S06:E13 - Stranger Than Fan Fiction

[VengefulStrudel 1,486]

I really enjoyed this one! I expected Quibble Pants to be an obnoxious character that I couldn't stand, but I actually really liked him. I found a lot of scenes with him really funny and thought he was pretty entertaining, I also liked the moral that he and Dash learned by the end of the episode. (Speaking of, Quibbledash new OTP? )

 

I also loved the little things, like Derpy's cosplay of Caballeron, the Daring Do body pillows, the credits sequence, and of course, the face Dash made when wing-hugging Daring.

 

I dunno why, but I also liked the bar pony in the argument scene between Dash and Quibble. She seemed so unamused at first, but as they were shouting at each other, she started smiling. Guess she enjoyed the show

 

This is one of my favorites of Season 6 so far, looking forward to the rest of the season!

[Leere 8,291]

8/10 - A very good episode with a message that everyone should learn

[RuthPainter99 473]

Poor Twilight had to do important stuff and couldn't go to the con

 

Who ships Quibble Pants and Dash ?!!!

 

Dash has three ships now. Zepher Breeze, Soren, and Quibble Pants. I ship um all !!! X) :-)

[Babyyoshi309 1,829]

Why is it that at the end of every episode of season 6, I always have a comment about shipping?

 

Writers, you dun messed up.

 

(season 6 is still my favorite season though)

[Prospekt 11,018]

Poor Twilight had to do important stuff and couldn't go to the con

 

She finally gets to see Griffonstone so it's not all that bad 

[Babyyoshi309 1,829]

I must be the only person that won't ship RD with Quibble she would never date a pony that can't fly.

 

That is actually rascist. I can't believe there are still people like you in the world...

[Will Guide 21,360]

She finally gets to see Griffonstone so it's not all that bad 

I just hope the Griffons fixed up the Griffonstone Library before she went. Not sure if she could handle seeing a library in ruins after what happened to the Golden Oak Library.

[Summer Wish 102]

Only two things I wish to bring to the light on this episode..but first!

 

-This was, awesome! Thanks MLP staff, I had alot of fun and WAAAAAAAY to many con-flash backs....this was really close to home, loved it!-

 

Anyways...!

 

1. The Vendor pony at the food stand! Both of these spot lights have to do with just one scene. I LOVED THIS PONY! She looked like she wanted to DIE! Food service is a horrible, horrible life. All you do is serve. All you do is listen to folks whine and complain about NOTHING, and still try and get a free burger out of you! Well done staff, well done! It was like looking into a mirror, save she didn't have my fake smile and forced "Have a great rest of your day!".

 

2. Miniute...a Mom? Same scene as above with disgruntled food service Pony. Who is this filly?! Why is she with Miniute? Is this a subtle reference to when in her episode with the reveal she is Twilights old friend how she was always "so busy"? Is this her Daughter? Niece? The pony/colt she is withs off spring?

 

Minds must know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[JH24 385]

That was a fun episode, I enjoyed it. I really like how the theme felt so familiar, something everyone as a fan of a series probably has gone through. For example, I like the turtles '12 series, but I don't like its heavy focus on mutants, aliens and space travel. I liked it more when the series goes back to the basics with streetgangs, Shredder and the Footclan. But at the same time many other fans love seeing the turtles go into space or fight against mutants. 

 

Same goes for an old cartoon I loved around 2006/2007 named Danny Phantom. The protagonist Danny who was a half-ghost had a complicated relation with his archenemy (also turned out to be a half-ghost) Vlad Masters. They were enemies yet had so much in common in so many ways. Things really could have been different between them but the series never made use of their potential.

 

 

I like how they solved the disagreements in the end, neither Rainbow Dash or Quibble were in the wrong and I thought that was a nice way to end this episode.

Edited July 31, 2016 by JH24

[Thrond 3,263]

Poor Twilight had to do important stuff and couldn't go to the con

 

Who ships Quibble Pants and Dash ?!!!

