Wasted potential.

[CastletonSnob 3,025]

In your opinion, what’s the biggest case of wasted potential in the show? For me, it's the Pillars. 

[FlareGun45 2,221]

I can't say till the show ends

[Jeric 46,834]

There may be a few but I’ll withhold judgement until the conclusion of the show.

[Flutterstep 46,198]

Magic Mystery Cure had two amazing concepts shoved into one episode. Cutie Marks being swapped around and Twilight becoming a Princess could have had two episodes each, they are that interesting. But instead we got a rushed out episode that has the depth of a puddle.

[Goat-kun 2,496]

Mane 6

........................

[CypherHoof 26,479]

2 minutes ago, Flutterstep said:

Magic Mystery Cure had two amazing concepts shoved into one episode. Cutie Marks being swapped around and Twilight becoming a Princess could have had two episodes each, they are that interesting. But instead we got a rushed out episode that has the depth of a puddle.

Pretty much, yeah. S3 was meant to be the last, and needed just enough episodes to round out the syndication requirement.  If they had had the full 26 episodes to play with, they could have used a few more challenges (where Twi had to show she could embody each of the other elements) and then given her ascention an episode of it's own, instead of bolting it onto the rather dumb "unfinished spell" hook.

[Megas 27,051]

The Wonderbolts and Rainbow's arc regarding them, and it's not even close. Early on, most of their appearances have been....questionable at best, there were great episodes, but the depiction of the WBs themselves often left a lot to be desired, ranging from kinda shitty to outright despicable. But what really dropped the ball was Newbie Dash, after 5 years of build up, Rainbow Dash finally becomes a Wonderbolt, to which the writers said "fuck it" and decided to write the worst possible milestone episode ever. I absolutely refuse to believe anyone wrote this episode with good intentions or with the mindset of making a satisfying conclusion. This episode goes out of its way to be as disappointing and as big of a "fuck you" as possible, treating RD like garbage and constantly humiliating her at ever possible chance, as if the writers hated you for being a Rainbow Dash fan and wanted to punish you for it. And the fact that the writers have barely done anything with it since just confirms to me that they never gave a fuck about it in the first place
 

Spoiler

Especially since they probably aren't getting an episode for S9

The fact that IDW, a company that especially early on openly shat on RD, have done a lot more for the Wonderbolts, both for RD's character arc and for the Wonderbolts themselves as characters, and regularly cleaned up the show's mess, is a reality I'm still having trouble coming to terms with

Edited July 24, 2019 by Kiryu-Chan

[Splashee 28,537]

Season 3, "Magic Mystery Cure". I know Hasbro got a good deal getting Miss America or whoever it was to do something, yay right? (I'm not going to do research to get that right, it is a pain). But I think a lot of the fandom just disappeared. I was watching a guy on Youtube called Digibrony at that time, and after season 3 he just dropped his stuff and left. He was entertainment of the highest quality back then. If you were part of the fandom at that time, maybe you had a similar experience? it didn't help that the episdes before that were Spike episodes, and the season was short, like no one cared about the show.

Waste = high potential for money, short time thinking and delivery. Potential destruction of the main character (I don't mean she got destroyed, as there are many great episodes in the future)

[Here No Longer 5,270]

1 hour ago, Flutterstep said:

Magic Mystery Cure had two amazing concepts shoved into one episode. Cutie Marks being swapped around and Twilight becoming a Princess could have had two episodes each, they are that interesting. But instead we got a rushed out episode that has the depth of a puddle.

This.

[Lektra Bolt 2,336]

Agree with the sentiment that while Magical Mystery Cure had my absolute favorite song (A True True Friend) the episode was utter garbage. I love Twi but the reason for her wings was completely bull. Anyone can complete a spell or create a new one, and spell theory advances basically daily. They could have had her go on a final quest to prove herself after everything else, but the final reason was garbage

'You created new magic so you get wings' - I call bull, Celestia

She grew into it later, but still garbage

Edited July 23, 2019 by Lektra Bolt

[CastletonSnob 3,025]

2 hours ago, Kiryu-Chan said:

