S06:E13 - Stranger Than Fan Fiction

[Wind Chaser 4,768]

He looks just like my OC as well.

I mean, the manestyle is almost bit-for-bit. I felt uneasy watching this. Too easy to see myself as this character. 

[Sonic5421 423]

This was a pretty good episode. We saw Daring Do again, even in her disguise as her author self, A.K. Yearling, Dr. Caballeron and his henchmen, and Twilight mentioned having to skip the convention because Celestia asked her to help in a Friendship Summit with Gilda and the griffons over in Griffonstone, so nice callback there as Twilight got to visit what she missed out on when Pinkie and Rainbow were summoned by the map to help out Gilda back in Season 5.

 

Also, nice to see how after that adventure with Daring, Quibble and Rainbow were able to find some common ground in that they each liked a certain part of Daring's personality:

• Rainbow liked Daring for her adventurous/action self
• Quibble liked Daring for her puzzle-solving self

Both skills came in handy to help Daring retrieve the treasure before Caballeron, and then, like in the Indiana Jones movies, Daring takes the treasure to be preserved in a museum for safe-keeping, just like Indy giving the Cross of Coronado to Marcus to put in his museum.

 

I really liked this episode, and I give it an 8.5/10, maybe a 9/10 as it was nice to see Rainbow and Daring together again.

[BlackWater627 700]

I just have to say. I actually really, really like Quibble. He reminds me of a lot of real life people. He prefers certain books in the series for a specific reason, and feels the later ones lost that original touch that was there. He's very critical of the later books, and he's honestly actually pretty intelligent, he's got some good reasons for preferring those old ones.

 

 That said, he's also a bit blind to his own biases, and kind of antagonistic to people who don't agree. Which in my experience, a lot of very critical fans really are like that. The amount of times I've been treated like a blind fanboy simply for liking later/earlier versions of something, even when I admit that they are flawed, are numerous.

 

 But Dash is guilty of the same to some extent, not being willing to accept his negative opinion on the later books, his attitude may have rubbed her the wrong way first, but she shouldn't have acted the same back. I'm guilty of that to some extent too, as I think a lot of less "Critical" fans can be. Both types of fans can act like jerks about their opinions, and both sides are kind of prone to viewing themselves as solely the one under attack. Glad they learned their lesson.

 

 Also, this episode was just really funny. The "You should get your money back" line was great!

I getcha. I would say that both are entitled to their opinions but, at least earlier on in the episode, it was Quibble and not Rainbow who was insistently following around the pony he disagreed with, making jabs, and generally harassing her. Maybe his lesson in the end was to let it go and respect others but I wonder if that's really true or not. I mean, consider that he was trying to get a "I'm wrong you're right" out of Rainbow. Later in the episode, circumstances lead Rainbow to literally say "he's usually right." So did he really learn or change at all or was that just fluff at the end he gave because he had already gotten what he wanted? 

[Wind Chaser 4,768]

SO MANY REFERENCES!!!

 

Also, Quibble is totally a caricature of PT-hating SW fans.

I was about to say Matrix fans as well. What sequels? There were no sequels!

 

Rainbow Dash as a straight pony works so much better than people realize. I've always found I like her more when she's written as competent but impulsive, and this episode nails it.

Now can we talk about Rainbow Dash getting frisky with Quibble in the foam pit?

Quibble stole the show so much that I almost didn't notice how well Rainbow Dash was portrayed in it. Good writeup on that.

 

As for the shipping, though...

 

Edited July 30, 2016 by Wind Chaser

[TheAnimatorOfficial 567]

Talk about complete redemption! The second half is looking to be a whole other story compared to the first half.

[CT-1138 3,182]

QuibbleDash - I ship it like FedEx....

[BastementSparkle 20,323]

 

 

I getcha. I would say that both are entitled to their opinions but, at least earlier on in the episode, it was Quibble and not Rainbow who was insistently following around the pony he disagreed with, making jabs, and generally harassing her. Maybe his lesson in the end was to let it go and respect others but I wonder if that's really true or not. I mean, consider that he was trying to get a "I'm wrong you're right" out of Rainbow. Later in the episode, circumstances lead Rainbow to literally say "he's usually right." So did he really learn or change at all or was that just fluff at the end he gave because he had already gotten what he wanted?

