Has the show jumped the shark?

[Cleverclover 1,525]

You'll know a show has jumped when it's CONSISTENTLY mediocre/bad, or more bad than good. That hasn't happened here.

 

You know, that's an interesting point.

 

Knowing how utterly terrified the majority of the fandom seems to be at the notion of the show coming to an end, I cannot feasibly see there ever being a consensus about a drop in quality. It doesn't matter how long the show runs, how much the mane six keep learning the same lessons over and over again, or how many episodes are simply retreads of earlier episodes. As long as it's pony, it's good. Period. 

 

Hell, take Equestria Daily for example. Have they ever once declared a FiM episode to be bad, or even mildly disappointing? 

Edited August 10, 2016 by Cleverclover

[pnylvr 185]

I think I'm in agreement with the general consensus here when I say that the show has always had its ups and downs, and this season no more than it's always been. Besides, I have a hard time saying that the season with "Gauntlet of Fire" was the one where it jumped the shark. I'm also really looking forward to the rest of the season--seems like there's still serious potential based on some of the synopses). 

[Prospekt 10,984]

I'm hoping the second half of Season 6 will be a lot better than the first half. There has hardly any Pinkie Pie (outside of the Maud Pie and Spice episodes), Applejack and Fluttershy in that half.

 

Thankfully all three of them are confirmed to be getting at least one more episode. But you're right about the lack of character variety. Too much Rarity, a good amount of Rainbow Dash, and not enough of the other 4.

 

But that doesn't mean the show has jumped the shark. I think the first half of Season 6 was great with the exception of 3 episodes (if we count the two-part premiere as one episode). And even then, I kind of liked the premiere, too... the only thing keeping me from ranking this season higher is the lack of character variety.

Edited August 11, 2016 by Prospekt

[The Coffee Pony 1,390]

You know, that's an interesting point.

 

Knowing how utterly terrified the majority of the fandom seems to be at the notion of the show coming to an end, I cannot feasibly see there ever being a consensus about a drop in quality. It doesn't matter how long the show runs, how much the mane six keep learning the same lessons over and over again, or how many episodes are simply retreads of earlier episodes. As long as it's pony, it's good. Period. 

 

Hell, take Equestria Daily for example. Have they ever once declared a FiM episode to be bad, or even mildly disappointing? 

 

Excuse me, but are you implying your opinion that "the show is going downhill" is fact and that everyone who disagrees is wrong and only likes it because it's pony?

[Cleverclover 1,525]

Excuse me, but are you implying your opinion that "the show is going downhill" is fact and that everyone who disagrees is wrong and only likes it because it's pony?

 

No. 

 

I'm just saying that I would never expect the fandom to collectively admit that the show has gone downhill, not even if it's in its thirteenth season, the mane six continue to flounder back and forth in their development, and we keep seeing the same plots recycled over and over again. 

 

And honestly, can you really say that you disagree with that assessment? 

[\/ 650]

I don't think people really have the right definition for "Jumping the shark." Jumping the shark is when a show that has already lost interest does a crazy stunt to try and draw viewers in, often in a last-ditch attempt to stay afloat. The term was coined after Happy Days featured Fonzie jumping a shark on water skis.

[cider float 2,535]

Felt this way for a long time. Lot of the episodes have been subpar so far or seem like repeats. I still watch but just not as enthusiastic about it.

[Luminance 2,181]

With so many moments in the show that cause a spontaneous outbreak of the supposed jumping of the shark, I've believed we've lost count.

 

Yet...we are still ok.

[Swifty 249]

Absolutely. Wouldn't have happened with Lauren Faust that soon.

Edited August 13, 2016 by Swifty

[LetsEatHay 7]

Honestly, the issue is that the season as a whole feels very Fillerish and phoned in. Its not Season 3 bad, but its really trailing on the end of the seasons IMO-- I'd rank it as the second worst season next to S3 (S4->S2->S1->S5->S6->S3). With a large amount of the crew having left, and the ones we have left seeming to be missing that spark (Haber honestly seems like he doesn't care at all and views it as just a job instead of having a passion for the world) that it used to have with people like larson or Renzetti or Faust.

 

I can only speak for myself, but this is kinda what I'm thinking too. This is the first season that I've actually felt disappointed with. There have been some episodes that I've loved this season, but there have also been many that I just haven't liked, and they seem to be correlated with all the new writers who have just joined this season. Many of the episodes this season feel like they're missing that charm that the show usually has, for me anyway.

