S07:E05 - Fluttershy Leans In

[Flutter's lover <3 8,204]

Finally a Fluttershy focused episode. I fully enjoyed it overall. Although, I have to question Hard Hat's construction abilities...they seem pretty shoddy. Also hated how the 3 of them basically went behind her back to do their own things. Really, she didn't need any of them from the get go. (but then there wouldn't of really been an episode). Pretty glad that Fluttershy has her  "own thing" now like much of the rest of the mane 6 have, it's about time...I mean...7 seasons in? God damned...took them long enough.. I was expecting a song this episode, to hear Fluttershy's beautiful singing voice...but..no...bit disappointing in that...Lotsa opportunity for one too. I hope she gets her own song this season...

Definitely my fave episode of the Season thus far, although I'm highly biased..

 

[PiratePony 8,473]

On 5/7/2017 at 8:51 PM, PathfinderCS said:

the deer present were still non-sentient.

lol. Deers don't have souls.

 

I really enjoyed this one. A nice, cute episode with some good character development on Flutters. 

[Justin_Case001 4,855]

Sorry I'm late.  I was out of town....on a friendship retreat.  Seriously!

This episode was incredible.  I teared up.  In fact, it was so good, I'm not even going to review it.  I'm just going to sit here and enjoy it.  Just absorb it.  This was Pony perfection.  Easily top ten Pony of all time.

I'll just add one little thing--when Flutters said she was enlisting the help of an old friend, I was kinda hoping it was going to be Discord, but Big Daddy McColt was actually a really pleasant surprise, and a great little continuity tie-in.

Pony perfection....

 

[NotoriousSMALL 1,984]

Okay, I haven't finished yet but I'm already a bit... confused

I'm at the part where Fluttershy is talking with the construction guy, but he's acting like he's never heard of an animal sanctuary before. Idk, I guess they're just not a common thing in equestria?

Anyway, I don't see why he has an issue with building something that ISN'T a hospital. What fluttershy is asking for doesn't seem very tough to put together compared to making an entire building. 

[takai 1,060]

This was a strong episode for Fluttershy. She stood her ground against opposition and was able to get what she wanted done. Really shows how far her character has gone.

I can't be the only one who's bummed that the giraffe didn't talk. Honestly that's a whole other topic altogether. If ponies can talk, why not giraffes? If Yaks can (somewhat) talk, why not goats? It's one of things that's difficult to decide when you have a world of talking animals I suppose.

[Dowlphin 459]

12 hours ago, NotoriousSMALL said:

Okay, I haven't finished yet but I'm already a bit... confused

I'm at the part where Fluttershy is talking with the construction guy, but he's acting like he's never heard of an animal sanctuary before. Idk, I guess they're just not a common thing in equestria?

Anyway, I don't see why he has an issue with building something that ISN'T a hospital. What fluttershy is asking for doesn't seem very tough to put together compared to making an entire building. 

As I mentioned in my comment: idiot experts is the theme. The guy is not really an expert in construction, but just has lots of practice in building a very specific structure, a conventional house. He has been told the result is something where animals can live in, so he has trouble getting that in line with a mostly open space.

I have experienced university professors this dense.

34 minutes ago, takai said:

This was a strong episode for Fluttershy. She stood her ground against opposition and was able to get what she wanted done. Really shows how far her character has gone.

I can't be the only one who's bummed that the giraffe didn't talk. Honestly that's a whole other topic altogether. If ponies can talk, why not giraffes? If Yaks can (somewhat) talk, why not goats? It's one of things that's difficult to decide when you have a world of talking animals I suppose.

Magic ;-)

Edited May 10, 2017 by Dowlphin

[Baykush 328]

I’m not sure I can handle these new episodes coming out so fast, normally just one a week is enough for me and I like giving them time to know how I feel about them. Anyway, I watched all 3 I hadn’t watched yesterday, and it’s probably for the better with this episode because while I enjoyed it there just isn’t much to it to think about, there are some great things here and there and some very obvious flaws which I didn’t mind that much, and I want to leave it like that.

 What I liked:

• Fluttershy, she was easily the best element of this episode. She was very confident, she knew when to tell people "no" and did it with authority while still being the kind pony she's always been, and I specially loved the little speeches she gave so full of passion, those were hilarious and even the characters acknowledged the situation itself was kind of funny, which was a nice touch.
• I liked how they gave her a small goal, even if it just lasted for this episode alone. I always see people complaining Fluttershy has no goals and I don't think there's anything bad with being happy with how your life already is, but her motivation to build the sanctuary didn't come out of nowhere and it was nice to see her take action.
• I liked the veterinary and how she had a very genuine friendship with Fluttershy.