 

 He seemed genuine to me. Remember Rainbow saved him in a way he even admitted he would have considered impossible, and admitted that the books he was criticizing might have been a bit more realistic than he had initially thought. He also called Rainbow herself awesome. I think once he had spent time in that adventure and realized why it was that Rainbow liked those later books, he became more understanding of it. Before that he had probably never really stopped to think of why another pony might like those books, since they had nothing of what he originally loved in them, or at least very little of it.

 

 He does still seem a bit smug about some things near the end, but I definitely think he's become more accepting of others opinions.

[BlackWater627 700]

 

 

QuibbleDash - I ship it like FedEx....

Oh my gosh, that screenshot. ROFL  

 

I'm not onboard this ship but the crew will cling to that shot. And it's hilarious. xD

 

@@Wind Chaser, are you dodging sequel bullets Matrix-style?    

[Will Guide 21,359]

Okay. now this episode and Flutter Brutter are the two episodes I really want to show my friend ASAP, even though he's only up to "Slice of Life" in mid Season 5. As long as we skip the theme song, he shouldn't be spoiled by the game-changing events in late Season 5.

[Mesme Rize 15,683]

 

I don't know why. But i have the sudden urge to learn, how to edit this into snake coils.

[Megas 27,550]

It's not a Rainbow Dash episode without at least one weird facial expression

 

[BlackWater627 700]

 

I don't know why. But i have the sudden urge to learn, how to edit this into snake coils.

You do you, lamiopony~ 

 

 

 

It's not a Rainbow Dash episode without at least one weird facial expression

 

You know it. 

[Wind Chaser 4,768]

The QuibbleDash ship creeps me the hell out, probably because of how much Quibble reminds me of myself. Legit, this is what it feels like:

 

 

@@Wind Chaser, are you dodging sequel bullets Matrix-style?    

Surprisingly, I actually have no problem with the sequels. It's such a common opinion in that fanbase, though.

[BlackWater627 700]

The QuibbleDash ship creeps me the hell out, probably because of how much Quibble reminds me of myself. Legit, this is what it feels like:

 

 

Surprisingly, I actually have no problem with the sequels. It's such a common opinion in that fanbase, though.

LOL! 

 

And I liked the sequels just fine myself. Not my fav movies but they were okay. And I'm not in that fandom so I had no idea. 

 

I do have sequel ignore syndrome with the Alien series though. Nothing past Aleins. But that's mostly just because I think the others are sad (as opposed to bad) and I liked the ending of the second movie. 

 

Now if Dashie needed a ship, the USS DaringDash is in tip top shape after this episode. 

[Goat-kun 2,527]

It was a good and entertaining episode. That quibbling stallion was a bit annoying, but Dr. C was his best average villainous self yet. Of course, as an avid and experienced complainer, I can’t possibly abide by this episode's message.

 

P.S: Whoever sneaked in those pillows, good job ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

[Prospekt 11,018]

A solid return from the summer hiatus. I actually think this was the best Rainbow Dash episode in over a season, just because i got to see a genuinely developed Rainbow rather than the arrogant, less likable one that hasn't grown much since the series began. Quibble Pants is an enjoyable character and I like the fact that he is an allegory for so many people in so many fandoms out there... not to mention I applaud Hasbro for getting Patton Oswalt to do an episode. My only criticism is that Quibble's frustration seemed a little forced at times, but otherwise I have nothing bad to say. As for the actual moral, I definitely get the feeling that it's about this fandom; it's okay to enjoy the "old days" and criticize the newer seasons, and vice versa. But we're all still fans of the same show, and that's a bond we do share.

 

Daring Do is probably my favorite of all the secondary characters that only make infrequent appearances, so maybe I have a little bias there  It's not a classic, but all in all, I really enjoyed this one. 8.75/10

 

Oh, and those end credits...    

