S06:E18 - Buckball Season

[Foliha 395]

Another fun, entertaining and Starlight-free episode.  Snails was a hoot, and Flutters and Pinkie were fun together.  Never been much of a sports-fan because of the type of pressure and kill-kill-kill attitude Dash was showing.  But winning the game felt good when it was about having a good time doing it.

[Sparklefan1234 169,729]

I thought it was ok.

 

not good, not bad.

 

Just ok.

Edited September 3, 2016 by Sparklefan1234

[GeekySonic 1,150]

I have to be honest, I wasn't feeling it for this episode. It wasn't bad by any means, I just don't really care for it. I dunno.

 

Anyway, one thing I noticed, were the ponies on Braeburn's team from the Hoofields and McColts episode? They looked kinda familiar. Sorry if it's just wildly obvious to everyone else, but I never re-watched that episode.

 

Also, was Snails singing to the tune of the Follow the Leader song from Peter Pan near the beginning? Sounded like it to me.

Edited September 3, 2016 by GeekySonic

[weesh 690]

Would you guys have been fine if they had lost?
 

I certainly would have.  The mane 6 don't always have to win. 

It could have been amazing to deal with the consequences of a loss.  

 

It could have still been an encouraging and interesting end.  I'm pretty sure that fluttershy and pinkie wouldn't have been shunned by ponyville for losing a match!

[GeekySonic 1,150]

Would you guys have been fine if they had lost?

 

I certainly would have.  The mane 6 don't always have to win. 

It could have been amazing to deal with the consequences of a loss.  

 

It could have still been an encouraging and interesting end.  I'm pretty sure that fluttershy and pinkie wouldn't have been shunned by ponyville for losing a match!

Not with the way it was set up. I don't really know how to explain it, but it was rather predictable. I knew they were going to win. If the episode was set up in a way that the moral was "it doesn't matter if you lose, as long as you have fun", I definitely would have liked it a lot more.

[Choros Isorropai 409]

is it just me or is pinkie pies "cheer leader pompom" hair really cute!

and does anyone think bulk biceps has a potential "close friend" with that other pony from appaloosa side?

they look like they were made for each other...lol

[BlackWater627 700]

Would you guys have been fine if they had lost?

 

I certainly would have.  The mane 6 don't always have to win. 

It could have been amazing to deal with the consequences of a loss.  

 

It could have still been an encouraging and interesting end.  I'm pretty sure that fluttershy and pinkie wouldn't have been shunned by ponyville for losing a match!

I would have been fine with it, yes. I think there could be great lessons there too. 

 

Also, I think it's really hard to give the "fun is more important" lesson when it comes to competitive games. It's easy with cooperative games but if some people are considered winners and some losers than there's always the counterarguments. i.e. "You just say having fun is the more important because you lost (self consolation)" or "You just say having fun is the more important because you won and aren't feeling the loss (no empathy)". I'm not saying these things are right but they do lurk in people's minds and muddy the lesson. 

[Dynamo Pad 11,259]

I found this episode to be really amazing and enjoyable. Buckball is a pretty interesting sport, but I still don't know what sport they are referencing. I feel it's a mix between Basketball and Quidditch. It was interesting seeing Snails be involved in this episode. It was also pretty cool he was pretty good at the game as well. Flutters and Pinkie were awesome in this episode and I found it funny how they were playing Buckball. I really enjoyed how Flutters was yelling at Rainbow and Applejack and showing some backbone. I liked the moral of the episode and showing that while winning is one thing, having fun is what mostly matters. All in all, I really liked this episode and I can't wait to see what's coming out next in this season. 

Edited September 3, 2016 by Dynamo Pad

[weesh 690]

Not with the way it was set up. I don't really know how to explain it, but it was rather predictable. I knew they were going to win. If the episode was set up in a way that the moral was "it doesn't matter if you lose, as long as you have fun", I definitely would have liked it a lot more.

 

The way it was setup made it predictable, yes, but that doesn't mean they can't subvert our expectations from time to time.  in "fall weather friends", they subverted our expectations by causing a mutual loss.   

Also, I think it's really hard to give the "fun is more important" lesson when it comes to competitive games. It's easy with cooperative games but if some people are considered winners and some losers than there's always the counterarguments. i.e. "You just say having fun is the more important because you lost (self consolation)" or "You just say having fun is the more important because you won and aren't feeling the loss (no empathy)". I'm not saying these things are right but they do lurk in people's minds and muddy the lesson.  

