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Dark Qiviut

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  3. Dark Qiviut
    I wrote this back when it was leaked, and my impressions remain the same. Check 'em out below.
     
    ———
     
    What I liked:
    Fantastic animation. The lighting and shadowing were great, giving the characters depth and atmosphere mood.
    Excellent AppleDash chemistry. Not shipping, but their friendship and friendly rivalry played off each other. Chemistry at its finest.
    AJ, your story's actually SCARY. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
    Good use of continuity. No true results, but at least the box wasn't left hanging unlike the rushed, lamebrain Twilicorn concept from last season. Hopefully, they don't drop the ball on it unlike last season.
    Adorkable Twilight, but reigned in with more confidence, intelligence, and maturity. (Still, great for humor, bad for proving her worth as an alicorn princess. More development of her is needed to get passed this stage. She can't be like this forever.)
    Twilight can fly well, hopefully ending the lazy retcon.
    Stunt > Consequences > Resolution. Rarity got in over her head via her greed, scared the shit outta herself, and tore a piece of the precious royal tapestry.
    It was just one hilarious Scooby-Doo parody. The ponies being so scared and running around like that gave me plenty of laughter.
    Unlike Princess Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie wasn't a random dumbbell. She had purpose and a bit more intelligence to go with her randomness.
    Nicely done callback from Lesson Zero.
    Equal screentime for all of the characters, minus Pinkie. Angel's still a lovable dick.
    The pacing is factually better in here. One of the premiere's biggest problems (and why PTS isn't so objectively good) is the pacing, forcing McCarthy to rush her plot development and insert contrived logic and plot devices. Here, there is a small DEM, but unlike Too Many Pinkie Pies, it fit the scope of the old castle and didn't really impact the plot so much.
    Good cliffhanger. Now I wonder how it'll impact Season 4…if it will.

    What I don't like:
    Lay off the Spikabuse, pleeeeeeeeaaaase!
    VERY predictable outcome. With Pinkie absent this whole time, it was obvious she was the master of the pipe organ. If the pony playing it was someone else (like Celestia, Luna, or a true ghost), then that'd be a good twist.
    Fluttershy was caring for Angel, but still behaved like a rather gigantic scaredy-cat. (This case, though, it's somewhat justified given the circumstances.)
    Twilight showing VERY SLOW development as an alicorn princess. She was funny, but keeps proving how pointless her ascension is so far. I already linked what kind of development Twilight should ger to prove her worth.

    Altogether, I currently really like it, and it's so far a MUCH better episode than PTS. A good debut episode for Josh Haber. ^__^
     
    ———
     
    Source: S04:E03 - Castle Mane-ia
  7. Dark Qiviut
    I liked it, but it's hyperbole to call it the best two-part opener in quality. Instead of dissecting good and bad only, I'll only list and partially dissect what I liked and not, although the two will overlap.
     
    What I liked:
    The humor with Twilight not being able to fly. As annoying as the retcon is, it gave the spots nice humor. And at least her difficulty was solved at the end.
    Discord played a role in the story. He was his chaotic self and hilarious to boot. (The Aladdin reference with Discord taking the bath cracked me up.) He was a complete dick, and that's great to keep.
    It was nice to see all the worldbuilding in the episode, from the origins of the Elements of Harmony to them finally being stored again.
    Twilight saying her new role in Equestria may test her friendship with the others. That's exactly something the writers need to do in order to genuinely make her role worthwhile.
    The Elements of Harmony not being used anymore. In the first two-parters, the EoH were crucial, but they began to become plot devices the Mane Six forced themselves to rely on. (This includes the lazy mess known as Equestria Girls.) With the Elements now back in their rightful place, they'll have to solve their problems with their innate abilities rather than a plot convenience. It's a completely different direction that surprised me, and honestly, they needed it desperately
    The Sidekick Five actually had importance instead of being figurative background ponies.
    Twilight had a genuine reason to be in Canterlot: preparing for a Summer Sun Celebration, but this time one about actually putting the turmoil of Nightmare Moon behind Celestia. (She actually got genuine characterization.)
    The animation really stepped up here. It was very fluent with nicely done lighting and depth perception, further proving how Flash is a respectable medium for animation.

    What I disliked:
    Twilight's struggle to fly was completely unneeded (a slight criticism I had for EQG, too), and it's annoying to see her ability to fly well from the end of MMC retconned. Trade the humor from Twilight's poor flying with maybe her poor ability to land (which was done).
    Wilhelm Scream…NO!
    The alicorn potion is a complete Deus Ex Machina, and it became crucial in so many points. A contrived plot device and major writing shortcut.
    The Tree of Harmony (referencing the Yggdrasil) just came out of nowhere. No history was truly explained. Twilight just found out about it, and that was that.
    The flashbacks were pretty underwhelming and paced too quickly.
    Tara Strong's voice acting upon landing before the injured Celestia felt very artificial.
    McCarthy's pace for this episode was inconsistent. It went from being very slow to too quick, and the breakup was pointless and ate up too much time in the script.
    Speaking of the breakup, Applejack was very out of character at that moment. She wouldn't be the one who'd suggest Twilight to return to Ponyville. Maybe someone like Rarity or Fluttershy, but it doesn't feel right coming out of the cowmare's mouth.
    The plot tells far too much, telling the audience how the writer and rest of team had trouble fitting it all in forty minutes without cramming and mishandling the pacing. Show, don't tell.
    The idea of the Elements of Harmony being predestined (Twilight's cutie mark on the Yggdrasil and Element itself) is quite bothersome. Destiny doesn't choose you. You choose your destiny. It was a major criticism I had with Magical Mystery Cure, and it's the same here.

    In all, it's a good episode. It's better than The Crystal Empire, but worse than Return of Harmony (best two-part opener) and the pilot. PTS needs a lot more editing (fix the pacing, show more rather than rely on an obvious DEM and exposition) to solidify it and make the writing quality convincing, and the two-parter doesn't genuinely prove the Twilicorn's worth as princess at this point. Twilight has a ways to go, and DHX needs to show in the canon she earned it. It's on the right track, but Twilight's ascension isn't currently convincing. Hopefully, future episodes change that.
  8. Dark Qiviut
    Author's Note: This review is a revision of my previous review. If you want to look at it, click here.
     
    ——
     
    Season three has come and gone with Magical Mystery Cure. Initially, I said the episode was good, but its major pacing problems was why it was really weak. I rewatched it twice, and it's unfortunate to say that this episode is not only easily the weakest finale, but also the fourth out of five clunkers since Apple Family Reunion (even though it's easily the best of the four bad episodes).
     
    Like I did with all of my other reviews, I'll display the strengths first.
    The songs are incredible. Throughout the series, we've heard some amazing songs, and each one has yet to fail. The score is magnificent with various instruments and tones to create certain moods. Through each song, the plot progressed from one moment to another, creating a flow from one scene to another
    Life in Ponyville/Equestria (Reprise) dictates the happiness Ponyville tends to have as well as Twilight's close relationship she has with not only her friends, but the entire town, too.
    What My Cutie Mark Is Telling Me has a conflicting, yet funny beat and score that hints to the audience that the mishap is hilarious.
    I've Got to Find a Way, however, changes the tone completely. What was a hilarious sequence previously suddenly turns darker than previously thought. The music and lyrics are sad and powerful. I'll be writing a more in-depth review for this later on.
    A True, True Friend returns the episode to optimism and hope, and the progression in the instrumental score — to triumphant and upbeat — in the background signals this.
    Celestia's Ballad is easily the biggest shock for me, and it creates hope and passion for Twilight's more advanced work. A more in-depth analysis is coming up.
    Behold, Princess Twilight Sparkle has a royal flavor in it with the grandiose style of the music.

    [*]Even though the cutie marks are switched, the characters are in-character. Fluttershy's attempt for laughter is forced. Rainbow Dash is lost in her ability to discipline the animals and cracked under pressure. Pinkie Pie's cheerful exposition is lost. Rarity tries to control the weather, but does it while keeping an eye on composition and pattern. Applejack is struggling to sew. Each character has a different cutie mark, and they're in a vicious dilemma.
    [*]A small, but very pleasant surprise.
    [*]The two songs, beginning with I've Got to Find a Way.
    It's only a minute long, but it's easily the best one in the entire episode (and maybe the whole season). It's an amazingly dark surprise to an accident that, indeed, caused so much heartache. When Twilight inadvertently caused the cutie-mark-switching spell, all that they've known for was reversed, and Ponyville descended into chaos far worse and more tragic than what Discord could dream of. Ponyville was in despair, and the sadness in the lyrics, atmosphere, and score enhance the quality of the song. It's in character of the canon, but also transcends into something more personal and sincere. It's the most realistic song in the episode, and it's so refreshing. Unfortunately, it's only a minute long. I hope Ingram uploads the longer version soon!
    Celestia's Ballad does one thing that the other episodes didn't do: character-study Celestia. I'm a big Celestia fan, but one of her biggest downsides is her lack of character expansion. This song really explored her as not just a mentor, but a character, too. Warm, sincere, and proud. It gives her tremendous depth, something not seen in some time. (That said, a [hopefully good] Celestia-centered episode someday, please!)

    [*]The pop culture references. The musical-esque episode reminds me of some of the musical-centered classics from the past. But given the title, it reminds me somewhat of Yellow Submarine (a cel-animated movie featuring the Beatles). "A True, True Friend's" handling of the cutie-mark-switching reminded me of the Beatles' song "All You Need Is Love" within that movie It's a nice touch. The meeting with Celestia and Twilight had "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" all over it, too, but never stuck out as bothersome.
    [*]The transformation to the Twilicorn (and "alicorn" is now cemented in the canon besides being an amulet! *yay*) is handled a hell of a lot better than I thought it would be. It's a reward for something one of the greatest magicians of all-time couldn't do, and she was able to get things right again. There needed to be a great reason behind the Twilicorn, and this makes some sense. I'll be writing more about this in a bit.


    But despite the many good things here, this episode is the best of the four bad episodes this season has (the other bad episodes being Games Ponies Play, Spike at Your Service, and Just for Sidekicks).
    The pace was way too fast. Keep Calm and Flutter On's lone issue in the entire episode was exactly this, but the pace was even faster here. Despite the slower songs, the pace itself did nothing except speed up abnormally from the very beginning to the end. Season three's finale had no time to calm down and physically slow down the pace. There were two episodes that desperately needed to be a two-parter. This is one of them. Each main point of the plot progressed unrealistically quickly.
    The songs are fantastic, but they made the story so condensed that the little details and "foreshadowing" got quickly lost. I've been to many Broadway musicals over the years, and the ones that tend to go bad are when characterization and plot progression are hidden or lost via a barrage of songs. (This is why Phantom of the Opera, Rain, and Chicago are bad musicals, and it's also one of the biggest reasons why the second act of the West Side Story revival sucked.) Good musicals offer a balance between character interaction and character/plot-driven songs, as they share a variation of pace and good characterization. Having a musical be almost entirely of songs makes the plot whiz by. For a twenty-minute episode, it makes the finale even more abnormally rushed. For a twenty-minute episode, at most three would've been best (Life in Ponyville, I've Got to Find a Way, and Life in Equestria are my choices). The seven songs are plain overkill.
    The foreshadowing got shoved in very inorganically. As a storywriter and analyst myself, one important point in foreshadowing is to hint it, but have it not stick out. Star Swirl the Bearded's book was shoved in extremely quickly (one moment, it was the chaos; then Spike asking; and finally a flashback), and the inclusion of the Elements of Harmony within the protected glass (a callback from Keep Calm and Flutter On) stuck out.
    The concept of the Twilicorn in the season finale. I said it before, and I'll say it again. This concept got shoved in by the marketing department of Hasbro as a means to sell toys to little girls (a very poor excuse at that; kids may eat some things up, but Hasbro has a pattern of taking kids' intellect for granted). This is an idea that had literally no momentum from The Crystal Empire, Part 2 onward. They were adventure/slice-of-life episodes, and then BAM! The concept drops in unannounced. This concept is factually stupid, and nothing will change that. I posted my anti-Twilicorn editorial several times already; but if you want to read it, head over here.
    The in-canon reason for the Twilicorn was strong, but its path was shoddy, leading to a so-so first impression. Because of the episode's significant rush, it made the progress feel very inorganic. There was only one way for the Twilicorn execution to be entirely sold: The plot must be so well-done that it masks Hasbro's meddling immediately. Unlike A Canterlot Wedding with Cadance and Shining Armor, this was something that has the danger of altering a very close dynamic, even though the final minutes don't dictate this. There had to be NO gray areas or mishaps. The in-canon reasons were okay at best, but the plot mishaps were aplenty. That's not how to successfully sell a first impression to your audience. Instead of solving questions, it opened up to more confusion, and it felt more like a poorly done series finale instead of a season finale. Exploring it in season four's premiere isn't good enough: First impressions carry more weight than subsequent appearances. Twilight Sparkle is her own brand identity, and altering it is an extremely risky task unless executed perfectly. Twilicorn's first impression is extremely faulty, and you don't want that at all.
    There is inconsistency in what a cutie mark truly is, and the "destiny" subplot is ill-advised. A cutie mark is defined as the pony's individual talent (or interest you pursue). Each cutie mark is like a person's fingerprint: No two are ever the same. Each pony's main interest depends on their cutie marks. Magical Mystery Cure, however, changes this to "destiny," or predetermined lives from here on out. Basically, MMC resorts to having their lives fixated on their cutie mark, a contradiction to the canon. Furthermore, it is hinted that Twilight's evolution to an alicorn is predetermined. As in, it was what her destiny is, whether she embraces it or not. Throughout the series, you notice that each character has a path, and then they set themselves onto another to better themselves. But in each episode, fate didn't determine the characters. The characters determined their own fate based off their actions and consequences. The concept of predestined circumstances reverses this trend and, in itself, is a major bothersome cliché in the storytelling business because it sacrifices organic plot progression for a cheap device. (This is why I hold very well-liked anime like Sailor Moon and Kannazuki no Miko with such low regards.) Destiny DOESN'T choose you! YOU choose your destiny! If Twilight chose to become an alicorn and princess, it would've made this problem moot. But Magical Mystery Cure nullifies this and forces Twilight to be into what is poor, inorganic "character development."

    It would've been easily better if it were:
    Two parts to not only calm the pace down, but also spread out the songs to balance out the characterization and genuine interaction.
    Not resort to the cheap "destiny" subplot.

