S09:E12 - The Last Crusade

[Justin_Case001 4,857]

What's poning, ponles?

So...  they finally did it.  Wow.  Scootaloo's parents.  Well, the second I read the one sentence synopsis, I knew exactly what it would be.  This was one of those didn't-even-need-to-see-the-episode episodes.  I guess it wasn't horrible, but I was disappointed.  This wasn't what Scoot's backstory was supposed to be.  Now, I realize that there technically is no "supposed to".  They've never said one way or the other, so they could do whatever they wanted.  It's whatever the writers say it is.  But there were implications, and this just wasn't the way it was meant to be, in my opinion.  Scootaloo was supposed to either be an orphan, or have deadbeat parents that abandoned her.  I always thought it was supposed to be the latter.  That's what it seemed to me that they were implying, especially during Parental Glideance.  The whole "at least you had parents that were proud of you" thing really set up that Scoot had crappy parents that didn't care about her.  She said that she always wished she had parents like Rainbow's, and that nopony ever told her she could be the best anything growing up.  That didn't sound to me like her parents just weren't around much.  It sounded like they were implying that her parents unloving and not supportive.  Having her parents be great, caring, loving parents who just have a far-away job erases the meaning of that whole emotional setup in Glideance.  And that's a real shame, because that episode made Scoots really relatable for people who have crappy parents, or no parents.  That's where I felt like they were going with Scoot's backstory, and this episode was just a 180 that threw away that arc.  That's really why this whole development gets a thumbs down from me.

Here's the episode I wanted.  And yes, I fully realize that they'd never do anything this dark.  I'm fully aware that I have a foolish desire for this show to be more mature than it is or ever could be.  But... still, this is what I wish it could have been:

Beginning is pretty much the same, except that instead of saying that her aunts are watching her while her parents are away, it's just implied that she lives with her aunts, and they are her permanent guardians.  And actually, let's just make it one aunt--the red haired one.  A single guardian.  I like that better for the purposes of my vision.  So, we see Scoot's home for the first time, we have an interaction with her aunt, and then she receives the postcard saying that her parents are coming back.  Scoots is ecstatic, but then we see a worried, concerned look on her aunt's face.  And there's your cold open.

In the first act, the parents roll into town... wait... you know what?  Let's make it just the dad.  Mom's gone.  Presumed dead.  So, yeah, dad rolls into town, and everything seems very nice at first.  It's a happy reunion, and Scoots is overjoyed.  She asks if they are going to be a family again, and her dad says, "Yeah!  Of course!  That's why I came here, lil' slugger!"  Scoots says this is the happiest day of her life, and she runs off to tell her friends.  Once she's gone, her aunt steps in to confront her brother.  The smiles instantly drop.  It goes like this:

Aunt: "Alright little brother, what's the deal?"

Dad: "Whattyu mean?"

Aunt: "What are you really doing here?"

Dad: "What?  You heard me.  I'm here to be a family with my daughter again."

Aunt: "And I'm not buying it.  That's what you said last time, and then you walked out on her and never looked back."

Dad: "Oh, don't start.  You think you've got a right to tell me how to raise me own daughter?"

Aunt (stomps her hoof): "Raise her?!!  YOU didn't raise her!  You weren't here!  I was!  You don't even know her!  After you left, I watched her hope every day for eight years that you would come back.  I saw the emotional toll that took.  And now you just expect you can waltz back in here like nothing happened?  I don't think you've changed, and I'm not going to let you hurt her again."

Dad (snorts): "Well, it's not up to you.  She's not your daughter.  I'm her father.  It's my call."

Aunt: "You can't even take care of yourself, much less that filly."

Dad: "Don't tell me what to do."

He storms off, the aunt looking on with an expression of anger and pain.  Commercial break.

In the second act, we see various scenes with Scoots interacting with her dad, and we gradually see the tone shift.  He becomes more and more short tempered with her.  He's impatient.  At times it seems like he's trying, but then we see his patience drain and he becomes angry with Scootaloo.  She doesn't seem to really care, but instead just assumes that she's done something wrong, and tries her best to appease him so he'll be proud of her and stick around this time.  At one point, Scoots introduces her dad to Rainbow.  Naturally she would want her dad to meet her adopted big sister.  The dad doesn't seem to take a shine to Rainbow, and we can clearly see that Rainbow is worried about Scoots, and doesn't trust her dad.  Later on, the dad tells Scootaloo to pack her things because she's moving in with him in his apartment in Manehattan.  Scootaloo resists this idea, and doesn't want to leave her friends, obviously.  Her dad basically orders to do as she's told, and she runs off crying.  Commercial break.

Next we see Scoots meeting with the other CMC, and they resolve to try to make her dad see how important they are to each other, how important their jobs are, and that they need to stick together.  The three of them confront her dad in their house, but he doesn't want to hear it.  He shouts at her, and it goes a little something like this:

Scootaloo (with tears in her eyes): "But I... I can't leave my friends."

