Spike being absent this season.

[CastletonSnob 3,025]

So, Spike wasn't in yesterday's episode, even though he would have been perfect in it, and he won't be in To Change a Changeling, even though he's Thorax's friend.

What happened? Why is Spike back to being an afterthought after Season 6?

[BastementSparkle 20,312]

Well, he played a decent supporting role in both "Celestial Advice" and "A Flurry of Emotions", and next week's episode is about him, so it's not like he's completely absent from the show.He could get another episode too later on in the season. As for why he's not gotten much attention this season yet, couldn't tell ya. The writer's are balancing quite a few different characters between the Mane Six, CMC, Starlight, Discord, Spike, etc. It's not much of a surprise somepony get's a bit left out every now and then, though it always kinda sucks.

Edited August 13, 2017 by BasementSparkle

[FlareGun45 2,221]

6 minutes ago, VG_Addict said:

So, Spike wasn't in yesterday's episode, even though he would have been perfect in it, and he won't be in To Change a Changeling, even though he's Thorax's friend.

What happened? Why is Spike back to being an afterthought after Season 6?

Who said he won't be in "To Change a Changeling"? All it said was Starlight and Trixie were going to reform Thorax's brother. Spike could be there, just not helping them out. He might be hanging with Thorax, helping him out off-screen! Here, check this out: https://mlpforums.com/topic/169273-spikes-possible-highlights-for-the-rest-of-this-season/!

[Hierok 11,829]

12 minutes ago, VG_Addict said:

So, Spike wasn't in yesterday's episode, even though he would have been perfect in it, and he won't be in To Change a Changeling, even though he's Thorax's friend.

What happened? Why is Spike back to being an afterthought after Season 6?

I think it is just silly he is not here. He could be shown when Twilight was pickering in her castle. He could not help because he didn't know, so Starlight had to help Twilight instead. 

[Megas 27,063]

No one expected Starlight to be in Triple Threat, so who's to say he won't be in To Change a Changeling?

[cmarston1 5,951]

To be honest, with how much I have been enjoying the season so far, I didn't really notice this very much.

[KH7672 1,604]

10 minutes ago, cmarston1 said:

To be honest, with how much I have been enjoying the season so far, I didn't really notice this very much.

That's because he still is on par with Starlight in terms of appearances so far, so his lack of screentime is not an issue. The big thing to see is unlike Starlight who's had two starring and three supporting roles. Spike's only had two supporting with just random appearances otherwise. That's more what he's absent in.

[FlareGun45 2,221]

Everyone look at it this way: they're gonna make up for that in the 2nd half of the season! If not, then season 8 for sure! Big time!

[Jeric 46,834]

1 hour ago, cmarston1 said:

To be honest, with how much I have been enjoying the season so far, I didn't really notice this very much.

Holy crap you changed your avatar! 

Ok. Something on-topic ... something on-topic ... oh yeah. 

He was important in a few episodes this season. I'm sure Spike will be playing similarly large roles in a few more episodes coming up. What is important to keep in mind is that his last few dedicated episodes weren't just really good, they were status-quo changers. They were key to the direction change of the show and to Equestria lore going forward. Next week promises more of the same. That dragon may not get as much screen time as some like, but what he is getting is certainly not fluff. I'll live with less Spike screen time if when we do see him, it's a phenomenal outing.

 

[CastletonSnob 3,025]

1 minute ago, Jeric said:

Holy crap you changed your avatar! 

Ok. Something on-topic ... something on-topic ... oh yeah. 

He was important in a few episodes this season. I'm sure Spike will be playing similarly large roles in a few more episodes coming up. What is important to keep in mind is that his last few dedicated episodes weren't just really good, they were status-quo changers. They were key to the direction change of the show and to Equestria lore going forward. Next week promises more of the same. That dragon may not get as much screen time as some like, but what he is getting is certainly not fluff. I'll live with less Spike screen time if when we do see him, it's a phenomenal outing.

 

I think Thorax and Ember will be good for his character development. 

[Jeric 46,834]

Just now, VG_Addict said:

I think Thorax and Ember will be good for his character development. 

Absolutely! Ember is a connection to his heritage and a character that might actually make him have a new appreciation for that aspect of himself, one that wasn't possible before. In a weird way Thorax is similar to Spike in that he was an outcast among his kind, and was the key to redeeming his race. This little connections are gloriously perfect for amazing Spike growth stories. We have seen many characters change over the years, yet Spike is just getting started. 