    A rough draft I have is as follows:
     
    Part 1:
    Prologue: Celestia and Luna discuss Star Swirl the Bearded's book, and they flip through to seeing an incomplete last page. Celestia told Luna that, if Twilight can complete it, she'll be rewarded to the next level of her studies. Luna asks her about what happens if Twilight writes the spell wrong, but Celestia reassures her that she'll be fine.
    Act 1: Twilight and the rest of the Mane Six discuss the adventures they had together and how much they grown since being conjoined by the Elements of Harmony. Following a quip about how happy Ponyville looks and is, "Life in Ponyville" commences (only without an interruption of Rarity accidentally dumping rainwater on top of her). When they're done, the Mane Six laugh. Suddenly, Spike burps, and a letter plus Star Swirl's book appear before her. Everyone oohs, especially Twilight, who was responsible for finishing the spell. Everyone wonders how to finish it, but one asks who Star Swirl the Beared is. Twilight Sparkle explains who he is and his legend. Some of the spells (like the aging spell Trixie cast on Snips and Snails from their duels, the teleportation spell, and gravity) came from him. He was one of her idols when she was a filly, and it was his greatness as to why she yearns to be the best magician alive today. If she could finish the spell, she evolves to a new level of her studies, and she is interested in what comes next.
    Act 2: Twilight returns home and begins researching Star Swirled and reads his book of spells, starting from the small ones to the aging spell. Then she came across the incomplete spell again. Forgetting that the Elements of Harmony were behind her, she began to chant the spell, but nothing happened. So she changed it by completing it, not knowing that the Elements of Harmony altered in color (all but her). Next morning, she hums Life in Ponyville again, only to have water dumped on her. Rarity's cutie mark was Rainbow Dash's lightning bolt. Twilight asked what happened, but Rarity doesn't remember anything prior. Cue "What My Cutie Mark Is Telling Me" (but withOUT the "destiny" copout).
    Act 3: Twilight panics and tries to convince her friends to remember what they did, but they couldn't. They didn't even remember what happened yesterday. Twilight races back home and looks at the book again and Star Swirl's past history again. Then she looked at the Elements of Harmony. All of the colors altered. And Twilight realized that what she did resulted in her friends' livelihoods being altered, and harmony quickly turned to despair. And she explored in Ponyville, the results immediately became grim. Carousel Boutique was being boarded. Sweet Apple Acres became desolate and arid. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy felt hopeless. Rarity slunk into a corner crying for what she did, her hair soaked from rainwater. Twilight's mood saddened and felt even more hopeless. Cue "I've Got to Find a Way." End Part 1.

    Part 2:
    Prologue: Recap Part 1.
    Act 1: Twilight researches her books and kept looking at the spell she enacted. She tried to white it out and rewrite it, but each time she attempted, it got blocked. Frustrated, Twilight throws her book down hard on the ground, frustrated. For the first time since her discordance, she felt hopeless. A tear sheds, landing on the book. Celestia appears and consoles Twilight. They disappear into Canterlot, where Celestia brings her into a room where all of Twilight's memories and accomplishments are kept. An altered version of Celestia's Ballad commences, reminding Twilight of all the hardships and triumphs she underwent. She reassures Twilight that she can and will fix the spell and not quit. It's still not too late to make things right. Follow your dream and your heart and put it out in Ponyville. Twilight was inspired and realized that, if she can't rewrite the spell, she can fix it by reminding them of their true skills.
    Act 2: With the Elements of Harmony gathered, Twilight finds Fluttershy and tells her that only she can help Rainbow Dash and make things right again. So they visit the cottage, where the animals held a mutiny against her. Fluttershy was able to successfully communicate with them and, with help from her Element, got her true talent back. Commence "A True, True Friend." The Mane Six group-hugged and was very happy to see them back to themselves again. And here, she was able to think of a way to fix the spell. They looked at Star Swirl's book one final time and noticed a pattern of attempting to live a life and evolve further, but the spells felt negative and cold. Twilight was able to connect the idea of maybe evolving into something more important and greater. And the spell was a method to conclude it. Instead of rewriting the spell from the paper, Twilight rewrote it from scratch, but changed the final lines. Suddenly, the Elements of Harmony charged, engulfing Twilight's crown. When it disappears, Celestia appears before them.
    Act 3: Everyone bows in respect. Celestia instructs Twilight to rise and congratulates her for doing something no one has done before: solve Star Swirl's spell. She explains Star Swirl's past about being a powerful unicorn. However, he always worked alone and concentrated on his magic solo, not stopping to make any friends, except Celestia herself. He was always a powerful unicorn, but his genius was only discovered once he passed away. He trusted Celestia with his book and promised to only tell about his magic after he died. He instructed her to find the pony who can complete his spell, because he couldn't figure it out. Whoever does will officially succeed him as That's why she mailed Twilight his book, because she knows Twilight is the only one who is capable of completing his spell. Throughout her time in Ponyville, she has seen her grow into one who was responsible, compassionate, integritous, optimistic, charitable, devoted, and conductible. She has looked for someone who has the ability to rule someday. She invites Twilight to become a princess. Everyone gasps; Twilight worries about the duties, royalty, the ability to communicate diplomatically…and the possibility to separate herself from her friends, but Celestia tells her she doesn't need to. She can be a princess, but she'll always be an Element of Harmony and connected to her friends. But she also doesn't have to accept her invitation. This is completely up to her. Twilight looks at her friends. They said whatever she chooses, they'll support her. Twilight cries and says she loves them, and they said they love her back. Twilight looks at Celestia and said she's ready. The Elements of Harmony charge, engulfing Twilight in a ball of white light.
     
    In Canterlot, cue "Behold, Princess Twilight Sparkle" and her coronation. Twilight enters the balcony with her crown as an alicorn. In her speech, she thanked all of her friends for helping her grow into the pony she is today. After a group hug, "Life in Equestria" commences. At the end, Twilight asks Celestia if everything will be fine, and Celestia happily winked, and Twilight smiled hopefully. End Part 2 (with Twilight NOT flying towards the screen).

    (This idea is only a draft. If I were to write a script or story for it, I'll definitely be refining the idea more so it genuinely flows and makes it plausible.)
     
    Magical Mystery Cure brought us an array of one really good idea and one horrid one. This episode is an extremely risky one because of all the dangers and paths they carry. M. A. Larson did what he could to execute the Twilicorn concept well into one twenty-minute episode, but it didn't successfully deliver as it should. Liking the episode is fine, but calling MMC good is hyperbole. This episode tried its hardest to get things right, but it ended in a strikeout (yet didn't whimper like a lamb like the previous three bad episodes this season).
     
    And this concludes season three's analyses. To copy-and-paste from my review for season three:
  12. Dark Qiviut
    For most of my twenty-six-year life, I've been an extremely big fan of Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends. Initially debuted in the U.K. in 1984, it was introduced alongside the popular PBS series, Shining Time Station, in 1989. Like most American viewers during my time, Shining Time Station was the gateway to TTTE&F. For nearly thirty years, Thomas & Friends has grown from generation to generation, from the old-school, die-hard classic and newcomer fans alike.
     
    However, the United Kingdom's Thomas fandom is much older and dates back when many of our parents and grandparents were children. The late Reverend W. Awdry created The Railway Series, one that deals with anthropomorphic characters on the fictional Island of Sodor. His first four-story published Railway Series book, The Three Railway Engines, was published in 1945. Wilbert Awdry published twenty-six books, the last one in 1972 as Tramway Engines. His son, Christopher, continued it with the twenty-seventh in 1983, and the newest one — TRS's forty-second — was released in 2011.
     
    There are many differences between The Railway Series and Thomas & Friends. Two of them are:
    In TRS, continuity is much stronger and is extremely embedded in British railway realism, referencing them quite a bit every now and then. The Awdrys used their experience on the railways to create scenarios that would make realistic, logical sense. A lot of old school, die-hard railfans of Thomas & Friends take railway realism extremely seriously because the Laws of the Railway are there to make everyone's lives safe.
     
    Thomas & Friends's continuity started off quite strong, as the first four series were almost completely based off the Awdrys' books. There are some exceptions like Henry's Forest — originally a magazine episode written by Andrew Brenner, it was criticized by Rev. Awdry for having trees too close to the line and Henry stop in the mainline without prior permission, but mostly loved for showing a softer, more peaceful side of both the Island of Sodor and Henry's character. Brenner was hired prior to Series 17 and is the head writer for Thomas & Friends. However, TTTE&F would maneuver stories around, mostly due to production cost and incapability to complete a script within the four-and-a-half-minute timeframe. Once the series deviated away from TRS in Series 5, continuity was much looser; the timeline was much more fantastical than realistic; and each episode is self-contained with nearly no cliffhangers.
     
    Moreover, beginning with Series 8, Thomas & Friends was produced under HiT Entertainment rather than the smaller Britt Allcroft productions. There was vehement criticism of the series afterwards from many older fans, even from those who aren't all as keen in The Laws of the Railway as many of the purists, for being way too unrealistic — i.e., have the character wander around and operate without a driver (and fireman if the engine is steam), something that Awdry would be steaming mad and roll in his grave — and others:
     
    a. Shoehorning Thomas in every single story simply because he was the most popular. There have been many stories that didn't need him in the story, but he was there anyway, sometimes changing the crux of the plot.
     
    b. Disregarding significant character development. If you want an example, watch these three Series 1 episodes in succession: Henry's Special Coal, The Flying Kipper, and Whistles & Sneezes. Then watch the Series 15 episode, Henry's Happy Coal.
     
    To spoil it, Henry's new shape invalidated him from needing special coal anymore. Henry's Happy Coal (and Allcroft Production's Thomas & the Magic Railroad in 2000) contradicted it, a major continuity lapse.
     
    c. Repeating and shoehorning morals over and over again. What moral you watched in Series 8 or 9 will likely will be repeated somewhere a season or two afterwards.
     
    d. Shoehorning a constantly repetitive "three strikes" formula so blatantly, the writers weren't even telling a story anymore. It was always like this (copied-and-pasted from the Series 15 review from the Sodor Island Forums blog):
     The formula repeated itself in each story.
     
    e. Reducing the marketing capacity of the series to mere children ages two through five. This was something both the Awdrys and Allcroft Productions were REALLY against. Their main market audiences were families and guardians their target audience. Many of the post-Allcroft stories are in no way, shape, or form factually good simply because the writing is so bad.
     
    f. Mishandling characters (classic, mid-range, and new) in such ways:
     
    I. One-dimensionalizing classic characters/turning classic characters out of character — Edward being frail and useless and then being being cheeky, boastful, and judgmental; Percy being the village idiot all the time; James's stories almost always about vanity (cheekiness and pride of running the express alongside Gordon are crucial to his character); Toby continuing to question his usefulness instead of being a careful and wise mentor.
     
    II. Constantly shoehorning new characters just to sell toys. In Awdry's stories, if new characters were going to be introduced, they were going to correlate to the ever-changing scheme of British railroading. Several characters in the HiT Era have only appeared once, only to never show up again. It was rightfully annoying in Series 5 through 7, but it only got worse since. Occasionally, some scenery stained the aura, mystique, and plausibility of Sodor, such as Misty Island and its aforementioned movie, which is often regarded as one of TTTE&F's lowest points.
     
    III. Having characters perform really dangerous, exceedingly devious deeds without consequence. One of the biggest examples: Fiery Flynn.
     
    IV. Reducing many popular classic characters to the background and/or making them absent from the storyline. Donald, Douglas, BoCo, and Oliver are obvious examples. Before Series 17 came in with a new writing team and style, Bill, Ben, and Duck were amongst the classics to be missing, but are back and have crucial roles in several stories.
     
    If you want to see good HiT Era TTE&F stories, watch Hero of the Rails; Blue Mountain Mystery; King of the Railway; and many Series 17 episodes that you can find here. (I recommend Bill or Ben?, Percy's Lucky Day, The Thomas Way, Henry's Hero, Gordon Runs Dry, The Lost Puff, and Wayward Winston most.)
    Thomas & Friends is mostly consisted of very light stories with occasional moments of genuine peril, distress, and sadness. You don't see or hear mentions of death in this series.
     
    The Railway Series is something completely different. The stories there are actually much more mature and can get a bit graphic. One example in the book Mountain Engines, Godred relied too much on his brakes, and he rolled down the mountain, turning him into scrap. The same goes for Toad Stands By after S.C.Ruffey was split apart: TRS scrapped him, while TTTE&F mended him with better parts. Plus, the racism diesels and steam engines have against each other is much more venomous in TRS, while TTTE&F deals with it more comically and stubbornly.

    However, enough of that at this point. As a devoted fan of Thomas, a part of me has been extremely loyal with the franchise. Plus, as a brony, one of FIM's greatest strengths is the organic character interaction, but sometimes the plot progression can be a little weak or out of character. Plus, like many of HiT!Thomas, the toy plugins are sometimes very transparent.
     
    So my thinking process became this: How about a TTTE&F/TRS adaptation? Each little "book," there would be a range of three to six stories, with the characters having an obstacle and then solving it and growing in a story pattern that's similar to Thomas?
     
    For example:
    A retelling of Thomas' Train/A Big Day for Thomas. Twilight, still embarrassed and cross at Applejack for paying her back after playing a cheeky trick on her, had to put her pride behind her. One night, Spike got ill. While his temperature was normal, he wasn't feeling well, and typical remedies didn't help. She writes a royal letter and reviews through the books, only to find no answer. She brings him to the hospital where Nurse Redheart takes care of him, and he felt just as bad next morning. Spike, with an IV in his wrist, weekly asked Twilight to look after the Library and finish any chores that he can't do. Twilight said, "yes."
     
    She reviewed the list and began to do his chores for the Library. But there were also a couple of others, one being to help Applejack transfer the apples from the tree to her carts. She grumbled, but went about her way, only to find Applejack not there, so she worked with Big Mac, Apple Bloom, and a new pony called Braeburn to help with the bucking. She tries out herself, only to do it rather quickly and giddily. She was given permission to pull the apple trolleys to an organic orchard marketplace out of the town, but before they were able to do so, she began to run, not knowing the they were empty. Then she came cross a level crossing where Applejack wondered why she was there. She was helping trade the apples to an organic farm. Then AJ asked where are the apples. Twilight looked back, gasped, and felt upset. So she ran back, feeling very upset with herself and waited more patiently. Once the apples were placed on the trolleys, she pulled them and used her magic to not strain her back.
     
    ———
     
    Later, in an adaptation of Coal/Henry's Special Coal, Spike's health isn't as sick as before, but who was once a very reliable dragon isn't as reliable as he used to be. Sometimes he has so much strength that he can complete his tasks quicker than anypony. Sometimes he has no strength at all and is confined to either his bed or one at a hospital. While Spike was away in a hospital, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna make a rare private visit one night to talk with Twilight about maybe finding a new assistant instead of him to do the work. Twilight doesn't want that and is sure if found something, then he can get better.
     
    Celestia makes a visit to Rarity, who was working with her little sister, Sweetie Belle, on designer dresses. When asked about finding gems that can heal Spike, she isn't sure, but there may be something that could help him. Healing gems are located at an old jewel mine where the Diamond Dogs roamed. That's where Celestia, Luna, and Rarity immediately went to. The Diamond Dogs weren't very intellectual and irritable, but knew their way around the mine and had knowledge about the gemstones. So Rarity used her business-savvy sense by striking a deal with the Dogs because a good friend was sick and believe the gems could help them. They gave Rarity the gems said to write a letter if he feels better.
     
    They returned to Twilight's house with the gems. Twilight finds a potion book and mixes bits of the gemstones with a little vinegar, for they were strong. They handed Spike the concoction, grimaced, and hated the taste, but he drank it. He wondered what good it'd do. Celestia winked and said, "Wait and see."
     
    They didn't need to wait long. The next day, Spike was wide awake and dusting the shelves. He was feeling happy, speedy, and energetic. Twilight laughed and warned him not to do it too fast. But he takes off for his next job, which Twilight reviewed in her parchment. It was to deliver art supplies to Rarity from the shunting yard. He was there early with smaller trolleys in tow. The foreponies lowered the art into his trolleys, and Twilight caught up as Rainbow Dash flew down to see. Spike teased Twilight for being late and took off. The Bearer of Magic chuckled to Dash if she'd seen anything like it, who agreed she never did.
     
