spoiler Flurry Heart: Show-Centric Concerns?

[Dark Qiviut 22,173]

This topic is about how FH's presence could negatively impact this show. In other words, concerns about the show and the show alone. Fans criticizing or complaining about her now or in the future is NOT a show-centric concern!

 

 

My biggest concern about Flurry Heart has to do with her impact on her surroundings. Specifically, how will her presence influence the characters and stories?

1. Cadance and SA are two-dimensional pieces of cardboard. The script force-feeds spoonfuls of artificially sweetened exposition to tell the audience they're in love, but their generic personalities, no natural chemistry, and lack of innate goals make them as flat as Tree Hugger. Their best moment was when they cuddled in Slice of Life during the moral.
   
   There's the possibility that she can make them more believable as characters. It's been over three seasons, and neither of them have evolved. In many respects, they devolved into between tertiary and background status. FH can present them challenges that can make them dynamic characters. On the other hand, Flurry Heart has the chance to be addition by subtraction. Rather than evolving Cadance and Shining Armor, they're pushed further and further into the background and become stock characters like Flash Sentry in EQG.
2. How will the Mane Six and the others react to her? If they take responsibility, stay in character and likable as they react to being around her, and the story doesn't become contrived, then I can perhaps buy into her presence. But if at least one character acts like a douchebag — *cough* Pinkie from Filli Vanilli* cough* — or stupid just to make FH look better — *cough* ReMane Five and Sunset in EQG1 *cough* — then you risk making Flurry Heart's presence be more of a nuisance rather than an innate inclusion.
3. The Fairly Odd Parents Effect: Out of shear desperation to keep Fairly Odd Parents afloat, the writers have inserted several pointless and/or unlikable characters. In season ten's premiere, they introduced a Mary Sue into the main cast in possibly the show's worst episode. If FH becomes a prophecy, perfect character, a plot device for a Deus Ex Machina, or part of a story that rips off other more successful stories using similar tropes (i.e., Dumbo and its side-theme of being bullied for being different), then she's going to become more unlikable and more of a lazy plot device to get out of plot jams. The last thing this show needs is to introduce a new cast member and have DHX treat her like crap.

Anyone here feel similar concerns or brand-new ones?

[Concerned Bystander 2,901]

This appears to be predicated on the assumption that Flurry Heart is going to become a major fixture in the show.  If she comes in with only the same prevalence as her parents then there should be no need for concern, because she won't be around enough to matter.

[Riganthor 483]

Well I am concerned that she could have too big of a roll or that they leave the whole allicorn baby phenomenon unexplained. That said I am not too terrible worried yet I trust these writers to give us a good season 6.

[Megas 27,064]

It depends on how important they make her. I mean, in the grand scheme of things, Cadance and Shining haven't mattered much in the show, so I don't think we should expect much from McFlurry aside from premiers and finales and an occasional episode here and there. That said, I'd still like to see where they take her in said premiers and finales, they could still make her fun if they do the job right

[CastletonSnob 3,025]

Do you think Shining or Cadance will get development?

[Megas 27,064]

Do you think Shining or Cadance will get development?

I don't know, but I'd love to see more of the Shining Armor we got from TOWPPK

 

[duidamasterXD 9,626]

Between that IDW comic about Shining and Cadance meeting, as well as little thingies in Magical Mystery Cure and TOWPPK, I'd say Shining's character has an excellent foundation to build off of. Doubt they'll ever give either of Cadance or SA a huge amount of focus, but I'd be down for seeing them struggling to learn how to parent.

[Cleverclover 1,525]

If FH becomes a prophecy, perfect character, a plot device for a Deus Ex Machina, or part of a story that rips off other more successful stories using similar tropes (i.e., Dumbo and its side-theme of being bullied for being different), then she's going to become more unlikable and more of a lazy plot device to get out of plot jams.

 

This is what worries me the most. 

 

Given how the show has used the "overpowered baby" trope before (Pumpkin Cake), I can just imagine that this will likely be an issue for an alicorn baby. 

Edited February 4, 2016 by Cleverclover

[Guest]

 

 

The Fairly Odd Parents Effect:

 

This is really the only one I worry about. The rest don't phase me so much because if the baby is just an extension of the cardboard Cadance and Shining Armor, then I don't care how the cast reacts to it because it'll be a background piece that isn't used that often.

 

I only worry that this is trying to introduce new characters to keep the show "fresh".

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 40,291]

If the baby actually happens to have some prevalence, then I hope that she has justified prevalence, which is something that I personally think that Starlight doesn't have at this point. Her existence and abilities seem unjustified to me right now and I hope that the baby's existence becomes justified in the premiere, rather than it just being a new tool for toys. I am usually fairly confident in Hasbro about this kind of stuff, but this time I have concerns. 

