S02E22: Hurricane Fluttershy

[Crow.Why, of course!I'm clearly insane! .]

I dunno why, I just love this.

[SlateSlabrock]

I don't want to stomp on Wayoshi's screencapping, but a few things leapt out at me from near the end:


"HEE HAW!"


Those... those hind legs...

[Headless Horse]

What did you think of slightly-redesigned gangly Fluttershy? I thought it was a nice balance of "keep what worked, toss what didn't".

Was she redesigned? I don't know if I noticed anything specifically. We didn't see a whole lot of her here, but it looked like they were being pretty faithful to the existing Fillyshy design (plus cutie mark).

What's interesting to me about that, though, is that they had to have made a conscious decision to add her cutie mark to the old character design; which means they did spend the planning time to figure out when that flashback scene took place. That couldn't have happened by accident. I just love knowing they're thinking about this stuff, even if they don't call it out explicitly. In fact I like it better if they don't mention it outright, but leave it as an easter egg for people to figure out who are paying attention. That's like the perfect balance that this show has and always has had: they don't beat you over the head with the worldbuilding, nor do they just leave the status quo alone and lazy it out. They put in the thought and let it shape how the show turns out via all the little textural background details and such.

By the way, I'm cracking up at Twilight spraying the fuck out of Thunderlane with a can of Lysol. What is that anthropomorphized "germ" thing on the label? C'mon 1080p!

[Wayoshi]

E: It's alright Slate, whatever you want to post!

New page!





Aww... this is pretty realistic too, being so nervous you're distracted from reality.



Gotta like all the drawings on these lists for people and even food in PyHD...no words! (Is that a stylistic choice for the target audience?)





Breath in...



...and out.



You did it!



This laughing can be interpreted either way - Flitter is pointing at Flutters... but they're so nice otherwise...



Don't pay attention Flutters...



NO!



NO THE INNER DEMONS

[FightingDreamerBrony For Life]

Was she redesigned? I don't know if I noticed anything specifically. We didn't see a whole lot of her here, but it looked like they were being pretty faithful to the existing Fillyshy design (plus cutie mark).

What's interesting to me about that, though, is that they had to have made a conscious decision to add her cutie mark to the old character design; which means they did spend the planning time to figure out when that flashback scene took place. That couldn't have happened by accident. I just love knowing they're thinking about this stuff, even if they don't call it out explicitly. In fact I like it better if they don't mention it outright, but leave it as an easter egg for people to figure out who are paying attention. That's like the perfect balance that this show has and always has had: they don't beat you over the head with the worldbuilding, nor do they just leave the status quo alone and lazy it out. They put in the thought and let it shape how the show turns out via all the little textural background details and such.

By the way, I'm cracking up at Twilight spraying the fuck out of Thunderlane with a can of Lysol. What is that anthropomorphized "germ" thing on the label? C'mon 1080p!

I don't know, maybe the lighting made it look slightly different or something.

And what did you think of Rainbow Dash being oddly compassionate this time around? Is she finally keeping her past stuff with Fluttershy in mind?

[Opposing FarceDon't you smile at my faceSpit on my backDo you kiss your mother with a mouth like that?]

It is true that spitfire couldn't help when setting the record. But when they had abandoned setting the record she was free of that obligation. There is that pride possibility, but eh, it would simply have been better if she had joined up. They still could have been a little short and everything would have held up just as fine.

Spitfire knew it'd really hurt Dash's pride if she stepped in, so she wanted to give them a chance to do it on their own, even if it took a couple of tries. The dialog at the end makes me think they're buds now, so that's my headcanon.

(I'm also thinking that's why Dash isn't all WONDERBOLTS WONDERBOLTS GOTTA JOIN THE WONDERBOLTS anymore- after hanging with them for a while, she realized it wasn't really for her.)

[Electric PonyBad 'un...Horrid...Bad 'un...Horrid...Does he ever make a good post?]

Those eyes... they look so familiar...