Dad: "I said you're living with me now!  Do as I say!  Pack your things!"

Scootaloo: "But you never even asked how I feel!"

Dad: "I'M YOUR FATHER!  This is not a debate!  We're moving, and THAT'S FINAL!!"

Scootaloo (with resolve and determination): "...no.  I'm not going."

Dad (losing temper): "You never did one thing that I asked!!  I SAID GO.  NOW!!"

He raises a hoof to strike her, but hits a blue wing instead.  Rainbow flew into the scene, and now stands between them.  She glares solemnly at Scootaloo's dad.  She says nothing, but simply shakes her head once.  The dad looks back in angry defiance, trying to weigh whether he should fight or not.  His sister, the aunt walks into the scene.

Aunt: "NO!"  all turn to look at her, save Rainbow, who never breaks her stone cold gaze at the dad.

Aunt: "You don't get to hurt her ever again.  She's staying here.  With me."  She puts a hoof around Scoots.

The dad glares angrily at all of them.  Rainbow's eyes have never looked away from his.  He looks back with defiance  For a moment, it looks like things might turn violent.  Rainbow's eyes narrow slightly, and her head lowers the tiniest bit without breaking eye contact--a sign of dominance and challenge.  The dad wavers, then breaks.  Not even caring enough to fight, he gives up.  He looks directly at Scootaloo.

Dad: "F*ck you, you little sh*t.  All of you.  F*ck this.  I don't need this."

He grabs his bag and storms out the house.  He walks away, towards the train station.  He leaves and never looks back.  Rainbow and the aunt both hug Scoots, then the CMC take their turn.  Fade to a bit later--the whole gang's there, and the CMC apologize that Scootaloo had to lose her dad again.  They say they know how much Scoots wanted them to be a family again, and Scoots says, "I already lost him.  A long time ago.  I just never realized it.  But all of you are the only family I need.  My aunt is the best parent I could ever ask for, and you're all like sisters to me.  I have my family right  here."  Group hug and roll credits. 

Boom, mutha f*ckas!  There's your heartwarming ending with the relatable, bittersweet message that some people just have crappy parents, but that doesn't mean they have to have a crappy ending.

But yes, I'm aware that they would never go so dark as to have her parents be abusive.  Bah!  That woulda been better.  What they did was... okay, not great.  Good ending, though.  And a great title.  All in all, I guess it was okay.  Just not the direction I wanted it to go.  I did think it was a little hokey that her dad was basically Steve Irwin.  Why didn't his sister have an Australian accent, then?  It some kind of accent, but not Australian.  And is no one going to comment on the fact that they let a deadly animal going chomping its way through the schoolhouse?  Just imagine, for a second, how that would have played out in real life.  Imagine if some parents showed up at school with a caged crocodile, accidentally turned it loose, and it chomps desks and almost kills kids.  Yeaaaah, so...  And apparently the red haired aunt is the only one who's related to the dad?  So her and blue haired aunt are, like, a couple then?  That's cool.  Lotta Indiana Jones references on this show.  Crusaders of the Lost Mark, the Last Crusade, and the grail scene in The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone.  Me thinks there be some Indiana Jones fans on staff. 

Edited June 19, 2019 by Justin_Case001

[Senko 459]

 

14 hours ago, Justin_Case001 said:

Again just quoting as this is in part a response to your comments about abuse as its something that occured to me a few moments ago and I came here to post it.

So putting aside the issues with them just showing up and destroying her life, putting aside the fact the rotations of babysitters seems to have been put in place by the mane 6 not her family, putting aside even the fact that if it took them this long to include her in their job how long until the next "Super, important, just this once" occasion comes along that makes them leave her again or uproot her life again something has occured to me. Something that most will dismiss as "you're overthinking this", something that makes me wonder were Scootaloo's parents actually being abusive in this episode? Now hear me out before you dismiss this (or rather read me out) we know a number of facts.

1) The cutie mark crusaders have found their special talent in helping other ponies with cutie mark problems. This is not a hobby or a club or even just a group of friends sharing their lives any more. It is literally a permanently emblazoned symbol of the fact that for the rest of their lives the thing that is going to give them the most meaning and purpose is in helping others either figure out what their purpose is or in making their lives better.

2) We know these cutie marks are not just a talent but something that apparently can have a permanent actual effect even if the pony in question doesn't understand what it means. We saw it in Trouble Shoes who believed for years that his mark was bad luck when his talent kept manifesting in pratfalls and other clownish behaviour. We saw it in Rarity when her horn literally dragged her to the rock with gems in it. We saw it in Kettle Corn who spoke in Haiku even when she was trying to deny her interest in it. We've seen it in other ponies where their talent manifested without their knowledge or intent.

3) We know her parents are intending to move her to Shire Lanka which (a) has a train only once a month and (b) is almost certainly a remote and dangerous location as that's where their jobs take place.

