Where's Derpy been in S4? Am I missing her?

[duidamasterXD 9,627]

Wasn't she briefly in the premiere? I thought she was, towards the end.

 

In any case, I'm curious whether Derpy isn't around because the people producing the show want the rest of the episode to be memorable on its own grounds, and to not have the fact that Derpy made a prominent appearance again overshadow everything else. Whatever the case, I've never had any real attachment to Derpy and whether she's showing up or not isn't even something I think about when watching the show. Doesn't affect my enjoyment one way or another.

[Skullbuster 1,906]

she was in the latest episode

[Avant Garde 6]

I miss her too. I was always a big fan of Derpy, and I was one of the 'camp' of thought that removing her was more insulting to ponies with disabilities than having her in. (Seriously, imagine if a character in a wheelchair got ripped out! There would be discord!)

 

I wish they would bring her back, but at the same time, with the show being puppet-mastered by a corporation whose interest is in selling toys rather than making a quality show, I can understand why they took her out (to err on the side of caution). Their mistake was that there would have been, had they let her stay, many more ponies who liked Derby than would have been offended by her.

 

The parents of the foals watching the show (who Hasbro is really marketing to) are all around my age (20s - early 30s). Now, I don't want to toot my own horn, but from what I've seen, most 90s foals make bad-flank adults (hey, look at the show, the staff is mostly grown up 90s foals). There is no reason, I can see, that any brouhaha over her would have lasted more than a month. Especially if they made an episode involving her, and went into her disability with a lesson about accepting ponies who have them or something.

 

Although, I do disagree with you at one point. I wish the voice actress had been made aware of her gender.. I think it should have been more feminine (imho! You're free to disagree. =P ) since she's an adult. If she were a foal, it would have been fine as-is.

Edited January 7, 2014 by Avant Garde

[Scootalove 10,689]

She made a cameo appearance in Rarity Takes Manehattan, I'm pretty sure I saw her in the sky. She makes some appearances every now and then, so I don't really know how I feel about her.

[Jamesblorg39welsh 125]

Eh take a look I'd bet good money it's derby Lyra and Bon Bon or vinyl

[Clarity 3,094]

Here comes the flak!

 

I don't care. She's a background pony, and there's most certainly plenty of screentime for her already in the Last Roundup. Nods to the fans have already been made in numerous references this season that it almost felt like pandering. Having a background character not appear in the background shouldn't affect the way you think about the show at all. Most of what gave Derpy her fame was her appearance in the Last Roundup and fanon stuff. There's plenty of that going around. Letting a single character ruin the show isn't a smart move.

[Psych Ward 377]

Eh take a look I'd bet good money it's derby Lyra and Bon Bon or vinyl image.jpg

 

It won't be Derpy.  They tried that in The Last Roundup.  I'm guession Octavia and/or Vinyl.

[Judgement 445]

I hope derpy isn't just one of those "throw in to make a weekly episode" characters. You know, the ones that they just toss in when creativity is getting low with the series. The funny thing is that when derpy makes a cameo, she usually has a Clone a few feet away from her. I think Hasbro/The team is being a little politically correct, as the MLP:FIM wiki says that they altered "The last roundup" so that Rainbow Dash never calls her "Derpy" and Derpy has less-cross-eyed eyes, along with a different voice. The merchandise even calls her "Muffins". Maybe someone complained that they had a pony like that in the show? Unfortunately, that is the derpy I'm used to. I don't get TV serice and the only way I can watch MLP is through the internet (Netflix) (I hope that Season 4 gets put on Netflix when it is over, I've only watched the first 2 episodes of it because of this nice guy on youtube).

Edited January 8, 2014 by Judgement

[Jamesblorg39welsh 125]

I hope derpy isn't just one of those "throw in to make a weekly episode" characters. You know, the ones that they just toss in when creativity is getting low with the series. The funny thing is that when derpy makes a cameo, she usually has a Clone a few feet away from her. I think Hasbro/The team is being a little politically correct, as the MLP:FIM wiki says that they altered "The last roundup" so that Rainbow Dash never calls her "Derpy" and Derpy has less-cross-eyed eyes, along with a different voice. The merchandise even calls her "Muffins". Maybe someone complained that they had a pony like that in the show? Unfortunately, that is the derpy I'm used to. I don't get TV serice and the only way I can watch MLP is through the internet (Netflix) (I hope that Season 4 gets put on Netflix when it is over, I've only watched the first 2 episodes of it because of this nice guy on youtube).

I don't watch any mlp on TV you just google the episode you want like typing in s4e8 Edited January 8, 2014 by willem

[Judgement 445]

Really? Hmm, I guess there ARE many options other than Youtube. Thanks! I remember there was this one website that allowed you to watch MLP episodes but Hasbro got it taken down for copyright issues.

[FNGRpony 658]

I refuse to beleive she's gone.

The writing staff in season 4 has been amazingly cool,

i'm hopping her absence leads to a nice surprise.

[Psych Ward 377]

Really? Hmm, I guess there ARE many options other than Youtube. Thanks! I remember there was this one website that allowed you to watch MLP episodes but Hasbro got it taken down for copyright issues.

 

I watch all the new episodes on youtube within a few hours of the airing.

 

I *think* Derpy made an appearance in Rarity Take Manehattan.  I couldn't tell.

[Radiance64 7,053]

:Trots up to the thread. Pausing he thinks, then quickly retreats:

 

:stops:

 

Grrr...alright, I can do this!

 

:returns to the thread with look of determination:

 

The title is gonna drag up everything from the ITunes changes to her voice to the auto response from fans of "its only episode X of the season, be patient".

 

But honestly, It isn't so much the Character of Derpy Hooves I am missing, (she is really fun to play wheres waldo with) but instead the fans. Explain? You got it!

