S05:E22 - What About Discord

[DJW 142]

Seriously liked this episode.

 

Discord's speech at the end was a bit 'tell don't show', but in someways it added a little brutal honesty that Twilight needed to hear.

 

Twilight has had a bit of a self important streak recently (if mostly internal) and hasn't really learned much about friendship, so this was a good reminder that her development hasn't ceased and she still has things to learn - which was a big danger of becoming the princess of friendship, that she would become the authority and ultimate personification of friendship.

 

What I might have liked is that the rest of the Mane 6 drank the potion and remained the same, conclusively showing to Twilight that her flawed hypothesis was wrong.

Edited November 8, 2015 by DJW

[Dark Qiviut 22,379]

The more I think about this episode, the worse it becomes.

1. The jokes lost their muster very early. The Bob Ross references were perfectly timed, and the puns were great for the first thirty seconds. But the more you say the joke, the more cringeworthy it becomes. The jokes got old very quickly. The worst was at the end: It went way too damn long.
2. Its script tone was mean. TS had every single reason to feel left out, jealous, and uncomfortable with Discord. They completely left Twilight out of the loop when they should've helped explain the situation better. Even though she's the Princess of Friendship, she's still very sensitive to the idea, so feeling lost hurts. Everyone knows how Twilight feels.
   
   But what helps make it so mean is twofold.
   
   a. The script shoves the concept of Discord still being evil down our throats. He's antagonistic, yet still growing into his role as Chaotic Good. The moment where he flipped the twist at the end was garbage. He's a jerk, but that's out of character of him today. Rather than diffusing the conflict, it confirms Twilight's assumptions, ruining the credibility of the moral.
   
   b. The whole episode portrays Twilight as the bad guy. The script keeps playing that she had no excuse to feel jealous or suspicious. Like I said, she's 100% justified. Remember what happened prior. Discord emotionally manipulated her in Return of Harmony. In Three's a Crowd, he faked the flu to try to kill her and Cadance. So even though he had the change of heart, she had every reason to not trust him. But WAB makes Twilight out as the one entirely in the wrong.
3. The conflict felt really slow and really forced. It all could've been solved in ten minutes flat, but a poor man's version of Lesson Zero Light padded the plot and accentuated the climax.

Big Jim revealed on Twitter in a response to another user that the audience was supposed to feel confused in lost in order to relate to Twilight. Just because that's the point doesn't mean it's okay. You need context that doesn't disrespect FIM's roots: likeable characters in a likeable, three-dimensional setting and conflict. Twilight's problem is very relatable and sensible, but because the script paints her as the antagonist, you cheapen the conflict. When the plot twists by making Discord the real jerk in the conflict, the great moral becomes invalidated.

 

It's still better than Princess Spike, but when compared to his other appearance this season, it doesn't hold a candle to Make Friends but Keep Discord. The flaws outweigh the strengths and really drop the writing quality.

[duidamasterXD 9,627]

I loved this episode and consider it a vast improvement over the last one. The characterization, Twilight's behavior, Spike's interactions with her, mai zebra waifu showing up again at last ,  all of it very "Season 1". Not much happened, but it didn't need to because the interactions and message of the episode took center stage.

 

Nervous, paranoid, overimaginative Twilight is one of my favorite Twilights, so it was very nice to see that side of her personality again, and for the moral to say that her status as princess doesn't mean she can't have such feelings. What she experienced in this episode was very natural and relatable, and I appreciate it. This episode was a lot like what I wanted to happen in A Canterlot Wedding, and I'm glad they taught such a great lesson instead of just having her paranoia be vindicated. Understandable, yes. Correct, no. I thought the ending balanced everything out quite nicely.

 

Spike was fantabulous as well, and his best supporting role in a long time. As tends to happen when Twilight loses her mojo, he picked up the slack in the common sense department,. He was the second best thing about the episode.