    ———
     
    Come to the winter and The Flying Kipper, and Spike was impressive. Since being given the experiment in the fall, he has grown stronger and faster, but his shape was still the same. So impressed that a country where the elite live, The Crystal Empire, heard the news and invited Spike and two others to come for a little vacation. There was only one train, the Sunrise Topaz, and it leaves at 5 AM. Spike agreed and invited Twilight and Rarity to join, who accepted.
     
    As they prepared, a large tender engine was being inspected and cleaned to remove any dust and frost from the joints and rods. Its firebox was also cleaned. Soon, a large supply of coal poured from a hopper. A half-hour before the departure, the engine showed up while pouring one crystal coach as well as a caboose. They climbed in, said goodbye, and the train left the station. While sipping some of the remedy, Spike watched with awe as little bits of color started to peak out of the dark sky. He was feeling great and awake; he wasn't interested in sleeping. Rarity, and Spike shared a quiet conversation, and she planted a tiny kiss on his head "for good luck."
     
    Meanwhile, the driver and firepony checked the signals and sightings ahead, all giving them the clear, and they headed down a section of track via frozen points. They trekked several miles before stopping at a signal at danger. The points in front weren't aligned, and a freight train behind them was scheduled to pass. To kill the time, the driver and firecolt went to the brake van to drink cocoa with the guard. Rarity and Spike decided to join, and Twilight followed. The brake van was dim and cold, but the energy from the engine and tail lamp lit up the small room.
     
    Several minutes later, everyone wondered why the train never passed, but they had to wait. Suddenly, the vibration of an incoming train and loud honking, and the guard peaked out. It was on their track, and the train applied the brakes. Everyone scrambled out, but when Rarity and Spike did, the train plowed into the brake van, and a wood panel rammed right into Spike, knocking him out cold.
     
    When he woke up, he was lying in the hospital, tired and in pain. All of his friends — including Celestia, the Diamond Dogs, and Queen Cadance of The Crystal Empire — were there beside him, Twilight and Rarity lightly bandaged from the crash and pounding on the hard snow. Luckily, scrapes and a concussion were all he had. He wondered what happened. Celestia said ice and snow locked the junction into place, and the snow forced the caution signal down. Also, the jewels that he needed to replenish his energy were destroyed in the crash, and he apologized to the Dogs, who didn't care; they were glad he was okay. Nurse Redheart said he'll be in the hospital for a couple of days just to check on his brain. If good, he'll be cleared to go home.
     
    They decided to let Spike rest, and the Dogs ushered everyone out. The reason: The dragon Fluttershy escorted away from Ponyville was waiting outside. He heard about the condition and figured out a way for him to not need the healing gems anymore, but he will need a change in the diet and a whole rehab regime. There's a rehab center west of Equestria, but only where dragons live. Sick dragons are there to get rehabbed and treated, and because it's not such a terrible case, it should take about a month or two before he returns.. Due to dragons not having a good relationship with ponies technically, Spike can only come alone. They weren't sure, but Fluttershy and Rarity believed he should go. If it's to keep him healthy and alive, they'll do it. But they had to ask Spike for permission, and if he said yes, the big dragon must promise to keep him safe and cozy. He did, and when they asked Spike if they should go, he considered, but will miss them. Rarity decided to give him a reminder that they love him and will be there to see him when he comes back: her great grandmother's fire ruby, which she wore as a good luck charm. Finally, he agreed to go.
     
    Springtime came. Spike was medically cleared to return home and was given first-class apprenticeship via a flight by the Royal Guard. The little dragon liked living at the rehab center, but was glad to come back. His baby fat was gone. He grew a little bit taller, and his arms and legs grew strong, visible muscles. When they touched down, Spike walked to the Library, but no one was there.
     
    "SURPRISE!"
     
    Everypony peaked out and greeted the happy dragon, and everyone admired how he looked. The Mane Six was especially glad, and they all missed him. The ponies also admired Rarity's fire ruby, and he said to not credit him. Thank Rarity for giving it to him as a good luck charm. Plus, he said he's interested in getting back to work and proving if the trip was truly worth it.
    A retelling of Fluttershy being scared of grown dragons similar to The Sad Story of Henry/Come Out, Henry! and Edward, Gordon and Henry/Henry to the Rescue. They trek up the mountain, but Fluttershy, scared out of her wit's end, hides in her cottage. Her animals tried pulling her out on Spike's whistle, but she never moved. Then they tried pushing from the other end…only to fail. Big Mac came along, and the animals begged for her to come out and help now that the smoke died, but Fluttershy assured it'll begin again soon. Suddenly, on Spike's and Dash's call, Big Mac pushed her via a buck, but she clenched on the jam and kicked him back hard through the walls. They gave up, and Angel led the charge by building a protective brick wall to confine her, only leaving a tiny slit above where her door was. Poor Fluttershy could merely watch activity rush by and have food delivered to her, but she never spoke. Depressed, she crawled back inside, crying.
     
    As she remained confined, the rest of the Mane Six came up with a plan to distract the dragon and have him escorted out. Fluttershy wallowed about maybe coming out, but found herself too physically and psychologically weak to try. During a quarrel, a cloud of ash rains all over Ponyville, and the Mane Six retreated, Rainbow Dash injured from a sprained wing. Angel decided to communicate back to Fluttershy and ash if she can help. She gulped, but accepted. Applejack and Big Mac bucked the wall apart, and she walked out, looking dirty and stiff. She exercised her legs and wings and then came back, refreshed. They trekked up the mountain and confronted the cross dragon again. Only this time, Fluttershy talked sternly, and they got to know the dragon more. Instead of fighting him, they negotiated and decided to help look for a place where he can sleep much more quietly. They sent a letter to Celestia asking for such a spot, and she wrote that there was a cave several miles southwest. Far away from civilization. She gave the dragon a celestial map, and after a gesture for good luck, the dragon flew away, but not after telling Fluttershy she needs a bath. She grumbled, but agrees. Fluttershy helps Dash back home, and Fluttershy learned that she doesn't mind big dragons to an extent and knows that the best way to face her fear of them wasn't to hide into cottages, but to negotiate and treat the dragons with kindness.
    A retelling of Saved from Scrap. Heartstrings, a long-time blank flank, was assigned to shunting trolleys. However, her manager gave her a job to explore a dump a few miles away and find any intricate items. She arrived with empty trolleys in tow. It wasn't just a dump. It was also a scrap yard, where metal was broken up, melted, and later reused for new material. Heartstrings explored and saw a lyre and harp, each dusty and unpolished. She begins to play it and hears an angelic voice. There's no name for the pair, but when Heartstrings asked why they were there when they weren't broken or rusty. The reason: the previous owner gave up on them, calling them old-fashioned and useless. Heartstrings snorted and said despite being teased for being a blank flank, she's reliable and is proud to do her job. The pair would be a part of family concerts and orchestras. The fillies and foals adored the atmosphere in the music.
     
    Heartstrings takes off and decides to help the instruments. She passes by a cherry orchard with a house beside it. A young stallion with a mahogany coat, blond mane/tail, white conductor's top, and violin cutie mark — his name being "Capriccio" — was playing his violin before his young children and saw the upset Heartstrings. The mare answered that a harp and lyre pair was being broken up, but useful. She admitted that that the instruments spoke to her as she touched the strings and said if given the chance, they can be bought and saved, but she doesn't have the money. Capriccio considered and decided to meet up in two days. Two days later, they met the manager of the scrap yard and asked if they could borrow the pair for a while, who said "yes."
     
    The next day, with approval from Mayor Mare, Heartstrings and Capriccio arranged an unannounced concert with Heartstrings taking the stage. With her eyes closed, she begins to play a harp/lyre duet via her unicorn magic, creating music in her head and guidance from the instruments. There were no notes physically, merely mentally. The two instruments kept guiding her through the ten-minute piece. When she finished, everyone clapped and gave her a standing ovation. When the crowd dispersed, the manager of the scrap yard was there and said he was impressed and said that he's willing to strike a cheap deal. Capriccio negotiated, and Heartstrings signed the deal to become the rightful owner of both the harp and lyre.
     
    But she wasn't done. A lyre cutie mark symbol appeared on her flank, and she grew ecstatic. Finally, she decided on a new name: Lyra Heartstrings.
     
    She still lives in Ponyville, but her home is much nicer, and she doesn't spend as much time shunting trolleys. She continues to talk and mail with Capriccio, who is now her manager and conductor. With aid from the instruments, she plays short concerts weekly, particularly to little kids.
    Now flash forward to Toby the Tram Engine/Toby & the Stout Gentleman. An old-fashioned mailmare, Derpy, has been trustworthy throughout an island located north of Equestria. She lives in a paradise that was strangely constant: cool falls and winters, but not to the point of snow; and decent springs and summers that don't sweat her cool gray coat. She always pulls a small antique mail carriage wherever she goes, either in the air or by ground, which she fondly named "Ash," as she always found comfort where he went. Ash tends to carry mail in little pockets on the side to allow passengers (which can fit up to six) to settle in the middle. However, Ash had seen better days: "It's not fair at all," he tends to grumble, recalling how several clouds tended to wander behind him carrying passengers on quiet days and rubbish whenever busy. However, as the years went by, the clouds usually dwell still in the sides of the sky, and only three or four clouds dance behind them. Ground trollies and pony carriages carried passengers, goods, and mail around. But despite her lazy eyes and aloof personality, Derpy hasn't had an accident in years, and she gets a chuckle at why everypony below always tended to have accidents. However, Ash and the clouds are becoming mostly empty.
     
    One day, a proud mare (Mayor Mare — a.k.a., "Arete") and her grandchildren were waiting in front of a trolley car barn. However, Derpy had never seen them before. Suddenly, the young filly suddenly asked (about Ash): "Isn't the carrier electric?" Ash's wood panels trembled in anger, and her brother told her, "Shh! You offended him." Soon, the family scrambled inside. While Derpy was ecstatic, Ash inwardly grumbled, making the filly uncomfortable throughout the initial ride.
     
    After riding through the small town and dropping off the mail, Arete and Derpy finally acquainted. Then Arete conversed with Ash, and he started feeling a little more comfortable. The family stayed there for two weeks, and both the filly and Ash grew a liking for each other. Sometimes they helped shunt fellow trolleys. Other times, they helped collect the mail. On the last day, Ash invited them all to saddle up and ride inside the cab. Unfortunately, Arete and family had to go back home, and both Derpy and Ash said "goodbye" and left sadly.
     
    Months passed. Derpy and Ash were being given less work. Fewer passengers tended to come. Loyal clouds slowly grew distant and floated beyond to find better work. Mail that tended to be given to Derpy was being greatly reduced; she now only carriers two small bags per day. Finally, while she slept in an old shed she called "Henrietta," she heard someone open her mailbox, close it, and leave. She checked and found a letter from her manager. The manager was losing money and couldn't afford the business. So, he decided to close the business next week. Derpy grew sad and could only eat a portion of her muffin before she lost her appetite and gave the rest to Ash (who couldn't eat even if he tried, but Derpy didn't care).
     
    On the last day of the business, she went to her station and found a whole crowd there, including a "FAREWELL, DERPY!" sign hanging aside one lamp pole from another. Several cloud decided to visit the town, too, to accommodate the passengers. The ponies joked and sang, but Derpy and Ash wished they wouldn't. They explored the small town, lifting a little off the ground and watching the scenery around. Derpy began to absorb the feeling of being appreciated and finally saying "goodbye." They returned to the old stable station, and both Derpy and Ash said "farewell." They returned to Henrietta, where Derpy started to cry. Ash comforted him, but Derpy couldn't muster any way to cheer her up. Not even a muffin could do it. She decided to go to bed early and fall unhappily to sleep. Ash stayed where he was and fell asleep, too.
     
    Next morning, Derpy woke up and checked the sunshine. It was bright and cheerful. No cloud in the sky. But Derpy didn't care. She was out of business and didn't know where to go. She walked to her mailbox. A gold letter waited for her inside, and it was from Arete. She opened the envelope and read the letter.
     
    For the first time in weeks, Derpy smiled.
    In an adaptation of Duck Takes Charge, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle formed the Cutie Mark Crusaders during their month-long time in camp, but they weren't as adventurous as the official media. Apple Bloom has a cheeky side and tricked Diamond Tiara. That made DT very cross, and she planned a trick back that embarrassed AB. During some adventures, Cheerilee noticed AB and SB feeling exhausted after trekking; Cheerilee decided to ask another member from another period and class to help them out for the next few days.
     
    Next morning, the filly showed up. Her name is officially Scootaloo, but her parents affectionally call her "Autumn Fowl" because it's her family surname and how she prefers to walk, run, and stay on the ground more than fly, which she can only do in small distances. How they'd like to call her depends, but she likes "Autumn Fowl" better. When Autumn Fowl finished preparing equipment for a new tent, DT mocked her by bawking and wheeshing steam at her.
     
    AB and SB saw it and felt sorry for Autumn Foul, but Fowl had an idea that could teach the bully a lesson. As Cheerilee relaxed by a river to splash some freshwater on her muzzle, she heard thecommotion of DT being unable to enter their tents because the CMC and Fowl blocking their way. When Cheerilee ordered an explanation, Fowl explained how her family does their work without fuss. "It's the Fowl Way or the Wrong Way." And she feels like the fillies should not have to be put up by the commanding of DT. When she reacted, Cheerilee spoke severely to the trio for causing confusion. Then she scolded at DT for creating the disturbance in the first place. Eventually, they were given a talk, and they all completed their tasks.
     
    Fowl managed alone. She did so…easily.

    ———
     
    So you get the idea. These ideas aren't just about the Mane Six: Besides them, society is encrusted with so many walks of life, from Spike to the Diamond Dogs, and so on. Unfortunately, there's been a lot of potential that's wasted in the professional media, and that's disappointing. (One of my biggest peeves in TTTE&F and FIM these days is the wasted potential for so many characters and ideas.)
     
    And if you look at TRS list here, there are a lot of stories that can be told. Twenty-six possible adaptations from Rev. Awdry's series, sixteen more from his son. To expand it, a part of me is thinking about adding side-stories, sets of four to six, to fill in the gaps and expand its world, but one that fits the adaptation. More ponies' stories to be told besides the Mane Six (and Cutie Mark Crusaders). The Railway Series really grew its cast into wonderful characters over a seventy-year span, each full of delightful, rich tales to tell. FIM does the same, although in a more inconsistent manner.
     
    If I get my rear into gear, I can lay out my stories.
     
    Now the question I have to ask myself:
    Should the adaption begin the moment after the two-part pilot?
    Do I reset it entirely?

    I'm currently leaning more to the latter, as it gives me the better ability to expand the story. Currently, the idea for the latter is to have Celestia as the Queen. Luna would be a Queen, too. However, Luna was banished to the moon not because Celestia was forced to power up the Elements of Harmony against her, but because Luna tried to use them herself, but her jealousy of her sister caused her to lose control of them. The negative energy of the Elements of Harmony created Nightmare Moon, and the positive energy from the Elements themselves created a long, temporary seal into the moon with the hope the heirs can break them. As a consequence, the celestial queens could no longer bear the Elements.
     
