Jump to content
Guidelines

Dark Qiviut

User
 View Profile  See their content

  • Posts

    4,721

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    1

 Content Type 

Blog Entries posted by Dark Qiviut

  1. Dark Qiviut
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvoENvK14N4
     
    Like what I wrote in my review for Old Reliable Edward, UK users might not be able to watch it.
     
    Ever wish to see Thomas's coaches, Annie and Clarabel, become a very central role in an episode? Last season, Brenner presented them as motherly figures in Thomas' Shortcut as they warn him of his carelessness along his branchline and worry along the way. On the morning of August 26, 2014 (British time), Thomas's most faithful coaches take part in Paul Larson and Laura Beaumont's first S18 collaboration: Not So Slow Coaches. In what is one of the five from the Trouble on the Tracks DVD, the two coaches are taken on an accidental adventure that carries plenty of emotional dialogue despite some realism screwups.
     
    Strengths:
    Once more, the characterizations remain in character. Everyone spoke the way they were supposed to.
     
    If you're familiar with Annie and Clarabel, they definitely sound like they love Thomas and are faithful to them, yet are extremely pessimistic with his speed. Their motherly tendencies badgered into Thomas, who was chugging down his branch line.
     
    Speaking of Thomas, if you're into him being extremely cheeky and not Mr. Goody-Goody Two Wheels, just like Old Reliable Edward, this is your episode. Each line drips with a lot of personality. The little tank engine acts as both an ally and foil to his coaches, as his reestablished immaturity rubs them the wrong way.
     
    Where their relationship is exhibited best occurs really early. As Annie and Clarabel complained about how fast Thomas was going, he decided to be a little cheeky…by crawling down the line. So when they told Thomas to speed up, Thomas accelerated, only to switch gears and have Thomas repeat his ol' tricks. The whole exchange is extremely clever of the crew and very in character of the trio. I'll get back to this in a bit.
     
    The other important characters in NSSC, Charlie and Catlin, are also in character. The Playful Purple Engine tells his corny jokes (as usual). Like Connor, Caitlin is proud of her ability to travel while remaining competitive.
    Just because you're cheeky doesn't give you the incentive to not be hit with consequences, and they are abundant. Because Thomas played around on the rails, he learned how late he was to Dryaw. Then he had to hurry back to the Shunting Yard to arrive at the Ffarquhar Quarry (located at the end of his branch line, as reestablished in Thomas the Quarry Engine), which he did on time. Because his scheduling sucked, he arrived back too late to catch Caitlin, who pulled Annie and Clarabel across the island. That left him feeling very guilty for teasing them. Deservingly so, I might add.
     
    Of course, there's the slight, friendly ribbing at the end, so it isn't like it'll all go away.
    The episode really exudes the fear of Annie and Clarabel racing down the mainline and Thomas not catching up to Caitlin. Two exchanges between the coaches is where it works so well:
     
    As Caitlin pulls away from the Shunting Yard:And during the race with Connor:Think about it. If you're a pair of really old coaches with the occasional need to be painted so you don't look like a "beach hut on wheels," you won't want to go fast. Not to mention it brings Annie and Clarabel's complaining of Thomas's speed in full circle.
     
    Kudos to Theresa Gallagher (also the voice of Mavis) for giving both characters the enthusiasm and emotion needed to drive this character-centric conflict.
    If you're interested in the music, then Robert Hartshorne's musical scores work really well. His best is heard during the chase as his instruments reflect the desperation for Thomas to catch up before it's too late. Even better is how despite informing the audience of how frantic the situation is, it doesn't hammer everything in. When placed in the right context, it creates a more powerful message and doesn't make it so blunt that it tastes bitter or becomes cringeworthy to listen to.
    One of the biggest problems with The Afternoon Tea Express (also penned by PL/LB) was by how much the narrator was relied on, telling the audience every single thing about the story, from the danger to the speed to expressed emotions. There was no silence or independence from Moraghan. Not here. With plenty of room to breathe, Moraghan is used only when necessary, making the story better than it should.
    There's no clear moral to the story. When analyzing it to its simplest point, it follows the Fish Out of the Water trope, something this series has used a lot in the past, including the classics Thomas & Gordon/Thomas Gets Tricked and Wrong Road. You can't really locate the actual moral because it was placed so far on the back burner, instead focusing on the characters, action, and resolve.
    In the whole eight-and-three-quarter-minute episode, the only characters to appear are Thomas, Annie and Clarabel, Caitlin, Charlie, Connor, and Hiro. No other member of the "Steam Team," Sir Topham Hatt, or any other engine showed up, allowing the conflict's development more flexibility.

    Weaknesses:
    The engines' animation isn't very refined. To see what I mean, look at this chart from Wikipedia:
     

     
    The numbers you see are all part of the Walschaerts Valve Gear. Most large engines on the Island of Sodor have this configuration, including Gordon and Henry. Caitlin's and Hiro's styles are a little bit different, but operate the same way nonetheless. If you want to know what the key numbered parts are, click here for the information.
     
    Take at look at Caitlin's left valve gear:
     

     
    See the light gray bolt on her second driving wheel? It remains stationary as her wheels rotate.
     
    Now look at her other side:
     

     
    Her entire valve gear remains in one spot.
     
    Later in the episode, Hiro also has this same problem with his missing fly crank (the piece connecting the side rods to the fly-crank rod).
     

    There's some unnecessary exposition. To illustrate two examples (all underlined):
      Because she's so streamlined, it's obvious she's going to be fast. By having the narrator tell the audience, you're repeating the point and thus minutely hammering in her speed.
     
    Also, don't tell your audience (both primary and periphery demographics) her bolts are loose. Show them via a close-up of a few loose bolts on her wheels. Differentiate which bolts are loose and tight by having a workman like a driver or fireman review her. Although this might be a bit picky, don't you think having a streamlined engine with loose bolts speeding down the main line would be dangerous? If they become looser, then they could fall of and cause more confusion on the island. Preferably, I would leave Caitlin in the Shunting Yard, call in Rocky or the Breakdown Train to pick her and her tender up (who to tow? I'd choose Edward, Henry, or James because of their agility), and travel to the Steamworks altogether.
    Once more, Charlie tells a really dumb joke.But this is not where the comedy fails.
     
    What makes it miss the mark is by having both Charlie and Caitlin laugh at it, although Caitlin less so because of her chuckle. If Charlie found it funny and Caitlin not, then the joke might work because she could display a facial expression (maybe a sigh and/or eyeroll) that would reflect back at the audience, especially the older ones. No, Hartshorne's stylized "womp-womp" is way too subtle to get the joke across.
     
    Besides, wouldn't it be more sensible if Charlie told a much better joke? That way, Charlie's screwup won't feel so forced. He's capable of doing more than just tell awful jokes that merely pander to kids, as shown by Not Now, Charlie! and his cameo in Toad's Adventure. Sure, it'd still be contrived because his driver apparently allowed this to happen, but you'd at least correct half the mistake by not flanderizing him.
     
    Speaking of Charlie, after screwing up his job, he wasn't seen again. No signs of regret. No apology. No consequences. No nothing. Sure, it was portrayed as something he did wrong because it was an accident, but show him feeling remorseful for what he did. Don't force both kids and their guardians to create headcanon to resolve the plothole.
    As presented, the whole chase scene is implausible. From the second half onward, Thomas attempts to chase down Caitlin to retrieve Annie and Clarabel, who were towed along the ride. The whole goose chase kept on going until Hiro stopped Caitlin offscreen while she was on the Mainland. Instead of having Thomas chase Caitlin around the island, why not have him and/or Charlie race to the nearest signalbox and telephone instead? That way, traffic down the mainline can be halted as Caitlin is forced to stop at a subsequent red/danger signal. Then you can have someone — hell, maybe Thomas himself — retrieve his coaches and resolve the error. Or like what SkarloeyRailway01 wrote in his short review, have Thomas's driver alert the signalbox down the line, only to miss the warning as Caitlin races Connor. Having these little details would make the predicament much more plausible. While the chase is pure adrenaline and fun, it plods the pace, making the journey feel empty instead.

    During Series 17, the most controversial writer of the season was the team of Paul Larson and Laura Beaumont: They can write really well, write average, or write poorly. The Afternoon Tea Express was easily one of S17's worst. Not So Slow Coaches is one such episode that helps them maneuver back on the right track instead. With on-point characterization, plenty of stakes, a lack of obvious moral, and a good dose of karma, it's an episode that deserves some accolades. Yet, some obvious contrivances merely hold NSSC back from being one of its greats. Overall, a decent episode.
  2. Dark Qiviut
    If you reviewed this page to see my grades for various FIM media along with the three-parter analyzing the ten worst and best FIM episodes (Part 1; Part 2; Part 3), the standards I put on them apply here. Each grade you see listed beside each episode and aforementioned movie specials will determine the episode's overall quality (at least through my own observations). No explanations given, but if you want, I'll be glad to do it.
     
    Also, this blog will cover the TtTE episodes from Series 17 and beyond. I have a lot of fondness over the classic series, and I don't know if I'll grade them fairly, so they won't be graded. Because Series 17 marks the revolution of Thomas back in the classic days and I believe I can judge them more fairly, I'll focus on them only.
     
    Series 18 of Thomas & Friends has just begun airing in the UK, and Tale of the Brave should be available in the UK and US very soon. Some episode titles have been released, and not all the episodes have aired in Australia or America, so there will be some spoilers.
     
    Be warned, these grades are subject to change, and some will have two instead of one because I can't gauge its quality at this point. They may be better or worse over time. So let's get started!
     


    Series 17: King of the Railway: B

    Kevin's Cranky Friend: B Scruff's Makeover: B- Wayward Winston: B+ Gordon Runs Dry: D Calm Down Caitlin: B+ Steamie Stafford: C- Henry's Hero: B Luke's New Friend: B+ The Switch: A- Not Now, Charlie!: F The Lost Puff: A- The Thomas Way: B+ The Phantom Express: C+ Percy's Lucky Day: B Bill or Ben?: A Too Many Fire Engines: B No Snow for Thomas: C Santa's Little Engine: B- The Missing Christmas Decorations: B- The Frozen Turntable: A- Away from the Sea: B Gone Fishing: A The Afternoon Tea Express: D+ The Smelly Kipper: B+ No More Mr. Nice Engine: A- Thomas' Shortcut: B

    ———
     

    Series 18:
    Tale of the Brave: A-

    Old Reliable Edward: B- Not So Slow Coaches: B- Flatbeds of Fear: C Disappearing Diesels: B Signals Crossed: D- Toad's Adventure: C+ Duck in the Water: B+ Duck and the Slip Coaches: A Thomas the Quarry Engine: A- Thomas and the Emergency Cable: B- Duncan and the Grumpy Passenger: B Marion and the Pipe: D+ Missing Gator: B No Steam Without Coal: B+ Spencer's VIP: C+ Toad's Bright Idea: A- Last Train for Christmas: A Long Lost Friend: C+ Duncan the Humbug: A The Perfect Gift: B- Marion & the Dinosaur: C+ Millie & the Volcano: B- Samson at Your Service: C Timothy and the Rainbow Truck: B Emily Saves the World: F Samson Sent for Scrap: B+

    ———
    The Adventure Begins: B-

    Toad and the Whale: A The Truth about Toby: B-

    ———
  3. Dark Qiviut
    (Be warned: UK users may not be able to watch this episode on YT. If that's true, you can hopefully check it through this Daily Motion page.)
     
    Unlike last year, Series 18 began much later. Kevin's Cranky Friend debuted Series 17 in June 2013, while Old Reliable Edward opened the UK's Thomas season earlier today. And what a better way to start than with Edward's first episode as the central character since Series 16's Salty Surprise. Head Writer Andrew Brenner reintroduces him with a refreshing twist of great backbone with the need to teach Gordon a much needed lesson.
     
    Strengths:
    During the later years of the model and Series 13-16 of the CGI Era, Edward was relegated to the concept of "being old = being weak." The wise engine who took no shit from anybody was flanderized into a very weak, useless character. Fans of Edward remember him as a warrior who triumphed all the troubles to get his job done like Old Iron and Edward's Exploit.
     
    Here, his old character returns. Although kind and very useful, he took pride in not only his job on his branch line (between Wellsworth and Brendam Docks), but his capability of being a very reliable back engine, too. The dialogue he speaks is extremely natural and very in character of Edward from the first six series of the show and The Railway Series.
     
    On top of that, he also displays a bit of sass, especially when Gordon got embarrassed at Tidmouth Sheds and later stuck on his hill thanks to Thomas's trick. No way did he allow Gordon to get away with his boastfulness.
    Speaking of Gordon, the consequences he suffered were very deserving. After teasing Edward for his age and poor performance record for such time, the mixed-traffic engine was becoming pretty impatient. The express engine loves to boast about and prove how strong and reliable he is, but when he can't get up the steep hill, it bites him on the tender, as it should. Gordon's arrogance went into his head, and this episode knocks him down a peg or two.
    There are two really small, yet fantastic mentions here:
     
    a. Use of train vocabulary. The revival of the term "mixed-traffic engine" (from James Learns a Lesson/James and the Coaches) is one of them. The other occurs at Wellsworth as the stationmaster flagged him:
     "Banker engines" ("bankers," for short) are engines designed to assist other trains up inclines or banks. If I recall correctly, this is the first time the proper term is used on this show. By utilizing it, you expand the vocabulary and inform both kids and their guardians of the proper jargon. As Series 17 and 18 are very reliant on using the terms correctly, this is a big plus. Here's a Wikipedia article describing bankers.
     
    And to deviate a bit, allowing the stationmaster dictate Gordon's troubles is a great way to progress the story for two reasons. The audience is reminded by how much the humans are a part of the island minus The Fat Controller. It makes the start of the conflict organic.
     
    b. There are very important continuity nods:
     
    From the very beginning of ORE:Edward doesn't need to go to the works all the time and is more independent and reliable than Gordon's repetitive allusions.
     
    And after the stationmaster told Edward he's stuck on the hill:Edward & Gordon/Edward Helps Out and Edward the Very Useful Engine.
    One of Series 17's biggest problems is the animation's very glaring mistakes, mainly in the junction points. Here, it's much more refined. When Thomas pulled onto Gordon's track, the points were correctly animated.
     
