Meghan's back!

[Unlikeable Pony 2,698]

Well, looks like meghan will be the one dishing out the information about S8! I guess she might be taking more of a hand on the show again once the movie's over with?

[TS Lightner 269]

It appears so.  I just hope she learns to write Spike better, and not as Twilight's 'pet'.

[cmarston1 5,959]

That would be great.

I would definitely be looking forward to season 8 if she were to return to it.

[FirePuppy 735]

For all I care, let's just hope she'll have a lot better episodes than in the last seasons. Episodes with Pinkie having interactions with ponies other than the Mane Six from McCarthy would be nice.

[FlareGun45 2,221]

So we finally gonna have our Scorpan story then? Hope so!

[Goat-kun 2,528]

Oo-de-lally! Does that mean our band of Angry Men will finally be able to tuck away the flaming arrows and return to our estates as lords and freemen? Let us hope she learned a few things while away. Or is she the harbinger of the Five-Legged Shrew?

[LeafFerret 3,382]

Have they been watching the more recent seasons of FiM? Twilight hardly gets any focus these days and don't get me started on the Mane 6 being together again. I think they're forgetting one particular pony who save their flanks who should have some screen time.

[Sonic5421 425]

I'm wondering if Meghan will give the Princesses and Shining Armor some love like was shown already in Season 7 with episodes like A Flurry of Emotions and A Royal Problem. That's what I want from her like with this season's female writers.

[Jeric 46,860]

 

Ok. Guys you can put your wish lists back in your pockets. Or keep them out. Just know that her appearance at HASCON hasn't changed anything. 

Her role hasn't changed. She isn't back. She is the creative force overseeing all first party storytelling media under Hasbro's umbrella. She is also there promoting other brands and is scheduled for more that just Pony stuff. She is there because she is a driving force for the narrative focused properties, including MLP. That hasn't changed. 

You know those notes that come down 'from on high' to writers and story editors? Her name is occasionally on those notes. She still does this throughout the seasons she was focused on developing a strategy for several brands and getting a film launched. 

She has far too many responsibilities to be as involved as you would like her to be in one element of the company. 

Basically if you hate Season 6 or 7, don't take this as a sign things are changing just because she goes to the official Convention. 

[FlareGun45 2,221]

2 hours ago, Jeric said:

 

Ok. Guys you can put your wish lists back in your pockets. Or keep them out. Just know that her appearance at HASCON hasn't changed anything. 

Her role hasn't changed. She isn't back. She is the creative force overseeing all first party storytelling media under Hasbro's umbrella. She is also there promoting other brands and is scheduled for more that just Pony stuff. She is there because she is a driving force for the narrative focused properties, including MLP. That hasn't changed. 

You know those notes that come down 'from on high' to writers and story editors? Her name is occasionally on those notes. She still does this throughout the seasons she was focused on developing a strategy for several brands and getting a film launched. 

She has far too many responsibilities to be as involved as you would like her to be in one element of the company. 

Basically if you hate Season 6 or 7, don't take this as a sign things are changing just because she goes to the official Convention. 

With the movie outta the way though main characters can start getting bigger developments, so we have that! Spike is now allowed to get wings if they planned that for him! :3

[Jeric 46,860]

32 minutes ago, MegaSean45 said:

With the movie outta the way though main characters can start getting bigger developments, so we have that! Spike is now allowed to get wings if they planned that for him! :3

You just gave her time travel powers.

Season 8 has been in production for a bit, past the writers summit and even past recording some things (if not the whole thing). She has never fully stepped away from Pony. She doesn't walk through the door and go "Wait? You reformed the Changelings? Who approved this?"

She already knows everything that's been going down. She is their boss! This isn't a shift manager at a fast food restaurant, she has crazy Direct Reports! 

 

[Goat-kun 2,528]

53 minutes ago, Jeric said:

You just gave her time travel powers.

Season 8 has been in production for a bit, past the writers summit and even past recording some things (if not the whole thing). She has never fully stepped away from Pony. She doesn't walk through the door and go "Wait? You reformed the Changelings? Who approved this?"

She already knows everything that's been going down. She is their boss! This isn't a shift manager at a fast food restaurant, she has crazy Direct Reports! 

 

So basically: she's a grand strategist whose every move is a part of some master plan, but she's too stupid to put something like the Movie into account, so we'll be getting more of the same sprinkled with them dope FIM-unrelated MLP toy commercials. Tell me more about this shrewd corporate maneuver.

[Jeric 46,860]

39 minutes ago, Goat-kun said:

So basically: she's a grand strategist whose every move is a part of some master plan, but she's too stupid to put something like the Movie into account, so we'll be getting more of the same sprinkled with them dope FIM-unrelated MLP toy commercials. Tell me more about this shrewd corporate maneuver.

