S07:E07 - Parental Glideance

[BlueStreak98 828]

19 hours ago, AlexanderThrond said:

I'd be annoyed if I had Dash's parents too, so while she overreacted, I don't see why I should think she was wrong to want them to tone it down a little. It really doesn't seem like that would take any extra time to address. 

This was the biggest sticking point to me in the episode. It'd be an incredibly simple little tweak that would improve the whole thing IMO.

[Jeric 46,835]

7 hours ago, Whompy Whomperson said:

RD gets waaaay too much attention for her to have any siblings

I showed my kids this and my oldest said, "Wait. You mean it could be worse!"

I think I just made them appreciate each other on a whole new level. Bonus!

3 hours ago, BlueStreak98 said:

This was the biggest sticking point to me in the episode. It'd be an incredibly simple little tweak that would improve the whole thing IMO.

Perhaps. This is one of those elements that are more stylistic in nature. The hyper dynamic emphasis that Joshua Hamilton gives characters he writes has become one of his signature calling cards over the years. Typically a writer will use extreme reactions as a punctuation on a scene. Hamilton does the opposite. It's usually high energy and unrealistic reactions scene after scene followed by a use of a tone shift to a quieter scene. 

Avatar TLA used that a lot. I suspect it is in his DNA and if we see him later this season you will almost certainly know it's him. He is also huge at giving animation direction in his notes (very evident in the use of the wings here). A kinetic writer like this is kinda a breath of fresh air. I'm looking forward to being able to find more similarities in a less personal episode done the line. 

[FlareGun45 2,221]

Did anyone notice in the BG that THUNDERLANE is a full Wonderbolt now?!

[Jeric 46,835]

29 minutes ago, MegaSean45 said:

Did anyone notice in the BG that THUNDERLANE is a full Wonderbolt now?!

I hadn't! That's a nice touch to see other Ponyville residents make it too.

Thinking about this just now made me think back on Dash's own trajectory. We know she was a damn good flyer at one point early on, actually holding her own and then excelling over even young Spitfire. Yet she seemed to take a longer winding road to her dream than at least two of the Bolts. 

Rainbow Dash's psychology and motivation just got a touch more interesting. It's going to be fun to consider if she held herself back due to loneliness, the whole Element of Harmony thing taking up too much time, or a subconscious fear of what her parents would be like if she made her dream come true. 

Dashie gets more and more interesting when she gets a great episode. 

 

[Unlikeable Pony 2,698]

Something that's pretty sad is in the montage, Derpy starts out at number 1 with perfect eyes.

her eyes get worse in each image, and she places worse and worse, implying her flying suffered as her eyes deteriorated

 

[BlueStreak98 828]

The other thing that doesn't quite make sense to me is the idea that none of the other ponies on that podium seemed to know who Rainbow Dash was when they first interacted in the show. I mean, it's one thing if they didn't know her personally because she was an outcast, but in my experience you remember who beats you and you remember who wins, so either they or Dash should've remembered each other.

I get that they were likely reused to avoid having to create entirely new designs again, but it creates a little bit of a continuity problem.

Edited May 9, 2017 by BlueStreak98

[Thrond 3,257]

9 hours ago, BlueStreak98 said:

This was the biggest sticking point to me in the episode. It'd be an incredibly simple little tweak that would improve the whole thing IMO.

All it would take would be a couple different lines of dialogue, really. Seems rather easy, and it'd make the episode even better for me. 

6 hours ago, Jeric said:

Perhaps. This is one of those elements that are more stylistic in nature. The hyper dynamic emphasis that Joshua Hamilton gives characters he writes has become one of his signature calling cards over the years. Typically a writer will use extreme reactions as a punctuation on a scene. Hamilton does the opposite. It's usually high energy and unrealistic reactions scene after scene followed by a use of a tone shift to a quieter scene. 

