S06:E07 - Newbie Dash

[Luminance 2,181]

I feel like that Rainbow Dash's Wonderbolt acceptance was done in a way were it just given to her and she didn't knew on how to respond, thus creating a whole mess of an episode.

[Princess Book Horse 350]

I actually quite enjoyed this one. My only gripe was that they didn't make as big a deal of RD becomin a wonderbolt as a thought they would. I was found it to be kind of annoying that they brought RD's old "Rainbow crash" nickname back. It was so overused during the first 2 seasons. I thought that Rainbow dash's Mane six impressions where pretty funny though.

[Varrack 1,080]

I liked the impersonations. They were entertaining.

 

Disappointmented at how anticlimactic RD's fulfillment of her long-time goal was.

 

The hazing wasn't that bad when you consider that it's basically the military for pegasi and RD chose to be offended by that nickname. It's true she has a big ego and names like that can hurt (especially when the Wonderbolts, your heroes, call you it). It must have been very humiliating. So...I don't know...it's similar to the moral problem of Trixie attempting suicide in the last episode.

 

Ovwrall the episode was okay. If you can look at the plot points from the writers' perspective, you can see what they were trying to get at. I think..

Edited May 7, 2016 by Varrack

[Fluttershyfan94 5,737]

It was so cringey in the end though it was okay, Rainbow Dash is at least now an official Wonderbolt.

[Wind Chaser 4,767]

Doesn't really help that his first episode was a milestone episode for one of the show's more popular characters, so expectations were gonna be extremely high. I really have to wonder what they were thinking when they went that route as it can say quite a bit.

 

I mean Rainbow Dash joining the Wonderbolts is kind of a huge deal, it's something they've been building up since season 1, in this episode she finally achieves that goal but it was given to her so anticlimactically, like literally it was like "Hey Rainbow, guess what, you're in the WB now." "Yay! :D" . It's...a gigantic slap in the face for all of the fans of the character, or for those who were looking forward to that moment, especially considering how grand they've made all of the other characters accomplishments and goals,=.

 

That opening is looking like my most hated scene in the show

That's very true. I can see the logic behind assigning a new writer to the episode seeing how the situation of being "new" is exactly what Rapp may have been going through at the time, possibly being entirely new to the writing craft. I'll definitely say that this was trial by fire, being handed a milestone episode of one of the most popular cartoons on TV as your first assignment. It sounds daunting just thinking of it when you factor in how this fandom works.

 

The only thing I don't really approve of is people giving Rapp a bad rap (excuse the pun) just because he's new. People were writing him off before the episode began and some are still declaring him the weakest link on that merit alone. I agree it wasn't the best decision to hand this episode off to an unproven talent, but I don't want to say that Rapp never had any just because he has no resume. We were all new once and it's unfair to make full judgements so quickly.

[ggg-2 3,550]

If at least Rainbow Dash is allowed to go home afterwards, what's the point in having barracks?

[CT-1138 3,179]

If at least Rainbow Dash is allowed to go home afterwards, what's the point in having barracks?

Maybe for some Wonderbolts, "home" would be too long a trip to commute back and forth from, so they stay in the barracks when they don't have leave. 

[CastletonSnob 3,025]

Rank the episodes so far, from best to worst.

[ImpctR 155]

Wow I didn't know that in Season 6 Rainbow Dash really becomes a Wonderbolt! (Sorry I dont watch spoilers whether 'what happens in season 6' or watch any pre-airing, no matter what!). This is such a big development or change for Rainbow Dash, being one of my most fave of the Mane 6! And this is as huge as Twilight becoming an Alicorn, a Princess and maybe more than having her own castle. Seeing her like that is double 20% cooler!

 

I loved the idea and I knew she would join the Academy one day but I never followed when. So, as an event it was a must-have, however, I will have to agree that the way some parts of the episode were delivered, was not too great, but because this is RD and I loved what she is now, I consider it a great episode, though not the 'best episode ever'.