    Present day: Twilight gets sent to Ponyville because she stayed cooped in her dorm and was responsible for creating Summer Sun Celebration. Celestia would be waiting that night. She bumps into a cast of characters eventually called the Mane Six. Twilight grew cross and uncomfortable and didn't want to be there. The company made her feel uneasy, so once she finished, she ran into her new home, the Golden Oaks Library, where Queen Celestia waited. She said she knew Twilight didn't like it, but that was why she was here. Celestia told her the tale of Nightmare Moon and the seal. Come midnight on the day of the Summer Solstice, the seal breaks; all of Earth will be blanketed by eternal night, and Celestia's power would be sealed away. Queen Celestia will not be there that morning.
     
    This was why she sent Twilight to Ponyville: Part of her mission was to make some friends, and she instructed Twilight to try to acquaint herself better. She sees something inside of her that can help bring Luna back. Twilight reluctantly agrees; Spike would watch the progress. Celestia teleports away, leaving Twilight to fend for herself and start over. I would then have to plan the rest of the pilot.
  13. Dark Qiviut
    *photoshopped image courtesy of the Bleacher Report*
     
    Ten years ago, the Boston Red Sox were five outs away from reaching their fifth Fall Classic since last winning it all in 1918. But Pedro Martinez being gassed, combined with Grady Little leaving him too longer, allowed the Yankees to come back and tie it. Three innings later, the Cowboy Up Red Sox watched Aaron *bleeping* Boone launch a walk-off home run to clinch the ALCS, marking 2003 their eighty-fifth consecutive year without a World Championship.
     
    They didn't have to wait long. The following year they dominated in the second half and helped firm up their defense (which was horrible in he first half).
    , they won the AL Wild Card convincingly. Both the Yankees and Red Sox squared off in the ALCS, and they were down three games to none. Then the beginning of baseball's biggest comeback: a Millar walk, Roberts steal, resiliency from the improved bullpen, and a Papi walk-off home run over Gary Sheffield's head. Another comeback in Game 5 continued their reborn mystique launched the series back to Yankee Stadium for Game 6, where Schilling's bloody sock game, along with correcting two big umpire-altering calls (Bellhorn's opposite-field home run and that called the played dead and sent Jeter back to first base as the penalty). The 10-3 rout against Kevin Brown and the Yankees in Game 7 capped off the 3-0 comeback, sending the BoSox to the World Series and changing their fortunes on a dime. Three yeas later, after winning their first AL East title since 1995, they came back from three games to one to beat the Cleveland Indians and sweep the Colorado Rockies to win their second championship in four seasons. 
    But during their success then turned tumultuous. The epic collapse (7-20 from September 1 to season's end) in September 2011 cost Theo Epstein and Terry Francona their jobs. Then when it was revealed that players ate chicken and drank beer in the clubhouse, the collapse symbolized complacency in the clubhouse and the eventual disconnection the Sox had with their fans.
     
    Their last-place finish in 2012 flushed the franchise rock bottom: Their 69-93 record was their first ninety-loss season since 1966 (72-90) and worst since 1965 (62-100, their last 100-loss season). It was also their first full-season last-place finish since 1992 at 73-89 (they finished last in 1994), further alienating the team from the city. The front office relied on ticket sales just to preserve their sellout streak because the distrust was so bad. Their August (9-20) and September records (7-22) were AWFUL! To conclude the season, they lost eight straight and twelve of thirteen, and Bobby Valentine was fired after one season! Putting it bluntly, the franchise devolved into a gigantic laughingstock,
    . 
    Because of Boston's bad reputation, injuries, and spirally bad second-half record, newcomer GM Ben Cherington had to rebuild mid-season, trading Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, and Nick Punto to the Dodgers for James Loney and Minor-Leaguers that may never taste the bigs.
     
    The bad news: The BoSox had to endure a dysfunctional clubhouse where everyone hated each other and scrutinizing embarrassment by the media.
     
    The good news: They freed up $264 million of guaranteed money from players who no longer wanted any part of the team and had a fresh payroll to sign the right players to give them that Boston chemistry. Plus, their last-place finish gave them a clear direction of what they had to do and where to go to find these players, including the ability to start fresh.
     
    One year later, after Uehara struck out Matt Carpenter with his signature splitter, the Red Sox became the second team to go from worst to first (winning the division the year after finishing last) and win the World Series. The 1991 Twins were the other (against another worst-to-first team in the Atlanta Braves in what's possibly the greatest World Series of all-time).
    It was the Red Sox's third championship since 2004.
    It was the first time they clinched it at home since September 11, 1918, over the Chicago Cubs. That day, Game 6 lasted one hour, forty-six minutes. Babe Ruth came in as a defensive replacement in left field. The attendance was 15,238.
    When Boston last won it all at home, the Boston Braves was the other professional sports team. The NFL and NBA weren't founded, and the NHL was an all-Canadian league that was about to play their second season.
    The 1918 season ended early due to the work-or-fight order in World War I.

    The World Championship washed those painfully bitter memories of 2012 away. For so many players (and manager), 2013 was an unbelievable journey.
    Mike Napoli: In 2011, he had a tremendous postseason and even better World Series, giving the Cardinals' pitchers massive headaches. In Game 6, he was behind the plate when the Rangers were one strike away from winning the World Series. Although he won't catch again because of his hip condition, being on the field celebrating a World Championship against the Cardinals is closure for him.
    Jonny Gomes: A journeyman and two-dimensional hitter, yet he understands the Green Monster, and he has the personality teammates love. Whenever he was on a team, they won. He was with the 2008 Rays (AL East; AL Championship), 2010 Reds (NL Central), and 2012 A's (AL West), but they didn't reach over the hump, but Boston signed him to revive the ecstasy that was absent in 2012. He was a leader in the clubhouse, launched two big walk-off home runs, and provided several key moments in this World Series: the three big catches in Games 1, 4, and 5; the three-run shot in Game 4; and holding Alan Craig to a second-inning single in Game 6 after shooting one off the Monster. The A's miss him dearly because of what he brought to the clubhouse.
    Shane Victorino: After struggling mightily in 2012, the signing came as a major shock: Everyone thought his career was done. This season, he hit nearly .300, won an AL Gold Glove, and proved to everyone he still has "it." A hamstring injury forced him to bat almost entirely from the right side from early August onward. And it was very difficult for a guy who switch-hit his entire Major League career; he had to re-learn to bat right-handed against right-handed pitchers. He played well, hit a HUGE grand slam in the ALCS (becoming the second to hit two postseason grand slams, Jim Thome the other), and picked up four RBIs in the World Series clincher. He has nineteen postseason RBIs when batting with the bases loaded and is the only player in postseason history with four four-RBI games.
    Ryan Dempster: The struggles he had and prior experience as Cubs closer put him into the bullpen, but he proved pivotal. He journeyed through Florida and Cincinnati before spending eight-and-a-half years with the Cubs, part of the time as their gutty closer. But he had never tasted a Fall Classic appearance. Game 1 brought him into the spotlight, and now he has a ring.
    Dustin Pedroia: I've always been a very big fan of this guy because he plays the game the right way. He never gives up an at-bat, and he's amazing at second-base, making tough play after tough play in the holes. He was playing while Boston collapsed and struggled into a last-place finish in 2012. He didn't forget that, felt extremely embarrassed by 2012, and wanted to contribute. This season, he did that, making opposing pitchers on the mound and batters in the batter's box uncomfortable. (During the ALCS, Prince Fielder grounded out to Pedroia eight times!) A great person and even better player who helps keep the team together. There's a reason why Boston signed the 2007 AL Rookie of the Year and 2008 AL MVP to an eight-year extension. If he keeps this up, chances are we may see a future Hall-of-Famer along with near-certainty of no one ever wearing #15 for Boston again.
    John Farrell: He was Terry Francona's pitching coach during the 2007 championship team through 2010 before signing with Toronto as a manager. He and the Blue Jays' players never got along, and the media villainized him. Boston really missed his guidance, especially in 2012 when guys like Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester struggled badly. Farrell's leadership as manager restored order for the Red Sox, and Lester and Buchholz led the pitching staff.
    Stephen Drew: He struggled offensively last year, but had flashes of offensive power combined with a very wide defensive range. This season, he hit .253 with 67 RBIs. Although he struggled at the plate for most of this postseason, Farrell kept him in because of his superb defense and range, saving games and helping out his pitcher and the rest of the field. It was also great for him to break out of his slump in the clincher, hitting a homer and single. His role was similar to light-hitter Rafael Belliard of the 1995 Braves. Jeff Blauser was the better hitter, but Belliard was the better defender. When Blauser couldn't play in the World Series because of an injury, Belliard made sure Bobby Cox didn't miss him, making tough plays himself and frustrating the opposition.
    David Ross: A veteran catcher with the Santa Claus beard. The 2012 Atlanta Braves were a team with tremendous grit and so much energy. Ross was a leader in the clubhouse, more so than Brian McCann. The Braves let him go, and Boston signed him. He didn't produce much, but did so when needed. When Jarrod Saltalamacchia struggled, he caught behind the plate and contributed in the batter's box. But he has a lot of fun with his teammates and keeps then energetic and loose. The 2013 postseason showed how much the Braves really missed him: The Braves behaved corporately, the Sox the opposite.
    Daniel Nava: A few years ago, he hit a grand slam off Joe Blanton in his first Major-League at-bat (the first pitch he ever saw, BTW). Afterwards, he struggled at the plate and kept bouncing around. This season, the scrappy outfielder was able to hone in his skills. He played well in the outfield and hit over .300. Back in April, in the first game at Fenway since the terrorist attack, he hit a clutch three-run homer to put them ahead for good. A few months later, he capped off an improbable ninth-inning comeback against Seattle to give Boston another one of their 97 wins in 2013.
    David Ortiz: What a difference a year makes. Between 2008 through 2011, there were talks of the Big Papi being done due to injuries and slow bat speed. At one point, the front office considered releasing him. He played well the rest of 2011 and the first half of 2012 before an injury prematurely ended his season. Ben Cherington signed him to a two-year extension, and 2013 turned him into a more complete hitter, relying less on the home run and more spreading the ball across the field. At one point this season, he hit the ball opposite field so well that some teams abandoned the shift when he came to bat.
     
    Of course, we can't forget before the first game since the Boston Marathon bombing.
     
    Come postseason time, and he shines. Despite only two or three hits in the ALCS, he launched a huge grand salami off Joaquin Benoit that turned the series around and sent Fenway into delirium! Then the World Series hit, and he just lit up, hitting .688, walking four times in Game 6 (three intentionally), and winning the 2013 World Series MVP. He was already great in the postseason; the World Series numbers merely increased his lore. And with this win, he's the first non-Yankee to win three titles with the same team since Jim Palmer (1966, 1970, 1983), all in a Red Sox uniform. Once his career's over, we may have #34 retired and the first (or second) DH since Paul Molitor (or Frank Thomas, since he's on the 2009 ballot with Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and Mike Mussina) in the Hall of Fame.
    Jon Lester: He was the Game 4 starter for the 2007 World Series and gutted it out, allowing the Red Sox to win their second in four seasons. He later evolved into the ace and pitched well, becoming a Cy Young candidate and throwing only the second no-hitter against the Royals. In 2012, he pitched horribly with a 4.82 ERA and allowed 9.5 hits per nine innings; he was one of the worst pitchers in ERA title qualifications. Farrell's guidance brought him back on track, and it showed via his 3.75 ERA, 15-8 win/loss record, and 8.8 H/9. If Papi didn't hit so well in the World Series, Lester would've won the WS MVP.
    John Lackey: This is the second time he pitched (and won) a WS clincher, the other being Game 7 in 2002 as an Anaheim Angel against San Francisco (as a 24-year-old rookie, the first rookie to win Game 7 of a World Series since 1909). He signed with the BoSox in 2011 and was bad and bashed by the media. In 2012, he missed the whole year due to Tommy John Surgery. But his rehab slimmed him down and turned him into a well-controlled finesse pitcher. Don't let his win-loss record fool you. When Buchholz was hurt, he was their #2 starter, and he proved pivotal in the playoffs, pitching in and out of trouble. Game 6 did exactly that and showed how to pitch and win even when he was having trouble locating. (He left many fastballs over the middle of the plate, and the Cards' hitters were late every time.) Game 6 completes his redemption and proves he belongs on the big stage with the Red Sox.
    Koji Uehara: His story is remarkable. When he was nineteen, he wasn't in baseball, failing an entrance exam. He wears "19" on his jersey to remind himself of how far he came. He soon began playing baseball in Japan, pitched, and later became one of the best. He then played in the U.S. and started okay. In 2011 with Texas, he got hurt and then was horrible. Only getting four outs in three outings, with a gigantic 33.75 ERA. He was so bad, he wasn't on the World Series roster.
     
    After pitching well in 2012, he signed with the Red Sox to share the middle-relief role. Then Joel Hanrahan and Andrew Bailey got hurt, promoting Uehara to the set-up position. When Junichi Tazawa struggled, Uehara was promoted to closer, and they got way more than they bargained for. Kendrys Morales, Craig Breslow, and Tazawa shared the seventh and eight innings. Using his deceptive splitter and quick windup, Uehara dazzled.
     
    a. Saved twenty-one regular-season games and seven postseason games.
     
    b. Retired thirty-seven straight batters at one point.
     
    c. Struck out 101.
     
    d. Walked nine.
     
    e. Completed the season with an ERA of 1.09.
     
    He's the first pitcher in history to strike out more than 100 batters and walk less than ten for an entire season. From July 1 to the end of the season, he only allowed two earned runs, walked TWO batters (the last one on August 3), and had an ERA of EXACTLY 0.33 (two earned runs in fifty-four innings pitched). If he was the closer for the entire season, given how dominant he was, he might've competed with Max Scherzer for the AL Cy Young Award. If Miguel Cabrera, Chris Davis, Manny Machado, and Mike Trout didn't compete for the AL MVP, you could argue that Uehara would be the AL MVP for solidifying the Boston bullpen.
     
    And all with an 87-to-90-mile-per-hour fastball and deceptive splitter that disappears from both right- and left-handers. Left-handers and right-handers hit .115 and .146, respectively, against him (the main reason why Farrell pulled Lester in Game 5 for him). Because of his efficiency, the Red Sox were able to bring him into the eighth inning for four- or five-out saves. Conversation went around about handing the ball over to him to lead off the eighth in Game 6. Three quick outs later in the ninth, and he and the others jumped for joy in the middle of Fenway Park's diamond, celebrating the franchise's eighth title.

    ———
     
    The Boston Red Sox didn't rely on big free-agent contracts, instead finding bargains to fit in the roster, particularly the Boston culture. Big Papi being re-signed kept the core of the lineup, and then Gomes, Napoli, Victorino, Drew, and Uehara helped complete the mold. Almost everyone was a veteran, clubhouse leader who knew how to bond a team and win. Combined with the likes of Saltalamacchia and Pedroia to put 2012 behind htem, their style of offense, defense, and pitching helped create something that wins championships:
     
    Chemistry.
     
    They had two main components.
    This one is the most obvious:
     

     
    After the Boston Marathon bombings, Boston looked to sports to help heal a pained city. Alongside the Celtics in their short playoff run and Bruins throughout the rest of the Stanley Cup Playoffs (and giving them the strength to send the team to the Stanley Cup Finals), the Red Sox dedicated the season to the city. The team and players took it very personally partially because the finish line is about a mile away from Fenway Park, Ortiz even extra because he has close ties with the Boston community, and one of the people killed was an eight-year-old boy, the same age as one of his kids at the time.
     
    and David Ortiz's speech, the team rallied behind the city, and the city rallied behind them in return. Throughout the summer and deep into the postseason, the Boston Red Sox spent a lot more time working with the community, dedicating part of their lives to charity. They lived by the "Boston Strong" motto and logo. The soul of Boston was on their sleeves, and they didn't intend to quit, whether it was becoming the first team to win a postseason series after being no-hit into the ninth inning or only the third team since divisional play — 1969-present — to win the World Series after losing Game 3 to trail two games to one (the others being the 1979 "We Are Family" Pirates and 2003 Florida Marlins).
    These pieces of facial hair.
     

