Ishmael

I just started rewatching season 8, and I only watched a little of season 9, so I still have new things to anticipate. But after that, I think that's it. Are there any specials or one-offs I should look for?

Yeah, no kidding. Where did fifteen years go?

Since posting my other thread, I decided to go beyond just rewatching a few favorite episodes out of the series. I started from the beginning, the long-lost era of 2010 and the first season. I'm glad I did, even though my motivation for doing so was to delay watching the entire series for a little longer, because I knew that would make me sad. Maybe this is absurd for a guy in his 50s, but I don't recall having such warm feelings for a show--not even as a kid watching the original Star Trek. I've finished rewatching season 7, rewatched a Youtube clip version of the 2017 movie (first saw it on Bluray from the library), and just started season 8. Each 22 minutes is a respite from being older, from realizing my 40s are over, from all the horrible things going on in the world I'm powerless to do anything about, but I feel the moral injury just the same. But it does sadden me a little to realize that I'll soon come to the end of the show. There won't be anything new to look forward to, though I suppose I could try to find the comics. (My partner's son bought me one of the Twilight combination issues as a joke. The art is a little underwhelming, but the writing is in keeping with the show.) I suppose I'm a little like some people I remember from high school, and later college--those people who hung on to childhood or school for as long as they could, knowing once that door closed, you could never really go back. The first time only happens once. Or, as my AA friends say, the clock only ticks forward. I don't have anything to say, or ask for. I suppose it's more comfortable to post about this to online strangers than talk to my (understanding) therapist. Things have to end, and I suppose this is a reflection on how I've come to this place. Rewatching the first seasons, I remember watching some episodes in 2011-2013, when I was freshly divorced and coming into my own in a way I don't think I ever really had before. When I had the idea to start watching the show again about a year ago, I'm not sure what exactly spurred it, but I was still recovering from my stroke, and it's easy to understand wanting something bright, innocent and positive. Now I'm 15 months since then, and aside from some lingering stiffness in my feet I can't ever quite fully stretch out, I'm recovered. My only real problem is intractable insomnia that is at last coming under control (the CPAP is as life-changing as advertised), and just...wishing I'd been the writer I'm trying to be now sooner. I'm glad I found this place, and this show.

As most of the Equestrian diet seems to be pie/cake/chocolate/ice cream, it seems like everybody can handle titanic amounts of sugar. The writers were smart to have Celestia confronting serious problems more or less on her own. She does seem a little blind to some of her faults or those of others, but I can't think of an instance where she doesn't come around. This is the through-line of "A Royal Problem", and that episode is interesting as it shows how both Celestia and Luna have serious blind spots, but both are mature enough to correct them when Starlight forcibly lifts the veil for them both. What's really interesting to me in this episode is when Celestia faces her alter-ego. Daybreaker makes clear she's a projection of Celestia's subconscious fears that she's not the princess everybody values: "I'm the smarter, prettier, and more powerful version of you," or words to that effect. Oliver's delivery captures the perfect amount of sneering and dark glee of your outwardly projected subconscious fears and lusts. Even more powerful is the deeply repressed negative feelings Celestia must have about Luna, given Daybreaker's uninhibited regret that she didn't destroy Luna/Nightmare Moon when *Celestia* had the chance. It's strange to me that people don't like Celestia for her supposed flaws and poor judgments. It's faults and imperfections that make characters interesting, and create conflicts that require growth and change. An hour talking with Celestia would be *very* interesting. Since I'm psychoanalyzing an episode of a kid's show, I got some big, knowing laughs at Starlight playing therapist. She's collected and aware enough to recognize Twilight is biased when it comes to Celestia, and tells Twilight this in a very-therapist way. Starlight also uses classic active listening technique in the second breakfast confrontation, which Starlight more or less instigates. "Celestia, how does it make you feel when Luna..." and "Princess Luna, tell Celestia how it makes you feel when..." is a technique counselors used on me! It's a valuable skill not everybody learns growing up. And it's very uncomfortable. I really felt Celestia and Luna squirming, and could relate to their lashing out at each other immediately after.

A little late to this, but just wanted to say thanks for a thoughtful and nuanced discussion about character and motivation. It's a kid's show, but at the same time, MLP:FiM has a level of sophistication and nuance that reaches far beyond a kid's show. It's not perfect--Luna's instant redemption as discussed, and Discord's uneven behavior--but on average the show treats its characters with the same care and respect taken in top-tier adult shows. Regarding Celestia, I'd add that she demonstrates the qualities you'd want in a mentor, teacher or therapist. In addition to the excellent points already made, I think it was a wise choice to present her as being a little removed. The show's young audience benefits from the unstated message that the Mane Six they're identifying with, and by extension themselves, are capable of facing crises and solving their own problems. Celestia has genuine affection for Twilight, and in general offers Carl Rodger's "unconditional positive regard" to Twilight and other characters. It's also striking to me how Celestia is shown to have flaws, and can be vulnerable. "A Royal Problem" demonstrates this, and it's easily one of the best episodes.