4) We know the ponies in Starlight's visit were badly affected by their getting a false = cutie mark.

So tell me how many ponies do you think are going to be there for Scootaloo to help with their cutie mark problems? A small town, a village, a train station like we saw near the Kirin home or just a remote jungle camp with her and her parents? Then tell me what do you think is going to happen mentally and physically to a pony who's special talent has no outlet, no way for her to actual perform the very thing that gives her life purpose? Then try to tell me that her father dismissing the physical representation of what his daughter does as nothing more than "you'll always be friends" is not abusive. Especially when he is in the process of tearing that friendship apart because the other two will not only be able to see her once a month maybe but also will probably need a month free to spend there while waiting for the next train.

Edited June 19, 2019 by Senko

[Thrond 3,257]

Are Snap Shutter and Mane Allgood bad parents?

Yes, obviously. That's the entire point. 

Should they have found work in Ponyville? 

Maybe, but that's not usually how it works. Stories about kids being forced to move to a new home away from their friends are not at all uncommon, and there are many reasons for that, including the fact that taking good job opportunities can help you support a child. There are a lot of people in this very thread arguing that it would have been better for Scootaloo to go away, which should help you understand why I think the arrangement here is satisfactory. 

Is the ending realistic? 

Probably not, but neither are talking ponies. I think it still hits at some emotional truths, and makes sense given the details of the story because - again - Scootaloo is clearly comfortable enough in her home life, her aunts' presence helps with the one thing she's missing, her parents have promised to be better at keeping in touch, and (whether I like it or not) her role is very important. 

Does this undermine the climax of "Parental Glideance"? 

A little bit, yes; this is the kind of question I wanted to avoid by not thinking too hard about this episode, especially since I don't have a good counter-argument. I think the meaning of Scootaloo's words still makes sense - her parents were always distant from her, whereas Rainbow's were always there - but the dialogue itself seems a little odd now. This show has gotten a lot better at continuity lately, but you can tell the writers sometimes forget things; I had to look up the transcript of "Parental Glideance" before I realized it doesn't line up. In this case I think I'm willing to accept the incongruity and enjoy both stories for what they are. 

Some people were annoyed that "Going to Seed" didn't seem to line up with Apple Bloom's lack of presence in other Apple family flashbacks, but I think that ignores the fact that the latest version is better and does away with a lot of implications. In this case, I like both versions about the same - "Parental Glideance" is more poignant but "TheLast Crusade" is more unique. If I prefer the latter, it's because [1] Apple Bloom is already an orphan, so I feel Scootaloo also being an orphan is redundant, and [2] "Parental Glideance" used that Scootaloo scene to justify its flawed moral. Mostly though I just don't want to think about the difference; I think what the show delivered has its merits, and I don't think I would enjoy "Parental Glideance" less for it. 

Edited June 19, 2019 by AlexanderThrond

[ChB 18,532]

I feel like the episode was too rushed. It transitioned too quickly from the long-awaited reunion to the revelation that the parents will move, giving me little time to absorb the emotional, familial bond between them. This made it hard for me to enjoy the main plot-line or develop a liking for them as new characters.

I get it that the air time is limited, but one way they would have made the episode better for me is if they showed more scenes of Scootaloo spending quality time with her parents, rather than a whole Act on silly attempts to get them to stay.

I did like the Appreciation Ceremony, though.

[Music Chart Fan 818]

Overall, this is another episode about which I'm not quite sure how to feel. The episode introduces some fairly complex subject matter, and I'm not sure that the episode handled it all that well. Scootaloo's parents may be nice people, and they may be doing important work, but I don't see them taking their roles as parents seriously. I have a lot of questions about what Scootaloo's parents intended for Scootaloo's living situation to be in their absence; Scootaloo's parents take a rather flippant attitude toward Scootaloo's apparent distress and disagreement with their decision to move with only a couple of days' notice; and the two of them even just let a cragadile go loose into the school and threaten everyone inside. I can't help wishing that the episode had spent more time exploring some of these issues, rather than spending a good chunk of the episode on the CMCs' slapstick antics that were doomed to fail. Also, with all of these issues with Scootaloo's parents, I was rather taken aback that Scootaloo had nothing but admiration and excitement for them, at least up until they announced that the family was moving. Finally, while the CMC Appreciation Day is nice (and I like Rainbow's support for Scootaloo in this episode), and it could be argued that the ending solution will probably work out well for Scootaloo, I really don't buy the argument that the CMC have a very important job that requires that they stay together in Ponyville, and realistically, I don't think most kids would be working out alternative living arrangements away from their parents just because (essentially) the kids don't want to move.