Edited July 30, 2016 by Prospekt

[GeekySonic 1,150]

OMGosh. That was definitely worth the wait!

 

It was so fun! And I loved Patton Oswalt's pony, like, you don't even know. The fanboying level is over 9000!!! And the credits, oh the credits! I loved this episode so much!

 

Also, goodness me, why am I okay with QuibbleDash?

[Batbrony 16,043]

OK, good afternoon everypony, and welcome back to another edition of "Batbrony Reviews"!  Well, well, well, did we get a treat this morning to kick off the second half of Season 6, or what???  Oh my goodness, "Stranger Than Fan Fiction."  It's been awhile since the show had a love letter to the fans, but man oh man, when they do a love letter they bucking hit it out of the PARK!  Let's dive into a real treat folks, without further ado, this is "Stranger Than Fan Fiction."

 

 

Being nerdy is AWESOME!!!  It must be so if Rainbow Dash is one! 

 

So given how much of a love letter to the fans this was, let's just focus on that.  The plot isn't all that important, nor even the characters (at least not old ones like Rainbow Dash), though it did have a very heartfelt and well-delivered message.  Basically, the whole episode is a celebration of all things fandom and nerdy, as well as a really well thought out examination of what makes for a good nerd and one who's taking things too far.  This all centers around Quibble Pants, the AMAZING new supporting pony voiced by Patton Oswalt basically playing himself, because Patton Oswalt is a bonified nerd but also one who's very self aware of nerd tropes.  Anyways, for most of the episode he exemplifies the "Nitpicky Nerd."  We all know the type, and we've probably been that type at some point in our time as a nerd.  The nerd who gets hung up over tiny details that might not matter, or who thinks that any nerd who disagrees with them on something is somehow less of a nerd than them because of it.

 

Now here's the beauty of this episode and this character.  The episode does not flat out say he's wrong.  It becomes clear as the adventure continues that, yes, Daring Do's adventures are kind of ridiculous.  Her enemies are very stupid and predictable at times, the most unrealistic coincidences just happen, and seemingly impossible feats are regularly pulled off.  BUT what the episode does is turn that around on Quibble Pants by the end so that he finally realizes that all those elements, things he's never liked about the newer Daring Do novels/adventures, are things worthy of praise as well, even they're not his cup of tea.  The seemingly impossible feats and over-the-top adventures, those are just as great as the smarter aspects of Daring Do like her puzzle solving and sharp wits.  And we've all been there.  I know I for one love, love, LOVE the original Star Wars trilogy so much more than the prequels, to the point that I have a hard time even thinking of them belonging to the same franchise.  But if someone enjoys the prequels, who am I to say they can't or shouldn't; after all, there is still a lot of cool world-building in the Star Wars universe that came from them, so that's something to be sure!  The point of the episode is that there is no such thing as "Nerd Group Think."  Each and every nerd, like people in general, are their own unique individual with their own unique tastes.  Take me for example!  I count Batman/DC, MLP, Marvel, Star Wars, anime, and classic films among the things I most nerd out about.  What a wide, wide array of things, right?!  And there's a beauty in that diversity, a beauty in the notion of all these different types of fans who love all these properties for so many different reasons.  In many ways, this episode retread themes very similar to the Season 5 opening, just in a less serious and more nerd-focused manner.  But it was a beautiful love letter to MLP fans and nerds everywhere, with a wise lesson to boot, and that alone makes it a great episode.

 

Of course, there were other things as well.  Honestly, my favorite half of the episode was the first one.  Don't get me wrong, the Daring Do adventure was a lot of fun, mostly because Quibble Pants added a whole new element to it.  BUT the Daring Do convention was PURE JOY!  I am so, so happy that I went to BronyCon before this, because otherwise I might not have appreciated that bit nearly as much.  But now that I've been to a con, I can seriously say that they without a doubt NAILED THAT!!!  Everything about the con setting was amazing, the vendors hall, the cosplaying, the nerdy arguments, heck, Rainbow Dash meeting Quibble Pants!  Things like that happen, I met so many people whose names I didn't even learn but who I just talked with because we were nerding out over MLP that weekend!  This was a con, a very, very accurate representation of one, and I was honestly sad when they left the con setting.  There were even some really hilarious jokes for the adults in the audience.  I mean, apparently in this kids show it is now canon that there are body pillows of Daring Do, including one depicting her bound!  That... is... AMAZING (and kinky  ).