 

Derpy was really our first creation into the series, to be followed by elements such as Sweete Bot, human Lyra, and massive amounts of shipping pairs. Some have been acknowledged by the writers, and some not. And being the genesis of the "fan help" of show creation, Derpy being so...hmm...Ignored? Feels odd.

 

We are 1/3 of the way through season 4, with no sight of the wall-eye mare (save the intro). We have gotten a dozen shout outs to old episodes, and a very SOLID storyline to have a great season climax later. Heck we even got a soon to be TWilight Castle! (buy yours now! 29.99!) Great character development and lots of fun one liners...and spike hate...

 

But all of these things being said, it just feels, odd. Derpy isn't really a character, but more a nod to the fans at this point. I feel she is kinda a "thank you" to us. Maybe I am selfish, but I view it that way. For all the bad press she got at her birth, its only fueled the fanbase and really added a lot of depth to what could have been a write off cartoon just to make some money.

 

Ok-ok-ok, maybe I am blowing this out of proportion, and maybe its odd to view this character past a typical pony but someone who shows the olive branch from fan to writer.

 

Does anyone else view her this way? Or is she just a fan-pony with way to much art and fics?

Hey applejock, just letting you know that I merged your thread contemplating on where Derpy has been in Season 4 with a similar topic that already existed. Thanks for your understanding. Edited January 9, 2014 by Radiance64

[Shift 4,272]

She's in the audience and in the opening, she gets her own train compartment.

[Misty Rose 3,216]

When I read the followup for Rarity Takes Manehattan on EQD the person doing it posted a screenshot during Rarity's song where the bridge is shown. Apparently there's a figure near a building that appears to be Derpy but the shot is too far away to tell That's the first I've seen of her this season (if it is her in the first place)

[Motion Spark 7,807]

seriously? Derpy? she's not even a secondary character, we've been lucky she had a few lines on 'the last round-up' 

[TwilightDreamer 69]

She'll return to the show, we'll just have to keep waiting or keep persuading Hasbro to have DHX Media bring her back for good.

[Antismurf9001 1,271]

And no one else cares that Octavia has not been seen since the middle of season 2...

 

While I like Derpy and all, didn't we already go through this in season 3?  The whole, "Derpy is gone!" fiasco, only to be proven wrong in both the season finale and EqG?  Honestly, there's no need to fret.  She's still on the train; that's all of the proof that I need to know that the staff hasn't dropped her.

Edited January 10, 2014 by Antismurf9001

[CornBreadGang 514]

I haven't seen her. Most background ponies have been missing, actually. The only one I actually saw, since he was in plain sight, was Doctor Whooves. Other than that, there had been a disturbing lack of background ponies.

Sort of like this:

 

 

[Mio Akiyama 145]

I haven't seen any of the main background ponies yet. Derpy will make at least on appearance I know that. But what of the likes of Octavia? We haven't seen that pony in ages. Or what about Vinyl Scratch? She did make an appearance in one of the season 3 endings and EqG. I think it was part one of whatever the episode was called. There has been too much of a lack of Vinyl Scratch for my likings. Actually, more like a lack of background ponies.

Edited January 10, 2014 by The Spineless Crow

[Riddle 102]

A lot of us fans are missing

those background ponies that

we love and need to see now

and than!  There has been no Derpy

and I think sadly she will not be up

due to the how the parents acted and such

but she lives on in the fandom!

[Ampharos 1,009]

Wait, isn't that a bubble cutie mark on her flank though? Also, the name Orange Box isn't an official name.

Her mane color is off, sure, but the shading in that scene is pretty weird. Maybe its an error on part of the animators, perhaps? It looks kinda like Derpy dyed her mane a shade darker or something, lol.

It seems like the resemblance is just a bit too uncanny. Female pegasus with same yellow eyes, same mane style, same grey color, and even same cutie mark?

Then again....Perhaps the aniamtors are merely toying with us Or what if this is derpy #2?

 

Resemblance sadly doesn't prove anything. Many background ponies share designs, like Apple Fritter, Lavender Fritter, and "Jonagold"

 

[GrimCW 658]

I was kidding about the hair dye tho.

 

Or were you? It is mentioned by rarity that some ponies dye their coats.. so why not mane's as well?

 

I keed I keed. Maybe its just another member of the "do" family like all the many Do's that showed up in winter wrap up... no seriously.. there was like.. 6 Derpy clones in there.. same cutie mark and all...

It was derpy heaven but without the derpster herself!

[Guest90210 3,568]

When I read the followup for Rarity Takes Manehattan on EQD the person doing it posted a screenshot during Rarity's song where the bridge is shown. Apparently there's a figure near a building that appears to be Derpy but the shot is too far away to tell That's the first I've seen of her this season (if it is her in the first place)

 

I think this is the screenshot that you're talking about

 

 

Yeah, it looks like Derpy but it's hard to tell for sure due to the distance.

 

seriously? Derpy? she's not even a secondary character, we've been lucky she had a few lines on 'the last round-up' 

 

I would definitely like to see more established background character appearances in S4. Whether you care for it or not, the whole background character interest that MLP fans have has definitely contributed to the success of the show among an older target demographic and has caused an explosion of new and original fan art and fan fiction.

[Grumpy Enchantress 586]

I refuse to beleive she's gone.

The writing staff in season 4 has been amazingly cool,

i'm hopping her absence leads to a nice surprise.

There's no way she's going to have ANY role that would be written, there's just no chance of that at all after The Last Roundup drama so the coolness of the writing staff doesn't matter. The most we can even hope for is a background gag which would be up to the animators or storyboard artists. She was in the background of Magical Mystery Cure so there's a chance we'll get something more like that but, there's just no way of another speaking role or her being referred to by name or anything.