Pick a Flaw - S4E16 It Ain't Easy Being Breezies

[Stellafera 3,836]

Not sure I get what you mean. What's the problem?

 

Fluttershy delaying the breezies didn't end up actually being an issue due to Twilight's spell, hence my sarcastic "Who needs consequences for their actions?". 

[Metemponychosis 1,239]

Fluttershy delaying the breezies didn't end up actually being an issue due to Twilight's spell, hence my sarcastic "Who needs consequences for their actions?". 

Ah. I see.

I guess I agree with this point.

[FNGRpony 655]

Spike came off as painfully awkerd in this episode.

 

almost like a brony, right down to the awkerd hug on flutter shy where she made the "Ew ew ew"

face.

 

I didn't like the ponys being converted cause to me it was balancing the smurfs,

ahem the breezies

from being overly cute

with everything else in mlp.

 

and at that point they tossed aside trying to balance the cute level.
"FNGR's maxuim cute limit has been reached."

[Mlpfan185 1,763]

1. Something was here. Something was here. Something was here. 

Edited October 10, 2018 by NONAME

[Tigerpop198 696]

The mane 6 being breezified, I hated that the most.

[Grumpy Enchantress 586]

The Mane 6 turning into Breezies was so fored and pointless! 

[Dark Qiviut 22,216]

I think that you're a good analyst and all, but don't you ever feel like you ruin an episode for yourself sometimes?

Honestly, despite my harsh standards, I feel FIM deserves it for what it presents to me: a commitment to putting forth quality entertainment to the masses. I'm firm with my standards because people, especially children, need entertainment that treats them with dignity, competence, and respect; and it's important for me to keep those standards nice and strict.

 

I mean, I doubt you dislike the episode, but don't you feel like you're sometimes too harsh?

I mean this with all due respect, and I'm not saying "Oh, it's bad stop doing it," I'm just wondering.

I actually don't hate this episode (yet), but I don't like this episode, either (yet). IAEBB feels very run-of-the-mill, and despite being a very simple storyline…I'm emotionally confused with what was presented and its quality. I'm going for, at least, one more rewatch just to get a firm grasp of it.

Edited March 2, 2014 by Dark Qiviut

[DryGuy84 (Inactive) 927]

Honestly, despite my harsh standards, I feel FIM deserves it for what it presents to me: a commitment to putting forth quality entertainment to the masses. I'm firm with my standards because people, especially children, need entertainment that treats them with dignity, competence, and respect; and it's important for me to keep those standards nice and strict.

 

I actually don't hate this episode (yet), but I don't like this episode, either (yet). IAEBB feels very run-of-the-mill, and despite being a very simple storyline…I'm emotionally confused with what was presented and its quality. I'm going for, at least, one more rewatch just to get a firm grasp of it.

 

I honestly found this episode to be weird, as in like nothing I've seen before with its wonky-ass story structure (not the concept). It doesn't feel like MLP:FIM, but not in a bad way. I think the episode's main flaws are pacing (which rarely bothers me), the DEM, and to some a lack of humor (I will not argue against this criticism at all). Though, I'm honestly kind of glad these past couple episodes have been calm given the crazy roller coaster ride that is Season 4 thus far, and if this moral sticks it could be the most important moral to Flutters' development ever imo. I, for some reason, think it might not be utilized properly in the future though.

 

It falls under my LIKED IT! rating for now, but it could change. I'm not a critic though, I just try to analyze and make sense what the show gives me. Hell, it's easier than "Serial Experiments: Lain" by a mile. 

Edited March 2, 2014 by DryColt84

[Nerdy Luigi 2,064]

I have no complaints. I really don't.

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,809]

Sea Breeze was too harsh to start with. Even though she did want to go home, her attitude was off and came across as impatient and somewhat mean towards the other breezies. 

[Sunny Fox 5,935]

Sea Breeze was too harsh to start with. Even though she did want to go home, her attitude was off and came across as impatient and somewhat mean towards the other breezies. 

Sea Breeze is a male, you know. Both Applejack and Fluttershy called him "he".