I loved this episode so much. For some reason, to me, it had a really really epic feeling too it. The background music was phenomenal, the animation was amazing as usual and the story was great. I could totally see how Fluttershy would have flashbacks to her childhood where she was the target of that horrible chant the other fillies were using against her. It felt SO great to see her challenge and overcome that at the end, it was truly a tearful scene. It also made me think of Twilight in Lesson Zero when she imagined hearing the laughter directed at her. Can we suppose that a similar thing happened to her as a filly?

Loved the tornado, it had such a powerful, guttural sound to it. The short bit from the inside looking up was just phenomenal. LOVED the way they incorporated all the pegasi into it, made it look so, well, epic.



And what the hell is this thing Spike is playing?

[Wayoshi]

I identified Morrow for S2 as the one who could write the family-oriented episodes well, and did a decent enough job on Reading Rainbow. Now I can say she really has developed top-tier at character development and getting us to root for the characters, and I can't wait for her next work (which will likely wait until S3 ).

I mean, I'm about to freeze frame the best part of this episode animation-wise, but the big winner was Rainbow being Rainbow and really making us emotionally invested in Fluttershy. I was hooked in pretty much by the Fillyshy scene, and everyone sure was by the time the montage was over.

[Mechanical ApeSerious times demand serious hats.]

What's fun about this bit is the other pegasi's reactions in the pan back to Fluttershy -- the ones in front are taking the brunt of the Dash-blast, but the ones farther back are digging the breeze. Rumble in particular is really getting into it; she's got her wings out and hovering with a big smile.

The camera moves so fast that you don't notice this unless you freeze-frame it, so chalk up another win for

Flitter and Cloudchaser doing a high-hoof followed by this hug is the best thing. They have quickly risen to the top tier of my favorite background ponies. I just like their design a lot.

They're no Photo Finish, just so we're clear. But they're up there.

(FWIW, I think they were giggling at Fluttershy, but in a fairly gentle way. Rude, yes, but not in a "sadistic childhood bully" sort of way; more like "average moderately-jerky Ponyville citizen" sort of way.)

R.D. indeed can be a good leader of pegasi, which was also refreshing to see.

So good, she brings Tornado Pony to tears!



Dash has been put in charge of stuff before (the pilot, Winter Wrap Up), but we haven't really seen her do any actual leading -- coaching yes, bossing around yes, but not real leadership -- so this episode was very nice for that. One of the many ways this was a great RD episode.

EDIT: Ponies have no fingers but still use a base 10 counting system.

[Wayoshi]

What's fun about this bit is the other pegasi's reactions in the pan back to Fluttershy -- the ones in front are taking the brunt of the Dash-blast, but the ones farther back are digging the breeze. Rumble in particular is really getting into it; she's got her wings out and hovering with a big smile.

Yep, I actually got this one in the full album!



This subtly emphasizes Fluttershy's strength as well at this point, very good.

[Headless Horse]

Here's one of those weird faces I couldn't help noticing. CHEEK DIMPLES DO NOT WORK THAT WAY

And what did you think of Rainbow Dash being oddly compassionate this time around? Is she finally keeping her past stuff with Fluttershy in mind?

I dunno, maybe? I'm still absorbing everyone else's opinions here. Taking a while to come down off this high.

That whole scene in Flutters' house was pretty neat, though. Dash is really pretty jerky to her (bucket of water and everything, including demonstrations of tactlessness in the form of "WATCH THIS I WILL PROVE THAT YOU ARE FAKING, HA HA I GOT YOU NOW"—and for what? That record she's obsessed with?) right up a certain moment when she abruptly realizes what she's doing and turns all the RAH-RAH stuff way down. Right there it's like she suddenly realizes she's got her priorities screwed up and is pressuring Fluttershy beyond her comfort zone and has no right to do so; the way she gives up and hovers off sadly, rather than trying to guilt her or berate her into cooperation really does show a side of RD I wasn't expecting. Well, I guess the "thanks anyway" was kind of a guilt-trip. Maybe? Hmm.

