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"I Hate Being Alone..." Rainbow Dash in Mysterious MDW


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I could write a long winded review on this. I wouldn't be the first one. But the problem with inserting my opinion into this is that I tend to try to pass them off as fact, and I don't tend to learn anything by doing so. More than being right, I want to try to understand, and so i'm asking you guys.
Anyways, the scene occurs around 16:43:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xugaq2_mlp-fim-s2-e8-the-mysterious-mare-do-well_shortfilms
We get typical bravado from Rainbow Dash, and then we get a rare character break. She says a few words, then "I hate being all alone". It comes with a surprising amount of emotion. It's something we hardly ever see from Rainbow.
My question to you is: what exactly is behind those words, if there is anything? It's possible i'm reading too much into it, and if I am, I accept that idea. However, it feels to me like there's a lot of weight there that I might be missing.
What do you guys think?

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Well, a lot of people dislike being alone, and I for one would fall into that category myself.

I am now going to play the Devil's Advocate and say that I wouldn't call it a character break per se actually.

Just because somebody is confident or perhaps bold, why should that mean that they aren't allowed to show such emotion?

I'm sure if Fluttershy said such a thing, nobody would second guess it.

  • Brohoof 8
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Seeing this title immediately made me think of Fallout Equestria and a specific line spoken by Little Pip.

But you know... Rainbow Dash can say it too...

I think that one scene is one of the little good things to come out of that episode.

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It's probably because Rainbow Dash represents The Element of Loyalty. She would feel broken if she were to abandon her friends or if her friends abandoned her. In the episode, the ponies are more focused on The Mysterious Mare Do Well's heroic acts to the point where RD gets a little too jealous. Not only she represents Loyalty, but RD also hates failure, whether it be losing a race or failing to save a friend. There, Rainbow felt as if her heroic acts aren't doing as good before the MMDW arrived.

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It's one of the clearest looks at Rainbow Dash's character that we're ever going to get. It's actually become one of my favorite scenes in the series, interestingly enough. There's this awesome reviewer on YouTube who explained this very eloquently, but I can't link the video because it happens to contain this small part where this person's head explodes :mellow:. So, I'll be talking about it instead :derp:

 

Rainbow Dash's element is loyalty. You can haggle all day about how well she represents it, I'm not really interested in having the conversation again, but loyalty is something that's very important to Dash. She gets a lot of satisfaction from knowing that people appreciate what she does for them, and loves knowing they'll be there for her in return. That's why she was so overloaded and over the moon early on in the episode, and that's why she was so miserable at the end. It's fitting, considering how she started performing heroics for her own sake more than anything, but it's still very sad.

 

 

For a pony who prizes loyalty, there's nothing more painful than realizing that nobody is returning the loyalty you've given them. Sure, they'll be all over you when you're kicking flank and saving the day, but what about when you're not feeling so great and need some support? The only words her friends have spoken to her all episode have been to sing the praises of the new, hot, hero of the month, and now her self-proclaimed biggest fan has hopped on the bandwagon, full steam. She feels betrayed and above all, alone. What about all the work she's done, the lives she's saved, her sleek flowing mane for heaven's sake? Nobody cares, and Dash is realizing possibly for the first time just how fickle people can be and how fleeting fame is.

 

But it's a good thing, cause she learned from it! After this episode, you can see Dash being a lot more kind, sensitive and generally being a better person than she was before it. Screw faceless screaming fans who'll move on at a moment's notice, friends are more important and the bonds you make by being there for each other day in and day out aren't going to vanish so easily. Is a good lesson, yes :) ? Mare Do Well happens to be one of my favorite episodes because of this, its numerous flaws aside.

  • Brohoof 12
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It's one of the clearest looks at Rainbow Dash's character that we're ever going to get. It's actually become one of my favorite scenes in the series, interestingly enough. There's this awesome reviewer on YouTube who explained this very eloquently, but I can't link the video because it happens to contain this small part where this person's head explodes :mellow:. So, I'll be talking about it instead :derp:

 

Rainbow Dash's element is loyalty. You can haggle all day about how well she represents it, I'm not really interested in having the conversation again, but loyalty is something that's very important to Dash. She gets a lot of satisfaction from knowing that people appreciate what she does for them, and loves knowing they'll be there for her in return. That's why she was so overloaded and over the moon early on in the episode, and that's why she was so miserable at the end. It's fitting, considering how she started performing heroics for her own sake more than anything, but it's still very sad.