 

Well Said.  its a tough balance.  But rainbow could have affirmed their performance with something like "wow, I couldn't have made half of those saves", which would have affirmed the hard work and skill without saying "the game doesn't matter, only fun matters."

[StitchandMLPlover 930]

SPOILER ALERT! I liked this one. It didn't grab me as much as some other episodes but it was still good and paced very well by this new writer. I liked seeing a new pony sport, particularly one in which all 3 pony races can play on one team. It reminded me of the Paralympics because pony society has differences in physical ability. It made me wonder why we did not see games like this in the Equestria Games but oh well. It was nice to see Fluttershy get involved like she did in the Equestria Games. I suppose her stage fright is more performance based so she is okay with playing sports. I liked that Snails is shown to have good magic skills as it provides backstory as to why he was fascinated by Trixie doing magic in season 1. It was nice to see Rainbow Dash be positive and encouraging when Fluttershy and Pinkie are shown to be better players instead of having her be jealous and a show off. It shows good character development in that she is being loyal to Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie while she and Applejack still have the flawed tendency to get too competitive. The only scene that seemed maybe a bit off was when Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy confronted Rainbow Dash and Applejack on the train and Pinkie Pie was crying while Fluttershy was mad. If I had written the episode the emotions would have been on the reverse character but maybe the new writer was trying to show growth in Fluttershy by having her not break down crying which would be a rather good idea. To the people who might wonder why Twilight was not asked to help, I asked myself the same question and my theory is that because she had both a horn and wings ponies in sports have no way of classifying her role unless we find out the other princesses play sports, because it seems no sports are designed with Alicorns in mind yet. 

[cider float 2,537]

How many times is Rainbow Dash coming out? This episode attempted to stuff all the characters that weren't getting an episode like Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Fluttershy. Well Buckball finally some kind of sport for MLP is canon now.

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 41,309]

Snails actually had a decent purpose for once. That it is actually kinda immense. Sure, he was still sorta dumb but he apparently is the zen at Buckball.

 

This episode did start out good, I liked the concept and Flutters being awesome with Pinkie was actually pretty cool. Then Rainbow and AJ started to 'pressure' them and it felt like Cart before the Ponies all over again. Applejack and Rainbow apparently forgot all about how they nearly ruined the cart race for the CMC's and now, they almost ruined this game for Pinkie and Flutters. I guess it boils down to their immensely competitive spirit but it still just felt a tad tiring.

 

I do like how it goes into the whole 'being pressured isn't exactly fun' thing, as that can ring very true, especially since this society does a wonderful job at pressuring people all the damn time.

 

So I ended up enjoying this one more than Cart, it had more humor and more positive characteristics but it still fell victim to Rainbow and AJ being idiots, though this was a tad more justified,  I guess. So, this was a decent episode overall, enjoyable, but definitely flawed in parts.

[Fluttershyfan94 5,742]

I liked how chill Snail was, he was a total bro and also that Fluttershy's breakdown how often have I had those when being pressured like that. So yeah I feel like it was pretty good, especially with the whole pressuring it may work for some but not everyone in my case, it does not. Though yeah, I liked it pretty good and really dislike pressuring I do so much better without pressure I'm like Snails. Just chill and don't think about it too much. You know, things will turn out alright you aren't helping by pressuring someone unless that does help that individual. We're all different you know. 

[bluseymoe 258]

I saw nothing wrong with the way AJ and RD acted in this episode. They behaved the way any good coach would.

 

You play to win the game. Period. Step it up or go home.

[PuppyKit 12]

0.0!!!

 

Snails was actually a cute and interesting character in this! And Snips is no where to be seen!

 

It's a sign of the apocalypse I tell you!

[weesh 690]

I saw nothing wrong with the way AJ and RD acted in this episode. They behaved the way any good coach would.

 

You play to win the game. Period. Step it up or go home.

 

Good coaches know not to give their players emotional breakdowns the day before a competition.

Good coaches use training that improve fundamental skills rather than making up shitty drills that don't help.  

Good coaches don't slam their players faces in their failures.

Good coaches listen, and are aware of how their players are doing.

Good coaches don't make their players doubt their own confidence.  

Good coaches teach players to focus on their game, rather than all the pressure that the coach has manufactured. 