And then the way Fluttershy changes her mind on her own, out of the blue, really kinda caught me off guard. I was like, "Wait, why did she just agree to do it? She was home free!" —But taking the guilt-trip tack would answer that question, even if it seems kinda un-RD. She's not that devious. I think maybe it was more like Fluttershy deciding to guilt herself into cooperating, because she was reading too much into Dash's reaction...?

I really did love how elated RD was when she agreed to help, though. Swooping through the air in an embrace—yeah, they really do have one of the most complicated relationships in the show, and I'm very glad they're using that as a means to give us that expansion on RD's "classical" character that's been missing in action until just the last few episodes.

[Crow.Why, of course!I'm clearly insane! .]

Whether by choice or by luck, the Derpy Mask here was a nice touch.

[Mechanical ApeSerious times demand serious hats.]

Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The pegasus cannot hear the Rainbow Dash;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere Fluttershy is loosed upon the world.

[Wayoshi]

Taking a while to come down off this high.

What a day to be occupied before ponies, huh?

Let's keep going...



Just to note, Twilight actually has some tact here. Pinkie carefully considers Fluttershy in 105, so maybe Twilight has learned the same?



Flutterowl.jpg



I'm kinda trying to make this pitiful wingpower sound good, so buy it... please?



Twilight eh next to R.D. scrunchyface. Awesome. The amount of legs over each other is also awesome, hope it gets incorporated more often (last time I remember was Hearth's Warming at the end).



0.5 < 1, but Fluttershy's feelings >>>>>>>>>>>>>> 1, so be quiet.



No...



DO. NOT. LISTEN.



Wait what



...WHAT



WHAT THE WHAT



:sweetiealarm:





:sweetiealarm: :sweetiealarm: Good lord, I don't know how I didn't scream out myself watching this live! :sweetiealarm: :sweetiealarm:

Seriously though, this is AWESOME. This is EXACTLY how it feels like. Excellent all-around



THE EYES THEY STARE WITH NO REMORSE

[Wayoshi]

I think maybe it was more like Fluttershy deciding to guilt herself into cooperating, because she was reading too much into Dash's reaction...?

R.D. emphasizes that she needs everypony to break the record. With 8 ponies missing, they only ended up having a total wingpower of ~860-880, so that was indeed R.D. taking on more she can chew, as usual... the main point, though, is that Fluttershy is letting her friend down in what she wants, impossible goal or not. And Fluttershy knows deep down she needs to get over this, and takes a shot at it with the fallback of pleasing R.D.

You might be right, but I'm trying to say that I think Dash's reaction is genuine here, she believes Ponyville can beat the record and isn't actually being that jerky about it, promoting the moral right from this scene (of course, it is that much better without any record at stake, but that clarification properly waits for 10 minutes).

[Daionus The 23rd:3]

I kind of like how they didn't break the record. Believing in yourself might do wonders, but it doesn't give you super wingpower.

[MochaBean]

I also took it as Dash being genuinely crushed - not only because of the record, but also because she earnestly wanted to include one of her best friends in the effort. The whole "Fluts guilt trips herself" angle seems to work better, because Dash didn't seem to be faking, and passive-aggressiveness isn't her thing.

This season has shown the two being much closer to one another than last season did, Dragonshy almost feels like an aberration in hindsight.

[Crow.Why, of course!I'm clearly insane! .]

I kind of like how they didn't break the record. Believing in yourself might do wonders, but it doesn't give you super wingpower.

I agree with this.

The ponies never win. (eg Rarity and Sweetie Belle in Sisterhooves Social, Rainbow Dash + Applejack + Twilight not coming in 1st in The Running of the Leaves etc)

It's to stress the point that you don't have to win to feel good about yourself. Trying and giving it your best is good enough.

[Headless Horse]

I kind of like how they didn't break the record. Believing in yourself might do wonders, but it doesn't give you super wingpower.

By this point I'd be almost surprised to see anyone win any contest outright anymore. Talk about aberrations in hindsight, Sonic Rainboom is starting to get that way too...! And Applejack getting a trophy just for being awesome. That's making me just to think about how bizarre an idea it is compared to the realism of the day-to-day social dynamics going on these days.

