spoiler Spike's characterization improvement following Princess Spike

[Dark Qiviut 22,582]

Warning: Spoilers for The Times They Are a Changeling. Read at your own risk.

 

---

 

A really big weakness in the first four-plus seasons was Spike's characterization. Examples include turning him into an unfunny victim of comedy "because Spikabuse is so funny"; derailing him into an greedy, dumb, and/or antagonistic shell of himself; shifting (all of) the blame to him; and being the star of some awful episodes when he's really good. When he's good, it's normally when he's a secondary character. Pre-S6, his best roles were Lesson Zero and EQG1. Yet, when he's the star, something happens for reasons I don't know. It's like they didn't know what to do with him and write an episode while tagging his name on the paper. Examples include:

1. Owl's Well: Make Spike feel jealous even though he has very good reasons to believe he's being replaced.
2. Dragon Quest: His best characterization as a mane character, yet it fails for unfortunate implications and usage of horrible stereotypes.
3. Spike at Your Service: Disregarding past continuity to make him incapable of doing the simplest jobs.
4. Equestria Games: Halfway through, he turns into an idiot.
5. Princess Spike: The quintessential awful Spike episode. Blatant contrivances, idiot!Spike, Spike's greed blamed for the problems when it's a non sequitur, and an ending with major sexist implications. If there was an episode where I'd say the show jumped the shark, this was it.

But ever since Princess Spike, his characterization significantly improved in a few ways:

1. Characterization consistency. There's been one or two episodes where he was hit with the buttmonkey status, notably in Newbie Dash as the tertiary comic relief. Other than that, there's been way more effort into giving him the treatment he deserves. Amending Fences and The Cutie Re-Mark in season five are two obvious examples. But season six is the most obvious. I'll get to that point in a bit.
2. He actually feels like a character. The Mane Six are all very likable, well-rounded, believable, and relatable. Unfortunately, Spike was the odd one out with the most inconsistency of the seven (now eight with Starlight). Today, his best qualities are not only brought to the forefront. Now he has flaws that make sense. It's like they take the best of Spike (A Dog & Pony Show, Lesson Zero, Dragon Quest, EQG1 & RR, Simple Ways, and Castle Sweet Castle) and develop him through there.
3. The roles given to him feel like he belongs. He spoke not much in Amending Fences, but he has reason to be there, and his role in giving Moondancer the picture in the frame brought that hanging plot closure. In The Crystalling, he and Starlight began a really good friendship; they understand each other and want to make things right. Spike wants to fulfill Twilight's mission of Starlight understanding the Magic of Friendship, while Starlight wants to patch things up with Sunburst. In the end, they figure out their way of solving her friendship problem.
   
   But then come his two episodes, Gauntlet of Fire and The Times They Are a Changeling.
   
   GoF reopened a hanging plot from DQ, and Lewis and Songco provided some level of closure. Not all dragons are sexist bullies. He regains respect for his race and understands them more. Ember is an excellent character. By winning the gauntlet and passing the scepter to Ember, he gains an ally in the Dragon Kingdom. It's his best strengths-focused characterization.
   
   Times gives us his most balanced characterization yet: flawed and prone to making mistakes without making him OOC, very responsible, and willing to sacrifice his reputation to do what he believes is right. Him befriending a race with a notorious history is something he can relate to. Thorax wants to understand the Magic of Friendship, and Spike bridges the gap to help him. Character development from past episodes sticks, and both episodes are for the better. This is his Wonderbolts Academy. Here's my mini-review for it.

I don't have any idea why that's the case. I have two theories:

1. Complaints of his characterization in seasons three and four impacts the rest of season five and this season. As written before, his low-quality episodes have always been a very sore spot for FIM. Following Equestria Games (which was sharply criticized for many reasons, one being Spike's characterization), DHX went back to take a look at what they can do better for him. Unfortunately, Princess Spike was too far in development to make changes, but they seem like they realize they can write him better. Since PS, DHX has put more and more effort into his character, and my theory is the criticisms helped give Spike some much-needed direction.
2. Josh Haber becomes the editor for season six: Aside from McCarthy, he gets Spike. He writes Spike better than almost anyone on the team, and him being there gives the writers a direction for the little dragon. Haber becoming the editor might be the best thing to happen to Spike.