-----

First, I'll just try to look at the logistics of how Scootaloo is taken care of while her parents are away. From what I see, it doesn't seem like Aunt Holiday and Auntie Lofty have been Scootaloo's full-time legal guardians, until perhaps the end of the episode. The two of them appear to live in a primary residence outside of Ponyville, and are just visiting Scootaloo at her parents' house in Ponyville. And as Aunt Holiday says, there are a number of rotating caretakers who temporarily watch over Scootaloo for a day or a few days. Perhaps the one contrary piece of evidence is when Scootaloo runs away to go to her aunts' house near the end of the episode. Scootaloo tells her aunts that her parents are back, and when Aunt Holiday expresses surprise, Scootaloo says "Oh. I think the mailpony delivered your letter to my house". So the postcard that Scootaloo's parents sent saying that they're coming back home was intended to go to Scootaloo's aunts? Is that meant to imply that Scootaloo's parents intended for Aunt Holiday and Auntie Lofty to be Scootaloo's primary guardians when they're gone? But if that's the case, then why is Scootaloo living in a house in Ponyville while her two aunts leave her to go to their primary residence outside of Ponyville? That line from Scootaloo was a bit odd, and I'm not really sure what to make of it.

Also, Aunt Holiday says that she left "plenty of healthy food for the weekend" (and Auntie Lofty left cookies), but shortly after that, when the two of them are leaving, Auntie Lofty says "See you next week, slugger". So is there food for the rest of the week? Are we to presume that the other Ponyville residents who take turns watching over Scootaloo are also responsible for buying her food and other necessities? If so, are they just doing that out of their own pockets? And who maintains this house in Ponyville in which Scootaloo is living? If, say, the house were to be damaged by some crazy event that happens in Ponyville, who would be responsible for paying and making sure that it's repaired?

And the particularly surprising thing is that this whole situation of Scootaloo's seemingly not having any permanent legal guardians in the absence of her parents may have gone on for quite some time - maybe even several years. At one point, Scootaloo tells her parents "I can give you a tour of the school if you want. I mean, if you're staying for a while this time". That seems to imply that, on the rare occasions that Scootaloo's parents do see her, they don't stay for a while, or very long at all. If Scootaloo's parents know that they'll be away from home for long periods of time, or they realize that, as Snap Shutter says, they'll be away for longer than originally planned, then why wouldn't they work out a more permanent living arrangement and more permanent legal guardians for Scootaloo in their absence? Instead, it appears that Scootaloo's aunts and several residents of Ponyville rotate as temporary caretakers. Were they all asked to do this ahead of time, and agreed to it? Are they being compensated to watch over Scootaloo for potentially months or years? Did Scootaloo have any input about this arrangement? So I see a lot of questionable things about how Scootaloo's parents intend for Scootaloo to be cared for while they're away, and I don't think that reflects well on them.

-----

Next, regarding Scootaloo's parents' sudden announcement that the family is moving to Shire Lanka, it really does seem like Scootaloo's parents ought to have, at a minimum, talked this over with Scootaloo well in advance and given her time (and help) to come with terms with a big change in her life. But instead, this big change is dropped on her with no prior notice, at a time when she's just trying to catch up with her parents in who-knows-how-long, and with just a couple of days before moving out. Despite that, though, it does also seem like Scootaloo's parents would have authority over her as the parents of a minor, and that would also mean that they have the final say in where they want Scootaloo to live. So if Scootaloo's parents want her to live with them in Shire Lanka, then they could order Scootaloo to go with them, even if she doesn't want to. And in real life, in most cases, if kids' parents move somewhere, then presumably their kids have to move with them, regardless of whether the kids want to, or whether the kids have made friends and connections in their current place of residence. So, thinking about it that way, I can see how this episode's ending would be more realistic and more interesting if Scootaloo ultimately did have to move with her parents away from Ponyville.

But this makes me wonder whether there's an Equestrian equivalent of Child Protective Services, and whether such an agency would consider Scootaloo's parents to have been neglectful in, for example, failing to make permanent legal guardianship arrangements for Scootaloo while her parents are away for months or years. I suppose that, even if there were such an agency, someone would have to report this situation of Scootaloo's living with rotating temporary caretakers as her parents are gone for extended periods of time. And maybe everyone who participates in or knows about this (including Scootaloo, her parents, her two aunts, all the other rotating caretakers, and anyone else who has heard about this arrangement) has no problem with it or wouldn't want to report it.

Furthermore, I have no particular knowledge or experience with this, but I wonder if a case could be made that Scootaloo's aunts, and possibly her other "temporary" caretakers, have acted more as her guardians over the past several years (or more) than her parents have, and therefore, they have a better claim to be her legal guardians than her parents do. So if Scootaloo really wanted to continue living in Ponyville, but her parents insisted that Scootaloo had to move with them, then could Scootaloo's aunts and/or the residents of Ponyville try to obtain a court order forbidding Scootaloo's parents from moving her until this legal guardianship dispute is resolved? Would Scootaloo want to go along with something like that, and potentially ruin her relationship with her parents? But I suppose I'll stop this train of thought here, since I know that court orders and messy legal guardianship battles are almost certainly beyond the scope of this show.