     
    Led by Gomes, the team created their lighthearted half of their chemistry. Almost everyone began to slowly grow their beards. (Farrell didn't, and Uehara shaved his. ) Whenever a bearded dude homered, they got a painful tug of the beard…and fans and players LOVED it!
     
    There was such a buzz in the media, Boston promoted it for one night: Come to the game with a real or fake beard, and you can buy the ticket for one dollar. Those beards grew and occasionally turned gray. But whatever the color, the character was there, and these Red Sox instantly became likeable throughout the city and league.

    ———
     
    2004 lifted a city and team into absolute joy (particularly how they won it), killing the Curse of the Bambino.
     
    2007 buried the Curse of the Bambino into the graves of the Baseball Gods.
     
    2013 allowed the city to put September 2011 and 2012 behind them and dance over that grave.
     
    And after all the city went through, it was fitting for the Boston Red Sox to celebrate their eighth World Championship in franchise history at home, their third in ten seasons, and the first time the team clinched it at Fenway in ninety-five years. Multiple generations spent a lot of money to potentially witness history and tell that story to future generations, a moment that'll go down as one of the greatest in New England sports history. The city and team bonded through tragedy, allowing both to grieve, heal through turbulent times, and finally celebrate as one. It was meant to be, and that made celebrating the 2013 World Series Championship that much sweeter. The triumphant journey brought some closure to the city and opened up a bright future for Boston, the Red Sox, and the unity they have for each other.
  14. Dark Qiviut
    The Boston Red Sox are World Champions again!! Their third in ten seasons and first time to clinch it at home since 1918, their eighth overall!!
     
    Time to party!!!
     
    (I still remember ten years ago when Aaron Bone walked off to eliminate Boston. Since then, a 3-0 comeback and three World titles. *parties like crazy*)
  16. Dark Qiviut
    An episode re-imagine of mine: The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well
    The "Mare-Do-Well"/superhero idea would be scrapped entirely in favor of another approach. Also, expand the moral into not just being humble in what you do, but also to not let fame get into your head.
    Scootaloo decide to take some time off Cutie Mark Crusading and create the Rainbow Dash Fanclub.
    Scootaloo would begin throwing around mail throughout Ponyville. Dash flies on by, greeting Scootaloo and asking what's up. Scootaloo hands her the invitation and zooms away.
    The Mane Six discuss this new club with interest. Twilight asks her what she thinks about it, and Dash is confident and happy, although she's reminded about the Young Fliers Competition. "Yeah. But not Ponyville," Dash replies. Pinkie asks her if it's fine for everyone to come, who says, "Yes."
    They meet up at the Cutie Mark Crusaders clubhouse where Dash was greeted by a barrage of young fans. Dash is given interviews about her adventures and achievements. Spike writes the report in a detective costume. Her friends are pleased and hopeful her talents at home will finally get a little more respect.
    Next day, Dash and friends jog around Ponyville, and Dash can't stop thinking about the fanclub and attention. They're pleased, but also advise Dash to be a little careful. Dash reassures them when hordes of adult pony reporters show up and pull her aside, and Dash says she'll catch up with Rarity later. They ask her about her acrobatic abilities, and she explains and talks about them semi-vainly. They ask to see it, and Dash shows off her wild cloud-clearing, looping, and fast flying abilities. All but a Sonic Rainboom. The citizens watch with delight, and Dash asks if that was what they were looking for. Everyone cheers wildly, and Dash is very giddy.
    Dash takes a little break to meet with Rarity, who finished developing some kind of superhero costume, and was continuing to self-talk about her abilities and awesomeness. Rarity, however, is still busy. Dash hovers above, getting her attention, and asks if she could try it. Rarity thinks about saying no, but Dash puppy-pleads, and Rarity gives her the okay. Dash comes out with the costume, looking cool and elegant. But… "The mask is dumb and ugly!" Rarity is offended by it, but before she answers, a knock on the door, and ponies show up with cameras and the fanclub in tow. They see Dash in the costume and race to her. Dash brags about not just her abilities, but how interesting she looked in the costume. All without crediting Rarity. Fillies come over and ask Dash for her autograph, which she accepts and takes pictures with them.
    The interviews end, and Dash puts the costume (and mask) back and flies away till she sees Scootaloo, who was looking impressed. Then she decided to ask a question: Can Dash do a Rainboom tomorrow morning at 8 AM? Dash said, "No problem!"
    Dash flies to the Library, where Twilight, Rarity, and Applejack were there. They talked to her and scolded her for what she did in the Carousel Boutique, taking credit for the costume and bragging about her abilities. Dash questions why she shouldn't. She's proud of her talent, and she tells them they should be proud that she's finally being viewed as someone other than a lazy, hardworking pegasus who controls the weather, too. They acknowledge that and tells her she should be proud, but warn her to be careful of how she acts upon it. Dash said she's always careful, but Rarity quickly reminded her of what she said about the mask and then actions after and before. Dash reassures that she'll be fine, but nonetheless apologizes to Rarity for going off like that. But before Rarity answers, Dash interrupts and says she has to prepare the Rainboom.
    She returns home to greet a happy Tank. She hands him some plants and fruit to chew. As she sits on her bed, her mind races. Did her actions go too far? Did she exploit her pride in such a manner that how her words and complacency with the paparazzi really did go into her head and hurt her friends? Sure, she apologized, but did she mean it? Tank consoles her with a nuzzle, and Dash gazes up at the ceiling.
    It's near 8 AM. On the ground, the ponies wait beside a makeshift runway for Dash to fly above and land. The Mane Six are there, too, and talk about the events. They wonder what Dash was thinking. Twilight witnessed Dash prepare for the dive. Applejack and Rarity ponder about the conversation aloud to each other. Spike and Fluttershy are sure she'll be all right.
    Dash lightly bounces off a light cloud, which floats high up in the sky. She sees the crowd below and is growing more and more giddy. She felt better after a good night's sleep, but still thinks about Rarity's conversation, although not so extensively. Deciding she is ready, she teeters at the edge and dives off the cloud, approaches the ground at high speed like a swimmer plunging off the diving board. The barrier separating sound and the Rainboom becomes visible about 30% of the way down, and she looks ahead with joy and confidence.
    Suddenly, she glances around and sees her friends and the RD FC looking up, the club feeling excited, her friends worried. The words ring in her mind loudly. On one hand, showing the Sonic Rainboom demonstrates her abilities to everypony, and she can finally be seen as a really talented pegasus permanently. On the other hand, does she want to do it for the ponies in Ponyville, Scootaloo, and her friends…or herself? Finally, she decides, "No."
    She slows down her descent and lands softly on the ground. Cameras and paparazzi catch up to her, but she walks by. She looks at the Mane Six and tells them that she thought about the conversation, and she regrets her actions. She not just embarrassed herself, but her friends, too. She let her newfound fame get into her head, and she wanted more of it. She felt relieved by the attention, but all that did was cause tension in her close friendship. She apologizes to Rarity again, and this time meaning it, who forgives her back.
    Then she looks at the dejected fanclub, walks to them, and apologizes to them. She should've said no, but she did so to fuel her own ego, not for Scootaloo, and apologizes to Scootaloo for not admitting it and deceiving her.
    The fanclub and Mane Six forgive her. For the fanclub, they not only forgive her, but are proud of her for admitting it. Scootaloo feels guilty, but Dash tells her not to. She has very good intentions and wants her to continue running the club.
    With everyone around her, Dash requests Spike to take a letter. In it, she describes her joy for having ponies admiring her for who she is and what she can really do. While she appreciates the effort, little did she know that the newfound fame eventually got into her head. She wasn't just showing her talents. She was showing them off in a way that caused tension between her and the others. The next time she's going to show off her talents, she's going to do it with grace and humility and not at the cost of her friendship. At the same time, she also begins to understand that, when there's fame, you have to keep your ego under control and not let it change who you are nor her relationship with those she loves the most. Does this mean she should shun fame and the media for good nor should she stop feeling proud of her abilities, strengths, and achievements? No. She embraces it and is proud of what she has done, but also realizes to watch what she does and says more and how not to let the attention and accomplishments cloud her judgment and get into her head.
    Spike sends the letter and is in the mood for a little snack. She invites the fanclub and friends to join, but asks the paparazzi for a little time alone. They oblige and let them on their merry way.

    The purpose for this is as followed:
    It eliminates usage of the Idiot Ball that did nothing but push the official episode and make Rainbow Dash look worse. One of TMMDW's biggest weaknesses in objective quality is how the foreshadowing is shoved in, only to artificially prolong it. Dash may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but she's capable of thinking and performing more than basic math. The real RD would've identified the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well as more than one character the second the Mane Six spilled those clues in front of her, as they were right there to see.
    It eliminates the double message of her friends being passive-aggressive assholes who wanted to teach her a lesson in humility, but performed it hypocritically by bragging in her face (spilling the MDW identity in front of her) and inadvertently shaming Dash. If Dash was a child, what her friends did would be borderline criminal.
    The contrived part of the episode (the dam, constant life-saving) is cut. Keep the worldbuilding in character of Ponyville.
    Dash would hear and listen to their words, which were discussed privately. If Dash was truly in character, she would think about those words and then question whether they were right or not. She has an ego and may be headstrong, but she won't inwardly shoo criticism right away. Criticism eats her because of her pride, especially if it's sharp and honest.
    Despite her ego, she would also show her loyalty. The beginning would have her conflict between her loyalty with her friends and loyalty with her ego and fame. Show her loyalty as not just a strength, but also a flaw. She keeps her inflamed ego and jerkiness, but balances with consequences of tension and realization of how poor her behavior becomes.
    It gives Dash an opportunity to prove her talent to Ponyville in a way that isn't exclusive to her helping with the weather, nor confined in smaller chunks. Dash shows off the Sonic Rainboom in Cloudesdale in a desperate attempt to rescue Rarity and the Wonderbolts, which is a completely different environment compared to those who live in Ponyville. It spreads her worth in her other home.
    An extra message/moral is given to the audience, bending, yet not breaking, the repetitive friendship report pattern up to that point. Her lesson wouldn't be just to be humble in your talents, but also learn not to let fame infiltrate and blow up your ego. In an interview another MLP Forums user gave me earlier this year, I explained how fame can be really bad for the mind if not careful.
     
     
    Quote It allows three things to continue: the Rainbow Dash Fanclub to prosper, the paparazzi to flourish, and the relationship with Scootaloo to develop. (For the latter, I would think of weaving it in some way to foreshadow it into Sleepless in Ponyville.)
     
    For the former, there'll finally be an origin to the Rainbow Dash Fanclub. IIRC, that was never explained in the official episode.
    Instead of being told and suddenly realizing she's in over her head, the realization is woven in. She'll be confronted about her ego, ponder about it, and show the character development via her own actions, thoughts, realizations, and decisions. She was told to be humble, but the episode never showed it at any point, because the script never gave her ample time to act upon it. Show, don't tell.
    The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well is confined to a cameo, and no more. It's an idea for Dash's ego to boost instead of tearing it down idiotically.
    The episode's resolved by her failing to do the Sonic Rainboom. Many of the episodes (and official movies outside FIM) tend to have an achievement/accomplishment and then wrapped up nicely. Here, unlike Sonic Rainboom, she won't do the Rainboom because she realizes the damage she caused, eating her up in the process, and realizes how bad an idea this would be. The failed assignment confronts her head on and subconsciously gives her that opportunity to either really show off or prove to her friends how loyal and trustworthy her conscience really is. You don't need to succeed an achievement to wrap up an episode well.

    More would be necessary to fix the pace and fit it in the twenty-minute frame. At this point, it'll take way too long to explain it in detail. How long? Longer than Double Rainboom, roughly thirty-five minutes. Extra details are needed to be chopped off and new material must replace it so the idea can flow in a twenty-minute frame. But the concept is there, one where, personally, it would tell a much better story of Dash getting an ego, being scolded for letting fame and ego get into her head, and eventually realize the dangers of fame and reward for humility. Plus, she realizes that being proud and confident in what she does doesn't have to interfere with her true self and relationship with her friends and fans.
     
    ———
     
     
    Source: Rewriting Episodes Your Way
  17. Dark Qiviut
    Author's Note: This review has been revised and republished for the morning of October 11, 2013.
     
    ———
     
    As season one wound down, Cindy Morrow wrote her last episode until Sisterhooves Social: Owl's Well that Ends Well. For the first time, Spike was the central character in an episode, and this one details Spike's jealousy of a newcomer in the series, Owlowiscious. Altogether, the first Spike-centric episode is one gigantic clunker, ranking it one of the worst season one episodes and easily Morrow's worst episode.
     
    Owl's Well, like every other episode in this series, has a combination of strengths and weaknesses. The strengths include:
    One of FIM's greatest strengths is creating an engaging atmosphere, and DHX really delivered in this episode, especially in three scenes.
     
    Following the Introduction, Act 1 displayed a gorgeous night scene. The stars, sky, and grass all had that calm, soothing nighttime feel via that little bit of gray to mute the colors and violet in the sky. Plus, every pony (and Spike) didn't show off their brilliantly pastel coats. A duller version of them, but not so gray to where they look a lot like Discord zapped them of their color.
     
    But it isn't only in the starry scene, either. The very after, Twilight wrote her report about comets, but it isn't her words that are captivating. The nighttime graphics matter here. Everything was dark and cool with only the candle illuminating light off Twilight's muzzle, hair, table, quill, and parchment.
     
    During Act 3, Spike entered a cave in the Everfree Forest. There was an immediate contrast between the outdoors and indoors through the light and dark of the ground, but when he approached the jewels, that area of the cave luminated, indicating a strong sense of brightness and reflectance throughout the treasured hollow area.
    To give the night a bigger sense of beauty, blurred balls of light in the form of comics rained before the starry sky. I've seen meteor showers and comets passing by the nighttime sky a few times live, and they never get old. The same reactions apply here with the awe from the crowd young and old. It's plausible, especially for those who desire to have quality family time like the Mane Six (while they're friends, their chemistry makes them extended family, especially once the season comes to a close).
    Owlowiscious only spoke in "whos," but that doesn't mean he's bereft of personality. They were simple, but in some way indicated what his feelings were. For example, as Twilight stormed out of the Golden Oaks Library near the end of Act 2, Owlowiscious rotated his head back and gave a solemn "who," as if telling Spike he felt bad for him.
    Spike had moments where his jealousy and feelings where he believed he was going to be replaced was justified.
     
    Owlowiscious finding two books far quicker than him, one of them having him fall off the ladder.
     
    Spike overhearing the Mane Six glorifying Owlowiscious.
     
    Owlowiscious finding quills before Spike.
     
    Spike being snitched after the owl found the burnt book.
     
