S04:E14 - Filli Vanilli

[Will Guide 21,360]

I can totally relate to Fluttershy in here in that every time I hear a song I love, especially a song from the Disney Animated Films, I start dancing with the choreography as best as I can, even in public. Sometimes when people noticed my dancing, I would meekly leave like the ponies' reactions to Twilight's "Yesyesyesyesyes" jumping dance from Cutie Mark Chronicles

 

 

 

 

And I think Pinkie Pie forgot to take her pills that make her NOT be Innocently Insensitive to her friends

[pinkieshyrose 58]

I liked this episode... but I find the reviews sad(Though this doesn't add much im getting emotinal over ponys and im litterally tearing up.) as someone who is very much like both Pinkie and Fluttershy I understood both points...  though everyone has there opinion I don't think Pinkie was trying to be insensitive in any of the episodes... if you think about there viewpoints. Pinkie said the wrong things but I think she was only being insensitive once in the episode. I also find it very werid when others say Pinkies talent is trying to make  other smile and be happy so shouldn't she be less insensitive... when was that her talent? Her talent was laughter yes she loves smiling but its related to making other laugh and letting them enjoy themselves... her talent is not  charm for a reason.

 

I relate with that as-well though I love making other smile laugh e.c.t I do not say the right things...I say what I feel. I say what I think is right. I am not a mind reader... most of the time. Maybe on Fridays...  or Saturdays...or days that I am not sleepy...

I am not on group hive mode. I don't know how to say the right thing for you half the time.. I am not a people pleaser. I might hurt your feelings by mistake and all I can say is sorry because I never want that to happen but it does...

 

She wasn't even out of character to me ... If we could here a  character p.o.v you might understand whats going on in  her head.

 

 

First time: Shes trying to make it sound fun and then she gets carried away and notices Fluttershes scared expression and makes it silly... but she goes for gruesome humor and fails... the only time I think she went to far.

 

But Rarity hit her with a newspaper and treated her like a dog which even to Pinkie is kid of mean... I think that was payment enough!

 

Second: She was just observing innocently.

 

third: She was trying to be empathetic! She just had her tone too high and was too much of a storyteller...

and she even said that was Unbelievable... she wasn't describing what happened she was talking about her voice... she went a little to far but she was  just to high strung that was all think about how it would have sounded if she wasn't being high-strung and cartoonic? Which is her being PInkie Pie. When Fluttershy cries and she realizes look at her! 

Her eyes slowly go down shes confused... shes sad just for a moment... you can see it in her eyes. She doesn't even understand... because she thought she was saying the right things... This is Pinkie pie a sad look is like crying to her. 2 sad looks.

 

 

Twilght tried to interpret what she meant.

 

 

The whole time  in the episode she looks shocked... she is trying to apologize buts says it all wrong... 

 

fourth: She is supposed to sound like a dude... it wasn't like she wasn't supposed to have... she even said no offense and she was trying to just make her laugh. But Flutters was too sad to be logical at that point. 

Then shes like a great sounding dude... because she recognized her mistake and was just chattering...

 

fifth: She didn't recognize some of her mistake's because she thought she didn't make them. She is still processing.

 

Oh and I am actually serious about the mind reading thing partially it seems like I can read someones mind one day and the next I say everything wrong... 

Edited February 20, 2014 by pinkieshyrose

[Renon Strike 67]

Ah yes... that video. I knew he was a brony, but like I said, it would have been so awesome to see him featured as Flutterguy. He has the voice!

 

is it proven that the guy is a brony, he never actually confirmed it has he?

[Midnight Scribbler 1,705]

There are so many things I love about this episode. For one, they have a shipping easter egg in there if you missed it.

 

 

 

 

 

Second off, Big mac has dialogue, which was a pleasant surprise. Third off, Flutterguy being reused is absolutely amazing, and they bring continuity with referencing an old episode (from s1 no less) I was more than happy with this episode.

 

Also the big stallion with his daughter looks identical to my old art professor. (minus the hat and salt and pepper beard colour.)

 

 

 

 

 

This comparison made the episode for me. I laughed the second I saw him.

Edited February 20, 2014 by Midnight Scribbler

[Midnight_Magic 72]

ok so I'm going to just say this I think is my favorite Fluttershy episode! 