 

As for the jokes and humor, I didn't mind much at all. Was it a little weird for everybody to be in stitches about things that seem bizarre and unfunny from an outside perspective? Sure. But I thought it did a great job of helping us get just how rattled and unnerved by everything Twilight was. The episode wasn't a funny one at the end of the day, but I'm fine with that. However it might've presented itself, I don't think it was attempting to reel in guffaws so much as make the audience weirded out by the jokes, and it DEFINITELY succeeded in that regard. It all comes down to whether you're willing to accept intentional awkwardness when it aids the story, and I'm more than willing to do that. The jokes served their purpose well.

[Sunny Fox 5,950]

In a funny sort of way, I guess that makes two of us. I feel like I'm one of only a few people on earth who doesn't know who Bob Ross is, but I nailed the Back to the Future reference right away. When I saw the Bob Ross reference, I said, "I know he's referencing something, but I don't know what". I feel like Twilight in a sense. Everyone seems to know Bob Ross, but I've only heard the name without knowing the man.

 

Well, now my plans for the next 5-10 minutes or so are set.

So those references were out-universe "inside jokes" in an episode all about in-universe "inside jokes"? Ponyception!

 

Not a fan of this episode, really. I still don't like "nice" Discord; I wish he was still an evil threat to the stability of reality, rather than a friendship-neutered gag machine.

 

I think that BttF reference would have been better if it hadn't been Pinkie (I prefer the breaking of the fourth wall to be a bit more subtle). I would have had another BG pony dressed like Marty McFly turn around in surprise at the mention of time travel. But that's just me.

[VengefulStrudel 1,486]

That certainly was interesting. xD Gotta love all the references, heh. Then again, what else to expect from a Discord ep? I liked how he interacted with all of the Mane 6 this time - I've wanted to see them at least try to become friends for quite some time, instead of the Mane 6 just tolerating his existence. Not quite sure what his intention was in making Twi feel jealous, though. Enjoyed the ep nevertheless

[Justin_Case001 4,881]

Strange episode.  I enjoyed it, but...I'm not really sure how the end that sentence.

 

It was nice to see Q again.  It's been awhile.  It was nice to finally have a Twilight spotlight again.  Been a long while.  And it was even nicer to see some of old nerdy Twilight coming out.  Been a very long while.  And I really enjoyed seeing the castle library some more.  But something about this episode was...unsettling to me.

 

The more I think about this episode, the worse it becomes.

1. The jokes lost their muster very early. The Bob Ross references were perfectly timed, and the puns were great for the first thirty seconds. But the more you say the joke, the more cringeworthy it becomes. The jokes got old very quickly. The worst was at the end: It went way too damn long.
2. Its script tone was mean. TS had every single reason to feel left out, jealous, and uncomfortable with Discord. They completely left Twilight out of the loop when they should've helped explain the situation better. Even though she's the Princess of Friendship, she's still very sensitive to the idea, so feeling lost hurts. Everyone knows how Twilight feels.
   
   But what helps make it so mean is twofold.
   
   a. The script shoves the concept of Discord still being evil down our throats. He's antagonistic, yet still growing into his role as Chaotic Good. The moment where he flipped the twist at the end was garbage. He's a jerk, but that's out of character of him today. Rather than diffusing the conflict, it confirms Twilight's assumptions, ruining the credibility of the moral.
   
   b. The whole episode portrays Twilight as the bad guy. The script keeps playing that she had no excuse to feel jealous or suspicious. Like I said, she's 100% justified. Remember what happened prior. Discord emotionally manipulated her in Return of Harmony. In Three's a Crowd, he faked the flu to try to kill her and Cadance. So even though he had the change of heart, she had every reason to not trust him. But WAB makes Twilight out as the one entirely in the wrong.
3. The conflict felt really slow and really forced. It all could've been solved in ten minutes flat, but a poor man's version of Lesson Zero Light padded the plot and accentuated the climax.