He is an antidote to stagnation. Crazy I'm saying that about a character who had once been kinda treated like an afterthought and comic relief. 

 

[cmarston1 5,951]

42 minutes ago, Jeric said:

Absolutely! Ember is a connection to his heritage and a character that might actually make him have a new appreciation for that aspect of himself, one that wasn't possible before. In a weird way Thorax is similar to Spike in that he was an outcast among his kind, and was the key to redeeming his race. This little connections are gloriously perfect for amazing Spike growth stories. We have seen many characters change over the years, yet Spike is just getting started. 

He is an antidote to stagnation. Crazy I'm saying that about a character who had once been kinda treated like an afterthought and comic relief. 

 

For a character whose episodes fans used to dread, Spike surprisingly has a lot of potential and unanswered questions going for him.

For instance, who are his parents? Are the still alive? How did Celestia get his egg in the first place? (Because I refuse to believe that flat out stole it or did anything immoral to get it) Why doesn't he have any wings? Will he ever grow out of his crush on Rarity?

There is actually a lot of stuff the show has yet to cover with his character.

Given how we know nothing about episode 24 of this season called Uncommon Bond, I hope that it is an episode were we learn about/ Spike meets his biological family.  Due to the season's theme of family it would make sense for the show to address that long speculated mystery here.

[Goat-kun 2,498]

42 minutes ago, Jeric said:

He is an antidote to stagnation. Crazy I'm saying that about a character who had once been kinda treated like an afterthought and comic relief.

Well, all the non-pones have until recently been treated like that. Heck, they still often get depicted as inferior instead of different to ponies. We have literally been throwing lore fertilizer down the drain! If one wants to have a healthy fantasy world, one needs to approach this like one would approach game balance. Then you never have stagnation ... Unless you unleash Eldrazi upon your plane or something.

 

Inb4 issue peddlers start screeching "Muh kid show". Movie expanded the map beyond the scope of your average kid show into the deep, dark waters of IP development, and GoH disregards your philosophy.  Here there be monsters and you haven't installed your perimeter defense system! You should have listened to Sammy and stayed in the shallows!

 

[Jeric 46,834]

Just now, cmarston1 said:

Given how we know nothing about episode 24 of this season called Uncommon Bond, I hope that it is an episode were we learn about/ Spike meets his biological family.  Due to the season's theme of family it would make sense for the show to address that long speculated mystery here.

I'm almost expecting that to be a Spike and Twilight episode. Who knows, maybe it's when we get to find out about the egg. 

[CastletonSnob 3,025]

9 minutes ago, cmarston1 said:

For a character whose episodes fans used to dread, Spike surprisingly has a lot of potential and unanswered questions going for him.

For instance, who are his parents? Are the still alive? How did Celestia get his egg in the first place? (Because I refuse to believe that flat out stole it or did anything immoral to get it) Why doesn't he have any wings? Will he ever grow out of his crush on Rarity?

There is actually a lot of stuff the show has yet to cover with his character.

Given how we know nothing about episode 24 of this season called Uncommon Bond, I hope that it is an episode were we learn about/ Spike meets his biological family.  Due to the season's theme of family it would make sense for the show to address that long speculated mystery here.

I feel like Season 6 got rid of a lot of the negative connotations associated with Spike episodes. Some people are even looking forward to Triple Threat. 

Maybe Spike meets his parents, but they reject him, calling him "weak" for being with ponies. Spike then decides that Twilight's family and the Mane Six are all the family he needs. 

Edited August 13, 2017 by VG_Addict

[Jeric 46,834]

8 minutes ago, Goat-kun said:

Well, all the non-pones have until recently been treated like that. Heck, they still often get depicted as inferior instead of different to ponies. We have literally been throwing lore fertilizer down the drain! If one wants to have a healthy fantasy world, one needs to approach this like one would approach game balance.

I actually agree with you in terms of other species and comic relief. It was fine for the first season or two but as the world started to expand to show us more about the culture of Griffons, Dragons, and Yaks -- comic relief should have taken a back seat or at least become character specific and not species specific. Right now each species just has one outlier that is treated with some respectful complexity. 

As far as taking the lore seriously, we've seen the mane characters help the others and share their central philosophy, and all this alliance building only makes sense if there is a payoff where the Ponies actually need their help at some point. 

It would make the whole savior element the show has a bit more palatable for some. I would definitely appreciate a less one-sided affair. 

[FlareGun45 2,221]

9 minutes ago, Jeric said:

I'm almost expecting that to be a Spike and Twilight episode. Who knows, maybe it's when we get to find out about the egg. 