 

Dash has three ships now. Zepher Breeze, Soren, and Quibble Pants. I ship um all !!! X) :-)

I dunno, Dash didn't seem very interested in Zephyr's approaches. 

That is actually rascist. I can't believe there are still people like you in the world...

Not exactly; a pony who can't fly might have trouble keeping up with her, y'know? For a pony like Rainbow that could cause problems. 

 

Doesn't necessarily mean she couldn't *start* a relationship with a pony who can't fly, mind. 

[Babyyoshi309 1,829]

Not exactly; a pony who can't fly might have trouble keeping up with her, y'know? For a pony like Rainbow that could cause problems. 

 

Doesn't necessarily mean she couldn't *start* a relationship with a pony who can't fly, mind. 

 

2 things:

 

1) I was joking when I called him/her racist.

 

2) Why would a romantic partner need to keep up with her? What would they need to do that requires them to keep up with RD? Not to mention probably no one could except for maybe the wonderbolts, and that is vary limiting in terms of options.

Body pillows of a tied up Daring Do. My god, that's kinky. 

 

Ugh... Please tell me there is nothing like that at Babscon... I need to seriously reconsider going if there is...

Edited July 31, 2016 by Babyyoshi309

[Prospekt 11,018]

2. Miniute...a Mom? Same scene as above with disgruntled food service Pony. Who is this filly?! Why is she with Miniute? Is this a subtle reference to when in her episode with the reveal she is Twilights old friend how she was always "so busy"? Is this her Daughter? Niece? The pony/colt she is withs off spring?

 

I kind of doubt that Minuette was with a filly on purpose. While she might have some extra backstory that we don't know about, the animators could have just put two background ponies there for the sake of putting two ponies there.

[Thrond 3,263]

2 things:

 

1) I was joking when I called him/her racist.

 

2) Why would a romantic partner need to keep up with her? What would they need to do that requires them to keep up with RD? Not to mention probably no one could except for maybe the wonderbolts, and that is vary limiting in terms of options.

1) Sorry! You can't always identify sarcasm in text. 

 

2) I dunno, maybe a pony with a more sedentary lifestyle would conflict with Rainbow's. I'm probably greatly overstating it. 

 

 

Ugh... Please tell me there is nothing like that at Babscon... I need to seriously reconsider going if there is...

Not been to Babscon, but I think I remember seeing body pillows at Bronycon and Everfree Northwest. They're not exactly omnipresent or anything, though. 

[Jangocoolguy 433]

I dug the self-referential nature of this episode. Quibble is every annoyed fan out there ever, with him and Dash representing opposing factions of a fandom (including ours). Also neat that FiM got another special guest voice in Pat Oswalt.  

I especially got a kick out of him knocking adventure story clichés even as he experienced them Especially that bit with the henchponies all leaving at once.

 

Also...did anyone else notice the return of Ranma Pony and Usagi/Serena Pony

 

http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/mlp/images/9/9e/Quibble_pointing_at_a_convention_booth_S6E13.png/revision/latest?cb=20160731122831

 

So much for Fluttershy making those cut outs. I thought there was something off about her being an otaku...

Edited July 31, 2016 by Jangocoolguy

[Thrond 3,263]

2. Miniute...a Mom? Same scene as above with disgruntled food service Pony. Who is this filly?! Why is she with Miniute? Is this a subtle reference to when in her episode with the reveal she is Twilights old friend how she was always "so busy"? Is this her Daughter? Niece? The pony/colt she is withs off spring?

Background ponies gonna background pony. For all we know the writers still view that model as a background character and that's somepony else entirely. 

