S04:E07 - Bats!

[EquestrianIdiot 1]

I love the direction that mlp is going, instead of sticking to whats working they are pushing their limits and blowing up the fandom every other episode, the result will be a dynamic show that will be in a constant state of change for new brony generations, while not degrading in quality 

[Metemponychosis 1,260]

I love the direction that mlp is going, instead of sticking to whats working they are pushing their limits and blowing up the fandom every other episode, the result will be a dynamic show that will be in a constant state of change for new brony generations, while not degrading in quality 

People are going to love anything they do with the show because people already love the characters and the world that previous seasons built.

 

Only the more critical and unforgiving fans, the ones that usually do lengthy and detailed video reviews, for example, are going care about the actual quality of the show.

[Snake Eater 4]

Here's a little something that might help those who are discussing the nature of The Stare:

[Metemponychosis 1,260]

Here's a little something that might help those who are discussing the nature of The Stare:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=dzOTLDUX6_A

Too many humans in here.

Opinions everywhere. 

[Frosty Nerd 833]

I love this episode, and I love FLUTTERBAT! *changes avatar*

[GabenDash 31]

It was a decent episode. I just don't know if i'm digging the whole flutterbat thing 

[applejock 358]

Ohmigosh! x3

 

Where to begin...

 

Well first of all, this episode has the season on a roll. With Powerponies and also before that FTR with the CMC has now a third straight "fan loved" episodes. (I for one LOVED Daring-don't, but I get being a mule on this, most did not, and come on Castle-mania was just freaking FUN!). With the season on a "roll" hopefully we can get a few keys soon, unless it does the Sailor Moon thing. (IE all the senshi have solo episodes against the big bad in a fortress or something, back to back and over come a problem, in this case get a key, not my fav way of doing it, I was hoping for like every 5th episode we would get a new key, but meh!)

 

But back to this episode...let me put it this way. I have used the same Avatar since I came to this forum and only now have changed. ahem :cues Sweete voice: OH COME ON!..ahem, Rarity in a Bio-suit = briiiiiilllls! This entire episode is filled with that sort of insanely good writing and throw backs. I love Pinkies new control of her hair, where as before in other seasons and also in EQgirls it was just a storage unit, really pushing the "magic" of earth ponies, I LIKE THIS! Applejack going back to her mommy-drawling over her farmed up goods, the giant apple was just a good laugh, I LIKE THIS! Fluttershy becoming a Flutterbat was really well done, I LIKE THIS. Did I mention Rarity in her oh so stylelish biosuit?!?!?!?! Aliens reference included, buy now!!

 

Ok ok ok...whew. I do have ONE teenie tiny complaint. The lack of Twilight doing well, anything. Now you might counter with, well there are episodes that are based around particular characters with the other girls just not present or not doing anything. (Daring Don't is a great example..cough) But in many of those episodes we have REASONS for the girls to be back stage, there really wasn't one for this episode. Short of a few one liners the new Princess really had little to do. I support my female overlord and new Princess of Magic and Friendship and hopes her castle will be cleaned up soon! Short of that, I really did not connect with RD's CONSTANT glomping for Cider. I get it, I reeeaaallly do, it is in her character sheet to be so over bearing and annoying about things she enjoys, but this was just...bad. Like Pinkie drawling over frosting for no reason bad. These really are my ONLY complaints on the writing.

 

The pace of the episode was spot on, to highlight this I point to the fact that Flutterbat was not fully transformed from the start and we see her develop as the climax pans out.

 

Also the song...oh the song! The two songs thus far are just as good as the new "villain of the week" Mane-iac (omg who didn't love her?!? she was the MANE attraction after all...cough). This song was slow, and deep it really threw off the older "for cereal" songs and gave it a grittiness I appreciate, if in small dosages.

 

Nothing in this episode felt forced, save for maybe the fact that AJ was left alone to tend the farm. Not that she cant do it, she can as we have seen. But to leave her alone on the FIRST day of Applebuck season, seems forced to get the other Apples out.

