Season 7 episode discussion - non-leaked/early version

@RIG
 
Honestly he’s not that bad. He could’ve easily been some creep or jerk to of course make the audience support Big Mac more, but really just came off as no more pushy than Mac.

@rdibp  
>Hate  
I checked and not one hates him.

@RIG  

 
He got some redemption in the end, and was shown to be just a tryhard dork who can’t actually talk to girls. Fine by me. We’ll see him again.
 
BTW: Is there a NAME for Starlight’s old village? Did they ever say it? What is it, just “Equality Town” or some shit?

@Nightweaver20xx  
The fan name is Our Town, don’t think it has an official name.

@Nightweaver20xx
 
Not that i know of. we usually call it Ourtown for convenience.

@Magma_ERuptiOn  
@Mildgyth
 
Personally I prefer “Ourtown” without the gap, like “Jonestown”.

@Magma_ERuptiOn
 
Nope, Larson said that “Our Town” was what they called it in the script and when talking about it amongst themselves, so that is indeed its official name.

So, wait… Discovery’s only 8 episodes in, and 3 episodes behind Treehouse… and we’ve already got a mid-season hiatus?
 
Goddamnit. Not to mention this means that season 7 won’t be over until after the movie’s out.

@Jarkes  
Depends. Some are suggesting after the EQG specials that the show will return and that if the finale is a three parter then we’ll have a week before the movie comes out, or so I’ve heard

A three part finale…oh boy.

I honestly found Feather bangs cute.
 
Everything ‘hateable’ about him is this conncection everyone feels between him and Bieber.

@Applejack007
 
Wait, has this actually been confirmed?

@Applejack007  

@Jarkes  
No, that was in response to EotD’s post above.

@Applejack007  
Could be true though. Pretty much the entirety of season 7 has been revealed except for the last three episodes.

@rdibp  
Well, they already didn’t have a two parter so who knows.

This could be the first 3 part finale in FiM.

@Applepie1973
 
That in my opinion is great. It can potentially prevent pacing issues.

So, much as I have never been a fan of romantic episodes, I think this one was actually rather sweet. Fitting for an episode with so much sugar.
 
 
_{Yes, it’s a bad pun. I regret nothing.}
 
The plot itself is pretty straightforward. It is, for the most part, a standard “awkward individual competes with non-awkward individual for heart of a third individual” romance story I feel the 90’s especially seemed to crank out with alarming regularity. Not exactly a point in its favor, true, but the utility of competitive romance is that it is such a classic tale that even the most bitter, unloved husk of humanity is likely aware of the tropes involved.
 
 
_{Conveniently made clear by romance “expert” Sweete Belle.}
 
As such it conveniently allows jumping straight into the story without needing to establish much in the way of backstory first. And building off the audiences preexisting knowledge also gives the little details a chance to shine through more than they sometimes do in more complicated stories. And really, it is the little details elevate the episode beyond it’s more mundane foundation. The show (through the CMC) plies every cliche in the classic romance department to try and get Big Mac the mare he’s interested in, with increasingly failed results.
 
>>1435494t (merged)  
_{Once you’ve hit the stage where your love is cowering in fear, it’s time to stop.}
 
The end, however, is probably the best part of the episode. Big Mac’s love interest does not want grand gestures and fairy tale romance at all, and that the show goes as far as to point that out is a much appreciated touch of realism in a genre that often showcases such things as successful. That Big Mac ultimately succeeds by having listened to Sugar Belle and been attentive to what she actually needed elevates the story considerably. As does the reveal that Feather Bangs, for all his smooth talk and well kept mane, really has nothing beyond the grand gestures to offer.
 
>>1435485t (merged)  
_{Not that some ponies need more than that.}
 
So all in all, a pretty good episode. Not the best of the season, but if it can succeed in making a love story interesting, than I consider that a decent victory.
 
Also, I’m beginning to think Sweetie Belle takes after her sister more than she realizes.  

@The Smiling Pony  
Why do you want to commit violence on beiber pony?
 
Also, was that “ok” your thoughts on the episode, or just adding to the other statements you made?

Also, if Feather was voiced by Beiber, I’m sure at least 90% of the fandom would have a new worst pony.

@ice1517  
I find it ironic he’s voiced by Vincent Tong, considering who else he voiced.

@Background Pony #5981  

 
The fonts of ponies are very interesting.

Parental Glideance was a good episode until the climax that tried to say Rainbow was wrong to snap at her parents when she did. Maybe Rainbow could have been more tactful but tact isn’t in her nature and her frustrations were entirely justified. Her parents were being ridiculous and bothering her at work. They needed someone to firmly tell them to take it down a notch or 10. I was a little surprised it wasn’t Spitfire when they started shooting off fireworks at the aerial show. At the end of the episode I don’t think Rainbow’s parents learned anything. They only switched the target of their hyperactive cheerleading to Scootaloo, who apparently is so neglected by her parents (or lack thereof) that she can see nothing wrong with their behavior. That’s just sad.
 
The wing hands animations were neat though.
 
Hard To Say Anything was decent. Feather Bangs (a strange name for a couple reasons, one being that he’s not a pegasus) was an obnoxious git straight out of a boy band, which was the point. At least him being awkward in the end added a little depth to his role as a one-shot antagonist. I wouldn’t say I’m sold on SugarMac but I’m not opposed to the ship either.