Big Jim revealed on Twitter in a response to another user that the audience was supposed to feel confused in lost in order to relate to Twilight. Just because that's the point doesn't mean it's okay. You need context that doesn't disrespect FIM's roots: likeable characters in a likeable, three-dimensional setting and conflict. Twilight's problem is very relatable and sensible, but because the script paints her as the antagonist, you cheapen the conflict. When the plot twists by making Discord the real jerk in the conflict, the great moral becomes invalidated.

 

It's still better than Princess Spike, but when compared to his other appearance this season, it doesn't hold a candle to Make Friends but Keep Discord. The flaws outweigh the strengths and really drop the writing quality.

Thank you.  That really articulates what I was thinking.  You make some excellent points.  Although, I am actually a bit glad that Discord had a plot from the beginning, because I want him to remain mischevious, and a bit of a troublemaker.  However, the way it was done wasn't very good, and the reveal at the end just muddied up the message, as you said.  And if left me with some unanswered questions as well.  Specifically, I'm still not sure exactly why he wanted her left out.  He claims he wanted to teach her a lesson, but why, exactly?  I dunno, it's just weird.

 

That said, I do like the message here, even if it was delivered a bit poorly.  By the end, I was actually specifically reminded of an event in my own life that I still think about from time to time.

 

Gather 'round, kids, it's story time!

 

So, I've always been a huge gamer, and I've always had an addictive personality when it comes to games.  As an adult, I keep it in check, but as a teenager, it was a little harder.  You know how they say that the older you get, the faster time seems to pass?  So true.  My teenage years were an eternity, but 20-30 zipped by in two seconds.  When I was a teenager, like, 14-16, it felt like I would be that age forever.  Adulthood seemed so far away that it wasn't even worth thinking about.  I think most people tend to feel that way.  Couple this with my addiction to games, and you get a kid who would have preferred to do nothing but play games all day, every day.  I had a very full youth, though.  I did a lot with my friends, I got out a lot, and I had an active youth in the Boy Scouts.  But this is all because I had support.  My family and friends encouraged me to get out and do thing, and fortunately, a little mild enouragement was usually enough to get me out of my room.  Had I resisted, I'd like to think my parents would have pushed harder for my own good.  But the fact is that I did a lot, and had a well-rounded youth.  But if I'm completely honest, if I had had my way, in my deepest darkest, selfish recesses, I would have preferred to be left alone to play games.  When school let out on Friday afternoon, I wanted nothing but to sequester myself with the rpg of my choice until Monday morning.  I would actually be annoyed when my friends would call up to do something, or when there was a Scout campout.  I would even come to dread such things.  I usually did them anyway, and I was always glad I did.  I had fun.  But the truth is that deep down, I often just wanted to say no and play games.  Now, don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with some down time, some "me" time, but if left to my own devices, that's all I would have done.

 

One weekend in particular, one of my friends called up and asked if I wanted to come over.  He said that everyone was there, and they were having a "wee little party".  I could hear laughter in the background.  I had just dug in for some Final Fantasy (I forget which one, probably X, give the time period), and I was annoyed, and just wanted to be left alone.  I succame to temptation, and said no.  My friends were disappointed, but I said screw it and played games.  As I sat there playing, I started regretting it.  I kept looking looking at the clock, thinking, it's not too late.  You can still join in.  Just go over there.  It's not to late.  But I didn't.  Believe it or not, I felt embarrassed to admit that I changed my mind.  I just kept gaming.  I really regretted not going to that party, and even though it's ancient history, I still regret it to this day.  By the time I was 18, I had matured enough to see what was important.  I never let opportunities slip away again.  If my friends called up, I would drop whatever game I was in the middle of, knowing that it's just a game, and can wait until later.  But like I said, having some personal time is fine, and missing out on some things in unavoidable.  But the way Twilight felt just resonnated with me, because I thought back to that party.

