Are the Spike episodes really that bad?

[AlbinoThunder 42]

So, I was talking to a friend of mine the other day and, of course, we ended up talking about Friendship is Magic. We talked about our favorite episodes, our speculations, and, inevitably, who was the best character. As we talked we brought up the subject of Spike's character. As it turns out, Spike's episodes are the ones my friend usually avoids.

 

He says that they show how arrogant Spike can be and how he's always 'just there' and not contributing anything. While this may be the case, I believe Spike's shown great improvement.

 

While "Just for Sidekicks" wasn't really his best episode, "Secret of My Excess" and "Dragon Quest" showed some major development for him as a character.

 

So, what do you think? Spike's not that bad of a person, right?

[cmarston1 5,959]

well just for sidekicks wasn't as good as secret of my excess or draqon quest I still thought it was pretty good. Though spike at your service really left a bad impression on spike episodes. So yeah spike is pretty cool with good episodes with the exception of spike at your service (which I honestly consider an Applejack episode.)

[duidamasterXD 9,627]

I like Spike a lot, but I haven't always been the biggest fan of episodes featuring him. I'm really not sure why. I did love Just for Sidekicks though, so the trend may be reversing. I guess we'll see

[Leafeon 2,702]

Yes.

 

Spike's episodes generally seem to not portray him correctly. They make him incompetent  or arrogant, or other things he is not. While the most recent Spike episode was decent, it still had it's issues.

 

For some reason, Spike's character seems to be better when the spotlight is not on him, while Rarity is the exact opposite...

[Scootalove 10,689]

I really do like Spike mainly as a dragon character. But, I don't think his new episodes in Season 3 are that special.

Sure, he got his chance in the spotlight but he needs to step up his game.

[Betez 1,734]

Eh, some are pretty good. Others, not as good. The most recent episode, where Spike takes care of the pets, I thought was pretty good. But others, like the one where he meets Owlicious for the first time, and the one where he gets greedy, I felt like those could've been done better.

[Awesome Dashie 30]

I don't think they are that bad, and I don't like Spike all that much either. It's different to see him star but I don't think it's a bad thing. Although he could use improvement, I don't mind his episodes.

[Champion RD92 8,658]

Honestly, the Spike episodes just seem to make me think Spike is annoying. Like he's fine in other episodes, but when the episode focuses on him, he acts annoying to me.

 

Also, he seems to be kind of greedy in his episodes.

[Dr. Eggnog 203]

I loved Secret of My Excess for the Rarity intereaction.  When she puts her hoof to his mouth, telling him she already knows.  God, that was sweet.

 

I liked Just For Sidekicks too, just because it was so silly and the way he apologized just before he could get caught.

 

The other ones I don't care for too much, but I wouldn't call Spike episodes in general bad.

[Pony Joe 583]

The problem with Spike episodes is that it's always his own ineptitude that creates the conflict, and he usually solves his problems by running away from them, admitting defeat and accepting help rather than showing the strength to overcome his flaws by himself.

 

What Spike needs is an episode where someone else is in the wrong, and he makes the choice to solve it because of his own sense of justice.  "A Dog and Pony Show" is the closest we've had so far, but having 5 ponies join Spike didn't exactly give him the spotlight he deserves.

[TheMarkz0ne 962]

I am a fan of spike. The dragon quest episode is his best episode. But just for sidekicks was lacking. I was really expecting an episode following up on Discord and his behavior. Spike is great, but his episodes can be better

[Rolls Royce 606]

I don't enjoy the Spike episodes as much as the other ones, but I still find them fun to watch.  I really enjoyed the newest one, however, Spike at Your Service is probably also my least favorite episode, he wasn't himself at all in that episode, but Applejack faking the timberwolf attack was funny.

[ShyForever 284]

The only bad Spike episode in my opinion was Spike At Your Service. I believe that Spike was completely out of character on this one. I mean, you don't see him acting this clumsy on any normal occasion. Hell, he even saved the Crystal Empire! But on this episode, he cannot even get eggs off a shelf. His other episodes are great, don't get me wrong.

 

Just my two cents.

[Descant 1,897]

I actually generally enjoy Spike episodes. I liked Secret of my Excess, Dragon Quest and Saturday's episode, Just for Sidekicks. Spike at Your Service just made me facehoof. He's not that clumsy. Hated it.

 

In his episodes, they portray him as greedy and arrogant because, compared to ponies, he is greedy and arrogant, as is his nature as a dragon. He's humble and generous compared to other dragons, which is why he doesn't grow like they do, but compared to ponies, yeah, he's going to come across as slightly arrogant and greedy. And usually he doesn't get enough screen time all at once for that point to really come across as it should.

 

There are times in non-Spike episodes that Spike's greed surfaces. During Party for One, for example, Spike does flat out lie to Pinkie (Literally repeating, word for word, what she thinks she wants to hear) to get his little claws on that huge gem spread she was bribing him with. 