 

Getting into some details, we know that Rainbow Dash is emotional and shows that with cool reactions and complete joy but in the way she spoke to the rest of the Wonderbolts, I know she was supposed to be like a newbie but does that mean she had to act at moments a bit childish? As far as I remember in previous episodes with the Wonderbolts Dash was acting a little  more leveled. Portraying her as a total newbie probably not the best idea, we can expect her to do something to show her coolness and I thought even by reading the title, that she would do something too much to make her look like a newbie. But it is the conversations in the mornings near the other ponies' beds, at the dressing room the moments I am referring to. I am sure not anyone would like the way she was presented. Im not too pleased either.

 

Perhaps the idea to have nicknames is coming from having such pilot schools or academies (im not familiar), but this justifies the name Rainbow Crash and it is the first time I saw why she was being called like that in previous episodes.

 

 

For the first time (is it?) - Spitfire without the Wonderbolt uniform, I couldn't recognize her like that, yellow, looked like another pony. 

 

 

very good example as to why you don't give milestone episodes to new writers. PERIOD. 

 

 

So that explains it, a new writer and I agree, something felt not right about how RD was presented.

 

 

They're still jerkish and unpleasant, and it seems really insulting that they don't show Rainbow Dash any of the respect we know that she earned from them in the previous seasons. 

 

 

I forgot that, yes kind of but you should see it like that - in a military school (that's what it looks like) in front of the others have to forget about friendship and act like the way 'newbies are treated' although the gap between what we know of RD-Spitfire connection and how they were presented here was big, Spitfire and others acted like they barely knew RD and thus it felt like they were indeed having some random new pony, not the one they've known for long.

 

----

The impersonations I agree, a bit mocking and not proving much, actually I did not like getting RD acting like that because it was not making her look good. I know they had to show a newbie behavior but I was expecting something like - does one big thing wrong or disappoints the Wonderbolt but not act ridiculous in the rest of the time.

 

---

 

 

And something aside, I can't believe how good timing that was - I recently did something for a fighting engine, I dont work with it much cause it is meh but they once brought Rainbow Dash from 'fighting is magic' into the engine and around 10 days ago I decided to do a palette alternative of the original look of Rainbow Dash to look like a Wonderbolt. I didn't know an episode would be coming when RD is a Wonderbolt, not to say coming so soon. It is quite in place. Now, it's not my sprites and this is only color change (cannot draw or modify the image, this is a color palette applied to the original color look of RD) and this first pic on post#1 would have helped me get the colors even better like the goggles as I did it without looking anywhere. Such a nice timing with when to do it - all in the name of Rainbow Dash!

 

 

[chronos911 22]

The episode was poor to say the least.  Poorly written.  And frankly what I've of season 6 so far has been sub par at best.    It feels like the main plot has just reached it's peak and they're simply just running out of ideas and spewing out any random nonsense just to keep the show alive at this point.  What does this episode even do for Rainbow Dash's character?  It doesn't enhance her character one bit in fact it just degrades her and makes her seem weak.  Completely out of character.   Then you have the Wonderbolts.  They acted utterly unprofessional and insulting.   The whole time I was thinking, My Little Pony: Bullying is Magic.  What the hell is this?  

 

It would be easy to simply blame the writer on this one but it's down to the producers for handing over a clearly important character and plot point to a complete amateur.   You absolutely don't do that.   MLP would be no where near as popular as it is now without it's quality story telling and characters, without those two factors you simply just have a generic little kids show.   I really hope Season 6 improves or it might very well be the final season we get. 

Edited May 7, 2016 by chronos911

[Dark Qiviut 22,160]

There's several degrees of mediocre and -20 degrees of awful. Since Wonderbolts Academy, Dash episodes have become Spike episodes. The only difference is Gauntlet of Fire is objectively good. Daring Don't, Rainbow Falls, and Tanks for the Memories are pitiful.

 

Newbie Dash easily competes with No Second Prances as season six's worst episode and may be the worst one after this season's done with.

 

What went wrong?