[crazitaco 596]

Like many others here, I agree that the mane six didn't need to become breezies. It just made no sense. It was also a bit creepy.

I'm on the fence about the breezies design. Their little bodies and shape is cute. Their manes, eyelashes, and overly large wings looked freakish

Another thing, the breezies hardly flap their wings, which also looked weird.

 

Also , I really am starting to believe that the writers don't like Spike

He's been the buttmonkey this whole season, and it's making me sad.

[Metemponychosis 1,239]

 

 

Also , I really am starting to believe that the writers don't like Spike

 

 

Geez. Ya think? I'm pretty sure. But between him and Pinkie screwing up, I think it was better that he did it. Since he is a child and this kind of behavior is more easily excused. Although, I have troubles blaming him for what happened. It was a leaf. A freaking LEAF. He could be blamed for getting too close, but not for making a leaf fall from the tree and cause a little disaster.

[Winona the Dog 1,981]

Breezification

 

 

First off it was pretty much no point in that scene happening as it did nothing to change up the plot. We could've removed that scene entirely and still get the same end results.

 

Secondly, it was only for a marketing ploy which is expected from Hasbro, but in my own opinion it is unneeded (they couldn't even wait till the Rainbow Powered Ponies came out)

 

Thirdly it felt like a deus ex machinia that Twilight randomly pulled out of her horn.

 

Granted I actually like the idea of transformation and transforming the mane 6 into different animals. I actually, even liked Rainbow Dash's comment towards Twilight to turn her into a GriffGriffin or even a dragon.

 

 

It just felt like the Breezification was unnecessary and the transformation spell could be saved for a different episode.

[Jammo 986]

Breezification only because it's going to spawn a lot of horrible vore fanfiction.

I like their designs though. Rainbow Dash looked good as one.

[Orablanco Account 3,706]

It's starting to get way too obvious when the writers run out of interesting or witty things for the characters to say. Dash just mentions how awesome she is and how awesome a job she is gonna do at something, or Rarity feels the need relate everything she says and do to fashion, or Pinkie acts like a spastic mental patient, etc, etc.

 

We also got a twinge of what I like to call a McCarthy Moment™: when the writer can't figure out how to make a character feel like a part of the story, so they take a few seconds to derail whatever plot or tension is going on in a scene to inject a random quip or joke from a character that doesn't add anything to the proceedings and uses the most basic personality traits possible. Watch the scene in "The Return of Harmony" where Celestia is trying to explain Discord's origins and Pinkie will give you a few examples of what I'm talking about. Surprisingly, the moment in this episode came from Rarity and her sequins.

 

On those notes (and because I really want to mention this somewhere), my favorite moment of the entire episode is Twilight's whiny reaction ton Rarity accusing her of not telling the truth. Tara Strong is fantastic at that kind of character, but none of the writing in this episode (the whole season for that matter) let her just do that.

 

 

"Strictness = being mean? But that's good sometimes?"

 

I don't get how that's even close to a new lesson for Fluttershy. Are we forgetting about the time she scolded a dragon, or gave the cold shoulder to the Lord of Chaos and how that totally worked?

[Wind Chaser 4,767]

Although the Mane 6 Breezies transformation was completely arbitrary and a ploy for fanart, it was not all bad, as it allowed them to show us the Breezies' world.

 

My biggest problem with the episode is that the writers seriously need to stop crapping on Spike. He's been in trouble way too much this season, and the second and third acts of "Power Ponies" were merely lip service as he was characterized the same way in the episode's first act and all subsequent episodes, save for "Simple Ways" where they merely missed an opportunity with him.

 

All in all, the episode would have been completely boring if not for those flaws or the character of Sea Breeze being awesome.

 

It's starting to get way too obvious when the writers run out of interesting or witty things for the characters to say. Dash just mentions how awesome she is and how awesome a job she is gonna do at something, or Rarity feels the need relate everything she says and do to fashion, or Pinkie acts like a spastic mental patient, etc, etc.