 

For example, I feel like I lost some respect for the Wonderbolts in Newbie Dash because they've never been just blatantly insensitive like that before. They knew Dash didn't like her nickname, but they kept using it anyway. Also in today's episode (28 Pranks), Dash was being just plain mean to Fluttershy in a way that she hasn't since S1. Even after the other ponies sat her down and said, "seriously stop; you're hurting other ponies," Dash basically said, "I don't care; I enjoy it." I realize that in life we often end up having to learn the same lessons over and over in different ways, but Dash's change today felt like such a jarring step backwards for her that it didn't fit her continuity for me.

 

Maybe this season will grow on my eventually, idk. Hopefully I'm over-analyzing. I'm glad lots of people are still enjoying it though!

[TheAnimatorOfficial 566]

Short answer: HELL NO!!!!

 

Long answer: Did anyone really expect Season 6 to be as good as those preceding? The best writers are working on the Movie. They can't do two things at the same time. It's to be expected that this season would be weaker in storyline with an overabundance of slice of life. We're talking about writers that are rookies to the show.

 

Furthermore, S6 hasn't been consistently bad. It has had bad episodes, yes, but also some gems (GOF, STFF). This is really a transition season. The main purpose is to satisfy the fans for the time being. It's not to progress the plot or expand the characters like Season 5 and before did.

 

Season 7 will likely satisfy you again. So no, this show is NOT IN ANY WAY "jumping the shark".

[Unlikeable Pony 2,698]

The best writers are working on the Movie. T

The only writer I know of working on the movie is Meghan.

[Prospekt 10,984]

I'm a little surprised that nobody is saying that the show has jumped the shark after today's divisive episode. I loved it but it's under fire from a bunch of people.

[Cleverclover 1,525]

Long answer: Did anyone really expect Season 6 to be as good as those preceding?

 

Um, yes?

 

Or at the very least, I thought that season 6 would have more of a purpose than to regress our main characters and throw pointless gimmicks at us. 

 

We've had Rarity open a new boutique and Dash finally get into the Wonderbolts (though it came with a highly disappointing episode), and apart from that, the mane six have barely accomplished anything this season. And even more surprising, the CMC aren't really going anywhere themselves, as they've already had an episode which easily could have aired before they had cutie marks. 

 

And hell, for all the drama surrounding Starlight, barely anything is being done with her either. So ultimately, what's the point of this season? 

 

 

 

The main purpose is to satisfy the fans for the time being.

 

I'm certainly not satisfied in seeing the mane six flounder and learn lessons that they already learned several seasons ago. 

 

 

 

Season 7 will likely satisfy you again.

 

 

Ugh, I don't want to even think about a season 7 at this point. Once Spongebob started going downhill, it certainly didn't get better as it moved forward. With AKR gone, and with no guarantee that McCarthy and Larson will ever return, I don't think the show is in for a bright future....   

Edited August 13, 2016 by Cleverclover

[Chuckles4lyfe 441]

Has the show jumped the shark? Of course it has! Do you not remember that scene in episode 100 when everyone was riding Vinyl's Bass-car thing? They all literally jumped over a toy shark  .

 

In all seriousness, I don't think so. It's already an impressive feat that the show continues to air new episodes after nearly 6 years. Most animated tv shows can't even make it past the 65 episode mark. We've already doubled that . 

 

A lot of folks are saying that episodes in the latest season have not amazed them. I believe that it is unrealistic to expect lots of surprises in a show that has been on the air for over half a decade. Besides, plenty of episodes in S6 I felt have been amazing! Gauntlet of Fire, No Second Prances, A Hearth's Warming Tale, The Saddle Row Review, Flutter Brutter, and Stranger than fan-fiction all exceeded my expectations. I enjoyed all of these episodes immensely  .    

Edited August 14, 2016 by Chuckles4lyfe

[TheAnimatorOfficial 566]

Um, yes?

 

Or at the very least, I thought that season 6 would have more of a purpose than to regress our main characters and throw pointless gimmicks at us.

 

We've had Rarity open a new boutique and Dash finally get into the Wonderbolts (though it came with a highly disappointing episode), and apart from that, the mane six have barely accomplished anything this season. And even more surprising, the CMC aren't really going anywhere themselves, as they've already had an episode which easily could have aired before they had cutie marks.

 

And hell, for all the drama surrounding Starlight, barely anything is being done with her either. So ultimately, what's the point of this season?

