Spike's Role in Season 4

[DryGuy84 (Inactive) 927]

Anyway, I hope to see Spike as even more of a slave in Season 4 because, he's already a pet that's forced to work for Twilight (in my opinion) but, now she's also a princess and he's going to have to serve her even more.

 

1. Not a slave.

2. Not a pet.

3. I would prefer he gets his own independence.

I'm looking over the blueprints to my new "Spike episode" bunker since he's rumored to get roles in episodes close to the end of the season. Anybody want to be safe from the usual lazy writing of his character this time around?

 

I don't think he's lazily written, but the writers don't seem to know what to do with him. I can see them trying throughout Season 3 and 4, but I'm not convinced it's working.

I don't know what we'll get out of spike in season 4.

 

there's some series shite hitting the fan at the start of season 4.

 

I like spike in concept.  but i mean... he got two lead roles in season 3 and one straight up sucked,

and one was so, so.

 

So I understand the spike hatred.

we need less of spike at your service.

We don't need slice of life spike.

 

we need epic spike (I think, I could be wrong, tell me if i am).

 

We need a balanced, fleshed out and epic Spike, not one or the other.

[Grumpy Enchantress 587]

1. Not a slave.

2. Not a pet.

3. I would prefer he gets his own independence.

1. Yes, he is.

2. Yes, he is.

3. He's funnier when he gets physically hurt in slapstick scenes.

 

You know he turned into a dog in Equestria Girls, right? I don't know how people can say he's not a pet at all at this point. It's so obvious.

[DryGuy84 (Inactive) 927]

1. Yes, he is.

2. Yes, he is.

3. He's funnier when he gets physically hurt in slapstick scenes.

 

You know he turned into a dog in Equestria Girls, right? I don't know how people can say he's not a pet at all at this point. It's so obvious.

 

So what you're trying to say is he's a pet, despite being given permission to watch over other pets? You know he wasn't a normal dog in Equestria Girls, right? He was sentient, still. Look at the other pets, they show little to no sentience. That's not enough evidence?....No? Well how about his role in Look Before You Sleep? Last time I checked pets don't get to leave on their own for royal business. What about Fall Weather Friends? He gave out relevant, smarter commentary than Pinkie, could she be a pet too? What about his role in an upcoming episode where he...

CARRIES THE EQUESTRIAN EQUIVALENT OF AN OLYMPIC TORCH?

 

 

Your perception of Spike makes me wonder if we're even watching the same show, he's clearly not a pet. Hell, Owl's Well That Ends Well was all about this.

[Rocky 68]

So what you're trying to say is he's a pet, despite being given permission to watch over other pets? You know he wasn't a normal dog in Equestria Girls, right? He was sentient, still. Look at the other pets, they show little to no sentience. That's not enough evidence?....No? Well how about his role in Look Before You Sleep? Last time I checked pets don't get to leave on their own for royal business. What about Fall Weather Friends? He gave out relevant, smarter commentary than Pinkie, could she be a pet too? What about his role in an upcoming episode where he...

CARRIES THE EQUESTRIAN EQUIVALENT OF AN OLYMPIC TORCH?

 

 

Your perception of Spike makes me wonder if we're even watching the same show, he's clearly not a pet. Hell, Owl's Well That Ends Well was all about this.

It's pretty obvious to me that this person hates Spike as much as the writers do. His theory that Spike is a pet in the show doesn't hold an ounce of water.

Edited April 4, 2014 by Rocky

[DryGuy84 (Inactive) 927]

It's pretty obvious to me that this person hates Spike as much as the writers do. His theory that Spike is a pet in the show doesn't hold an ounce of water.

 

The writers don't hate Spike, you're the other extreme. Your theory that the writers hate Spike holds no water either. If they hate him why was the moral of Power Ponies basically Spike isn't a clown? Why would he be the one to save The Crystal Empire? Why would he be the rational one in Lesson Zero, Fall Weather Friends, and Simple Ways? Is it because of slapstick you think that? Well, the reason Spike is pinned as the slapstick guy, is because of his extreme durability as stated in Dragon Quest and A Dog and Pony Show. Do I think it's acceptable? Actually, yea I do. He's rarely singled out from the group in a mean-spirited way, the writers just have a hard time with his comedy. What you mean just Season 4? Well let me remind you that the episodes with the highest amount of slapstick for Spike are Just for Sidekicks, Owl's Well That Ends Well, and Fall Weather Friends. Notice that none are from Season 4. 

