S04:E16 - It Ain't Easy Being Breezies

[Music Chart Fan 818]

Overall, I wouldn't consider this a very good episode. It seems like almost nothing actually happens; the conflict, plot, and the breezies all come across as contrived and unengaging; and the moral is muddled and not illustrated well by the actual events of the episode.

 

One of the main issues I have with this episode is the breezies themselves. I didn't find them anywhere near as cute or appealing as it seems I'm supposed to, but more than that, I think there are a lot of unanswered questions about them. Why are they journeying away from their home world to get pollen? Why do they have to travel across all of Equestria to do so? How often do they have to do this? Perhaps more importantly, why are they so sensitive and in so much need of micromanagement by ponies? If this journey to get pollen is crucial to their survival, how have they managed to survive for so long? Were they ever able to survive this journey without ponies carefully planning and intervening on their behalf? Do they only survive at the whim of ponies who ensure their survival because the ponies are enraptured by their "cuteness" or feel sorry for them? In short, I'm a bit astounded at how much breezies are dependent on ponies to shelter them from perfectly ordinary occurrences in the natural world (e.g. a blowing leaf or falling acorn). I guess they haven't evolved any kind of mechanism to deal with these abundant natural threats, though perhaps that's because ponies have interfered with the process of natural selection.

 

That brings me to a second main issue I have with the episode: the way that all (and I mean all) of the characters react to the breezies. The entirety of Ponyville seems absolutely enamored of and entranced by them (even Rainbow Dash frets about them), and they're perfectly willing to go far out of their way to make sure the breezies aren't discomforted, inconvenienced, or dispirited in any possible way. It became more and more baffling (and annoying) to see how much this happens - the Mane Six being taught to cheer the breezies to boost their confidence, but not too loud so that they don't startle them; the pegasi having to get the breeze just right; Rarity dressing up for this "special occasion" and then being told by Fluttershy to remove her jacket because it might reflect sun in their eyes; all of the spectators having to whisper and not scare the breezies in any way; and, last but not least, Fluttershy needing to attend to the breezies' every whim simply because they were blown off course, even though they weren't injured whatsoever. I can't help wondering why ponies dote on the breezies so much and put forth all of this effort for them, yet the audience is never given any real explanation or reason for this, other than perhaps "because they're cute!". In short, I don't know why the ponies care about the breezies so much, and consequently, I don't know why the audience should care about them or their plight, either.

 

Yet another issue is that the moral of the episode is muddled and isn't really reinforced by what actually happens in the episode. We see Sea Breeze learn a lesson that being mean doesn't incline others to listen to you, yet we also see Fluttershy learn that being overly concerned with being nice sometimes results in things not being done which need to be done. So, apparently, sometimes you have to be nice, and sometimes you have to "put your foot down". But when should you do the former and when should you do the latter? Should you try to be nice first, but when that doesn't work, be more firm? I don't think the episode gives any good indication. This isn't helped by the events of the episode. On a superficial level, Sea Breeze acted "not nice" with the other breezies, and they didn't listen to him. Yet Fluttershy acted "nice" with the breezies, and they didn't listen to her either (and took advantage of her). Fluttershy acted "nice" with the bees, and they didn't listen to her, yet when she acted "not nice" with them, it worked. Then Fluttershy acted "not nice" to the breezies, and they listened. So, again, looking at these events, can we actually tell when should one be "nice" as opposed to "not nice"? In short, the moral of this episode is unclear, and the events of the episode seem only to confuse the moral (whatever it is) even more.

 

On a related note, once the straggling breezies actually get going, Sea Breeze does an almost total 180 and gives canned encouragement to other tiring breezies, saying things like "I did not even really believe those things I said!" and "I believe in you!". It seems to me that by swinging from one extreme to the other in such a short time, Sea Breeze comes across as insincere, and I would find his statements like the ones I just mentioned a little hard to believe. Sea Breeze's previous and oft-repeated "mean" statements about the other breezies' incompetence, weakness, etc. certainly sounded like he meant them, but now the other breezies are suddenly supposed to believe otherwise? I would be a bit skeptical.