Regardless how you feel about season six, there's one thing it does so well: Spike is getting the treatment he rightfully deserves. I don't know if DHX'll return to their old habits, but if they continue this current treatment, it'll be easily his best season yet.

 

What do you think of Spike's characterization post-Princess Spike? Have you, too, noticed improvement? What theories can you come up for his characterization turnaround?

[Guest90210 3,569]

Spike was one my favorite characters from the first scene I ever saw of FiM (Bridle Gossip, Twilight & Spike walking into town), so to see him growing into a stronger character is awesome to see. I've always been somewhat lenient when it comes to criticizing the way he was written previously. In fact, I quite enjoyed his antics in episodes like Just for Sidekicks and Spike at Your Service. For as much as I liked his humor, and perceived greed, admittedly it was starting to get old. There's more to Spike than greedily wanting gems, and slapstick humor.

 

My thought is that perhaps DHX is finally treating Spike as a legitimate member of the main cast (Mane 8) rather than a "sidekick". For the first few seasons, Spike was emphasized as "Twilight's assistant" rather than his own character. They often tied Twilight into Spike's stories, possibly because they didn't feel he could carry an episode or that people wouldn't find him as interesting as the rest of the Mane cast.

 

However, the community has reacted very positively when Spike is written well, and his episode's quality usually reflects his characterization. He has finally been written well enough consistently to outgrow his old shell as a "sidekick", and shape into a determined, independent character. He's being written more in places where he fits rather than just being thrown into an episode for comedic relief, or for no apparent reason at all. Let's hope this trend continues.

Edited August 21, 2016 by Rivendare

[FlareGun45 2,221]

I'm loving all the improvements Spike had this season! It's a dream come true! I'm LOVING it!

 

We still have another Spike episode next week with Discord; and judging by all the clues, he might have something major in the finale!

[Smitty1038 53]

Warning: Spoilers for The Times They Are a Changeling. Read at your own risk.

 

---

 

A really big weakness in the first four-plus seasons was Spike's characterization. Examples include turning him into an unfunny victim of comedy "because Spikabuse is so funny"; derailing him into an greedy, dumb, and/or antagonistic shell of himself; shifting (all of) the blame to him; and being the star of some awful episodes when he's really good. When he's good, it's normally when he's a secondary character. Pre-S6, his best roles were Lesson Zero and EQG1. Yet, when he's the star, something happens for reasons I don't know. It's like they didn't know what to do with him and write an episode while tagging his name on the paper. Examples include:

 

• Owl's Well: Make Spike feel jealous even though he has very good reasons to believe he's being replaced.
• Dragon Quest: His best characterization as a mane character, yet it fails for unfortunate implications and usage of horrible stereotypes.
• Spike at Your Service: Disregarding past continuity to make him incapable of doing the simplest jobs.
• Equestria Games: Halfway through, he turns into an idiot.
• Princess Spike: The quintessential awful Spike episode. Blatant contrivances, idiot!Spike, Spike's greed blamed for the problems when it's a non sequitur, and an ending with major sexist implications. If there was an episode where I'd say the show jumped the shark, this was it.

But ever since Princess Spike, his characterization significantly improved in a few ways:

• Characterization consistency. There's been one or two episodes where he was hit with the buttmonkey status, notably in Newbie Dash as the tertiary comic relief. Other than that, there's been way more effort into giving him the treatment he deserves. Amending Fences and The Cutie Re-Mark in season five are two obvious examples. But season six is the most obvious. I'll get to that point in a bit.
• He actually feels like a character. The Mane Six are all very likable, well-rounded, believable, and relatable. Unfortunately, Spike was the odd one out with the most inconsistency of the seven (now eight with Starlight). Today, his best qualities are not only brought to the forefront. Now he has flaws that make sense. It's like they take the best of Spike (A Dog & Pony Show, Lesson Zero, Dragon Quest, EQG1 & RR, Simple Ways, and Castle Sweet Castle) and develop him through there.
• The roles given to him feel like he belongs. He spoke not much in Amending Fences, but he has reason to be there, and his role in giving Moondancer the picture in the frame brought that hanging plot closure. In The Crystalling, he and Starlight began a really good friendship; they understand each other and want to make things right. Spike wants to fulfill Twilight's mission of Starlight understanding the Magic of Friendship, while Starlight wants to patch things up with Sunburst. In the end, they figure out their way of solving her friendship problem.