 

I feel like this show is getting very creative with the kinds of messages they convey.  They've been coming up with some very real problems and feelings that I've faced in my life, rather than just rehashing tired old, predictable clichés like "be honest", or "always do your best" or something.  So, that's great, but like Dark Qiviut pointed out, there were definitely some problems with this episode.  The rest of the gang was acting so strangely, even I thought that there might be something more sinister going on.  I realize that the audience was apparently suppose to feel left out, just like Twi, but I didn't really care for how it was done.  I think the gang should have been more sensitive to Twilight.  It almost felt like they were excluding her intentionally.  But then again, from another point of view, perhaps they just honestly didn't realize that she was hurt.  She didn't make her feelings known until the end, after all.  I dunno, there's different ways to look at it, but it did kind of leave a sour taste in my mouth, for sure.

 

I also want to point out that it was nice to see that Twilight still has things to learn about friendship, and that she's not so perfect after all.  I feel like this episode serves as a boon to the defenders of Princess Twilight.

 

It was nice to see Zecora again, obviously, though it would be even nicer if they'd develop her character.

 

"What About Discord?", they say?  What about Celestia, I say!  Remember her?  Oh yeah, huh?  My mom and I watched Fall Weather Friends yesterday, and when Tia showed up at the end for basically no other reason that so say hi and that she likes Fall, my mom and I were like, "Oh yeah!  She is a character on this show, huh?"  She was, anyway.  Once upon a time...

Edited November 8, 2015 by Justin_Case001

[Mr. Blue Sky 28]

Huh. Unexpectedly disappointing. I really thought this episode would be more interesting. The concept was good and the fact that she returned from a trip from Canterlot made me very excited. You know what I mean.

 

The latter dream was immediately crushed by Twilight sorting books in the library in her castle and not in Canterlot as the story description said. 

 

I also found Discord to be boring in this episode along with the rest of the main cast.  I learned nothing new about Discord and the rest just kept on laughing. 

 

One thing I can very slightly forgive is that the jokes weren't funny at all. That's because they were meant to be unfunny. The story did keep me interested at least a little. And Twilight was great in this episode along with Spike. Spike's burn at the end of the episode was the best part of the entire thing. 

 

Otherwise, very uninteresting episode. I hope the next episode does better. It's a Twilight/Fluttershy episode. This one should be interesting. 

 

4/10. 

[Vulcan 3,254]

Everyone has that one episode they don't particularly like, I guess this is mine,

 

It was an "okay"episode,

I wasn't particularly fond of it. It just didn't feel all that realistic.

It would have worked better if

they were just being good friends and

weren't all doing the "best friends forever" bit after just a few days.

and the "laughing", i kinda understand them doing that to make twilly feel left out but It was really overplayed

[JonasDarkmane 19,785]

I actually didn't like the episode. I am going to leave it at that :T

[UnknownFry 169]

What About Discord

 

Plot and Characterization

 

"Twilight returns from a book sorting vacation to discover that her friends have developed an inexplicably deep bond with Discord. Puzzled by how they became so close in her absence, she starts to suspect that Discord is up to something sinister."

 

Twilight was wrong about her friends having a good time with Discord, but correct in suspecting that there was something more to it. Interesting to see her descent into jealousy, and how she started to treat her friends poorly in regards to the potion, but it was good to see more of her scientific and methodical approach take the stage in this episode.

 

Discord was Discord being his goofy self perhaps a little mean spirited towards Twilight in their interactions with each other, but is was nice to see him bonding with the other five. Discord still has much to learn about friendship though, but he was a good sport in the end.

 

Turns out the both of them learned valuable lessons once the situation reversed at the end there.

 

The other Mane 5 were there and had their moments bonding with Discord, but good on them for sticking up for Twilight once Discord spilled the beans about him encouraging them to not invite Twilight.

 

Spike was adequate in filling his role as Twilight’s assistant with a little bit of snark going for him.

 

It was nice to see Zecora again. Other than that Ponyville was surprisingly devoid of life in town, as I don’t think we saw anyone else in this episode.

 

A simple plot exploring the dynamic of friendship when someone was away while addressing the concerns of missing out and jealousy. Solid all around in this part and it was scattered with the usual humor found in these episode. No major complaints here so a 10/10 is in order.

