What would be your "jumping the shark" moment?

[Glaceon 793]

If they add a new character to the mane six? It would simply just ruin the atmosphere of the show.

Also removing any of the mane six.

[I used to be a stranger 7,993]

People often used "Something you don't understand" as a pretext for strawmanning "Faith" in the episode Feeling Pinkie Keen. Ham-handing a subject like death or divorce would kill the show in a heartbeat.

Edited September 29, 2012 by Blue

[TailsIsNotAlone 3,695]

That's hard to say, since I don't think any major problems have popped up. The loss of a main character or prominent VA might propel MLP over the shark, but it's more likely to be something like lazy writing or the show sliding into self-parody. Same thing that happened to The Simpsons: with its original creator absent or distracted, other people took over and decided they were too smart for their own show. In about two seasons they ruined something that took years to build, and it's been an empty exercise since the turn of the century.

 

And please, no coltfriend for Rainbow. Hearts will break. (And she's one of the most entertaining ponies to ship because of the challenge involved in building a convincing romance for her.) If anypony starts dating it should be Rarity or Applejack, and even then the purpose should be to add new depth to their characters with the colt himself making occasional appearances.

Edited September 29, 2012 by TailsAlone

[PonyEcho 1,610]

mine would be if this formula get repeated one more time

Rainbowdash being written in a rely shallow and negative way in order to redeem her at the end (which doesn't work) what annoying is this was done 2 time as every RD centered episode almost 3 if I count read it and weep.

[---------------------- 1,645]

I genrealy like to stick to my fandom's I don't like talking about stuff like this because I shudder to think about the day the show actually sucks, or the fandom just stops.

 

I mean yea, chaning voice actors or something like that...would kinda piss me off to say the least.

 

But I guess I don't like thinking of how the show could get worse, but only how it can be better ^^;;

 

Yea, I am a white knight when it comes to my fandoms, I try to have faith in the people behind it.

[Akemi Homura 7,680]

-Upon consideration, I think altering the art style would likely result in disaster.

 

You know what, I think that's highly underrated in terms of the entire series taking a huge plunge. The art style and how everything is drawn is something I very much enjoy whenever I watch any episode - it's not only fitting to each of the characters, but it does a phenomenal job setting the mood for each scenario they're faced in. Chrysalis, for example, is obviously portrayed to be evil and cold-hearted, but there's something about every single character which makes them likeable in their own unique way. I won't tread off to the realm of superficiality, but it literally saves Chrysalis from being despised as if she was drawn in any other way, she would be considered extremely ugly and thus would probably be at the very bottom of the pack in favourite character polls. With the current art style on the other hand, you can genuinely appreciate everypony's physical characteristics and write them off as either stunning (Celestia), cute (Fluttershy), or downright adorable (Twilight Sparkle)... or crazy enough to be physically appealing (Discord).

[Lightning Fluttershy 1,844]

I honestly think my snapping point would be if they were to seriously ship one of the mane six. I have no problems with a playful episode where say one gets a boyfriend but a serious shipping would to turn me away from the show.

 

Or if they had new voices. If say season 3 premièred but as soon as one talked I could easily tell this wasn't the voice of one of the mane six I remembered well, then I would turn it off immediately.

Edited September 29, 2012 by Lightning Fluttershy

[Lifehax 81]

Uh, Peter...

 

 

Seriously though, didn't Shining Armor and Cadance skate along the edge of this pitfall? I always had the feeling there was a bit of lampshade hanging (i.e., acknowledging that a trope has been invoked) with respect to the two of them, but the fact that Twilight did have an older brother blindsided a bunch of fans. The writers managed to avoid catastrophe by producing a fantastic season finale. Given the whole Crystal Empire business in season three, though, it seems as if Cadance and Shining Armor will have expanded roles.

 

Touching on some other points briefly:

 

-If the Mane Six were somehow reconfigured, I would be extremely wary. I doubt it would work.

 

-I don't consider romances for the Mane Six to be inherently troublesome.