Avatar TLA used that a lot. I suspect it is in his DNA and if we see him later this season you will almost certainly know it's him. He is also huge at giving animation direction in his notes (very evident in the use of the wings here). A kinetic writer like this is kinda a breath of fresh air. I'm looking forward to being able to find more similarities in a less personal episode done the line. 

 

I'm glad to have him on the team, because this season has been far too low-energy for my tastes, but I can't really pretend that they're not as extreme as they come across, and I still don't feel that Dash was entirely wrong for feeling the way she does about them. Obviously her parents are exaggerated, but they should still respect their daughter's feelings. 

Edited May 9, 2017 by AlexanderThrond

[BlueStreak98 828]

1 hour ago, MegaSean45 said:

Did anyone notice in the BG that THUNDERLANE is a full Wonderbolt now?!

This fit my own headcanon, so I'm thrilled! I bet Rumble's so proud.

[Daring_Do 552]

This episode had an implication that Scootaloo wishes her parents were as supportive as Rainbow Dash's. Faust and Big Jim talked on Twitter some months back about how Scootaloo's parents work demanding jobs and she's good at evading her babysitter - but this episode seems to put a slightly sadder spin on that.

Should there be an episode involving Scootaloo and her parents, with the lesson being that even if your parents are busy, it's not always by choice, and it doesn't mean they don't love you? Would it be relatable for enough of the target audience? And more importantly, would it fit the kind of stories the show tells and the kind of lessons it tries to teach?

 

 

[Jeric 46,835]

15 hours ago, AlexanderThrond said:

Obviously her parents are exaggerated, but they should still respect their daughter's feelings. 

I don't know. They weren't exactly approaching anything inappropriately. As a parent who chills with many other parents from time to time, the reaction that Rainbow Dash would have likely gotten at the HQ was not instant support, but likely disappointment and disapproval for keeping such an event in her life secret. 

Her parents were rather mature in their approach by basically dropping the issue and going into support mode. They definitely were excessive in their support at times, but some of it comes down to a tree falling in the woods. Dash's opinion is basically worthless if not communicated, which is probably while she eventually blew her stack. Hold shit in long enough and pressure builds and boom! Nuclear rainboom.

I also love that the resolution with Scootaloo involves the admission that Dash's parents were likely catalysts to her successful growth in harnessing her talent. More to that you have a damn near perfect explanation for RD's supreme confidence. What I am curious about is what her embarrassment says about her now that we know that she is acknowledging her parents role. The timing of that scene tells me that that wasn't a completely new epiphany for her. 

Could she be hyper aware of her flaws and blamed her parents from them? I mean, that seems to be a common theme that Therapists hear. 

2 hours ago, Daring_Do said:

Should there be an episode involving Scootaloo and her parents, with the lesson being that even if your parents are busy, it's not always by choice, and it doesn't mean they don't love you? Would it be relatable for enough of the target audience? And more importantly, would it fit the kind of stories the show tells and the kind of lessons it tries to teach?

Yes. Yes. Yes. 

I would welcome that story. It could also be reasonably explained that her parents work multiple jobs in order to pay for a solution to Scootaloo's flight disability. 

Two pegasi with one Tom.

[Thrond 3,257]

2 hours ago, Jeric said:

Her parents were rather mature in their approach by basically dropping the issue and going into support mode. They definitely were excessive in their support at times, but some of it comes down to a tree falling in the woods. Dash's opinion is basically worthless if not communicated, which is probably while she eventually blew her stack. Hold shit in long enough and pressure builds and boom! Nuclear rainboom.

1

Which is why I'm so frustrated that the episode seems to want me to believe that she was entirely wrong to dislike her parents' reaction. You find it easier to put yourself in the shoes of the parents, but I empathize more with Dash's situation, and were I in it, I would want my parents to back off just a little bit as well. There is a midpoint between Scootaloo's parents, who are never around for her, and Dash's parents, who literally disrupt her work with megaphones. I strongly feel that it would take minimal changes to address that, because the episode doesn't make it clear that Dash is wrong until the climax. 