 

Animation and Music

 

No songs in this one, but the background music was appropriate in conveying the plot and various emotion in this episode ranging from goofy to resentment and jealousy.

 

Animation wise this episode was a visual treat as expected of a Discord and Twilight episode with visual puns galore and some notable visual references such as Bob Ross, and What About Bob?.  More of these can be found in my observations comments.

 

10/10

 

Voice Acting and Dialogue

 

The dialogue was full of puns more than the usual episode, but not a problem since a pun is its own reword, and it actually made some great points in pointing out the behavior of certain characters.

 

Voice acting was sharp per usual with Twilight being the standout here as her performance ranged from dead pan to jealousy insecurity,and remorse about missing out. Discord is an honorable mention as he made some vicious comments towards Twilight throughout the episode several times while still maintaining his carefree demeanor

 

10/10.

Overall this episode scores a 30/30, or another 10, and it is a strong start to the final month of Season 5. This episode a having solid moral about jealousy and missing out with an interesting story going for it makes this one another winner, and as a bonus it was an interesting character piece focusing on Twilight and Discord to boot. Excellent.

[Thaliel 116]

It was a happy accident- lovely nod to Bob Ross

[Wicked Funky 2,955]

I enjoyed the references and all, But I found the episode rather boring. So, I didn't like it all to much... 11/10 it was ok -IGN

[Truffles 2,033]

So those references were out-universe "inside jokes" in an episode all about in-universe "inside jokes"? Ponyception!

 

This is an amazing insight! You're right - the reference jokes all appeal to the audience, and if the characters were to somehow be aware of us, they would be as confused as Twilight was as to what all the laughter was about with Discord doing paintings and showing up in a "life preserver". 

 

 

Specifically, I'm still not sure exactly why he wanted her left out.  He claims he wanted to teach her a lesson, but why, exactly?  I dunno, it's just weird.

I have seen some speculation in some corners of the fandom that Discord actually has a crush on Twilight, but he's so unsocialized that his crush is like that of a preschooler who doesn't really understand love and romance. So in order to get Twilight's attention, he acts out by teasing her or doing things that seem mean but all he really wants is for her to like him.

 

I must say, it's an interesting hypothesis that I hadn't considered before, though I'm sure the scene with the flowers for Celestia last season poke a few holes in it at least!

 

 

I think the gang should have been more sensitive to Twilight.  It almost felt like they were excluding her intentionally.  But then again, from another point of view, perhaps they just honestly didn't realize that she was hurt.  She didn't make her feelings known until the end, after all.  I dunno, there's different ways to look at it, but it did kind of leave a sour taste in my mouth, for sure.

a poor man's version of Lesson Zero Light padded the plot and accentuated the climax.

 

This made me realize something else about how this episode relates to "Lesson Zero":

 

While I still think Twilight is more in her "Feeling Pinkie Keen" mode here, the ReMane-ing 5 ARE in their "Lesson Zero" headspace again for some reason, completely forgetting the lesson they "wrote" to Celestia about at the end of the episode! They're supposed to not be so dismissive about Twilight's concerns, and it does seem like she had a valid concern here when it came to dealing with Discord.

 

Granted, as stated above, they didn't really know what she was feeling until the end, but it seems like they should have noticed something was bothering her and asked. I guess the premise is a bit contrived in that way and causes the episode to lose a few points with me, but not enough to change my rating of it.

[AkiraLeeJounouchi 857]

I honestly think twilight has no purpose in this show anymore. I wonder why they're holding her back.

[colt .45 259]

Not quite sure what his intention was in making Twi feel jealous, though. Enjoyed the ep nevertheless

Remember in "Make New Friends but Keep Discord" that Discord learned a lesson about jealousy, and friendship. I think he was sharing what he had learned, which is an important lesson in friendship, in his own ,twisted, Discord kind of way. Think Q teaching Picard a lesson about humanity.

 

Ever since "Keep Calm and Flutter On", when he discovered that friendship was important to him, it seems every episode he has been in he has been seeking Twilights approval.