    Nighttime is where the animation really improved. Not only does it look like nighttime, but the lighting from within the shed illuminated very nicely with the sharp contrast of light and dark. King of the Railway and Series 17 helped really shape the luminosity at Tidmouth, but this season made it look more natural and — dare I say? — better.
     
    Speaking of the animation, two crucial components to making it a better viewing experience are the facial expressions and camera angles.
     
    Some of their faces really demonstrate the cheekiness, angst, annoyances, urgency, and despair. How?
     
    a. When Thomas suggested to teach Gordon a lesson to Edward, his sly grin widened, and his eyelids shut halfway. That night, Thomas winked at Edward just before the scene transitioned to early next morning.
     
    b. Edward's eyes and eyebrows changed sizes here and there to drip the obvious "I told you so!" sarcasm after Gordon keeps getting stuck on his hill.
     
    c. As Gordon nearly caught up with Thomas, he really smirked. When he couldn't roll up again, he became very desperate with his "NOOOO!" and subtle apology to Edward.
     
    The camera angles make the whole episode extremely engaging. When the red trousers waved near the main line, the camera created the illusion that it truly was a flag. Then when he stopped, you saw the pants fly directly towards him before it switched again. Then when Gordon crawled up the hill, the camera swayed to act like he was looking from side to side impatiently. These little things show the audience how much Arc and the writers at HiT are teaming up to take what could be a decent or good episode and make it look better than what it should be.
    Kudos to Arc and Brenner for allowing Gordon to pull more than four coaches. By pulling six, Gordon's dilemma is more reasonable: Despite being strong, express coaches are still very heavy.
    The best part, however, is the dialogue. It's extremely tight here, and the narrator isn't overly relied on. When Moraghan speaks, it's only when needed, like filling in dead space to not slow down the pace or to emphasize the comedy. (With the way the trousers landed on his mouth, Moraghan was obviously having fun with the story, and the charm in his accent creates speculation that he was trying hard not to laugh.)
     
    Gordon, Edward, Thomas, Annie, and Clarabel have some really great lines that don't feel contrived, stifled, or out of character. The voice actors for all five molded the characters, and their organic lines were very alive and energetic. Whatever they said, it felt exactly like them.
     
    That strength came to play at the sheds. From 4:20 to about 5:14, the narrator was silent, giving Brenner the ability to let the characters direct the scene and subsequent climax.
     
    Some of my favorites overall are:
      You may not spot the moral, and you're right. There is very little emphasis of it. If there's one, it's either "Just because you say one thing doesn't make it true" or "Be more appreciative for letting others help you." By not shoving the moral in everyone's faces, you let the script roll and not rely on it as a backbone.
     
    Lastly, Edward response to Gordon's apology was the perfect place to conclude ORE, for the episode made its point and didn't need to overextend it.

    Weaknesses:
    The climax is contrived. Just before Gordon races after Thomas, he suddenly switches onto Gordon's line. Switching of tracks is actually quite dangerous because if you go too fast, you risk derailing the train. It's even worse because Gordon is puffing very quickly down the main line. Like what Christopher Bouchard from the Sodor Island Forums said in his short comment about the episode, if Gordon didn't immediatlye act, then he would've rammed into Clarabel, destroying her and killing a lot of innocent passengers. What Thomas, Annie, Clarabel, their crew, and the signalman did was actually quite dangerous. You don't need to put your passengers in danger just to teach Gordon a lesson.
     
    Even if it didn't, Thomas's willful slug down the main line risks delaying the other trains that are bound to leave. If one train is delayed, so are the others. There's no need to cause confusion and delay.
     
    Now, did Gordon learn his lesson? From how embarrassed he was in front of Thomas and Edward, he definitely did. But thanks to an obvious plot convenience, the lesson he learned and overall moral are undercut.
     
    If you want to do a better approach, have Gordon pass Thomas. But as he approached Gordon's Hill, he sees what looked like a flag. But because it was sort of close to the track, it isn't waving that hard, and he stopped only to see the red trousers, he keeps going. But when he realizes it is a flag, he applies the brakes just before he crosses it. It turned out to be a yellow flag instead. Unfortunately, he can't motor himself up the hill because the six heavy coaches haul him back. Thomas slowly passes him, and Gordon gets embarrassed again. Edward and Gordon would do that same exchange to end the episode. It's a bit anticlimactic, but it's more natural.
    This episode parallels Edward the Very Useful Engine and Edward Helps Out very closely, only twice as long. Can you use the same plot from twelve years ago? Since this season is trying to invite new kids into the fandom, perhaps. And that plot has been very successful. But by using the same structure very closely, you risk ripping off those two episodes and making ORE feel like a retread. Those little wiggles to differentiate ORE from them aren't quite enough, especially since Gordon apologized to Edward in EtVUE. You need way more variety than that.
    Because Gordon is so boastful, ORE risks making him appear unlikable. One great way to create fans of the character is to make him or her likable. Gordon is very in character, and he learned his lesson the hard way. However, arrogance is a major turnoff to many people, and making him too in over his dome creates the gimmick of the lovable and boastful express engine into an antagonist, thus turning fans against him.
     
    In ORE, his arrogance is balanced by his pride, embarrassment, and the overall consequences he suffered (all without The Fat Controller scolding him). Personally, I'd like to see that arrogance scaled back just a tiny bit so he doesn't risk becoming flanderized.
    Edward's sass risks making him minutely out of character someday. He may be wise and kind, but also very firm. His self-deprecation and dry sarcasm are justified thanks to Gordon's constant mocking, but there's a risk of overdoing it in the future. While he doesn't cross the line here, it may not be overly welcoming to others. Edward is many things, but he's not an elder mishmash of Thomas and James.
    Read this once more:
     This line implies that Thomas and every other engine can independently switch from one line to another even though he obviously can't. Remember, the driver (and fireman, if steam) is responsible for running the engine, and the signalman alters the points. It may be a bit picky of me here, but because railway realism is emphasized lately, it's be daft to not call it out.
    In the beginning, Gordon chuffs up Gordon's Hill (to Vicarstown) on the right side, similar to how trains operate in America. The Island of Sodor is located near the mainland of the UK, so Gordon would run up the hill on the left instead. Again, a bit picky, but I like to see British railway representation to be more accurate.

    The United Kingdom kept their episodes somewhat of a secret by not having them air as early as last season. Sure, America received an early taste of what was to come via the Walmart DVD, but there were twenty-one other episodes coming up and Tale of the Brave (Australia and the UK recently aired them in select theaters, and it's supposed to be on sale in early September). Andrew Brenner took the pen for Old Reliable Edward and reintroduced him in a way that was in character and believable of him, Thomas, and Gordon. For the first S18 episode in the UK, it's off to a really nice start with some important railway jargon, a very important lesson for Gordon, and a VERY obvious contrivance. Overall, a good episode.
  4. Dark Qiviut
    The 1980s is widely considered to be the golden age of game shows, airing so many fantastic game shows during the day and night. Along with The Price Is Right and daytime version of Wheel of Fortune, others made their debut like The New Hollywood Squares (a revival of the Peter Marshall version), Classic Concentration, Scrabble, a revival of Jeopardy! that still airs today, the nighttime version of Wheel of Fortune, Family Feud (including the revived Combs version), $ale of the Century, and Press Your Luck.
     
    One other game show that hit such a popularity is Pyramid.
     
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSPGe_vGcBM
     
    During the 1970s, Pyramid offered some of the highest cash prizes at the time, starting with The $10,000 Pyramid and then increasing its value in subsequent syndications like The $25,000 Pyramid (Cullen). Unfortunately, poor ratings caused the versions to be canceled.
     
    Then in 1982, CBS decided to revive it into a daytime program called The New $25,000 Pyramid (to distinguish itself from Cullen's version, which aired in re-runs; "New" was dropped not long after). With Dick Clark as host, The $25,000 Pyramid had simple rules: win your game to get to the Winner's Circle. The first time you make it, you try for $10,000. Regardless if you climb to the top of the pyramid, a second trip on that day is $25,000. With the earning's ceiling, a player can only win $25,000 (which later got bumped up).
     
    It got so popular, a nighttime syndicated version called The $100,000 Pyramid began airing in 1985. The standard rules applied (including the 7-11 in Round 1 [get seven clues right, win $1,100], Mystery 7 in Round 2 [solve all seven clues without the description to win a great prize, like a trip or car]), along with a new twist. Whether you won the $10,000 or $25,000 prize, the objective was to climb to the top as fast as possible. At several occasions during the season, the three players who completed the pyramid the fastest returns to a tournament to win the $100,000 prize. In the tournament, two players would play, and then the person with the least amount of money gets temporarily bumped for the third player, and the musical chairs would continue until someone won the tournament. This means it could happen on either the first day or into the third week.
     
    The first tournament went about two weeks. There were so many close calls, but no win.
     
    Until:
     

  5. Dark Qiviut
    Pluses:
    Regarding the (formulaic) character designs, there is actually some form of variety when looking at two of the Dazzles. Those two aren't actually wearing any skirts and have other clothes on them to differentiate themselves from the others.
    The song (both the lyrics and score) up to "Let's have a battle!" chorus was rather catchy and didn't contain a score that was rather bland and bare. Background vocalizations enhanced the sinister mood of the scene.
    Most of the animation has improved. The walk cycle of the Dazzles look and feel much more organic compared to the previous movie, and the transitions are creative and/or seamlessly flowing from one cut to another.
    As absolutely idiotic as Sunset's forced redemption was (and, by doing that, permanently ruining the reputation of the Elements of Harmony and massacring EQG's previously established slice-of-life narrative), continuity is reinforced by not retconning it.

    Minuses:
    At least two problems with the song:
    It really hammers the sinister anthem of competition and makes the conflict feel very contrived. Couldn't Battle of the Bands be a little more subtle with its message?
    Its direction swerved once "BATTLE!" is chanted, turning from what was an interesting antithesis of Win the Crown to a very juvenile concept. (And considering its older base demographic and how much it'll rip off Monster High like last year [and likely Jem and the Holograms this time], you can make the concept of High School much more unique than that.)

    [*]The green mind-controlling mist creates some confusion. Not the concept itself, but how it's spread. Can only the audience see it, or can the HuMane Five and Sunset Shimmer see it along with us?
     
    Plus, seeing as Sunset was uncomfortable around the Dazzles, did she try to go to Principal Celestia's office and talk to her prior? We won't know if she did or not, but if she didn't, then that's the movie's first (if not second) pretty big plot hole.


    P.S.: As for the trailer itself, the lampshade with Sunset turning into a she-demon was pretty funny and worked because… Well, let's face the facts; Sunset Demon looked really stupid.
     

     
    Source: [Spoilers] Two New Previews for Rainbow Rocks on Yahoo
  6. Dark Qiviut
    (Link to the image)
     
    For fourteen years, Yogi Berra and late owner George Steinbrenner didn't see eye to eye for about fifteen years. Early in the 1985 season, Berra was fired via a third-party announcement from Clyde King despite reassurance from Steinbrenner himself that his job was safe. Angry, Berra didn't visit Yankee Stadium for fourteen years and cut off all ties with the club. In 1999, Steinbrenner apologized personally to Berra, and they became friends again. In honor of Berra, July 18, 1999 (between the Yankees and Expos) was "Yogi Berra Day."
     
    And in tribute, Don Larsen (the pitcher who threw the perfect game in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series at Yankee Stadium against the Brooklyn Dodgers, the first since the White Sox's Charlie Robertson on April 30, 1922) threw out the ceremonial first pitch to Berra (who caught the perfecto).
     
    It was just the start, as David Cone pitched against Montréal's Javier Vazquez.
     
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xE83Kj2tEQ
     
    Today, fifteen years ago, Cone threw what was then the sixteenth perfect game in history, the third by the Yankees. During the game, Cone struck out ten, never got a three-ball count (his worst being 2-0), and threw only 88 pitches. It was the second perfect game in over a year, also by a Yankee (David Wells on May 17 [beanie-Baby Day] against the Twins). Chuck Knoblauch's throwing woes took a day off, throwing a sharp dart to first to retire Jose Vidro for the twenty-third consecutive out. There were two great plays, one by Paul O'Neill with one out in the first to retire Terry Jones (a sliding catch), the other by Ricky Ledée with one out in the ninth to retire pinch-hitter Ryan McGuire (catching the ball after losing it in the sun…with the glasses down). Orlando Cabrerra (who would win a championship with Boston in 2004) was out #27, popping out on a 1-1 pitch to Scott Brosius in foul territory down the third-base line.
     
    And Cone did it with Don Larsen in attendance. ^__^
     
    And Joe Torre, the manager at the time, turned 59 years old that day. Not a bad birthday present. ^__^
     
    On a personal note, I watched the perfect game from the ceremony to the final out on TV with my dad, stepmom, and stepsister. It's the first of two times I watched a no-hitter live on TV for the entire game (the other Roy Halladay's no-hitter in the NLDS against Cincinnati).
     
    You can watch the whole game through the video (courtesy of MLB's MLB Classics page) below:
     
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwod7qO4y40
  7. Dark Qiviut
    The biggest strength of Ponyville Confidential is Diamond Tiara's cunning ability as a tactician. Manipulative to the core with the ability to negotiate. Filthy Rich was shown to be Tiara's father, but this was the first episode to truly represent a part of his personality, yet teetered on the other end of the scale. To not see that portion of her personality since then is downright sad.
  8. Dark Qiviut
    A few months ago, I braved myself to watch some Series 15 episodes and grimaced at just about everything minus the CGI. (The rest, I merely read the summaries.) The characterizations, storylines, character development, and overall writing quality were objectively awful, and there was no way to defend them nor claim I was stating an opinion! Despite not being as observant with railway realism as some of the die-hards, it doesn’t change the FACT how important railway realism is, and Series 15 blew it completely. Series 16 did decently, but still wasn’t there because the bad factually outweighed the good by a wide margin.
     
    Then came Series 17 with a much different cast. The entire writing team was replaced, with Andrew Brenner taking over the roles as both head writer and writer (replacing Sharon Miller) followed by secondary writers in Davey Moore, Lee Pressman, Paul Larson, and Paula Beaumont. Arc replaced Nitrogen (who did a splendid job with the animation and proved how beautiful the Island of Sodor can be in CGI, too). And there was a completely different method of handling not just the storytelling, but the characters, too.
     