 

Finally, there's the whole issue with Twilight using a spell to turn the Mane Six into breezies. Other forum members have said that this comes close to jumping the shark, and I can see why they would have that sentiment. This seems to just come out of the blue, and I can't imagine what a good in-world explanation is for it. Why was turning the Mane Six into breezies a good solution to the dilemma of the breeze being too strong for the small group? I would expect them to be very inexperienced at flying as breezies (although they somehow aren't) and they aren't positioned in a way to break the wind for the other breezies or anything like that. And it seems like there are other simpler solutions, such as having fewer pegasi flapping to create the breeze or having the breezies cling to Fluttershy as she transports them. Of course, the cynical real-world explanations for doing this would be to provoke an "OMG, they're so cute!" fangasm from the audience and (in conjunction with that) create a new toy line of the Mane Six as breezies.

 

Finally, here are a few miscellaneous observations of mine:

 

If Fluttershy wanted the rest of the Mane Six to whisper, why not just tell them to? Why do they have to go through all of the "a little quieter now, a little quieter now" routine?

 

The explanation Fluttershy gives for why the artificially-created breeze is necessary is that it activates the breezies' magic, which protects the pollen they're carrying from being destroyed (as Fluttershy says) or going bad (as Mr. Cake says). What does this mean? How exactly would the pollen "be destroyed" or "go bad"? What does this activated magic do to prevent that?

 

Wouldn't Fluttershy's darting around in the air to save the breezies actually exacerbate the problem by stirring the air currents around?

 

We see Twilight and Applejack, and then Rainbow Dash and company, ask Fluttershy whether the breezies are ready yet, and when Fluttershy says to wait longer, they just defer to Fluttershy without asking follow-up questions or asking for an explanation of why, even as they have legitimate doubts and concerns.

 

Since when do peepholes on doors have hinges or the capability to be opened and closed? What purpose would that serve?

 

Sea Breeze gives Fluttershy a picked flower to remember the breezies by, which also turns out to be her rainbow "key". Will Fluttershy have to do anything to preserve it? I would expect it to be dead and shriveled up after a couple of weeks or so. Considering this, a flower doesn't seem like a very long-lasting thing for Sea Breeze to give Fluttershy as a reminder of them, unless Fluttershy is only supposed to remember them for the next few days.

[Sunny Fox 5,929]

Fair enough -- except Twilight's "Failsafe Spell" failed, so the subversion helps immensely in smoothing out the fact it came out of nowhere. It also didn't play a integral role in resolving the conflict.

 

I still find the introduction of the "Breezie transformation spell" inelegant. Certainly MLP is no stranger to either deus ex machina magic spells (e.g., "A Canterlot Wedding", "Friendship Is Magic") or applied phlebotinum (e.g., Zecora's potion from "Princess Twilight Sparkle"; Twilight's spell in "Bats!"). The essential issue here is that we're told all these things as opposed to learning them through observation.

Well, I definitely have to concede you the second point. But I'm not so willing to give the "Failsafe Spell" a free pass just because it happened to be ineffective.

 

There's also the spell in Season 1's "A Dog and Pony Show", which was essentially handwaved with one brief conversation. 

Spike: "We need a gem finding spell to find Rarity."

Twilight: "But only Rarity can cast that spell."

Spike: "I am going to randomly guess that she once showed you how to do it."

Twilight: "Oh, my gosh, your totally random guess was totally spot on!"

* Casts Spell *

 

I may have paraphrased slightly.

 

As for this latest example, we may not have been directly shown in the episode, but given that the entire town knew of the Breezie migration beforehand, it's not a far stretch that Twilight might have been interested in researching the Breezies and coming across the spell while she did so. For me, anyway.

Edited March 3, 2014 by SolarFox

[DryGuy84 (Inactive) 927]

After subsequent viewing this episode shrunk on me. I thought it was really good the first time through, then I realized the Breezies have severe plotholes in their lore. And then I realized that their were several very poor attempts at comedy that I glanced over (they were so bad I didn't think a joke was even there)...And then I realized the Breezies (minus Seabreeze) had no reason for wanting to stay behind. I also don't like the breezification of the Mane 6, but what did I like?