 

I loved her singing, and just her over all cuteness was just off the scale

 

the only thing that keeps this ep from me voting "love it" was Pinky...

 

I just wanted to beat her with a stick though this whole episode 

 

but other then that, solid episode from me! 

[Super Trampoline 2]

If only Pinkie could be written well on a consistant basis... sigh. Other than that I loved it!

[LongGoneGr 1,305]

Unfortunately, I didn't catch this episode. And likely, won't be catching more for quite some time.

 

My family can no longer afford The Hub, and my internet is WAY too slow to process any videos longer than about 10 minutes.

 

And If I watch it at a wifi location, they always fluctuate or I get crap from anti-bronies. Guess that's what i get for being one for the longest time.

[Forlong 1,726]

Yay, all my negativity culminated in my review.

[Metemponychosis 1,260]

Yay, all my negativity culminated in my review.

Congratulations! You've acquired a new subscriber! 

[Gravelord Neat-O 305]

didn't people get butthurt over this episode? over pinkie pie?

[M'aiq the Liar 5,804]

didn't people get butthurt over this episode? over pinkie pie?

Bro, I can find you people that get butthurt over every episode. And 0/10 flame bait btw. 

[Gravelord Neat-O 305]

Bro, I can find you people that get butthurt over every episode. And 0/10 flame bait btw. 

they might as well stop watching the show entirely if they're getting butthurt over every episode.

[Dr. Zerkagon 92]

What a great episode, loved it TOO much, not even a typo.

[Shargrath 40]

I used to love Pinkie Pie, but the writers have made her unbearable this season, and it was especially bad in this episode. Honestly, everytime she showed up, the scene was made worse. It seems the writers have changed Pinkie's character from funny random, to unbearing and annoying. It's a shame...I hope they realize and fix it up.

 

Overall, I liked the ep, Fluttershy was extremely adorable (moreso than usual).

[silvadel 1,393]

I finally figured out Pinkie Pie in Filli Vanilli on my third rewatch of the episode. 

 

The twirly mustache look she had when she popped up at the turkey calling contest locked everything into place.

 

She used her newly acquired apple family tie to attend their turkey calling contest and either sabotaged Big Mac or merely goaded her with her performance into losing his voice for the purpose of forcing Fluttershy to take his place.

 

The whole episode was a desensitization exercise.  If you look at her lines from start to finish with the view that she is being a mastermind here, it all works very well together. 

 

Well played Pinkie.

[serra20 3]

This episode was very nice and cute, I liked how they gave bg characters like Big Mac more screentime (and that they actually brought back Big Mac x Cheerilee ship for a bit again! 8D).

Pinkie Pie...For once was a real ignorant, or overdramatic, betch. I did not like her in the episode. At all.

Just one plothole for me in the episode. When the stage curtain fell and ponies found out it was actually Fluttershy singing...I was shocked and surprised they reacted so normally, like nothing happened. I mean, have any of those ponies actually heard or known of Flutterguy? They all knew Fluttershy as a timid filly with a sweet voice, and now THIS. I was really surprised how all of them just cheered for hr like nothing happened, and not stood there silent and shocked, wondering how the heck did she even get a MALE voice...:DDD

So yeah, anyways...Sweet sweet episode

[Luffyiscool 397]

But to have Fluttershy just wimp out at the resolution and not develop was rather weak

 

Seriously? You don't see the cool thing they did here?

 

It's an UNREALISTIC CLICHE in cartoons when, at the end of an episode, a character with stage fright is performing for sell-out crowds and suddenly fears nothing.

Fluttershy, however, says "I'll get there someday, but for now... baby steps." THIS IS A GOOD THING.

 

And how could you say there was no development?

At the beginning of the episode, she had a panic attack when she knew her friends saw her singing.

However, in this scene, she came out onto the stage and sung with the group in front of her friends and some animals.

THAT was supposed to be the development, showing her *slowly* getting used to the idea of the spotlight.

Keyword being "SLOWLY". Rushed development is just as poor as no development.

 

"Baby steps" was a really mature and relevant side-moral, and i applaud the show for including that.

I honestly don't know how you didn't pick up on this.