[Sonic5421 423]

Absolutely fantastic episode! I've watched it a handful of times now and appreciate it so much more! There is too much to gush about, so i'm just gonna highlight a few things that stood out to me: 

1. Twilight reading to Rainbow Dash while she is packing was absolutely adorable! That's a true testament of friendship right there. I really wanted Twi to come along too so that she could go all adorkable and book-worm mode  . But alas, she can't cast aside her Princess duties. I am interested in the Friendship Summit at Griffonstone though. It would be neat to see how much progress has been made since the last time we visited the area.
2. The convention itself was spot on! Having been to a couple of conventions myself, I can say that the show staff captured the con-going activities to a tee! From cosplayers, to vendors, to exhibits, and even the concession stands, everything was spot on. I even got a kick out of all of the different types of merchandise on display (from the figurines, to body-pillows of all things). That's sure to fly over all of the kids heads . Even the tiniest of details I appreciated (like how the con-goers wore wristbands instead of lanyards).  
3. Rainbow Dash played the perfect straight mare to our guest character Quibble Pants (voiced by the real life nerd Patton Oswalt). He just might be my favorite celebrity cameo that the show has had so far (and that includes stiff competition like Weird Al, and Lena Hall). Dashie had so many adorable moments; it was too much for me to handle .

I'll probably write a full review after I watch the episode again a couple more times. I guess I really am a Rainbow Dash type fan since I think every later installment is better and better    

 

Glad you enjoyed the episode very much, and I agree that Twilight getting a chance to visit Griffonstone after missing out on it back in Season 5 is worth it if she and Celestia are going there to further improve relations and friendship with Gilda and the griffons.

 

Plus, I loved Rainbow in the episode as well. I'm glad this is an episode you're going to watch more than once after its debut.

[Daring_Do 552]

 

 

 

Has this kind of innuendo been seen on the show before?

 

 

 

 

No, this is actually the first time MLP's made use of any sexual humor. They've done nods for the parents before, but that was stuff like references to movies (like The Big Lebowski). While said movies may not always be kid friendly, there was nothing inappropriate in the actual references themselves... Til now.

2 things:

 

1) I was joking when I called him/her racist.

 

2) Why would a romantic partner need to keep up with her? What would they need to do that requires them to keep up with RD? Not to mention probably no one could except for maybe the wonderbolts, and that is vary limiting in terms of options.

 

Ugh... Please tell me there is nothing like that at Babscon... I need to seriously reconsider going if there is...

Then I've got bad news for you. I've heard people say that they have these things at *EVERY* pony con. :/

Edited July 31, 2016 by Daring_Do

[Truffles 2,033]

Dash has three ships now. Zepher Breeze, Soren, and Quibble Pants. I ship um all !!! X) :-)

I would include Fluttershy in there, too, if we're going to include Soarin. Both ships are only hinted at.

 

 

No, this is actually the first time MLP's made use of any sexual humor. They've done nods for the parents before, but that was stuff like references to movies (like The Big Lebowski).

The Internet says otherwise. There is a whole TV Tropes page dedicated to sexual innuendo in MLP. And the scene from "Simple Ways" I mentioned earlier goes a little farther than a nod, lol.

[LunaLover92 337]

I loved the episode and I'm so glad the mlp hiatus is over! (The way Dash and Quibble argue with each other kinda reminds me of me and my dad when we're arguing about Kirk vs. Picard, he likes Picard and I like Kirk LMAO!)

[Music Chart Fan 819]

Overall, this episode was okay. There were some good moments, and I appreciate that the episode is not just a one-sided takedown of "nitpickers", but has a well-taken moral that it's okay for fans of a show/movie/game/etc. to like (or dislike) it for different reasons. I agreed with a fair number of Quibble's observations and criticisms, although his obnoxious and condescending attitude prevented me from fully sympathizing with him. And that might be the main issue I have with the episode - that both Rainbow and Quibble dragged their feud out far beyond the point at which they should have simply dropped it and, after they were captured, focused on the matter of finding their way back safely.