 

Well, I thought the moral was handled wonderfully (albeit a bit direct), Seabreeze was a awesome character and I loved his dynamic with Flutters. Speaking of Flutters this was some fantastic development for her character that I think she desperately needed. The Breezies were adorable, and I liked that Seabreeze had an accent that seems to be a mix of Scandinavian, Irish, and German (at least that I gather). There were two really good bits of humor with Rarity's sequins and RD's desire to try to be other creatures.

 

I think this episode will go down as one of the worst for many people, because if you can't relate to Fluttershy there isn't really anything else here for you. This is a dialogue-heavy, exposition-heavy storyline that basically nothing happens in. It in all honesty should bore me, as it did many others, but it oddly doesn't. I think that it does come down to the fact that I could relate to Flutters conflict and that the concept alone kept me entertained, but this episode definitely ranks fairly low on my list of favorite Season 4 episodes. 

 

It maintains my LIKED IT! rating, despite it moving down on my list, meaning 'Rainbow Falls' is still currently the only episode in Season 4 to earn less than a LIKED IT! (it earned DISLIKED IT!).

[Forlong 1,725]

Why are they journeying away from their home world to get pollen? Why do they have to travel across all of Equestria to do so? How often do they have to do this? Perhaps more importantly, why are they so sensitive and in so much need of micromanagement by ponies? If this journey to get pollen is crucial to their survival, how have they managed to survive for so long? Were they ever able to survive this journey without ponies carefully planning and intervening on their behalf? Do they only survive at the whim of ponies who ensure their survival because the ponies are enraptured by their "cuteness" or feel sorry for them?

And thus the quest to prove there is such a thing as a stupid question continues!

 

"Why do they travel so far for pollen?"

Because it's how far they have to.  Funny thing about flowers, they are stationary.  Living near the flowers is out of the question, because they attract creatures that are dangerous to Breezies.  Bees come to mind.  So they have to travel to get the pollen.  I fail to see how this is a problem.  Most insects will fly for miles to get to a flower.

 

"Why are they dependent on ponies?"

Because everything in Equestria is.  Ponies are the dominant species in this world, putting responsibility of caring for it on their shoulders.

[windy_prance 114]

Sea Breeze is the only thing good about this episode.

 

This episode spent way too much time on confusing exposition about the Breezies. A lot of the explanation for the Breezies contradicted each other.

 

Example: If they were gathering pollen in Western Equestria...why were the Breezies pasting Western Equestria on the journey home in the end? I thought they left the West and were passing Ponyville? Why bother passing in Ponyville if they were in the West where the home portal was closer to them to begin with? I...don't...uhhhhh

 

Honestly this episode felt like the 1st rough draft the writer made and no one decided to proofread.

[H.P.Lovecolt24 107]

Ok I loved Sea Breeze's attitude its about time we had a character who will call someone stupid to their face but in all honesty is not a complet jerk, in fact the entire senario set Sea Breeze up well the entire episode I saw him as more driven and stressed that I did an ass hole. Also I think they played on a weekness of Fluttershys we don't see too offten, she's too careing for her own good. And its nice to see the lesson that you can be so helpful you actualy do more harm than good. Now if I had a complant it would be we have yet another unnessasaraly convienant spell from Twilight, seriously is one of her powers the ability to learn magic exactly 5mins before she needs it? That being said the spell is pretty much unnessasary. There was little to no reason to transform the mane 6 into flutterponies, sorry I meen Breezys other than it was super cute! But the story could have easaly proceded without Twilights spell so for me its less off putting than in other episodes.

 

Also this moment made the whole episode great.

[Metemponychosis 1,236]

 

 

In short, I'm a bit astounded at how much breezies are dependent on ponies to shelter them from perfectly ordinary occurrences in the natural world (e.g. a blowing leaf or falling acorn). I guess they haven't evolved any kind of mechanism to deal with these abundant natural threats, though perhaps that's because ponies have interfered with the process of natural selection.