 

Think about "Three's a Crowd" he was testing her kindnesses. In "Twilights Kingdom" he tested her loyalty (and honesty?). In "Make New Friends..." It was her generosity he was testing. And in this episode, it was laughter he was testing. Inside jokes and all.

 

Also, on a second watch, another Big Lebowski reference! Zecora says that the cauldron "ties the room together". More inside jokes.

 

Oh yeah, since nopony has mentioned it yet, Owlalicious was back for another rare cameo. Not that anyone cares.

[Luffyiscool 397]

My full review, explaining why I loved this episode.

http://thebeardedreviewer.com/friendship-is-magic-s5e22-what-about-discord

[Pripyat Pony 2,608]

DID ANYBODY ELSE NOTICE STARLIGHT GLIMMER SPYING ON THE MANE 6 WITH BINOCULARS IN THE BUSHES RIGHT AFTER PINKIE AND TWILIGHT TALK ABOUT TIME TRAVEL?

 

You can barely tell, but sticking out of the bush on the far right is a pair of binoculars, and you can see the top of Starlight's mane.

I noticed, and I found a pic in case anypony missed it, being too distracted by Pinkie.

 

 

DUN DUN DUN! The plot thickens... O_o

[colt .45 259]

...and showing up in a "life preserver

 

The outfit in that was a scene from the Bill Murray movie "What About Bob?" (Which the title of this episode was a play on) in the movie "Bob" has his pet fish in a jar he wears around his neck, Discord is wearing a jar with "Smooze".

 

If you have a chance, try to watch that movie, it's pretty relevant to this episode, unless you need to reorganize your library, and want to feel left out on the "in" joke. LOL¡

I noticed, and I found a pic in case anypony missed it, being too distracted by Pinkie.

 

https://mlpforums.com/uploads/post_images/sig-4203189.1018330__safe_rainbow%20dash_pinkie%20pie_fluttershy_rarity_applejack_discord_starlight%20glimmer_spoiler-colon-s05e22_what%20about%20discord?.png

 

DUN DUN DUN! The plot thickens... O_o

You should have been here yesterday, when we were all talking about that! If you go back a few pages, we can try to re-create it for you.

[VengefulStrudel 1,486]

it seems every episode he has been in he has been seeking Twilights approval.

 

 

Never really thought about it till now. He seems intent on teaching and/or learning from Twi the most, right after Fluttershy. From now on, I'll just assume Discord is trying to either teach others a lesson in friendship, in his own convoluted, bizarre, discorded way - or just annoy them. Or both.

[Cloud Strife 928]

The more I think about this episode, the worse it becomes.

 

It's interesting when the two of us disagree. Pretty rare sight indeed (heck you even agreed with me when it came to Tanks for the Memories). Allow me to offer you a rebuttal:

 

 

 

1. The jokes lost their muster very early. The Bob Ross references were perfectly timed, and the puns were great for the first thirty seconds. But the more you say the joke, the more cringeworthy it becomes. The jokes got old very quickly. The worst was at the end: It went way too damn long.

 

The jokes' intentions were to be annoying and boring because you're supposed to place yourself within Twilight's shoes. Discord was not meant to entertain the audience; he was meant to make Twilight look more sympathetic. Try not to use the brush color of "other Discord episodes" color what you think his role should be in the episode. (To be fair, I do agree with you with the last joke. It wasn't really that funny, although I do love me my share of puns...)

 

 

 

Its script tone was mean. TS had every single reason to feel left out, jealous, and uncomfortable with Discord. They completely left Twilight out of the loop when they should've helped explain the situation better. Even though she's the Princess of Friendship, she's still very sensitive to the idea, so feeling lost hurts. Everyone knows how Twilight feels.