    Twilight scolding Spike for not being "the Spike [she knew] and love[d]." Words like these hurt, especially to a kid like him, and that solidified his belief that Twilight wanted nothing to do with him anymore.
    The aesop, at its core, makes sense. Lies and jealousy not just break friendships, but families, too. Quite possibly the most important element of friendship is trust. No trust, no bond, and lies and jealousy nearly broke the two apart.

    That said, despite these strengths, issues clog up Owl's Well that Ends Well.
    Owlowiscious may have personality, but it's often sidestepped in the form of "who" jokes, with Twilight understanding what he's saying and Spike incapable of translating. In-episode jokes are fine once in a while or if they're cleverly weaved in a storyline (i.e., Big Mac's lack of long-winded vocal answers in the hilariously clever two-part comic), but it was handled weakly here. The repetitive jokes overshadowed what personality showed from the owl and devolved him into a one-dimensional plot device.
    Spike ends up being the butt of jokes. One issue in many episodes where Spike was involved is where he tends to be a gigantic, repetitive, and shallow component of comic relief, and Owl's Well is no exception.
     
    As Spike wallowed in the Everfree Forest, a sudden rainfall poured over him, souring his mood.
     
    He chased a chicken in order to get a feather, only to run into a barn, faceplant on the back wall, and then get into a tussle, only to come up empty-handed (until a feather floated down).
     
    Or when he woke up, panicking about the chores after he overslept.
     
    Or when he ran into the front door and got his bell rung.
     
    Or when Owlowiscious took a book from the stack Spike stood on, causing him to fall and make him feel embarrassed, incompetent, and angrier.
     
    Morrow takes Spike, his jealousy, and his anger and puts him into the headache-inducing slapstick sequence that marginalizes him into a one-dimensional piñada of idiocy.
    A problem with both this episode and the two Spike-centric episodes in season three: Spike being out of character. Him sneezing, putting the burnt book away, and lying about it for fear of retribution wasn't out of character, because he was proud of his duty and didn't want to disappoint Twilight. What made him out of character was the way he communicated with Owlowiscious and his actions to remain the "#1 assistant." Twilight was very clear that Owlowiscious was Twilight's junior assistant while Spike was asleep, and Spike suddenly reacted that he thought Owlowiscious was going to replace him? He may be a kid dragon, but he's smart, too, even though he wasn't as mature as he was following Secret of My Excess.
     
    When he saw Owlowiscious for the first time, his immediate impression wasn't "hello," "how do you do," or "thank you for helping me." He grew instantly jealous and began thinking the owl (and Twilight) wanted to replace him. He had no clear, scripted, realistic motive to initially react the way he did and continuously snowballed to the point where he uncharacteristically became a villain later on.
     
    Now, if Spike didn't get jealous until the rest of the Mane Six like Rarity praised and glorified Owlowiscious or after Owlowiscious personally intruded in his duties, then it would make sense, because his trust for the owl would eventually develop into something naïve and more appropriate for him. But prior, he had no rhyme or reason to feel extremely jealous instantaneously.
    The entire second half — the events soon after Spike fell asleep for the second time — greatly slowed down the pace of the episode and made it drag! Each event was completely pointless, contradicted to what Twilight would do (even in her immature point in her development)*, and artificially created conflict. Spike's increased, one-dimensional, out-of-character furor and jealousy over Owlowiscious; framing Owlowiscious after being caught lying to Twilight; trying to get Owlowiscious kicked out for killing a mouse; running away; and getting involved in the chase scene at the end was nothing more than padding to fill in the twenty-minute timeframe. With a heavy revision and scrapping of the second half, the whole could've ended in about half the time, and the pace would've been better.
     
    *The moment where Twilight woke Spike with a start was out of character for her because despite feeling angry and disappointed, she knows better than to act rudely impatient and wake him up like that. It would've been more in character if Spike woke up and then saw Twilight's disappointment. She would tell him the owl found it and then scold him for covering, but then console him and say that the next time this happens, tell her instead. They would make up, and then Spike would glare at Owlowiscious for trying to snitch him into not doing his duties.

    The whole episode be much better if it's something like this:
    Twilight and Spike prepare to gaze at the comets so Twilight can observe in awe and study. Suddenly, Spike sneezes at the book, burning it. Twilight smells the burning and asks Spike if he was okay, only to find the book being burnt. Spike apologizes to Twilight for letting her down, but Twilight lets him know it's okay. A little disappointed, but fine. She can always ask Celestia for a new copy.
    The Mane Six star gaze and Spike watches in delight, but eventually falls asleep.
    Twilight and Spike return off, lets Spike fall asleep. Suddenly, as Twilight writes her report, the wind blows her quill and parchment away. Twilight tries to use her magic to retrieve it, but the spell-binding wind nudges her magic away. Suddenly, an owl picks up the paper and quill and returns it to her desk. They meet and greet, and Twilight gives him the name "Owlowiscious."
    Spike wakes up late and worries if he's behind schedule. Twilight reassures him to not worry and greets him to Owlowiscious, who will be her "junior assistant" to help out Spike whenever he has trouble. Spike doesn't really understand the owl much, but still thanks him for helping.
     
    When Twilight leaves to get food supplies, they get acquainted better and begin doing some chores. Spike takes care of some of the tasks by cleaning up the floor and dusting the books, but suddenly begins to feel like sneezing. Owlowiscious comes by and stops him, and Spike thanks him.
     
    But then tasks become difficult. Spike, who's normally accustomed to working alone, wants to work alone. The owl helps him, anyway, easing up the tasks. Spike begrudgingly thanks him and wonders if Owlowiscious may be helpful, after all.
    He takes a break by reading a book on how to cast a fire-free spell on parchment and paper, when Twilight's friends overly gush on Owlowiscious, giving him the same gifts as Spike during their night picnic. Spike tries to call for attention, but the chatter was too loud for them to hear. Feeling a bit down, he heads back into the Library. Fluttershy, however, sees Spike feeling a bit glum and askd if he was starting to feel a bit left out, which Twilight assures it doesn't feel like it was the case.
     
    However, Spike's feeling a bit upset and begins to mutter about how the others ignor him and focus on Owlowiscious instead. He wonders why everyone gushes over Owlowiscious with the same praise and gifts despite not knowing him so well and not "earning" it all, either. Twilight and Owlowiscious pass by, and as the owl and dragon makes eye contact, Spike's eye twitches.
     
    Twilight asks Spike to find one book. He goes up the ladder, only to find the owl taking it. Then another, only for Owlowiscious taking it from the stack he stood on. The books collapse, but Spike holds onto the shelf so he doesn't fall to the ground. He scowls at the owl. When Twilight writes, her quill brakes and asks Spike if he can fetch new ones. He obliges and heads to the arts and crafts shop to buy them.
    But when he returns, new quills were beside her, and she credited Owlowiscious and also helped with dusting and rearranging one of the shelves. Dejected, Spike mutters and walks to the observatory, leaving a surprised, concerned look on Twilight's face.
     
    She goes upstairs and asks what's the matter. Spike said now when he tries to do his chores, the owl's doing them better and quicker than him, and he's wondering now if he is just not up to some tasks anymore. Twilight is confused, because the two got along fine earlier. Spike admitted it, but Owlowiscious got the groveling treatment while he was left out and was upset by it. And what happened after (the quills, dusting) upset him more. Twilight felt bad and apologized to Spike for accidentally starting it and reassured that, no matter what happens, the dragon will always be her little brother and number-one assistant. Owlowiscious flew up and hooted reassuringly.
    Commence the new friendship report, detailing about other friends' feelings are important, and sometimes it's important to be careful how to act and behave. Also, friendship is about being able to communicate to one another and reassure them when they're feeling down and upset. Spike and Twilight each co-signed.
     
    End of the episode.

    That's it.
     
    No extra padding.
     
    No need to make Spike uncharacteristically look like a villain whose purpose is to keep his job.
     
    No need to make Spike look like a center of flat comic relief all the time.
     
    No running away.
     
    No lame action in the cave.
     
    No shoved in adventure/fight-or-flight moment.
     
    No continuous moments of "whoing" comic relief that reduces Owlowiscious's role and impression.
     
    You have the beginning, the moments leading to Owlowiscious, possible hinting of Owlowiscious getting into Spike, Spike listening to the chatter and getting upset, being upstaged, gets more upset, gets reassurance, friendship report, end of the episode. The story is there, but you get—to—the—point more efficiently that won't make your audience want to fast-forward the DVR or change the channel. You skim the fat in exchange for the juicy meat. And if given the patience to pace it right and fill in the gaps more, this script should last a little more than half the time of the actual episode. In other words, twelve to fifteen minutes instead of twenty minutes.
     
    (If to pad it more, fill in the gaps with some dialogue; teamwork between Spike and Owlowiscious; more moments where Owlowiscious was able to fulfill the tasks quicker than him; and/or conversation between Spike and another character like Pinkie Pie about feeling left out or wondering if he can fulfill the tasks. Pinkie can give him some words of wisdom to try and cheer him up, only for it to inadvertently fail.
     
    If the last suggestion with Pinkie is done right, it could foreshadow Pinkie's antics for Party of One even more, as she felt angry at her friends for being left out of the loop, wondering if they truly loved her anymore.)
     
    ———
     
    Owl's Well that Ends Well is Spike's first centric episode. There are many moments where the animation is absolutely beautiful, but good aesthetics don't mean a thing if the story wasn't well-told. The beginning was good, but it devolved into out-of-character writing and illogical reactions in Spike's point of view, with unnecessary filler to fulfill the twenty-minute script. Overall, an objectively terrible episode.
  19. Dark Qiviut
    In response to this:
     
    This is fantastic news. Although I live across the pond, it doesn't alter the huge impact this change in policy is. If given and sent to the right media, then this message of gender-neutrality may force other main toy store conglomerates like FAO Schwartz and Toys R Us in other countries to pay attention, research, and possibly follow suit.
     
    The fact of the matter is that while categorizing toys by gender market makes it more "convenient" for shoppers and brand names, it psychologically reinforces gender roles, stereotypes, and sexism in the toys, brands, and overall toy market. Over time, we have seen and realized how much gender roles not only stigmatized society, but also harm it by dividing genders. With this change in policy, you set a standard to families, including parents, by forcing them to review products based on their overall objective quality — to name a few, material; production; care for the littlest details; psychological messages — rather than expected enforcement of gender conformation and roles. There are many ways to be feminine, masculine, or in-between, and it's important for every generation, including our future ones, to comprehend that. Toys R Us UK knows this and laid down what should hopefully be the golden standard of toys.
     
    If I ever have a kid, I would want him or her to play with as many good toys as possible and be exposed to them — this includes old Thomas trains, Chatty Cathy dolls, Barbie dolls, action figures, new generation and old generation, etc. I want my kids to know that's it's just as okay to play with a product "marketed to girls," "marketed to boys," and "marketed to anyone," period. Give me any factually GOOD product, and I'm good.
     
    Now, did the brony community help influence it? I doubt the brony community was exclusively or mostly responsible for Toys R Us UK's change in policy, but don't be so quick to dismiss it entirely, either. The brony community, other products like Hasbro's Easy Bake Oven, societal influences like same-sex-marriage legalization (France and England recently legalized same-sex marriage, for example) and the LGBT altogether, and advocacy groups like Let Toys Be Toys (the one linked in the OP) have been in the news over the past several years for its gender-inclusive, non-societal-conforming messages and reminders that anyone can enjoy a good product or message regardless of audience. If anything, there's a chance the brony community might've lent a very minute (yet equally important, nonetheless) influence to Toys R Us UK.
     
    ———
     
     
    Source: Toys Я Us scrapping 'Boys' and 'Girls' labeling for toys
  22. Dark Qiviut
    In lieu of my Poniverse Logo Review, I'm laying out my concepts for the Pony.FM logo.
     

     
    In keeping the theme of Poniverse, Josefin Sans Light is retained with the entire wordmark lowercase, but having pony.fm being a boring wordmark, it needs more musical personality. Something well-associated with music and musical compositions may be included.
     
    My idea is to incorporate common anatomy from musical notes into the typography, a list that you can find here. A common example here is stylizing the "n" to make it looked like a horseshoe and then drop in the note head at the bottom of the stems.
     
    With the exception of the tracing of the "o" above, the logo examples will be in all black to focus on the composition first.
     
    The rest of the examples are located in the "spoiler" boxes below:
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    -
     
    What you see above are concepts for the Pony.FM logo. All of them are in lowercase and Josefin Sans Light to remain consistent with the Poniverse corporate identity and to tell people passively that Pony.FM is a community within the supercommunity.
     
    For most of my time, I played with "n," the dot in between the "y" and "f," and the space between the "f" and "m." I started with the simple "pony.fm" wordmark and then began to play with the trademark infusion.
     
    Because the y, f, and m make very unique negative spacing when the letters are closed, I played of making typographic ligatures. There are various examples in many OpenType typeface files like Caslon, Garamond, and Myriad Pro.
     
    For the "n," it provides a very unique opportunity to convert the octave into a letter, which in turn can become the logo's trademark for cross-media icons and avatars. My personal favorite is the horseshoe Octave because it gives the wordmark a trademarkable identity, something the traditional octave won't do. Some of the "n" octaves have circular or oval heads.
     
    But before I decided to submit it for public viewing, I got the idea of using the dot between the "y" and "f" into a musical head. So I combined the bottom of the "f" and dot to make the ".f" its makeshift note. I didn't make the "n" and "f" notes simultaneously because it would be overkill. When you put the same message over and over again, it tells everyone you're trying too hard. (I still haven't abandoned ligaturing two or three letters quite yet.)
     
    Submit your thoughts below and provide extra ideas to develop the pony.fm logo.
  23. Dark Qiviut
    I was at BronyCon myself (my second convention ever, both BronyCons). Unlike last year, my mom came over, too. (This was her very first.) I had such a marvelous time there. The entire convention was absolutely loose. Eight thousand bronies coming into BronyCon in Baltimore, dedicated to their ponies, and having so much fun.
     
    Some of my highlights are:
    How much fun everypony was having. This con had plenty of lines. In non-BronyCon lines I was on, everyone was impatient and wanted the security to get it moving faster. In BronyCon? Buck that! We had to wait, but we also wanted to have fun-fun-fun-fun-fun-fun-fun! There was a lot of dancing, singing, and plain excitement! We all conversed, "yeah'd," gave each other so many brohoofs that our knuckles got sore, and just were plain happy.
    The spirit of unity. Despite the drama and heated debates we sometimes have, there's one thing brony conventions do so well: show a sense of unity. Katie Cook said this perfectly: "It’s one fandom, one interest. You can feel the love and energy and intensity of the fans here: they’ll give each other high fives even if they don’t know each other." Brony conventions offer the best in the fandom, physically, intellectually, and psychologically. The looseness and happiness were all there, and my mom noticed it so much.
     
    The looseness and unity were exhibited in so many areas such as the chants (including "YEAH!", "Pink Fluffy Unicorns Dancing on Rainbows," "Crush! Kill! Destroy! Swag!", and "FUN!"). You got brohoofs and hugs whether you knew them or not. And it wasn't only the adults who joined the fun. EVERYPONY — EVERYBRONY — of any age joined the fun and chanting, from five-year-olds to fifty-year-olds.
    The creative areas like the Traveling Pony Museum, the Vendor Hall, the creative lounges, and Bronypalooza. At BronyCon Summer 2012, there was an undeniable amount of craft exhibited throughout the convention.
     
    In BronyCon 2013, everypony stepped up their game. The Vendor Hall displayed some of the best brony craft that I have ever seen, and there was such a wide variety.
     
