Them's Seeing Ponies

Every Little Thing She Does. As for Cypher's analysis, I concur that ELTSD simply doesn't work in a number of ways, chiefly in that the episode slathers an excessive surplus of wacky 'comedy' onto its unusually dark subject matter (the protagonist, in the context of a kids' TV show, brainwashing her mentor's friends), which leads to a somewhat dissonant and unintentionally disturbing air (in that the episode veers into comedic territory almost as a means of avoiding addressing Starlight's moral issues, which is pretty egregious again considering the episode's subject matter and the fact that the narrative imbalance leads to Starlight's remorse lacking buildup and thus projecting a more insincere air, causing Starlight to appear more unlikeable than was seemingly intended). I'm not exactly a fan of S6 as a whole (although A Hearth's Warming Tail has some of the series' best music and animation by far and Spike's characterization in multiple episodes (even of the non-focus variety) was a pleasant surprise) but the botching of this episode in particular (one of a surprising few S6 episodes to focus onto Starlight's arc and the only one in the season to address her warped morality and equally warped perception of it head-on, which should have been a major component of her development) hurts the most amidst S6's lower-ranked episodes (in my opinion).

Hasn't S9 aired only two episodes thus far though?

Isn't it technically the fault of the writing staff that Sombra wasn't written in a more compelling way in the premier? I understand that fan response to him over the years between S3 and S9 did catalyze his return in the show proper, but what exactly was preventing the staff writers from writing him more akin to the comics (or at least drawing some degree of inspiration from them)? You may also want to consider sounding a little less contemptuous here. I comprehend that this is your opinion, but this is an MLP fan forum where the majority of users and frequenters are bronies, and I wouldn't say that addressing the majority of users around here nebulously in such a way is a wise idea (and leads to the main type of response to this kind of thread becoming a meaningless confrontation as opposed to an actual constructive debate/discussion). If you're displeased with the show's direction, that's fine, but addressing the type of people who are inevitably going to view and respond to this thread contemptuously (and as a possible cause of an issue that was largely down to the staff and not the fandom) is ultimately not a rational way to fuel this kind of discussion (I mean, I'm not a huge fan of some of the choices the show has made in recent seasons, but do I or others of similar opinion claim that I 'hope the bronies/fandom are happy' because of it?).

Wasn't the Gusty the Great reference due to one of the writers of "A Flurry of Emotions" (I thiiink Sammie Crowley?) running the Gusty365's G1 Series Resource tumblr a few years back? I believe she also referenced her work on The Loud House (confirmed when she mentioned that "Sleuth or Consequence" was written by her and her partner) on the site, which indicates this may be a valid possibility.

You're right about the show's tendency to pull twists and status quo shifts (since season 3, anyways, although I actually thought that Discord's reformation was a compelling concept considering his motivations were theoretically the moral ambiguous of any of the pre-S4 villain roster due to his chaos stemming from his own self-serving tendencies); I was actually referring to the fact that there was no evidence that the CMC would permanently lose their marks (a concept which neither the show nor the crew has ever implied to be feasible) 'for sure'.

Is there really any reason to believe that a highly implausible theory with no evidence supporting its occurrence both in-universe and otherwise will "happen for sure"?

Wouldn't that somewhat destroy the impact of The Perfect Pear? The episode's unwillingness to specify the fate of its own focal couple (particularly considering the surprisingly mature treatment of the remainder of the episode's subject matter) irks me, but it's otherwise heavily implied that the two have since passed on, which is generally a more justified context for the episode's melancholic and wistful tone. On a more OP-relevant note, S9 appears to be stretching towards the 'season-long story arc' feature in a way exceeding that of any other season (even the S4 key arc barely qualifies). The show's ability to pull this off in the past has been underwhelming at best, but I'm nonetheless inquisitive as to the direction this will take, particularly considering that we're into the home stretch of the show's run now.

I'm respectfully curious as to what you see in it. I found Magic Sheep one of the worst of the series due to its sloppy, disjointed plot hindered by a lack of focus (the episode attempts to push towards a self-harm metaphor, but is far too focused onto the M6's somewhat repetitive dreams and the fanservice of the final battle to do its own subject matter much justice, indicating that the episode's motivation lay more with including the metaphor merely to display surface-level 'maturity' which I found more than a little egregious given the serious nature of such topics in real life), which leads to the episode coming off as a disjointed mess of wasted potential more akin to a fanfiction than an actual episode, although Hard to Say Anything remains my least favorite episode.

