How do you accept where the show went?

[Ducky 13]

Since last year I've been really confused with all the support that twilight's coronation got. I mean I assumed the show was dead once  that happened but it just got more popular. do people really like the new show? I just don't understand how people can enjoy it anymore. So i need help in seeing it from there POV. So far i can't figure it out, so i thought coming here and asking around would help me get answers. I just want to enjoy the show again and if coming to grips with what happened is necessary then i want to know how other people where able to push through to liking it again. Thank you. 

[Shady Bubbles 429]

Because for pretty much all of season 4, she's still just Twilight. No one treats her any differently.

 

That had fans in an uproar as well. She's a princess now right? Shouldn't her new role be addressed somehow?

 

That's when Twilight's Kingdom came in to fill in the gaps and answer all of those questions we had. We found out what was in the box, we got to see Twilight struggle to understand her place as princess, and we watched as Golden Oaks Library was transformed into Twi's very own castle.

 

S4 was excellent in my opinion. It's still very much the same show. You can't expect the characters to remain the same way they were in the earlier episodes. Any good show has some sort of character growth, and MLP is no exception. 

[M'aiq the Liar 5,804]

It was character development that most people saw coming from day one. A lot of us knew that eventually Twilight would replace Celestia/become a ruler. It was only a matter of time. A lot of rage happened over how they did it (as act 3 of magical mystery cure was faster than sonic) and how they then just jumped straight into sailor moon.

But season 4 did improve a lot on season 3, as it had a lot better character focused episodes (although according to recent statistics, it also had some of the lowest rated adventure episodes), with pinkie pride making the average as the most like episode of the series, averaging a 9.1/10. So while season 4 did have its flaws, it balanced them out with a lot of really great episodes.

 

And as for the characters changing, they had to eventually. They rushed the bejeesus outa twilights growth, but they took some nice steady steps with the rest of the cast, and even grew spike alittle emotionally. Character growth is needed, otherwise the show stagnates after 4 seasons as it feels like there is no progress. But they did make up for how rushed the handled Twilight with the season 4 finale, and how they grew the rest of the cast in small increments over the season.

[GenderIsAnIllusion 2,177]

Well since I really enjoyed that little plot twist, it was easy for me..... And it's turning out quite well.

[Ducky 13]

i know character growth is important is all, but it didn't feel natural. all the season 4 episodes i saw felt tainted, like they wanted to start a new show but had to stick to this one.  

[Carbon Maestro 1,003]

i know character growth is important is all, but it didn't feel natural. all the season 4 episodes i saw felt tainted, like they wanted to start a new show but had to stick to this one.  

 

Day One, Season 1: Twilight is a shy, smart pony who moves into a new town and makes 5 new friends. Gets the elements and defeats Nightmare Moon.

Final day, Season 4: Twilight, with her 5 friends, uses Rainbow Power which essentially acts like the elements to defeat the greatest threat to Equestria, Tirek. She also gets to have her own castle in Ponyville.

 

If that's not a transformation of where the show has gone from day one to day "kick evil's butt" then I'm leaving this fandom.

The transformation was slow and steady and it just felt natural because all those accomplishments on bonding with one another felt naturally paced. There's NO way where a teen can immediately become an All-Star leader without slow and steady growth, and I find that to be very special.

[ghostfacekiller39 23,860]

I have no problem accepting where the show went, because the quality of the show is still high and the characters are still immensely enjoyable

Sure, the overall tone and feel of the show is much different than seasons 1 & 2, but the change hasn't affected the show's quality. Sure, I go back to S1 and S2 and watch those episodes to feel some nostalgia, but the show has moved on, and things have changed. Is it still something I enjoy? Of course - I love it. I love the new direction just as much as the way it used to be.

 

So, no problems accepting the change here
 

[Ducky 13]

Day One, Season 1: Twilight is a shy, smart pony who moves into a new town and makes 5 new friends. Gets the elements and defeats Nightmare Moon.

Final day, Season 4: Twilight, with her 5 friends, uses Rainbow Power which essentially acts like the elements to defeat the greatest threat to Equestria, Tirek. She also gets to have her own castle in Ponyville.

 

If that's not a transformation of where the show has gone from day one to day "kick evil's butt" then I'm leaving this fandom.