[Moved to Elsewhere 11,329]

I can see where you're coming from with fear of the show having The Fairly Oddparents effect. That show introduced a baby character to the main cast to try and keep the show fresh, which led to an imbalance of character screen time, and lackluster writing in later episodes. However, I don't think this will have as bad of an effect as that show. Cadance and Shining Armor are side characters appearing in only a handful of episodes and 2 parters. FOP introduced the baby to the main cast, meaning that the change was way more noticeable. At worse, Flurry Heart will get an episode or 2 which isn't even bad in it of itself. 

 

My main question is what this two parter will be about? An adventure or just some hi jinks with the baby?

[SolyWack 482]

Well, I don't think she'll get that much screen time really, just enough to sell toys, then off she goes, just like Cadence and Shining Armor.

 

Like a Baby Cakes kinda situation. There will be episodes were Twilight has to learn how to be an Aunt, and probably one where she has to babysit, maybe even a Poof (bringing it full circle) situation where she's kidnapped by some evil ponies in the premiere, but that's pretty unlikely.

 

But really I'm not worried. DHX has always done really well dealing with Hasbro's marketing hurdles.

[Sidral Mundet 1,666]

I doubt she'll be a major fixture on the show, at most appearing for one to two episodes in the season and so won't be a concern for like 90% of the season, though she will probably completely overshadow her parents. Just for the love of Celestia don't instantly age the baby up to CMC or adult level, I hate that shit. Only time that has ever worked is with Future Trunks and that's because they didn't actually age up the character (time travel, he wasn't even born when he first appeared) and that he was a well rounded character.  So yeah PFH isn't a big concern for me at the moment, just another passing toy plug the writers were forced to put by Hasbro, like Cadence or the Rainbow Powers. Honestly I'm far more concerned about Starlight than I am Princess Flurry Hearts. 

[Wind Chaser 4,767]

Right now I'm completely indifferent to the idea. I'll wait until the episode airs. But on the other hand, these are legitimate concerns. I mainly agree with the sentiment that SA and Cadance are underdeveloped, but in that sense, it's better it happens to them than any other character.

 

One additional concern I would have is if the baby is used as another excuse to sideline Shining Armor and Cadance. They've already been sidelined enough, and the last thing we need is another reason for it.

[Applejacket 185]

I used to hate Flurry a heart, but now I'm feeling strangely drawn to her. Though she might grow up to be the np biggest amary Ashe in the world (this is a might not an assumption) I like her. I just pray to Gid she doesn't become a huge center if the show. I hope they just make her a minority like cadence herself. Personally I think they should have made her blind instead of massive wings and horn.

[Steve Piranha 28,782]

Well, it's official, a longed fandom freakout since Flashy  . Well, I'm not concerned how McFlurry will affect the show, as the most she can do is probably open up the alicorn lore in the show  -_- . First, we've been through other freakouts, and the show and fandom kept forward, like the wedding, Twilicorn, EG, and Flashy, why would it be any different this time around? Second, the lead of the show has been always over the Mane6's shoulder, and occasionally the CMCs. Yes, we we get tons of new characters every new season, but they lose importance afterwards, and they are secondary characters at best, as the Mane6 or CMCs are ALWAYS the lead.... well, except for Slice of Life, but that was an special occasion 

[Side Bird 565]

Hopefully she isn't just perfect and gets everything right.

I always saw Cadence and Shining as flat, non interesting ponies that were more FOILs to show the best in Twilight, and they seemed to have gotten worse over the shows time. I don't have many concerns, but I hope Flurry starts to give them a little shine.

[Marimo 555]

Hopefully she isn't just perfect and gets everything right.

How exactly would that happen for a newborn baby? She's not even able to speak yet, so how would she be right about something when she can't form and share her own opinions to begin with?

[KatonRyu 1,026]

I hope her impact on the show will be much the same as her parents' impact has been so far: very little outside of one or two designated episodes. Honestly, we've had the baby episode with Baby Cakes so I don't need an episode with her parents becoming all frazzled because of the effort it takes to raise a baby.

 

Making her plot-relevant will, I fear, lead to an impact that is too large and her indeed becoming a Mary Sue. That would be the point I'll consider the series to have jumped the shark.

 

It really all boils down to the fact that I question the necessity of this character's existence. If she can be woven into episodes featuring her (and I dearly hope that won't be all of them) in a manner that enhances the existing dynamics I'm very much fine with it. I had my doubts about Slice of Life and ended up loving it, so for now I'll trust the writers to know what they're doing. I hope that trust is well-founded.