Edited February 23, 2014 by CosmoCosma

[Sugar Cube 4,843]

For the most part, I thought this was a really great Fluttershy episode, but I have just one complaint. This wasn’t the first time Fluttershy’s fear of performing on stage was addressed, as we’ve seen her panic at the thought of performing for the Hearth’s Warming Eve play, so I am a bit puzzled as to why she’s so painfully worried about singing in front of other ponies when she was able to get through both acting and singing in Hearth’s Warming Eve. This episode would’ve been perfect if it took place before HWE because stage fright certainly is a valid weakness of Fluttershy’s, but the fact that she opted to take mere baby steps at the end of the episode is a little bit disappointing. If she was able to perform in front of others in Hearth’s Warming Eve, then why couldn't she finally conquer her fears once and for all here? I hope that Fluttershy will show some progress in her stage fright later on, but I can’t help but feel as if the term baby steps was used as an excuse to give her a lesson and then not use it later on. I think baby steps is a good way of describing Fluttershy’s growth throughout the series, and the resolution only reinforces my opinion that Fluttershy’s growth thus far has been more stagnant compared to the others (yes, even Applejack). This is my only major complaint, but on the positive side, I wouldn’t really want Fluttershy to grow too brave too quickly because then she really wouldn’t even be Fluttershy. So inconsistencies aside, I can accept the resolution for what it is.

 

That said, I could really relate to Fluttershy’s experience here. I have the hardest time getting in front of even the smallest groups of strangers without my heart racing rapidly and becoming very tense and nervous, so the scenario really hit home with me. I admired Fluttershy’s willingness to do so many performances as Flutterguy (who I was delighted to see make a comeback) while Big Mac still had problems with his voice. As shy as she is, her heart is always in the right place when it comes to the interest of others. By contrast, Rarity was less interested in not disappointing everypony that wanted the Ponytones to perform, but she was very supportive of Fluttershy and exhibited a lot of character growth when she reassured Fluttershy time and again that she didn’t have to insist on filling in for Big Mac for every potential performance (compare this behavior to “You must. YOU MUST!” from Green Isn‘t Your Color). Rarity knew Fluttershy really enjoyed “performing” and went along with it. Of all of the supporting characters, I think Rarity really shined the most here.

It was also a pleasure seeing Big Macintosh in another fairly big role this season (the first being Pinkie Apple Pie). I’m really digging that singing voice of his. No wonder Cheerilee swooned.   It was very sweet of him to let Fluttershy sing even once his voice was healed. ^.^ Speaking of healing, it’s always nice to see Zecora, one of my favorite supporting characters in the series. She continues to prove herself as a useful and valuable friend to the Mane Six through her wisdom and potion making. As for the rest of the supporting characters, most of them were inconsequential, but Pinkie Pie’s unintentionally antagonistic behavior definitely stood out. I realize that a lot of fans aren’t crazy about how she treated Fluttershy, but this is the same Pinkie Pie who blurts out all kinds of innocently-intended insults. Recall A Friend in Deed when Pinkie had no qualms about telling everypony in sight just how bald Cranky Doodle Donkey was. Pinkie Pie meant well in helping Fluttershy feel better, but her filter was off and her words did not come out right. Pinkie’s a multifaceted character who is prone to doing a lot of dense, dumb things. I didn’t find her at all out of character, but rather I thought she was plenty humorous all throughout. This episode was written by Amy Keating Rogers, who also wrote Pinkie Pride and A Friend in Deed, so If anyone has a good grasp on Pinkie’s character, it’s her.

My favorite part of the episode? Shamefully, I have to admit that

was what made me laugh the most. Applejack knows her brother and all of her friends so well that it‘s almost scary. Apparently she knows just how crazy things can get when Big Mac partakes in a turkey call and loses his voice. I absolutely loved her expression and tone of voice when she asked him all of those questions.

And lastly, I got a kick out of Fluttershy’s song, Music in the Treetops at the beginning of the episode as well as the Ponytones’ Find the Music in You. Fluttershy’s sweet, delicate voice is always a treat to hear. And I could listen to Find the Music in You all day. I don’t care how repetitive it is because it’s just so catchy. That’s about all I wanted to cover. While not one of my most favorites in the series, I really enjoyed Fluttershy’s first solo episode of the season. :3

[Antismurf9001 1,271]

 

 

This wasn’t the first time Fluttershy’s fear of performing on stage was addressed, as we’ve seen her panic at the thought of performing for the Hearth’s Warming Eve play, so I am a bit puzzled as to why she’s so painfully worried about singing in front of other ponies when she was able to get through both acting and singing in Hearth’s Warming Eve.