 

I'm going to assume Spike is your favorite character, because I have a hunch that you are overreacting to how Spike is being treated, and not realizing what's actually taking place. The show is trying to move away from making Spike the butt of jokes, but has had a couple missteps. To say they don't care however is absurd, go watch how Family Guy treats Meg or Spongebob treats Squidward for a true lack of care for a character.

Edited April 4, 2014 by DryColt84

[Grumpy Enchantress 587]

So what you're trying to say is he's a pet, despite being given permission to watch over other pets? 

Yeah, he's like a slave to them that they treat as a lesser species. They're aware that he's able to take care of other animals but, they still use him as a pet and for slave labor. 

 

You know he wasn't a normal dog in Equestria Girls, right? He was sentient, still. 

Yeah, a sentient pet and/or slave. He didn't have equal rights by any stretch of the imagination whatsoever.  

 

Look at the other pets, they show little to no sentience.

So? Fluttershy wasn't even aware dragons had the ability to talk and thought of him as nothing more than an animal and they all still do. Doesn't matter if he is sentient, he doesn't have equal rights to ponies because he's just a dragon. 

 

That's not enough evidence?....No? Well how about his role in Look Before You Sleep? Last time I checked pets don't get to leave on their own for royal business. 

Did we ever even see the royal business at all? It was probably just more slave labor for Celestia. 

 

What about Fall Weather Friends? He gave out relevant, smarter commentary than Pinkie, could she be a pet too? 

What are you talking about? Pinkie was a way better announcer! Spike was just boring and uninteresting. It doesn't matter, though. You're ability to commentate is 100% irrelevant to you being a pet or not. Pinkie could legally own him if Twilight didn't! 

 

What about his role in an upcoming episode where he...

CARRIES THE EQUESTRIAN EQUIVALENT OF AN OLYMPIC TORCH?

 

What does any of this have anything to do with the show at all? Nothing you're saying takes away from the point that he does slave labor and is treated like a lessor species. Rarity stuck pins in him because she thinks of him as an object. Nobody cares any of the billion times that he's abused. He does nothing but serve others. He's a slave. Him caring a torch has nothing to do with that and is really irrelevant. 

 

Your perception of Spike makes me wonder if we're even watching the same show, he's clearly not a pet.

Really? You're perception makes me wonder the same thing.  He clearly is. He's just treated as a lesser species all the time and does nothing but work for Twilight and Rarity. He's clearly a slave/pet. 

 

It's pretty obvious to me that this person hates Spike as much as the writers do. 

I don't hate Spike, he's actually one of my favorite characters. I just think him being abused is funny!   Plus I actually watch the show and look at the obvious implications. 

 

His theory that Spike is a pet in the show doesn't hold an ounce of water.

Wait a minute, if both me and the writers hated Spike and even hated him equally, wouldn't my theory be 100% accurate because they'd make him a pet out of pure hatred? 

 

The show is trying to move away from making Spike the butt of jokes, but has had a couple missteps. 

Are you being serious? This season has had more Spike abuse than ever and only one episode where they treat him like an actual human at all. 

 

To say they don't care however is absurd, go watch how Family Guy treats Meg or Spongebob treats Squidward for a true lack of care for a character.

Spike isn't quite Meg level yet because Hasbro would never let the show get that mean-spirited but, he's about equal to Squidward. Actually, he's probably treated worse than Squidward because Squidward's abuse is usually just karma and Spike is pretty much just an innocent dragon who doesn't deserve it. It is so funny, though. 

Edited April 4, 2014 by Grumpy Enchantress

[Yellow Diamond 7,575]

I don't think he's lazily written, but the writers don't seem to know what to do with him. I can see them trying throughout Season 3 and 4, but I'm not convinced it's working.

 

This. This is the problem right here.

 

Since Season 1, the writers haven't developed a focused vision for Spike's character. During the course of the first season and early on in the second season, he was the audience surrogate/little brother character who made snarky asides; he was the everyman among magical ponies. His character helped keep things in perspective, and that made him endearing.