It's one of the best ways this show does "show, don't tell": it gives us ponies not winning things but having a lot of fun trying, and/or learning valuable lessons in the process. Fall Weather Friends, Sisterhooves, Last Roundup, now this...

AAGH BEATEN I HATE LOSING

[Wayoshi]

Well, after those eyes really exposed how Fluttershy really gets in these situations, it can't get much sadder...







I said not much sadder...





This is fairly adorable if not for the situation. Pony frustration



OK, well, I made it through the saddest part...



Wait... what? Where is this...?



Why is Angel brushing her mane (toy tie-in? But it fits really well here so no complaints)



Angel smiling and caring? What is going on? (Good to see the brat phase is over, guess he just needed to get used to cucumbers)



GOOD LORD







(Seriously these expressions put me on a high just like Headless, I had just said in chat after R.D. did her thing that this episode was just about perfect already, and then this! I mean these expressions literally. are. emotional investment.)



For everyone complaining about hoofhands, this was pretty hoof-y more than handy.



MAKE IT STOP PLEASE OH MY GOD



This was awesome.



It's time for the badger to badger! This is a cool little scene for the older crowd to pick up on while the dialogue slows down a bit into an anecdote.





Let's get out of this infested moment please...



Yes...



OK...



I see smiling... (This direct vertical flying feels like a reference to something, but I have no idea what. Or is it simply getting out of the dark into the increasing light?)



Oh thank god, I almost lost myself back there...

[Crow.Why, of course!I'm clearly insane! .]

The music in this episode was so good, I found a link for that wicked guitar rift during Fluttershy's training montage and now I have it on loop while doing school research! I'm almost tempted to use the image as an avatar as well, but I'm fairly sure someone's claimed it sans-guitar.

Click here to view video.

[Wulfolme]

Guys pay attention to how I explained that wingpower is logarithmic for single ponies but adds linearly through the magic of friendshiiiip come ooonnnnnnnnnnnnn

[Headless Horse]

I see smiling... (This direct vertical flying feels like a reference to something, but I have no idea what. Or is it simply getting out of the dark into the increasing light?)

I almost felt like it was evoking Celestia raising the sun in CMChronicles.

Which would be pretty goddamn


E: Or maybe Superman launching the Kryptonite island into orbit or something

[HeinousTests Poorly]

Wow.

It's been exceptionally hard for me to pick favorite episodes out of this show, but this one just might be it. Completely amazing all around, and so much going on. I knew Angel could be nice!

If we hadn't already settled upon Space Mutiny, Photobomb would be a great name for the newest background pony.

Also if I may be so bold as to request an AV, Thinking Pony from 2:14 in the PSA, just before the film skips.

[W.T. FitsSocii sunt mihi qui olim viri fortes rivalesque erant.Saeve certando pugnandoque splendor crescit.]

Avatar request: Any chance I can get a loop of Angel stroking Fluttershy's hair while she's crying, before she looks up?

Also, people have commented on how surprised they were to see RD being so considerate and understanding of Fluttershy in this episode. But if you pay attention, you notice that she really only backs off once Fluttershy mentions that the major issue is her having to do this in front of a crowd and the pressure to succeed with all those ponies watching her, silently judging her...

Now why would Rainbow Dash be sympathetic to another pony in that position, I wonder?

[Wayoshi]

I was just about to move onto the montage when this caught my eye...



(squirrel is offering acorn)

Haha, Angel doesn't like other animals getting in the way!

[The DoctorTurner Of All Things Timey Wimey]

Avatar request: Any chance I can get a loop of Angel stroking Fluttershy's hair while she's crying, before she looks up?

Also, people have commented on how surprised they were to see RD being so considerate and understanding of Fluttershy in this episode. But if you pay attention, you notice that she really only backs off once Fluttershy mentions that the major issue is her having to do this in front of a crowd and the pressure to succeed with all those ponies watching her, silently judging her...

Now why would Rainbow Dash be sympathetic to another pony in that position, I wonder?

Pegasus ponies, the only ponies to learn their lesson and retain that knowledge from episode to episode.

[Mechanical ApeSerious times demand serious hats.]