    Starting from the first episode of this season, you can tell right away how much they knew how important making Sodor alive and safe was. Starting with Kevin’s Cranky Friend, the team was revitalized with an interest in telling a worthwhile story.
     
    And they delivered.
     

    First, various thoughts on the characters, starting with the classics and pre-HiT characters:
     
    Thomas: The main star of the show. Unlike previous seasons, he was shown to be a kind tank engine meanwhile being cheeky and competitive. He wasn’t the shoehorned goody-two-shoes all the time. He had the personality that I grew to know and love since I first started watching Thomas & Friends. The fact that he got cheeky at times was extremely refreshing and welcoming for this old-school fan.
     
    Edward, Toby: Neither of them starred in any episodes, but they didn’t need to. In their few lines this season, they were some of the most in character in this series since HiT/Mattel bought Thomas in the mid-2000s. Edward admonishing Diesel and then giving up when Diesel retained his crude stubbornness and then Toby explaining the "Lost Puff" to Paxton were very in character.
     
    Henry: Only one episode he starred in, and he was extremely well-done. Yeah, coal and illness were involved, but it had nothing to do with the settled story from Series 1. It had everything to do with what was given to him. The fact that he was timid of what would happen to him was very in character of him, because it showed and called back to all of those stories from a few years ago. After those bouts, it was going to become very obvious that Henry wasn’t going to forget them so easily. Instead of telling the continuity, it showed it. Retconning them out of existence because the episodes sucked would what have truly been out of character of Henry and, therefore, bad writing. No matter how bad the episodes were previously, never pick and choose your canon, or risk major continuity flubs.
     
    If Henry’s Hero was written in a style equivalent to pre-Series 17, you can make a good argument that the way it was written was going to be so different, with the repetitive listing of strikes, straying from the journey, and broken aesop. Even up to where Henry and Hiro collected the heavy flatbeds, you could argue how they might’ve done a similar path. Instead, with Hiro’s guidance, he faced those fears and showed what he was capable of, developing his character and reminding fans young and old who he is: a warrior who can handle such heavy goods and battle through thick and thin to get where he is now. H’sH gave Henry’s character so much justice. As a big Henry fan, it’s a long time coming.
     
    Gordon: The old express engine showed exactly what he is: smart and proud of pulling the express, yet will let his arrogance and selfishness take over. His lines dripped in pride and in-character reactions to various circumstances, such as pushing Stephen because he doesn’t tolerate running slowly (calling back to King of the Railway), cringing when he smelled Hiro’s putrid black smoke in Henry’s Hero, grimacing when The Fat Controller assigned Gordon to the mail train after causing confusion and delay in The Frozen Turntable; and feeling ashamed after he found out his boiler was damaged by the fast, hard rock in Gordon Runs Dry.
     
    But one moment that struck was where he thought of the names of the stations to not concentrate on his boiler quickly dehydrating. That felt very real and gave Gordon a unique, yet plausible, side to his character. Plus, because he listed the names of the stations in correct order, it gives the writers an impression that they genuinely research the series.
     
    James: He wasn’t merely a one-dimensional, vain hothead. The old red engine felt important, vain, and proud. But he’s also a kid at heart and was someone who does what his intelligent dome would think of to make others feel extremely silly for a nice laugh. His actions in The Phantom Express and The Smelly Kipper reminded me of the side of James that helps make him lots of fun: his extreme deviousness. The review in the main blog described him as doing tricks that would make Diesel rather proud of him.
     
    On the other hand, he's proud of doing his duties, albeit with a very selfish streak, like in King of the Railway when he continually ordered Thomas and Percy to clear the line. His snippiness, vanity, selfishness, pride, ego, and determination were all in full bloom with every line he delivered.
     
    Percy: Minus asking what "rerouted" meant in Thomas’ Shortcut, Percy was in full form. Gone was the "village idiot" that was present since Series 6 and replaced with one who’s naïve, proud of his work, young at heart, cheeky, brave, and willing to help if he puts his mind to it. The mail train gave him a useful role that brands him as such, but he was more than that. He was forgiving and willing to help, a role usually put in for Thomas.
     
    My most favorite moment from him in this season was during The Missing Christmas Decorations, where after he noticed how long Sidney remained hanging in the Dieselworks, he decided to help and alert The Fat Controller into ordering new wheels for Sidney. It showed how mature Percy truly is and how much he cares about everyone on the island. He could’ve left the diesels and Sidney hangin’, but he didn’t. Smart thinking by Andrew Brenner to put his intelligence (and the moral of generosity) into good use.
     
    Duck: Don’t you think we’d forget about you, old buddy?! Welcome back! And, boy, was he great! The personality he was given back in the pre-HiT Era shone brightly in his two appearances, even in his cameo from Henry’s Hero. The voice he was given fits Duck to a "T," and the delivery in his lines showed how seriously he took the Great Western Way, as he should. He brags about it occasionally, but wasn’t going to take any nonsense, especially when a dire situation was at hand. How The Thomas Way handled Duck was great, not just in the narration, but also the voice acting.
     
    Bertie: Friendly, yet cheeky and competitive. He always wants to do what’s right, yet doesn’t forget his friendly rivalry with Thomas. The teasing at the beginning of Thomas’ Shortcut reminds me of the friendly teasing in the classics, and the way he responded in that episode was very in character.
     
    Diesel: The devious shunter was up to his tricks again, this time in No More Mr. Nice Engine. Despite a stern warning from Edward, Diesel felt the only way for the trucks to behave was the make them dizzy and one inch closer from the scrap yard. His behavior reminds me so much of who he was: devious, selfish, and troublesome for others. He was evil from beginning to end, just the way we like it.
     
    The Fat Controller: Ready to reward if doing the right thing and very stern and responsive if doing causing confusion and delay, especially if it was very problematic. His responses to Diesel in No More Mr. Nice Engine, Thomas in Thomas’ Shortcut and No Snow for Thomas, James in The Phantom Express and The Smelly Kipper, and so on when it came to anger and discipline fit him very well. Sir Topham Hatt played fair and did what he should do: be meticulous and care for the railway, from having the engines punctually arrive to maintaining safety.
     
    Also, he was very in character of his responses. His reprimand to Connor after nearing crashing into Henry, immediate reaction to the damaged tracks in Wayward Winston, callout to Belle for toying with her cannons, and answers to the inspectors all make sense from a character introspection.
     
    Bill and Ben: For the first time in several years, the mischievous saddle tank engine twins were in stories. In all three episodes this season, they played pivotal roles and demonstrated it nicely in their actions and words. The Midland accent and voices Jonathan Broadbent gave them fit so brilliantly with their characters: hardworking, yet devilish. Each line they gave was very alive and reminded me so much of the Bill and Ben of old. And to put in a bias, Bill or Ben? was very intelligent, hilarious and impactful; how Ben was able to take advantage of The Fat Controller’s punishment, Victor’s absence, and Kevin’s naivety was both clever and hilarious. I can’t wait for any future stories Brenner and the crew offer next.
     
    Harold: Once again, another classic character in fine form. When I watched The Thomas Way, I was reminded of how much Harold would tease Percy about the railway. This episode gave him character development in his personality and chemistry between both Duck and Thomas. His personality meshed with theirs, and it worked wonders with him.
     
    Annie, Clarabel: Prior to Blue Mountain Mystery, Annie and Clarabel weren’t given one bit of dialogue in the CGI Era. That changed when they told Thomas to slow down. Series 17 gave them plenty of cameos that invited the atmosphere into the stories. But they shone brightly in Thomas’ Shortcut as perfect foils for Thomas’s stubbornness. Their quantity (and quality) in dialogue freshened the air more in this series.
     
    Cranky: Possibly the most Awdry-esque character following the series’ permanent split from The Railway Series. He’s a character who tends to be one-dimensionalized since HiT bought the TV rights, but Series 17 gave him life. He was cranky, but he wasn’t cranky without reason. Kevin’s Cranky Friend keeps him busy, and he just wants to do his job without any interference. His reaction to Cranky makes perfect sense, and both he and Kevin play off each other well. During Away from the Sea, his grumpy exposition was put aside in favor of concern for Salty’s engine troubles, telling him to get checked out. Lastly, his reaction to the elephant trumpeting at the end of Not Now, Charlie! is grand.
     
    Diesel 10: He’s come a long way since his appearance in Thomas & the Magic Railroad. Although the movie bombed critically and financially, Diesel 10 remains the movie’s most memorable character for his witty one-liners, humor, and relationship with Pinchy. Only one Diesel 10-centric episode this season, The Missing Christmas Decorations, but he retains the same memorable personality, one-liners, and (more toned down) disdain of the steam engines. Even at the end of the episode, he’s still a bastard, but if he isn’t, then he isn’t Diesel 10.
     
    Salty: Arrrrgggghhh, matey! The diesel of the Seven Seas is at Brendam Docks. His piratey accent, given by Kevin Wickman, suits him nicely. Determined, cheery, and hardworking, he loves to give a friendly tease, and he doesn’t want to look or act like he didn’t fulfill his job. Away from the Sea exploited a rather refreshing role reversal to a tired plot, which was about a steam engine possibly replacing the diesel. The suddenness and Salty’s maintenance tells a story of the class’s history to railfanners and people who wish to learn the history of engine designs.
     
    Harvey: This good ol’ crane engine had been missing for some time, and his appearance in Gone Fishing was just right. In it, he was shown to not just be useful as a crane, but an engine, too. His chemistry with Porter blended in very well, and it was good to have his sensitivity of his shape revisited, this time by the two twins and ability to get under any engine’s skin.
     
    Jack: He only made one appearance as a secondary character: King of the Railway. He didn’t disappoint. He was that eager, fun-loving character who loved to do what he does best: construct, load, and aid. Plus, his new shape looks much more interesting with the square face and other mechanics. Welcome back, Jack!
     
    Spencer: The biggest reason I loved this character was because of all the potential he had. He impressed me in his debut in Series 7, but his usual roles relegated him into a flat, one-dimensional bastard instead of a proud, arrogant, warm foil and complementary character. Once more, he’s a foil character, but his arrogance’s more toned down, and his naivety bites him on the tender quite painfully in The Afternoon Tea Express.
     
    Emily: She didn’t have many roles this season, but whatever dialogue she had, it didn’t matter. Her characterization was extremely swell, particularly the quick observations and development over her opinions about snow — from feeling embarrassed to angry over the idea of kids laughing at her for donning it to realizing how fun snow could be. Pre-Series 17 episodes would have her probably reduced this to a notable "three strikes" episode cliché, but that was all gone after halfway, developing her character more organically.
     

    Now the newcomers when HiT/Mattel acquired the rights to the TV franchise:
     
    Scruff: Because I haven’t watched many HiT episodes up to Series 17, I’m not as familiar with him. But he seems to have a gigantic pride in his work and worn-out appearance as a result of his hard work. After he was given a paint job at the Steamworks, his reaction once he saw his reflection fit him. After spending some time being repainted, he didn’t want to ruin their hard work and visual impression. But he’s an honest, hardworking engine. No matter the appearance, as long as he does it, he’s useful no matter the smell, and Whiff will appreciate that regardless.
     
    Victor: He didn’t star in an episode, but whatever dialogue he had fit him. Wise, intelligent, and unwilling to withstand any nonsense (except Kevin, who he tolerates quite well, given their contrasting personalities). The best moment from him this season was immediately catching Bill’s desperate trick during Bill or Ben? and then feeling cross once he found out the twins tricked Kevin’s eagerness and took advantage of his absence.
     
    Kevin: The mobile crane has been a rather big annoyance (including Charlie, which I’ll explain later) due to his recklessness and carelessness, both of which aren’t addressed. It’s completely different here, and his appearance in Kevin’s Cranky Friend showed one great for Kevin: how much he wants and tries to be useful. He just wants to do his job and feel proud as an important contributor on the island. He’s reckless and young, but is growing little by little, and Cranky said it in passing. He’s definitely hardworking and wants to help.
     
    Charlie: Not many people like Charlie, and for good reason. Useless, flat, and uninteresting, partly for the fact that he’s a character that revolves around making corny jokes. Come Not Now, Charlie! for him to realize him telling jokes all the time was a bad thing. He was the purple engine who cried "wolf!", and everyone was tired of it, even to the point where he thought he was lying to himself. While he still comes up with corny jokes, hopefully he’ll be more careful, and maybe the other engines realize Charlie isn’t always going to joke, especially when there’s a safety problem.
     
    The Earl of Sodor: Sir Robert Norramby may look old, but he’s a character with a bucketload of potential, most of which was capitalized. Despite his perceived age, he’s an exciting, well-rounded, and magnificent character. He helps give Sodor plenty of life, both in and out of Ulfstead Castle’s grounds. With the exception of Stephen, the Earl in King of the Railway helped steal the movie with his antics, excitement, pride of the island, and dedication to preserve an important treasure.
     
    Connor: The first of two identical streamlined engines had a clean slate that began in King of the Railway (as far as storyline continuity’s concerned) and didn’t get a big role until Bill or Ben? There, more of his personality is known: new, impresses, wants to do his work, yet minutely gullible and competitive to a fault. While he was given the groundwork towards becoming a three-dimensional character, more needs to be done.
     
    Caitlin: Connor was the first of two streamlined engines to debut. Caitlin’s his counterpart, the differences being the nameplates and colors. She’s nearly like Connor, and both play off each other quite well, potentially being complementary and foil characters. But what makes her different is her extreme excitement to learn, do her jobs, help out, and be impatient.
     
    She’s a big kid at heart, the reason why Davey Moore wrote her so endearingly in Calm Down Caitlin. It’s a debut episode, but it’s such a good one and balanced her out. She shares the same American design as Connor, but she and Connor prove, just by their personalities and ways of handling things, that they belong. Plus, she and Gordon share great chemistry, which I hope they take advantage of if only to take a break from the Gordon/Spencer rivalry.
     
    Stafford: An interesting addition to the railway. Instead of water or fuel, Stafford relies on recharging his battery for his work. A nice, quiet engine to go with his nice, quiet, youthful personality. Despite the cringeworthy use of "steamie," Steamie Stafford was very appropriate for Stafford and gave the innocent little engine important character development. Secondary and background characters like him liven the island, and Stafford’s story help expand the roster.
     