As the episode stands, Scootaloo's parents are convinced to allow her to stay in Ponyville, while her aunts are going to move to Ponyville and act as more permanent guardians. And I can see how that could be a good outcome for Scootaloo. Essentially, the status quo with Scootaloo's friends and caretakers in Ponyville is maintained, but with the bonuses of her having a more permanent living arrangement, and her being able to visit her parents on a monthly basis, if she desires. Scootaloo is probably used to living away from her parents at this point, so I can see how Scootaloo might prefer travelling to visit them on an occasional (but more frequent than before) basis, rather than moving away from Ponyville with her parents, and only being able to visit Ponyville on an occasional basis.

-----

Now I'll give just a couple of other larger points, followed by the rest of my miscellaneous observations.

First, with all the Ponyville-threatening and Equestria-threatening events and villains that have been on the show for the past eight seasons, now all of a sudden it was the return of Sombra (who's now defeated just as the other villains were) and the destruction of the Tree of Harmony that convinced Scootaloo's parents that their family should be together? Why is this time so different? I just find that hard to believe.

Also, I really don't buy into the idea that the Cutie Mark Crusaders are the only ones in Equestria who can do what they do (supposedly analogous to Scootaloo's parents), and therefore, the CMCs need to continue living together in Ponyville. Are we really to believe that nobody else in Equestria, other than three middle-school-age girls in Ponyville, could help ponies get their cutie marks, or help others find their purpose? And also, if the CMCs' "job" is to help others find their purpose, why does that necessarily mean that they need to stay together in Ponyville? Couldn't the CMCs help more people if they traveled, or if they spread out and lived in different places to help different people? If the CMCs are the only ones in Equestria who can do their "job", then why should everyone in Equestria have to go to Ponyville to seek their help? It seems like this line of argument could even cut against what everyone in Ponyville wants, which is for Scootaloo to continue living in Ponyville. And it seems particularly contrived to me that this is the argument that breaks through and convinces Scootaloo's parents to allow her to stay, when they had no apparent inclination to do so before that point.

Knot-tying - now there's a good life's calling!

How does the pegasus weather factory specialize in sunshine? If Celestia raises and lowers the sun every day, does the pegasus weather factory have any control over sunshine or ability to change it directly?

I can't remember if we've seen a globe in the show before, or if this is the first confirmation that Equestria is on a planet that resembles Earth, with continents separated by large oceans and the like.

I wouldn't have thought that chalk could be used to draw on pony skin like Scootaloo does when she's demonstrating her dad's scar.

Finally, in at most one day, people from as far-flung regions as Canterlot, Manehattan, Appleoosa, Starlight's old village, Mount Aris, and Griffonstone were all willing and able to travel to Ponyville for this Cutie Mark Crusader Appreciation Day, with no prior notice?

[Senko 459]

Just wanted to point out in regards to your question about other ponies being able to do similar jobs Music Chart Fan its possible there are especially in the larger cities but the problem is their cutie marks are linked. They got them at the same time, the symbol surrounding the inner emblem is identical and has 3 shades. Its quite possible they can't do their job unless their together or can't do it as well as they have been and they have been doing it well enough adults take them seriously as experts and creatures in other countries have heard about them. On another hoof given the number of mental issues the mane 6 and other ponies have demonstrated its quite possible the crusaders are the first ponies in this role ever.

That aside as I said given what we've seen on cutie marks seperating them and taking Scootaloo to somewhere she may not be able to follower her talent could potentially be abuse. Also like I said I think the caretaker arrangement is officially the aunts stop by every so often to make sure she has food and unofficially Dash and the others are trying to provide the care her family obviously isn't.

Edited June 20, 2019 by Senko

[TwentiethBeef08 12]

I have to say, I loved this episode. It gave us an actual reason as to Scoot's parents' just not existing, as well as who she's been staying with this whole time.

I loved this episode, with it's lesson this time being mostly learned by the parents, which is something I can't remember happening off the top of my head. As well as showing just how much the CMC mean to ponyville and everyone who visits.

So as a farewell to the CMC, I loved it and feel like their story in the show feels like it's gotten a fair conclusion.

[Truffles 2,033]

On 6/20/2019 at 3:12 AM, Music Chart Fan said:

Are we to presume that the other Ponyville residents who take turns watching over Scootaloo are also responsible for buying her food and other necessities? If so, are they just doing that out of their own pockets? And who maintains this house in Ponyville in which Scootaloo is living? If, say, the house were to be damaged by some crazy event that happens in Ponyville, who would be responsible for paying and making sure that it's repaired?

I would presume the parents send back some amount of money to the ponies watching over their daughter to compensate for the cost of food and maintenance on the house. If not, I would think this situation would wear itself out pretty quickly among the townsfolk of Ponyville.