 

Nope. I didn't say that at all. My points were kindergarten simple. 

1) MM never left 

2) She isn't back

3) The movie didn't prevent her from having any involvement and approval authority of the show. 

4) She is in charge of many brands' storylines

5) Season 8 was launched into production when she would have been busiest with film production. 

6) Season 8 won't be better or worse just because she is attending an official Con as a Hasbro spokesperson.

Nothing grand about that. It's as simple as simple as taking a bite out of a pizza pie.

Two other points of note:

7) Everytime she tweets something people assume it's Pony, and sometimes it's not.

8) When people bitch about Hasbro not letting X or Y happen in Season 6-7 they are actually referencing her. She's Hasbro ... in change of narrative properties. You guys hate Newbie Dash? She knew about that. You guys loved Perfect Pear? She knew about that too. 

 

 

Nothing changes. If they do something cool (like they always do) she will have had some influence. If they mess something up (like they always do) she will have some influence. Just like she has had since stepping into that role.

Guys have any idea how many fingers are in this pie?

What I am saying is ...

It's business as usual. 

[Zantetsuken 364]

I am not sure why people would assume Meghan McCarthy is back because she is going to presenting the season 8 thing
I am also not sure how she can "be back" when she never even left 

That would be like Lauren Faust going to a few pony cons and everyone saying OMG LAUREN IS BACK!!1!

It really doesn't make much since when you think about it. Also I don't think everything after season 5 has been complete dogshit. The Perfect Pear and A Royal Problem shows that MLP can still be an amazing show. And OMG those are both season 7 episodes! So I also don't get the people here talking as if our lord and savior has come back to grace us with great episodes once more... when we are still getting great episodes. 

[Lambdadelta 1,462]

 

On 5/7/2017 at 0:06 PM, Superplay64 said:

It appears so.  I just hope she learns to write Spike better, and not as Twilight's 'pet'.

*looking at the movie trailer...

Look, Spike is a Pufferfish  Nope, she didnt change at all, Spike still a punching bag.

20 hours ago, Jeric said:

 

Ok. Guys you can put your wish lists back in your pockets. Or keep them out. Just know that her appearance at HASCON hasn't changed anything. 

But deep down inside, i want her to comeback, even it's highly unlikely . Megahn and Larson still my best writers of the show, their episodes drew me to the show, i want to see their episodes once again , not because they are flawless, but something awesome in their writting style, something snarky that i dont see in many modern FIM episodes.

13 hours ago, Zantetsuken said:

So I also don't get the people here talking as if our lord and savior has come back to grace us with great episodes once more... when we are still getting great episodes. 

Well, people love their writting style :)) even episodes after S5 are still good but there is something missing, some zaniness, some snarky writtings that belong to early 5 seasons that even the greatest writers of post-S6 era cant deliver.

[Goat-kun 2,528]

18 hours ago, Jeric said:

snip

Though there are always priorities, wouldn't you agree? The thing about these "fingers" is not just about what, it's about when.  The way I saw it, Hanazuki and Movie were way higher on the list than FIM. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if FIM isn't on the list at all. If that happens, do not despair. It's just business as usual. And by the by, what we like or hate is irrelevant, and I do suspect Meghan understands this, as should you.

[Jeric 46,860]

3 hours ago, Goat-kun said:

Though there are always priorities, wouldn't you agree? The thing about these "fingers" is not just about what, it's about when.  The way I saw it, Hanazuki and Movie were way higher on the list than FIM. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if FIM isn't on the list at all. If that happens, do not despair. It's just business as usual. And by the by, what we like or hate is irrelevant, and I do suspect Meghan understands this, as should you.

 

Wasn't speaking to like or hate. You keep missing the biggest theme and point I'm making. 

This forum has a plethora of fan ideas -- some from my very own head -- and I support the sharing of those ideas until the cows come home. They are fun and I adore them. That isn't what this thread is about though. I would assume that much was obvious, but I suppose I'm wrong. The cynics may be correct in that information sharing online is nothing more than bullshit posturing and mental masturbation. I do like to think people actively read instead of simply wait to type.

This topic was based around the false assumption that Meghan is DHX, that she wasn't involved, and that her showing up at a convention somehow is valid proof that she has returned to her old role. If you have ever been a VP for a company let me tell you what it's like in one respect: 

Yes, priorities exist, but your visibility, access, and involvement does not diminish in the other elements within your sphere of influence ... lest you get shown the door. And who says she has spare time now that a trailer is released? She is likely to be busier in September than now or three months ago!

You also carefully ignored my other point. Season 8 is in production now. So is the film. It's still in production. That alone is the silver bullet that renders this discussion moot. There are some cool discussion points to her attending Hascon, since the movie opens up a month later ... but all I see is "Gee wiz I sure hope the show won't suck or my wish list items gets some love". 