 

When it comes to Rainbow's and Quibble's fighting, I think both of them share some blame in perpetuating it. Quibble arguably acts like a stereotype of a "purist" fan who works to find a laundry list of reasons to dislike later entries in a series while dismissing or ignoring any positive aspects of them, and who thinks that fans that like these later entries are idiots. However, Rainbow also arguably acts like a stereotype of a die-hard fan who will defend a series (or entries in it) no matter what, who can't abide someone not liking the series or entries in it, and who seems to take personal insult or offense at even legitimate criticism of the series or entries in it. The problem is that both of them have an inexplicable need to prove themselves right and "win" the argument, and continue to egg each other on, when, in fact, it seems as though the fighting would end if either of them would just be civil about their disagreement or drop it.

 

So, to give a few examples, when Quibble says that nothing after the first trilogy is even remotely in the realm of the possible, Rainbow could have a non-hostile discussion with him about it. Rather than going into defensive mode, Rainbow could just ask (in a civil way) "Why do you think that?" or "Could you give some examples?". Rainbow angrily asks Quibble "Why would you even come to this convention if you hate Daring Do so much?", when it would seem obvious that he doesn't "hate Daring Do", given his actions and revealed knowledge about the books up to that point. Quibble says to Rainbow that he came to the convention "to ask A.K. Yearling muzzle-to-muzzle why she sold out and dumbed down the rest of her books into just a series of impossible action sequences", but I see that as just inflammatory and utterly pointless. What does Quibble hope to accomplish by doing this? What would even be an acceptable answer to him? And finally, when Rainbow says that "every Daring Do book that comes out is better than the last", she would do well to recognize that she might be biased, considering that she knows the author, knows that the adventures are real, and had a major role in one herself.

 

Even after Rainbow's and Quibble's initial argument ends, it's still not really over, because Rainbow tries to recruit A.K. Yearling to prove Quibble wrong, and Quibble feels the need to follow Rainbow around and take further potshots at her after running into her later. Rainbow could take the fact that A.K. Yearling instantly and bluntly shoots down Rainbow's quest to prove Quibble wrong as a sign to try to just forget about it, but she apparently doesn't. And when Rainbow is pursuing Caballeron in the convention hall, Quibble insists on following her and snarkily asking where they're going. But why is Quibble still following Rainbow around? If Quibble believes Rainbow is acting stupid and crazy, he could, you know, stop bothering her and do something else.

 

So I think one takeaway from this episode is just not to be a jerk about your opinions on a show/movie/game/etc. to other people. I think both Rainbow and Quibble were doing that in this episode, and (hopefully) they both learned not to do so by the end.

 

Regarding Quibble believing that he and Rainbow are in a (knock-off) Daring Do Adventucation, that actually doesn't seem particularly unreasonable. When the skeptical Quibble prompts Caballeron to say what his plans are, Caballeron feels free to talk about his (rather poorly thought-out) plans with Rainbow and Quibble, whom he apparently believes work with Daring Do, when he could easily just refuse to say anything. And, of course, the henchponies guarding Rainbow and Quibble are very easily fooled, and do stupidly leave no one behind to guard Rainbow and Quibble. The Lost Temple of Chicomoztoc has convoluted traps which seem silly for actual ponies to set up, and that we might not expect to actually work hundreds or thousands of years later. These are examples of why it seems so implausible that Daring Do's adventures are actually taking place in Equestria (something that I and others pointed out when the episode "Daring Don't" first aired), and in light of these things, Quibble's skepticism seems quite reasonable. But, again, he didn't need to be so obnoxious and condescending about it.