What I didn't like:

• How "in your face" it was at times the fact that Fluttershy has developed so much, the scenes when she's thanking her friends for her new confidence and when her friends are acknowledging it end up being very expository and distracting, not to mention unnecessary. Fluttershy has shown a lot of times since season 5 she is confident, there's no need to keep mentioning that anymore, we get it.
• If you noticed all the elements I liked have to do with Fluttershy, and that's because almost everything else is either meh or bad, specially the three construction ponies. I understand they aren't experts in animals, but they also seem very incompetent in their own fields and very selfish. There was no misunderstanding, there would've been if they hadn't been jerks, specially because Fluttershy's "vision" was very vague (which is understandable since she's never built anything before) and she was being very oblivious to how the other ponies didn't understand what she wanted. But no, basically she was right all along and there was nothing for her to learn here. Also, who the hell thinks a Canterlot fashion designer would be of any help in an animal sanctuary? Really Rarity? 
• There was no real conflict and there was no tension or anything.

Overall the episode was cute and enjoyable, but that's it. It has a lot of very obvious flaws that keep it from being as great as it could've been, and I get the feeling those flaws will keep getting worse and more distracting the more I think about them. It was pleasant to watch so I'll just leave it like that and move on to the next episodes.

[No Longer Used 43]

Here's my question.. If hooves animals are sentient like ponies.. why did the giraffe go to the vet? Although, giraffes are wild animals too so I can understand why they could go to the vet.

 

I felt indifferent/average about the episode though. I also chose to watch the Canadian version of the episodes now because they come out quicker.

Edited May 10, 2017 by Teensy

[MLPFanatic34 3,234]

Fluttershy was definitely fantastic this episode, I loved seeing her stick up for her beliefs and try to do the right thing by building her animal sanctuary. I also loved seeing her friends try to help and I enjoyed seeing all the adorable animals, Angel Bunny was definitely adorable in this episode and Doctor Fauna was great too, it was also great to see Big Daddy McColt again. 10/10 episode!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[NotoriousSMALL 1,984]

On 5/10/2017 at 4:25 AM, Dowlphin said:

As I mentioned in my comment: idiot experts is the theme. The guy is not really an expert in construction, but just has lots of practice in building a very specific structure, a conventional house. He has been told the result is something where animals can live in, so he has trouble getting that in line with a mostly open space.

Yeah, he isn't  really an expert. neither were the guys he was working with. Hell, none of them should be allowed to work construction because when the (bear? i think it was) rammed into a single beam, the whole damn thing collapsed!

[Truffles 2,033]

On ‎5‎/‎10‎/‎2017 at 3:57 PM, MLPFanatic34 said:

Heh, the toenail clippings hitting the giraffe were bad enough, but then this scene happened a few moments later:

Clearly both the giraffe and Dr. Fauna have seen too much!

"The horror, the horror!" XD

[Star48955 705]

Oh my...it is horrifying! For this episode: 10/10 Fluttershy and Luna are still my best pony.

[Dowlphin 459]

48 minutes ago, Truffles said:

Heh, the toenail clippings hitting the giraffe were bad enough, but then this scene happened a few moments later:

Clearly both the giraffe and Dr. Fauna have seen too much!

"The horror, the horror!" XD

At that point even the sloth is considering moving!

[Sh Pie 65]

This was a good Fluttershy focus episode that effectively displayed her character development since the first season. She mustered the courage to scold those experts who did the exact opposite of what she wanted. As a result, she made her dream come true and create a safe haven for all animals. Now I want to see Pinkie do something about her bizarre dream she mentioned earlier. I don't even remember what it was due to how bizarre it sounded but knowing her, it'll be crazy in an awesome kind of way for sure.

[Dowlphin 459]

1 hour ago, Sh Pie said:

Now I want to see Pinkie do something about her bizarre dream she mentioned earlier. I don't even remember what it was due to how bizarre it sounded but knowing her, it'll be crazy in an awesome kind of way for sure.

I don't remember that. Details?

[ImpctR 155]

On 5/10/2017 at 1:57 PM, Baykush said:

I’m not sure I can handle these new episodes coming out so fast, normally just one a week is enough for me and I like giving them time to know how I feel about them. Anyway, I watched all 3 I hadn’t watched yesterday, and it’s probably for the better with this episode because while I enjoyed it there just isn’t much to it to think about, there are some great things here and there and some very obvious flaws which I didn’t mind that much, and I want to leave it like that.

 

More than one is also time consuming for me... when they posted a new episode thread seemingly with a time machine a week later, I thought they aired two episodes this weekend. Nope, just out of no where some Canadian airing decided they need to look special and air one week ahead, resulting in episode not aired yet in the US and even tho I dont read posts before watching, it is likely to be spoiled from some other place. Like couldn't they just air the same week as in the US.

--

On topic, Fluttershy is reserved as some posted, it's normal she'd not instantly deny the help of these three contractors and how can she know in advance that they are of no help. Sure a pony with some other character could say 'Interior designer cannot help me' but Fluttershy, would not know if they can help or not, so I don't see a problem in her not knowing if they would be the right fit.