I'm more interested in the appearance that the film's presence at the con is not in line with what I would expect. Hasbro has a partnership with Disney and Lucasfilm, and both know how to create a con that is in and of itself a marketing event. This experience is available to Hasbro. It's still premature to say with any certainty, but it could be telling for what Hasbro company expects out of the film. That's interesting!

But hey, who cares about logic when you are on a fandom board? It's not like anyone wants to actually learn how it really works so they can have a greater appreciation for the grand mechanism that brings them the show we all love.

 

Sigh. I'm aware that my posts in this topic aren't likely to be endearing, but when we get into C-Level positions in a corporation, in a marketing driven event, you have to understand I'm not a layperson. Everytime I talk with this kind of authority on a matter as opposed to my typical forum friendly equivocation, it's because I have some real world experience and first hand knowledge about something. 

 

TL;DR 

 

How do you like them 

 

[Foxy Socks 2,600]

I don't really pay attention to who writes what, so I feel indifferent. I don't even know when she left, or what she really did.

[Goat-kun 2,528]

17 hours ago, Jeric said:

snip

That was unnecessary. Perhaps I should have been more clear: You are correct that her appearance means nothing. That does not mean H-Bro isn't cooking. Thus I didn't ignore the production point. It's a non-issue in our little conversation. It's not about S08. It's about everything.

 

So, as someone with professional experience, tell me: is FIM profitable by any other means than foreign market expansion?

[Jeric 46,860]

On 7/6/2017 at 5:31 PM, Jeric said:

I'm more interested in the appearance that the film's presence at the con is not in line with what I would expect. Hasbro has a partnership with Disney and Lucasfilm, and both know how to create a con that is in and of itself a marketing event. This experience is available to Hasbro. It's still premature to say with any certainty, but it could be telling for what Hasbro company expects out of the film. That's interesting!

Going to revise that original thought to give it some clarity. One event is dedicated to the film and is open to general audiences and is headed by Meghan.

The other is a sneak that is not open to general attendees, just VIP's. When I go to D23 or Celebration I would not be happy that this is an exclusive event ... this would likely not be closed to general attendees. Maybe a press only affair like they did for a few things this year at SWC. That's an odd decision either way. 

I expected a lot more content and guests to be focused on the film, but there is some focus ... even though it's oddly weak sauce. 

 

[Drunkfrank 1,125]

I don't want her to be the show head again, Johanna Lewis and Kristin Songco are superior in every way, they understand all the characters better, they know how to write amazing episodes with heart and humor.

 

Megan will throw out consistency just for a cool scene.

[Them's Seeing Ponies 282]

On ‎12‎/‎07‎/‎2017 at 10:58 PM, Ryanmahaffe said:

I don't want her to be the show head again, Johanna Lewis and Kristin Songco are superior in every way, they understand all the characters better, they know how to write amazing episodes with heart and humor.

 

Megan will throw out consistency just for a cool scene.

Well... I wouldn't say the Lady Writers are particularly superior. They have their own faults (overly moral centric and tedious stories akin to 'Forever Filly', lame humour, weird Nickelodeon-esque style in some episodes that clashes with the tone of the show (ahem, 'Hard to Say Anything', anyone?)) just as Meghan has hers (building an entire episode around a single 'cool' scene ('28 Pranks Later'), formulaic elements which tie down parts of a story detrimentally ('Rainbow Rocks'), overly loud characterization at points, etc.). All three are adequate story editors anyway. Personally, I prefer Meghan's style (as we at least got episodes such as 'Magic Duel' and 'Pinkie Pride' during her early reign, whilst all the Lady Writers could give us were 'The Perfect Pear' (the only episode from season 7 I wholeheartedly admit to being on par with the pre-Haber era) and 'A Royal Problem' (which I am honestly no fan of)). 

And to boot, I actually like how Meghan wrote Spike. Why is she suddenly the 'editor who abused Spike'? I know we got 'Spike at Your Service' and 'Princess Spike' (kind of) during her tenure, but when Meghan actually wrote Spike, he was better than in season 6. 'Lesson Zero' and 'Equestria Girls' (the first movie) contain his best appearances to date. Sorry, 'Gauntlet of Fire'. She even gave him hero status in the Crystal Empire, for crying out loud. Besides, weren't most of the Spike abuse episodes written during seasons 1-2 and not by Meghan ('Owl's Well That Ends Well', 'Dragon Quest')?