Furthermore, if she's gotten to the point where she actively hides being a Wonderbolt from them, that tells me that she's asked them to tone it down in the past and they simply haven't listened, which is again something I would personally be aggravated by. I agree that the parents are well-intentioned and not doing anything wrong on paper, and I like a lot of the stuff about how their support has helped Dash, but it shouldn't be so hard to express that support without causing a scene. 

5 hours ago, Daring_Do said:

Should there be an episode involving Scootaloo and her parents, with the lesson being that even if your parents are busy, it's not always by choice, and it doesn't mean they don't love you? Would it be relatable for enough of the target audience? And more importantly, would it fit the kind of stories the show tells and the kind of lessons it tries to teach?

 

I think that would be absolutely fantastic, and a perfect fit for the show. It's a new family dynamic which we haven't seen before, it explains a lot about Scootaloo and deepens her as a character, and the message you suggest would be a lovely one to send to kids in a similar situation. 

[Jeric 46,835]

3 hours ago, AlexanderThrond said:

but it shouldn't be so hard to express that support without causing a scene. 

Not hard, but a hell of a lot less fun.

Case in point, after my daughter sings her solo on Friday I may just have to bring some fireworks. Either that or I'll just stand on the chair and scream "Whooooooo". 

 

[That Guy with the CMB 5,872]

I loved it! I think season 7 is really getting into the groove now after a bit of a slow start.

Great to see some Rainbow Dash action these days.

Brings back lots of old feelings.

[JH24 385]

I have to say I really enjoyed this episode. I really liked RD's parents, and although they went overboard at times, there were only a few brief moments it got annoying.

What I liked the most was that we learned a little bit more about Scootaloo. Either that she doesn't have parents or that they don't care about her much. It also explains why Scootaloo can be so obsessed with Rainbow Dash (as she's lacking a good role model) and her strong reaction after seeing RD yell at her parents. The moral of the episode was probably a little one-sided but definitely a good (relatable) one.

Things I Iiked:

Some well-timed humor and funny moments. (The music and the door, RD cutting off Spitfire's tail, Rainbow's expressions, etc)

I love how expressive the Pegasi are with their wings. Rainbow Dash counting with the tips of her wings, using her wings in gestures, etc. It feels natural how their wings are actually an extension of their body. It's just a lot of fun to see.

The portrayal of the wonderbolts was well done. I liked their amusement at RD's situation, but they were never mean-spirited, loved how they helped Dash at the end. It was also fun seeing them interact with their fans.

Seeing RD and her parents cheer on Scootaloo was such a heartwarming ending of the episode.

Edited May 10, 2017 by JH24

[Luminance 2,181]

Great episode and great development for Rainbow and Scootaloo. The two always worked so well together and to finally have the them see eye-to-eye really brings a sense of dynamism, and accomplishment between them. Rainbow's parents are a nice addition to the rather mudane parents of the other mane characters but nevertheless they brought great substance and relatability towards how they feel about their daughter. Interesting enough, the Wonderbolts are actually pretty great in this episode, not like in "Newbie Dash". Pretty much this made up for that episode and with the inclusion of finally introducing Rainbow's parents and the much needed development for Scootaloo, I can say that this one particular Rainbow Dash episode hits all the marks. 

[Ashen Pathfinder 16,152]

@Dark Qiviut

Same thing here; tho admittedly earlier than usual. Thanks for having these set up!

[Smooya 10]

This episode seemed like really good character development for RD, though Scootaloo didn't seem particularly likeable, here. I understand her parents apparently have "demanding jobs" which may explain why she didn't understand Dash's less than positive response to her parents' oversupportiveness, but her not at least trying to understand got to me. 