 

 

 

 

I'm certainly not satisfied in seeing the mane six flounder and learn lessons that they already learned several seasons ago.

 

 

 

 

 

Ugh, I don't want to even think about a season 7 at this point. Once Spongebob started going downhill, it certainly didn't get better as it moved forward. With AKR gone, and with no guarantee that McCarthy and Larson will ever return, I don't think the show is in for a bright future....

Wasn't Larson the same person who delivered the pony princess you all hated so much? And yet here you are essentially praising him. The fact that there is more focus on EG4 and the 2017 movie is obviously going to have an effect on the actual show.

 

And BTW, Stephen H. leaving has close to little to do with Spongebob declining in quality. Paul Tibbit, the guy responsible for many classics of the show, becoming executive producer didn't save it. No, it was Nick wanting to hip the show up and try to make it gross-out.

[GeekySonic 1,150]

Wasn't Larson the same person who delivered the pony princess you all hated so much? And yet here you are essentially praising him.

Larson has been my favorite since I first started watching the show. And I loved Magical Mystery Cure. Not speaking for anyone else, I happened to join the fandom in 2014. Just saying.

[Megas 27,064]

Wasn't Larson the same person who delivered the pony princess you all hated so much? And yet here you are essentially praising him. The fact that there is more focus on EG4 and the 2017 movie is obviously going to have an effect on the actual show.

Larson still delivered plenty of great post-MMC episodes

[Dark Qiviut 22,173]

Wasn't Larson the same person who delivered the pony princess you all hated so much? And yet here you are essentially praising him.

 

Larson has been my favorite since I first started watching the show. And I loved Magical Mystery Cure. Not speaking for anyone else, I happened to join the fandom in 2014. Just saying.

The MMC that aired and the MMC he wrote are night-and-day. The MMC he wrote had Pandora's Box instead of Star Swirl's incomplete spell. Celestia warned Twilight not to open it. Curiously, Twilight opened the Box, causing gigantic problems that were said to be irreversible. But she found a way to write a spell to reverse the Pandora's Box effect, earning her princess title. The pressure of fixing what was originally a permanent problem makes her earning her royalty far more rewarding than completing a spell.

 

Secondly, Larson wanted the finale to be two parts, because the scope of the finale and result would be too much to cram into one.

 

Thirdly, after returning from season three, he co-wrote The Cutie Map and wrote both Slice of Life and Amending Fences. All three are objectively good.

 

And BTW, Stephen H. leaving has close to little to do with Spongebob declining in quality.

I completely disagree. With Hillenburg at the helm, he had executive decisions into determining what was written. With him gone, the show slowly declined, the fruits exposing in season five. Since he returned, Spongebob improved significantly.

Edited August 14, 2016 by Dark Qiviut

[Thrond 3,257]

Um, yes?

 

Or at the very least, I thought that season 6 would have more of a purpose than to regress our main characters and throw pointless gimmicks at us. 

 

We've had Rarity open a new boutique and Dash finally get into the Wonderbolts (though it came with a highly disappointing episode), and apart from that, the mane six have barely accomplished anything this season. And even more surprising, the CMC aren't really going anywhere themselves, as they've already had an episode which easily could have aired before they had cutie marks. 

 

And hell, for all the drama surrounding Starlight, barely anything is being done with her either. So ultimately, what's the point of this season? 

 

I'm certainly not satisfied in seeing the mane six flounder and learn lessons that they already learned several seasons ago. 

...did we not watch the same seasons 4 and 5? I might be satisfied with the show merely being good most of the time, as opposed to the frequently awful previous two seasons, but I have no idea where people are coming from when they think that the mane six floundering is something new. If you don't like this season, whatever, but I'm utterly confounded about how this season is any more stagnant than the previous couple. 

objectively good.

Stop saying that. No work of art or entertainment is "objectively good," because how good an item is depends a lot on the viewer. For example, you cite "Amending Fences," an episode which I consider to be deeply flawed to the point that I respect it way more than I enjoy it. You can make arguments as to why you think that episode is "good," but that's not necessarily going to make it work more for me, and to insist on things being "objectively" good or bad just sounds smug. 

[Dark Qiviut 22,173]

The only writer I know of working on the movie is Meghan.

There are two others.

1. Rita Hsiao. She was one of the writers for both Toy Story 2 and Mulan.
2. Someone from one of the Ice Age movies, but he apparently had almost no impact in the film.

 

 

Stop saying that.

Never happening. I don't think Amending Fences is good. I know Amending Fences is good.