 

One sequence that Quibble didn't question, though I think he could have, is how Rainbow saved him from the breaking rope bridge. Why is it that, when the bridge planks broke and Quibble got stuck, Rainbow's reaction was to grab his tail in her mouth and pull on that, rather than using her legs to grab him and lift him up? And again, when Quibble was actually falling, rather than just catching him (or trying to slow his fall) with her legs, she grabbed the rope in which he's tangled with her mouth, actually pulled him down faster before pulling him in a direction parallel to the water, continued to race forward while Quibble "skied" on the water behind her (rather than just stopping and trying to get him to a safe place), and tied the rope around a branch (which, if it worked, would leave him...dangling over a waterfall), only to have the rope break and Quibble bounce down several plants before finally landing. Rainbow makes fun of Quibble afterward, saying that "if you read that in a book, you might even think it was unrealistic", but Rainbow's decisions and the outcomes of them were actually rather baffling. The process of saving Quibble was much more convoluted and dangerous than it needed to be, and it's astounding that, for example, Quibble was unharmed by landing on the water at high speed, and that Quibble conveniently bounced off of plants (rather than, say, breaking through them) of gradually descending heights to eventually land on the ground.

 

The fact that Quibble "outsmarts" Daring, and that Daring seems slow to notice things that she's dealt with before, does raise the question of how Daring Do came to be, and continues to be, seemingly the only one dealing with these lost temples and the villains who wish to steal from them and even harness powers which would have catastrophic consequences for Equestria. After all, is Daring Do actually particularly better than most ponies at navigating these temples and stopping the villains? Why hasn't Daring Do worked with others or gotten authorities involved in these matters, if they might deal with these matters better than Daring could by herself? The cynical answer might be that Daring Do doesn't want to give up the thrills, fame and fortune she continues to get by taking on these adventures herself and recounting them as best-selling books afterward, even if she's placing these lost treasures and even Equestria itself in greater danger by doing so.

 

One other funny thing that I noticed is that both Daring Do and Rainbow in this episode seem to forget that they're pegasi sometimes. In the opening sequence that Twilight's reading from the book, why does Daring Do walk across a precarious rock bridge rather than, you know, flying? Even as the rock bridge is crumbling, she never even flaps her wings. We see her wings flared, so they don't appear to be hurt or anything. And when Rainbow and Quibble come across the precarious rope bridge, there is an actual concern about it holding up, so why is Rainbow walking on it when she could, you know, fly across instead and reduce the chances of something bad happening? These events might even make us want to tell Daring Do and Rainbow "You can flap, too, you know!".

 

Finally, I made a topic here about what seems to be a camera/perspective discrepancy in the room with the seven doors.

 

Now for my other miscellaneous observations:

 

In the scene where Rainbow is packing for the trip, Twilight has drooping eyelids and lines under her eyes, as though she's tired, but then, we're not given a reason why she would be particularly tired. Are those signs supposed to be showing her disappointment, and just not coming across that way?

 

When Quibble and Rainbow are discussing how they figured out the correct number of arrow holes, I don't think that the descriptions of a "score of arrows" and a "barrage of arrows" are really contradictory. A "barrage" just means "an overwhelming quantity", not implying any specific number, whereas a "score", taken literally, would mean 20.

 

Were the playplace-style platforms, tubes, and "rock pit" really intended for adults to use? Or are Rainbow and Quibble playing on things meant for kids?

 

After the montage of Rainbow and Quibble doing stuff at the convention together, Rainbow says that they've only done stuff from the first trilogy. Are booths/attractions/events at conventions like these really separated like that? So, for example, at MLP conventions, are there booths/attractions/events that are specifically "pre-season 3 only" or "post-season 3 only"?

 

Rainbow's Daring Do costume disappears after her first argument with Quibble, never to be seen again in the episode. But I suppose she might have taken it off before seeking out A.K. Yearling, perhaps because Rainbow thought it would be awkward or embarrassing. And after meeting with A.K. Yearling, Rainbow might have been too preoccupied with looking out for Caballeron to bother putting it back on.

 

Caballeron thanks Rainbow and Quibble for leading him to the Lost Temple of Chicomoztoc, but were Rainbow and Quibble even trying to go there? Where were they going, exactly? Rainbow earlier said that they had to warn Daring Do, so did she expect Daring Do to go the Temple and figured she had to find Daring Do on the way there?