 

 

For a pony who prizes loyalty, there's nothing more painful than realizing that nobody is returning the loyalty you've given them. Sure, they'll be all over you when you're kicking flank and saving the day, but what about when you're not feeling so great and need some support? The only words her friends have spoken to her all episode have been to sing the praises of the new, hot, hero of the month, and now her self-proclaimed biggest fan has hopped on the bandwagon, full steam. She feels betrayed and above all, alone. What about all the work she's done, the lives she's saved, her sleek flowing mane for heaven's sake? Nobody cares, and Dash is realizing possibly for the first time just how fickle people can be and how fleeting fame is.

 

But it's a good thing, cause she learned from it! After this episode, you can see Dash being a lot more kind, sensitive and generally being a better person than she was before it. Screw faceless screaming fans who'll move on at a moment's notice, friends are more important and the bonds you make by being there for each other day in and day out aren't going to vanish so easily. Is a good lesson, yes :) ? Mare Do Well happens to be one of my favorite episodes because of this, its numerous flaws aside.

Incoming major feels. (ll)

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[snip]

 

This, basically.

 

Rainbow Dash started off the episode being very self-effacing about her heroism, but once she tried adding a little bravado and got a positive response, she was so hungry for attention that she ramped it all the way up to "ANOTHER GREAT FEAT OF HEROISM!!!!". Now everyone ignores her despite the fact that, from her perspective, she's doing everything she can to make them love her. Why's it not working now? Why are they ignoring her? She hates being all alone...

 

You know, now that I re watched Mare Do Well... It's not as bad as I used to think it was.

 

rmlfw3340-1330489306356.gif

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This, basically.

 

Rainbow Dash started off the episode being very self-effacing about her heroism, but once she tried adding a little bravado and got a positive response, she was so hungry for attention that she ramped it all the way up to "ANOTHER GREAT FEAT OF HEROISM!!!!". Now everyone ignores her despite the fact that, from her perspective, she's doing everything she can to make them love her. Why's it not working now? Why are they ignoring her? She hates being all alone...

 
 

 

rmlfw3340-1330489306356.gif

You thought it was a decent episode too?

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That episode gets some unfair hate thrown at it. I can't really tell if the hate is due to Best Pony syndrome (hating to see your fav character laid bare like that), or a general dislike for the plot and theme. I will say this once ... this is not a bad episode in general. If you are a Dash fan, this is actually a damn good one if you look for deeper meaning (intended or otherwise) in your character. MMDW should be applauded for at least delving a little into what makes Dash tick ... her motivations ... her fears.

 

A few of you said pretty much what I was going to. Hard to be the Element of Loyalty, fulfill your destiny and keep your personal word view ... if you feel alone. I believe that this episode actually fits well with Sleepless in Ponyville and Flight to the Finish. If anyone out there that doesn't like MMDW go watch all three of those in order with your 'kids' eyes on the screen. You may see Dash has actually changed and evolved. :D

 

Also Darkwing Duck is cool.

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You thought it was a decent episode too?

 

looking at my past signatures 

 

 

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little

 

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bit

 

I believe that this episode actually fits well with Sleepless in Ponyville and Flight to the Finish. If anyone out there that doesn't like MMDW go watch all three of those in order with your 'kids' eyes on the screen. You may see Dash has actually changed and evolved. :D

 

Also plays nicely with Wonderbolts Academy due to her learning her lesson a bit too well and spending the majority of that episode being too nervous about letting her ego get the better of her to stand up for herself. 

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That episode gets some unfair hate thrown at it. I can't really tell if the hate is due to Best Pony syndrome (hating to see your fav character laid bare like that), or a general dislike for the plot and theme. I will say this once ... this is not a bad episode in general. If you are a Dash fan, this is actually a damn good one if you look for deeper meaning (intended or otherwise) in your character. MMDW should be applauded for at least delving a little into what makes Dash tick ... her motivations ... her fears.

 

A few of you said pretty much what I was going to. Hard to be the Element of Loyalty, fulfill your destiny and keep your personal word view ... if you feel alone. I believe that this episode actually fits well with Sleepless in Ponyville and Flight to the Finish. If anyone out there that doesn't like MMDW go watch all three of those in order with your 'kids' eyes on the screen. You may see Dash has actually changed and evolved. :D

 

Also Darkwing Duck is cool.

"I AM THE TERROR THAT FLAPS IN THE NIGHT! I AM THE TERMITE THAT DEVOURS YOUR FLOORBOARDS. I AM DARKWING DUCK!"