I find The Times They Are A Changeling to be merely an average/lower end of 'decent' episode. There's a lack of the more glaring structural flaws that define the show's worst episodes as a whole (including the episode directly preceding it) yet I simply don't happen to find the episode particularly satisfying - while I admire that the situation of a changeling infiltration is treated in-universe with appropriate gravitas (it's a shame that they were seldom, if not ever, used to their full potential in that capacity), the episode is also overly dramatic through most of its runtime (which led to the impression of the staff straining too hard to inform the audience of the story's grandiosity and in turn scenes like Spike and Thorax's reconciliation and the ending come off as more hokey than emotionally driven to me) and Spike and Thorax's actual chemistry is surprisingly shallow, which lends Spike's constant reiteration of Thorax as 'his friend' kind of artificial. I appreciate the show attempting to tackle this type of premise, but, while they at least created a (mostly) functional plot on a technical level, I feel they fell short in giving the topic the additional layers of nuance it actually deserved (perhaps spreading Thorax's gradual acceptance into pony society would have lent more weight to this episode, his character and the S6 finale, instead of, y'know, pointless and tedious filler such as Buckball Season and PPOV?). I agree wholeheartedly. The main issue, from watching S1-7 over the past five months or so, seems to lie in the balance of traits underlying her character. During the Faust seasons (S1-2), Pinkie was presented in a far more 'human' light, with her main character traits being her optimism and quirkiness and her corresponding cartoonish antics stemming from her fun-loving nature (with an edge of savviness to her treatment of these moments), whilst Pinkie from S4 and onwards is written as more of an over-the-top gag machine whose wacky antics (which she now executes almost religiously as opposed to lightheartedly, giving an air of delusion at times) are more the central point of her character, which has led to her appearances becoming more grating than in S1-2.

Love: Hurricane Fluttershy. A genuinely challenging one, but Snowflake Bulk Biceps' role was a little extraneous (I could also insert Spike here, but his part here was largely an external representation of Fluttershy's self-doubt and his presence and dialogue are at least logical). Hate: Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep?. The visuals and art direction in this episode are surprisingly appealing (particularly the final shot) and served as a satisfying final outing for Jayson Thiessen's full-time involvement in the show.

Ah, Horseland, why do you continue to haunt me (it's relatively ambiguous, but weren't the majority of the voice actors actual teens with little-to-no VA qualifications? That may explain it substantially)? Alternatively, the true nadir of English-language voice acting is the dub of Dingo Picture's 'Aladin'. I can understand the OP's point to a degree, but the voice acting on the series has, at least from a majority around here, remained at a relatively high standard (although Twilight and Pinkie's voices have admittedly suffered since around the S4 period, although this can also feasibly be chalked up to more inconsistent characterization as opposed to solely VA fatigue or misdirection, which is actually a less likely scenario here, considering that the majority of the cast seem to have retained their passion for working on the series despite its lengthy duration by this point, which is, is all honesty, a pretty impressive feat), particularly when stacked against most other contemporary kids' media.