 

As Quibble is ranting about the knock-off Daring Do Adventucation, how does he not hear or see the flowing quicksand(?) right behind him and next to him?

 

Quibble points that only the alicorn door among the seven doesn't have a matching door, and therefore, that ought to be the door with the treasure behind it. But why should it necessarily be that the unique door is the correct one? Wouldn't it be more difficult for thieves to find the treasure if it were behind one of the non-unique doors?

 

When the three of them are trying to escape from the Temple, Daring says that she and Rainbow will have to carry Quibble out with them, and Rainbow protests that they won't be fast enough and they'll never make it. However, carrying Quibble out (suspended from the vines) is exactly what they end up doing.

 

After escaping the Temple, when Daring Do holds up a rock and says that not every plan has to be super-complicated, my first thought was that they were going to hit Caballeron and his henchponies in their heads with rocks, knocking them out. Instead, she throws the rock at the wall, cracking and breaking it, with the alligator thing conveniently ready to give chase right on the other side.

 

Near the end of the episode, Rainbow says that Quibble has "terrible taste in books", but I don't think that his not liking later books in the Daring Do series is tantamount to having "terrible taste in books". Both Rainbow and he like the first trilogy of Daring Do books, right? I think it would be more accurate for Rainbow to say that he has too narrow or selective a taste in books.

[ManyANewDay_36 178]

That was an AWESOME episode! It had a fun storyline and introduced a great new character. The moral was also great-- it's definitely something many hardcore bronies (such as myself) should take to heart.

[Steel Accord 6,660]

That was amazi- HOLY SHIT THAT WAS PATTON OSWALT!   I just realized that upon typing this!

 

Anyway this episode kind of reminded me of Avatar's the Ember Island Players. Where the writers engage in a little meta-narrative of their own story and fanbase or just fandom in general. (Tell me Quibble and Dash's spat over "the original trilogy" doesn't sound at all familiar.)

 

Quibble, to me, was the show stealer. At once the most annoying character I've seen on this show, personally for me because he reminded me of certain bronies bashing on the more recent seasons, buuuuut he actually ended up being rather useful and coming to his own arc's conclusion that we don't have to like the same things for the same reasons. 

 

The ending left me in fits of silent, stunned laughter as it seems like the music's going to drown him out but then it tappers off and he just keeps rambling. 

 

I have to ask though, is there just like this little section of Equestria that is big enough to house several lost civilizations but not so big that no one besides Daring and Caballeron ever go to?

[weesh 690]

When I am on any kind of actual adventure, like a 3 day canoeing trip, I impress on whoever I'm guiding to "point positive"
you never say "look out for that rock!", because that can be misinterpreted.  

 

You always point or shout about the direction you think is safe.  If you always do that, then whoever you are trying to communicate can trust that they are telling you a safe direction, even if they can't see it.  And if I'm steering from the back of a canoe, the person in the front of the boat has a better vantage point for seeing challenges than i do, so I really want to be able to trust them.

 

Quibble "pointed" positive AND negative, with his "don't go over, go around!", and it was predictably misinterpreted.  

 

Take note future adventurers!  

Edited August 1, 2016 by weesh

[Babyyoshi309 1,829]

Then I've got bad news for you. I've heard people say that they have these things at *EVERY* pony con. :/

Not been to Babscon, but I think I remember seeing body pillows at Bronycon and Everfree Northwest. They're not exactly omnipresent or anything, though. 

 

Well, I am not sure I want to go with my family if there is anything sexual there... I don't want them to think there is something wrong with me.  

Edited August 1, 2016 by Babyyoshi309

[weesh 690]

Well, I am not sure I want to go with my family if there is anything sexual there... I don't want them to think there is something wrong with me.  

 

the most severe eyebrow-raising thing I saw at the nightmare nights convention were some dudes crossdressing as female ponies.  

the vendors and panels and hosts were pretty clean.