  But then come his two episodes, Gauntlet of Fire and The Times They Are a Changeling.

  GoF reopened a hanging plot from DQ, and Lewis and Songco provided some level of closure. Not all dragons are sexist bullies. He regains respect for his race and understands them more. Ember is an excellent character. By winning the gauntlet and passing the scepter to Ember, he gains an ally in the Dragon Kingdom. It's his best strengths-focused characterization.

  Times gives us his most balanced characterization yet: flawed and prone to making mistakes without making him OOC, very responsible, and willing to sacrifice his reputation to do what he believes is right. Him befriending a race with a notorious history is something he can relate to. Thorax wants to understand the Magic of Friendship, and Spike bridges the gap to help him. Character development from past episodes sticks, and both episodes are for the better. This is his Wonderbolts Academy. Here's my mini-review for it.

I don't have any idea why that's the case. I have two theories:

• Complaints of his characterization in seasons three and four impacts the rest of season five and this season. As written before, his low-quality episodes have always been a very sore spot for FIM. Following Equestria Games (which was sharply criticized for many reasons, one being Spike's characterization), DHX went back to take a look at what they can do better for him. Unfortunately, Princess Spike was too far in development to make changes, but they seem like they realize they can write him better. Since PS, DHX has put more and more effort into his character, and my theory is the criticisms helped give Spike some much-needed direction.
• Josh Haber becomes the editor for season six: Aside from McCarthy, he gets Spike. He writes Spike better than almost anyone on the team, and him being there gives the writers a direction for the little dragon. Haber becoming the editor might be the best thing to happen to Spike.

Regardless how you feel about season six, there's one thing it does so well: Spike is getting the treatment he rightfully deserves. I don't know if DHX'll return to their old habits, but if they continue this current treatment, it'll be easily his best season yet.

 

What do you think of Spike's characterization post-Princess Spike? Have you, too, noticed improvement? What theories can you come up for his characterization turnaround?

You left out "Secret of My Excrss", which I thought was a good Spike episode. I hated "Dragon Quest" because it was a golden opportunity for thr writers to finally intoduce us to Spike's parents. I hated "Equestria Games" brcause all of the build-up for the Equestria Games was wasted.

 

But, yeah, I am absolutely in love with the way Spike's character has been handled this season, and I really hope they stay on this path. "Equestria Games" and his being useless in "PrincessTwilight Sparkle" aside, I don't recall really having any problems with Spike's character in season four. If they do continue to uss Spike, I hope they include him with Starlight, because these two have great chemistry. I also lobed all of the subtle hints they threw in the episode "The Times They are a Changeling." "Gauntlet of Fire" was okay, but "Times" is definitely my favorite Spike episode.

[Wind Chaser 4,768]

It's ironic that this positive 180 happened for Spike in this season after his development struggled for most of the show and definitely stagnated in the past two seasons. The Mane 6 have hit most of their goals already and their development seems to have hit a ceiling where it seems that giving them Season 1-level plotlines is the only way to keep them going. While the simplicity of the Mane 6 plotlines themselves is not the issue, the softballing of characters that have grown more mature in 5 seasons is the issue.

 

Meanwhile, the two seasons that he seemed to have gone really soft gave Spike more room for the writers to work with for this season. They can do a different brand of moral with him and still make it feel like he's learning something new, rather than re-learning. His lack of previous growth has, in an odd way, become a strength for this season to build off of and it even makes the bad episodes he endured well worth it. Even if he couldn't get a break in "Princess Spike", he still developed a certain kind of confidence as a leader in Twilight's absence that carried over into "The Crystalling", just as "Dragon Quest" lent a lot of continuity to "Gauntlet of Fire".