Edited October 19, 2017 by Them's Seeing Ponies

[Whirlwindmark 41]

2 hours ago, Them's Seeing Ponies said:

Well... I wouldn't say the Lady Writers are particularly superior. They have their own faults (overly moral centric and tedious stories akin to 'Forever Filly', lame humour, weird Nickelodeon-esque style in some episodes that clashes with the tone of the show (ahem, 'Hard to Say Anything', anyone?)) just as Meghan has hers (building an entire episode around a single 'cool' scene ('28 Pranks Later'), formulaic elements which tie down parts of a story detrimentally ('Rainbow Rocks'), overly loud characterization at points, etc.). All three are adequate story editors anyway. Personally, I prefer Meghan's style (as we at least got episodes such as 'Magic Duel' and 'Pinkie Pride' during her early reign, whilst all the Lady Writers could give us were 'The Perfect Pear' (the only episode from season 7 I wholeheartedly admit to being on par with the pre-Haber era) and 'A Royal Problem' (which I am honestly no fan of)). 

And to boot, I actually like how Meghan wrote Spike. Why is she suddenly the 'editor who abused Spike'? I know we got 'Spike at Your Service' and 'Princess Spike' (kind of) during her tenure, but when Meghan actually wrote Spike, he was better than in season 6. 'Lesson Zero' and 'Equestria Girls' (the first movie) contain his best appearances to date. Sorry, 'Gauntlet of Fire'. She even gave him hero status in the Crystal Empire, for crying out loud. Besides, weren't most of the Spike abuse episodes written during seasons 1-2 and not by Meghan ('Owl's Well That Ends Well', 'Dragon Quest')?

She never left. She's not the editor , the one who wrote Hers's Heroes is. And to the person above, DID THEY NOT SEE ONCE UPON A ZEPPELIN?! "But Spike, your as much apart of my family as anypony!"

He's family, what more do you want.

[Whirlwindmark 41]

The story editor for Season 8 is the writer of Star Wars Rebels: Hera's heroes. MM never left MLP, she has is the godmother of the whole series she is the one who approves every episode and novel(comics she said at Hascon are their own thing)

she approved 

Gauntlet of Fire

Changelings being reformed 

And everything else.

[Drunkfrank 1,125]

4 hours ago, Them's Seeing Ponies said:

Well... I wouldn't say the Lady Writers are particularly superior. They have their own faults (overly moral centric and tedious stories akin to 'Forever Filly', lame humour, weird Nickelodeon-esque style in some episodes that clashes with the tone of the show (ahem, 'Hard to Say Anything', anyone?)) just as Meghan has hers (building an entire episode around a single 'cool' scene ('28 Pranks Later'), formulaic elements which tie down parts of a story detrimentally ('Rainbow Rocks'), overly loud characterization at points, etc.). All three are adequate story editors anyway. Personally, I prefer Meghan's style (as we at least got episodes such as 'Magic Duel' and 'Pinkie Pride' during her early reign, whilst all the Lady Writers could give us were 'The Perfect Pear' (the only episode from season 7 I wholeheartedly admit to being on par with the pre-Haber era) and 'A Royal Problem' (which I am honestly no fan of)). 

And to boot, I actually like how Meghan wrote Spike. Why is she suddenly the 'editor who abused Spike'? I know we got 'Spike at Your Service' and 'Princess Spike' (kind of) during her tenure, but when Meghan actually wrote Spike, he was better than in season 6. 'Lesson Zero' and 'Equestria Girls' (the first movie) contain his best appearances to date. Sorry, 'Gauntlet of Fire'. She even gave him hero status in the Crystal Empire, for crying out loud. Besides, weren't most of the Spike abuse episodes written during seasons 1-2 and not by Meghan ('Owl's Well That Ends Well', 'Dragon Quest')?

Meghan had a big issue when Spike wasn't the main character, the Crystal Empire is certainly good, but the season 4 premiere he is just okay (although Meghan clearly showed that she is not a good pinkie writer AT ALL in season 4.

Dragon Quest wasn't a Spike abuse episode.

Also, where do you get suddenly from? I have had issues with Meghans writing for a long time. Including her writing for Spike, I don't think she is a bad writer and I never once said she was.

Btw, Hard to Say Anything delivered on development for side character s and the CMC, where as 28 pranks later reverted all the characters to shells of themselves.

Are you forgeting Top Bolt and Rarity Investigates? as well as All bottled Up? I am not giving Meghan credit for Pinkie Pride as she didn't write it, she was the story editor, that goes to the missed Amy Keating Rodgers. Meghan wrote some fantastic episodes, but she also clearly wasn't great at writing for a good few characters. Lady Writers haven't had an episode labeled as "bad" by the majority where as Meghan had some that were at least split.

There hasn't been a bad Spike Episode throughout season on 6-7, with Triple Threat at least being Decent, when Meghan was story editor, we had several.

Spike was okay in EQG, he was low energy at the end of the day though and really the best part about his performance was that he was a good contrast to Twilight.

Again, I love the work Meghan has done as Twilights Kingdom is still my 3rd favorite two parter and she is fantastic, but in my opinion, Lady Writers did a better job in season 7, than she did in 4 and 5.