    Hiro: Possibly the most important character in the HiT/Mattel Era, this strong, polite tender engine gigantically contrast the Big Trio. While the Big Trio tend to be egotistical, Hiro has been around long enough and spent through so many ordeals that really make him such a proud, yet very wise and very mature character. But even he has his limits, such as his trucks’ perceived nihilism (when it was really Diesel’s own doing unbeknownst).
     
    Yet, in Henry’s Hero, he demonstrates why he’s Master of the Railway: intelligent, gritty, wise, and hardworking. Even with bad coal and stuffy firebox, Hiro’s thought process is "Get the job done first and worry about the bad coal later." His personality and determination perfectly foreshadow Henry’s determination later on and show why he’s a good character from the concept up.
     
    Paxton: For what was a weak debut simply to sell toys, Paxton has come a long way. In Blue Mountain Mystery, he was pivotal in the plot. Then came Gordon Runs Dry when his brakes were applied so quickly, a large rock bashed Gordon’s boiler, leading up to the memorable conversation with Gordon near the end, as well as his subplot of shunting Christmas decorations for the diesels at the Dieselworks.
     
    The Lost Puff is quite relatable in a way that makes anyone who’s not familiar with the differences between diesels and steam engines and provides a lesson on their anatomy. Plus, he learns a powerful lesson on performing dangerous stunts, all the while not having to be admonished for a second time by The Fat Controller. He’s quickly become a favorite of mine, and I anticipate more great moments from what is an extremely likeable diesel.
     
    Sidney: One of the characters with a lot of potential, only to be relegated to a ceiling ornament in the Dieselworks. The meta moment (being stuck in the rafters for about two years) helped bridge the gap in the fragmented relationship between diesels and steam engines. He forgets, but when it comes to helping him become potentially useful, moments like those are unforgettable. ^__^
     
    Belle: One of two fire engines. She’s young, but responsible, but played a game or two. But she’s quick to learn and, after The Fat Controller caught her using her water cannons recklessly, realizes her tools aren’t toys. Nevertheless, she understands that she’s competent and will help out whenever possible to keep the Island safe. While she’s an obvious toy gimmick due to her lack of realism, with enough headcanon power, she can be given a plausible excuse to having the cannons.
     
    Flynn: Every die-hard Thomas fan knows how factually bad his debut episode was. It was so bad, it can make any person angry. Such a lack of care for genuine safety and characterization in the other episodes in Series 15 was bad enough. Fiery Flynn really made the season end with a gigantic whimper and vast shame over how far the series had fallen. Flynn was a poster child, even in Series 16.
     
    Despite the consistent good quality in characterization and writing, it wasn’t unknown how Flynn would be handled.
     
    Needless to say, he’s a toy handled correctly in Too Many Fire Engines. His personality, impressions, and disappointment were relatable, especially as being perceived as "useless" can be damning for anyone on the Island. Despite The Fat Controller providing a plausible alibi for him and Belle to be there, Flynn wasn’t sure. Only when Belle had to guard Ulfstead Castle and couldn’t put out the fire at Brendam Docks did Flynn get another chance. He was shown to be useful, competent, passionate about his job, and trustworthy.
     
    Fiery Flynn made him atrociously out of character and stupid. Too Many fire Engines gave him the intelligence and credibility he rightfully deserves!
     
    Winston: He’s The Fat Controller’s inspection car, and both of them have great, yet slightly rocky, chemistry. While The Fat Controller can drive on the road, he’s terrible on the rails due to his constant starting and stopping. This lead to possible speculation (how much, I’m uncertain, for I’m very inactive in the core fandom) of Winston becoming eventually exhausted of how poor Sir Topham Hatt’s driving was. Wayward Winston developed both characters tremendously, while providing two memorable meta moments (Percy telling Winston he needs a driver and The Fat Controller being forced to share responsibility for the C&D).
     
    Porter: An American tank engine named after his own class, but with an exquisite personality. While his design isn’t unfamiliar (Rosie’s train class has the same functions), he has a much different personality with plenty of maturity and wisdom. Currently, any teasing doesn’t bother him so much because he concerns on getting the job done and was important in his two episodes this season. He felt like a character and not a lazy toy.
     
    Luke: Since his stellar debut in Blue Mountain Mystery, Luke came into his own. Brenner and crew took advantage of his youth and enthusiasm in Luke’s New Friend and The Switch, two widely popular episodes for the comedy and character development. His already three-dimensional characterization was expanded with his relationship with the deer and conversation with Millie.
     
    Millie: The newest narrow gauge engine to appear, debuting in The Switch and then given a proper intro in King of the Railway. Like Caitlin, Connor, and Porter, she behaved like a character rather than an obvious toy. Spunky, proud, useful, and sassy, she can hold her own through her dialogue and facial gestures, three-dimensionalizing her in a way that wouldn’t have worked if the series still used the models.
     
    Stephen: If Hiro didn’t debut, then I would argue that Stephen is the most important character in the HiT Era. Based off Stephenson’s Rocket, this antique engine has such a history parallel to his real-life companion. Due to his age and design, he grew a unique personality. He’s caring, wise, useful in his own way, youthful, funny, and bright. His dialogue is very clever and thorough. He doesn’t need to talk long-windedly merely to be a wonderful character. Old by age, Stephen’s not afraid to show off his wisdom and youthful teasing.
     
    Most importantly, his design sends a psychological message, personally, that the writers want to connect both the past and present to Thomas fans young and old. From a design and marketable standpoint, it’s extremely smart and teaches people young and old the history of the railroad.
     

     
    So, what went right for Series 17?
    There’s much more research in railway realism. Many of the previous episodes relied on the engines just trekking down the line simply for the sake of it. Instead, there’s more research in how railways are supposed to be handled.
     
    a. Less use of specials and more reliance on the characters doing their own jobs.
     
    b. Characters doing their jobs repetitively. While it’s technically not a good idea from a writing standpoint to make the character do the same thing, it’s a complete contrast for railways. Giving engines a rigid duty gives them a purpose. Two big examples that I notice are Paxton pulling trucks full of stone from the quarry and Edward shunting at Brendam Docks.
     
    c. The important use of sidings. Hiro left half of his load in a siding because it was too heavy for him to pull solo, and Paxton shunted Gordon’s empty coaches to a siding to clear the main line.
     
    d. Hiro and Henry stopped at a red signal and waited until Duck (who was on the same track) turn on the junction next to them.
     
    e. Bill and Ben waiting at a red signal so Connor can turn the corner and fly by.
     
    f. The importance of engines arriving on time, evident by Annie and Clarabel’s repeated criticisms of Thomas’s desire to search for a shortcut.
     
    g. The importance of both expresses and locals. Usually, the local was shunned to glorify the express and Gordon’s role. Thomas and Gordon’s argument and teasing about the local and express trains demonstrate equal importance for each role.
     
    h. When Thomas was diverted off the main line, the signalman’s role wasn’t done. He immediately called another inspector to help get Thomas back onto the main line. That alone showed me Pressman researched the railway, emergencies, and how the Classics handled emergencies.
     
    i. Other elements of engines themselves, such as Caitlin’s tender brake being hard on and Salty being sent to the Dieselworks (a reference to his class needing maintenance at times).
    Safety is emphasized. One of the biggest criticisms was the lack of care from the writers when considering safety whenever the engines patrolled the Island of Sodor. Series 17 marked a huge change in caring about how important safety is, both on and off the rails.
     
    a. One of the plot devices was the damaged track. Sir Topham Hatt acted responsibly in getting it fixed as soon as possible. But when he couldn’t, he warned his engines not to play on them because it can cause confusion and delay, as what happened with Thomas when he acted way too reckless.
     
    b. Once more, clearing the empty coaches to a siding. While it was important in railway realism, the safety aspect was there, too, for it cleared the tracks for the trains behind him.
     
    c. The Fat Controller desiring to have Brendam Docks clear of the mess and make the trains run on time. The more cluttered the quayside, the more confusion and delay for everyone (including shipments that haven’t arrived on the island at the point).
     
    d. The Fat Controller’s severe involvement when there are unsafe actions by the engines. He scolded Kevin for not helping Cranky, only to sink into the bay when he tried (and then taking it back when Cranky admitted to shoving him under the tower); scolding Connor for running through a red signal and nearly colliding with Henry; being furious at Bill/Ben, James, and Thomas for creating accidents and/or causing confusion and delay.
     
    e. The Fat Controller confronting Henry and Percy for waking the citizens up during the night.
     
    f. Charlie noticing a stray elephant on the line and immediately trying to find help.
     
    g. Belle admonishing Flynn when he asked why she didn’t wait for him, and then Belle guarding Ulstead Castle in case of a fire.
     
    Hell, Too Many Fire Engine’s subplot was based on fire safety, especially when an inspector asked The Fat Controller why the island had two fire engines instead of one. I explained the in-canon reason already (when in reality, it’s because Mattel wants to sell a few extra toys).
    While the season still operates under the Rule of Three most of the time, they’re much more varied. One of the biggest pointers one admin of the Sodor Island Forums revealed when reviewing Series 15’s objective flaws was the formulaic rendering:
     The new apprenticeship paid attention to such criticism and made sure it wasn’t the same every time. Sometimes, the strikes were positive, only to be slammed; aided by other engines; didn’t happen in succession; or had everything go right at the third moment. Examples include:
     
    a. Kevin’s Cranky Friend: Kevin succeeded in helping Cranky out, only to be sent to the corner like a kid in timeout. When he tried to help a third time, he nearly sunk.
     
    b. Scruff’s Makeover: Because Scruff was clean, he wanted to find a new job, only to be rejected, the third time strongly by Gordon when he said if he didn’t do his job, then he wouldn’t be useful.
     
    c. Calm Down Caitlin: Every strike was spaced out and sometimes driven by dialogue instead of narration:
     
    Strike 1 — Caitlin rushing through the island.
     
    Strike 2 — Waking the countryside up while taking the mail.
     
    Strike 3 — Waking up the animals after being baited into taking The Flying Kipper.
     
    d. Percy’s Lucky Day:
     
    Strike 1 — Leaving Wellsworth Station too early.
     
    Strike 2 — Crashing into pumpkins, leaving his wheels sticky.
     
    Strike 3 — Dropping Stephen’s horsehoe…and not even realizing it until much later in the episode!
     
    You could also add a so-called "Strike 4" for realizing he lost it.
     
    e. Bill or Ben: This one was extremely unique. Not only for being cleverly written bereft of a moral, but for also stopping the Rule of Three in its tracks. The obvious one was Connor nearly crashing into Henry. The only other "hint" was when Connor didn’t realize Ben was at Ulfstead Castle and not Bill, but there’s no third strike.
     
    f. The Missing Christmas Decorations:
     
    Strike 1 — Losing the tree.
     
    Strike 2 — Losing the lights.
     
    Strike 3 — Losing the garland…only for Percy to catch Diesel 10 stealing them alone and later taught a valuable lesson once Paxton rolled in the decorations for the Dieselworks!
     
    g. Too Many Fire Engines:
     
    Strike 1 — Flynn’s flat tire.
     
    Strike 2 — Flynn didn’t get to the forest fire on time.
     
    Strike 3 — Flynn put out the fire at the quay.
     
    These are just some of so many examples. Several past series had the characters follow a rigid set of pointers, leading to extremely predictable, lifeless storylines. Every episode this season, including the ones that weren’t all up to snuff like The Afternoon Tea Express, actually have life in the stories, and the endings weren’t predictable.
     
    Bill or Ben?, for instance, ended on a cliffhanger.
     
    Caitlin couldn’t really make up her errors, and Connor woke her up with a start at the Vicarstown Bridge.
     
    Kevin and Cranky became teammates, but still kept Cranky with a personality that made me believe he didn’t drink his cup of Costa.
     
    For the first time in a long time, the writer(s) have proven that the "three strikes," if written effectively, enhance the story and create memories that can develop the characters in the future. Often, they blend in so well, you have to look for them due to the lack of repetition, spaced out organization, lack of predictability, and higher writing quality.
    As I’m watching each story, I’m watching a story, including the mediocre and bad ones. Each story, even the lackluster ones, doesn’t feel like a list of bullet points anymore. As I watch the story, I watch how each character responds and does, and then I pay attention to how the writers are blending them all together. And the writers here are focused more on what they’re writing instead of what points they’re shoving the characters in. Very rarely did the stories drag on or rush.
     
    Speaking of the characters, they’re written with so much energy and life. Every single line this season spilled attitude that would’ve been very inappropriate if the others said it. Even when you take out the emotion, their lines still feel like them! Then the energy from the actors and actresses come into play. Because the lines flow so organically, the emotions conveyed from the actors themselves feel organic, too, not out of place, pointless, or dull.
     
    More quality control in the stories transcends behind the scenes. Typically, when scripts suck, the actors behave and react unnaturally. Conversely, write good scripts, and the actors can trust the writers and, as a result, behave much more loosely when performing.
     
    Series 17 demonstrates that perfectly. The organic atmosphere in the dialogue helps behind the scenes by making the actors feel loose and having them comprehend that the scriptwriters want to write a good quality, lively story. You can tell the voice actors were having fun with the stories due to the lack of force in each line. If the scripts were equivalent to the Miller Era’s, you could feel the actors trying to make the characters react in character, yet failing massively. In Series 17, the characters are in character, and the better quality control ebbs on the voice actors.
     
    However, what makes objectively great characters isn’t just keeping the characters in character like a vacuum. It’s about having the writers write the characters as if they’re human, too. Characters with genuine, human feelings, in-character reactions (and in-character consequences), and three-dimensional behavior. Minus Connor to an extent, every character written this season has been three-dimensional and doesn’t flanderize or massacre their concept.
    Simply saying…THE STORIES IN GENERAL ARE MUCH BETTER!
    Despite the slower dialogue, there is much more emphasis on respecting every person in the audience. Previous stories in the HiT Era often were focused on only their market audience: Pre-K kids. Hits from the periphery demographic and true target audience (the kids’ adult guardians who can afford a sustainable income) were way too far and in-between.
     