I respectfully disagree that the show's comedy has gotten better. S4's comedy is pretty thin on the ground to me (many of its episodes are great, but hardly any are primarily comic in tone save for a handful of outliers such as Maud's debut episode), S5 admittedly has Larson's signature style in the first half, but a decidedly more somber tone in its second half, S6's comedy is relatively bareboned sardonic material (save for the male characters for some reason, who were written surprisingly well), the Lady Writers' comedy is arguably the most hit-and-miss style of any of the FiM story editors' from my perspective (some of it can be witty, but I find much of it to be somewhat lame and out-of-place, particularly considering the over-the-top execution of a fair percentage of it) and S8's is good but not great. The later seasons are distinctly more dialogue-driven than the Faust seasons, and you certainly have a valid point regarding the show's progression from the clunky wording of the Celestia letters (although the ending of The Cutie Mark Chronicles is an excellent lampshading of this), which is one aspect of the series that the later seasons have almost definitely managed to improve upon, but I somehow appreciate the show's earlier ability to say a lot in a little (Hurricane Fluttershy and Lesson Zero are both masters of this effect) and the narrative shortcomings of many of the later episodes to bear otherwise introspective dialogue merely reminds me that I could be watching another show which uses more ambitious dialogue more comfortably. The ratio isn't entirely miss though - a number of the later seasons' dialogue-driven scenes do work effectively, it's simply not something I would refer to as a superior quality to the earlier seasons. And what's to say that the series lacked any introspective conversations earlier in its run? The later (S4-8) seasons do utilize conversations of the emotional type more by design (as I've stated before, owing to their more serious tone) and tend to go out of their way to inform the audience of this more than the Faust seasons did, but I hold to the belief that introspective dialogue isn't a conformist entity, and the character chemistry in episodes like Sisterhooves Social (which conveys the relationship between Rarity and Sweetie Belle without a single heavy conversational scene) and Hurricane Fluttershy (the Dash/Fluttershy scene in the cottage is the best example) confirms my suspicions. Even more comedic outings such as Party of One (one of the most emblematic episodes of the earlier seasons) manage to convey their focal characters' psyche effectively without using elongated dialogue scenes. If the later seasons' dialogue works better for you, that's fine by me, and I understand your rationale, but otherwise I think we should (yet again) agree to disagree. Alternatively, I believe that the show actually has utilized its male cast to a more effective extent in the later seasons (which Bigbertha already brought up), but I'm unsure as to whether the initial gender imbalance in the cast was even the fault of S1-2 to begin with (I sense Hasbro's involvement here), which would render this somewhat nebulous, although episodes such as Dungeons and Discords are worth commending for this aspect nonetheless.

Isn't Hearts and Hooves Day basically an over-the-top satirization/masked explanation behind the lack of relationships for the M6, considering that the episode appears to address the issue of absurd/unrealistically exaggerated romantic relationships in kids' TV of the FiM demographic (note that the CMC, the show's default child characters until S8, were conspicuously included as the catalyst to this plot additionally)? The show has since defied this principle with Big Mac and Sugar Belle's romance (which I find one of the show's more inexplicable developments - how is Big Mac receiving a romantic interest exactly compelling character development?) but it appears to continue to apply to the main cast, presumably because the target audience are below the age to fully understand or relate to such an issue (Big Mac is more a surrogate older brother type, which at least partially justifies the inclusion of the SugarMac relationship).

I suspect that the main difference the OP is noticing is the shift in the show's focus and priorities over the seasons. The earlier seasons are more focused on the daily pursuits and chemistry between the mane six, yes, but the show isn't necessarily 'made for bronies' as a result of the shift away from this, regardless of the increased volume of fanservice and worldbuilding in the later seasons (S5 is possibly the most similar to a version of FiM adhering to the OP's statement, and its audience reception is far from sour in many cases). It's certainly possible to perceive that the series is more geared towards the bronydom than it was in S1 or 2 owing to the shift in tone and treatment of its material (in particular, S4-8 hold their content in a conspicuously more serious way than the Faust seasons, which can lead to the impression that the show is deliberately pushing its own maturity onto the audience) but declaring that it's devolved into merely a sandbox is somewhat of a generalization, even though the show has changed both in approach and general sprit/disposition since its infancy.

Considering that Big Jim noted that the Lady Writers were absent specifically for 'this season' (in reference to S8), the possibility of them returning for S9 is actually more plausible than one may think. Still wish Larson and AKR could return as well, but that's mostly pure wishful thinking on my part at this point by comparison. Not to mention that, in light of DQ's post about Pinkie's mischaracterization in Filli Vanilli, I should presumably have given at least an honorable mention to AKR for her S4 work, considering that all three of her effort were above-average (despite the inherently shopworn plot of Filli Vanilli, it was nonetheless a relatable depiction of social anxiety with one of the more plot-relevant examples of fanservice during the McCarthy seasons).