 

That's... a very valid point.  I actually didn't remember that that was a thing.  I can BS an answer, but it's sort of a stretch.   She specifically mentions that she can't sing in front of other ponies, but the only time she actually sings in HWE is when all of the ponies are singing, not just the ponies on stage.  So long as the audience sings with her, she's fine.  Like I said, it's a stretch.

 

Dammit Fluttershy!  You're just a bundle of continuity errors, aren't you?

[Shawn Parks 1,798]

Dammit Fluttershy!  You're just a bundle of continuity errors, aren't you?

 

 

I don't consider inconsistencies in a character's behavior to be a continuity error.  People in real life are inconsistent all the time.  It is common for someone to learn a lesson, or make a life change, and then later go back to acting like their old selves.  Or to be nervous in one situation, and then completely relaxed in a very similar situation on a different day.  Things like the weather, or the season, or how much sleep you got last night, or what you had for breakfast, can alter your behavior significantly.

[AcaMelody 5]

AHHHHH BIG MAC!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG HE SINGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Pixel Stick 927]

I finally figured out Pinkie Pie in Filli Vanilli on my third rewatch of the episode. 

 

The twirly mustache look she had when she popped up at the turkey calling contest locked everything into place.

 

She used her newly acquired apple family tie to attend their turkey calling contest and either sabotaged Big Mac or merely goaded her with her performance into losing his voice for the purpose of forcing Fluttershy to take his place.

 

The whole episode was a desensitization exercise.  If you look at her lines from start to finish with the view that she is being a mastermind here, it all works very well together. 

 

Well played Pinkie.

 

If that's what the writers were going for, they didn't do a very good job of making that clear.  I don't mean that they should have beaten us over the head with it, but if more people come away from this episode seeing Pinkie as just a huge, out-of-character jerk than those who see her actually trying to help Fluttershy, I think they missed something.

[Freewave 1,145]

Seriously? You don't see the cool thing they did here?

 

It's an UNREALISTIC CLICHE in cartoons when, at the end of an episode, a character with stage fright is performing for sell-out crowds and suddenly fears nothing.

Fluttershy, however, says "I'll get there someday, but for now... baby steps." THIS IS A GOOD THING.

 

And how could you say there was no development?

At the beginning of the episode, she had a panic attack when she knew her friends saw her singing.

However, in this scene, she came out onto the stage and sung with the group in front of her friends and some animals.

THAT was supposed to be the development, showing her *slowly* getting used to the idea of the spotlight.

Keyword being "SLOWLY". Rushed development is just as poor as no development.

 

"Baby steps" was a really mature and relevant side-moral, and i applaud the show for including that.

I honestly don't know how you didn't pick up on this.

 

Honestly the cliche in tv is to have nothing change when the episode is over. I think that's what this episode pretty much followed. It's also why having Twilight as an alicorn princess is pretty boring now too. Instead of having her get new duties and change what she does she just hangs out around ponyville and gives sage advice. Blech. Sometimes change IS good.

[Pixel Stick 927]

Honestly the cliche in tv is to have nothing change when the episode is over. I think that's what this episode pretty much followed. It's also why having Twilight as an alicorn princess is pretty boring now too. Instead of having her get new duties and change what she does she just hangs out around ponyville and gives sage advice. Blech. Sometimes change IS good.

 

I disagree that nothing changed at the end of this episode.  The Mane 5 got Fluttershy to step out of her comfort zone and sing with the Ponytones.  That was a huge step for her.  She conquered one mountain, but that doesn't mean she's ready to take on all the rest of them all at once.  It's not an all-or-nothing thing.  "Baby steps" are exactly what someone like her needs - push too hard and she'll just lose it and give up.

 

So no, she didn't make a 100% leap from complete shyness to complete confidence.  But she didn't stay at 0% either.  And I agree that what they did in this episode was very realistic and relatable.

 

You have a point on Princess Twilight, tho.  They've been seriously neglecting her ascension.  But that's a topic for a different thread.

[Revy ~ Two Hands 862]

I liked it, but only because I've found S4 kind of meh apart from the RD episodes and the one with discord, especially cos we had more twilight in that episode.

 

This episode was decent but I'm biased to saying I like it because it featured fluttershy aka best pony