 

Think of dogs. Modern breeds depend on humans for survival. They get it from us because they charm humans into caring for them. 

[spacestorm 183]

Nothing special. Totally average episode at best.
Too bad that it was Fluttershy episode. Apparently the writers have a problem with writing a really good scenario for my favorite character.

Maybe they should put her more in pair with other characters. Otherwise potential of her character is often wasted on uninteresting and weak stories.
I really would like to see Fluttershy centred episode where she's using her kindness to help some normal pony a lot - not to animals, bugs or other magical creatures.

[My Little Mandy 838]

Well it looks like the only 2 left to get the keys is Twilight and AJ.

Unless I miscounted.

[Gandalf_The_Rainbow 3]

Fluttershy, Breezies, Rarity = Over9000 cuteness!

[Pixel Stick 927]

 

 

If Fluttershy wanted the rest of the Mane Six to whisper, why not just tell them to? Why do they have to go through all of the "a little quieter now, a little quieter now" routine?

 

Well, it was pretty obviously a reversal of the cheering-lesson scene in Sonic Rainboom, but I kept thinking that Fluttershy should have said "Okay, maybe a little less of the Traditional Royal Canterlot Voice, please" (ref. Luna Eclipsed) - that would have sealed the scene for me.

 

 

 

Yet Fluttershy acted "nice" with the breezies, and they didn't listen to her either (and took advantage of her). Fluttershy acted "nice" with the bees, and they didn't listen to her, yet when she acted "not nice" with them, it worked. Then Fluttershy acted "not nice" to the breezies, and they listened. So, again, looking at these events, can we actually tell when should one be "nice" as opposed to "not nice"? In short, the moral of this episode is unclear, and the events of the episode seem only to confuse the moral (whatever it is) even more.

 

On a related note, once the straggling breezies actually get going, Sea Breeze does an almost total 180 and gives canned encouragement to other tiring breezies, saying things like "I did not even really believe those things I said!" and "I believe in you!". It seems to me that by swinging from one extreme to the other in such a short time, Sea Breeze comes across as insincere, and I would find his statements like the ones I just mentioned a little hard to believe. Sea Breeze's previous and oft-repeated "mean" statements about the other breezies' incompetence, weakness, etc. certainly sounded like he meant them, but now the other breezies are suddenly supposed to believe otherwise? I would be a bit skeptical.

 

I can forgive this reversal to some extent by chalking it up to "Sea Breeze learned his lesson" when Fluttershy saved him.  She had previously learned how to be assertive without being mean (ref. Putting Your Hoof Down), and her standing up to the bees was a relatively subtle reference to Dragonshy, when she stood up to the dragon that had just hurt her friends.  Between those two sources, I got what they were going for - illustrating to Sea Breeze that there's a difference between being assertive and insistent, and being mean and insulting.  It was a combined lesson for both of them - Fluttershy passing on her previous lesson, while also learning a new one (that sometimes you HAVE to be assertive even if it isn't the nicest thing you can do).

 

For what it's worth, I actually thought the moral was reasonably clear - just not very well executed.  I didn't have any problem understanding what they were going for, but this episode had an inelegant execution of its main plot, exacerbated by the fact that it was too much plot for a 20-minute episode (despite not having a good, believable conflict to resolve).

 

Personally, I really want this episode to be the exception to the rule for the rest of this season, but I said that about several other episodes this season as well.  I can't help but feel like there are more misses than hits this time around.

[applejackson007 58]

Hm well... 