    Brenner and crew follow another one of these goals (quoting Jayson Thiessen from FIM): “‘Good’ has no demographic.” To create genuinely good products, you don’t discriminate any demographic. You can attract the market, but without respecting the periphery demographic, then the product will age quicker than a Twinkie*. Andrew Brenner and crew wrote in a flow that was simple for kids to understand, but with so many other elements that reel in the periphery demographic and treat the young audience with utmost respect.
     
    *At least they're supposed to age quicker.
    The narration and dialogue are slow enough for kids to catch, but the characters’ reactions are organic. The more organic the reaction, the more believable they become.
    This season varies the wording in the form of meta humor and wider vocabulary. The latter is very important. While it’s understandable to use simpler words for kids to understand, doing so treats the kids as simpleminded tools who need to be patronized at every corner. The bigger vocabulary sends messages to people of all ages that the writers trust their intelligence and instincts. If the kids don’t understand what the words mean, then they can rely on the visuals and/or their guardians for help.
    There are a lot more references that only the adult audiences will catch, yet will have the kids chuckle due to their faces, reactions, and narration. Two episodes had the Big Trio in one shot (referencing Series 1’s Tenders and Turntables, Trouble in the Shed, and Percy Runs Away), Gordon chuffing over the lake adjacent to Wellsworth station (referencing the map where there’s a river before the station), Henry’s Tunnel, Percy shunting Gordon’s express coaches in KotR and GRD, Gordon telling Thomas he doesn’t fetch his own coaches, et cetera. Those little nods help keep the audience interested without crossing the line into blatant pandering.
    Mark Moraghen is an excellent choice as narrator. As far as Series 7 is concerned, Michael Brandon wasn’t a terrible narrator, but once the franchise transitioned to CGI, he narrated like he was reading a script given to him. The same goes for Michael Angelis over the past two to three seasons, who’s a brilliant narrator. However, Angelis and Brandon are getting up there in age, and you could some tell via the narrations’ lack of energy. As of this review’s submission, Angelis is 62, Brandon 69.
    At age 50 (51 this past January), Moraghan is younger and can narrate with enthusiasm better as a result. There are many moments when he changed the tone and volume of his voice for suspense, like his pause before saying “When…” in KotR and “Then there was trouble!” in Bill or Ben? Plus, now that he’s narrating both the American and British version, you get that hint of showing the American audience Thomas’s history dating back to the 1980s.
    There is less reliance on the narrator, period. While there is still some exposition, it feels like there’s less of it.
     
    Review KotR, and you’ll see how the washdown is introduced early in the story. Moraghen didn’t tell us about the Earl’s return to the island. The visuals and characters did that for him.
     
    CDC, for another example, did that splendidly once Caitlin sped to Tidmouth Sheds for the first time. Moraghen didn’t narrate for two whole minutes, providing ample time for the writers to concentrate on dialogue and atmosphere to tell the story over having him explain it for the audience.
     
    Eight minutes and forty-five seconds is not a lot of time: If the stories still used models, then the scriptwriters had to exposit via the narrator and cut a good chuck of it off to flow the story.
     
    In fact, one of the biggest advantages of using CGI is the how it actually makes the scriptwriter’s and narrator’s jobs easier to tell the story by balancing the important “showing” half alongside. Previous seasons didn’t take such advantage of it, instead relying mostly on narrator exposition to tell the audience everything, but Series 17 balanced showing and telling nicely. The CGI’s role was crucial in helping with the story along in several episodes (especially WW, TS, TheTW, BoB?, and S’sLE) and KotR.
    Arc Productions has proven to be a fine successor for Nitrogen. There were many issues with the pre-Brenner era, but the Computer-Generated Imagery was never one of them. It was always a consistent strength that only improved over the seasons. Series 17 puts the CGI back to “square one,” per se, but the CGI studio is off to a really fantastic start via the great lighting, shadows, and steaming special effects.
     
    I remembered being disappointed upon reading the news that Thomas was transferring to CGI and abandoning model railroading. However, looking back on it, it was for the best, even beyond a budget standpoint. Model railroading takes a very long time and costs a lot of money to film an episode using them. CGI cuts the cost exponentially. More importantly, model railroading forces the narrator to tell everything that and makes the storytelling much more flexible.
     
    But it was the “flexibility” part that most of the stories in the Miller Era didn’t take advantage of for the most part. There were plenty of effects that make the scenery alive, but the Miller Era’s writing acted like they didn’t completely trust it. Greg Tiernan and Nicole Stinn, however, did a completely fantastic job directing and producing the CGI and making it a visually worthwhile alternative. When the stories were bad, the CGI could still be appreciated, as long as it was on mute.
     
    This season, the writers seem to put in a lot more faith in the CGI, and we’re seeing it in Arc’s CGI. Directed and produced by David Baas and Robert Anderson, respectively for the TV series and Rob Silvestri and Brian Lynch (in the same order) for KotR, there’s a lot of life in its atmosphere. From the unique camera angles, special effects, well-done color theory, lights and shadows, it feels alive. And while the narration never went away, they’re more organically placed, and the CGI and character dialogue are now trusted to help pace the episode along more and show more of the story, too.
     
    If you want another example, watch the climax of King of the Railway. After Moraghen spoke, “Then he raced back to the old mine…with Jack,” he spoke three times for a total of twelve seconds. The rest of the climax relies on Arc, Brenner’s script, and Robert Hartshorne’s score for the atmosphere, pace, and tension.
     
    There’s also significant emphasis on the unique camera angles, something the model layouts couldn’t do, either. Because of the CGI, Nitrogen was allowed to create many new camera angles, and they did exactly that, one of them being the train chugging over, allowing the viewer to see the undercarriage. Arc evolves that with several interesting angles such as Harold’s flyby and Duck’s bird’s eye view in The Thomas Way.
     
    This season, unlike most, seems to have the animators and writers cooperating to bring the best story available.
    None of the episodes revolve around doing specials “just because,” only to screw up three times and then get it right. Only four episodes, minus KotR, revolved around specials.
     
    a. Kevin’s Cranky Friend: Cranky so busy, delaying dangerous traffic on the quayside. With the Sodor Steamworks quiet, Kevin was given the job to help. He helped clean up twice and screwed up once.
     
    b. Percy’s Lucky Day: Because Percy did such a good job, The Fat Controller asked him to bring a gift to the Duke and Duchess of Boxford’s summerhouse, and that assignment, in script, was over before it even started.
     
    c. The Afternoon Tea Express: Delivering for the tea parties at Ulfstead Castle. The only Miller-like episode this season, but only conceptually. Stephen succeeded in getting the supplies on time, only to screw up near the end.
     
    d. Santa’s Little Engine: Thomas was assigned a special to help the Earl of Sodor’s Christmas celebration by bringing a sleigh to Ulfstead Castle. He screwed up just once: sliding into the sleigh with The Fat Controller inside.
    Speaking of meta humor, it was abundant. Through the dialogue and references of past episodes (including the Miller Era), it’s obvious how Brenner and crew were a little sick and tired of the blatant inconsistencies in the writing and continuity. But instead of doing it all the time, they save it relevant to the story and often in a way that’s funny.
     
    This little scene from King of the Railway is one of the funniest all season:
     Need I say more?
    Most of the morals aren’t forcefed to the audience, and some of them are actually pretty mature in accordance to the base demographic. One of the best ways to approach to a moral is to let the moral flow. Start with the conflict; address the problems in a sensible, realistic manner; end it on a sound conclusion.
     
    There are two episodes that really handle a believable, mature moral well.
     
    Percy’s Lucky Day is about the concept of luck. Percy reached the conclusion that he didn’t need his own lucky charm to bring good luck. Luck can happen good or bad, occasionally creating your own. It’s a moral everyone can relate to. Speaking of periphery-capturing morals…
     
    Gone Fishing is a bully episode, but handles it very realistically. Bill and Ben tease Harvey for his crane/tank-engine hybrid design, telling him to go fishing. Porter responds by saying to ignore them like water rolling off a duck’s back. After an accident, Harvey took this advice to heart and was able to bring the heavy flatbeds to Vicarstown punctually. Hell, he even acknowledged the teasing and used it to his advantage.

    And what went wrong?
    The animation is very unpolished. Maybe it’s Arc’s growing pains, but there are so many goofs in its CGI. Several times, whenever the engines or stock hit a junction, the points were never switched to guide them, which is very evident in King of the Railway and Santa’s Little Engine. Sometimes, the brakevans switch design and color, or the wheels turn a little quicker or slower than normal (i.e., Porter’s abnormally slow chug of the wheels, something that appears to be fixed in Thomas the Quarry Engine).
     
    King of the Railway has two known flaws: The final act was padded to fulfill the hour-long length, and the numerous animation mistakes are very noticeable. The latter issue is what brought down the special’s quality the most. An occasional glitch is okay, but when the lack of polish is this obvious throughout, Arc looked like it significantly rushed.
    Although the Rule of Thirds is often varied, sometimes they’re still very transparent. In several episodes, when there is an obvious strike, chances are it’ll be built over twice over before something really bad happens. Five such examples include:
     
    a. Kevin’s Cranky Friend: Kevin falling in the sea.
     
    b. Scruff’s Makeover: Scruff being strongly advised by Gordon.
     
    c. Gordon Runs Dry: Gordon’s boiler running on empty after having his tank filled twice before.
     
    d. The Missing Christmas Decorations: Diesel 10 stealing the Tidmouth décor while Paxton acts as a bodyguard or accomplice.
     
    e. Thomas’ Shortcut: Thomas failing to find a shortcut along his branch line and falling off the rails.
     
    Like I said, the approach to the Rule of Thirds isn’t the same, giving the stories more variety and often hiding them more naturally. Sometimes the strikes are shot down. Others have the strikes occur as positive like K’sCF. Nevertheless, when the contrivances are there, they need to be much less obvious. Otherwise, you’re going to have your audience question your quality.
    Some stories rely too much on the narrator expositing. Despite relying less and less on the narrator, there will be an episode or two that has Moraghen talking way too much.
     
    Besides continuity and Stephen’s characterization, The Afternoon Tea Express’s biggest flaw is how much the narrator tells the story. The events. What’s in the trucks. The character’s emotions. And characters’ ideas. All revealed to the audience by the narrator instead of the emotions and animation.
     
    By talking too much, you’re telling your audience how poor your pacing and overall storytelling structure are. Less telling from the narrator and more showing through the animation. If you’re going to use the narrator, use it when needed and not be included so intrusively.
    Although the vocabulary significantly improved in Series 17, some of the jargon got very repetitive.
     
    a. Henry’s Hero: “Keep on puffing” was used quite a lot, greatly risking losing weight on the moral.
     
    b. No More Mr. Nice Engine: “Be polite and kind” varied little here and there, but when it got way too much, all it did was hammer the moral in.
     
    c. The Thomas Way: Usage of “promptly” and “The Great Western Way.”
     
    When phrases are uttered multiple times, you give the audience these impressions:
     
    a. The pacing of the episode is either too slow or too fast.
     
    b. If you’re repeating the moral far too many times, then you’re hammering it in. Beating a dead horse is a very crude way of losing your audience and making your moral purposeless.
     
    c. You risk talking down to your audiences. Thomas’s market audience is very young children, but its true target is the guardians.
     
    You’re speaking to the guardians just as much as kids because you want them to trust your brand and believe the entertainment and education are very valuable. Objectively good quality helps the young base demographic. Regardless of how young your base demographic is, extremely repetitive vocabulary is a no-no, because you make the guardians believe the writing isn’t up to par. Loosen it up while focusing on the strict content guidelines HiT and the governments imposed on the product.
    Some of the stories would work much, much better if there were a shared focus on the drivers (and firemen, if a steamed locomotive).
     
    For example, if Gordon’s driver and fireman were involved in Gordon Runs Dry, chances are they would’ve noticed the problems with the gauging and pressure as his boiler “ran dry.” Hell, after the boulder struck Gordon, there was a big chance the driver would emergency-stop and check the area where Gordon got smashed. By noticing the broken boiler, the train would be stopped; Gordon would be shunted to the Steamworks; and the passengers would be sought after.
     
    I don’t see this being mended anytime soon, but you can create a broad range of stories and personalities just by having the drivers and firemen speak and actively contribute rather than having them take a backseat all the time via the narrator plug.
    Although this feels more like a Mattel/HiT mandate above everything else, several stories didn’t need Thomas shoehorned into the episode. Yes, he’s the most popular character, and plugging him in a lot via cameos isn’t going to hurt the episode per se, but plugging him in as many times as possible simply to pander to his popularity turns the #1 engine into a distraction. Thomas didn’t appear at all in Luke’s New Friend and The Switch, and neither hurt their objective quality. HiT/Mattel needs to scale back the cameos.
    Despite a better focus on railway realism, it’s not quite there completely. There are some moments where railway realism got in the way of plotting.
     
    a. Gordon Runs Dry is the most obvious.
     
    b. The emergency in Not Now, Charlie! is used as an overplayed plot device that should’ve been stopped the second the elephant got away. This is one episode where the driver and fireman talking would’ve really helped out.
     
    c. And having Connor race through a red signal in Bill or Ben? doesn’t make sense, either. Yeah, sure, The Fat Controller called him out for it, but that doesn’t excuse the writing flaw. If Connor’s driver applied the brakes immediately, then the near crash wouldn’t have been so contrived.
     
    d. Two very dangerous moments: the dog sit on the outside of a moving brakevan and Thomas’s passengers walking down the station’s incline.
     
    Basically, more attention to railway realism on all ends. Doing otherwise disserves Awdry, your viewership, and yourselves.

    Since 1984, Thomas & Friends has been chuffing down the main line and beyond. Britt Allcroft, David Mitton, and company took the source material from The Railway Series and adapted it for the television series. Despite some very questionable choices, many of the stories the Awdry estate didn’t write are still remembered for the right reasons, even in series six and seven when Allcroft resigned.
     
    Then HiT Entertainment bought the rights to the series, and TtTE started to tumble, beginning with the bleh eighth series and screeching forward through the rest of the model era. When Thomas transitioned to Computer-Generated Imagery, the previous staff remained stuck in a generic, clichéd checklist lazily disguised as a “story.” When Series 15 concluded, TtTE literally hit the bottom of the barrel with some factual abominations that spat on the integrity of the then sixty-six-year-old franchise.
     