I wonder what the townsponies really think of these two characters, though? Do they really buy into the idea that it was initially the destiny indicated by their cutie marks which forced them to leave home and go on long trips? That seems to fly in the face of the message of "Marks and Recreation," and seems to confirm Rumble's fear that getting a cutie mark is more of a liability than an asset. Knowing what we know now, I'm surprised Scootaloo didn't side with Rumble back then.

On 6/20/2019 at 3:12 AM, Music Chart Fan said:

I can't remember if we've seen a globe in the show before, or if this is the first confirmation that Equestria is on a planet that resembles Earth, with continents separated by large oceans and the like.

As a matter of fact, an episode near and dear to my heart also featured a globe: Secret of my Excess. Spike was particularly interested in adding that particular item to his hoard.

[Senko 459]

4 hours ago, Truffles said:

I would presume the parents send back some amount of money to the ponies watching over their daughter to compensate for the cost of food and maintenance on the house. If not, I would think this situation would wear itself out pretty quickly among the townsfolk of Ponyville.

I wonder what the townsponies really think of these two characters, though? Do they really buy into the idea that it was initially the destiny indicated by their cutie marks which forced them to leave home and go on long trips? That seems to fly in the face of the message of "Marks and Recreation," and seems to confirm Rumble's fear that getting a cutie mark is more of a liability than an asset. Knowing what we know now, I'm surprised Scootaloo didn't side with Rumble back then.

As a matter of fact, an episode near and dear to my heart also featured a globe: Secret of my Excess. Spike was particularly interested in adding that particular item to his hoard.

I'm pretty sure while their cutie marks affect their jobs the fact that they're as much an expression of a ponies personality as anything else means these two were like this from the start. We have Applejack singing "A cutie mark wont change you no matter what you get" and there are almost certainly other options available to them e.g. taking Scootaloo with them from the start (they found a job at Shire Lanka she could be with them afterall), more regular or longer visits, living with her in ponyville and studying the creatures there I'm pretty sure there's some unique flora and flaura floating around there given Fluttershy had to find a cure to prevent ponies being turned into plants. No I'm fairly sure its not their cutie marks that made them abandon their daughter but the kind of pony they are. As I said earlier just look at the priorities in how they handle this whole situation.

1) Show up.

2) Tell Daughter they're taking her to Shire Lanka for their next job so they can "spend time together."

3) Give her 2 day's to completely leave her entire life because the job wont wait.

I find it hard to believe they couldn't give her more warning, time to adjust or even talk to her in letters before hand. Instead everything in this episode to me say's that even now when they're including her she'd be second in importance to their jobs not because of their cutie marks but simply because of who they are. Look at Daring Do similar mark for adventure, similar world travelling/saving and yet when she see's how her actions affect STRANGERS she takes steps to undo the damage providing new statues and applecarts, paying for damages others have done and she obviously has a home she spends plenty of time in between adventures.

Don't get me wrong I am fully on the side that a cutie mark enhances and drives you to be better and more focused in your task if you ignore or try to fight it but if you embrace it you can balance your passion and other responsabilities. For example Ranibow Dash is a member of the wonderbolts and she finds more time for Scootaloo than her parents without suffering ill effects. I doubt her parents could entirely abandon their focus for their daughter without penalties but they don't even try to find a balance instead.

[The Nth Doctor 652]

On 6/18/2019 at 8:01 PM, Senko said:

the rotations of babysitters seems to have been put in place by the mane 6 not her family

It's her aunts who bring it up, not one of the Mane 6, so I doubt they're the ones who put it in place

[Senko 459]

5 hours ago, The Nth Doctor said:

It's her aunts who bring it up, not one of the Mane 6, so I doubt they're the ones who put it in place

They bring it up yes but the rotation is Dash, Rarity and the cakes who are friends/employees of Pinkie. 2 of the mane 6 and a close friend of one of them which is why I suspect them for having organized it.

[Metemponychosis 1,236]

Oh my... The big LGBT positive episode that's got my inbox filled with more Google Alert emails than I could count. Seriously... People made a lot of noise for this one outside the fandom., both good and bad. A same-sex couple in a cartoon. Groundbreaking, despite all the other cartoons that did it before, sooner than the last season and didn't even need to parachute two new characters into the episode, or even throw in Scootaloo's parents, for something that wasn't even a thing in the episode.

Yeah... Her aunts aren't even part of the episode or anything is even mentioned about them... The drama that people made out of this...

Do you Know who should've been it? Trixie and Starlight Glimmer, two stablished and beloved characters, with a naturally developing chemistry, through experiences we witnessed, and who, in the previous episode, were having an issue with their RELATIONSHIP, that WAS PART OF THE PLOT.

Of course, I don't think that the episode was bad only because of that.