1. Rainbow Dash's sense of maturity is completely nonexistent. One of her best traits is the ability to put her pride aside in favor of doing the right thing. WA is her best performance, because it put out the best in her from the middle onward. You knew it was about to come. Instead, she's become a very flanderized shell of herself with a monumental ego that has to be pegged time and time again. She marginalized her very own integrity by shooting it off early, embarrassing herself in front of the Wonderbolts, and being incompetent.
2. Simultaneously, who can blame her? The Wonderbolts used a nickname that scarred her, and — what else is new? *eyeroll* — the Wonderbolts themselves were complete assholes! This is the third time that a group that she idolized acted like jerks in which she would want nothing to be a part of, yet she blows it aside. Consider Dash's history of when her confidence shatters. She wants to impress, but the more she gets hit with that insult, the worse her confidence gets, and the more she tries too hard.
3. The dialogue is a mess. So much of it is contrived exposition. Again, when you exposit, you ruin the impact of the message and the overall. Show, don't tell, especially in child-friendly media. Take a good luck at how much the terrible dialogue ruined Rainbow Falls, Trade Ya!, EQG1, and McColts.
4. The humor is a mess.
   
   The Spikabuse wasn't funny then and sure as hell isn't funny now. DHX, do the fandom a favor and knock this shit off!
   
   Pinkie Pie is flanderized again. *thumbs down* She's more than this.
   
   We're supposed to laugh at Rainbow Dash impersonating her friends, but it really failed. I don't know if the humor was in response to Dash's Twilight impersonation from Griffonstone or not, but whatever the case is, there is a huge difference between 'em. In Griffonstone, the joke worked because Dash was agitated when he impersonated her. In Newbie Dash, she impersonated them because she genuinely wanted to impress them. Consequently, Dash's impersonations in the latter comes across as cringeworthy and stupid, not funny.
5. Jesus Christ, the moral. What the hell?!
   
   First off, let's talk about hazing, specifically rookie hazing. It's a very common tradition in many fields to "haze" newcomers. Hazing, for that matter, has had so many controversies. Some teams will haze rookies because to them, it's good ol' fun. But not everyone receives hazing very well because what comes across as good ribbing to the veterans can come off as bullying to the rookies. And when you look at the news articles of investigations related to hazing, the resentment is very valid. For several years, hazing has been on the news for really, REALLY bad reasons. People have been bullied, hurt, and killed by people who use these hazing rituals. A lot of the time, hazing deals with abusing someone under the context of "good fun" or "tradition." The abuse ranges from being taped up to a wall or pole to paddling to being raped. There's a movement to ban school hazing and some governments criminalizing hazing. Why? Because to haze is to bully, and it's not okay.
   
   What made this moral reprehensible is how Newbie Dash tolerates and embraces hazing.
   
   Why?
   
   "Because it's good fun."
   
   BULLSHIT!
   
   Rainbow Dash has every right to feel insulted and not take "Rainbow Crash" lightly. It doesn't matter if Spitfire or anyone else took their insult in stride. Not everyone does, and they have every right to say no. By being complacent, the episode tells the viewer their feelings towards insults don't matter. Words can hurt, and words can kill. Rather than ignoring it, be aware of it. Just because it's a common thing in the Wonderbolts's culture doesn't mean it's okay. Despicable moral!

In short, this episode is garbage!

Edited May 7, 2016 by Dark Qiviut

[CastletonSnob 3,025]

So, Rainbow still idolizes the Wonderbolts despite the fact that they're assholes?

I get the feeling Rainbow's not very bright. 

[Guest90210 3,567]

Is it just me or are this seasons (and last seasons to a lesser extent) episodes really forgettable? I was thinking back to what episodes we've seen so far in Season 6 and after reading the names, I couldn't recall what most of them were even about. Anything from seasons 1-4, I could tell you the synopsis based off the title alone. But season 5 and above are sort of a blur to me.

 

Anyways, this episode sucked, plain and simple. It felt like it dragged on and on, and for being 22 minutes long it felt like nothing interesting happened. What was the point of the impersonation scene? It just seemed awkward and completely out of place. Why are they resurfacing the annoying old "Rainbow Crash" nickname? I was tired of that back in season 1. The ending made up for it a bit, but it was still a missed opportunity.