    The Poniverse booth showed a unique united network of websites and even a great preview of their latest installments: Pony.FM (which I discussed with @Feld0 on how to improve upon) and their ambitious pony project that was previewed in their panel.
    One booth nearby had high quality embroideries; another next door had high-quality plushies.
     
    One in the middle of the hall had really well-done beauty bars.
     
    Another had great 3D printing.
     
    Another had high-quality temporary tattoos.
     
    Another had very well-done chains.
     
    Another also had a very well-done Alicorn Amulet, which I bought and intend to use it as my primary jewelry.
     
    Another had well-done bow ties and pins in their booth.
     
    The Perler Pony was also there displaying high-quality perlers. (My mom thought of commissioning for one with Discord ears.)
     
    EquestriaPlush was also there with family and high-quality plushies. (I impulsively thought about buying her Luna or Twilicorn one, but it was well out of my budget, so I just gawked and complimented the unbelievable quality instead.)
     
    You pretty much know the drift. There was so much great work that you wish to buy all of it. Quite a few vendors got caught off-guard by how much bronies wanted to buy their stuff. Several sold out their main products rather quickly. For example, one vendor had seven duplicates of an OC plushy worth a high price tag, and they were sold out by Friday mid-afternoon.
    Forest Rain's proposal to his girlfriend at Bronypalooza on Friday. Great to Be Different showed the origins of their relationship, when he spotted an envelope with "It's great to be different. Love, Derpy" from BronyCon last year. The letter inspired Rain to compose what is currently my all-time favorite brony song. They met in person a few months later (in typical Derpy fashion, his now fiancée got locked out of her car, and they've been in a relationship ever since). It was a sweet moment that caught me off guard. I wish FR and his fiancée the best of luck in their relationship!
    Whose Line Is It, Anypony? If you missed it, you should've seen it. That panel was absolutely hilarious. All of us in that audience laughed on and on. Several times, we laughed so hard, we rocked back and forth and cried. The bronies who performed there were spectacular. (The superhero and "What Would You Say to Pinkie Pie and Not Your Girlfriend?" segments from Scenes Out of a Hat are top-notch.)
    The Closing Ceremony. Couch Crusader at EQD said it best. Nothing is more depressing in a convention than the last day, because this means the con is coming to a close. The Closing Ceremony made sure everyone had the con ended on a happy note. The surprise with the singer from G1 was great, and everypony clapped along. The conclusion with Black Gryph0n and EileMonty co-singing "Proud to Be a Brony" solidified what made BronyCon and bronydom so great.

    I also like to thank a few people:
    My mother. She didn't go to BronyCon last year and was somewhat reluctant about BronyCon this year (because Baltimore's Downtown neighborhood is terrible [especially at night]), but she knew how happy I would be at BronyCon, so she decided to buy tickets and later extended our hotel days. As she saw the lines and walked through the vendor hall, she began to notice the spirit of the fandom blooming and began to show a bigger appreciation to the fandom at large. On Friday evening, while I was at Bronypalooza, she watched the two-part pilot and half of "The Ticket Master." She loved them and currently has Spike as her most favorite canon character.
     
    Her stance on the brony fandom changed for the positive for good the following night. While I went for Bronypalooza, someone recommended her to see Bronies: The Extremely Unexpected Adult Fans of My Little Pony. She saw the entire documentary and LOVED it, resulting in her becoming a brony and embracing the brony culture for good. (I decided to buy the documentary as a result Sunday morning, as I have never seen it.) On Sunday, she bought the 2014 MLP:FIM calendar, a pair of Vinyl cutie mark earrings, and a Chrysalis tote bag. (She currently is a gigantic brony of the ponysona, Fluffle Puff, and sings "Pink Fluffy Unicorns…", although she'll accidentally say "Pink Puffy Unicorns…" instead, which gives me a giggle ).
    The Poniverse staff, from @Lord Bababa to @Apple Bloom to @Feld0 to @Marco ~ Ace Attorney to @Ice Storm to @Artemis to @Chigens and Kay to @~Chaotic Discord~ to @Thereisnospoon303 to everyone else there. You worked really hard on presenting their ambitious projects currently and did whatever they could to do it well and on time. Lord Bababa was hilarious and exhausted trying to get it done, and I don't blame him for wanting a good night's sleep. Poniverse staff, you did great at BronyCon, and I can see your works gaining a ton of support. Keep it all going, and I await Beta 2 later this month. ^^
     
    I also want to thank the bronies of the MLP Forums, from @Jonke to @Luminescence to @Zoop to @Skullbuster to @Wingnut to @Sweets to @Bhending the Rules to @~Lugia~ to @Lady Rarity Pony to @TGAP Haven to every brony at the MLP Forums for sacrificing their time to attend BronyCon, too. You were all great and shared a fantastic brony experience. I saw many of you there, and I can't wait to hopefully see you guys again at another brony convention soon. ^^
    The people who worked at BronyCon and kept everything smooth. Despite all of the lovely, organized chaos, the security did a marvelous job in maintaining the convention and keeping everyone alert and happy. EverFree Radio, EQI, and Ponyville Live covered BronyCon 2013 splendidly. Lastly, the folks backstage did great in answering as many questions as possible.
    Everypony who attended BronyCon 2013. You guys there demonstrated the heart and soul of the brony fandom and shows all of us why being a fan of those pastel-colored ponies is something to be proud of. Your warmth, generosity, ability to awe and recognize such high quality craft, and overall passion for the ponies helped make this con special. But what made it special was all 8,407 of you who went. You went to BronyCon, discussed ponies with everypony, treated each other as family, let yourselves loose, and had so much fun. Cons aren't cons without the fervor of passionate, dedicate fans, and the bronies here at BronyCon demonstrated that. Without it, BronyCon would've been typical and BORING. BronyCon 2013 was anything but boring, and it's all of you at BronyCon who show us exactly that. BronyCon showed the best the brony community has to offer, and it really made me extremely proud to be a brony.

    BronyCon Summer 2012 was fantastic, but this convention blew it out of the water in fun, cheerfulness, passion, and quality. Thank you, everypony, and brony on! /)
    ———
     
     
    Source: BronyCon 2013: Experiences, Pictures & Discussion!
  24. Dark Qiviut
    Unlike my other reviews for the longer fan-animations and official episodes/movie, this will be short for the newest fan-animation, Children of the Night.
     
    This is amazing work. With Snowdrop and Double Rainboom, two works that demonstrate the creativity and passion bronies have in their craft, published, Children of the Night was another highly anticipated short musical clip, and it was really worth the wait.
     
    For one, it's very well-sung. Luna's singing voice is a bit different compared to her dialogue one since Luna Eclipse, but it fits her pre-sealed personality very well. The animation shots really highlight the mood of tranquil cultism. "Come, Little Children," which is based of the original song from Disney's Hocus Pocus, was paid great tribute and given so much respect for, yet altered a bit to give it a FIM-like feel. Instead of a feel from harmony to hell, she has a feel from hell to harmony. It has a cult-like feeling, but one where Luna actually feels she's doing something right, and the Children of the Night have the philosophy that Luna truly wants to aid the kingdom. It's a biased form of storytelling from one of the children who falls victim to Stockholm Syndrome, but that intro really clues everyone what the feel of the musical number will be like, preparing them what comes next.
     
    There's also one little detail that caught my eye: the Fausticorn statue where a tear dripped down her muzzle. It's an obvious brony shoutout, but it blends in and feels extremely organic. That little detail sends the message of sorrow and division between the two Royal Princesses and foreshadows what Luna was going to do next, really enhancing the mood and story.
     
    This team spent about a year developing this clip, and it was year well spent. Very well done!
  25. Dark Qiviut
    Warning: This review contains massive spoilers for the movie. If you don't desire to be spoiled, click the back button.
     
    ———
     
    My Little Pony: Equestria Girls is the semi-blockbuster for the My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic franchise. The fourth generation has garnered hype and popularity since its inception on October 10, 2012, with the help of the target audience (families), market audience (families and families of little girls), and periphery demographic (everyone else — the teenager-and-up bronies, for example). However, unlike Friendship Is Magic, Equestria Girls's market audience is adolescent girls — ages ten to fourteen. With the premise revealed and controversy surrounding the spinoff, how does the movie itself hold up?
     
    To answer several questions and thoughts before I write the official commentary:
    If you watched the , you'll notice one segment where Twilight has trouble flying, a retcon from the ending from Magical Mystery Cure. The clip from that commercial came from this movie.
    Flash Sentry, who was featured not that much and didn't have much dialogue, was a love interest. In passing, Rarity said Flash Sentry and Sunset were a couple, but were broken up. Twilight gained a crush on him, and the two mutually respect each other.
    Derpy is featured at least twice in the movie, once deep in the credits dancing to the tune and the second during Equestria Girls (the song). In the latter, she appears walking in the lower-right-hand corner.
    There was a common question about why Twilight not stealing the crown back before retreating as fast as she could to the portal. Spike queried to Twilight about telling Twilight why she didn't ask Principal Celestia where it was, but that was the closest it came to this idea. Twilight didn't bother searching for it at any point in the movie.
    In the back of Sunset Shimmer's toy packaging, she's references as a former student for Celestia. She was Celestia's former student.
    Twilight Sparkle, while in her human form, didn't attended classes (at least on screen).
    At no point is the word "human" even uttered.
    If you wish to see the plot summary, head to its wiki page here.

    Now to my standard review.
     
    My Little Pony: Equestria Girls markets to female teenagers via the content within, but DHX and Meghan McCarthy are responsible for animate and write the movie. On one hand, there is plenty of material to attract the parents and periphery demographic with the wit and humor. On the other, there is so much, from the little details to the characterization to the overall concept, that is extremely patronizing to the periphery demographic to the point of segregating them from the rest of the audience. It has the potential and shows it occasionally, but on the whole, it's one gigantic clunker.
     
    First, there are strengths:
    The animation of the ponies is extremely fluid. To repeat, one element from the series that is often overlooked is the quality and improvement of the animal animation. Instead of using Flash as a cost-cutting measure, DHX uses it as a crucial tool to develop the animation and make it as useful as handdrawing them, akin to a full-length Disney animated picture. The same can be said for Spike as both a dragon and dog. The way bot designs move gathers no noticeable hitches or glitches.
    In the alternate world, the environmental graphics are solid. It's school, but it feels like a lively school, with bright colors, land, shadows, and many other nuances. In front of Canterlot High is a horse statue that contains numerous details to make it look polished and beautiful. You can see, pause, and observe the details in that statue.
    There are no complaints for the excellent voice work. Whenever they talked, the dialogue, reactions, and exclamations didn't sound fake or poorly acted. When Twilight was anxious, she appeared anxious. When Spike was concerned or snarky, he was exactly that. The tones were believable. Sunset Shimmer was a bully, and her aggressive voice (as a human, pony, and bitchy demon) fit her personality.
    Like the episodes themselves, one crucial point in the series is both the background musical score and song score.Once more, William Anderson performed well. Each time his score came into play, the mood resonates and correlates. When the situation was calm, the score captured that feeling of calm. When Twilight was anxious or panicking, Anderson's tunes captured that panic. During the lone fight scene, the score revved up to represent adrenaline and urge, and it matched the scene well.
     
    And if you are a Star Wars geek like I am, take a listen to the score once Twilight opens Principal Celestia's door open with her head. You'll notice a tiny bit of a Star Wars-esque tune before it switches into something more fitting to Celestia.
    Daniel Ingram is responsible for the song score, and what he did really harnessed the feeling of youth. The songs are teen pop, which tends to be upbeat, young, and urban in its music. According to Ingram, this is something very foreign to him, which he did quite well in three songs:
     
    A Strange New World: This is the most unique of the songs in terms of tone. In the other songs, you can really notice the similarities in the drums, symbols, and rhythm. In this one, however, the mood is much more different, which means a change of pace in the music. It's lower and doesn't have as much adrenaline compared to the others.
     
    Equestria Girls: The second the song begins to plays, there's a tribute to Queen's We Will Rock You. It's by far the catchiest song in the entire movie, and Ingram's upbeat, high-paced score (akin to a song played at a baseball game during a road team's mound conference) revs up tremendous adrenaline, starting small and then climatically ending on a continuously high note.
     
    The instrumental theme for the characters' transformation. If you're going to give this moment any impact, it's important to put in a great score for it. Ingram did exactly that, combining the teen pop genre with the feeling of magic and majesty in the instruments.

    [*]The characterization of the humans is rather decent. Twilight's misadventures as a human really fits her, for she transformed from a pony so suddenly. As for the other humans, their dialogue fits their personalities and roles (Principal Celestia, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, etc.).
    [*]But there's one human who stole the show in some capacity: Pinkie Pie. If you love Pinkie Pie, you'll love her glorious performance. For almost the entire movie, she was extremely in character and random, but didn't behave like a mindless clone from Too Many Pinkie Pies. Whatever she was going to say, you had no idea when or where. But whenever she did, it fit her so well. She wasn't random for the sake of it nor was she random during very crucial, dire moments. If she was serious, she was. When she was surprised, she was surprised. When she wanted to surprise someone with her hilarious antics, you had no idea how, whether it's her "hunch," breaking the fourth wall, or hanging upside-sown with a megaphone in her hand. She was fantastic here and gave her character so much justice.
    [*]A little detail, but Principal Celestia shone early in the movie. Her sassy, snarky expression once Twilight entered her office was funny, and she showed both patience and impatience. In that small clip, she displayed a bigger sense of character than her pony counterpart: her strength of wisdom, but a psychological flaw of greater importance and not wanting to waste time taking needless conversations.
    [*]When Spike is well-written, he is a tremendous character, and he was excellent here. The design choice of him being Twilight's dog is still stupid because it relegated him to a pet instead of Twilight's surrogate brother, but he was the level-headed figure of the duo. He was intelligent, witty, and the wiser of the two. He sometimes said something that was hilarious and not as smart as he hoped, but he knew Twilight very well and guided her whenever she got stuck, lost, or anxious. DHX, this is how Spike SHOULD be written: not a comedic butt of jokes, but a character who's worth his screentime and attention to the audience. Suffice it to say, it's his best role since The Crystal Empire.
    [*]Twilight Sparkle was adorkable, but not the same Twilight compared to season three. All of the character growth from the pilot to Magical Mystery Cure was retained: nervous, mature, capable of quickly regaining her composure. Her leadership, which isn't highlighted as much as it should, played a role in many parts of the movie, from making her human companions of her friends friends again to being the one who helped clean up the mess in the hall to leading the chase in the end.