 

-Changing voice actors would be a crime---unless the replacements just so happened to be ready to fill the (horse)shoes of their predecessors---but I hesitate to describe that as a jump the shark moment. Generally speaking, jump the shark refers to altering an element of a show in or emplying a gimmick in order to gain more viewers. Aside from the overwhelming negative response and subsequent Joel vs. Mike-esque arguments that would likely crop up, I don't see how replacing the voice actors would attract a wider audience.

 

-Upon consideration, I think altering the art style would likely result in disaster.

 

I just looked at that picture and I realized...

SHINING ARMOR LOOKS LIKE VINYL O.o

 

Anyway, back on topic, my jumping the shark moment would be having another episode with drama between rarity and.. well not just sweetie belle but anypony else in general. all those episodes with drama involving rarity are so boring..

[Zygen 6,066]

If they had a villian that was constant for the show or they added or removed one of the mane 6 from the show.

Or if they for some reason decided to totally destroy the way they write things.

As long as they don't change to much about the show its gonna be hard for me to quit liking their work.

Even if they made some drastic change aslong as it doesn't feel like it ruined the show to me, i'm going to keep watching.

I hope they can keep making amazing episodes as long as physically possible.

[Cherry Blossom 864]

If humans were suddenly added to the show. Seriously, that would make everything so awkward, thus causing the pollution of Cloudsdale. If you'd think about what would happen when humans were added to the show...

[Limestone 8]

If they constantly use gross and mean spirited humor while copying the Annoying Orange/Fred shows or acts like a normal preschool programming with boring educational stuff. For example counting very slowly or having the character talk to the audience like Dora the Explorer and telling kids to yell louder or Special Agent Oso with its three special steps,etc. Also if the mane six becomes completely out of character and not act like themselves. Another one could be if it becomes bad because of censorship and creates wrong stereotypes or keeps going without any meaning or effort into it.

[Homura Akemi 974]

*Shudders* If Derpy became a new "mane" character, and the mane 6 became the mane 7. I don't hate Derpy or anything, but adding a new major character would ruin it in my opinion. I'd stop watching the show.

 

I agree i would be most interested in seeing him go along with the Cutie Mark Crusaders in one of their adventures or something.

I find Spike to be sorta lazy so maybe a Spike & Applejack episode would do maybe.

 

Reading this gave me some weird episode idea. If Discord came back maybe he could "help" the CMC get their cutie marks. I mean, I honestly think they'd be gullible enough to think that Discord would be legit enough to do that.

[GreatPonyNui 6]

If the show became too dark and started losing what made it special and aimed at being like other shows.

 

Another thing would be hasbro disowning or banning the fandom.

[SBaby 660]

The only thing they could do that I can think of is pull a 1986 Transformers Movie/Power Rangers Turbo and change some or all of the cast in some kind of special. That would be a jumping the shark moment to me.

[Kelvocity 211]

Hmm.

 

Well, if they have a BIG movie, and then the quality of the afterward episodes starts going down, I might stop watching it.

 

...Or of the CMC get their cutie marks anytime before the final episode.

 

Or if they just start catering to fans and kind of loose focus on what the show is all about. If that happens, soon they won't have any fans to cater too.

 

There are plenty of other worse-case scenarios, but I think that's enough for now.

 

OH, OH, and if they start trying to sell merchandise through the show too much, and lose focus on the Mane 6. (I was a little worried about that with the Crystal Empire stuff, but the Mane 6's interactions with the crystal ponies in that preview clip gave me some more to hope for.)

 

Making the characters too simple and less relatable. I think the term is 'flanderisation'.

Oh yeah, if this happens, I, yeah I agree with this.

Oh, I forgot to mention what mine would be. Scootaloo turning out to be related to Dash, unless it's through some amazing story telling. But if it's just, "Hey, turns out Scootaloo is your second cousin," that'd just be too forced.

I also agree with this, Scootaloo just suddenly being related to Rainbow Dash would be a big turn-off. But if they could turn it around I'm sure the show would be fine.