In light of the show's oft-shifting writing roster, I considered creating this thread to discuss which writer had the best 'track' record in each individual season. Note that it's perfectly acceptable to list a single writer for multiple seasons. My preferences would encompass: Season 1: M.A Larson. Penned only three episodes, albeit said three are essentially a triad of majorly formative installments - Swarm of the Century solidified the charmingly witty and self-referential comedy of the Faust seasons, Sonic Rainboom pioneered the show's ability to handle spectacle and tension (the climax remains one of the best to this day) within standalone episodes and The Cutie Mark Chronicles stands as an emotionally affecting finale to the character arcs of S1. All three are fundamentally significant to constructing the foundation of the series both throughout S1's progression and to the show in subsequent seasons. Season 2: Cindy Morrow. All of the four episodes penned by her here are highly effective in their ability to combine the show's Faust-era charm and humour with solid emotional storytelling, thus solidifying the early seasons' ability to convey cliched stories far more effectively than contemporary shows of its category - Sisterhooves Social is both adorable in a low-key manner and serves as Sweetie Belle's breakout moment, Family Appreciation Day is a textbook example of utilizing the third act to recontextualize a decent-yet-shopworn preceding two acts into an altogether more poignant narrative, Read It and Weep is one of the show's best portrayals of Rainbow Dash and features some amazing comedic sequences (despite its dissonant moral for a show focusing on the social interactions between the main cast) and Hurricane Fluttershy is a rock-solid masterpiece. How is this the same writer who would go on to botch up a simple bullying moral a single year later? Season 3: A bizarrely difficult decision, considering the season's shorter duration, but I'll go with Corey Powell, given the phenomenal solidity of Sleepless in Ponyville (otherwise the episode which placed Scootaloo fully onto the map) and the decency of Just for Sidekicks. Season 4: Dave Polsky. The myriad of different style (particularly the larger-scale McCarthy-esque aesthetic of Equestria Games and the more somber and introspectively driven tones of Rarity Takes Manehattan and For Whom the Sweetie Belle Tolls) he tackles throughout the season is successful as a majority, which definitely counts for something considering his distinct comedy-based tone in his S1 and S3 work (thus marking a shift to a more experimental and varied creative palette in a way which the show's other recurring writers have generally not displayed in a comparable way). The only episode out of the five I would consider to be subpar is Daring Don't, although I believe that 'uninspired' is a more accurate term for its qualities as a whole than outright bad. Season 5: M.A Larson again. The Cutie Map is among the show's best and most tonally intriguing two-parters, Slice of Life is one of S5's more successful forays into experimentation (due to its high comic energy) and Amending Fences is touching in an odd, intangible way to me, which stands out amidst the season's bizarre combination of the lighter, more Faustian work of AKR and the more sardonic material of the newer writing team. Season 6: Surprising coming from me, but the Lady Writers (Lewis and Songco). As much as I find their general style and comic leanings polarizing (their best material can be hilarious, but their worst is lame and dissonant with the show's tone as a whole), their two episodes were some of the most memorable of the season - I find Gauntlet of Fire overrated, but its treatment of Spike is a considerable improvement over previous seasons, and Top Bolt is easily my favorite of the episodes catalyzed by the dreaded Cutie Map (due to possessing the strongest plot and character chemistry of the episodes in that particular category). I nonetheless maintain that Mike Vogel has a better grasp on the show's McCarthy-era tone, but the Lady Writer's individual episodes were conspicuously stronger in this otherwise relatively banal season. Season 7: I'll go for Wetta and Crowley - I'm not a huge fan of A Flurry of Emotions , but it was generally cute fun and featured Twilight in a solidly characterized role for the first time in multiple seasons, whilst A Health of Information surprised me in its handling of Fluttershy's character (her episodes are typically better when she actively chooses to leave her comfort zone, which this episode utilizes wisely to push her character forward and set her into a less cliched role than, say, her S4 and S5 episodes tended to). Season 8: Mike Vogel. As I've noted earlier, his style seems to be the most versatile of the current writing team in that he can lean into both the relative charm of School Daze and the looser comedy of The Mean Six. Anyone else willing to share their thoughts here?

Doesn't that run the risk of being overly similar to Dungeons and Discords though?