 

Spike is definitely a surprising high point of this season. If the show were to end after this season, at least we can say for sure we finally got our good Spike episodes. It was worth the wait to see Spike as one of the high points of the show for once, rather than an asterisk.

Edited August 21, 2016 by Wind Chaser

[Brainstorm 4,123]

I'm just glad that Spike's character is improving. To show he's just as important as the Main Six.

[FizzyGreen 909]

Yes, i have noticed, too, that Spike has been acting so terribly out of character, when he was the main character.

 

In amending fences, he felt right again. I was like "Ah yes! THAT is spike!" but in other episodes like princess spike i was unsure just like in the other ones. I see his character developing, while being second character and learning from twilight by observing.

 

But it is still the same old story, pointing out flaws in a character, making him act out of character, and then making him realise something at the end like rainbow dash in 28 pranks later, doesn't work as good. It's reverse character development for me.

Making a character do a mistake in an episode and making him IMMEDIATELY realise, that he made one, and then making him fix that mistake works much better.

 

Because it shows, that the character himself, knows, that what he did was wrong. And it makes him shine, by fixing that mistake and doing the right thing. All by himself.

 

Just like Spike in the last episode.

[cmarston1 5,962]

I guess we can say that Spike is the real MVP of season 6 of MLP.

[ManaMinori 4,149]

I love that he's finally getting the respect he deserves. *sheds a tear*

Now if only I could say the same for his merchandise

[Truffles 2,033]

Regardless how you feel about season six, there's one thing it does so well: Spike is getting the treatment he rightfully deserves. I don't know if DHX'll return to their old habits, but if they continue this current treatment, it'll be easily his best season yet.

 

What do you think of Spike's characterization post-Princess Spike? Have you, too, noticed improvement? What theories can you come up for his characterization turnaround?

 

I noticed the improvement after the Season 5 hiatus ended. Before that, Spike was severely inconsistent or he basically became a background pony: Even as far back as Season 4, he pretty much stopped being the voice of reason between "Power Ponies" and "Inspiration Manifestation", aside from his memorable fourth wall-breaking look to the audience in "Simple Ways".

 

Then we got to season 5 and the background status continued until we got "rewarded" with "Princess Spike", which we don't have to speak of again. =P  It wasn't until "Amending Fences" when he finally reacquired his "voice of reason" status, but then he seemed to get forgotten again until the finale.

 

Even though he was backgrounded through most of Season 5, the reason I say things still improved for him post-hiatus is because before that, I always felt like his friends took him for granted - like he wasn't an important member of the team. We were more likely to hear some pony scolding him or ordering him a round rather than treating him like one of their friends. Post hiatus, I felt like even in the brief scenes we did see of him, they showed us they still love him, something we hadn't seen much of since Season 2. "Hearthbreakers", and "Scaremaster" immediately come to mind as examples of this.

 

As for Season 6, I can't complain, really. You're right about that suitcase scene in "Newbie Dash" - ugh. But for the most part, he's been respected by his friends and been a useful contributor to solving the problems of the episodes he's been in. It would be nice to have him appear more often - it was difficult coming off this hiatus and having to wait until "28 Pranks Later" to even get our first glimpse of the scaly purple one in over two months, and even that was a non-speaking role.

 

As for why, I think it can be assumed the showrunners got together and listened to the fans. I don't know when they staged the intervention, though I would like to think the tipping point was "Princess Spike", because then that episode would at least have some usefulness in that it got everyone on the same page for this special dragon.

 

It's funny/sad, because while Spike is now getting fixed up and is the character with all the unfinished plot threads to explore, the Mane 6 have now become like he was in earlier seasons - drifting aimlessly and being written inconsistently as a result because they've finished all their arcs and the writers don't know what to do with them. In fact, the situation is so similar it's uncanny.

[Thrond 3,271]

I've actually tended to enjoy Spike episodes in the past even in spite of their faults, but I do have to agree that it's nice to see the show allowing Spike some opportunities to showcase his best side. I empathised with him in "Owl's Well That Ends Well" and "Equestria Games," and while he acts poorly in the former, I feel both episodes give him a level of believable depth. 