 

 

To be fair, they did try to explain the joke. In fact, they worked to completely recreate it with her - but she was not grasping the idea that no matter how much they tried to explain it, it was one of those you had to be there kind of jokes. Heck, when Twilight asked none of them refused to try to explain it. It's just that it was difficult to, and even when Twilight watched the joke for herself she wasn't able to understand it. As for knowing how she feels, I'm not sure about that. Twilight herself repeatedly covered it up with excuses, and only Spike got it because he was the one present when Twilight started really ruminating about it; all the others saw was her saying "I need to do this for an experiment!" They probably might've had some suspicion but you don't have a tendency to bring up mere suspicions of someone else's feelings like that. All in all, it was not on them to read Twilight's mind, it was on Twilight to express it.

 

 

 

The script shoves the concept of Discord still being evil down our throats. He's antagonistic, yet still growing into his role as Chaotic Good. The moment where he flipped the twist at the end was garbage. He's a jerk, but that's out of character of him today. Rather than diffusing the conflict, it confirms Twilight's assumptions, ruining the credibility of the moral.

 

 

I don't know if it ruins the credibility of the moral more than it makes me raise an eyebrow because Discord is back to being an unlikable asshole again when he of anyone should know better. It makes it more like I want to punch Discord in the face rather than entertained by him. (I do agree he was too meanspirited. It just doesn't feel right having him as an antagonist again rather than a sympathetic protagonist with a goofy side.)

 

 

 

The whole episode portrays Twilight as the bad guy. The script keeps playing that she had no excuse to feel jealous or suspicious. Like I said, she's 100% justified. Remember what happened prior. Discord emotionally manipulated her in Return of Harmony. In Three's a Crowd, he faked the flu to try to kill her and Cadance. So even though he had the change of heart, she had every reason to not trust him. But WAB makes Twilight out as the one entirely in the wrong.

 

 

Really? I got the exact opposite impression. I feel that the script was trying to push her to tell the truth. If anything, it was punishing her for avoiding her feelings, and indeed there's a good reason for that. You shouldn't avoid them; you should come out and talk about them. Heck, when she did finally admit to it, her friends were sympathetic and Twilight got her comeuppance over Discord.

 

 

 

1. The conflict felt really slow and really forced. It all could've been solved in ten minutes flat, but a poor man's version of Lesson Zero Light padded the plot and accentuated the climax.

 

I don't agree that the conflict was forced. Slow? Perhaps. But the fact that I could relate to Twilight shows that situations like this do happen in real life. I think the only "forced" bit about it was Discord saying that he intentionally kept the others away from Twilight in order to make her feel left out. If that had been cut out then I think the forced bit wouldn't even exist.

 

 

 

Big Jim revealed on Twitter in a response to another user that the audience was supposed to feel confused in lost in order to relate to Twilight. Just because that's the point doesn't mean it's okay. You need context that doesn't disrespect FIM's roots: likeable characters in a likeable, three-dimensional setting and conflict. Twilight's problem is very relatable and sensible, but because the script paints her as the antagonist, you cheapen the conflict. When the plot twists by making Discord the real jerk in the conflict, the great moral becomes invalidated.

 

 

The script doesn't paint her as the antagonist. It paints her as the protagonist. We're following her, reading her thoughts, seeing what she does, and Discord acts against it, making him (and sort of the other of the Mane Six) the antagonists in this scenario. If you follow:

 

pro·tag·o·nist

prōˈtaɡənəst,prəˈtaɡənəst/

noun

 

1. the leading character or one of the major characters in a drama, movie, novel, or other fictional text.

    

    

Edited November 8, 2015 by Lady Bow

[JH24 385]

That was an... odd episode. A good premise, but uneven in its execution. 

 

The part about the inside jokes lasted too long, and eventually I just wanted the plot to move on. This was probably the main issue of this episode, it needed to much filler before the climax.

 

The pros still outweigh the cons though. It was great seeing Discord hang out with the other ponies, seeing Twilight learning a new lesson, and then seeing Discord's plan backfiring against him.

 

I found the behavior of Twilight's friends at first somewhat mean, but near the end it was explained and when learning the truth they immediately turned on Discord. An important lesson for him as well, don't meddle in the affairs of a group of friends, because before you know it you'll get burned.