[Ziggy + Angel + Rain 11,298]

 

 

objectively good

 

 

Stop saying that. No work of art or entertainment is "objectively good,"

 

 

Never happening. I don't think Amending Fences is good. I know Amending Fences is good.

Proof positive that DQ doesn't know what the hell the word "objectively" means.  What you know, DQ, is what your opinion of that episode is.  No one was telling you to stop expressing your approval of that episode; they were telling you to stop abusing and misusing the word "objectively."  Your opinion is not fact or beyond challenge.  The moment anyone DIDN'T like that episode was the moment that it became, at best, subjectively good.

 

Subjectively.  Subjectively is the word you want.  Your opinion is not > everyone else's; it has just about the same worth - or lack thereof - as anyone else's opinion.

[Thrond 3,257]

Never happening. I don't think Amending Fences is good. I know Amending Fences is good.

No, you know that you think Amending Fences is good. There's a difference, and your opinion doesn't trump everyone else's, no matter how highly you may think of yourself. 

[Platinum Sonnet 88]

TBH, I was very disappointed after watching the first two episodes of S6. I mean, I enjoyed the main adventure of saving the Crystal Empire, but I cannot stand how they made Starlight Glimmer a main part of the season. I miss the old villains, where it took them a long time to redeem themselves from their evil ways (Nightmare Moon, Discord, ect.), or never redeem themselves at all (Chrysalis, Sombra, ect.). I'm tired of the whole "Sunset Shimmer" trope that's being used in the show now. How almost every new villain becomes good literally minutes after learning about the Magic of Friendship. Sure, I know the whole "love and tolerate" thing means to accept everybody even when they screw up; which can be a good lesson for the younger audience of the show. But if someone tries to kill, or really screws up, sometimes it is best if they are not forgiven right away (or at all, in some cases). After all, it sure took the Mane 6 a while to trust Discord after his shenanigans; and I wish we could go back to that. It's okay to be skeptical of someone who has hurt you before.

 

Sorry for the rant.... :/

 

TL;DR: S6 is okay, but Starlight should not have become Twi's student.

 

 

EDIT: A very kind pony pointed out some flaws in this ^ post.   So I've decided to reiterate my feelings about S6. I'm alright with season six so far, I'm just not too happy that Twilight took Starlight under her wing (haha get it? Wing? Because she's an alicorn? Hahahahahahahaha.... Kill me ;-; ). Anyways, I was never a fan of Starlight as a character, even when she was first introduced. She kinda reminded me of a discount Sunset... So maybe it's just my own personal dislike for her; but I really hope that she'll grow on me as the season goes on. If we get more episodes like E6, I feel like I'll come to love her just as much as every other pony.

Edited August 14, 2016 by Platinum Sonnet

[Cleverclover 1,525]

..did we not watch the same seasons 4 and 5? I might be satisfied with the show merely being good most of the time, as opposed to the frequently awful previous two seasons, but I have no idea where people are coming from when they think that the mane six floundering is something new. If you don't like this season, whatever, but I'm utterly confounded about how this season is any more stagnant than the previous couple. 

 

Seasons 4 and 5 still had the mane six learning relevant lessons or otherwise doing things that progressed them as characters. I'll admit there were exceptions. For instance, I didn't like Fluttershy's characterization in Scare Master after showing so much competence earlier in the season, and I also didn't like Twilight's hubris in What About Discord, but these were still two episodes in which they learned lessons they hadn't learned before. 

 

As for season 6, we have both the post-marked CMC, and Starlight learning lessons as Twilight's student as two avenues by which this season can show our characters progressing. And yet, how has season 6 treated these two developments? Starlight is such a no-show at this point that I'm entirely curious as to why she even joined the cast in the first place, and the post-marked CMC have barely made even a dent in their new arc and remain in almost the exact same place they were before they got their cutie marks. 

 

On top of that, what are we getting instead? Episodes that regress the mane six's development. 28 Pranks Later featured a Rainbow Dash that hasn't been seen since season 2, and Spice Up Your Life featured a Rarity whose beliefs and values were the exact opposite of what they were in last season's Canterlot Boutique. Oh, but it's okay! Because this season has lots of gimmicks like fake zombies, and that's what I really want instead of meaningful character development!

 

This is why season 6 feels so damn pointless to me. If this season is going to ignore the new developments that it has and instead only endeavor to take the mane six back instead of forward, then why the hell was it even made? 

Edited August 14, 2016 by Cleverclover