 

3 minutes ago, VG_Addict said:

I feel like Season 6 got rid of a lot of the negative connotations associated with Spike episodes. Some people are even looking forward to Triple Threat. 

Maybe Spike meets his parents, but they reject him, calling him "weak" for being with ponies. Spike then decides that Twilight's family and the Mane Six are all the family he needs. 

 

15 minutes ago, cmarston1 said:

For a character whose episodes fans used to dread, Spike surprisingly has a lot of potential and unanswered questions going for him.

For instance, who are his parents? Are the still alive? How did Celestia get his egg in the first place? (Because I refuse to believe that flat out stole it or did anything immoral to get it) Why doesn't he have any wings? Will he ever grow out of his crush on Rarity?

There is actually a lot of stuff the show has yet to cover with his character.

Given how we know nothing about episode 24 of this season called Uncommon Bond, I hope that it is an episode were we learn about/ Spike meets his biological family.  Due to the season's theme of family it would make sense for the show to address that long speculated mystery here.

Maybe it could be Scorpan's debut episode!

[Ganondorf8 11,118]

Sometimes, the writers don't need Spike to be in an episode so they choose to omit him. I don't see it as being a problem this season as it has been pretty consistent since the series first started

[Goat-kun 2,498]

1 hour ago, Jeric said:

I actually agree with you in terms of other species and comic relief. It was fine for the first season or two but as the world started to expand to show us more about the culture of Griffons, Dragons, and Yaks -- comic relief should have taken a back seat or at least become character specific and not species specific. Right now each species just has one outlier that is treated with some respectful complexity. 

As far as taking the lore seriously, we've seen the mane characters help the others and share their central philosophy, and all this alliance building only makes sense if there is a payoff where the Ponies actually need their help at some point. 

It would make the whole savior element the show has a bit more palatable for some. I would definitely appreciate a less one-sided affair. 

Burning Legion and the Battle for Mount Hyjal pony edition. They even got the Plot Tree.

 

Griffins, dragons, changelings ... that evil thing in the Unknown, they all need their "Warhammer" factions respectively if H-Bro wants to turn this whole world into a cash cow. I mean, the first two are among the most popular high tier fantasy beasts ever. If this thing ever gets popular again, people will want to know why their dragon OCs couldn't totally shit on ponies or why their griffins couldn't dual wield some hardcore 19th century arsenal, and they will not take lack of friendship for an answer.

[FlareGun45 2,221]

There's a reason why Spike's absense is questionable because they call him a 'main character', and yet supporting characters like Starlight are doing more than him. Can't they just call him a supporting character and stop being so misleading? Maybe then some of us wouldn't mind what he lacks the Mane 6 have. Get him his own group of friends he hangs with regularly.

[Ganondox 899]

5 hours ago, Hierok said:

I think it is just silly he is not here. He could be shown when Twilight was pickering in her castle. He could not help because he didn't know, so Starlight had to help Twilight instead. 

I think they left him out on purpose in order to bait fans, surely they knew about the Spike fandom and their most frequent complaints. 

Edited August 14, 2017 by Ganondox

[Lambdadelta 1,462]

The characters are getting crowded and we just got 22 minutes ;(. I think CMC get too much screentime this season.

We even bring Zecobra back (double), too many characters that i want to see . Too many foods with just one stomach, cant eat them all.

[Lambdadelta 1,462]

16 hours ago, Ganondorf8 said:

Sometimes, the writers don't need Spike to be in an episode so they choose to omit him. I don't see it as being a problem this season as it has been pretty consistent since the series first started

There are some episodes which should include Spike but they didnt, nothing new.

15 hours ago, Ganondox said:

I think they left him out on purpose in order to bait fans, surely they knew about the Spike fandom and their most frequent complaints. 

How cruel, he just get good in the last season. Too much CMC, need more Spike.

[Hierok 11,829]

4 minutes ago, Lambdadelta said:

There are some episodes which should include Spike but they didnt, nothing new.

How cruel, he just get good in the last season. Too much CMC, need more Spike.

The CMC needs to have less screentime. Before s4 they were interesting, but after it was just a lost call. 

[Lambdadelta 1,462]

I think i like their post-S4 episode more, their goals are clearer, not some random episodes about finding cutie marks, i like their new roles, to be a cutie Mark psychiatrists. What i complained is... they are too much ;)).

I dont know writers still treat Spike as important character or not, his performances in S6 are just too good, i need more.

Random: I have a bad feeling about Triple Threats...