 

We also got a twinge of what I like to call a McCarthy Moment™: when the writer can't figure out how to make a character feel like a part of the story, so they take a few seconds to derail whatever plot or tension is going on in a scene to inject a random quip or joke from a character that doesn't add anything to the proceedings and uses the most basic personality traits possible. Watch the scene in "The Return of Harmony" where Celestia is trying to explain Discord's origins and Pinkie will give you a few examples of what I'm talking about. Surprisingly, the moment in this episode came from Rarity and her sequins.

 

On those notes (and because I really want to mention this somewhere), my favorite moment of the entire episode is Twilight's whiny reaction ton Rarity accusing her of not telling the truth. Tara Strong is fantastic at that kind of character, but none of the writing in this episode (the whole season for that matter) let her just do that.

 

 

I don't get how that's even close to a new lesson for Fluttershy. Are we forgetting about the time she scolded a dragon, or gave the cold shoulder to the Lord of Chaos and how that totally worked?

These "McCarthy Moments" are not limited to her episodes. "The Return of Harmony" was a work of Larson. They are a side effect of putting the entire Mane 6 in an episode where only a few of them are needed.

 

As for the lesson, the theme of key episodes is the Mane 6 setting examples for others. in "Putting Your Hoof Down" she learned to tame her aggression and was setting an example here for Sea Breeze which led to her key.

 

However, I take issue with her saying she was nothing but kind to the bees when she put on a bee costume and basically mocked them. That was a "do as I say, not as I do" moment.

[Sir Wulfington 276]

Yeah I have to agree.  It actually wasn't so much the fact that they made them into breezies it was that I can't see how adding 6 more breezies who have no experience being breezies or flying in that way would suddenly solve all of their problems with not having enough of them.

 

I'm more confused as to the events right before Twilight came up with that idea. 3 Pegasi, they find, make too strong of a wind together, then RD tries it by herself, and it was too weak, so they immediately give up on that plan. Why? Two pegasi, when the breezies first showed up in the episode, proved to be the right amount, so why not just try that again? And even if they forgot, if 3 is too much, and 1 is too few, would not the next logical decision be that two is just right? Are that they bloody dense?

 

Than Fluttershy, for whatever reason, suggests that "it may be because there are too few, when they started off there were more of them to face the breeze together". Wait, WHAT? I don't understand this at all, the three imbecile pegasi decide that they can't make a breeze that's not too strong or weak, and she says that it's because there's too few breezies......wait the actual fuck does her remark have ANYTHING to do with the previous one? How did she come to that conclusion? Am I missing something? It's like crashing your bike onto a roadbump and flying off the handle, faceplanting on the ground, than your friend comes up to you and says "maybe you crashed because my math teacher says that 8+8=16".

 

 

LIKE..........maybe there needed to be a certain amount of the to fly, I can accept that, because fantasy. But her suggestion, in response to the pegasi's nonsensical conclusion that they can't make the right level of breeze for them to fly in, is what I don't get. Because "Maybe you guys can't make a breeze that's not too weak or strong for the breezies is because there's too few of them to face the breeze together" doesn't sound like a coherent sentence to me. If there's any sense to it it's very, very poorly expressed.

 

And the fact that one of them just didn't fly the breezies home on his or her body. The breezification spell was completely pointless (other than more toys for hasbro to sell). I didn't have a problem with the existence of said spell (she said she found it in the princess's old castle in the everfree, so maybe it was just this old lost and forgotten spell that some unicorn came up with long ago.) Or the fact that the pollen didn't go bad while the breezies were at Fluttershy's even tho they said they needed breeze to keep it from going bad, because I assume Fluttershy kept it somewhere safe to preserve it, I guess out of sunlight, maybe that's what ruins it without breeze to keep it fresh. Makes sense to me.

 

And why the breezies needed a resource that doesn't exist in their world and via the help from alien life (ponies). I dunno, they just do, or because they exhausted the pollen in their world somehow.