 

Discord does seem to have taken an interest in Twilight's growth as a princess, it will likely not be the last time he tries to act as a kind of mentor to her.

 

The ending was nice though, and it's good to see Discord on good terms now with all the Mane 6 and Spike. A season ago, I would have never expected Rainbow Dash hanging out with Discord like that.

 

 

One thing I definitely must compliment Neil Dusadeau on, and that's his portrayal of Spike. He has only written one episode before and he already portrays Spike better than most of the other writers do. I loved his season 1 mannerisms and attitude, it just really feels like him.

 

Overall, a somewhat unbalanced episode with some noticeable flaws, but with certain moments that still makes it a worthwile watch. Not the best Discord episode, but with a good premise and some entertaining moments.

Edited November 8, 2015 by JH24

[Cleverclover 1,526]

You know, it sure is nice to see Twilight get knocked on her ass once in a while. To be proven wrong, to react neurotically, and to see her inflated opinion of herself deflate. I probably would have appreciated this episode far more last season, when the show frequently kept hitting us over the head with how superior she was to just about everyone else in the show. However, it just doesn't have as much of an effect this season, now that she's made such a surprising turnaround. 

 

It appears that this episode confirms that Twilight equates princesshood with perfection. Quite understandable she'd feel that way after season 4, but it simply came off as random. Since when exactly has she considered herself above feelings of envy? Since when has she considered herself a master of all things comedic? This probably would have worked a whole lot better had it come following a massive display of hubris from Twilight in a previous episode. 

 

Overall, this episode was simply lackluster. The mane five claimed that they weren't aware that they were making Twilight jealous, yet their remarks seemed to suggest otherwise. They kept trying to tell her that she really missed out by not being with them over the weekend. I'm also unable to buy that simply being chased by a snake that probably didn't exist was such a funny experience that they'd laugh about it for days. The whole thing just seemed painfully forced.  

[pony.colin 156]

This was an interesting psycho-game episode that I kept wondering if it was an occam razor premise and then finally the truth came out and I shifted my view to Discord pulling a bit of a Batman gambit.

 

The most interesting thing about here is the interaction that is at play between what Discord is trying to do with the rest of the group and what Twilight does in reaction. 

 

I get that its not going to float with others, that it seems rather weak.  But I felt it was a pretty nice execution with its premise and at least seemed like it was steady with what it was trying to do.

 

I'm rather short on words here, I don't think I'll go in depth here and will just pick out some small things I felt I noticed that interested me. 

[roptiriolg 49]

I liked the episode, not too good though. Discord is the jester of Equestria it seems, he did make me chuckle with his imitations of others. Not much to say about the episode - I always doubt Discord and think he's always up to something sinister so I feel Twilight's suspicion (you can see with what tone he's saying some things), it also felt strange to me how Discord got closer to ponies that never liked him. But I liked, Twi got tested for once, on her friendship skills while being a princess. Zecora's appearance, (first for Se 5?), was good.

 

I dont think Discord can ever be and should be too much of their friend, he is fine being not loyal and betraying them like he's done so far, isnt it less boring to be like that?

 

- To all the Starlight references - looks like she is watching them! I wonder if the final episode is made with showing some results of that, like knowing what each of the mane 6 likes and to use it against them!

[Luffyiscool 397]

I dont think Discord can ever be and should be too much of their friend, he is fine being not loyal and betraying them like he's done so far, isnt it less boring to be like that?

The whole point of what he went through in Twilight's Kingdom was that he realized how badly he messed up by betraying everyone, and he then offered the medallion (the final key) as a sign of their "true friendship".

 

They even gave him a group hug at the end of the episode.

 

If the show went straight back to everyone distrusting him, it would be a retcon of the season 4 finale and discord's development, which would be bad. This episode perfectly demonstrated that the ponies are finally mingling with Discord and getting used to him, no doubt helped by their strengthened bond after that finale.

 

His trolling isn't gone either, as seen by the glee he took in messing with Twilight's head.