 

 

1. Owl's Well: Make Spike feel jealous even though he has very good reasons to believe he's being replaced.

The thing about this is that Spike is a person, and Twilight obviously cares about him. Sure, he wasn't even incorrect to assume that Owlicious was replacing some of his tasks, but the idea that Twilight could replace him entirely is altogether too absurd to even consider. You cannot replace a friend. What makes it work is that it clearly comes from a place of really caring about his relationship with Twilight, and as silly as his worries and jealousy might be, they're something that Spike - and people in the target audience - might not have come to understand yet. 

 

Spike's episodes in season 3 are the hardest for me to defend, as I merely find them fun in spite of their faults, of which "Spike at Your Service" in particular has many. However, I think his season 4 episodes are solid contenders for his best. "Inspiration Manifestation" gives him meaningful development by having him stand up against Rarity, who at that point he didn't realize was possessed, and as mentioned, I find him very easy to empathise with in "Equestria Games," which I think is a wildly underrated episode. 

 

Of course, it's not as underrated as "Dragon Quest," an episode which I suppose I understand the complaints about - can't really defend the "reject your people" aspect even though it doesn't bother me - but which I both find thoroughly entertaining and nearly perfect in characterization. It's not just Spike that's great here, but Twilight is rock solid, and both Rarity and Rainbow Dash - two of the characters with the best arcs in the show - demonstrate all of their growth here. Both have done away with their egos: Rarity is perfectly willing to get her hooves dirty to protect a friend, and Rainbow Dash displays a fair bit of uncharacteristic modesty. The exclusion of Dash, or any familiar face aside from the most obvious, from "Gauntlet of Fire" was one of the more disappointing parts of that episode for me.

 

I don't really agree with the love that "Gauntlet of Fire" gets. Its characterization is more or less perfect, but it's also sort of boring. Perhaps it merits a re-watch, but I found this episode one of the season's least adventurous, doing a lot of the things which made season 5 such a drag for me. The whole deal of introducing new characters for the main characters to teach has always been pretty boring to me, and when applied to an entire species I've always found it to have slightly questionable implications. Moreover, though, I just didn't think this episode told me anything new about the characters or provided anything particularly unexpected. At least Ember becoming a more pony-friendly dragon lord keeps some  feeling that the show is moving forward, and it's at least somewhat entertaining. 

 

Still, it's better than "Princess Spike," which I don't think deserves its bad rap but which I don't have much nice to say about. My tastes have changed so that I no longer find season 4 kinda boring, but I can't imagine "Princess Spike" being any more exciting now than it was at the time. Just such a half-assed, generic, underwritten story which could be put in nearly any show without much difference. Season 5 often seemed unwilling to take risks where it needed to, but "Princess Spike" didn't even have a story which any risks could be taken with. 

 

"The Times They Are a Changeling" is damn good, though. Takes everything I liked about him in "Equestria Games" (sympathetic personal turmoil), "Inspiration Manifestation" (standing up for himself), and "Gauntlet of Fire" (displaying strong values) and puts them in a blender with all sorts of other great stuff. Easily one of this season's best, if not one of the show's, and I'd be hard-pressed to name a better Spike episode. It's good that they've finally come around to letting him display the strengths we like about him... now, if only they'd let Rainbow Dash do the same. 

 

As for why he's come around like that? Perhaps the writers simply came to the same consensus as many people on this board and realized that Spike needed a lot more in the way of strong, proactive characterization. He's often been reliable for character depth, but he's not had many chances to display his best qualities. I do find the "Spikeabuse" thing funny, in part because at best it's usually out-of-nowhere and at worst it seems the universe arbitrarily decided to pick on him, which to me is hilarious in small doses. Personally, I never disliked Spike's characterization enough to see a huge leap in quality, even with the weakness of "Princess Spike," which I assume is what Spike episodes look like to those who don't like them. To me, it's just more evidence that Spike is one of the more reliably interesting characters in the show. 

[MLPFanatic34 3,241]

I'm glad Spike has improved since the show first started and while his episodes don't seem to be the best, they're well written and develop Spike's character. I honestly enjoy the Spike episodes though. 