The transformation was slow and steady and it just felt natural because all those accomplishments on bonding with one another felt naturally paced. There's NO way where a teen can immediately become an All-Star leader without slow and steady growth, and I find that to be very special

still didn't feel natural, it felt normal till she got magic HGH and become a "princess". it just seems wrong, if its so easy to do then why aren't there 10 times more alicorns?

[Ashen Pathfinder 16,161]

It's just the natural and needed evolution of a show. It's not going to please everyone, but a show can only keep doing the same thing for so long. Regardless of the results, I am glad the writers recognize that.

 

Saying that I have enjoyed what we have immensely.

[M'aiq the Liar 5,804]

i know character growth is important is all, but it didn't feel natural. all the season 4 episodes i saw felt tainted, like they wanted to start a new show but had to stick to this one.

 

I think what you are feeling is the shift in tone from the 1st 2 seasons, to the current one. The first season, and the first half of season two were really small town, "little ponies in a big world" kind of show. Other than WMD'ing the big baddy at the end of the first episode, they hadn't really done much, and as such the show was about them exploring, and finding ways to achieve their dreams and roles in their world. But s4 has them already found their roles, and now growing into them. So the tone shifts towards a more "worldly" view. The cast has saved the world 4 times now, and they have learned a great deal about themselves, and the world around them. And that is a good thing, the show progressed in a tonal shift, to show how their bonding, and adventures have grown them as characters.

[Yamato 1,348]

I'll try and answer your question as succinctly as possible.

The terrible, dream-crushing, unforgivable change that was anticipated to come along with Twilight's coronation/ascension/magically-induced mutation never came. She grew a pair of wings, and that's pretty much that. Different plot possibilities were opened up, the foundations of a new story arc were set up, but the character of the show has stayed pretty much the same. Change, you see, is necessary. Without change, things get old, stagnate, and die. When a show stagnates, writers get desperate, and you get things like Arthur Fonzarelli jumping over a shark on a motorcycle. This move, Twilight's coronation, can be thought of as a breath of fresh air for the show, opening up new ideas and interactions that would not have been possible beforehand. New ideas and interactions lead to new episodes, new episodes lead to more seasons, and more seasons lead to more money for Hasbro and the production companies. It was at the very least, if you are not willing to accept any other explanation, an act of self-preservation on behalf of the show.

Edited June 4, 2014 by Chrysler

[Rainboom Dash 1,056]

I still accept the show as it is. Despite the big changes to the status quo nothing's really changed. It happens to all shows. And as others have said, I love that the show has become more epic and advanced.

[Whofch 128]

They push the important stuff into the openers and finales, the rest of the seasons just being slice of life filler if you will, so it can feel like the changes come out of nowhere. They also push the important stuff on one pony for the most of it, which isn't great if you don't like that sort of singling out.

 

How do you accept it? You just do. For the most part nothing has changed, mostly just background detail (titles and living quarters). Just forget about the episodes that brought about the changes if you have to and watch the rest as you usually would.

[John 793]

You just have to keep watching and ignore the things that are have been shit on by Hasbrostein LTD Co .  It's like removing large tumors but still having organ function.  Only one episode into season 4.  Should I continue tonight?  I can't find the episodes on YouTube anymore.. :c

Edited June 4, 2014 by John

[LED Dasher 228]

I enjoyed season four and I am planning to watch season five on the first day it comes out. I do feel some nostalgia for seasons one and two, but I realize that things have to change. One of the reasons why Doctor Who is still popular is because while certain Doctors are more liked than others, the writers recognize that the style must change and new ideas must be explored for people to keep enjoying the show. MLP is going in a similar direction, and I am fine with that.

[Nulln 755]

Because it's not a new show?

It's the same exact as it always has been, except they're focusing more on all of the mane 6 rather than ONLY Twilight.  No one treats her different.  No one calls her princess.  She has absolutely no princess responsibilities besides smiling and waving at an important event.  The only difference is she flew in like 2 episodes for a brief few moments. 

Edited June 4, 2014 by ScumCandy

[Nature's Spell 526]

I'm not really sure why I'm replying; I've said I won't defend what is anymore, but many of your posts have the same tone over and over so I'll try. I agree with everybody above too.

 

The first episode I saw was Magical Mystery Cure and I still love that episode. I think people can quibble about how she ascended, but a reasonable person would have to admit that there was a lot of foreshadowing that Twilight was not just a regular old Unicorn. She had a special destiny. I think her new role fits perfectly and can hopefully factor well into season 5. Bottom line for me is Princess Twilight rocks those wings, crown and hopefully her castle.