 

But during the second half of the second season -- perhaps in and around "Secret of My Excess" -- the writing staff lost track of what to do with him. Spike can still dish out the humorous deadpan commentary, yet his role rests somewhere between comic relief and butt-monkey. The former isn't inherently bad, but when combined with the latter you end up with episodes like "Spike at Your Service," arguably Spike's lowest point. For a younger character who is occasionally immature but otherwise precocious and insightful, it really reeks of confused writing. Currently Spike just slides into whatever role is needed -- comic relief, plot device, deadpan snarker -- as opposed to receiving steady characterization. It's unfortunate because he's more entertaining and interesting as a character apart from the slapstick.

 

It boils down to finding a good character dynamic, I think. Outside of the Season 3 and 4 premieres, we rarely see Spike interact with Twilight apart from setting up some sort of conflict for the episode (e.g., "Just for Sidekicks"). During Season 1, his observational wit was a great foil to her frantic and obsessive behavior. Since Twilight has calmed down, however, Spike is relegated to sweeping floors in the background. "Secret of My Excess" put the kibosh on his relationship with Rarity, even though we continue to see flashes of the crush he once had on her throughout Season 1. "Dragon Quest" heavily implied that Spike might mature through having a pet to care for, but Peewee got shuttled off without any further screen time. Spike's thus stuck in limbo relative to the rest of the cast, and that discrepancy is ever more glaring in Seasons 3 and 4.

[DryGuy84 (Inactive) 927]

Yeah, he's like a slave to them that they treat as a lesser species. They're aware that he's able to take care of other animals but, they still use him as a pet and for slave labor. 

 

Yeah, a sentient pet and/or slave. He didn't have equal rights by any stretch of the imagination whatsoever.  

 

So? Fluttershy wasn't even aware dragons had the ability to talk and thought of him as nothing more than an animal and they all still do. Doesn't matter if he is sentient, he doesn't have equal rights to ponies because he's just a dragon. 

 

Did we ever even see the royal business at all? It was probably just more slave labor for Celestia. 

 

What are you talking about? Pinkie was a way better announcer! Spike was just boring and uninteresting. It doesn't matter, though. You're ability to commentate is 100% irrelevant to you being a pet or not. Pinkie could legally own him if Twilight didn't! 

 

What does any of this have anything to do with the show at all? Nothing you're saying takes away from the point that he does slave labor and is treated like a lessor species. Rarity stuck pins in him because she thinks of him as an object. Nobody cares any of the billion times that he's abused. He does nothing but serve others. He's a slave. Him caring a torch has nothing to do with that and is really irrelevant. 

 

Really? You're perception makes me wonder the same thing.  He clearly is. He's just treated as a lesser species all the time and does nothing but work for Twilight and Rarity. He's clearly a slave/pet. 

 

I don't hate Spike, he's actually one of my favorite characters. I just think him being abused is funny!   Plus I actually watch the show and look at the obvious implications. 

 

Wait a minute, if both me and the writers hated Spike and even hated him equally, wouldn't my theory be 100% accurate because they'd make him a pet out of pure hatred? 

 

Are you being serious? This season has had more Spike abuse than ever and only one episode where they treat him like an actual human at all. 

 

Spike isn't quite Meg level yet because Hasbro would never let the show get that mean-spirited but, he's about equal to Squidward. Actually, he's probably treated worse than Squidward because Squidward's abuse is usually just karma and Spike is pretty much just an innocent dragon who doesn't deserve it. It is so funny, though. 

 

I have a unanimous "No Spike is not a pet" poll going right now, unless you chimed in. There's no point in arguing with someone who doesn't want to listen. I give up, you win. I need to stop before I say something I might regret.

Edited April 4, 2014 by DryColt84

[Grumpy Enchantress 587]

I have a unanimous "No Spike is not a pet" poll going right now, unless you chimed in.

What? I see no poll. What do you mean? 

 

There's no point in arguing with someone who doesn't want to listen.

I'm listening, I just think him being sentient is irrelevant to him being a pet.   All the animals in Littlest Pet Shop are sentient and people don't have a problem with that nor do they deny that they're pets. 

 

I give up, you win. I need to stop before I say something I might regret.

I don't want to have a real-ass argument or anything. I just want to talk about what's presented in the show. Please don't get worked up about this or anything, we can have different opinions. 

Edited April 4, 2014 by Grumpy Enchantress

[DryGuy84 (Inactive) 927]

What? I see no poll. What do you mean? 