    That said, there are many issues, some small, some quite big.
    One big issue in many of season three's episodes is the pace, either because it's too fast or too slow. This issue is evident here on many occasions.
     
    a. Twilight was transformed into a human and had to adapt in order to retrieve her Element of Harmony. In what is a seventy-minute movie, Twilight had to adapt to being a human in only three days. Transformation from one species to another is not as easy to adapt as you logically think. Think about a baby walking. When a baby tries to walk the first time, he or she will stumble and fall down. Eventually, the baby will walk, but it won't happen right away. It takes plenty of time to adjust, and this example applies to Twilight. She's smart, but isn't going to go from acting like a four-legged mammal to a human who's capable of wiggling her fingers and walking on her two feet in a couple of days. Getting used to having different anatomy takes plenty of time to adapt, and it's too quick.
     
    b. A common issue in the series: explaining a villain's backstory with as little detail as possible. Sunset Shimmer is the main villain in the entire movie, and Celestia didn't explain her history as thoroughly as she should. If given one or two more minutes to explain her past more, then Shimmer's transformation from a confident student to a dishonest, egotistical bully might've made more sense. Instead, Celestia's explanation was rushed and only opened up more questions regarding her past. Sunset's flimsy excuse following her defeat didn't close the door on these questions, but rather left them just as open, if not more.
     
    c. Twilight's crush, Flash Sentry (a.k.a., Brad), is boring and flat. As a character, he has very little personality. Sure, he's supposed to be kind and gentlemanly, but when he spoke, there was so little to demonstrate something from him that stands out and make him thoroughly three-dimensional. Any physical, psychological, and emotional flaws that make the characters thrive are absent, and he had so few roles to make him verbally stand out. Basically, he was a tertiary character.
     
    d. The mutual respect for both Flash Sentry and Twilight resorts to three common clichés: Flash helping Twilight to her feet; Flash and Twilight bumping into each other, having a "crush-y" moment, and Flash being Sunset's ex-boyfriend.
     
    The latter cliché is such a major copout for two reasons: It creates unnecessary conflict (which never got brought up following the revelation), and it's written as a cheap excuse to hook Twilight and Flash up. If you want to write genuinely good quality cruses and romance, don't fall for these stupid traps that intellectually insult your audience.
     
    Furthermore, the family-friendly romantic feelings were implausibly developed. At one point, they met. The next, Twilight developed a crush. The third, Flash and Twilight developed mutual respect for each other. There was so much going on, no time for them to mutually communicate was given.
     
    e. The plot, from the beginning to the end, crammed way too much information for it to flow plausibly. This is a seventy-minute movie that featured several plot points, and it's up to McCarthy and the rest of DHX to have everything flow smoothly and plausibly: Twilight learning how to be a human, regain the crown, team up with her Human Five counterparts, defeat Sunset Shimmer, develop a crush on Flash Sentry along the way, and return home all in three days. What was given the ample opportunity to develop everything well was cut for the required time given for the movie. When you're forced to cut corners to cram so much detail, you run the risk of really diminishing the quality of the story. That's exactly the case here, with the plot going, "too much information, too little time." If anything, this movie should've been longer.
    While the animation of the ponies and other animals is fluent, the humans are very subpar. With the exception of the twirling during Equestria Girls, the humans don't appear fluid at all. For one, the squash and stretch (an important principle in animation) are missing most of the time. When they walk and run, it doesn't have that organic motor of their legs. When the characters walk, run, pose, or throw, it's as if I turned on a machine. Instead of using Flash as a crucial tool to produce high-quality animation, it comes across as a crutch to cut corners.
     
    While a nitpick, Snails carried that wheelbarrow full of bricks as if it was empty. One brick alone is extremely heavy, and he's pushing at least a dozen. That's about two hundred pounds of bricks. For a team that takes its physics very seriously, DHX slipped up here.
    The cause of the division of the Human Five is out of character. While teens are extremely naïve, the Human Five are extremely intelligent, and they were all friends when they went to High School as freshmen. When Sunset Shimmer sabotaged their friendship with questionable messages, in-character beings of themselves would've gone to the supposed messengers and ask if they genuinely sent them. If they weren't friends to begin with, then that's not a problem, but it's very problematic and didn't make sense.
    While the callback to the pilot with Fluttershy being shy to Twilight is fine as a concept, it doesn't make sense as she communicated with Sunset Shimmer. Following the confrontation, Fluttershy wouldn't have been as shy to talk with Twilight, who helped her and saved her from getting any more verbal abuse. If Fluttershy was quiet and meek while communicating with Sunset Shimmer, then the correlation wouldn't have been a problem.
    The periphery demographic is segregated from both the market and target audiences, relying on constant current pop culture and brony references to retain attention. While it's fine to reference the brony fandom in the form of Vinyl Scratch (with and without her shades), Trixie, Photo Finish, and Derpy, it's important to balance everything out with well-written plotlines, intelligent dialogue, and thorough characterization; this movie forced itself to divide the demographics.
    I called this out way too many times, particularly in my editorial.
     
    The human character designs are extremely formulaic, both male and female (with very few exceptions [i.e., Snips, Snails, Celestia, Granny Smith]).
     
    What makes the ponies stand out is how individual they all look even from either a basic silhouette. The pony base design is so strong, a mane and tail are all needed to create a character in a basic shape. With the humans, however, the hair immediately recognizes who the characters are, but that isn't enough, especially if going by a basic template (and to replicate well-recognized characters). Here, you need to really make the clothing varied to make the characters individual, and altering clothing like the skirts or boots just a little bit isn't enough. You need extreme variations in the height, anatomy, clothing, and so on to make them recognizable in a basic outline. For the Mane Six, besides Rainbow Dash's athletic pants, they're so similar; you can swap the completed designs from one to another, and they'll still fit.
     
    I repeated this in my editorial, so I'll copy and paste it:
      While Equestria Girls is both well-sung and well-composed, the other songs' lyrics are extremely repetitive. A Strange New World used the same message over and over again, while This Is Our Big Night (both the original and reprise) continued the same lyrics and tune. The latter is short, but it could've used much more variety to make the lyrics much more interesting. The creative genius that we normally see in the lyrics and song score is lost in its repetition and lack of necessity.
     
    The song played during the credits, A Friend for Life, albeit interesting and brings back the implied message My Little Pony: Equestria Girls sends, is very forgettable. It doesn't have catchy lyrics nor the bouncy rhythm that makes Equestria Girls intriguing to listen and see.
    Although the Human Six are in character, with the exception of Pinkie Pie, Spike, and Rarity (to an extent), the dialogue comes across as stilted. What makes great, three-dimensional characterization isn't merely having them be in character, but also not being able to predict somewhat what they're going to say. Whenever Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Twilight, and Applejack spoke, I honestly expected what they were saying. It doesn't have to be an exact match, as long as the message correlates. Pinkie's characterization was great because you didn't expect what she was saying, but you can here with almost everyone else.
     
    It isn't only the Human Six, either. Sunset Shimmer, Snips, Snails, Vice Principal Luna, and Flash Sentry have the same issue, too. As they each spoke, I could predict what they were about to say.
     
    Rainbow Dash, despite being in character, had the worst dialogue. Her lines are not only way too stilted, but also too simple and limited in her vocabulary. Review the movie and see how much she says the word, "awesome."
     
    There's a big difference between in character and a combination of in character and three-dimensional. Most of the characterizations leaned on the former rather than the ladder.
    For a character who was supposed to replicate wisdom and intelligence, Vice Principal Luna showed none in her brief appearances, especially while interrogating Twilight in her office. Instead, we got someone who couldn't recognize a blatant cutout. The picture of Twilight causing the mess in the gym isn't a photoshop. It's an image with Twilight cut out and glued on the front to make it look like she caused the mess. Any vice principal with an ounce of intelligence would immediately recognize the ploy. Paper has texture, and you can feel the image being cut out immediately. The real Vice Principal Luna would notice this immediately, find Sunset Shimmer, and interrogate her rather than rely on a semi-Deus Ex Machina to get Twilight out of trouble.
     
    Simply put, Vice Principal Luna is an atrociously, out-of-character idiot.
    The story's extremely predictable, playing it way too safe. While Friendship Is Magic mostly developed the characters conservatively, the writers aren't afraid to throw a curveball to make the plot interesting and accessible, sending a message to families (of little girls/teens) that good quality, fresh entertainment is available out there. But instead of throwing a great curveball that makes the audience whistle by how nasty it broke, Uncle Charlie lazily hung in the middle of the strike zone. This movie doesn't play fresh one iota. Instead, it sticks to the common clichés in high school with nothing genuinely interesting or faithful to the main series to keep things interesting. It's the typical "newcomer-arrives-at-High-School-meets-new-friends-gains-her-bully's-ex-as-a-crush-kicks-bully's-ass-and-the-story-ends-happily" plot, only with My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic slapped on the front to make it appear related. It's extremely formulaic; I felt like I honestly saw or read the same plot in another book or show.
    Snips and Sails are extremely unrecognizable as characters. Sure, their faces, bodies, and voices exist, but there's a difference in seeing them visually and seeing, hearing, and identifying them. Snips and Snails spoke, but they're not them.
     
    In Equestria, Snips and Snails are innocent-minded characters. While they tend to say and do stupid things, they're not evil. In the alternate world, they're evil! They're villains, and that's NOT them! They're a dumber version of Diamond Diara and Silver Spoon, but as males instead of females. "Alternate Universe" is no excuse for disrespecting the original characterization and making them different characters with "Snips" and "Snails" slapped on the obverse.
    Sunset Shimmer is a TERRIBLE character. There was so much criticism for King Sombra for being flat and boring, with nearly nothing to make him a full-fledged, developed character. However, Sombra still has plenty of potential to become such a dastardly villain that Discord would squirm.
     
    Sunset Shimmer is just bland and uninteresting. As a personality, she is the typical, high-school-clichéd, one-dimensional bitch. What could've been a highly manipulative, calculative, cocky, greedy, proud villain is relegated into a cardboard with the typical bully, with bright colors and a black jacket dressing her. Swap the shared "personality" Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon had from One Bad Apple into Sunset Shimmer, and you have the same character with only a different character design and voice to separate them.
     
    Also, if she was interested in obtaining magical genius while studying under Celestia's tutelage, then why would she decide to venture into Canterlot High, a place where magic is much more obscure and difficult to conjure, in the first place? Instead, wouldn't she venture to another area to study harder, like a restricted section in the school library or another school where she feels she can study to her very best? Celestia describes Shimmer as hardworking to a huge fault, greedy, and thirsty to be the best sage. Greed and pride can describe Shimmer fantastically, but it wasn't used properly for her because the concept of the alternate world shuts down magic, and she behaved dimwittedly. Instead of shutting down her perceived intelligence to make Twilight and the rest of the characters better, use her intelligence to make both Twilight and Sunset equal rivals, and use Twilight's intelligence to problem-solve.
     
    Then there's her excuse why she became cruel and dishonest:
     Her reason for becoming so evil is flimsy and shallow, making her a flatter, dumber character, and inorganically shoehorning the Magic of Friendship in the canon. Her cruelty needs to have much more basis than this. If she's going to be evil, don't throw in a rushed two-liner. Give her evil a basis to make her evil solid, logical, and empathetic. In the ending, Sunset is at her most vulnerable. Show us why we should feel sympathy for her. That throwaway line doesn't give her character justice. Instead, bullshit is delivered, stomping on any integrity her concept once had.
    The ending makes no sense.
     
    a. Like the rest of the plot, the climax was way too quick. There was so much to deliver, explain, show, and tell, but the whole battle was crammed into five minutes.
     
    b. A second Deus Ex Machina bloomed. Flash showing up to get Twilight out of trouble was the first. The second came here when Twilight and her human friends harnessed the power of the Elements of Harmony. While the Elements of Harmony were definitely going to impact the movie somehow, Twilight was able to activate its power without the tools necessary to activate the Magic of Friendship. If the physical tools were unnecessary, then why did Discord steal them in Return of Harmony, and why did Twilight have to safeguard them from Keep Calm and Flutter On to Magical Mystery Cure? The DEM handwaves the purpose of having the tangible objects to begin with (using that "intangible tangibles" cliché) and creates a big plothole that the universe didn't need having.
     
    c. As funny as Twilight was in the dance, her going to the Fall Formal at the end is completely out of character of her. She's running on time, and she barely entered through the portal before the clock ran out. What if she went into the Formal and didn't make it on time? She would really regret doing it. It would've been best for the plot if Twilight went on to say, "no," say goodbye to her friends, and leave for home.
     
    d. The fact that Twilight went back to her world this quickly is just plain stupid! This event is a very big change for her to adapt. High School and the Fall Formal are completely foreign environments, and it's up for her to adapt as well as she plausibly can. Furthermore, it's up to her to survive. But to be there from the beginning of the movie to returning to her own world makes no sense.
     
    1. It shows right from the get-go that this movie's primary purpose is to sell toys. The plot is second-nature, and it shows how much how DHX has to try to cram such a dumb concept into the plot in order for the alternate dimension to make sense professionally and canonically.
     
    2. It's such a huge mea culpa and exemplifies why converting Twilight from an alicorn back to a unicorn is such a stupid idea. It tells the audience that DHX spits on the concept and wants to do whatever it can to "rectify" an idea that's so unfaithful to Friendship Is Magic's roots. But this plot point is so cheap and admits to the audience that the movie shouldn't have been made, period. DHX and Meghan McCarthy are implying, "This movie conceptually sucks, and we'll do whatever it takes to get out of it." It's as if McCarthy ran into Writer's Block and sifted through The Generic Book of Generic Clichés just to escape. It have It takes whatever "soul" — or lack thereof — Equestria Girls already "had" and destroys it.
     
    If DHX wanted to disguise the blatant toy promotion more convincingly, have Twilight not be able to return during the movie. As in, the only way to get back to Equestria is to wait for the next thirty moons or have Twilight adapt in High School, better expand the Magic of Friendship to Sunset Shimmer, battle through rough times in High School, become triumphant, and graduate. But this canonical method is cheap and lame: It tells the audience that DHX and Hasbro don't desire to explain and expand this world further.
    Finally, this movie as a whole has absolutely no soul. Just because there are patches of great work doesn't mean the passion is exactly there. It's very possible to churn high-quality work just for the sake of it. The movie's concept is extremely typical, but McCarthy and the rest of the crew didn't do something to make it stand out and make it not only differentiate from the rest of the typical High School plotlines, but also faithful to the roots of Friendship Is Magic. The concept is old to the core, but McCarthy could've still done something to make My Little Pony: Equestria Girls refreshing and not fall into the samey plotlines that have killed many movies (both blockbuster features and home videos). But Equestria Girls didn't dare to take chances and slapped in many brony references to capture the periphery demographic's attention. Too much was crammed in simultaneously, forcing the movie to hold its breath until the credits rolled. Like a furious and impatient conductor rolling through his or her notes, Equestria Girls speeds through one page after another and cuts corners to fit everything into one package. It's completely different to Magical Mystery Cure, where the path wasn't linear. Here, it was very linear with no thoroughly great characterization, poorly done character development, and the overall impression that DHX and Hasbro didn't care for the overall quality and performance of the movie at all. Executive meddling is no excuse for giving My Little Pony: Equestria Girls a Dementor's Kiss.

    My Little Pony: Equestria Girls is a spinoff with the ability to expand the universe into more uncharted, interesting territories. Despite a concept that doesn't stay faithful to the core of the main series, the Next Big Thing for Friendship Is Magic provided ample opportunity for Hasbro and DHX to take it and make something fresh and good out of it. There are patches of high-quality characterization (primarily in Pinkie Pie and Spike), music, character backstories, and overall potential. Instead, the story is safe; the humans' animation is inorganic; the lyrics are often repetitive or forgettable; and the overall script quality is sacrificed for time. In what could have been a great way to sidestep executive meddling and send a message to families, adolescent girls, and the overall periphery demographic that the High School concept can show a breath of fresh air, the clichés deliver the opposite, disappointing message and further prove that the concept just doesn't work. Although the potential is there, what is executed instead is mostly a convoluted, lazy, soulless mess. Overall, My Little Pony: Equestria Girls is a terrible movie.
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