 

Very disappointing for a milestone episode. Probably the worst of the season so far.

 

Though, I will defend one aspect of the episode, and that's the Wonderbolts attitude. It was absolutely not out of character for them to haze Dash the way they did. It's in-character. They've always acted like this, and I don't think the "change of heart" in Rainbow Falls necessarily meant their personalities would drastically shift. In Rainbow Falls, they learned to be loyal to their friends and teammates. What we saw in Newbie Dash wasn't disloyalty, it was hazing, which seems like something a group the likes of the Wonderbolts would do to new recruits.

 

Did they go too far? Yeah, they pretty much did. The Wonderbolts certainly did a poor job of letting Dash know it was in good fun and not intended to be an attack. They could have made that more clear. Though I suppose they're just assholes, lol

Edited May 7, 2016 by Rivendare

[Allen 1,371]

This episode is not too cringy about Rainbow Dash, she cleaned disaster and became a Wonderbolt of her dream. Only call "Rainbow Dash" as her real pony name, not "Rainbow Crash". I rate this episode 10/10.

[Zantetsuken 364]

I usually don't post twice on these episode threads unless I'm responding to someone but I'm making an exception here cause this warrants attention and I complete glossed over it in my initial post.

 

What the hell was with that clip of Rainbow Dash as a filly when all the Wonderbolts started calling her Rainbow Crash.

 

They start calling her rainbow crash and then we get a flashback scene where Rainbow Dash was a Filly and attempted a loop up to a cloud ring and failed. She falls into a garbage can and then everyone starts calling her Rainbow Crash. 

 

OBJECTION!

 

There are so many things wrong with this flashback scene 

 

Number 1 - Why did we have to see it? This did nothing but pad out the episode and made it look like the writer was trying to drum up sympathy for RD out of thin air.

 

Number 2 -When was RD ever been bad at flying? I don't really consider myself an expert on this but I don't think it was ever established that RD was bad at flying or failed at doing tricks at one point. As a matter of fact I'm pretty sure she graduated at the top of her class.

 

Number 3 -It was pure slapstick and I hate that stuff. You wanna know what's funny? A kid getting hurt cause she was trying to do a trick, let me just put that shit in my episode!

 

Number 4 -None of this is believable because it's Rainbow Dash. This may be a rehash of my second point but i want to make this abundantly clear. RD is a great flyer and was good as a child and this writer is expecting me to believe she screwed something as simple as a loop de loop? No that's not happening, I would buy this scene if it was Fluttershy but not, eventually would break the sound barrier, Rainbow Dash.

 

This terrible scene was glossed over completely because of the second act and rightfully so but I wanted to call this out as well cause it was just as pure bullshit. 

[Guest90210 3,567]

Rank the episodes so far, from best to worst.

 

1. Gauntlet of Fire

2. The Crystalling

3. The Gift of the Maud Pie

4. On Your Marks

5. No Second Prances

6. Newbie Dash

[JH24 385]

 

Number 2 -When was RD ever been bad at flying? I don't really consider myself an expert on this but I don't think it was ever established that RD was bad at flying or failed at doing tricks at one point. As a matter of fact I'm pretty sure she graduated at the top of her class.

 

 

Rainbow Dash may be a good flyer but that doesn't mean she's perfect. As a filly she was clearly overconfident, and tried to bite off more than she could chew. Others did call her Rainbow Crash before in the series so it's only natural they fill up that gap with a little scene.

 

 

in the other scenes that went wrong Rainbow wasn't herself. She got frustrated because they kept calling her Rainbow Crash, which influenced her skills and performance in a negative way.

 

As for the scene with the storm cloud. She did very well until she once again wanted to show off. She got so obsessed with getting rid of that nickname she once again set expectations too high and never considered the possibility of her plan ending in failure. Besides, even Rainbow Dash can lose control of her flying and herself when things aren't going as planned.

