My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic:: READ POST 11156/PAGE 558

[the_serendipitous]

I'm sorry this is off-topic, but does anybody remember a fanfic called "It's a Dangerous Business, Going Out Your Door"? I just saw some fan art of that fic and waves of good memories came back. And I only read it once, in the summer of 2011. Now that is a good story.

 

Anybody know of a fanfic greater than that one? And what Jetfire's up to?

[DaBatGuy]

I remember reading it back then(definitely one of the best adventure stories I've read) but I haven't been keeping up with fanfiction after the season 2 finale. I'd love to see the story continued some day though.

[C4k3]

Welp...

 

 

Place yer bets, ladies and gentlemen.

[AdventChild]

http://www.equestriadaily.com/2013/11/press-release-for-season-4-episode-4.html

 

So much for comic's canon towards the show and that it isn't Twilight's mother as hinted in Shining's and Cadence's comic issues.

[Dr. Mechano]

http://www.equestriadaily.com/2013/11/press-release-for-season-4-episode-4.html

 

So much for comic's canon towards the show and that it isn't Twilight's mother as hinted in Shining's and Cadence's comic issues.

Maybe she wrote one/some of the books? Sometimes, if a franchise gets large enough, there'll be occasional other authors involved.

 

It's a stretch, but not totally unbelievable.

Edited November 22, 2013 by Dr. Mechano

[Your Vest Friend]

Oh look, Rainbow's speaking to Daring Do in a costume. But what's that got to do with the author?

[Kevin]

He’s a master of chaos. But did you know he could sing? Discord gets his own musical number in and It. Is. Amazing

 

Yes! I can't wait to hear Discord's song!

 

Also

 

Yes, somepony other than Discord will make their singing debut in Season 4

 

If it's Princess Luna, I'm going to be very happy!

Edited November 23, 2013 by Kevin

[Mega]

The comics never said that Twilight's mom wrote Daring Do. Andy Price even said on Twitter that it could've just as easily been a Daring Do award. The fandom's acting like this means the comics are automatically noncanon...

[Dr. Mechano]

Also, it's not like the show has never contradicted itself before.

 

In Winter Wrap-Up, Twilight says Ponyville is hundreds of years old, but Granny Smith's family founded Ponyville. So unless Granny Smith is hundreds of years old too, that's a contradiction.

 

I still think the comics are canon, and this inconsistency - if it is one at all - doesn't have to change that.

[SenEDDtor Missile]

Also, it's not like the show has never contradicted itself before.

 

In Winter Wrap-Up, Twilight says Ponyville is hundreds of years old, but Granny Smith's family founded Ponyville. So unless Granny Smith is hundreds of years old too, that's a contradiction.

 

I still think the comics are canon, and this inconsistency - if it is one at all - doesn't have to change that.

Or Earth Ponies have the longest lifespans to make up for their lack of awesome powers like the other ponies.

[gato]

After 9 months of winter coolness, FINALLY!

 

Time for Ponies!!1!

 

 

 

And what a way to start, the Everfree is taking over and we have a princess twilight.... Starring Princess Twilight! (shame they got rid of that pun/title :x).

 

It reminds me of something Faust wrote... As a matter of fact, there seems to be a lot of Lauren's ideas are being played lately (and will be I guess), some people might call it carrying out the legacy... Some others might call it a rip off... I frankly don't care, they are good ideas and I'm happy to see them come into fruition, so bring on the deer and vikings! (maybe next season, or at some point during this one?)

 

 

 

This episode also seems like it's going to contain a big chunk of world building (with the element tree, Nightmare Moon and stuff), I'm going to guess this is nothing but a bunch of flashbacks that will show Twi the importance of her new role, but I guess there'll also be some action in the current time since the forest take-over is a very present situation. 

 

I also wonder if Twi will finally get her palace. :U

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was the space when I posted some leftover thoughts about the previous episode (man, it's been a while since the last review I made! I did want to make an EqG view (watched it 2 days ago) but I didn't have the time :x), and to be honest it's actually been around 9 months since I saw MMC.