 

What I liked:

-The bringing back of breezies 

-The fact that Twilight turned them into breezies

-When I found out that one breezy was a guy

-AJ breezy

 

What I didnt like:

-JB reference

- And what felt like the lack of story behingd the breezies themselves

[HeroSparks 232]

The thing that bothered me about the episode was how easy it was to picture the episode being used to sell toys. That being said I thought the breezies sounding Swedish/Norse was pretty funny. Overall I didn't mind the episode too much. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either, it was just there to progress the story. Also, best part was the Doctor and Rose. Dr. Whooves is the reason I finally started watching Dr. Who so when I saw that, I did a doubletake and rewound so I could pause it and be super excited. If this means the Doctor is actually canon now, it would be awesome to see the TARDIS off in a background shot (if they could get permission for it)

[UserNotFound 964]

Am I the only person who thought the breezies sounded a little... Indian? Like Scaredy the bat from Ruby Gloom... Maybe I have to rematch it to clarify xD

[Pixel Stick 927]

Am I the only person who thought the breezies sounded a little... Indian? Like Scaredy the bat from Ruby Gloom... Maybe I have to rematch it to clarify xD

 

I actually thought they sounded much more like the Swedish Chef.

 

[FNGRpony 655]

This episode was okay. Probably my least favorite episode of the season. It was a Fluttershy episode that was just a tad bit too much on the 'girly' side for me, must be the fairies. I found the voices of the breezies annoying. Considering that it was just 2 episodes ago that it was another Fluttershy episode I was hoping for an episode about a different character.

 

Was Fluttershy's attitude towards the bees a result of Iron Will? Or is it just me? My reaction to that part was "OOOOHHHHHH SHEEEEET JUST GOT REAL!"

 

 

if that were true flutter shy straight up ripped of iron will.

[northview95 2]

solid episode. really picked it up from the last few.

[GenderIsAnIllusion 2,177]

The lesson is that being too nice, is not nice at all. Like if a drug addict is your room mate, the best way to be nice and help him or her is to be firm. Also don't let people take advantage of your kindness.

[Pixel Stick 927]

if that were true flutter shy straight up ripped of iron will.

 

I didn't think the way Fluttershy dealt with the bees was anything like Iron Will's training.  She wasn't mean at all.

[~Silver Essence~ 2,621]

Rarity is so pretty when bright.. :3

 

Other than that, the episode, while not the best, did enhance fluttershy's part in showing her element of kindness.

 

And despite not being funny, it was okay, an innocent one at best, it's small moments are really great.

 

Overall, good episode, very overhated and misjudged if you ask me.

[Princess Periwinkle 3,774]

Uhhhhhh...

 

It was... Okay? Decent? Passable?

 

The breezies were pretty annoying, and the story was rather dull. Wasn't a bad episode really, but it wasn't so hot either.

[Yellow Diamond 7,562]

Well, I definitely have to concede you the second point. But I'm not so willing to give the "Failsafe Spell" a free pass just because it happened to be ineffective.

 

There's also the spell in Season 1's "A Dog and Pony Show", which was essentially handwaved with one brief conversation. 

Spike: "We need a gem finding spell to find Rarity."

Twilight: "But only Rarity can cast that spell."

Spike: "I am going to randomly guess that she once showed you how to do it."

Twilight: "Oh, my gosh, your totally random guess was totally spot on!"

* Casts Spell *

 

I may have paraphrased slightly.

 

As for this latest example, we may not have been directly shown in the episode, but given that the entire town knew of the Breezie migration beforehand, it's not a far stretch that Twilight might have been interested in researching the Breezies and coming across the spell while she did so. For me, anyway.

 

Again, I don't deny the fact the writers have pulled spells out of thin air. In the case of the "Fail-safe Spell", however, the very subversion of the deus ex machina makes it excusable. Twilight effectively says, "Well, I've got this nifty spell that should solve all of our problems!" And then it falls flat on its face. The punchline is in the failure of the attempted hand wave, making its application far less egregious. Celestia subsequently employs the same type of magic in "Lesson Zero", so canonical continuity is implied, i.e., Twilight may have learned the spell from Celestia at some point prior to "The Return of Harmony".

 

Let's also take into account how the failure of the "Fail-safe Spell" puts both the Mane Six and audience on notice. Here the problem is greater than some errant magic, a few laughs, and a friendship report. Something is seriously wrong in Equestria. On the other hand, Twilight's spell in this most recent episode just goes about flimsily solving the problem. (Why do six more Breezies make the difference in numbers?) It serves only to get the story out of jam that might otherwise be resolved with a bit more imagination.