 

I'm listening, I just think him being sentient is irrelevant to him being a pet.   All the animals in Littlest Pet Shop are sentient and people don't have a problem with that nor do they deny that they're pets. 

 

The poll is called "Do you view Spike as a pet?", and now with this post I understand your side. It's been driving me crazy, but now I at least understand. *sighs* Sorry, I got carried away...again, but I'm trying to rein it in. No hard feelings?

[Grumpy Enchantress 587]

The poll is called "Do you view Spike as a pet?", and now with this post I understand your side. It's been driving me crazy, but now I at least understand. *sighs* Sorry, I got carried away...again, but I'm trying to rein it in. No hard feelings?

Okay, thanks. I cast my vote in that now. Don't worry, not hard feelings. 

 

[DryGuy84 (Inactive) 927]

Okay, thanks. I cast my vote in that now. Don't worry, not hard feelings. 

 

 

Thanks, I was a bit harsh though. I owe you an apology too, @Rocky, I shouldn't have said what I did. God damn my temper (frustration-wise)! I gotta stop letting it get the best of me.

[Rocky 68]

You know guys, I got carried away with my accusations today. And I deeply apologize. I just have a soft soft for Spike because I feel I can relate to him in a way. That at times he feels useless, unneeded, and invisible half the time. Not to mention the physical pain he deals with. I know it's harmless slapstick, but it works usually only works for me if the person receiving the slapstick deserved it.

 

All I really want the writers to do is to at least make one solid Spike episode. It honestly drives me NUTS with how much potential Spike's character has. They almost cashed in on it in Dragon Quest but blew it. Each character in the show who's had an episode in the show has had a good one except him. The writer's have done a great job this season writing the CMCs. Maybe that could rub off of Spike in the coming weeks. But saying that they don't care about him was wrong of me to say.

Edited April 4, 2014 by Rocky

[Something Floaty 1,334]

I would be perfectly okay with Spike being written out of the show. He had a scant few moments in the earlier season but he's basically devolved into comic relief, and not even good comic relief. He's more or less completely unnecessary to the show now. 

[Creamy Arty 6,252]

I would think that Spike would become more necessary to Twilight than ever now that she has even less time for life's more mundane matters, or so I would presume now that she's a princess. We've yet to see her greatly preoccupied by whatever that entails. His usefulness may increase later on. Perhaps before the season ends or even as part of the finale.

 

 

Spike has been a loyal friend to Twilight since he was born. Throughout her time in Ponyville, Twilight has just as regularly received wise council from Spike as she has provided some to him, with the rest of the Mane 6 standing to improve by his oft ignored advice or example (I totally would have hung out with him at Pony Joe's during the Gala for some coffee). That's not to say he hasn't has his dumb moments, which he certainly has! All I'm saying is that should he become no longer necessary for his clerical abilities, everyone could benefit from having a friend as devoted and smart as he. Diminishing appearances hopefully won't mean less or no Spike in season 5. I'm still hoping for a Spike-centric episode this season in which he plays a pivotal role rather than comic relief.

[Wind Chaser 4,768]

I like the idea of exploring Spike's future. I always believed there was a status gap between Spike and his friends, Mane 6 and Crusader alike. The Mane 6 are all expected to have life goals and all have the means to work towards them (while also getting the chance to save the world a few times) and the Crusaders are still looking for their life's goals, while Spike does not seem to have anything to his name other than just being Twilight's assistant. Though his position is not expected to change anytime soon, the title of "assistant" has the implications of going on to something greater, and I would like that to be discussed.

 

Season 4 has not been too kind to him so far. He continues to be treated immaturely or as a comedy prop, like he has been in many of his episodes, unfortunately, and has been denied the chance at good character development this season while the Crusaders have gone light-years ahead of him on that. Expect more Spike to be high on fandom wish lists for season 5, as Rarity episodes were before this season.

 

A little comedy is good, but a thing that the show seems to have been struggling on lately is when to push the comedy to the second string and take the story seriously. Spike is the greatest example of that. I would like to see an episode where Spike and his conflict is taken seriously and not for laughs.

 

There even is a chance to make amends in this season before it ends. Episodes 22 and 24 are set to have Spike in a prominent role, and I'm most looking forward to 24 as it has a lot riding on it.

[Rocky 68]

Am I crazy for having the feeling that Spike might get the last key? I mean, the next two episodes he's gonna be the focus. You never know, right?