My Little Pony 'n Friends: The End of Flutter Valley (G1 TV Episodes, 1986, 10x 10 minutes)

 

The first real TV series for My Little Pony was broadcast as part of 'My Little Pony 'n Friends' where a 10-minute MLP episode was followed by a 10-minute episode from another animated series. The first ten MLP episodes were basically a mini-series sequel to the theatrical film. Given the length, it's very likely this was originally the script for another full theatrical film, but given how the first one bombed they instead recycled it into a mini-series.

 

Summary: The witches need revenge, and find a way by tricking others into stealing a magic artifact from the Flutterponies. The loss destroys Fluttervalley, and potentially all of Pony land.

 

As the episodes were very short, I'll throw my notes up for the seemingly 10-episode mini-series.

 

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Part 1

 

Much faster paced intro.

 

Here we are at Paradise Estates. Actually, how do all the ponies live here? It's not that big, and there were a fair number of ponies before.

 

Hey pony-who-will-be-Pinkie Pie; Surprise. Adult this time. Last time I thought she was a 'baby'?

 

Travelling to Flutter Valley, which is now close enough that young ponies can make the trip. But far enough that it's still a 'trip'.

 

Cupcake is a baker. Indicating cutie-mark/name has a similar meaning as in G4.

 

One of the young ponies is called a 'baby pony', but Surprise isn't? Either fast maturation, or something else is going on.

 

Witches again. Dafter than before, even.

 

Pones must be deaf, or they know the witches are useless and are deliberately ignoring them. They are standing right next to them.

 

Witches actually achieving something? Weird.

 

Ponies never late? That means they regularly visit the Flutterponies now in order to establish a pattern of behavior.

 

Switch to 'utter-flutter'? The what?

 

Cotton plants?

 

Sunstone? Another artifact. Grants eternal summer to Flutter Valley.

 

Rosedust, Queen of the Flutterponies. Sun Tuesday. They go through this entire thing every Tuesday? Or is this more like Shrove Tuesday, also known as Pancake Tuesday and sometimes Mardi Gras?

 

Sunstone seems to be the way the Flutterponies control the sun's output. It's not precisely the same as Celestia's control over the sun in G4, but I can see the connection.

 

Land Pie? Really?

 

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Part 2

 

Bunches of witches, many of which referenced in the theatrical movie, animated from pictures. I wonder if these are the actual witches using the paintings as transports, or if they are just simulacrums?

 

A race of sentient bees, led by a Queen Bumble.

 

Originally from Fluttervalley but were forced out by the Flutterponies.

 

That's not how you get nectar from flowers.....

 

Bumble imports stuff to her frozen region known as Bumbleland.

 

Bee clothing resembles 50's Biker gear, which was based on old surplus military pilot gear.

 

Furbobs. Four-legged versions of the bushwollies. We needed more kinds of bushwollies? Always disagreeing with each other automatically without thought. So they're political party representatives.

 

Stonebacks are armadillos and are antagonistic towards Furbobs. So the only reason to introduce Furbobs was to be an excuse for introducing Stonebacks. Huh.

 

Unicorn magic now can create things, specifically a bubble. Thought that might be just the twinkle-eyed unicorn, Fizzy.

 

Furbobbia, land of the Furbobs. Yay.

 

Flutterpony *lands* on a rainbow, and then flies through it. Yes, it's a fake rainbow, but the flutterpony doesn't know that at the time.

 

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Part 3

 

What a waste of honey.

 

Sunstone reflects and concentrates the sun, not control it directly. Okay, quite different than I thought.

 

Hey Ohg. Some day I'll find out how to spell that.

 

I'm confused, which one is Wishful? Was that one of the ponies, or a bushwollie?

 

Don't feel bad Spike, you tried. More than the others did.

 

Utterflutter again.

 

Not much else really happens in this episode with respect to worldbuilding. Mostly singing about how nice the sun is, and how nasty it is without it. Poor Luna.