 

It's not that I hold that episode as something poisonous that shouldn't be touched, but Pony kind of left my mind for the hiatus (I guess it was a good thing it did considering how long the break turned out to be), but there is something that I remember from it...

 

By all means and purposes it always felt like this was the end of the show, a character reaches the end of her journey but another one begins (always leave things open ended enough), main villains were reformed or gotten rid off for good and most of the characters reached a point when you could "close the tale" with, Rarity didn't had an episode but it isn't hard to assume that her (business-wise) development in S2 carried over and Dash is as close to the Wonderbolts as (I guess) she'll get. The rest of the characters seem quite content with their current lives so any time is a good one to wrap their stories... Still, Pinkie having a very odd introspective, Applejack showing her bonds with the family (and having a sort of closure about the parents thing) and Flutter's reformation of one of the (if not the) greatest threat in Equestria's history might also count.

 

So it's to no surprise that I see this upcoming season as a sequel. Now, the times when sequels were looked at with scorns seems to be long gone since people have proven that they can meet and sometimes exceed the expectations the originals left, so I'm quite excited to see what the staff at DHX can bring to the table. (IDW is doing some craaazy stuff right now BTW, and you should totally check them out if you hadn't yet)

 

Can't wait to see how far this ponies can go!  

 

 

 

 

See ya in a few hours! o/

[C4k3]

Welp... just under two hours left until the internet is ravaged with pone once again.

 

Hold onto your plushies >tfw no Fluttershy plush to cuddle. It's going to be a wild ride.

 

[Mega]

I missed most of the first part, but I think we can safely say that Discord is the best. :') He seriously stole the show, and I loved every minute of it.

[Dr. Mechano]

Fantastic season opening. Far, far better than season 3's introduction.

 

I'm really looking forward to what they do with the story arc they've set up for this season. Definitely intrigued so far.

[Applejack1973]

The first two epsiodes had ended.

 

It had been all summer long worth waiting.

 

Now I guess S4 will have it's final episode in May Again.

[Thigolf]

I liked it quite a bit.

 

The overall plot was good, not awesome, but not bad. The characterization of the characters was awesome and felt spot on, especially seeing Apple Jack doing something again was awesome. The references and contiuity to the old episodes were a nice bonus too and pretty interesting, plus, the Nightmare moon part was pretty amazing with its action part and the tragic part, as short as it might've been. The episode in general still felt a tiiny bit rushed, though.

 

The best part was Discord, though. He might be reformed, but he's still a prankster and in his old habits, and the jokes with him were brilliant. What I liked the most was the way he got Twilight to go back. The way he helped her by tricking and guilt tripping her was just a great way to make him "good" and helpful, but keeping his personality. 

 

The music was also awesome and the visuals looked slightly improved.

 

So yeah, I liked it, mostly because the each of the characters had a time to shine in the episode - and the characters are the reason I watch the show in the first place.Might've even been my favorite season opener ever.

[Nix]

Pretty good opening.  

 

I can't say I'm a big fan of MLP's action/fight sequences, they were serviceable at best.  However, I was pretty impressed by by the action happening here, there was a lot of cool movements and camera angles and I feel they improved a great deal compared to S1-3.

 

There were moments where I felt the episode slogged a bit (particularly where we get a look at how Ponyville was doing when the chaos started).  It kept pace a lot better than the S3 Opening, which isn't really saying much, but whatever.

 

Discord's a magnificent bastard.  Character redeemed.

[DaBatGuy]

Oh man, Discord was such a dick in this episode, (I mean seriously, laughing at Twilight's anguish when Celestia "died") and I love him for it.

 

It's so awesome to see how shit went down in the past. A little disappointed that we didn't get the old Nightmare moon voice from the pilot again.

I don't get the point of splitting up in the Everfree forest. They all knew that the threat was too powerful to defeat with their own abilities and elements wouldn't work without Twilight. It felt like a forced side plot to get some interpersonal conflict.