The Wonderbolts and Rainbow's arc regarding them, and it's not even close. Early on, most of their appearances have been....questionable at best, there were great episodes, but the depiction of the WBs themselves often left a lot to be desired, ranging from kinda shitty to outright despicable. But what really dropped the ball was Newbie Dash, after 5 years of build up, Rainbow Dash finally becomes a Wonderbolt, to which the writers said "fuck it" and decided to write one of the worst milestone episodes ever. I absolutely refuse anyone wrote this episode with good intentions or with the mindset of making a satisfying conclusion. This episode goes out of its way to be as disappointing and as big of a "fuck you" as possible, treating RD like garbage and constantly humiliating her at ever possible chance, as if the writers hated you for being a Rainbow Dash fan and wanted to punish you for it. And the fact that the writers have barely done anything with it since just confirms to me that they never gave a fuck about it in the first place
 

  Reveal hidden contents

Especially since they probably aren't getting an episode for S9

The fact that IDW, a company that especially early on openly shat on RD, have done a lot more for the Wonderbolts, both for RD's character arc and for the Wonderbolts themselves as characters, and regularly cleaned up the show's mess, is a reality I'm still having trouble coming to terms with

Between Newbie Dash, 28 Pranks Later, Non-Compete Clause and 2, 4,6, Greaat, I get the feeling the new writers don't like Rainbow Dash.

[Sepul-Coloratura 756]

5 hours ago, Goat-kun said:

Mane 6

True. I'm not even joking. Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity and Pinkie Pie are the biggest wasted potential, regarding how central and essential they were meant to be in the show. The lack of willingness to delve into their characters further than a cartain point are criminal, as if they are not aware of how valuable and important their own assets are, or they are afraid of their own creation. They are avoid the inevitable task.

Edited July 24, 2019 by Sepul-Coloratura

[Goat-kun 2,496]

16 hours ago, Sepul-Coloratura said:

True. I'm not even joking. Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity and Pinkie Pie are the biggest wasted potential, regarding how central and essential they were meant to be in the show. The lack of willingness to delve into their characters further than a cartain point are criminal, as if they are not aware of how valuable and important their own assets are, or they are afraid of their own creation. They are avoid the inevitable task.

I'm not kidding either. They kicked them over their finish lines and left them there to rot. This entire thread can be summed up with "Mane 6". Of course, there are those who think that a few future episodes can undo what has already been done. Such hope is for the fools. The very same people will likely tell you that the journey is more important than the goal.

[heavens-champion 1,893]

Rainbow Dash having a hidden power? Although, I suppose the Season 9 premiere counts as the Mane 6 having a hidden power, even though said power was with them since the first season.

[MangoFoalix 24,898]

Probably fleshing out Rainbow Dash a bit more.

[ErisPegasus 56]

not having dedicated history episodes early on (Shadow Play sucked).

I mean actually seeing the past as it happened, so Hearth's Warming Eve doesn't count.

Either do it by time travel, or Celestia/Luna telling a story about her former life, I don't care. It was criminal that we never had a crystallised view of Old Equestria.

Edited July 28, 2019 by ErisPegasus

[heavens-champion 1,893]

On 7/27/2019 at 9:14 PM, TheTaZe said:

Probably fleshing out Rainbow Dash a bit more.

Honestly, they really should have. Granted, she's not as bad as Toph from Avatar.

(hears the sound of charging footsteps and indistinct battle cries) I think I just angered the Toph fanbase.

[Megas 27,051]

On 7/23/2019 at 4:21 PM, VG_Addict said:

Between Newbie Dash, 28 Pranks Later, Non-Compete Clause and 2, 4,6, Greaat, I get the feeling the new writers don't like Rainbow Dash.

Been feeling that way since S6. Feeling mostly subsided in S7 and S8. But then it started coming back this year

20 hours ago, heavens-champion said:

Honestly, they really should have. Granted, she's not as bad as Toph from Avatar.

(hears the sound of charging footsteps and indistinct battle cries) I think I just angered the Toph fanbase.

Toph is one of my favorites in the show, just after Zuko and Sokka, but it was really obvious she got the short end of the stick, by the end of the main series and in Korra.Her storyline with her parents never had a definitive conclusion(all we found out was a letter...that was taken by combustion man I presume) and she never got the "life changing episode with Zuko". And in Korra, while she was a blast to see back, there were a lot of loose threads they left open with her compared to almost everyone else save for Sokka

[ShootingStar159 2,155]

Alicorn Flurry Heart. At least I assume we’re never going to get any kind of explanation or closure on that.

[Will Guide 21,325]

Like I said A wasted potential idea in canon is fan fiction fuel just waiting to be written and read, so all in all, I wouldn't call all the above a "complete" waste of potential.