 

Flippin best superhero ever

 

And yes Mysterious mare do well is severly underrated. So is Dash in terms of her depth of character.

  • Brohoof 8
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I think what she meant by that is that she missed the attention she was getting. But then again, that in of itself could be a sign that she does want a group of friends so that she doesn't feel alone. 

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I think that those words and the scene in general are far from a "character break" but more like a great moment of character depth for Rainbow dash, probably some of the most we got out of her up to this point in the series(she had moments before, but I think it was one of the bigger ones)

 

I don't think a character has to stick to their main character trait, I think having them stray from things that are normal just shows more depth. I mean seriously, do you know anyone who is always Loyal, Kind, Shy, Honest, Generous, Or any trait? 

 

No, so why should Rainbow always be a tough one? I think her feeling all alone just shows insight into why she acts all tough and is so into succeeding and attention. Maybe the reason she fears failure is because she is very prone to loneliness, and similar reasons are why she loves attention.

 

Sure, Mare do well isn't my favorite episode of the show, but it wasn't that bad honestly, it had it's good moments for sure, I honestly think it's kind of overhated.

 

Regardless, I think the scene is fine, and totally in line with Rainbow's character, in fact it adds development even aside from not breaking.

 

Also, I kind of like sad scenes, in an odd way ;p. I guess it makes characters more relatable generally to see they aren't always living peachy lives.

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I think that those words and the scene in general are far from a "character break" but more like a great moment of character depth for Rainbow dash, probably some of the most we got out of her up to this point in the series(she had moments before, but I think it was one of the bigger ones)

 

I don't think a character has to stick to their main character trait, I think having them stray from things that are normal just shows more depth. I mean seriously, do you know anyone who is always Loyal, Kind, Shy, Honest, Generous, Or any trait? 

 

No, so why should Rainbow always be a tough one? I think her feeling all alone just shows insight into why she acts all tough and is so into succeeding and attention. Maybe the reason she fears failure is because she is very prone to loneliness, and similar reasons are why she loves attention.

 

Sure, Mare do well isn't my favorite episode of the show, but it wasn't that bad honestly, it had it's good moments for sure, I honestly think it's kind of overhated.

 

Regardless, I think the scene is fine, and totally in line with Rainbow's character, in fact it adds development even aside from not breaking.

 

Also, I kind of like sad scenes, in an odd way ;p. I guess it makes characters more relatable generally to see they aren't always living peachy lives.

Maybe part of the reason she tries so hard is because she fears failure. I noticed Rainbow tends to panic a lot when she feels that she's not the best, like in Sonic Rainboom

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Maybe part of the reason she tries so hard is because she fears failure. I noticed Rainbow tends to panic a lot when she feels that she's not the best, like in Sonic Rainboom

Yeah, I agree, Rainbow dash's fear of failure has been established several times throughout the series.

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  • 10 months later...

In Asimov's novel Pebble In the Sky, one of the characters makes the point that bragging denotes insecurity.  You don't go around "Worm, I am your superior! Bug, I am better than you!", etc.  You really think you are better, you don't have to go around telling everyone.  Dash brags about how good she is because, deep down, she has doubts.  That is why she has cut it down the last season or 2.  She has done enough that she feels it is obvious, she doesn't have to brag anymore.

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(edited)

I agree with most of the points made through this thread, though I thought of another possible (maybe even a stretch of a thought here but meh) reason as to why RD hates being alone and why that was a major thing for her in MMDW. We have yet (if my memory serves well) to hear of anything about RD's family. Does she have parents or siblings? We don't know.

 

This makes me wonder whether Rainbow is maybe an orphan or something and there was a point where she was alone and no one noticed her? That would explain why at a young age she made an effort to show off. To get noticed. They show that in flashback episodes with flight school in Cloudsdale a few times and I feel like that would make a lot of sense.

 

We also haven't heard much about Fluttershy's family either but she was always shy, yet nurturing so to me it isn't really a factor in this situation. Based on all of these things it would make sense as well as to why RD is is so afraid of being alone. She remembers what loneliness feels like and is now a state she never wants to go back to. This would also explain her loyalty trait. Because if you think about it, once she got friends and her life got so much better and she became happy, why would she ever betray them and lose them? To me it just makes a whole lot of sense and also explains why Tanks for the Memories was so hard for her as well. Tank may be the first living creature (that is like family) to live with her and always be there, even when she was home and away from her closest friends.

 

Just a thought. There's no other facts to back up this theory, but I guess until it's proven wrong I guess it shall be a head cannon of mine hehe xD

Edited by Mango Trip
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