 

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Part 4

 

The bubble from before seems to be a specific ability for this pony.

 

Okay, yep Wishful is a bushwollie.

 

Unicorn telekinesis.

 

Why does every sentient race only seem to be about six individuals at most?

 

Okay, except for the bees.

 

What the heck? Some bug thing eating her coat?

 

Furbobs have access to 'natural' magic. All about harmony healing.

 

It's dangerous to go alone, take this baby dragon.

 

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Part 5

 

Sunstone isn't as easy to control as originally billed.

 

None of the flutterponies think of just eating the honey. Sugar actually has quite an effect on horses, which is why they're crazy for sugarcubes and the like, so that's odd.

 

More unicorn magic. Making a wind.

 

The Flutterponies still don't consider themselves part of the 'My Little Pony' cultural grouping.

 

Morningglory doesn't seem to understand the concept of 'duty'.

 

Geezus, it melted right through the ground. How hot was that thing?

 

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Part 6

 

Named bees have four arms and two legs. Unnamed bees have six arms. It's not just sticking shoes on the last pair of arms, because the arms are grouped together, while the legs are away from the arms.

 

Why are Bumble's clothes falling apart?

 

Why was the pink pony's horn glowing when talking to the furbob?

 

Yeah, run... or waddle, I guess.

 

Rainbow of Convenience. Human world is on the other end of that rainbow.

 

Okay, this is feeling more like a magic dimensional transfer with that storm.

 

Weird shooting stars there.

 

Interesting, the flutterpony doesn't know how to describe Megan as a human. Despite both her and the bee guy both being familiar with witches, who have sufficiently similar appearance to a human that it shouldn't be that hard.

 

*snicker* "Is that Megan?"

 

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Part 7

 

Megan's wearing that same weird overalls thing. Blame the 80's.

 

Roadsigns actually saying 'This way' and 'That way'. It'd be amusing if there were actual towns with those names.

 

What the heck is that thing? Elephant/mole/shark?

 

Furbobs can expand/stretch. Odd.

 

Another set of strange star movements.

 

Bumble seems confused about Bumbleland being *in* Fluttervalley or not.

 

Crudely made derrick. No idea what the power source of that is supposed to be.

 

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Part 8

 

Parley!

 

Bees can detatch their stingers, and either re-attach or regrow them quickly. Not like actual bees.

 

Draggle got de-purpled without going back to the volcano

 

Fizzy creates bubbles, Buttons has telekineses, Gusty has windblowing. Each Unicorn has a single special ability, and telekinesis is considered one ability.

 

Obvious trap is obvious.

 

Ohg changes scale pretty often, actually.

 

Okay. Stonebacks were convinced to help 'offscreen'. Annoying.

 

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Part 9

 

Not that far underground, the area is filled with steam vents. Bumbleland must be on a high altitude (for the cold), and on a dormant volcano.

 

Should play this song to North Korea. "Imagine you were friends!"

 

Utterflutter cools the sunstone.

 

Witches actually learn from mistakes? What madness is this?

 

The sunstone is light enough that a healthy young human girl can carry it easily, despite it's awkward size. If it was actually made of a aluminum-silicate compound like most gemstones, it would be well over a hundred pounds at that size.

 

Yet the flutterponies can't carry the sunstone. Flutterponies are nowhere near as strong as pegasi, as pegasi are capable of carrying a human by themselves.

 

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Part 10

 

Furbobs are just as much idiots as bushwollies. I can see the relation.

 

Fluttermagic disintegrates spiderwebs. Or Ohgwebs, whatever.

 

Bumble's swarm has reduced in size, she's lost a lot of bees with all this.

 

Heelface turn. That was as fast a 'reform' as Sunset Shimmer.

 

Sunstone has to recharge before it restore the valley. Why it can't do this tomorrow is a bit vague.

 

Witches and Ohg repelled yet again. I wonder if they'll show up again, or if that's it for them.

 

More sun worship. Poor Luna, again.

 

Human running animation *sucks*.