Honestly, the episode might’ve been stronger if they took it in a more mature direction like this.
However, I think this idea is a bit too extreme and while I’ll admit I’m not fond of the parent characters, they don’t deserve the tons of hate they’re apparently getting.
@MadVillain
Tell that to the “parents” that have left her alone.
They missed out on so much of her live that Scootaloo has abbandoment issues as seen in Parental Glidance.
Rainbow Dash becoming her guardian would not be better, but that is why Scootaloo´s aunts got to take care of her in the show. They cared for her more than the biological parents.
Getting a child is easy, becoming a parent is hard. And as shown it was to hard for Scootaloo´s parents. Would not surprise me if that would have continued in Shire Lanka with the difference that she would not have nopony around her that cared. They left their kid for their Job before why should we believe it to be different next time.
“I just felt they handled this episode really poorly. How could her parents be so callous they don’t even try to run after her when she runs away crying?”
Even after almost nine years and after nearly eight and a half seasons (+ one movie and one special, several shorts, several comic series of varying lengths and a rather large number of official books, one manga issue [four if we count the japanese-only manga] and soon another special) of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Equestria still hasn’t become a magical utopia where life is perfect, where everypony is pure and good and never hurts anypony else and where no problems exist.
Scoots’ parents are just jerks who don’t actually care for their daughter.
The episode wasn’t handled poorly, it just did what the show did since the beginning, showing the hardships of life in a realistic way. Aka, what you always loved about the show since Season 1.
If you never loved that, however, you chose the wrong show, because it was never different than this.
@MadVillain
Because there’s only one train per month to that specific location? What, are they gonna get a taxi?
You’re really downplaying how important Dash is to Scootaloo. She’s her idol, and has become just as close to Rainbow as Apple Bloom is with Applejack, or Sweetie with Rarity. At the very least she’s present in her life, giving her an example to live by, and supporting her. Snap Shutter and Allgood barely check one of those boxes.
Being that young and having the world you’ve had around you be yanked out from under you is and can be damaging. It doesn’t matter that she’s ten… Actually, that makes it even worse considering that’s a tender age and a great time of physical and mental development happens.
@VermiIIion
Why would Applebloom and Sweetie have to disappear for a month? And no, taking a child camping and hanging out with them a few times doesn’t give you more rights than they’re actual parents. And uproot what entire life? She’s like 10 she’ll other friends, actually growing up with parents is more important than spending time with your friends.
@MadVillain
A train that only comes once a month? Also, when Scoots parents say “they can come visit” are they just assuming Bloom and Sweetie’s parents/sisters would allow them to disappear for a full month? Also, considering Rainbow is the only pony who we’ve seen with her throughout the show, I’d say Rainbow has more of a right to raise Scootaloo than two people who have her raised by other people and then want to uproot the entire life she knows for them. And it’s pretty obvious writing letters isn’t the same as actually talking to your friends, if the lack of Scoots parents awareness or empathy is any indication.
Pretty sure Pinkie could juryrig something easy for Scoots to get from the clouds to the ground. Or Twilight. Or, yeah, Rainbow could just drop her off on the ground for awhile. And if Rainbow can’t do that all the time… She can always sleep over at her friends.
Way too melodramatic. She’s just moving away and it’s not like she’ll never see or hear from the CMC again and can write them. RD acting like she has more of a right to be Scootaloo’s actual parents and calling them not parents is insane,and so is any parent that would listen to that kind of reasoning.
Also how is Scootaloo supposed to get to RD’s house if she lived there, Is Dash going to carry her every single time?
