Itsthinking
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@Background Pony  
That’s their fault, not his, then.
Background Pony #1B9A
@lumpfish  
Yeah, Spike would’ve fared much better if he hadn’t been followed by his “friends”. I mean, he’s an adult or nearly so, he can make his own decisions.
Trickquestion
The End wasn't The End - Found a new home after the great exodus of 2012

@Sjogre  
Dude, I’m totally picturing Megan holding, like, a Diamond Dog at gunpoint and saying “Dream Valley does not negotiate with terrorists” and then kicking him out of a window. Badass.
Sjogre
The End wasn't The End - Found a new home after the great exodus of 2012

@Amethyst_Crystal  
Sweet Stuff went looking for fun on her own, and started the episode apart from the other earth ponies. She was just fine with going off on her own, and only accomplished anything by herself.
 
Something that was actually kind of interesting about the episode, even if it was never said, was that all the ponies were playing games for their own pony type. This led to another lesson that isn’t mentioned often, which is that forcing others to stay on your level is not fun for them. Sweet Stuff opted to move on rather than harsh their fun.
 
Two other fun/interesting lessons from G1:  
Don’t negotiate with terrorists (Escape From Catrina), and don’t go backstage unattended with a rock star (Bright Lights).
 
I’m thinking about starting a G1 Roundup on the forum. Would anyone be interested?
lumpfish

@Trickquestion  
Yep. The ponies were teasing and emasculating him the entire beginning because he was wearing the apron.
 
They treat him like a baby and act as helicopter mothers as they follow him around.
 
BUT THEY’RE THE ONES IN THE RIGHT?
Itsthinking
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@Trickquestion  
If you don’t like a character, why agree to write them?
 
Not only does she clearly not enjoy writing Spike, she doesn’t seem to like writing for the show at all, and never has.
Trickquestion
The End wasn't The End - Found a new home after the great exodus of 2012

@Itsthinking
 
@lumpfish  
What made it worse, is that at the end of the day, the ponies treat him like garbage to! Hell, the dragons looked like the better option to me by the end of the episode, since while both species treat him like dirt, at least amongst the dragons he can be free!
Amethyst_Crystal
My Little Pony - 1992 Edition
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Goth Hippie Nerd Pony
@Sjogre  
I’m not so sure I got the impression that Sweet Stuff wants to be alone, but now that you mention it she does seem a bit introverted?
Sjogre
The End wasn't The End - Found a new home after the great exodus of 2012

@Amethyst_Crystal  
I actually thought that Spike wrote that Code after the events of Just for Sidekicks, when he realized just how much a prick he was.
 
Technically, Just for took place before Spike At, even if it was aired after.
 
@Amethyst_Crystal  
This episode actually had the lesson that being a loner is A-Okay, something that I can’t imagine FiM saying. Clashes too much with it’s message of community.
Amethyst_Crystal
My Little Pony - 1992 Edition
Dream Come True! - Participated in the MLP 9th Anniversary Event
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Goth Hippie Nerd Pony
@Sjogre  
This is very true.
 
G1 taught me to:  
care about strangers when they need compassion  
care about homeless people  
treat weird or different looking people no differently  
give people a chance to make amends for wrongs or mistakes  
be a supportive friend when it is needed most, even if they are hostile ( ’tough love ’ )  
protect my loved ones at all costs
Amethyst_Crystal
My Little Pony - 1992 Edition
Dream Come True! - Participated in the MLP 9th Anniversary Event
A Tale For The Ages - Celebrated MLP's 35th Anniversary and FiM's 8th Anniversary
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Goth Hippie Nerd Pony
@Itsthinking  
The ‘Spike at Your Service’ episode with that ‘honorable dragon code’ obsession seems less weird in context, if you look at it as him desperately trying too hard to be a ‘good dragon’.
 
As a side note, G1 didn’t present the ‘dragon greed = dragon ageing’ concept, but neither confirmed nor denied whether it works that way in the world of Dream Valley.
Itsthinking
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@lumpfish  
Why does she still write? WHY
lumpfish

@Itsthinking  
You’re giving Merriwhether to much credit. I’m pretty sure even she didn’t mean to make Dragon Quest such a horrible episode with misandric and racist undertones. I’m pretty sure she’s just a complete moron who puts little effort into her writing.
 
And guess who wrote SAYS?
Sjogre
The End wasn't The End - Found a new home after the great exodus of 2012

@lumpfish  
MLP: FiM commonly represent other races.
 
There are two instances where that might be true, and a bunch where it isn’t. The different species are considered different species, which is not the same as being a different human race.
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@lumpfish  
See, but he gave the phoenix back. He realized that you can only take the hunter out of the hunt so long.
 
And to be honest, he realized that about himself too. What do you think the “Dragon Code” was other than him trying to glorify being a new kind of noble dragon?
Sjogre
The End wasn't The End - Found a new home after the great exodus of 2012

@Amethyst_Crystal  
Dragon Quest did not have that lesson. It might be a surprise, but the first cartoon actually had some pretty daring morals, while most FiM episodes just have a stock lesson.
lumpfish

@Amethyst_Crystal  
Pretty sure his letter to Celestia was him talking about how he was glad to be a pony and that he would raise his phoenix to be a pony too.
 
Sounds pretty racist when you include the fact that different species in MLP: FiM commonly represent other races.
Itsthinking
Princess Ember - Derpi Supporter
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Friendship, Art, and Magic (2018) - Celebrated Derpibooru's six year anniversary with friends.
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@Amethyst_Crystal  
That was kind of the lesson of Dragon Quest, I think Spike wants to start a new trend of dragons that they don’t have to be evil town destroyers.
Amethyst_Crystal
My Little Pony - 1992 Edition
Dream Come True! - Participated in the MLP 9th Anniversary Event
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Goth Hippie Nerd Pony
@Itsthinking  
Well, there is an episode with Spike confronting and trying to cooperate with really mean regular dragons in G1 too (not the same episode as this song).
 
The difference is that Spike leaves the experience believing that there are some good dragons out there, and if nothing else, he can be one. Or was that the lesson from Dragon Quest too?
Sjogre
The End wasn't The End - Found a new home after the great exodus of 2012

Ah, yes, the episode with the anti-conformity moral. Given the eighties, actually a surprise.
 
Sadly, I don’t think that FiM could broadcast this message as effectively.
Itsthinking
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@lumpfish  
And to be honest, it was a more realistic depiction.
 
Though in G4’s universe, ponies having dragons to begin with is incredibly sketchy.
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@lumpfish  
Gen 4 also had to deal with Williams.
Itsthinking
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@ClownDicks  
This ends up with him getting all of the mares.
lumpfish

Funny enough, gen 1 did this better than gen 4, telling Spike not to be ashamed of who he was.
 
Gen 4 said that he should be ashamed of who he was and be glad he was raised as a pony instead.
Background Pony Number 17
My Little Pony - 1992 Edition

Spike’s had species-identity issues since all the way back in Gen 1? No wonder the poor kid’s messed up.