[Dark Qiviut 22,582]

The thing about this is that Spike is a person, and Twilight obviously cares about him. Sure, he wasn't even incorrect to assume that Owlicious was replacing some of his tasks, but the idea that Twilight could replace him entirely is altogether too absurd to even consider. You cannot replace a friend. What makes it work is that it clearly comes from a place of really caring about his relationship with Twilight, and as silly as his worries and jealousy might be, they're something that Spike - and people in the target audience - might not have come to understand yet.

 

It makes absolute sense for Spike to believe he'll be eventually replaced. He's not only great at being Twilight's assistant, but also proud of it. He can get things done, and Twilight can with her help. He runs it like clockwork. Then, during the middle of the night, someone else comes in, and he's forced to share duties unannounced. Twilight offers no believable explanation why he's here. Yet, when she does, it's full of shit: Most of the story takes place during the day.

 

Then, during the day, Spike overhears everyone marveling over Owlowiscious. When Rarity gave him that bow, they'd grown to know him over time. The others had never seen Owlowiscious before, and they act like he's just as cool as Spike; she even gave him the same bowtie. When friends who supposedly care about you are this easily impressed by someone who shares the similar job and were just introduced to him, then their praise of Spike comes off as worthless. He has every right to feel angry and jealous.

 

Twilight says she cares about Spike, but OW barely shows it, if not at all. During the outdoor scene, she completely dismisses Spike's jealousy. Yet, when he showed signs of frustration, she was completely oblivious to it. She claims to understand Spike, but does she show that when he needed her most? No. It's her worst characterization in the show.

 

Then, when he's asked to do some tasks, Owlowiscious is able to take care of it very quickly. Meanwhile, he becomes the butt of abusive slapstick. Why "abusive"? He doesn't deserve it.

 

Lastly, Spike is a child. Normally, they're swayed more to emotion and less to logic than adults. At this point in the canon, Spike is no exception. Being TS's assistant is the life he knows best. So, to have half of your job cut away so suddenly implicates to him that his future is expendable. But to treat his jealousy and fear of replacement as a bad thing really hurts the messages this episode tries to convey.

[Guest90210 3,569]

~snip~

 

Exactly. Furthermore, Consider the fact that Twilight has raised Spike since his birth. To Spike, Twilight is more than a friend - she's like a mother to him, the only mother figure he's ever had. She raised him from the moment of his birth. Normally, she would never treat Spike like a replaceable sidekick, then dismiss his sadness as merely a fit of "jealousy". Owl's Well ruins Twilight's characterization by making her seem negligent of Spike's feelings.

 

Think of sibling jealousy - the feeling that a child gets when a new sibling gets more attention than them. Spike feels similarly, but feels it deeper than a sibling would since not only does he feel abandoned by his mother-figure, he also feels abandoned by all his friends. He's justified in feeling upset, for reasons outlined by DQ.

Edited August 30, 2016 by Rivendare

[Thrond 3,271]

Lastly, Spike is a child. Normally, they're swayed more to emotion and less to logic than adults.

Except, that right there is my point. Believing you can just be replaced, not just as an assistant but as a friend, is an immature perspective, as that's just plain not how friendship works. Nothing in that episode needs to be interpreted as Spike being replaced, and therefore, it's silly that he interprets it that way. Sure, Twilight could have been more attentive to Spike's feelings (and I can't say I like her "preachy mode" in that episode) but, *though it was reasonable for Spike to not know this,* he needed to learn that his importance to Twilight wasn't something she could just replace.

[snowflame 189]

What sexist implications Princess Spike had?

 

​That episode had issues but I feel it was not quite as bad as people say, it was great halfway to the episode and then made Spike enjoy things too much and blame everything on him. But there were still things to be enjoyed, not that I am a fan, I just think there is slightly too much hate.

 

So this season is what everyone has been hoping for.

[Dark Qiviut 22,582]

What sexist implications Princess Spike had?

I explained it in my review. C&P'd:

 

 

But despite all the problems, the approach to giving Spike his recognition was really sweet. When he tried to rebuild the statue and failed, all of the delegates united with him. Cadance said it best: No matter how much you play your part, you're as important as everypony else. During the last part of her speech, she looked at Spike sincerely, implying to both him and the audience how important he is to everyone. Even with all the torture porn in this episode, at least he has his moment at the end…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…But this tasteless joke fucking ruins it!

