Anyone Else Want Twilight To Have An OCD Freakout In Season 4?

[Shanks 10,816]

Twilight Sparkle has had a couple of OCD fueled freakouts in the series due to her obsessions with not being "tardy" checking her checklists to check her checklists and a few other things. But it has been a while since she has had any major Lesson Zero style freak outs but now that she has become an alicorn princess especially I think she is long overdue for another one. It will pull her back a bit from the Mary Sue like vibes that were given off in the finale by showing she is still not perfect and would make sense to the story due to the added pressures of whatever responsibilities she would have as a princess. And she is so cute when she flips out.

[Captainloudmouth 7]

I woudn't mind if she has one in s4. It seems in her character to be having freakouts. As she always has been a perfectionist to me.

[Princess Periwinkle 3,775]

Ugh. I'm not a fan of Lesson Zero.

 

I'd be perfectly alright with an episode where she gets really ticked off about something like the library being too disordered. But actually going insane is just over the top if you ask me.

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 41,861]

I think the book 'Crystal Heart Spell' or another one has a moment like this in it. If they follow that as an example then it is bound to happen. Lesson Zero was actually the first episode I ever watched, so that would be kinda cool.

Edited May 27, 2013 by Kyoshi

[Shanks 10,816]

But actually going insane is just over the top if you ask me.

It dosen't have to be that over the top but I am a bit biased since Lesson Zero is actually my favorite Twilight centered episode but her getting a bit angry or bothered by something minor due to her OCD like tendencies is something I would definitely like to see in season 4.

[XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 777]

I wouldn't mind it if it was done properly but I feel as though if it did happen again in S4, it'd feel as though it was becoming a running gag for Twilight. I know that it really hasn't happened all that often if I take count for how many times she's 'OCD'd,' I just feel as though it really isn't needed for S4 (It's going to happen anyway though.)

[Shanks 10,816]

I wouldn't mind it if it was done properly but I feel as though if it did happen again in S4, it'd feel as though it was becoming a running gag for Twilight.

While having humor is pretty much a given in such an episode it dosen't just have to be a running gag, based on what we have seen so far it could also address what a serious problem with some people in addition to being hilarious and having some good character development for Twilight. Obviously such a things shouldn't be done all the time as its impact would fade and it would seem forced but every once in a while seems to be what the doctor ordered.

[fimdash 1,196]

I don't think it's necessary. An OCD freakout episode in season 4 would just be a Lesson Zero rehash. Plus, it would be kinda strange since Twilight now knows how to remain calm and collected in pressing situations.

[Shanks 10,816]

I don't think it's necessary. An OCD freakout episode in season 4 would just be a Lesson Zero rehash. Plus, it would be kinda strange since Twilight now knows how to remain calm and collected in pressing situations.

Not necessarily, there are many different ways she could freak out and many different reasons why, with her new responsibilities the pressures could get to her. You are correct that she has improved greatly in remaining calm but that dosen't mean that occasional backslide is a complete impossibility. And Lesson Zero isn't the only episode where she had this kind of freakout, she also had a fairly significant freakout in It's About Time when she visited herself from the future to warn herself about something and we find out at the end of the episode that the warning was not to freak out which she did anyway.

[fimdash 1,196]

Not necessarily, there are many different ways she could freak out and many different reasons why, with her new responsibilities the pressures could get to her. You are correct that she has improved greatly in remaining calm but that dosen't mean that occasional backslide is a complete impossibility. And Lesson Zero isn't the only episode where she had this kind of freakout, she also had a fairly significant freakout in It's About Time when she visited herself from the future to warn herself about something and we find out at the end of the episode that the warning was not to freak out which she did anyway.

Yeah, that's true. She went pretty crazy in It's About Time. I always found that episode to be a rehash of Lesson Zero (it was still awesome though), except with a totally different plot. Since they've already done 2 episodes of her freaking out, I feel like they're not going to do a 3rd one. It'd just be kinda redundant. I do wonder how Twilight will react though when she gets herself caught in a sticky situation. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

[SCS 7,537]

While episodes like that are enjoyable, I don't think that it would make sense at this point in the story. Twilight Sparkle has grown up, denoted by her becoming a Princess, the commencement of the actualization of her destiny. I think there should be an episode showing that she is struggling with her new duties, and how she resolves those issues by turning to her friends for support, instead of overreacting like she did in Lesson Zero or It's About Time. 

[Scootalove 10,689]

I would want to see that. Twilight Sparkle having another freakout in Season 4, when she is trying to balance out her duties while trying to keep her priorities in check would definitely be a very funny experience. Basically, trying to struggle with her duties and at the same time cracking under the pressure would be so funny like in Lesson Zero and It's About Time.

[Shanks 10,816]

While episodes like that are enjoyable, I don't think that it would make sense at this point in the story. Twilight Sparkle has grown up, denoted by her becoming a Princess, the commencement of the actualization of her destiny.