Edited May 7, 2016 by JH24

[Misty Shadow 7,065]

Called it, I knew the general consensus opinion on this one was going to be split because the humor was on the more dark and mean-spirited side, but I don't care. I like that kind of humor and I liked this.

[Anonymous Old User Who Has Left 599]

This was a good episode, it just appeared to have many "down" moments and not many "up" moments. Any military person as I have read from brony comments on youtube (yeah unrealiable source but idc) knows how hard it is when you're solo at your talent, but have to apply that same talent in a team. It.Is.Not.Easy. However, you are so determined to make your mark in the team that you try jsut about everything, instead of being yourself while at the same time cooperating with the team. And nicknames may make you feel bad, but screw the past and focus on the fact that everypony has flaws at some point or another. But they got over it. RD realized that at the end of the episode.

 

We all have our opinions, I know. But to keep saying "omg so much cringe" or "RD is a bad team player" or "this episode sucked wtf hasbro y u make cringe levels over 9000" and stuff isn't really reasonable.

Edited May 7, 2016 by Shabb3r

[Will Guide 21,325]

I'm only halfway through the episode but I got to comment on Rainbow Dash emulating the Mane 5 to lose her own awful nickname:

 

(I'm still having trouble getting pictures to appear so for now I'll use videos if nessacary)

 

The whole sequence reminds me of an early Spongebob Squarepants episode called "Big Pink Loser" where dumb friend Patrick Star starting mimicking Spongebob so he could win an award like him.

 

Dynamic Dash=Pinkie Pie: Not much to say about this one compared to the others, other than excellent impression of Pinkie Pie. 

 

Forthright Filly=Applejack: I think this is the most awesome moment for the VA, Ashleigh Ball. Because rather than switch to the voice she uses for Applejack, she actually SOUNDS like Rainbow Dash imitating Applejack rather than Applejack herself. Reminds me of how Rebecca managed to make her voice distinct enough so you know she's singing as either Twilight Sparkle or Sunset Shimmer!

 

Reading Rainboom=Twilight Sparkle: With a nickname like that, I'm only thinking of one thing:

Nostalgia Critic was right. It will never leave.

 

Care Mare=Fluttershy: Impression most excellent, but the name makes me think of another cartoon aimed at kids that features Technicolor talking animals with tattoos on their bodies that help identify them.

 

Rainbow Fash=Rarity: Just like Dynamic Dash, not much to say other than excellent impression of Rarity.

 

Hey look at that above! We started with just an excellent impression and not much else and ended with just an excellent impression and not much else! BOOKENDS! The better stuff was in the middle.

 

Okay, that's enough! I need to watch the rest of this episode!

 

[Goat-kun 2,496]

Haber: Starlight is best pony, something, something, needs more Rarity, something, something. Any questions? (Turns to a blue mare with a raised hoof)What is it, pony?

Rainbow Dash: How do I get out of this chickenshit episode?

Jim: You secure that shit, Dash!

 

I thought that RD of all ponies would be a bit more familiar with such hazing traditions, especially since she seems to know just about everything Wonderbolt related. Well, despite all the cringe derived from RD’s lack of insight, it wasn’t that bad of an episode … in a vacuum. However, RD becoming a Wonderbolt should have been a bigger deal than just another forgettable lesson, if there even was one. They should have put this one on ice and gave Dash a real, meaningful Wonderbolt episode first. Alas, her day will not be remembered.

[Miles 2,512]

This is supposed to be season 6.  By now Rainbow has been well established as a great flier.  I shouldn't need to mention the amount of episodes where she is shown having matured, or having helped out (via flying), and just overall having advanced.  This episode is like... throwing all of her progression out of the window.  It's totally OOC for her.  

The Wonderbolts calling her Crash was irksome.  It'd be okay if they said it once or twice - *if* the show hadn't been the way it was and RD actually performed well at the end - and then they stopped calling her Crash.  But to pass it off like it's normal for harsh nicknames in the Wonderbolts?  Juvenile.

But what I hated most about this episode (other than the fact that she didn't perform well at the end)... is the scene where she acted like each of the other Mane 5.  WTF?  Seriously, why?  That was embarrassing to watch, and I had to pause multiple times in that scene because it was so bad.