 

 

What???

 

Cosplaying is now canon, fan fiction got brought up yet again, there was fan art, vendors, even a HILARIOUS food vendor who took way too much joy in Rainbow Dash and Quibble Pants' original spat in the background (seriously, watch for her in that scene, she is HILARIOUS!!!).  This whole con setting was just pure joy through and through, and seeing Rainbow Dash at it of all ponies was simply the best.  I mean, she can't deny it out, she is a total nerd.  I loved every single moment of that part of the episode, and it made me just want to get back to another con again.

 

 

Nerds and cosplaying, nerds and cosplaying EVERYWHERE!

 

Besides that, this was easily Rainbow Dash's best episode of the season so far.  It's been too long since we've seen nerdy Rainbow Dash, and it's always so much fun to see that side of her personality ever since Season 2 and how unapologetic she is about it.  Seeing Daring Do return was great as well, she's always a fun character and my only complaint was that we didn't see more of her.  Also, Caballeron as the villain was just the best.  First of all, he needed more screen time since usually most focus has been on Ahuizotl as Daring Do's archnemesis, but man oh man were the jokes just flying with Caballeron, particularly Quibble Pants's insistence that he was a cheap, knock-off actor playing a villain poorly.

 

Finally, this episode just had some of the most self-aware, meta humor we've ever seen in the show and I loved every minute of it.    This could've gone very badly, but the writing was incredibly clever and again, the fact that they were able to balance so much humor with an actually really good message is to be commended.  Overall, we couldn't have asked for a better episode to kick off the second half of the season, nor a better love letter to the fans and nerds everywhere.  Pony on everypony, and welcome to the herd Patton Oswalt, we're so happy to have you!  That's it for this week everypony.  Until next week, this is Batbrony signing off.  I'm off! *cue dramatic exit*

 

P.S. HOLY CRAP, SURPRISE DERPY COSPLAYING APPEARANCE WHICH I DIDN'T EVEN CATCH!!!  :-o

 

 

Best cosplay hooves down, she gonna win ALL the cosplay contests! 

[Scootaloo Is Best Filly 578]

I am totally ok with the quibbledash ship. Oswalt did an amazing job and his daughter is gonna be able to brag about this for a really long time. I really loved this episode.

 

Probably the best message is that they both realized they were both fans of Daring Do series for different reasons and learned that just because of that doesn't mean they couldn't get along.

[Burke22 11]

QuibbleDash. Nuff said

[Castle Bleck 19,313]

Honestly, I'm largely a Caballeron fan and I loved the part he played here, and he wasn't entirely incompetent.

 

I'm a fan of his voice -- very Ricardo-Montalban-like.

[Ashen Pathfinder 16,161]

I'm a fan of his voice -- very Ricardo-Montalban-like.

 

 

Not to mention it feels reminiscent of Belloq from Raiders of the Lost Ark; whom I can't help but feel inspired Caballeron.

[Foliha 395]

I mean, the manestyle is almost bit-for-bit. I felt uneasy watching this. Too easy to see myself as this character. 

Wait.  You didn't know?  You didn't find it odd that there were people following you around for weeks jotting stuff down on legal pads and... Oh, never mind.  That was months ago.

[Ashen Pathfinder 16,161]

Fan artists are quick; just WOW!

 

 

Source: http://mysticalpha.deviantart.com/art/Rainbow-quibble-pants-624832971

[Wind Chaser 4,768]

Fan artists are quick; just WOW!

 

 

Source: http://mysticalpha.deviantart.com/art/Rainbow-quibble-pants-624832971

 

Deer lord, I think I'm gonna have a seizure from the amount of Squick I get from this character. lol X_X

Edited July 30, 2016 by Wind Chaser