 

Rainbow was an especially bad coach.  she forced Fluttershy to go through obstacles faster than was possible for her, without starting at a doable difficulty and working their way upwards.  Obstacle avoidance is not a useful fundamental skill for a goalie.  

 

That said, being a good coach is not about being a friend, and it isn't about babying players, and it isn't about letting them get away with stuff.

If the purpose really is to win, there are good and challenging drills that could have been used to help out.  Applejack and Rainbow's execution of their coaching was flawed in philosophy, and in execution.  

Sure, he was still sorta dumb but he apparently is the zen at Buckball.

 

it was very interesting that he was divorced from the conflict of the other two.  

It really frames the problem.  A kind of acknowledgement that we see similar things from different angles.

Edited September 3, 2016 by weesh

[Foxy Socks 2,599]

Omg Fluttershy's tail catching and spinning is so cute! I really liked the episode, though I was a but distracted watching it ao I will have to watch it again, but I likes it, despite how RD and AJ acted. They were just wanting what is best for Flutter and Pinkie. 

Edited September 3, 2016 by Namae

[Soaring Symphony 372]

Didn't they already do this exact same moral back in Hurricane Fluttershy?

[BlackWater627 700]

 

 

I liked that Snails is shown to have good magic skills as it provides backstory as to why he was fascinated by Trixie doing magic in season 1

Ya know you bring up an interesting point. I wonder if Snails did a lot of magic practice since that episode and that's why he's gotten so much better. Back in that first Trixie episode, he had trouble just using a simple horn light. Then again, it has been implied to be years past in Equestria at this point. :idea:  

[Midnight Seashell 206]

There's nothing more frustrating than doing sports while being yelled at by your coach,granted they want you to improve and perform well but all that pressure is really hard to deal with.Also the pony expressions are getting more and more out of this world (in a good way) and I was not expecting a female Bulk Biceps.

Edited September 3, 2016 by Midnight Seashell

[snowflame 189]

Wow this episode had none of the flaws Cart Before Ponies had. It was so simple episode yet I enjoyed it so much, one of my favorites this season honestly at the moment but maybe I will rethink this after a while, it is not like it was groundbreaking. Maybe it was because I did not have much expectations since sport episode are rarely great imo and this season has had many dissapointments for me. I used to be an athlete and I kind old had similar issues too so a good message for kids.

 

I loved Flutthershy and Pinkie interacting here, where is their own episode!? This was close but not quite that and they have such a good chemistry ikea knew they would! But I liked these four interacting too, haven't had that before and it worked great. I do not recall much Pinkie/Applejack either in any episode...

 

Great that Fluttershy, Pinkie and Snips particularly got some hidden talent and development. Snips and Snails are bit unfairly hated even if I can understand it so nice to see him used in a interesting manner. Everyone was truly shining here. Nice to see Braeburn and many new pony designs, such as the pegasus lady, even if so cameo by Troublehooves or someone else from Appaloosa in the background would have been nice but maybe I just missed them.

 

So I had fun!

[bluseymoe 258]

Also, walking out on your team is inexcuseable, so Fluttershy and Pinkie lose respect for that.

Edited September 3, 2016 by bluseymoe

[snowflame 189]

Didn't they already do this exact same moral back in Hurricane Fluttershy?

 

It was about confidence, keeping on trying and that even smallest contributions can count so you and everyone else should and faith in you and appreciate you no matter what.

 

This was about pressure and what it can do to you and how people are not the same and function their best in different ways, that one is more similar to Testing, Testing 123. And that you should remember to have fun during games.

 

Omg Fluttershy's tail catching and spinning is so cute! I really liked the episode, though I was a but distracted watching it ao I will have to watch it again, but I likes it, despite how RD and AJ acted. They were just wanting what is best for Flutter and Pinkie. 

 

She was very endearing here and finally she had a great supporting performance in this season. Well there was the last episode but you expected that with Discord episode. And RD and AJ acted here much better than in Cart Before The Ponies, maybe they learned something.

[Cleverclover 1,526]

 

 

Rainbow was an especially bad coach.

 

Still not worse than she was in The Cart Before The Ponies. Same with Applejack, for that matter. 

[Ashen Pathfinder 16,161]

Also, walking out on your team is inexcuseable, so Fluttershy and Pinkie lose respect for that.

 

 

Disagreed; sometimes there comes a time when human emotion is only going to take so much, and if the coaches are being a bit too much, it's hard for me to blame them.