• The imagery is disgusting. It was already painful to see Spike's eyes swell from allergies the first and second time around. The poor dragon suffered enough. Why overwhelm him — and the audience, by extension — by reviving it once the moral is resolved? Damn it, the later the scene, the more the grosser details hurt.
• DHX confirms to the audience how much of a punchline Spike is. Even though the audience can assume he's a constant joke, the resolution gave the audience faint hope that Spike is more than a one-dimensional piñata. That he's as equal a character as the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Instead, the only main male character is relegated to a sideshow who does nothing but get himself into situations where he'll badly screw up.

   

   

  What worsens this implication is how FIM is supposed to be a pro-feminist show. A show with proud, unique qualities that can attract all sorts of demographics. A show that teaches us new techniques of masculinity and femininity without being tied down to sex. The morals are supposed to reach out to people young and old. When the morals are really mature, kids are respected. One of its most important morals is to be yourself. By endlessly punishing Spike and making him suffer long after he learns his lesson, kids are being told how meaningless the show's morals are. Even after you learn your lesson, karma will still bite you back. Spike is a really unique character, as he's the only dragon and male/boy of the main cast, so there's ample opportunity to bring a fresh perspective of Equestrian society. With this scene, DHX tells longtime and first-time watchers that being different means the show can make a complete ass out of you, and you will like it.

My question to you is this: What does this teach children? What does this teach parents of children? For me, being ordinary is the way to live. Sticking out from the crowd and being yourself makes you inaccessible. Having a fresh voice in life invalidates your existence. Say I'm a father of a young kid and want to find a good cartoon show for him/her and me to watch together. If this was my first episode of Friendship Is Magic, I would feel horrified, never let my kid watch the show again, and not recommend it to other people in my inner circle.

 

 

In addition, what does this teach in the name of feminism? Remember, feminism is bringing all genders at an equal level. This scene asks the viewer where Friendship Is Magic stands for as a feminist icon. For me, this scene confirmed a major hit in its credibility. How? Because it implies a return to the status quo for Spike in a rather daring product. As the rest of his friends mature, he's stuck and will have his character reset for the next episode, maybe in another clichéd episode with another clichéd setup with the possibility of characters as stereotypical as the bullies from Dragon Quest, Snips and Snails from Boast Busters, or Tree Hugger from Make Friends But Keep Discord. For he's different in both species and gender, this scene doesn't furnish feminism, but anti-feminism instead. To echo @Wind Chaser and merge his thoughts with mine, the scene and aforementioned episode epitomize hypocrisy in a show that champions individuality and challenges the status quo, two main goals of third-wave feminism. Season five has dared to move in a fresh direction with their characters, plots, and morals. Despite being imperfect, it earns credit for advancing in this path. To suggest a return to the status quo for the only main male character and not even attempt to hide it calls the ethics of FIM's canon and production into question.

 

Ironically, a clip from Slice of Life had Vinyl's bass cannon literally jump over a shark plushie. Because of how flanderized and out of character he is, how much Spike is abused in the episode's canon, Princess Spike's terrible writing quality overall, and how much DHX panders themselves to this complacent pattern, Spike episodes have officially jumped the shark to me. I held out hope that we could have more and more really good Spike episodes. Instead, DHX acts like they don't have a clue how to approach him. Whenever he stars an episode, they tend to pick really unimaginative stories, attach terrible implications, or torture him for the sake of a lazy joke. For a while, this pattern annoyed me. But it hasn't improved. In fact, I argue it's getting worse, for Spike is slowly being reduced into one flat note. Now this pattern disturbs me. As a feminist, Spike's treatment in this show goes against my own morale. Echoing , these episodes are self-fulfilling prophecies. His roles as a secondary character have been rather decent. This season, he was the victim of some slapstick in Castle Sweet Castle, but it was situational, very brief, and it didn't reappear. He meant well, fulfilled his job, and got rewarded. Currently, I have no hope for Spike episodes in the future.

Edited September 3, 2016 by Dark Qiviut