 

With respect to Twilight learning Rarity's gem spell, that brand of magic was already shown to us by Rarity. We're also aware of Twilight's prodigious magical abilities from "Boast Busters". Undoubtedly it helps the ponies navigate the seemingly intractable dilemma of finding Rarity in a sprawling network of caves; however, its incorporation is not without narrative foreshadowing.

 

My point in saying all of this is to underscore how Twilight only tells us she found a way to fix everything. We never see the plot device in action beforehand, nor is it ever implied in the lead up to the conflict. I think we can chalk this up to the writers needing to contrive a reason for the Mane Six temporarily turning into Breezies.

[Music Chart Fan 818]

And thus the quest to prove there is such a thing as a stupid question continues!

 

Can we please forego the derogatory remarks and have a civil discussion?

 

"Why do they travel so far for pollen?"

Because it's how far they have to.  Funny thing about flowers, they are stationary.  Living near the flowers is out of the question, because they attract creatures that are dangerous to Breezies.  Bees come to mind.  So they have to travel to get the pollen.  I fail to see how this is a problem.  Most insects will fly for miles to get to a flower.

 

Well, we still don't know why the breezies need to get this pollen. But for the sake of argument, let's assume that this pollen is food for them or otherwise necessary for their survival. Why do they seemingly live all the way across Equestria from the source of pollen? Was this actually a deliberate choice on the part of the breezies? Why is living near their food source out of the question? The episode seems to indicate that the portal between their world and Equestria opens infrequently and only for a limited time. Further, the portal looks pretty small, so I would think that it could be defensible for the limited time that it's open. Why is taking a very long journey, exposing themselves to danger across all of Equestria, the best option? Could they grow the plants that produce this pollen in their own world? Could they or the ponies transplant the pollen-producing plants closer to the portal? Even if the previous two options aren't available, why must the breezies personally transport this pollen? Is there no safer or quicker method of transport? If the ponies are going to carefully plan and intervene this much in the breezies' journey, why don't the ponies (or pony, as maybe one could carry a sufficient supply) just deliver the pollen themselves and save all the effort? Or why don't the ponies just have the breezies hitch a ride on them?

 

I think that part of the issue is also that the breezies are made to appear sentient and intelligent, so I have higher expectations of them. They can make things like relatively sophisticated dwellings and structures, so why hasn't one of the breezies (or one of the ponies, for that matter) thought of a safer, more efficient method of obtaining pollen or some means of protecting the breezies as they travel in Equestria?

 

"Why are they dependent on ponies?" Because everything in Equestria is.  Ponies are the dominant species in this world, putting responsibility of caring for it on their shoulders.

 

First, do we know that this is actually true? I don't feel like we've actually seen all that much of Equestria outside of pony society (Ponyville, Canterlot, etc.), and even when we have, we've seen other species that don't appear to rely directly on ponies for their survival - dragons, diamond dogs, timber wolves, perhaps even changelings, in addition to several individual characters and villains. So, to my recollection, we haven't seen it to be the case that everything in Equestria is dependent on the direct intervention of ponies, as the breezies are.

 

But also, as I stated before, the breezies appear sentient and intelligent. Why does the ponies' being dominant and having responsibility for the world have to mean intervening to this large of an extent in sentient, intelligent beings' activities? Why haven't the breezies used some ingenuity to find a way to take care of themselves? How did this deal between the ponies and the breezies get started, anyway? What are the ponies getting in return for rendering this apparently indispensable help to the breezies? The privilege of being able to see them for a few minutes on infrequent occasions? The satisfaction of knowing that they hold the lives of all of these sentient beings, who are dependent on them for survival, in their hooves? Have any of the breezies (or ponies) ever thought that this deal might be a little lopsided in favor of the breezies and tried to do something to make up the difference?