Edited June 4, 2014 by Nature's Spell

[Tigerpop198 696]

I don't really see that much change, to be completely honest. Sure there are some changes but they are not big enough to call it a deal breaker.

[Forlong 1,726]

It's the same show, but it is growing and changing.  I'm 99.9% certain that DHX knew they would be renewed for a 4th season, 5th season, ect. when writing season 3.  They had to avoid the same problems that other long runners fall into and change things up as the show progresses.

[Arkane 270]

I didn't. Not because I didn't like it or anything. I just simply took it how it is. I mean, I'm not the one who carries a pen when watching. As long as the series keeps me entertained, regardless what hasbro does with it, and as long as DHX are still the main guys, you're not going to hear me complain.

[Dattebayo 2,850]

Implying the new season is terrible. Great sh*t.

[Adachi 772]

I can deal with Princess Twilight. I understand why people may have been upset, but it's been clearly shown that her being princess in no way gets between her and her friends. I actually feel that Discord's reformation was well done (it did seem a bit rushed, but it was to set the stage for his true reformation). I like the fact that Luna and Discord were redeemed, and I actually hope to see QC redeemed at some point (if Sesshomaru could be redeemed, I'm sure she can, she just needs something to soften her up a bit).

[Pastel 7,630]

More or less.

I didn't really like that Twilight became an alicorn, but it hasn't affected the show that much. I mean, the "slice-of-life" episodes are like the ones from the 1st season.

While I don't really like those changes, I don't think they're that important.

Edited June 4, 2014 by Blobulle

[TeaCrumpet 27]

As someone who did not like and frankly hated the sudden push for Twi to becoming an Alicorn, I found this season with the addition of the comics gave us the time and the proper support that S3 did not to come and accept Twi as an alicorn and the direction the show seems to want to go towards.

 

Do I feel its perfect ? No

 

Do I feel I still feel the execution of Twi’s ascension into alicorndom could have been much better? Heavens Yes.

Do I feel there is a lot more stories and things the show needs to do to get to where I think they really want this show to go. Heavens Yes.

Do I think the show is ruined forever, all the tears and rawr sauce: Buck no, not even a little.

 

 

S4 for learned from S3 mistakes and took not 1, but 2 full season arcs and for the most part did pretty good with them. Not since session 1 have we seen a season arc and the Grand Galloping Gale, was hardly that weighty of an arc to handle.   

 

This thing is, if we look at S1 to S3, outside of the openers and closers, all the eps could be mixed up and have no bearing on the enjoyment or overall storytelling. S4 decide to change that and make watching each ep important, with call backs from previous eps and real implemented character development, thus making the show as a whole more connected and epic in the classical term sense.

 

For the most part, this season was far more about her friends getting to a point in their own journey with friendship and getting to the place where Twi and her friends can be equal teachers of their elements. As the leader, Twi needed to become a princess so she could have the leverage not only for herself but for her friends to all become teachers from S5 on. Throughout this season it was shown that just because she was an alicorn didn’t mean anything, it was only when she realized that she and her friends made up the title of the friendship domain that ponies finally recognized her as a full princess with authority, which frankly is the proper sequence that the story about friendship should take.

MLP Season Friendship Structure Thus Far:  

 

S1 = Twi becomes a student of friendship, learning the basics
S2 = Friends become students, Twi is tested on friendship and continues to learn

S3 = Twi is tested more and graduates from friendship student and become basic teacher (alicorn), friends are still learning and being tested

S4 = Friends are tested more and graduate from friendship students becoming basic teachers (Rainbow Power), Begins to explore teaching methods and what it means to being a leaders, princess and teacher

[Discordian 6,015]

Season 4 was the best season of them all. I honestly don't know how people can think otherwise. This season not only expanded on the MLP universe and the main characters greatly but they manage to add a flow to the season. Unlike all the previous seasons this one didn't feel like a random assortment of episodes showcasing the main characters in different situations. It felt like a cohesive ball of story with not one but two story arcs throughout the season. Every episode building up to the next and to the next, even referencing past episodes instead of each being it's own little instance. This goes for little details in the side and jokes as well as storytelling. Not even one episode in the entire season felt useless or like extra baggage.

 

So how do I accept where it went? Because the show is better than ever and there's nothing to "accept" as if it's somehow gone downhill. Animations, songs, characters...everything was better in this season than any other.