 

 

[Dowlphin 459]

20 minutes ago, ImpctR said:

More than one is also time consuming for me... when they posted a new episode thread seemingly with a time machine a week later, I thought they aired two episodes this weekend. Nope, just out of no where some Canadian airing decided they need to look special and air one week ahead, resulting in episode not aired yet in the US and even tho I dont read posts before watching, it is likely to be spoiled from some other place. Like couldn't they just air the same week as in the US.

Yeah, as if the spoiler situation wasn't bad enough in the fandom. Sadly, caring for others, one of the virtues promoted in the show, isn't as popular there as one might assume. Too inconvenient. Thus my activity this season is mostly limited to these threads and Reddit.

That one time I also saw Hasbro chiming in. An episode played, and right when it ended, without so much as a credits roll, it went right to a preview of next week's episode. I wanted to slap them so hard. (TV used to be even more insane, with some shows playing an episode summary right BEFORE the episode.)

In the entertainment sector a desire to know stuff in advance is not healthy. It's a control issue of an overbearing mind and the heart suffers from it. Sometimes it seems like an epidemic to me.

[PittyPaws 118]

In a way I thought this episode sort of had a feel of almost retelling the Season 1 episode "Suited for Sucess" but with Fluttershy being in the role of the expert who know one listens to instead Rarity. In both cases Rarity and Fluttershy have other ponies thinking they know best and the end result is ends up being disastrous. 

The various antics of the animals was probably the best part of this entire episode. 

[Ironic Nickname 31]

It would be fun to watch an alternative version of this episode that took place in Season 1. I imagine Fluttershy would barely object in the beginning and wouldn't come around until the end of the episode. I really like how this show actually dares to show some character development and not just maintaining status quo. Good episode.

[Merion 783]

As an artist, I watched the episode thinking "Ok, that's the episode where Fluttershy represents a shitty commissioner" XD

We've all been there, dealing with people like this, right? You get commissioned by (or you get an art request from) a person who gives you a very vague description of what they want and then they get upset with the result... because, apparently, you didn't understand their *･｡Vision｡･* XD I assume all those professionals offered their services to Fluttershy for free, which makes her even more of a d*ckhead for not accepting their help. 

 

Also what's with the non-talking giraffe?!

[Dowlphin 459]

14 minutes ago, Merion said:

As an artist, I watched the episode thinking "Ok, that's the episode where Fluttershy represents a shitty commissioner" XD

We've all been there, dealing with people like this, right? You get commissioned by (or you get an art request from) a person who gives you a very vague description of what they want and then they get upset with the result... because, apparently, you didn't understand their *･｡Vision｡･* XD I assume all those professionals offered their services to Fluttershy for free, which makes her even more of a d*ckhead for not accepting their help.

Her idea became much clearer though once they were on-site. It really was a problem of inflexibility on the crafters' side and the others not knowing the crafters' limitations before commissioning them.

Also, my personal experiences are the complete opposite. Multiple times I conveyed a full-package concept to an artist and it was a complete nope. Artists are very different and can be on two extremes. Some need precise instructions, others seem to just expect keywords for initial inspiration. That basic alignment needs to be communicated up-front.

[Ironic Nickname 31]

9 hours ago, Merion said:

As an artist, I watched the episode thinking "Ok, that's the episode where Fluttershy represents a shitty commissioner" XD

We've all been there, dealing with people like this, right? You get commissioned by (or you get an art request from) a person who gives you a very vague description of what they want and then they get upset with the result... because, apparently, you didn't understand their *･｡Vision｡･* XD I assume all those professionals offered their services to Fluttershy for free, which makes her even more of a d*ckhead for not accepting their help. 

In this case, I don't think the fault lies on Fluttershy. Her vision was very clear, and she even showed them what she wanted. They ignored her input and didn't even really try to communicate with her. Fluttershy explicitly said no to building a hospital, yet Hard Hat decided to do so anyway. Fluttershy said no to cages, yet Wrangler didn't care. If she asked for X and instead got Y, and X fulfilled purpose Z while Y didn't, then it's reasonable to be upset. Why would she accept their help when it didn't actually fulfill purpose Z?

[Ashen Pathfinder 16,151]

@Discordrules123

Just letting you know that I merged your thread with this one regarding the episode.

Thanks.

[NullAccount 287]

This episode just kinda left me… disappointed. It wasn't especially entertaining, a lot of the dialogue seemed a bit clunky, and at the end it just leaves you think, "Was that it?" It certainly wasn't bad. The experts were entertaining, and I enjoyed the scene at the end when they were building it Fluttershy's way, but aside from that, it didn't even seem like a complete episode. Not bad, but I probably won't watch it again. 4/10. 

[tazoneils20 15]

I love that they developed Fluttershy a little more, but I believe that they could have made it a little better. Some parts of this episode drags a little bit.