[Crystal Sparkle 344]

If they do things like:

 

Kill Twilight off

Ruin her natural beauty

Make her get with someone else

 

Pretty much if they buck with Twi to the point where she'll never be the same.

[Page Turner 607]

The same as for any show: when they start replacing characters because the actors leave. I'll give the new character a shot, but they almost never measure up, major exceptions being Criminal Minds (Gideon -> Rossie) and Monk. (Sharona -> Natalie)

[Batbrony 16,055]

A very forced and contrived addition to the Mane 6 would definitely raise some red flags for me, especially if they actually replaced one of the other Mane 6 in order to make it work. I also wouldn't be too thrilled if somepony was very forcefully put by the writers into a relationship with a stallion, especially if it was very spontaneous (although building it up for an entire season could be just as bad, since it could be very distracting). Finally, I'd get very turned off if the writers EVER decided to get political in an episode; that would just completely turn me off. Other than that, I don't know how else the show could jump the shark, but there definitely could be other ways; here's hoping the show never does!

Edited October 12, 2012 by Batbrony

[Sakamoto 103]

"decline in quality that is beyond recovery"

 

Somepony need a lesson on how to punch sharks in the face

 

Anyway, it would be the moment where they introduced the seventh element of harmony, because that would screw up my fanfic >:c

[OkBuddy 586]

Announcing to everyone on Facebook that I'm a brony

Halo 4

trying to do extreme stunts

And jumping over a shark

>.> Now don't go criticizing me on Halo 4 "jumping the shark"', I think it'll be a great game, but I'm worried about the whole switching to a new developer thing.

[EquestriaGuy 1,074]

Straight from Jayson's mouth, we love the show because of what it is, not because of what it could be, so I never want to see the show change, or try to pander to the adult fans. I also wouldn't want them to try and keep outdoing themselves. The show doesn't need to get zanier and crazier with each premier and finale. Part of the charm of the show was the simplicity of season 1, and while season 2 is by far my favorite, I wouldn't want to see the show get further and further removed from its roots.

[Hawk 100]

It's hard to say, because it's in the show's nature to do crazy and silly stuff (AKA basically everything Pinkie Pie does). Personally I know a jumping the shark moment for me would be one of the following:

 

- Inclusion of a human character.

- The loss of any of the Mane 6. Even Applejack, the best background pony (I'm joking about the background pony part, please don't kill me).

- ? Ehhh, I don't know I'll keep thinking and if I come up with anything else worth mentioning I'll edit this post.

[duidamasterXD 9,627]

It's hard to say, because it's in the show's nature to do crazy and silly stuff (AKA basically everything Pinkie Pie does). Personally I know a jumping the shark moment for me would be one of the following:

 

- Inclusion of a human character.

- The loss of any of the Mane 6. Even Applejack, the best background pony (I'm joking about the background pony part, please don't kill me).

- ? Ehhh, I don't know I'll keep thinking and if I come up with anything else worth mentioning I'll edit this post.

 

Clarity will MURDER you! Quick, get out of the country while you still can!

Ha ha, I pretty much agree with everything you said

[Winona the Dog 1,984]

More random alicorns

Something tells me hey already did that

 

Cadance.... and i their is a confirmed Alicorn villian for Season 3.

 

Another jump of the shark for me would be shipping of any kind unless they make it subtle enoough.

 

 

(I would like it if they showed more various parts of Equestria instead of just Ponyville and or Canterlot.)

[kirbyboi 588]

For me, it would have to be making the show more girly and unrealistic (like the gen 3 ponies). That in itself would be so terrible it would cause an outrage in all bronies. And changing the voice actors. My goodness.

 

If the voice actors would change, then Applejack...what would happen to her? And Fluttershy? And Pinkie? And all of the mane six? It would ruin the effect of the show, kinda like what happened with Pokemon.

 

Another thing would be having the episodes to become shorter, or less appealing. That would be terrible, because those 22 minutes of magic are well written and just fun to watch.

 

I guess that would be all for me, but I'm sure there's way more that can happen. But I don't think they'll let us down!