was a bad idea in the end.

It was stated and implied that they were either on the brink or in war, so twilight probably was forced to go that far in her mind

In i do believe that a good leader should be willing to go to extremes to protect their people or ponies in this case. Just like when she stole the crystal in the movie, i never looked at her negativity for that

Things like that only pushes me away from G5. While the comics’ canon has been always questionable, the fact they actually want to make it continue it like that just makes me want to flat out discontinue the whole thing.

I’m afraid I cannot defend this one. In the movie, the rest of the Mane 6 were admittedly more of a liability a lot of the time than an asset and as such Twilight would naturally wouldn’t rely on people who are on the way, not to mention the storm king could have tried to use the princesses magic to conquer seaquestria nonetheless as so really, no one gave Twilight a good reason not to do so. The crystals however are too far, is just a downright nasty and twisted procedure, leaving most ponies to fend by themselves taking away something that it’s theirs because they needed a conflict there and Equestria needed to become a segregated place. That just doesn’t do for me. I really hate what they’re doing with her character there.

@IV’s
Damn, I like The Hoofields & McColts

Don’t know how Hoofields and McColts would be considered the worst of episode of S1-5 when MMDW, Princess Spike and What About Discord exists lol

The only halfway logical justification to me for Twilight (the other Mane 6 and Spike, who had at least been present if not involved) to create the Unity Crystals is that it has something to do with the destructive power of the Windigos.
As Tirek said, Windigos are Ancient Magic. And it would be “unwise” to leave them unchecked. This sentence is always disregarded too quickly for me personally.
If the dispute between the three tribes was really so bad that Twilight saw no other way than to lock all magic in the three crystals for safety, well, that’s actually a course of action I can understand.

So far so good. But and here’s the unpopular opinion:

It just doesn’t make sense…

If Twilight and the others really created the crystals for this reason, how on earth did the harmony of the three tribes fall apart again? And why was Discord so panicked after magic returned to the world?

Twilight aside, I would like to know the reason why Discord panicked. Well, Twilight and the others are (presumably) no longer around. And some “random” ponies have apparently managed to bring the three crystals back together, exposing the world once again to the danger that comes with it. I don’t know if Discord really knows that such a power as magic in the world of MLP G5 brings certain risks that the ponies of now can’t know about, and he’s really worried, or if he just doesn’t have faith in the ponies of the new generation.

For me personally, both could make sense. From Discord’s perspective, it’s (presumably) just dangerous to bring magic back so eager, no matter what benefits it brings to the three tribes at first glance. A danger that Sunny and the others don’t (can’t) know about yet. Thus Discord’s behavior, no matter how it may seem, makes sense. Or, Discord is simply Discord, and has no trust in hardly anyone else except Fluttershy.

Okay, he had some trust in Twilight to a certain degree and acted idiotic because of that, because trust is just not his thing. Or, despite his obvious omnipotence (and presumably his chaotic nature), he just can’t really assess certain things in the world very well. See Tirek. See what would probably come out if Discord and the real Grogar ever met. In my personal fan theory, Grogar would simply wipe the floor with Discord. Not because Discord is incompetent. But because there is always a bigger fish/shark in the pond.

So something very crucial is missing so far. And either the writers are aware of that and risk a lot here (among others the displeasure of the fans), or they already have a suitable explanation ready, which will amaze everyone.
Too hard that IDW and Hasbro had never been sources of reliability to sell really well thought out stories. Or rather, hardly at all. I am not yet fully ready to accept this nonsense of the “creation of the three unity crystals” about “all then lived in peace” until “all is lost and the tribes are separated” (missing any explanation) without having seen the whole picture.

But woe, if this is another half pieced together thing… Then I will still remain a fan. That’s for sure. But I’ll dedicate my life to slapping this around the faces of every writer at every convention I go to at some point in the future. And with delight. ;-)

Nah, just kiddin’. All the flights to the USA alone would eventually drive me into bankruptcy. (laughs) ^^

I like the episode too. I don’t know why it’s so badly regarded.

Now, as with Hoofields and McColts and also Princess Spike, I never quite understood the vent about MMDW.

Well, that all three are now not the 100% super episodes, I will not deny. But somehow I can’t help but note that for me, the only common thread as to why fans dislike these episodes in particular is: because they show that ponies can basically be just as big assholes as they are otherwise so lovable.

From a fan’s perspective, I can understand that. From the point of view of someone who also likes entertaining stories, the fandom reaction seems more than questionable and (sorry) stupid to me.