    But come Series 17 and KotR; Thomas sprung to new life. Although some of the habits from past writers still exist, they’re more toned down and not so transparent anymore. Instead of a checklist, Thomas stories see like, feel like, and are STORIES again. Most of the time, the morals aren’t pounded over the head. Vocabulary is wider in range. The characters (classic and otherwise — including the returnees) are very likeable. And just as importantly, there’s LIFE to their personalities, especially characters who remain in character! Habitual shortcomings notwithstanding, Series 17 is a tremendous turnaround for Series 17 and is, by far, the best season since Series 7. Now that Series 18 has arrived in the US (and will be approaching the UK very soon), our favorite tank engine and his friends are doing nothing except chuffing forward.
     
    Now for my top-seven favorite and least favorite episodes regardless of their quality, starting with the top favorites:
    Bill or Ben? (the best episode this season)
    Percy’s Lucky Day
    Gordon Runs Dry
    Gone Fishing
    Henry’s Hero
    The Lost Puff
    Too Many Fire Engines

    The Afternoon Tea Express
    Not Now, Charlie! (the worst episode this season; the last from S17 I truly don’t like)
    Steamie Stafford
    Scruff’s Makeover
    Thomas’ Shortcut
    No Snow for Thomas
    The Phantom Express

  9. Dark Qiviut
    What I liked:
    The battle. Seriously, the best part of the finale and quite convincing.
    Establishing continuity from It's About Time without being rammed over the head.
    In some capacity, addressing the elephant in the room: Twilight's lack of role as princess throughout this season. And the fact she has a title and new home gives her some purpose. Maybe come season five, the writers won't ignore it. (Come the season review, I won't give DHX a pass.)
    Referencing the keys and using them (plus referencing the bad key episodes like IAEBB and Rainbow Falls and other dumb episodes this season like Equestria Games).
    Discord's hilarity from Part 1.
    The songs are decently composed. (Not a fan of the line, "Your destiny's uncertain" or its double entendre: understandable in full context, but semi-retcons her purpose revealed in MMC.)
    The fact that the key is Scorpan's pendent, which Discord gave. Reinforces the good Scorpan wanted to give.
    Discord's now an official friend of Twilight, and I chuckled when he gave flowers to Celestia sincerely.

    What I didn't like:
    The third act of Part 2 really raced through and felt rather stilted.
    The main problem from this season reared its ugly head again here: WAY too much exposition.
    How the AliTrio never went out to completely erase Twilight's presence. Yeah, it lead to the epic fight, but it was too contrived.
    The designs of the Rainbow Power ponies are WAY too busy and rely on style over substance.

    I don't know if I'll call it good, but it's definitely a two-parter I like so far. I'll have to re-watch it once more to make a better analysis.
     
    ———
     
     
    Source: Unofficial SEASON FINALE Discussion Topic - Twilight's Kingdom
  11. Dark Qiviut
    Dave Polsky may be known for the controversial flare that’s been infamous in so many FIM episodes: Feeling Pinkie Keen’s poor use of language that resulted in the faith vs. science debacle, the Natives/White Settlers setting in Over a Barrel used as a gimmick for the moral, Too Many Pinkie Pies’s graphic ending, and Daring Don’t contradicting the purpose of Daring Do being a Dash recolor among other contrivances. But his strengths are usually his visual comedy and the timing. But when he writes well, he writes really well, as evident by his low-key Rarity Takes Manehattan (an excellent episode).
     
    It was his turn again for Twilight Time, his first CMC-centric episode. Just like RTM, it’s also very low-key on the slapstick, although not to the former’s extent. But it doesn’t need to. With the communication between all of the characters and Twilight, it’s his second great — and currently my fourth-most favorite — episode of the season.
     
    There are various strengths and intriguing insights:
    Twilight plays in a role similar to Celestia, but with character instead of boring two-dimensionality that Celestia suffers. She still has the love for learning, but simultaneously doesn’t intend to keep it for herself. The Cutie Mark Crusaders don’t communicate on-screen with Twilight too often, but this is the first time where their conversations are approached on a deeper, teacher-mentor level.
     
    Simultaneously, she retains some of the geeky nature of her character without crossing the line. In Hay Burger (a parody of the classic fast food joints we all come to know and love */sarcasm*), she munches on her burgers in the messiest way fashionable (including a funny moment where she wipes the ketchup off her muzzle with a burger). This twist provides some growth into her character, which I’ll get to later.
     
    (And, no, not in the way similar with my Rainbow Falls review.)
    Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are antagonists again, except they’re actually in character and somewhat likeable. One Bad Apple and Flight to the Finish gave each of them absolutely no dimension, following the typical taunts and insults (and for the latter, eventually going ahead to hit Scootaloo with the one-dimensional low blow that really crumbled the episode.) Here, they retain their antagonistic qualities, but don’t cross the line. In a way, they show some form of integrity. Diamond Tiara has the obsession for Twilight Time and the spotlight. SS tagged the same interests in a more toned down perspective. In a way, this is how they should be rather than they were in their last two starred episodes, sans their cameo in Pinkie Pride.
     
    And for once, two things happen.
     
    There’s no "blank flank" taunt to one-dimensionalize them. They play mind games again, but they have a limit to what they do and simply let the Cutie Mark Crusaders let their egos get the best of them.
     
    Karma bites them on the ass after Twilight calls them out for bandwagoning, ending their antagonistic juvenility prematurely. Unlike FttF, which they needed a good piece of punishment, they didn’t do anything so cruel to warrant anything to really send a message. Just Twilight putting them (and the rest of their classmates) in their place was needed.
    Ironically, despite their appearance, they aren’t the conflict, but mostly a minor catalyst. It’s the Cutie Mark Crusaders who bring the conflict unto themselves. They saw the Disasterly Duo’s attention and wanted it, too. When they got it, they ran with it far too long, engulfing their egos. Simultaneously, when they found out it was much bigger than they can chew, they wanted to solve it and get to Twilight to tell them about everything. The fact that they have the wherewithal to figure out the dilemma and try to fix it shows their intellect and naivety without dropping the ball stupidly like in The Showstoppers.
     
    In-characterization is such a beautiful thing, now isn’t it?
    The Cutie Mark Crusaders yearn to search for their cutie marks (*ahem*), but the journey’s reduced to simple wish-fulfillment and instead focused on their egos and abilities. This isn’t in any way objective here, but I usually find the CMCs to be much more interesting when they’re not focused on their cutie marks. When they’re constantly focused on their crusade, the characterization tends to lose plenty of focus and resort to gags and consequences (Ponyville Confidential being a huge exception, which partially failed for other reasons).
     
    More importantly, they’re definitely growing up, which is a good thing because the last thing a continuity-backed show needs is to keep them as kids continually pursuing their cutie marks. Sweetie Belle is learning her magic little by little. Apple Bloom is curious about potion-making. Scootaloo wants to rebuild her unicycle. For the latter, Scoots’s trait doesn’t need to revolve around simply her scooter; it can be multiple vehicles, as well. Hopefully, they capitalize it sometime in the future.
     
    But they’re growing up not just physically, but psychologically, too. Each of the characters adopt specific personality traits from their sisters or protégés. Sweetie yearns for the spotlight. AB has become a voice of reason. Scootaloo wants to be appealing and cool (at this point, her posing with the duckface is my favorite moment in the episode). Yet, Polsky never abandons their own unique characteristics. Instead, he blends them fluidly, allowing the characters to change (and this time, change for the right reasons), yet never being out of character.
     
    Hopefully, if they ever get their cutie marks someday, they don’t drop the ball like what happened with the Twilicorn.
    As for the Twilicorn, her status is finally readdressed and primary to the conflict for the first time since Castle Mane-ia! (Power Ponies and Three’s a Crowd don’t count.) One of the biggest problems this season is how much her status is overlooked and even ignored, simply proving how null MMC was. But the fact that the fillies were the ones to look up to and want to follow the Twilicorn makes so much sense because kids look up to celebrities as role models in real life. It’s a great parallel.
    Even better is Twilight’s character development via a subtle reinforcement of continuity. Like I said before, her geekiness doesn’t cross the line into regressing her character. But her character development’s honed in in two ways.
     
    a. Her response to her sudden celebrity status is extremely mature. If Twilight’s characterization was before Games Ponies Play (or even before The Crystal Empire), chances are she would’ve been confused and might’ve broken down over this because she didn’t know how to keep her composure under intense pressure. But that type of reaction would’ve been very out of character of her here because she learned techniques to calm down and used them to her advantage. Disappointed she showed when Pipsqueak spilled the beans, but she never snapped, embraced the spotlight, and was willing to give the CMCs another chance to remedy themselves after they royally screwed up.
     
    b. How she ate at the fast food joint. Messy, slapsticky, and hilarious. But it is never out of place. While she’s still organized in her reading, books, spells, scrolls, and equipment, having it explored beyond those negates her growth. But the best part is how relaxed she is while there. She was casual and collected — never uptight. It was a great way of showing how she’s no longer so obsessed in keeping everything so nice and orderly.
    As far as the story itself is concerned, it’s simple, but fluid. There are no obnoxious side-plots to distract the audience nor any Mane Six character beside Pinkie Pie and Spike — -_- — giving Polsky the ability to expand his script without adding any redundancies in the conflict. You get the points across where the conflict starts, how it builds up, where the climax is, and the resolution. It isn’t like Daring Don’t or Power Ponies, where they get so extraneous, the idea of telling a quality story takes a back seat in favor of action and animation. It’s a very tame slice-of-life story, as it should be. Often, the best self-contained FIM episodes — Party of One, Winter Wrap-Up, Sisterhooves Social, Apple Family Reunion , Pinkie Pride (yes, I went there) — tell the simplest stories.
    Pinkie Pie only gets one role, but her characterization is a massive improvement over Filli Vanilli. She speaks very few lines, but they’re in character, likeable, bubbly, intelligent, and competent. All five traits that simply fit her!
    The CMCs learn their lesson rather early and try to fix things. Sometimes, the characters presented don’t estimate the consequences of their actions until near the end where the conflict is about to be resolved or in the last minute where they were being too stupid to learn it for themselves. By having the CMCs realize their mistake and try to rectify it, Polsky shows how they learn the moral without having to shove it in, thus allowing the audience to slowly process it. It was a very subtle, organic, effective method of storytelling.
    Continuity is acknowledged without ramming you over the head. Aside from Twilight’s ascension and the CMCs’ absorption of bits of their protégés’ personalities, there are two obvious ones:
     
    a. Apple Bloom's potion-making reference Bridle Gossip, The Cutie Pox, and Hearts & Hooves Day.
     
    b. Sweetie Belle's development for magic, which we’ve seen introduced in One Bad Apple.
    Beyond just the characters and story, the animation’s very fluid. There are no distracting glitches, either, nor does it cause any plot holes. My most favorite animation scene in this episode was this.
     

     
    By using very minimal light while the Cutie Mark Crusaders were huddling, it tells the audience how close they are spatially. Because there isn’t a lot of space for the sun to penetrate, not only does the huddle look very realistic, but the background gets really pushed back.

    But with the strengths come the flaws.
    The stupid Spikabuse at the end. He makes so many nachos…but when everyone left, his cooking is wasted? This shit’s irritating, writers!
    The story sometimes tends to tell instead of show. Because of its simplicity, there’s a lot of dialogue, so the screentime tends to come with moments or ideas that tend to be exposited or reiterated, such as Apple Bloom telling off Scootaloo for her posing. When you tell a lot, you risk three things.
     
    a. Losing investment of your audience. Telling will often make your audience feel bored and want to flip the channel, and due to humor being in patches, this is the perfect recipe to make them decide what else to watch.
     
    b. Dissolving any form of tension. Surprisingly, TT doesn't get to that point.
     
    c. Hinting of a very wonky pace. While it's solid, the timeskip is the only place where the pace is truly a problem.
     
    Cut down the redundancies. Let the animation and a couple of quips do the trick.
    The continuity is really awkward. Twilight Time is officially the fifteenth episode this season, and Twilight has basically been there since MMC. To have the classmates behave obsessively this late during the season doesn’t make so much sense. Plus, Twilight has lived in Ponyville for over a year, so she is well-known throughout the community. Surely, if they became obsessed, they’d do so much sooner. If Twilight Time was the fourth or fifth episode and have Flight to the Finish relocated to TT’s slot instead, then the timing would’ve made more sense.
    Despite being structurally sound, Twilight Time doesn’t have the oomph to make it stand out. In Rarity Takes Manehattan, you have the atmosphere, uniqueness of Suri taking advantage of Rarity’s generosity, the somber reprise, and so on. Because of its bold message and mature conflict, there were golden opportunities to get invested, and Polsky capitalized it. And there were many great big moments as well as fantastic smaller ones.
     
    Here, you don’t get that. It’s a tame episode, which isn’t bad by any means, but RTM has the strength for the viewer to recall the episode once just to get you invested. But since TT’s in "play-it-safe" mode, the moments often get overlooked. You’ll have to watch it at least twice to recall the best and your favorite moments. The big moments don't shine so much, while the smaller ones do.
    The week-long time skip skips too quickly. You have a week full of events confined to two scenes. Because of this, the time skip is empty and does nothing to capture the audience’s attention. It's filler. If there was something like a montage song, a couple of more events, and/or even Twilight stopping by to visit, then the CMCs’ newfound celebrity status — in their standards — could be more impactful.
    Although Twilight Sparkle’s status is in the center of the story, there isn’t so much expansion. You don’t get into that much depth for what she does as an alicorn princess beyond simply being the Cutie Mark Crusaders’ mentor. She just becomes a celebrity and keeps her personality in check. Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, and script tell us about her status, and we’ve seen a duty or two already from her. However, we don’t get to see it go into even more depth. Her other duties get glossed over in favor of simply her title and status. In other words, you don’t get to see the potential and may have to rely on Princess Twilight Sparkle, Castle Mane-ia, and maybe the finale to see her new role fully fledged out. Again, Polsky and crew play it really safe, cluing in how they don't really know what to do with her.