Anyone else get annoyed at the constant use of the phrase "Princess Celestia and Princess Luna" ? We get it, it's season 4, we know who the characters are. Just shorten it to "the royal sisters" or "the princesses" or some thing.

Glad to have another seasonal story arc and one that will involve all the characters too.

[Vertekins]

Only seen tidbits of both eps so far but wow, they really made Celestia sympathetic. It was truly sad how distraught she was at banishing her sister (Her tears when she uses the elements was powerful) and how she reveals that the Summer Sun Festival always used to be painful for her because it serves as a reminder for what had to be done.

[AdventChild]

Pretty much Discord stole most of the show for me and it does give hope for him to evil again as the elements are gone in a sense, but more in the shadows and incognito this time around. 

 
Twilight's flying shtick kinda gotten old pretty fast IMO and I'm still not used to the princess/alicorn as again it'll most likely to become a plot device/Deux Ex Machina whenever the storywriters need it to be and Twilight not changing much in character can lead to believe that development/growth to be non-apparent. Also, they used too much of their flashback/lore cards in one sitting (not to mention the Discord flashback was rather anti-climatic) and felt more like Naruto Shippuden filler when they could have cut it down to do more adventurous things in the present. Even so keeping the flashbacks in check, it would have been better if they cut out the stupid and unneeded subplot of splitting up the party for more teamwork action as that felt like filler too. Also, Twilight Sparkboom.....*sigh. 
 
As for the mystery box which would more likely to provide more plot devices in the near future (well, might as well add it keep the series going, depends how good it's handled with the reveal), I could guess it'll probably be new upgraded elements, probably the Mane Cast receiving crowns/tiaras equally (no alicornism for the rest of them please so back off Hasbro...), but hopefully it isn't Rainbow Power that's for sure. Though what I would like to see that it is another trap set up by Discord to keep the twists coming and that they happen to unlock Pandora's Box. 
 
Well, all-in-all, it's just a tad above S3's opener, I suppose, due to Discord trolling others, but it isn't saying much. Though I've read the spoilers for the episode before hand so it'll be the reason why I'm not that enthusiastic for this.

[MegaMan_EXE]

Man... that was amazing. I'm surprised that the opening wasn't anticlimactic like the Crystal Empire. Discord being back for the third time was just the icing on the cake, and that twist was pretty hilarious. I loved the backstory parts, and the character interactions were just spectacular. My only complaint was the whole "hey, you can fly, remember?" jokes. They got annoying after a while, but good thing the show knew that the joke got old.
I'm very much looking forward to what this season has to offer.

[Kevin]

Wow! The Season 4 premiere was amazing! Much better than Season 3's in fact!

All that continually! Meghan McCarthy wasn't kidding when she said it was going to continue from Magic Mystery Cure! It was great to see Discord again still hilarious as ever, especially when he was singing Winter Wrap Up! I loved how we got to see what really happened when Celestia banished Luna and when they both defeated Discord for the first time. You really have to feel for Celestia making as hard of a decision as she did.

 

But what most surprised me is the Mane 6 giving up the Elements of Harmony, something that has been a core to the series since hte beginning. Personally I'm glad they're setting up an arc for this season and now I wonder what's inside that box.

[MegaMan_EXE]

Wow! The Season 4 premiere was amazing! Much better than Season 3's in fact!

All that continually! Meghan McCarthy wasn't kidding when she said it was going to continue from Magic Mystery Cure! It was great to see Discord again still hilarious as ever, especially when he was singing Winter Wrap Up! I loved how we got to see what really happened when Celestia banished Luna and when they both defeated Discord for the first time. You really have to feel for Celestia making as hard of a decision as she did.

 

But what most surprised me is the Mane 6 giving up the Elements of Harmony, something that has been a core to the series since hte beginning. Personally I'm glad they're setting up an arc for this season and now I wonder what's inside that box.