When in Celestia’s name did the question ever come up that the ponies had to be perfect and above reproach of any kind? Uch. This is always the moment when I start to argue with other fans. Not because I can’t accept their love and adoration. But because they just seem like dull and mindless worship to me, completely devoid of any form of reason.

The one episode of MLP G4 that I’ll go with everyone shouldered saying it was stupid, poorly done, and virtually pointless is What About Discord. This episode is trash. And not just that. It is the worst form of trash. It’s trash with the feeling that you’ve been screwed and ripped off even afterwards. Sorry, sorry. Just meine Meinung.

And no, not because I suddenly love Discord now (yes, I do, but that has nothing to do with this). The ending of this episode is sooooooooooooo stupid and nerve-wracking that it still makes me scream out loud. But like Discord, I’ll leave it at that and teleport out of here. For those who would like to talk about it further, yes, absolutely. But I’m not going to say it from my side any further. ;-)

I mean, there are some much worse episodes regarding G4 that belong in the garbage can for me for certain (logical) reasons. Like “Applejack’s Day Off”, for example. But let’s leave it at that for now.

I’m happy to listen to others’ opinions first. And I’m happy to add my two cents. But if you ask me, I’ll be happy to tell you what I consider to be the top 5 dumbest episodes of G4 so far. And why.

But better not ask. I hardly think I could keep this short ;-D

Well, before I go to lunch, a couple things. First off, the lack of harmony had nothing to do with magic or was only an easy excuse. Jerks and idiots will always find a reason to complain, so taking away the magic was unwise and hardly really a good course of action.

Second, all the crystals do is just simply punish everpony…guilty and innocent alike. Basically, the comic seems to indicate Twilight would punish absolutely everybody for the sins of only a couple of ponies. And in fact, it also means good ponies would suffer by the lost of their magical talents and other dangers that might not need magic per see could still put a risk on their lives.

Third, honestly Discord just seems like a bitter cranky old man in G5, not the hedonistic jerk who loves to play with others’ feathers. So cynical he fails to see the big picture: magic had nothing to do with the lack of harmony, magic is just the scapegoat to not face the fact ponies were just so nasty they’ll let petty squabbles loose everything in the process, not that again the crystal creation was a good thing to begin with. Sure, some might pull some strings here and there, but ultimately if ponies eventually choose to succumb to bad ideas, then they’ll have no one to blame but themselves.

And fourth, a lot of the problems can be tracked down to the idea that magic is the cause or solution of problems. By that token, you could argue the same about technology, some dangerous plants or animals, and so on. Is just flat out cutting corners without actually inquiring why exactly something happens.

Good episode. Not spectacular, but good and harmless.

One criticism about School Daze is that the leaders of the non-pony races except for Thorax were acting violent and even threatening to declare war thus proving Neighsay’s worries to be legitimate.

There is truth to this. But I think that’s missing the point. To explain let’s take the dragons as an example.

Dragons have a pretty violent culture. And many times threatening to ponies. And dragons can even be provoked easily. So Neighsay does have a point.

But the point of the School of Friendship is to reform them to become more virtuous creatures.

And while they can be violent, it’s clear Twilight was making progress with them. And that the School was intended to help them change them so they could realize their full potential. And for Neighsay the problem was that he was preventing this reforming process from happening.

That being said, I think Twilight deserves some blame for the conflicts of that episode.

Twilight argued philosophy with Neighsay about how all creatures deserved friendship instead of trying to explain what the purpose of the school and how while the other creatures were not perfect, just like ponies they had potential, and that if you do antagonize them, then they can become good allies with the ponies. Neighsay probably still would have said no but Twilight would have at least argued her points better.

Overall I find the episode interesting even though there are a lot of flaws. Same for the whole School of Friendship arc. I think if they changed some things Season 8 could have been a really great season.

For me, it was Daring Doubt. Hated that episode and how it ruined Daring Do forever.

All of that. Twilight used the crystals as a Sword of Damocles to manipulate future generations of ponykind into playing nice. And yes, it was designed negatively affect everyone, even those whose futures and aspirations were tied to magic like hers was. And we’ve seen that even the most minor and trivial of squabbles can cause them to go haywire.

Worst episode of season 9, easily. And seriously, fuck Fluttershy for facilitating that bullshit.

@Spinny
Never thought id see the words Fuck fluttershy in my life….in a non lewd way at least