Pick a Flaw - S4E18 Maud Pie

[Dark Qiviut 22,215]

*sigh* Again, that's not what I'm saying. It doesn't matter that you didn't judge her like the Mane Six nor the fact you were laughing innocently. What I'm saying is that Maud Pie's script wants you laugh and then tells you to feel bad for laughing.

 

So why is that a bad thing? It's making you think more deeply about something. I would generally consider that a plus.

Doing so manipulates with the audience's emotions. It comes off as manufactured.

Edited March 17, 2014 by Dark Qiviut

[Andaasonsan 3,205]

*sigh* Again, that's not what I'm saying. It doesn't matter that you didn't judge her like the Mane Six nor the fact you were laughing innocently. What I'm saying is that Maud Pie's script wants you laugh and then tells you to feel bad for laughing.

 

Doing so manipulates with the audience's emotions. It comes off as manufactured.

It's a work of fiction. It's kind of a given that it's going to try and manufacture an emotional response.

 

And it's not like the script was making you go, "hur, hur, look how dumb Maud is" it was making you laugh at the awkwardness of the situation. Maud in and of herself wasn't funny, it was funny because of how uncomfortable the misunderstanding was making the ponies.

[Tigerpop198 696]

Sorry, to rain on the parade here, but this episode was pretty boring to be honest with you. That is my flaw with the episode, in my opinion.

[Dark Qiviut 22,215]

And it's not like the script was making you go, "hur, hur, look how dumb Maud is" it was making you laugh at the awkwardness of the situation. Maud in and of herself wasn't funny, it was funny because of how uncomfortable the misunderstanding was making the ponies.

I know all of that.

 

The awkwardness of how the ponies had trouble communicating with Maud and her matter-of-fact deadpan is played for laughs. That I get; I have no problem with that. Plus, I know Maud wasn't stupid. In a way, I can somewhat relate to her because she's really dedicated to her work despite not showing so much emotion.

 

But then the script, either intentional or unintentionally, switches that around and says you should feel bad for laughing at the scenario, much less thinking about it. That's the problem.

 

It would've been better if the script didn't come across as tut-tutting to the audience for laughing despite the fact that it wants the audience to laugh at what happened in the first place.

 

———

 

If anything you were supposed to be laughing at the other ponies during those scenes.

Please read the edit. I DON'T want to repeat what I have to say again. *rubbing forehead impatiently*

Edited March 17, 2014 by Dark Qiviut

[Andaasonsan 3,205]

I know all of that.

 

Maud's matter-of-fact deadpan (plus her communication with the others — the awkwardness of it all) is played for laughs. That I get; I have no problem with that.

 

But then the script, either intentional or unintentionally, switches that around and says you should feel bad for laughing at the scenario, much less thinking about it. That's the problem.

 

It would've been better if the script didn't come across as tut-tutting to the audience for laughing despite the fact that it wants the audience to laugh at what happened in the first place.

But there isn't any reason to feel bad about laughing. You weren't laughing at Maud's expense. If anything you were supposed to be laughing at the other ponies during those scenes.

Please read the edit. I DON'T want to repeat what I have to say again. *rubbing forehead impatiently*

Okay, but I never see the script wanting you to feel bad about laughing at those previous scenes.

 

At the end of the episode, Maud is still really strange. The only thing that has changed is that the ponies have a better understanding of her. The previous situations are still just as totally awkward and are still funny for the same reasons.

[DubWolf 16,760]

I really didn't see any flaws with the episode, or see any of the options you provided to be a problem.

 

-I didn't see Pinkie as the focus, but rather the interactions between the mane 6 and Maud Pie to be the focus.

-Maud Pie is Maud Pie. If she's indifferent about everything, so be it. Not everypony can be very expressive about their experienes.

-Not a boring episode. Maybe a little more exciting than It Ain't Easy Being Breezies actually.

-Pinkie Pie not trying to befriend everyone together wouldn't be like Pinkie Pie. Even so, Maud Pie befriending everyone as opposed to one at a time didn't make things better.

-I liked the ending. Maud Pie's smile was cute and we can tell....well maybe we can't tell she's fond of Pinkie Pie lol.

-We need a journal entry for each episode? Ew.

[Forlong 1,725]

Except then it would've just been boring.

 

This is a TV-Y show, you know.

That's no excuse.  Just because it's rated as suitable for all ages does not mean that they can half-ass it on character interaction.

 

Only problem is they left out Spike....but then again there wouldn't be any rock candy left in Ponyville if he was there.....

And have him be treated like Woodhouse again?  No thanks.

[Sugar Cube 4,843]

I don't have any major gripes about the episode, but I guess it maybe wasn't as funny as most episodes usually are, but I don't mind having less comedy if the rest of the episode has enough substance to keep it from being downright boring, and I think this one certainly did. Also, this really didn't feel like a Pinkie Pie episode, at least not in the same way that Pinkie Apple Pie and Pinkie Pride did. She was always front and center and in the spotlight, but the conflict and lesson revolved more around her friends than Pinkie Pie herself. Although there was no journal entry, there was still a moral, so I have no complaints there. Last week's episode did not have a journal entry either, and several season 3 episodes did not feature letters to the Princess. So long as there's some kind of underlying moral to take from the episode, I don't think the letter/journal writing is a requirement.