Considering that this thread has been barren for a month now, I figured that it deserves a revival, considering that the marathon is now approximately 2/3 finished. As for my thoughts on S5... *sucks in huge breath of air*... The Cutie Map: A solid and compelling premiere with a uniquely grim atmosphere (and villain) and some great dialogue (particularly courtesy of M.A Larson's amazing lines for Pinkie, a pleasant surprise following her near-consistently awful portrayal in S4). Fluttershy's major role was also a welcome addition after multiple consecutive two-parters laser-focusing onto Twilight. Castle Sweet Castle: Largely forgettable and bland (most notably in regards to the plot, which is a little too negligible and thin for my tastes) despite a decently genuine ending and some impressive directorial techniques. Bloom and Gloom: Uniquely introspective into Apple Bloom's character in a way the show has seldom endeavoured towards before or since. Outranked by "For Whom the Sweetie Belle Tolls", but definitely one of S5's more conceptually solid episodes. Tanks for the Memories: Still deeply flawed - my main issue this time stems more from how brazen and unquestioning Dash is about her ploy despite being a leading weatherpony. I understand that the show can't exactly incorporate Tank dying into the plot, being a kids' TV show, but having him simply hibernating renders Dash's behaviour here extremely disproportionate considering that it's clearly written to parallel grief (in addition to robbing the episode of much of the tension it seems to believe it has). Fortunately, the excellent comedy in several scenes (Applejack's confirmation that she 'cries on the inside' and the Cloudy Skies exchange, both obviously Larson's touches) and the Dash/Fluttershy interactions in the third act lightens the problematic main plot minorly. Apploosa's Most Wanted: Generally weak and unimpressive, albeit once again salvaged by the comedy (the 'mob' exchange). The earlier half of S5 is fascinating in this regard - M.A Larson's personal writing style is easily the most distinct of the show's story editors thus far to the extent where it's typically easy to abduct which parts of these episodes were specifically penned by him. It's just the plots that tend to feel more haphazardous than the McCarthy episodes. Make New Friends but Keep Discord: The quintessential Larson-edited episode - a heaping ton of hilariously energetic fanservice loaded around a relatively limp plot, almost to the point of resembling a series of gags over a cohesive narrative. Fortunately, much of Larson's writing is enough to absolve this (particularly Pinkie's characterization, which has improved by leaps and bounds here from the more hyperactive Pinkie of S4) and the moral is a solid one. The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone: Structurally uneven (particularly in regards to the blandness and inconsistency surrounding the worldbuilding) and Gilda's characterization is virtually alien from her previous appearance (despite possibly being an improvement), but the fanservice and comedy here is genuinely difficult for me to entirely resist - the Junior Speedsters reprise, the return of Pinkie in her S1-2 persona (I don't know if I cried a tear of joy at her quirky wordplay describing Gilda)… it's obvious stuff, but not to the extent where I can't appreciate it. Slice of Life: A gigantic, bombastic pile of successful absurdity, most notably in its unique high energy and ability to back up the reams of fanservice with less context-specific gags. Definitely one of S5's more successful experiments. Princess Spike: Well-played direction (S5's direction and animation are definitely among its most consistently admirable attributes) squandered on a dry and repetitive story which leans on narrative contrivance and never builds to any successful punchline. Party Pooped: I'm nowhere near a fan of Nick Confalone's huge emotional takes (which he seems to believe are funnier than they actually are to me), nor the first act's emphasis on the yaks' destructive nature for comedy (which begins to feel tedious after only a short while) but the energy of the animation is great - similarly, Pinkie's monologue in the second act (which definitely feels more Larson-ish than Confalone's louder and more sitcom-esque style) and the ending are both well worth the awkwardness of the initial 10 minutes. Amending Fences: A stone-cold masterpiece of pony fiction. Since others have already pretty much expressed my feelings here, I must admit that my fondness for Larson's writing style stems from its energetic nature - his work has an absurd self-referentiality like Haber's and Confalone's but feels less sardonic than the former and less over-the-top than the latter, which leads to a light, brisk 'Faustian' touch that is surprisingly effective and, for lack of a better term, 'awesome'. Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep? : An awkwardly-written Frankenstein's monster of an episode that watches more akin to a mid-tier fanfiction than a legitimate FiM installment. The episode pushes for an emotional climax surrounding Luna's depression/self-harm, but ultimately fails due to all of the extraneous material clogging the episode's narrative gears (including the return of inconsiderately zany ADD-addled Pinkie). One of the show's worst episodes. Scare Master: A cliched outing salvaged by some incredible cinematography and art direction (the scene with Fluttershy creeping through Twilight's castle is visually one of the best in the series). Canterlot Boutique: Well-written and excellently characterized on Rarity and Pinkie's parts, albeit somewhat simple despite the grandiose presentation of the story. Rarity Investigates!: Slightly overrated, but solidly written and amusing (although I'm not typically one for the broader 'Nickelodeon-esque' comedy of the Lady Writers) with yet more excellent direction. Made in Manehattan: The blandest and most awkwardly paced of the S5 map episodes. In particular, the episode's plot is stretched noticeably thin and the comedy often leaves a somewhat sour edge. Brotherhooves Social: Whilst the episode overplays the Orchard Blossom gag, the ending is well worth it as one of the show's most touching moments. Crusaders of the Lost Mark: Slightly overrated, but the grandiosity of the episode's execution transforms the otherwise simple plot into an altogether more emotional and cinematic experience, which definitely counts for something memorable. The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows: Pinkie's characterization is mostly solid, but the episode suffers from an overemphasis of its core gag and the lack of other material to ground the comedic main plot more securely. Hearthbreakers: The Pie family is amazing, but the actual plot is repetitive and the climax's impact softens considerably in light of this. What About Discord?: One of the show's most tedious and bizarrely wrongheaded installments. I honestly don't think that the plot here could work in any major way regardless of polishing, which is not a criticism I could apply to most of the show's worst episodes ("Putting Your Hoof Down", "One Bad Apple"). The Hooffields and McColts: I appreciate specific elements of this episode (the deliberate focus on the pettiness of the conflict was okay), albeit this is not enough to redeem the cliched nature (and somewhat over-idealized ending) of the episode's remainder. The Mane Attraction: Potentially presents its simple narrative in an overly grand way, but an affecting and emotional experience nonetheless. I'll definitely be missing AKR and Larson's writing in this show going forward into the more recent seasons. The Cutie Re-Mark: Incredibly ambitious and dark, yet ultimately feels too structurally uneven to support either quality (particularly considering that the M6 defeated each of the villains portrayed in a relatively short time - surely the rest of Equestria's population isn't so inept as to be unable to defeat Chrysalis, Nightmare Moon and the like, in addition to unbalancing the episode's message to indicate that the M6's friendship is mostly meaningful and important in that they happen to be six pieces of a potent magical force as opposed focusing on the other, more intangible/emotional benefits of friendship, which would have cohered more with Starlight's arc). Starlight's degeneration into a petty comic book villain (asides from a few scenes) also does not aid in this (I understand that they were leaning towards her being internally petty and enraged, but the way this is actually executed on-screen feels too over-the-top). A bizarrely disappointing finale, as admirable as its drive to experiment is. In conclusion to the surprising cynicism above, I rate S5 as a good season, and definitely one of the most unique of the series. Unlike S6, which I recall being altogether more conservative, most S5 episodes aspire towards a certain dramatic finality which provides a neat watching experience and a collection of more interesting failures than the dead ends of subsequent seasons, in addition to the season's highs being deservedly lauded as some of the show's best and most emotionally charged. Not to mention the excellence of the visuals this season - I love the sleeker look of S1-4, but the lightning and motion in this season is significantly more eye-catching and cinematic despite its occasional tendency to jar with the established character designs/background aesthetics. And next up is S6... my personal least favourite season, although I'm open to re-evaluation. As it stands: S2 > S1 > S4 > S5 > S3 > S8 > S7 > S6