Are we EVER going to get a Rainbow Dash episode where she is shown performing well with the Wonderbolts and they actually respect her?!

---

 

1. Gauntlet of Fire

2. The Crystalling

3. The Gift of the Maud Pie

4. On Your Marks

5. No Second Prances

6. Newbie Dash

 

I agree with that except I'd swap The Crystalling and Gauntlet of Fire.  It's not that I liked the Gauntlet of Fire "less" but rather that I ultimately just loved The Crystalling more.

~ Miles

[TwilightAngel 109]

This was a very cringey episode. Like man i had to force myself to finish this episode. Who ever wrote this,needs to go back to the drawing board.

Edited May 7, 2016 by TwilightAngel

[Will Guide 21,325]

And they went back to the main end credits theme after 6 episodes in a row had a different closing theme. I guess they couldn't come up with any theme unique to be associated with this episode. I still like the main closing theme, though. It may be childish to some, but I enjoyed it since I first heard it in the Summer of 2012 (months before I officially joined the herd in April 2013).

[PoisonClaw 8,153]

... What was that? No, seriously, what the hell was that? This is the episode that has pretty much been built up over the entire series and has been a main part of Rainbow Dash's character since episode 1. The day Dash finally joins the Wonderbolts should be a joyous and momentous occasion...

 

... but instead we got "Newbie Dash".

 

There is a saying that you "should never meet your heroes", which perfectly sums up the Wonderbolts in this episode since they are portrayed as such colossal jerks. I was hoping, Rainbow Academy, where they were shown as disloyal jerks who would abandon their teammates in a heartbeat rather than the determined team of flyers they've been built up was just a fluke of bad writing and piss poor characterization. According to this episode though, that's actually their default attitude!

 

And do not get me started on Rainbow Dash here. "I know, I'll show them just who I really am by not acting at all like myself and instead imitating my friends in cringe inducing ways." ... In what realm of insanity does that even BEGIN to resemble a good idea?! Discord is listening to that idea and going "Are you mad?" At no point were these imitations funny to me, just groan inducing embarrassing and awkward. 

 

So then Dash makes an utter fool of herself, and Spitfire's all pissed off like this is all Rainbow's fault. Which it was, but Spitfire deserves a good punch since she and the rest of the Wonderbolts are part to blame. in fact, Dash should just completely tear into them regarding how terrible they've treated her after she's spent her entire life dreaming of becoming a Wonderbolt, and how the name "Crash" drags up harsh memories from her childhood that deserve to remain buried.  

 

But instead, they all pull an incredible 180 and gush about how awesome she is, how much they admire her and they've been waiting to let her join the team the moment the chance came up. It's just that they all put up with having some terrible nickname, it's just their way of showing they care.

 

...No. No, no, no. No! That rivals Mysterious Mare-Do Well for utterly baffling and nonsensical "moral" of all time! I don't care if everyone went though the same thing, obviously that name was causing her serious anxiety and problems, so the smart thing is to stop using, not just saying she should put up with it like they did! That's... just...

 

 

So yeah, I had to literally force my way through this episode at times, which is more than enough of reason for me to hate it. I previously harped on Gift of Maud for a similar reason, but I realized that I was far too quick to judge, since after the initial hurdle of flanderized annoying Pinkie, the episode picked up after the first commercial brake. At no point did I not feel like I was trying to climb up an icy mountain just to get through it. I said last season that Rainbow Dash, unfortunately, has racked up the highest number of episodes with controversial levels of quality, and sadly this is yet another one to add to bin.

 

HOWEVER! There was exactly one good moment in this episode: the fact that someone finally mentioned the fact that Rainbow and the others have saved the world numerous times. After entire seasons of the Mane 6 being treated with no respect when they should have earned a spot in the history books, especially after the ceremony that was held in Return of Harmony, that was a good thing to finally hear. It does nothing to save this episode in the least, but it is still a nice touch.      

Edited May 7, 2016 by PoisonClaw