 

Also, just so that you know, asking a lot of questions like this is just my way of writing out my thought process on these topics; I'm not expecting you to go through and answer every single question or anything like that if you don't want to.

 

Think of dogs. Modern breeds depend on humans for survival. They get it from us because they charm humans into caring for them. 

 

I do see your point, and I wonder to what extent the relationship between domesticated dogs and humans is analogous to the relationship between breezies and ponies. My understanding is that humans interfered with the natural selection process for dogs by substituting their own form of selection; those dogs with traits desirable to humans were taken care of and bred, and over a long time and many generations, they became domesticated and reliant on humans. As much as ponies have to take care of the breezies as they get pollen, breezies are sentient and intelligent, so I find it a little hard to imagine ponies "breeding" breezies or intervening in the breezies' private reproduction processes. I suppose that as long as they stay "cute" enough or keep doing whatever they do for ponies, ponies will continue to watch over their pollen collecting, ensuring the breezies' survival and largely rendering moot disadvantages like lack of physical strength, poor reflexes, low intelligence, etc. Maybe the "cuteness" factor plays some role in self-selection among the breezies; that is, maybe particularly good-looking breezies are favored in their society for continuing to "win over" the ponies and end up reproducing more, or something like that. But I'm probably thinking too much into this, so I'll leave it there.

[Pixel Stick 927]

Think of dogs. Modern breeds depend on humans for survival. They get it from us because they charm humans into caring for them. 

 

(I somehow missed this earlier.)  I don't think it's a matter of charm - humans domesticated dogs thousands of years ago.  Domesticated dogs are almost entirely dependent on humans because it's been bred into them, but they don't "charm" us into caring for them any more than cats, hamsters or snakes do.  (Whether you are individually charmed by an animal is more a personal matter, but at a species level, that's not how it works.)

 

 

A bit off-topic, but I was watching an interesting documentary recently that included a simple experiment that compared the behaviors of a wild wolf and a domestic dog.  The human placed a bowl of food inside a cage and shut the door, then let each animal (one at a time) into the space outside the cage.  The wolf spent a good ten minutes trying to figure out how to get inside the cage, including trying to dig at the floor, biting the bars, and throwing himself against the cage.  The dog sniffed at the cage and then immediately looked up at the human, as though to say "Would you open that for me, please?"  They pointed out that the dog had not been trained for this experiment, and concluded that this cooperative behavior had been bred into the species.

 

 

Back to the Breezies: I have to agree that there are way too many unanswered questions about the Breezies' improbable existence here.  The ones that kept clinging to Fluttershy acted more like petulant children than animals, which brought to mind questions about their general intelligence.  (Perhaps Sea Breeze was really much more intelligent than the rest of them?)  The issue with their needing to cross Equestria for their pollen (whatever they used it for) brings to mind great bird or fish migrations, or perhaps something as extraordinary as emperor penguins in Antarctica, but none of those analogies really seem to match up well.  Perhaps something of a pilgramage?  Many human societies have these big pilgramages that I look at and go "That doesn't seem to make any sense".

 

But overall, the fact that we're left wondering about this seems more confusing than it does mysterious or charming.  It's becoming apparent that they simply couldn't have done enough to actually answer these questions in a single episode, without turning it into an animated encyclopedia article (or a straight-up commercial).  More than one episode wouldn't have worked much either.  Thus, the editor in me says the idea probably should have been shelved entirely, in favor of something more in keeping with the rest of the series.

[cuteycindyhoney 13,283]

I really enjoyed the episode. I loved the Breezie's speech patterns and accents. Seabreeze was a great character. The poor little thing just wanted to get home to her husband and baby. See what I did there? How do we know Seabreeze is a male? Maybe it's just females that gather the pollen. I do have a couple of questions about the episode. First, in Twilight's shape-shift spell, WHERE DOES THE MASS GO? Second, just how many portals to other worlds are there in Equestria?

 

I couldn't help laughing at the very end, with Rainbow's plaintive plea..."It doesn't have to shoot fire!" I loved how her voice sort of stresses out a bit delivering that line. I personally rate it an 8/10.