Could've been a good story about growing up, if the episode hadn't wimped out in the end. It completely disregarded how her parents felt about her and there was that whole talk about being the only ones that can do what they do. I wish the cartoon throwed half as much effort into making Celestia's and Luna's retirement that big a deal.

In the end, it was somewhere between a dud and a good episode. The only interesting thing about it were Scoots parents and aunts, and all the drama a bunch of bigoted jerks made about something that was only a thing because a person in the cartoon's production sent out atweet about two characters that were barely in the episode.

I hate to say it, but it felt a bit flat and I wanted them to do something more with the concepts they tried to put into it.

[The Nth Doctor 652]

22 hours ago, Senko said:

They bring it up yes but the rotation is Dash, Rarity and the cakes who are friends/employees of Pinkie. 2 of the mane 6 and a close friend of one of them which is why I suspect them for having organized it.

It feels like a system that's been around long before the Main 6 were the Main 6 though

[Senko 459]

35 minutes ago, The Nth Doctor said:

It feels like a system that's been around long before the Main 6 were the Main 6 though

Unlikely given Rainbow and Scootaloo barely know each other before sleepless in ponyville, the episode opens on Scootaloo saying she just needs to find a way for them to spend more time together which she wouldn't if Dash was taking care of her. Rarity might be given she's friends with Sweetie Belle when first introduced, the cakes may be an outside chance (It seems unlikely to me but then I'm still not sure why they're part of the rotation in the first place beyond the proposed "small town everyone know's everyone and chips in" another poster gave). Dash however doesn't know her before season 3 as I see it.

Edited June 23, 2019 by Senko

[Sh Pie 65]

This was an intriguing Scootaloo focus episode which provides us with a revelation that many have been waiting for: Scootaloo's parents (and aunts). Snap Shutter's and Aunt Holiday's accent suggests that Scootaloo has lineage outside Equestria. This may explain the daredevil behavior of Scootaloo and her parents as the real life counterpart of Snap Shutter's birthplace is a country called Australia located in the southern hemisphere. Often considered the most dangerous country on Earth, it's inhabited by venomous and deadly creatures forcing settlers to the outskirts. Its government is also extremely anti-smoking as it was the first to introduce plain tobacco packaging as a deterrent to new smokers. As you can see, this country is not for the faint of heart or tobacco enthusiasts. Unfortunately, there's currently no name for its Equestrian equivalent.

I noticed a lot of discussion regarding the aunts' sexuality and despite apparent confirmation, there's nothing really to imply their homosexuality. The Hearts and Hooves Day exchange between Lyra and Bonbon was more homosexual. I just presumed Lofty was Allgood's sister or Holiday's half sister. I mean, it's entirely possible for Lofty to be an aunt by marriage like Peter Parker's aunt but it's not something that I inferred. Unlike Maud and Mud, nopony acknowledges that they are together.

Scootaloo mentions her father having a scar on his right cheek, but I didn't see it.

The moral was simple but good. A Cutie Mark is a pony's destiny and their calling in life and it's not something they can just forsake. Scootaloo can't up and leave her fellow Crusaders to live with her parents, she must stay to continue helping other blank flanks find their special talent. That's what gives her life meaning. Likewise, her parents can't live in Ponyville with their daughter. They have important jobs as well. But no matter how far apart, their bonds won't be broken and it's interesting that Snap Shutter already understood half of the moral when he said the CMC would stay friends regardless of their parting. It just took the appreciation day to make him understand that it was he and Allgood who had to part from her. Overall, a gratifying climax to the CMC story arc.

[Sepul-Coloratura 756]

Regarding the CMC's responsibilities and maturity, I think they should have visually grown up closer to someone like young Applejack in Where The Apple Lies. They just look like little kids and it looks ridiculous when they have such an important job. (no wonder her father didn't get it) It's as important as, or maybe even more important than Twilight's friendship school!

If they are gonna be young kids, it's strange that they have achieved their life's goal and their arc is already complete, at least that's how the show treats them. (Snips and Snails still doesn't have a clue what to do with their lives and I think it's how that age is.)

[Senko 459]

2 hours ago, Sepul-Coloratura said:

Regarding the CMC's responsibilities and maturity, I think they should have visually grown up closer to someone like young Applejack in Where The Apple Lies. They just look like little kids and it looks ridiculous when they have such an important job. (no wonder her father didn't get it) It's as important as, or maybe even more important than Twilight's friendship school!

If they are gonna be young kids, it's strange that they have achieved their life's goal and their arc is already complete, at least that's how the show treats them. (Snips and Snails still doesn't have a clue what to do with their lives and I think it's how that age is.)

Isn't Snips a profesional Buckball player and Snails has designs to be his manager?

[Sepul-Coloratura 756]

5 hours ago, Senko said:

Isn't Snips a profesional Buckball player and Snails has designs to be his manager?

Technically, yes. But how the show handles the two cases are totally different.