 

Really this entire episode was a series of refs and further brony-ficing reasons, in short it was Magic. While not key to the story it really was just a fun distraction. Also perhaps its because I am the least fan of Fluttershy (ala Gilda style) out there, but has anyone else noticed a large push on her being more I don't know, I do not want to say out of character, because her inner rage IS in character, but they keep putting her out of her mane-hidden shyness since Castle-Mania. :shrug: She is the bottom of my list for the girls but I still noticed.

 

The future? I am really really hoping the first key of harmony comes from the "Apple trip" episode we where privy to the song from, "Apples to the core". Frankly the Apples being on the move seems like a vechile (harhar!) for Pinks being there. The core of the song (again, harhar!) relates to family and union, something Pinky clearly struggles with. I hope the episode concludes with some dialogue between her and her Sisters and her ahstranged family, with this conclusion of her persona a key of harmony will appear (and thus setting the trend for the other girls keys). Just a thought, or more so a wish.

 

The writing of this season (despite those that will flame me for saying this) is top notch. I was one who never felt that they needed to "make up for" season 3. The shortness of the season felt, right. Because what came of it really is ment to tie into the full length movie as much as we allow it too, lore wise. And from the combined efforts, 2013 was an enjoyable year for MLP. I honestly feel the staff felt a bit attacked by us, the fans, in our reception of the movie and season 3. Too that I pull an Applebloom...

 

......Really?

 

Come on every pony, this show speaks to you enough to love it in season 1 with things like sleep overs and bug-pony changelings, do not get your manes in a bunch over recent events. Just TRY and find something you like instead of being another casuality of the internets jerk-age.

[FlutterDash4072 189]

Alright, finally got time to watch it! This was a really good episode. The Flutterbat transformation would've caught me off guard, if I hadn't accidentally spoiled it for myself by coming here before watching the episode.   Luckily that info didn't ruin the episode for me, and Flutterbat was pretty cool.

[Captain Brony (MG11) 218]

Things everyone said at the same time: "The song is like nightmare before Christmas!"

"The plot is like Curse of the Were Rabbit."

 

Yeah everyone including myself had the same idea.

 

Aside from the morals opportunities that never surfaced this episode was pretty good.

I love the conflict between Flutters and AJ.

The memes that came out of this are awesome too.

[GreatFluttershy 3]

I WANT THAT FANG TO BE A THING FROM NOW ON 

[Emerald Scribe 11]

I've just gotten round to watching this episode myself and I quite liked it, although I wish Granny Smith had been around to give more depth to the previous infestation.

 

The Flutterbat thing was great though.

 

Also, bats are adorable, so there's that too.

[Starbrite 0]

 

First things first, can anyone explain to me how Big Mac is time travelling? Looks just like him haha.

Little Mac.png

I just assumed that it was a young version of Big Mac's Father.

[Antismurf9001 1,271]

So I just finished the episode (took me long enough...), and I thought that it was pretty good.  I really wish that I had gotten the chance to see the livestream so that the whole Flutterbat thing wasn't spoiled, but oh well.  Anyways, I liked the message, and I liked how the episode involved the entire Mane Six.  However, I have some issues.

 

First of all, the continuity regarding The Stare bothers me.  In 'The Staremaster,' Fluttershy clearly states that she can't actually control The Stare; it just happens on its own.  That doesn't seem to be the case anymore...  I know that the same sort of thing happened in 'Keep Calm and Flutter On,' though I saw that as more of an empty threat rather than actually using it.  Now it's undeniable; she does have complete control over The Stare despite what she originally said.

 

Also, isn't their original solution a little bit overly cruel?  It basically boils down to, "Let's brainwash them into thinking that they don't need to eat and watch as they all starve to death."  It's not how the plan is presented in the episode (for obvious reasons) but it doesn't take much forethought to see that that's what will result.

 

I'm really just nitpicking though, and I did think that this was a fun episode.  My only concern is the things that they've left hanging from this and previous episodes (the locked box, the potentially evil entity that resides in the castle ruins, and Fluttershy still being a vampire) and how/whether they plan on resolving them.