My relationship with my grandpa is about as extreme as RD's relationship with her parents, so I understand how she feels. Scoots still has a lot of maturing to do if she doesn't understand that extreme oversupportiveness gets exhausting and pretty darn irritating when it goes too far. Good we finally get to see RD's parents though - there have been too many tragic fics on FiMFiction about this topic, and I hope we get to see more of them in the future <3

[Smooya 10]

On 5/9/2017 at 10:46 AM, Unlikeable Pony said:

Something that's pretty sad is in the montage, Derpy starts out at number 1 with perfect eyes.

her eyes get worse in each image, and she places worse and worse, implying her flying suffered as her eyes deteriorated

 

 

This is actually tragic, oh my gosh...
Poor Derpy! At least she always kept a cheerful disposition though, look at her smiling down there

[Megas 27,065]

Thought this would be cool to bring up, but notice Spitfire's tail from earlier is still cut

EDIT: Another interesting thing to note, the episode specifically cited the events of Rarity Investigates and Wonderbolts Academy, notably Lightning Dust and Windrider's involvement. Kinda grasping at the straws here, but I hope that means that's hinting at a return

Edited May 13, 2017 by Whompy Whomperson

[Foliha 395]

So cool meeting Dashie's parents!  And like in last episode, the faces were the deal...

 

[PacificGreen 1,163]

Honestly this kinda started out as your typical "overly embarrassing parents", so I felt there wasn't much remarkable about it at first. I also really approve of idea of the whole "appreciate the supportive people in your life" lesson we get. The only problem was the execution. Rainbow's parents were way more supportive than necessary, and it's completely understandable that Dash would get mad at them. The episode tries to portray Dash as being completely in the wrong, but, really, can you blame her for getting upset at her parents? Describing them as "too supportive" would be an understatement. Yet the ep just sorta glosses over how extreme her parents were.

Honestly, I wasn't too pleased with this episode. It had a lot going for it, and I would watch it over Fluttershy Leans In any day, but I'm not too happy with how they handled the interaction between Dash and her parents.

But hey, maybe I'm just getting a little too cynical for the show nowadays. This season's been kinda "okay at best" in my opinion. 

[Unlikeable Pony 2,698]

9 hours ago, Whompy Whomperson said:

Thought this would be cool to bring up, but notice Spitfire's tail from earlier is still cut

EDIT: Another interesting thing to note, the episode specifically cited the events of Rarity Investigates and Wonderbolts Academy, notably Lightning Dust and Windrider's involvement. Kinda grasping at the straws here, but I hope that means that's hinting at a return

yeah, Going to be honest, this episode almost came off as a Text dump episode for new viewers who hadn't seen S1-4 and came in late for the first half XD

[Ganondox 899]

On 5/8/2017 at 9:15 PM, BlueStreak98 said:

The other thing that doesn't quite make sense to me is the idea that none of the other ponies on that podium seemed to know who Rainbow Dash was when they first interacted in the show. I mean, it's one thing if they didn't know her personally because she was an outcast, but in my experience you remember who beats you and you remember who wins, so either they or Dash should've remembered each other.

I get that they were likely reused to avoid having to create entirely new designs again, but it creates a little bit of a continuity problem.

I just wouldn't take the lineup as canon, it's just a symbolic recreation of memory. It's just background details anyway. 

Edited May 14, 2017 by Ganondox

[PittyPaws 118]

I'm glad that we finally got to see Rainbow Dash's parents (Although I do believe we saw her father in a flashback durring an earlier season.)

Also I know this sounds strange to some ponies, but I'm also glad that one of the Mane Six has officially been established as an only child scince

the other five have at least one sibling. 

 

[KatonRyu 1,026]

The one thing about this episode I really didn't like was that Dash shouting at her parents was made out to be her fault somehow, despite the fact that she was wholly justified in acting the way she did. I just think it's incredibly stupid she should apologize while her parents are the ones being inconsiderate to just about every pony around them. Other than that, I did still enjoy the episode.