[Castle Bleck 19,211]

@Forlong,

 

The "half-@$$ed-ness" here is subjective.

[pegabeats 32]

Weird, but I find Maud's voice soothing.

We didn't get to see her cutie mark, but if we get her in figure.... I pre-order the moment I see it.

[Castle Bleck 19,211]

@pegabeats,

 

Blink and you'll miss it:

 

Edited March 17, 2014 by Anti-Villain

[FNGRpony 655]

Maud pie was a boring terrible character.

 

she would fit fight in with friend ship is witch craft and their special brand of anti humor.

[Never2muchpinkie 208]

I loved pretty much everything about this episode, so I'm going to put my vote in for Other because it'd have been nice to find out Maud's cutie mark. The clothes obscured it throughout the episode, and I think a cutie mark tells a great deal about somepony.

I'd have to say other for the same reason Flipturn did. We didn't see Maud's cutie mark. That bothered me, since they're such an integral part of a pony's identity.

 

Otherwise, good episode about how not everyone has a lot in common with everyone else.

Yeah I sort of wanted to see Maud's cutie mark, although why am I thinking it was a rock, haha.

I can't see Maud's cutie mark! 

Well the truth is that we DO get to see it, but only in a few frames. Here's a screen shot.

 

So it IS a rock, unsurprisingly, though it's hard to make it out.

[DryGuy84 (Inactive) 927]

Maud pie was a boring terrible character.

 

she would fit fight in with friend ship is witch craft and their special brand of anti humor.

 

Friendship is Witchcraft has purposely unlikeable characters who don't care about anyone but themselves, Maud clearly loves and cares about her sister's feelings. Also dry humor is not the same as anti-humor. Dry humor has a character's lack of an emotional response based on the given scenario provide a comedic effect, because it subverts expectations. Anti-humor can be delivered through an emotional response, but is deliberately not funny, and that's the extent of the joke. Maud has dry humor about her, and if you don't like it, fine. It doesn't matter. But calling Maud's dry humor anti-humor makes it seem like you're not in on the joke.

Edited March 19, 2014 by DryColt84

[Sir Wulfington 276]

If I had to complain about anything, it was their reason for becoming friends with Maud in the end. I'm sorry, but merely loving the same person is not a reason to be buddies, when you share nothing else in common, which had already established. It just isn't something, on it's own, that makes a friendship, it's akin to being friends because you all think purple is the best color. It was just a really stupid way to resolve that issue.

[DryGuy84 (Inactive) 927]

If I had to complain about anything, it was their reason for becoming friends with Maud in the end. I'm sorry, but merely loving the same person is not a reason to be buddies, when you share nothing else in common, which had already established. It just isn't something, on it's own, that makes a friendship, it's akin to being friends because you all think purple is the best color. It was just a really stupid way to resolve that issue.

 

It wasn't portrayed well, but I think they were trying to say that their relationship with Pinkie was their jumping off point to form a true bond. It's a mature moral, but it was portrayed in a wonky manner, thus it confused many viewers.

Edited March 21, 2014 by DryColt84

[Sir Wulfington 276]

It wasn't portrayed well, but I think they were trying to say that their relationship wit Pinkie was their jumping off point to form a true bond. It's a mature moral, but it was portrayed in a wonky manner, thus it confused many viewers.

I thought of that, but they'd already figured out that they have nothing else in common. They can care about each other, but that'd be the extent of their relationship. When you have no shared interests, you wont spend much time, if any, around one another, and that's really bad for a friendship. If anything, the point of the episode should've been teaching Pinkie Pie that not everyone can be friends, some people just aren't compatible with one another, and that's that. I actually thought that was what they were gonna go with when her friends realized they didn't have anything in common with Maud, but then the writer decided to use a contrivance so that they could be friends.

 

Such a missed opportunity.

[Dattebayo 2,850]

There was a moral, it was hidden:

"You can't be friends with everyone"

 

By far, the most realistic one to date.

 

And I dint know if it's been said yet, but Maud's cutie mark was shown.

When she Shoryukens the rocks near the end, you can see a glimpse of it (a rock shaped like a diamond) through an "upskirt" shot.

[Pastel 7,627]

Almost flawless episode, but Pinkie Pie's attempt to friend Maud Pie with the Mane 5 was a bit boring.

[Dattebayo 2,850]

Almost flawless episode, but Pinkie Pie's attempt to friend Maud Pie with the Mane 5 was a bit boring.

I thought the opposite: a bit over the top.

It was cringeworthy to see her try to mash her groups of people so incessantly

(Which I'm guessing was the point, as the ponies were also cringing )

 

 

But dat Maud, though...

God...it was, like, "favorite pony" at first sight...

Almost flawless episode, but Pinkie Pie's attempt to friend Maud Pie with the Mane 5 was a bit boring.

wait, you're talking about the end, right?

Because I loved the parts before it, especially the...Well, sh*t, I can pick a favorite moment, they were all awesome. xD

[Sir Wulfington 276]

There was a moral, it was hidden:

"You can't be friends with everyone"

 

By far, the most realistic one to date.

 

 

Too bad that wasn't the moral, it almost was, but then the writer did a copout and decided to have them be friends anyway for a completely illogical reason.