[Anilewe 2,178]

 

 

Also, isn't their original solution a little bit overly cruel?  It basically boils down to, "Let's brainwash them into thinking that they don't need to eat and watch as they all starve to death."  It's not how the plan is presented in the episode (for obvious reasons) but it doesn't take much forethought to see that that's what will result.

 

 

I said it already, but I think that I need to repeat: it's not vampire apple bats. They still could eat other fruits. 

[Antismurf9001 1,271]

I said it already, but I think that I need to repeat: it's not vampire apple bats. They still could eat other fruits. 

 

Ah, I see, that makes sense.  Sorry, I admit that I didn't bother to read through the rest of the topic, so if it had been said here before, I never saw it...

Edited January 2, 2014 by Antismurf9001

[Anilewe 2,178]

Ah, I see, that makes sense.  Sorry, I admit that I didn't bother to read through the rest of the topic, so if it had been said here before, I never saw it...

 

No problem It seems that a lot of fans thought bats are going to starve due to Twilight's spell, when I watched it for the first time I get the same impression, completely forgetting that it is only to make them not eat apples. 

Edited January 2, 2014 by Anilewe

[dash3835 20]

I loved the song from this episode but why is the rest of the mane 6 bulling fluttershy in this episode it felt out of place 

 

I give this episode a 8.5/10

[Luffyiscool 397]

I loved the song from this episode but why is the rest of the mane 6 bulling fluttershy in this episode it felt out of place 

 

I give this episode a 8.5/10

They weren't bullying her IMO.

The chanting moment in the song was a dramatisation of how everyone disagreed with her.

It was a visual representation of her being verbally ganged up on over the issue of the bats.

 

No one actually yelled at her or tried to make her uncomfortable, the song just made it seem that way.

 

 

If anything, the episode where Fluttershy was bullied was Dragonshy. Dash kept belittling her over and over again, despite everyone else already getting the picture.

Yes, Flutters appeared to be the weak link, but did Dash really have to spend the whole episode verbally reminding everyone of that?

[Music Chart Fan 819]

Not many unicorns have cast a spell while "the Stare" is being employed at the same time. Whatever the nature of the Stare, it's effects when combined with a unicorn spell have no direct precedent. There is no contradiction with the established logic of the show because this situation has never happened before.

 

However, we do have an indirect precedent for this with Spike. His physical form changed drastically due to his mental state, to the tune of a few metric tons. How this works is never explained, just "that's how dragons are". The fact that he's a dragon and the change is part of his life cycle

 

Lavo edit: This post will need to be rewritten

Edited February 2, 2014 by ~Binary Lavo~
Needed to fix as it was breaking layout

[Firehearted 120]

The bats don't eat apples anymore! Yay! But wait there's like 15 more minutes left. What could have gone wrong? 

Fluttershy: That apples looks so yummy (licks lips) 

Me: Oh so Fluttershy is going to eat the apples now. Way to forshadow too much.

Fluttershy grows fangs

Me: 0.0 What. The. F@$%.

Fluttershy is now a bat.

Me: ... Well this was unexpected...

Fluttershy is normal again.

Me: Yay! conflict resloved!

At the end when the camera zooms in on Fluttershy's still present fangs.

Me: 

[Spingle Bloob 61]

I thought the song in the episode was very Tim Burton-ish.

[Melted Dog 161]

When I saw the Bats song, an idea for a grimdark fanfiction popped up in my mind.

 

  THIS SUMMARY CONTAINS EXPLICIT STUFF  

 

 

After the episode, Flutters starts having nightmares where the other ponies of the mane six circle around her carrying weapons and chanting in creepy voices the 'Stop the bats' chant. Meh, that's the beginning. I imagine the rest is just Rocket to Insanity repeated.

[Pinkie Dust 85]

I liked it but I think the batman references were to obvious and numerous

[Nova Genesis 6]

It was very good, but I don't understand the obsession with turning Fluttershy into different mutated creatures. 

[Sweetie Bot117 4]

This is one of my top three songs so far the other two are winter wrap up and the one from sweet and elite