As someone who only sporadically cries at media, "Celestia's Ballad" and the ending of "Amending Fences" were the only two occasions I teared up while watching.

I began during the S1-2 hiatus in 2011. The wait for S2 was a highlight of the year.

That's fine by me. I simply felt that the episode overemphasized him and relied too greatly on the audience finding him comical to give some of the elements of the episode I found to be more solid breathing room (like Fluttershy's growth, which the episode actually portrays mostly fine). His interactions with Dash also left me feeling somewhat uncomfortable, which is not exactly the kind of emotion I tend to positively associate with a show of FiM's tonal qualities.

"Flutter Brutter" was brought down immensely by Zephyr Breeze's overly obnoxious behaviour, but admittedly the scenes focusing more on Fluttershy's increased firmness (despite the sloppiness of the surrounding episode, I find Zephyr's behaviour as a concept to be interesting as an implied consequence of Fluttershy's lack of assertiveness as an elder sibling, although the episode itself never really seems to be aware of or acknowledge this) were its main redeeming factors. I also doubt that "Flutter Brutter" was the first Fluttershy episode to not focus on her timidity. "Keep Calm and Flutter On' and "It Ain't Easy Being Breezies" were technically the first of that specific breed of Fluttershy narrative (although "Keep Calm" portrayed her as uncharacteristically manipulative whilst "Breezies" was a decent character showcase clogged by a ton of extraneously saccharine material which felt below the show's usual target audience and tone).