I love that the show is going in a new direction. If Season 3 didn't end on MMC, then the Season 4 opening would have been more of the same, and the season would be a bit weak. At least, I think so. I love that things are starting to change up a little. Sometimes, the fourth season is when things start to fall apart, but here, things are starting to get interesting.

[Your Vest Friend]

A video of bumpers from today. Contains clips of episodes 3 and 4.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdymGFL11eU

 

Fanfiction sighted. Literally.

 

Edit: "If I were a princess, things would run a little differently in Ponyville, that's for sure!"

 

Well screw you, you have to be the maid instead.

Edited November 23, 2013 by VEDJ-F

[Dark Qiviut]

I liked it, but it's hyperbole to call it the best two-part opener in quality. Instead of dissecting good and bad only, I'll only list and partially dissect what I liked and not, although the two will overlap.

 

What I liked:

• The humor with Twilight not being able to fly. As annoying as the retcon is, it gave the spots nice humor. And at least her difficulty was solved at the end.
• Discord played a role in the story. He was his chaotic self and hilarious to boot. (The Aladdin reference with Discord taking the bath cracked me up.) He was a complete dick, and that's great to keep.
• It was nice to see all the worldbuilding in the episode, from the origins of the Elements of Harmony to them finally being stored again.
• Twilight saying her new role in Equestria may test her friendship with the others. That's exactly something the writers need to do in order to genuinely make her role worthwhile.
• The Elements of Harmony not being used anymore. In the first two-parters, the EoH were crucial, but they began to become plot devices the Mane Six forced themselves to rely on. (This includes the lazy mess known as Equestria Girls.) With the Elements now back in their rightful place, they'll have to solve their problems with their innate abilities rather than a plot convenience. It's a completely different direction that surprised me, and honestly, they needed it desperately.
• The Sidekick Five actually had importance instead of being figurative background ponies.
• Twilight had a genuine reason to be in Canterlot: preparing for a Summer Sun Celebration, but this time one about actually putting the turmoil of Nightmare Moon behind Celestia. (She actually got genuine characterization.)

What I disliked:

• Twilight's struggle to fly was completely unneeded (a slight criticism I had for EQG, too), and it's annoying to see her ability to fly well from the end of MMC retconned. Trade the humor from Twilight's poor flying with maybe her poor ability to land (which was done).
• Wilhelm Scream…NO!
• The alicorn potion is a complete deus ex machina, although it became crucial in so many points. A contrived plot device.
• The Tree of Harmony (referencing the Yggdrasil) just came out of nowhere. No history was truly explained. Twilight just found out about it, and that was that.
• The flashbacks were pretty underwhelming and paced too quickly.
• Tara Strong's voice acting upon landing before the injured Celestia felt very artificial.
• McCarthy's pace for this episode was inconsistent. It went from being very slow to too quick, and the breakup was pointless and ate up too much time in the script.
• Speaking of the breakup, Applejack was very out of character at that moment. She wouldn't be the one who'd suggest Twilight to return to Ponyville. Maybe someone like Rarity or Fluttershy, but it doesn't feel right coming out of the cowmare.
• The plot tells far too much, telling the audience how the writer and rest of team had trouble fitting it all in forty minutes without cramming and mishandling the pacing.
• The idea of the Elements of Harmony being predestined (Twilight's cutie mark on the Yggdrasil and Element itself) is quite bothersome. Destiny doesn't choose you. You choose your destiny. It was a major criticism I had with Magical Mystery Cure, and it's the same here.

In all, it's a good episode. It's better than The Crystal Empire, but worse than Return of Harmony (best two-part opener) and the pilot. PTS needs a lot more editing to solidify it to make the writing quality convincing, and the two-parter doesn't genuinely prove the Twilicorn's worth as princess at this point. She has a ways to go, and DHX needs to show in the canon she earned it. It's on the right track, but Twilight's ascension isn't convincing quite yet. Hopefully, future episodes change that.