    Nevertheless, this doesn’t falter the structure quality as well as the nuances that make Twilight Time stand out as one of the best episodes this season. With great characterization, a simple story, and a great conflict, the Cutie Mark Crusaders take a half-page from Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon’s book and become classmate celebrities. Their classmates want to absorb in the fun, so they tag along, and the CMCs play themselves into corner after corner after corner. Simultaneously, they never were stupid — just naïve. And they were all competent, too. Twilight’s characterization balances out her love for learning with a more lax outlook. Altogether, Twilight Time is a story that will depend on your tastes, but its overall quality stands out, thus competing with The Cutie Mark Chronicles as the best or second-best CMC-centric episode to date.
  13. Dark Qiviut
    As funny as the previews were, not all of it was that impressive.
     
    Pluses:
    Great music, especially the romantic score.
    Finely done animation, for the most part. However, I still find Trenderhoof's snappy walking a little awkward, but that's just me.
    AJ's sarcastic accent is hilarious, and so is Rarity's southern voice (at first).
    Beside the "have-Spike-haul/push-a-heavy-object" scene, he was treated with respect and wasn't stuck as the flat comic reliever all the time. At the supporting role, he was the levelheaded, mature half of the Spike-Rarity duo, ala Lesson Zero and EQG. More of this and less of the Spikabuse from the likes of RTM or CM-ia, the better.
    When Trenderhoof pointed at Derpy and said, "the unappreciated." I don't know what that is aimed at, whether it's her censorship in TLR or the higher-ups for suggesting it, but it gave me some laughs.
    This:
     

     
    Thank @@Grumpy Enchantress for the gif. ^__^

    Minuses:
    Both Trendy Hipster and Rarity become way too stupid for their own good. Their obsessions turned Trenderhoof into an incompetent oaf and Rarity an inept flanderization. Most of Act 2' and 3's humor, particularly Rarity's swooning, was painful to watch.
    The resolution is resolved way too quickly and makes the whole ending anticlimactic.
    Pinkie, retrieve your damn brain. You're way too intelligent to have others shut you up.
    Rarity's southern accent was funny at first, but upon second viewing, it got worn out in a hurry.

    In short, blah and meh. Not something I'd rewatch for a while.
     
    ———
     
    Source: S04:E13 - Simple Ways
  14. Dark Qiviut

    One little reminder

    By Dark Qiviut,

    Scapegoating the brony fandom for any reason, including quitting as or not being a brony (a.k.a., fan of the product), is idiotic and does nothing except tell everyone here you have no loyalty to FIM, period.
     
    *This applies to being a fan of all other products, too.
  17. Dark Qiviut
    Corey Powell (the newest writer at the time) started off splendidly in the factually fantastic Sleepless in Ponyville, developing Scootaloo’s character as well as Scootaloo’s relationship with Rainbow Dash, and it was her turn again in Just for Sidekicks. The idea of Spike petsitting the Mane Six’s pets was great and better with the the Cutie Mark Crusaders' randomness. Unfortunately, JfS contains one of the biggest flaws in the series: the incapability to characterize Spike consistently as a main character. Just like Owl's Well that Ends Well and Spike at Your Service, his characterization and character development are tossed out the window.
     
    Various strengths include:
    "Don't have your cake and it, too" was the main moral in this episode, but it was cleverly hidden in the canon despite the fact that it was in your face since the beginning. Instead of telling the moral, it was progressively shown in several basic steps. Show, don't tell.
    The Cutie Mark Crusaders were brilliant. In her two episodes, they were written really well with intact, three-dimensional characterization. Sweetie Belle was cute as usual, and both Apple Bloom and Scootaloo are eager yet still different to where they're not carbon copies of each other.
    The pets were absolutely great. Previously, the pets (minus some exceptions) tended to appear once or twice and then forgotten. This was the episode where they all shone, from Winona to Owlowiscious to Gummy to lovable Tank to the Angel from hell (who played his role as antagonist while not going overboard — and with good reasons — unlike his out-of-character behavior in Putting Your Hoof Down).
    There's extremely dedicated kinship between the Mane Six and their pets. From the way they talked and behaved with their pets, it's obvious that they're extremely close. The cutest was Rainbow Dash and Tank and how Dash tried to hide it in her typical tomcoltish fashion. Cute and funny.
    Angel's extreme suspicions with Spike. Since the beginning of the episode, he obviously didn't like the way Spike was handling himself and did whatever he could to embarrass the hell out of him and show to the Mane Six that he only took care of their pets for his own greed.
    The little tidbits of Spike having to release Peewee back where he belongs. Through the pictures, Peewee was a great and troublesome little phoenix, yet still meant well. I'm glad he's back with his parents, but it's a little disappointing and unfortunate that we may likely never see him in the series again. (I hope FIM brings him back someday.)
    The concept of the episode was simple, but fits the scope of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic very well.
    The background ponies are back again, which is good because without background characters, regardless of the beautiful graphics, the atmosphere is dead. With them showing up, it gave Ponyville, the Friendship Express, and Crystal Empire station life. The world of MLP:FIM needs that to engage itself to the audience.
    The pace was so smooth here. It flowed from one scene to the next without any need to rush, a role reversal from Keep Calm and Flutter On, Spike at Your Service, Games Ponies Play, Magical Mystery Cure, and Equestria Girls.
    Just like Keep Calm and Flutter On, there were layers of foreshadowing throughout to hint where the episode would travel and resolve. Four big clues include the cake, Angel’s attitude, Spike giving away the jewels one by one, and Zecora warning him in her usual rhyming self to not lust for his delicious jewels.
    Hey, look! Spike’s ability to cook was back! Unfortunately, his continuous appetite for jewels bit him… Thankfully, unlike his out-of-character incompetence in Spike at Your Service, he actually wasn’t aloof, careless, or stupid in handling things. He knew right away he messed up and decided to fix it.

    Unfortunately, there are three key problems.
    Fluttershy was out of character in the beginning. While it made sense for her (and the others) to exchange gems to Spike in exchange for him petsitting, the way she did it was very off-putting: the transparent way she manipulated and convinced him to petsit Angel. Keep Calm’s method of manipulating Discord into eating his own words was extremely intelligent, clever, and hidden. It was a great twist. Here, it was very inorganic. If the approach was softer and didn’t intentionally tug Spike’s greed, then it might’ve gotten somewhere.
    Equestria’s geography and sense of time (from a writing perspective) are very disorganized (a common issue in the series), and there is no railway realism. The Crystal Empire and Ponyville are presumably separated by at least several hundred miles. From the way the script was written, the trip lasted a couple of hours to the Empire and then back, as it was still daylight out there. No saddle tank engine (especially one that size) would travel this far for this long without a stop at the station, switch of trains, and visit to the water tower to fill up the tank and/or coal hopper to refill the bunker. And the train ride would definitely not make a round trip this quickly within a day, either.
    Spike himself was completely unrecognizable. Just like Spike at Your Service, the Spike featured on the screen in JfS wasn’t Spike, but rather an imposter. Besides his ability to cook and grouse after realizing he wasn’t invited to the Equestria Games, his characterization and development from the rest of series were nonexistent.
     
    Instead of being completely careless in every single thing he did like in Spike at Your Service, this drastic bastardization in his character shifted to the other side of the scale. He was greedy, selfish, and manipulative; he didn't care about the pets at all. Instead of a balance between selfishness and selflessness throughout, it was segregated, with his selfishness used as a headache-inducing comedic plot device for almost the entire episode until the very end. He took advantage of his friends (as well as their trust for him) and used their pets as pawns to make his jewel cake.
     
    In season two, the two episodes starring him included two huge facets that helped him grow into a much more selfless character:
     
    a. In Secret of My Excess, we saw how much greed in a dragon can consume his or her soul. Spike since learned about the dangers of greed.
     
    b. In Dragon Quest, Spike wanted to find his own in the dragon world, so he joined the migration, where he bumped into some very antagonist, one-dimensional teenaged dragons. But here, he also learned about how precious life and caretaking were when he refused to destroy the phoenix egg. He wasn't going to give in to peer pressure from other dragons. Even in his short time, it's obvious he cared so much for Peewee.
     
    It's particularly the absence of his development from Dragon Quest where there was such a big problem here. He wasn't going to sacrifice anyone's lives for the sake of sticking with the clan. But he also knew that being someone's caretaker required massive responsibilities, and Spike is someone who can hold his own despite messing up occasionally. For example, in Magic Duel, he was the one who kept the team together while Twilight was exiled in the Everfree Forest. It was a small scene quantitatively, but it gave him so much depth in his character. Here, he showed no care for the pets at all, a complete contradiction of Dragon Quest's resolution/moral and his affection and love for Peewee himself. This is a task that requires so much trust, and Spike give no damn about what they were thinking until the very end. He came across as antagonistic, making him an unlikeable, out-of-character shell.
     
    Even with a jewel cake that he would so love to bake, he knows very well that petsitting is a heavy responsibility, particularly at this stage of the series. What an in-character Spike would REALLY do is put the cake business beside him and take care of the pets while they're gone. And he (and maybe Owlowiscious) would be the ones disciplining the pets, especially Angel, whose trust for Spike and the other pets are thinner and more fragile than the graphite of a mechanical pencil. He may retain those thoughts about the cake, which would create conflict, but he'll promise to himself that he'll take his time disciplining the pets and sacrifice his cake willingly. Once he's done, then maybe he'll get jewels as a reward, and maybe he can successfully bake his cake (attempting to taste a jewel, but warned by Owlowiscious before he does), or he chooses not to bake it voluntarily. That way, the moral of "don't have all of your cake and eat it, too" can still fit yet keep Spike in character.
     
    Frankly, this would have been much better if it were a season one or season two episode (pre-SoME or pre-DQ), where he wasn't given a lot of development and still had that extremely selfish streak in him. But it took place late in season three, and he received so much character development since the premiere. Therefore, it stuck out and just didn't fit him. This growth of his personality was absent in Just for Sidekicks.

    Spike is a character with several important roles in Season 3. Despite being minute, they helped him grow as a more mature character. To see that growth reversed in this season’s two Spike-centered episodes is a huge disappointment. It's an even bigger disappointment here because Powell is an excellent writer with Emmy Award nominations to her credit. I've seen her work, so she has the experience and wherewithal to do so great. Sleepless in Ponyville is one of the best episodes in the entire series and was an amazing debut. She showed exactly what she could do there and even here in many places. To see that potential fall flat with an out-of-character Spike in Just for Sidekicks is unfortunate.
     
    This was an episode with both a great concept and moral, and it was filled with so much potential. The Cutie Mark Crusaders and the pets were filled with character that resulted in plenty of laughs and conflict. But Spike was the focus in Just for Sidekicks, and he was extremely poorly written. One of the biggest reasons Spike at Your Service was bad was because he was written as carelessly incompetent, but even there did he show plenty of care for others. Here, his extreme selfishness and lust for a jewel cake were a sudden flip of his character development, and he didn't behave like Spike one damn bit. Overall, the third-worst episode in Season 3 and my most hated FIM episode overall.
  18. Dark Qiviut
    As season three dwindled down, John de Lancie returned to voice Discord in Keep Calm and Flutter On. Fluttershy is the central character and pony responsible for “reforming” Discord from a chaotic, dastardly villain into a chaotically neutral character/mild antagonist. Conceptualized by Teddy Antonio and written by Dave Polsky, the path to Discord’s “redemption” made sense in some way, and there were plenty of clues leading towards it, all the meanwhile being contained via a very cramped pace.
     
    Some of the strengths are as follows:
    The characters, but one (I’ll explain it later), are in character and alive. Every single one of them, from Applejack to Discord to Fluttershy, acted like them. Their roles, behaviors, and responses made sense throughout. And it even kept going up to the very end although Discord was “fully cured.”
    There was so much foreshadowing. It wasn't one surprise to another. Each event led to another and made the episode feel complete. Here's what I mean:
    The Angry Beaver who didn't give a dam about Applejack's farm. This event hinted the huge dams and flood later in the episode.
    Discord's sneaky trick with his tail. When he snapped his fingers, the beavers were put under a trance, and they built the dams that flooded Sweet Apple Acres (which Discord later froze into a lake of ice).
    Discord eating the paper. This foreshadowed Twilight's plan to forcefully reform Discord, and he was one step ahead of her plan. When Twilight and the others left, they conversed a backup plan to forcefully reform him in front of Fluttershy's door. I won't be surprised if Discord heard them and, with his magic, stole the spells and ate the paper.
    Fluttershy declaring Discord as a friend. Discord intended to be buddy-buddy with her, but Fluttershy's words to Discord were kind and sincere. For a cold character such as Discord, it's something that he almost never hears and notices: actual warmth in conversation and belief that his exterior and treacherous trickery can be broken down by kind words and attitude. But he still manipulated the Mane Six and severed his trust she had for him. That line he spilled as Fluttershy rejected his manipulation and stormed off broke down the last bits of that block of cement and put that moment in the dinner party to full circle.

    [*]The Deus Ex Machina was defeated early. One of Too Many Pinkie Pie's biggest flaws came midway, where Spike discovered the book from inside a secret cupboard that led to the Legend of the Mirror Pond. The trick of Twilight forcing Discord to reform (only to have it being eaten) was an extremely clever and hilarious take in poking fun at this plot device.
    [*]For once, Fluttershy isn’t depicted as a cowardly Timidshy. Instead, she’s Flutterbrave. For the first time since Return of Harmony, Part 2, Fluttershy’s character development was front and center. She didn’t act or behave weakly and spinelessly. She had the gall to go out there, act within her Element, and behave in a way that shows who she should be instead of who she was since RoH2.
    [*]Discord's plan to manipulate Fluttershy into having her promise not to use the Elements of Harmony against him, only to have this plan both work AND fail. When he was released, he composed a plan to trick Fluttershy and take advantage of her kindness and assertiveness. All of those tricks were used in order to embarrass and humiliate her friends and convert her to his side. However, in the dinner party, he began to enjoy her company, and he was starting to at least have a heart for friendship, for his heart was as cold as stone. This enjoyment of her company made him spill those lines and compassion.
    [*]The game he played worked for him, but also against him. "Well-played, Fluttershy. Well-played" is the best line in the entire episode (perhaps the entire season, with the exception of "I quit!" from Rainbow Dash and that line from Granny Smith in Apple Family Reunion dictating the possibility of not having so many family members attending the next reunion) proved how she beat him in his own game.