Weird Al has a long-running theme of cheese jokes. The Cheese Sandwich episode is full of Weird Al cheese jokes and references. I remember lighting up seeing/hearing them, recognizing them from bits Weird Al and Doctor Demento did on Demento's show, back in the 1980s. I think that's part of the joke when Pinky pops out of the float and accuses Cheese of stealing her song, and Cheese denying it in a very Weird Al way. Can't remember much more at the moment, though that episode was wonderful with its layering of allusions and riffs. Cheese as The Man With No Name is just brilliant.

Just curious if you were watching the original 1960s Star Trek or the late 80s-90s Next Generation. If the latter, glad you had the DVDs. Paramount spent a lot re-posting the entire series, thinking they'd be a sure thing, but hardly anybody bought the DVDs. Glad to make this part of something real. I've rewatched a few favorite FiM episodes too many times, and they're edging into rerun-stale. Enjoying season 4 and onward with knowing it'll be a long time before I see them again, if ever. Still, it's been nice to connect with a few people on a serious level...about a kid's pastel pony show.

Thanks for the kind words and sharing your own experience with the show. It's interesting that you could have grown up with the show, but it passed you by for some reason. Maybe it's better this way for the reasons you said. With the hype having died down, you can appreciate it for what it is. And if you're going to have a guilty pleasure, this seems like a pretty benign one. :) I'm just into season 4 now. Just taking my time and savoring them, really sitting with them. I had the thought recently in terms of the OG Star Trek I grew up with--I thought I'd seen every Star Trek episode a dozen times, but it's likely I only saw every episode just once, and a handful of favorites just a handful of times. I think it was seventh grade when I spent my kid savings on VHS tapes, and my parents let me stay up late to tape them off TV. (That was 1982!) I kept those tapes for decades, but I never watched them. After I'd seen them all, and gone through the effort of recording them, I just lost interest. So that informs my paying attention and really sitting with FiM. Maybe I'll watch them again someday, but I sense it's time to move on. There's so much great stuff to read and watch. Happy to share and glad to know it helped you. Forums like this were what the internet was 25 (!) years ago, and what it was meant to be. I'm glad there are still little sanctuaries of humanity like this one that will hopefully regenerate something real, someday.

I'd be up for it, but I'm moving slowly. Still in the first few episodes of S3. Being present for each of them.

@NorthProductions Devi's setting up the discord meeting. Can you post your username here so they can add you?

Is Google Hangout the same as Google Meet? They keep changing the names/features of things.

Yes that's what we messily decided. :) I'm dex3703 there.

Zoom meetings run out of time before we could get started. @Deiv2008 is setting up something with Discord.

I've gotta get some work done before 5, but hoping to be on around 4:30 to help test things out. See you then.

I think we're all figuring that out. :) Presuming with Melissa starting the call, she'll project the video. We can make a rule about mics on/off, asking to pause for comments, etc. If we like this, I saw there are some plugins/apps that supposedly handle this more smoothly. I think Melissa assuming everybody has Zoom so just starting with that is a good place to start.

Interesting that Youtube people are cynical. Aside from some fan-made things, everything is labeled as kid's programming, and comments are turned off. Took me a while to realize fan videos have profanity or other material added so that comments are possible. Grateful to find a few people here to talk about this kid's show that appeals to us so. Some of the fan videos have a much greater emotional impact than I'd guess before watching them.

I only turn the camera on if absolutely required, so don't worry about having the camera on or not. I'll try joining 10-15 minutes early so we can see how it works. Is Pluto a TV service? I've been watching them on Youtube, on a channel called The Cartoon Archive. I like how whoever's running it includes the episodes in full, including the full credits, which the official Hasbro-MLP channel doesn't.

Hey everybody, 5pm Pacific works for me, though 6 would work better. I can make either work. If we're doing Zoom, maybe start 10-15 mins before the actual time, so we can figure out how to do it?

Do you want to try tomorrow evening still, like you suggested? I'm US west coast.

No response unfortunately. We can try organizing the 3-4 people interested on our own.

Thanks for doing this. Your idea for Zoom sounds like the easiest option. I'll try to find a way to start an event.... I found disputes@mlpforums.com in the site Guidelines, and sent an email asking how to set up an event. Will let you know if I hear anything.

Sure, I should be to that point by then. Happy to open it up to others.

That's a fine idea. I think I'm midway through S2, so could be at the end in in a few days. Is the finale is a double episode?

I'm a few episodes into S2. I've never initiated a watch party. Looks like there's something called Watchparty you can use. Also Teleparty. https://www.teleparty.com/youtube https://www.watchparty.me/ I think you can also do it through Zoom or similar.

I'm interested. Do you mean a watch party, or something else? Sorry if the public message isn't appropriate--I couldn't figure out how to message directly.