[The Nth Doctor 652]

On 6/23/2019 at 3:16 PM, Senko said:

Unlikely given Rainbow and Scootaloo barely know each other before sleepless in ponyville, the episode opens on Scootaloo saying she just needs to find a way for them to spend more time together which she wouldn't if Dash was taking care of her. Rarity might be given she's friends with Sweetie Belle when first introduced, the cakes may be an outside chance (It seems unlikely to me but then I'm still not sure why they're part of the rotation in the first place beyond the proposed "small town everyone know's everyone and chips in" another poster gave). Dash however doesn't know her before season 3 as I see it.

I suspect ponies volunteered for it, and Dash was added later

[Singe 2,109]

Instead of the aunts coming in to save Scoots from leaving. It would have been more awesome if Rainbow Dash stepped up and asked to be her legal guardian.

[Allen 1,371]

That's Scootaloo's parents alright, but I can't let them have Scootaloo leave the Cutie Mark Crusaders, as they'll cry by having her leave with her parents!  That's unexpected for meeting with her parents in this episode. Scootaloo is still part of Cutie Mark Crusaders, and let this be still a trio of this group (quartet with Babs Seed included). At the conclusion of this episode, I'm glad that we have other background ponies that makes an appearance where Mayor Mare and Scootaloo will address what's going on when she's about to leave Ponyville and the CMC with her parents, but she decides to stay as keeping her job in Ponyville. 

So I will say this is a great episode since the Cutie Mark Crusaders group as a trio will still be alive! 

Edited July 28, 2019 by Allen
More words in a sentence.

[Splashee 28,537]

I really really didn't like this episode. Especially the town gathering at the end, which was full of characters not really related to CMC or just stuffed in there by the animators. Hey look, there is Babs Seed, say hi to Apple Bloom at least once? No, you are background props.

But it was really the parents that I couldn't digest. I have seen bad parents of all types, but these types that value their own interests/hobbies/ideas over their own kid, to the point where it requires the entire Equestria population (impossible town gathering that took less than a day to pull off) to prove to them that the kid actually has some rights, and they still just find the most convenient choice to make themselves happy in the end. it isn't fair to poor Scootaloo. But as long as she thinks her parents are loving and being fair, the story is somewhat supposed to be okay?

 

It is not the worst episode. It was a cheap way to try to tie together a story that I thought was more hurtful than Applejack's parents being confirmed deceased.

[Cash In 21,516]

I didn't mind this episode, even if it did feel a bit rushed. I liked the inclusion of Scootaloo's aunts, though her parents appearing caught me off guard - not in a bad way, mind you. I don't have much to say other than that, though I enjoyed the majority of the episode and especially the ending.

[DubWolf 16,619]

Hmm...

I feel like this episode could have (and should have) gone a it differently.

Like Scoots hasn't seen her parents in a while and she spent the whole time upset that she wouldn't see her best friends... for a while. I can't quite relate with her on that, so I may be a bit cold. However, there's no reason the show shouldn't have gone out of its comfort zone a little bit and made a bittersweet episode, considering it's the last episode. Not that it had to have been the last episode the three would be together for, but it could've built into that somehow. I think it's a little too soon for something like that to have happened, but... I don't know.

Not a bad idea to throw some reality into the show rather than always "living happily ever after" and conveniently having everyone happy. Just seems a bit cold of Scootaloo to prefer to be with her friends than family, I'm sure there could've been fun challenges for her ahead and other experiences to try had she moved with her folks.

[Senko 459]

9 hours ago, WWolf said:

Hmm...

I feel like this episode could have (and should have) gone a it differently.

Like Scoots hasn't seen her parents in a while and she spent the whole time upset that she wouldn't see her best friends... for a while. I can't quite relate with her on that, so I may be a bit cold. However, there's no reason the show shouldn't have gone out of its comfort zone a little bit and made a bittersweet episode, considering it's the last episode. Not that it had to have been the last episode the three would be together for, but it could've built into that somehow. I think it's a little too soon for something like that to have happened, but... I don't know.

Not a bad idea to throw some reality into the show rather than always "living happily ever after" and conveniently having everyone happy. Just seems a bit cold of Scootaloo to prefer to be with her friends than family, I'm sure there could've been fun challenges for her ahead and other experiences to try had she moved with her folks.

The thing is based on everything we've seen her friends are more family to her at this stage than her parents. Yes she "loves" them but from what we've seen its been years of her growing up, possibly most of her life with them as an absentee feature while she's looked after by Dash, her aunts, the cakes and spends most of her time with Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom. From what I've been able to determine by this stage its been nearly 7 years of in show time with her parents not there if you assume she's still mid/late teens or equivilent she's only been getting brief visits from these ponies for almost half her life if not more and then gets told she's got to go somewhere she wont see the ponies who've chosen to be her family and probably wont even be able to pursue her special talent. For me I'd rather to see them read the riot act by somepony then Scoot going with them.