    That said, there are two obvious flaws. I’ll explain the smallest of them first before explaining the most obvious objective flaw.
    Celestia in the beginning of the episode is out of character. She’s supposed to be portrayed as a wise, kind ruler with good judgment and good reasons for her motives. Her motive for having Discord redeemed is short, weak, and unconvincing, thereby making her look rather unintelligent. By default, the Mane Six should’ve questioned Celestia even more, but doing that would’ve sacrificed the short amount of time needed for Polsky to develop the script.
    The pace is TOO DAMN FAST and too unrealistic. From the get-go, the entire plot held its collective breath, but instead of giving it time to exhale and calm down, it was on the verge of passing out. Writing a great pace for storytelling is a lot like aerobic exercising. You start the pace nice and slowly, but not too slow to where you plod on the treadmill. Afterwards, you slowly build up your momentum and energy, and you start to lose some fat and build up that cardio. For a couple of minutes, you race and make your heart pump quickly. But instead of doing it for so long, you slow down, allow yourself to compose, and take a sip of water from the bottle or thermos beside you. By doing this method, you let the oxygen flow.
     
    However, the person doing the exercise routine, which is the pace in KCaFO, didn’t take any time for water and held his breath, then exhaled for a quarter of a second, and then suddenly held it for another minute, if not longer. This kept on going, and the plot never had time to breathe and calm down for a short amount of time.
     
    Because of the very quick pace, Discord’s redemption was developed inorganically. Here is a guy who’s been the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony for as long as King Big Bang created the Earth and the entire pony canon. He gave Celestia, Luna, and all of Equestria such hell, he was sealed as a stone statue for a millennia. When the seal broke, Discord never relented, creating such delicious havoc and would’ve beaten the Mane Six if Celestia didn’t send the friendship letters to Twilight Quitter. Then in a matter of around twelve hours, Discord went from a villain to a chaotically neutral antagonist? While the path and ideas to redeem Discord make sense, the poor pace gives it very little sense.
     
    Discord's redemption would've been much better if the plot was slowed down, altered, split into two parts (just like another episode that’ll come up soon), and have the duration of his redemption last for more than twelve hours. Instead of constant rapid and quick sequences to the point where the viewer can't fully grasp the actions and consequences during, slow down the pace and space out the chaos so the audience catched up.
     
    Have Fluttershy converse with the others and maybe have a scene where Discord can talk about his coldness and love to make lives hell. Maybe have him create some chaos, but then think otherwise and keep the magic chaotic but fun. He can still have his moments, but he’ll feel warmer to the others and vice-versa. The development of Discord's friendship with Fluttershy would feel more natural and not as compacted as a tall man squeezing inside an old Geo Metro three-door.

    Keep Calm and Flutter On continues the pace of presenting really bold ideas into Season 3, the others being Magic Duel, Wonderbolts Academy, and Magical Mystery Cure. There was great characterization, abundant foreshadowing, and an appearance of Fluttershy as if she had character development instead of character regression. Discord, meanwhile, still retains his character, but is now more mellowed. With him no longer a block of stone, the writers have ample opportunity to create loose roles and gags for him in season four. While it was a great idea conceptually, the cramped pace really injured KCaFO’s plausibility, and expanding it to a two-parter in script and two-to-three-day event in canon would’ve made Discord’s development sensible and much more organic in execution. Altogether, an objectively okay, yet very weak, episode.
  19. Dark Qiviut
    Sometime ago, I posted a blog about developing a writing an FIM fanfic adaptation of Thomas & Friends/The Railway Series, which you can read here. While it hasn't changed, my plan is to reboot it and incorporate elements of The Railway Series and TV adaptation in the show. Like The Railway Series, there would be collections of stories, mostly up to four, within a Book. In the beginning of each book would be a letter from the author to the reader, similar to what Rev. W. Awdry and Christopher Awdry did in their books.
     
    I already compiled a whole, unedited summary of the very first book, titled "Book 0: Twilight Sparkle."
     
    The whole book is in a summary below. Open the "spoiler" tag to read it.
     
     
     
  21. Dark Qiviut
    Foreword: This is a rewrite of my old review. To see the old review, click to this blog (locked from commentating).
     
    After a three-episode stretch that focused on the continuity to the letter, Episode 4 took a break in the form of "Daring Don't." Written by Dave Polsky, Dash anticipates the new Daring Do book to be released, only to be delayed. This leads Dash and her friends on a cluttered, unrealistic, and contrived journey.
     
    Strengths and various likes:
    The nerdy moment Twilight and Dash had as they explained various moments and scenes of the Daring Do canon cracked me up (and Pinkie following it clearly was a clever touch). As an out nerd, I've been on both ends of the spectrum (in in graphic design and FL9 diesels, out in bus specifications). Funny, yet extremely relatable. Best moment in the episode and so in character of them both.
    Dash gushing over Daring Do was something I could really see her do. Since Read It and Weep, you could tell how close Dash was paying attention to the series as well as all of the details surrounding the DD canon. The little winks of her knowledge and fanaticism from Spike at Your Service were quite nice and reflected the continuity of the series.
    Twilight actually uses her teleportation spell. Must be a holiday.
    Another nice wink of the Indiana Jones series in the form of the Western map.
    It paraphrases a connection fandom and creator has from here to others. Fandom is passionate, crazy, and wild. Sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. We've seen that so much in so many fandoms, namely sports fanbases like college football, baseball, ice hockey, and soccer.
     
    Likewise, the same applies to the people who authorize the canon. Creators and writers (both official and fan) do owe their fans. Without fans, there's no fandom, no popularity, no fame, and (for the pros) no money. Rowling wouldn't have been a billionaire if Scholastic didn't entice the public and help create the gigantic Harry Potter fandom. Besides the gigantic TV revenue that's scheduled to begin in 2014 (about $1.5 billion from ESPN, TBS, and FOX altogether per year), one of the biggest reasons baseball players get millions of dollars is because fans pay a bunch of dough to sit and watch their favorite teams and players play (and if you're a market like LA; St. Louis; New York; and Boston, win).
    "My mind is officially blown!" Obviously, Twilight.
    Great animation, and the fighting sequences had nice action, humor, and tension. The fights were fast, yet paced well, and there was plenty of foreshadowing to the climax.
    Conceptually, it was a breath of fresh air as far as Dash-centered episodes are concerned. While previous ones focused on her ego and sensitivity, this one focused Dash about how much she wants to put it aside and aid her idol. It was a change of pace for Dash and felt both in character and real for her.
    Daring teasing Ahuizotl Owee-whoever-name-is and Dash's reaction were hilarious.

    ---
     
    Weaknesses:
    Some parts of the episode when there was no fighting felt rather quick. Not so much to disturb the plot (and seriously, the pace here is objectively better than Keep Calm and Flutter On), but enough to miss the plot points and confuse the viewers.
    Dash played the fangirl too long. While she was shown a powerful lesson by inadvertently getting in Daring Do's way, she made up for it. And to be fair, she did think about what Twilight said to her as she followed her, talking back and forth about joining her idol and then doing the best she can to knock herself out cold after realizing she was behaving stupidly.
    Up till the end, pretty much every pony minus Pinkie was in on the action. Rarity, Fluttershy, and Applejack were background ponies for the first sixteen minutes of Daring Don't. It would've been better if Dash, Twilight, and Pinkie were the lone characters of the Mane Six in this episode.
    Daring Do was based on Indiana Jones, who welcomed help if needed (according to my research). While it backs up the book Dash read in RIaW (as well as her secret identity and remote location), DD, however, behaved similar to Batman and was out of character as far as the source material is concerned.
    *rolls eyes at hearing the Wilhelm Scream*
    The idea of Daring Do and her adventures being real and happening in a remote area in Equestria is contrived. It's just given to us, and the characters immediately believed it (despite the showing of how the books appeared to be written as "fiction").
     
    Moreover, why didn't Yearling/Do try to smash the ring before Ahuizotl's henchmen showed up? And why were those rings so heavy, when Do was capable of carrying one big ring prior? There were plenty of inconsistencies as far as the plotting was concerned.

    Overall, below-average to poor quality work. Definitely my most favorite Polsky episode, but Too Many Pinkie Pies is still his best in quality, and this is tied with (or worse than) Princess Twilight Sparkle (both halves) for the weakest episode this season.
     
    P.S.: By the way…
     
    ———
     
     
    Source: S04:E04 - Daring Don't
  24. Dark Qiviut
    Applejack: Involve her in episodes that aren't exclusively related to the Apple family nor have the writers fall into the trap of her being stubborn only to realize her actions at the end. Three episodes — Applebuck Season, Look Before You Sleep, The Last Roundup — are enough; any more will be overkill and a sign that DHX doesn't know how to handle her. She's a character with a mound of potential, but she hasn't been taken advantage of so much due to where she lives and how complete she already is as a character. Apple Family Reunion did a good job handling one half of the task, having her be so giddy that she overlooked the simplest things in life.
     
    Rainbow Dash: I could raise many criticisms of season three, but Rainbow Dash was where she gets the most praise as a character. Her character development stuck through season one, only to have it tossed aside in most of season two, May the Best Pet Win! and The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well the biggest culprits. Basically, Rainbow Dash had character development; make sure she sticks to it and not have the writers backtrack and retcon it to artificially create conflict.
     
    Rarity: Make her less manipulative and selfish. Season one had her sway from one end of the spectrum to the other quite a bit. She starred in season two quite a bit and was involved in episodes where her strengths and flaws balanced each other. (The fact that she "ethically lied," a flaw in the series even I overlooked, in Sweet and Elite is a valid criticism.) Putting Your Hoof Down turned her act of generosity into a flaw by taking advantage of the nerd, but season three relegated her into a background pony. Give her spotlight and have her recognize her actions and attitude and have her stick to it. Less selfishness and want to head to Canterlot.
     
    Pinkie Pie: Tone down her humor. She can be very hilarious, but season three turned her humor into a common theme, interrupting the flow of the episode and making her into a shallow, out-of-character shell of herself. She has many facets that make her her, from her deep connection to her friends to her mood swings. Use it! Don't waste the potential.
     
    Fluttershy: Rarity was a background pony in season three, but Fluttershy fit the role even more regardless of her primary status in Keep Calm and Flutter On. Speaking of KCaFO, she was taken out of her common role of her being a shy, scared stereotype and taking advantage of her assertiveness and kindness. It was her best role since PYHD, but since season one's finale, she's been extremely inconsistent. She's strong in one episode only to have her regress into a shy, out-of-character bugger the next. Magic Duel flanderized her to an extent that makes no sense given the timeline whether it was written as a season two episode or not. Give her a more prominent role without having episodes relegate her into a shy puppet.
     
    Spike: He's the only character where the main episodes haven't always been up to snuff. Owl's Well pushed him into being an out-of-character asshole and turned what would later be a justified worry and jealousy into something antagonistic. To make matters worse, there have been many episodes where he becomes the center of comic relief and repetitive mischief. Two of Morrow's episodes, Winter Wrap-Up and Hurricane Fluttershy, relegated Spike into being a jackass, either intentional or unintentional, just to force laughter. Spike's much smarter than that, and he's a lot wiser than his visual age dictates. Make him funny, but balance it out with his wisdom, ability to understand trust, and so on. Currently, Equestria Girls is the only "episode" where Spike's characterization was taken full advantage of.
     
    Twilight Sparkle: If you know my past posting history, you can easily predict where I'm going here. She really needs to prove her worth as a princess. Equestrian royalty isn't about being held a title before going about your way. Royalty is worshiped, and alicorn princesses indicate responsibility in how you see, work, and behave in society. What they say and do affects everyone's livelihoods. Twilight has yet to be put under such pressure, whether it's in Canterlot, Ponyville, or somewhere else. Take the responsibilities and show to the audience that Twilight truly is ready to be a princess. So far, she did many moments that were just reckless or stupid, such as completely losing control in Lesson Zero, giving a book that showed the Cutie Mark Crusaders how to create a poison, and formulating a spell that could've permanently sent Pinkie Pie into the Mirror Pond without as much as a second thought of a different spell that would've sent those air-brained clones back more ethically. Magical Mystery Cure told the audience she was ready, and the logic lapses in both that episode and Equestria Girls aren't enough. Show me. Prove it to me! Equestria Girls was the halfway point Twilight needs to cross the bridge, but the lackadaisical storytelling and writing made that bridge crossing unconvincing. She can't leap from one end to the other, but she can't crawl her way across it or risk making your audience impatient, either. She needs to show bold, realistic development to make her ascension worthy.
     
    ———
     
     
    Source: How would you like to see the mane 6 improved in season 4?
  25. Dark Qiviut
    Twenty-five years ago tonight, one of the greatest home runs was ever hit.
     
    The Los Angeles Dodgers recently completed a wild seven-game upset of the heavily favored New York Mets. Kirk Gibson, the eventual NL MVP that year, was a big factor offensively and defensively. The pitching roster was relentless with Orel Hershiser (who recorded a save in the NLCS), Tim Belcher, John Tudor (who would injure his elbow during the World Series), Jay Howell (who was suspended for two NLCS after being caught with a foreign substance in his glove), and rising reliever named Alejandro Peña (who would go on to be a part of the 1991/2 NL and 1995 World Championship teams for the Atlanta Braves).
     
    Gibson's play, however, came back to bite him in the form of injured legs that hobbled him. Before Game 1, he had a stomach virus and didn't start.
     
    Meanwhile, the Oakland A's — with their powerful lineup consisted of Dave Henderson, Mark McGwire, and Jose Canseco; and strong pitching staff with Dave Stewart as the ace and Dennis Eckersley anchoring the bullpen as a closer with amazing control — were favored to win it all. They had a much easier time in the ALCS, sweeping the Red Sox four straight.
     
    In Game 1 at Dodger Stadium, the Dodgers trailed, 4-3, in the bottom of the ninth inning. Dennis Eckersley came onto the mound to close. After the first two batters were retired, Mike Davis came up to bat, and manager Tommy Lasorta brought up Dave Anderson to the on-deck circle to fool the A's in thinking Gibson wasn't available. Dennis Eckersley and the A's bought it and walked Davis. With the runner on, Anderson was called back in favor of Gibson.
     
    The whole at-bat, courtesy of Jilcobames, is below.
     

     
     
     
×
×
  • Create New...