Actually there are still a few subtle signs even in recent episodes that she still has some issues to work out so it wouldn't be entirely out of character at this point in the story.

 

http://youtu.be/9HL_9N9teXU

 

Note that nothing Spike said to her broke her concentration yet all it took was Applejack rearanging her ink set to make her OCD senses start to tingle.

 

[dekutree64 713]

Yeah, that's true. She went pretty crazy in It's About Time. I always found that episode to be a rehash of Lesson Zero (it was still awesome though), except with a totally different plot. Since they've already done 2 episodes of her freaking out, I feel like they're not going to do a 3rd one. It'd just be kinda redundant. I do wonder how Twilight will react though when she gets herself caught in a sticky situation. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

I love It's About Time, but I do agree it was kind of a Lesson Zero rehash, and the lesson should have included something about skipping sleep.and working to exhaustion... after all, that was the true cause of the problem, since Twilight obviously would have realized what was she was doing when using the time spell at the end if her brain had been anywhere near normal capacity. And it was a good opportunity to point out the advantages of teamwork versus working alone, being able to trade off and rest.

 

I don't think I want to see a full freakout in S4, but I would like to see her "snap", and get the help she needs from her friends this time. Probably not as a main storyline, but just a cool continuity nod during the opener or finale (assuming they will be high drama like usual and provide a good opportunity for it)

[Nature's Spell 526]

Having too many freakouts is as bad as (can't believe I'm saying this) becoming a "Mary Sue". Horrid phrase. I just want her to be Twilight, which means being a good balance of adorkable OCD and yet powerful, smart, and effective when she needs to be. That's the real Twilight Sparkle.

Edited May 28, 2013 by Nature Spell

[Shanks 10,816]

Having too many freakouts is as bad as (can't believe I'm saying this) becoming a "Mary Sue".

Agreed, but I am not advocating having these all the time but the issues which cause these sort of freakouts are a part of her maybe not all of her character and they shouldn't be but I will admit that much of the reason why I want to see this is I still have lingering concerns about twilicorn and showing that she still isn't perfect and is still the same pony she was before would be helpful. I am not saying it is the only way to do it and if it happens it shouldn't happen again for at least another couple of seasons or so aside from subtle signs of it like in the example I used in my last post and minor lapses in judgment.

[Guest]

They already did an episode like this. Did you already forget the episode where she worries non-stop and travels back in time to tell herself to stop worrying only for her to fail to heed her own advice?

[hawkflame 3,310]

I think that it's a great idea and would go a long way towards allaying fan fears about the character. However, I think they should change it up a bit.

 

1- Have it as a gag, but don't make it the focus of the episode. We've already seen that twice in season 2.

 

2- update it. Show a little character development with the gag. For instance, when she starts having an OCD panic attack, have her doing some mental exercises to calm her down. I have OCD, and its something that's not cured as much as it is managed, so maybe having her trying (and maybe struggling) to manage it might be a good new take on this aspect of her personality.

[Wingnut 7,005]

 

 

Plus, it would be kinda strange since Twilight now knows how to remain calm and collected in pressing situations.

 

 

2- update it. Show a little character development with the gag. For instance, when she starts having an OCD panic attack, have her doing some mental exercises to calm her down. I have OCD, and its something that's not cured as much as it is managed, so maybe having her trying (and maybe struggling) to manage it might be a good new take on this aspect of her personality.

 

The major freakout episode was Lesson Zero with It's About Time being a second one.  I don't see Twilight being as bad as she was in either of those again.  Instead, I can see her becoming slightly unraveled as she did toward the end of Swarm of the Century. 

 

Yes, she has demonstrated better control on remaining calm in tough situations, but she's not infallible.  She took several deep breaths in Games Ponies Play which worked.  But when she finally learned she and her friends were entertaining the wrong pony, she started hyperventilating! 

[duidamasterXD 9,627]

...Not actually the biggest fan on Lesson Zero for some reason, and I'm not sure if I want to rehash that. Still, one thing that I think is long overdue is some kind of scene where she defies Celestia for some reason, and I'd love to see some inner conflict accompanying it. What I would like in Season 4 is to see a bit more in the way of character flaws out of Twilight Sparkle and less songs about how amazing and perfect she is. Might silence anyone yelling Mary Sue.

[Shanks 10,816]

so maybe having her trying (and maybe struggling) to manage it might be a good new take on this aspect of her personality.

Yeah it has kind of bothered me that this aspect of her personality has been ignored in season 3 with the exception of her using some mental excercizes in Games Ponies Play, I would be able to forgive it a bit more because there really were no slice of life episodes that focused on Twilight that season if not for twilicorn. I suppose whether she has another freak out or not it of course does warrant a bit of an update I could still see her freaking out like that but I think due to her maturing it will take a lot more than it did in Lesson Zero and It's About Time. I probably wouldn't be clamoring for this as much as I am if the finale didn't leave such a bad taste in my mouth, I have really gotten to like Twilight a great deal and I want to burn the Mary Sue vibe of the finale with fire.