 

Anyway, due to the fact that the episode would've ended the same either way pretty much if, say, Fluttershy just flew them home herself at the end, I can't say there's any serious issues in this episode (since she and Seabreeze learned their leasons before the wtf moment, and one can safely deduce that he would've given her the flower (aka her key) whether or not she flew them home herself or they went the hasbro-wants-money route with the breezification).

 

However, due to that wtf moment and because this episode was overall dull since I felt like absolutely fuck all happened for the most part, this episode gets a resounding "MEH" from me.

 

And that's my review, it's crap but it's not serious crap. So I'm happy to be able to let this episode slide.....into a fire.

 

 

Number two on my list is the mechanical dialogue and humor. Instead of the humor coming across naturally, plenty of it was forced through. Plenty of the dialogue also felt pretty unnatural.

 

There were attempts at humor in this episode?

Edited April 22, 2014 by Sir Wulfington

[Dark Qiviut 22,216]

There were attempts at humor in this episode?

Plenty. At least five examples:

1. The intro reversing the scenario from Sonic Rainboom.
2. Rarity's dress reflecting brilliantly off the sunlight.
3. Fluttershy waving her plot at the angry bees.
4. Spike sobbing, "Sorry!" and then retreating upon seeing the angry breezies.
5. The Dr. Who reference with Rose Luck and Dr. Whooves (wearing 3D glasses).

Edited April 22, 2014 by Dark Qiviut

[Megas 27,184]

The episode was a blatant toy ad for Breezies especially with the unexplainable breeziefication of the mane6. I get that the show is meant to push toys, but please do a better job with toyetic episodes next time and be more subtle

[Sir Wulfington 276]

 

Plenty. At least five examples:

1. The intro reversing the scenario from Sonic Rainboom.
2. Rarity's dress reflecting brilliantly off the sunlight.
3. Fluttershy waving her plot at the angry bees.
4. Spike sobbing, "Sorry!" and then retreating upon seeing the angry breezies.
5. The Dr. Who reference with Rose Luck and Dr. Whooves (wearing 3D glasses).

 

Oh ya, I forgot about the first 3, but didn't notice any comedic intent with the fourth, and never noticed the last one. I did appreciate the reversal of "LOUDER" from Sonic Rainboom tho, at the very least.

[Cassafrass 249]

I  voted for the ponies Breezification. I thought it was cool and that they were cute and all, but... was it necessary? I mean, it kinda felt like a filler thing... but my main thing was how Twilight automatically knew the spell to use off the bat. Like... seriously? I still thought it was kinda cute though buuut... kinda cheesy. I don't like hating on episodes though, and although it wasn't my favorite, I still liked it.

[Pastel 7,627]

I really like this episode. It's hard to find a flaw.

Let's say.................Spike's mistake.

 

And I don't see what's wrong with the mane 6 breezification, I loved that!

Edited April 23, 2014 by Blobulle

[Orablanco Account 3,706]

Need to make an episode about the Mane Six turned into bugs because Hasbro is insane? Fine, whatever. Trying to tack that crap onto the last three minutes of your episode with a faulty deus ex machina that sets a dangerous precedent for future stories (they can turn into anything now) is not fine. It actually would have been better if they had just went ahead and made an entire episode based off that premise. At least then the writers would have more time to think up a better mythology for the breezies and a not-stupid reason for the Mane Six to be bugs.

 

So many things to talk about here, but the point is to pick a flaw, so there you go.

Edited April 26, 2014 by CITRUS KING46

[DryGuy84 (Inactive) 927]

Need to make an episode about the Mane Six turned into bugs because Hasbro is insane? Fine, whatever. Trying to tack that crap onto the last three minutes of your episode with a faulty deus ex machina that sets a dangerous precedent for future stories (they can turn into anything now) is not fine. It actually would have been better if they had just went ahead and made an entire episode based off that premise. At least then the writers would have more time to think up a better mythology for the breezies and a not-stupid reason for the Mane Six to be bugs.

 

So many things to talk about here, but the point is to pick a flaw, so there you go.

 

Relax, CITRUS. I don't think we'll see that spell popping up again anytime soon.