Edited January 30, 2013 by Descant

[poniesforfun 716]

Well I never thought he was bad to begin with. He is still true to what he was since Secret to My Excess as in he was being greedy again in the new one as well but with a different moral that one shouldn't do something for personal gain. And I like his episodes much better than the CMC ones that seem like boring fillers to me.

[WafflePony 20]

I haven't seen Spike At Your Service or Just for Sidekicks, but I've seen the other ones and really liked all of them. However, I enjoyed Secret of My excess and Dragon Quest the most, and Secret of My Excess remains as one of my favorite episodes.

[kain17 88]

The only bad Spike episode in my opinion was Spike At Your Service. I believe that Spike was completely out of character on this one. I mean, you don't see him acting this clumsy on any normal occasion. Hell, he even saved the Crystal Empire! But on this episode, he cannot even get eggs off a shelf. His other episodes are great, don't get me wrong.

 

Just my two cents.

i agree with this. in all the other episodes he was no were near as clumsy as in this one. i would think he would be able to clean a kitchen when he has cleaned twilight's library several times. other then that one i think the spike episodes where good. not better then other episodes but not worse either.

[Zygen 6,066]

Meh I actually don't dislike spike at all that much, I kinda like that hes getting some attention this season, although he does have sometimes where he seems to be oddly dumb.

 

Still I don't really dislike him in any way, I actually like him alot of times . Although I have a hard time hating any of the episodes at all, or really even disliking them, I like the show to much I think XD.

 

Oh well .

[Veylon 255]

Yes. They're that bad. Don't get me wrong; I like Spike. But he's always portrayed as incompetent and helpless when he gets to take center stage. As a side character, he gets to play straight man to Twilight's obsessiveness or trot out the occasional one-liner while helping out with one pony or another's zany scheme. I don't mind the bouts of childishness - he is a baby dragon, after all - so I let the greed and self centeredness slide. It's just how, when he gets his chance to shine, he always falls flat on his face.

[PlunderSteed 1,252]

Now that I think about it, the only Spike episode I like is Owl's Well That Ends Well.  The recent Spike episodes portrayed him as clingy, clueless or otherwise unlikable in some way.

[Rarity.Flutter.Pie 3]

I don't know why people don't like Spike. Just for Sidekicks is probably my second favorite episode tbh. Spike is so awesome and I don't get what's wrong with his episodes.

[dreaper 136]

The problem with Spike right now, is his serious lack of redeemable qualities. The ONLY thing he got is being a good assistant to Twilight, but Spike at your service and Just for sidekicks put a big question mark on that. In one episode we got an incompetent, dense and idiotic Spike, and in the other a greedy, selfish, irresponsible and asshole Spike. 

 

What the fuck the writers were thinking?  They haven't thought that he maybe has already enough character flaws? Apparently they didn't think so, because they decided to take away the only good thing in his character, and they turned him into a load, an annoying burden to Twilight and her friends.

 

The worst thing about this, is that even his species are shown in a very negative light as well. Dragons are greedy, evil, dumb beasts, and Spike is only better because he is more of a pony than a dragon. Dragons are bad, ponies are good... I don't like this, I really don't.

 

 

I'm sorry to say, but Spike has become the ultimate loser of FiM, and probably the writers have designed him in this way because he makes the other ponies look better. Spike has never shined, and probably never will. 

Edited January 30, 2013 by dreaper

[Cantankerous 106]

Owl's Well that Ends Well is a solid episode that added a lot to Spike's character. It depresses me that it seems to have a negative reputation.

 

It's Secrets of My Excess I don't like. That episode explained Spike was going through natural dragon growth which would make it a permanent change- that freaked me out. Then it turned out simply remembering his feelings for Rarity changed him back and I cried bullshit. It wasn't the worst episode of season two but it was close.

 

Apart from that Spike at Your Service is also in my poor graces due to him being so out of character.

 

Lastly, there's Dragon Quest and Just for Sidekicks, both of which are great. I particularly appreciate the latter for taking what we learned about Dragon's life cycles from Secret of My Excess and doing something sensible and worthwhile with it.

Edited January 30, 2013 by ByTheTides

[Concord 1,982]

Hello!

 

Well, i liked the episodes, but i'm not sure on how spike was depicted in them. I think spike should get a little more love from the creators, as he's somewhat depicted as clumsy, overly attached. Spike is the new, Derpy hooves.

Edited January 30, 2013 by Concord

[BronyPony 575]

In my personal opinion, it just seems that My Little Pony tries to portray Spike as being the male greedy person who is very self-centered. However, with other male characters that are ponies they are quite polite.

 

However, I think mostly Spike's greed is due to him being a dragon in the first place. As it has been brought up a lot of the time, dragons are greedy and are hungry for more and more, but Spike is the exception for he learns to control his greed. Though, I think he has trouble sometimes with dealing with this greed. It would be like someone who is genetically addicted to something. You can control your addictions, but sometimes you can slip and pow you acted upon your addiction.