^^^ "Fluttershy's my pet and I'll be the one to comfort her, thank you very much!" *comb-a comb-a comb-a*

It's the badger going all "FUCK YEAH FLUTTERSHY" that makes the shot for me.

[Headless Horse]

I feel like this episode is the culmination of all the we've been seeing all season. It's felt like it's building up to something all along (like Fluttershy's mental state getting gradually more and more off-balance episode by episode up until she completely loses it at the Gala), and this is what they've been hinting at the whole time.

That's the kind of stealth continuity I was expecting to see all season long but was starting to lose hope of. An emergent pattern, obvious in retrospect, but you don't know it's coming until it happens.

Beautifully handled, writers.

[Pocketis she just gonna go booty booty]

Is Stomp Meatflank the first pony we've seen with pierced ears? I can't remember another one.

As part of their regular look, yes. But some of the main ponies gain the inexplicable ability to wear ear studs when they get dressed up. Twilight, Rarity, and Fluttershy all have them as part of their gala outfits. (Six, in Rarity's case. Which is funny to me because I still remember when multiple piercings was visual shorthand for "bad girl." And then just "trashy outfit." And now apparently it means "opulence.")

[Lazy]

The music in this episode was so good, I found a link for that wicked guitar rift during Fluttershy's training montage and now I have it on loop while doing school research! I'm almost tempted to use the image as an avatar as well, but I'm fairly sure someone's claimed it sans-guitar.

Click here to view video.

I am in love with this BGM. Still wishing for a high-def release of all the BGM in the show.

[JaceNVTo save one from a mistake is a gift of paradise]

And what did you think of Rainbow Dash being oddly compassionate this time around? Is she finally keeping her past stuff with Fluttershy in mind?

Well, the last time she tried to force Fluttershy to do something she didn't want to do, Dash got pretty seriously trampled so...maybe she did learn a lesson about friendship.

[Wayoshi]

Bah, I just learned Imgur only allows the latest 225 images on a free account to be public in an album... and I'm already up to 311 for this ep alone throught Act II...

(I think I've become a full-on Scuderia Burger, because when I love an episode I go all-out. I'll finish Act II on next page.)

[Chaos Sonic]

Overall, this episode was amazing. Some things did stand out as a little weird to me though. Some of the poses were rather un-horsey, and Fluttershy sucking the tears back unto her eyes during the montage? That was a little

Time for a rewatch.

[Crow.Why, of course!I'm clearly insane! .]

I was a little disappointed by the lack of Scootaloo. Maybe she doesn't live in Ponyville? Maybe she commutes? She does own a scooter after all.

[itinerant nomadSurprise Pedantry!]

Spitfire's job was as an official and inspector, so protocol might interfere. My more favorite explanation is that she's a Fillydelphia native.

I found Fluttershy's struggle to be kind of heavy, which is not a negative in that these sorts of demons are so hard to wade through. It's especially poignant to see that like in real life, you can gather your courage and do your personal montage, but it doesn't magically mean you win.
Repeatedly.
Fluttershy's pushing herself way beyond where her nerves can take her for the sake of a friend is an echo of her trials as a model.

This episode does emphasize that how much time Dash spends with Fluttershy, and that they have a lot of shared history. This might come with the possibility that the pegasus community is notably smaller and tighter-knit, as I'll cover later.
We know Dash didn't complete flight school, and she wasn't a horrible flyer in her youth. Fluttershy was a terrible flyer, but should we accept that she found a way to pass? It's not impossible, but I don't think it would be out of character if we were to find out she didn't, because her calling was in a field where she wouldn't care. Dash's field is one where I think she would care.
We also see that Fluttershy was more gangly and probably older than Dash in that flashback, consistent with "Cutie Mark Chronicles".

One nitpick is that the PSA had rain clouds dispatched to what was labeled as the Everfree Forest before. This could be a teensy continuity error. It's already been established that the Everfree's flora, fauna, and weather do not submit to pony control, under penalty of storm, hydra, timberwolf, parasprite, ursa, cockatrice, etc.



They put math in this, so I feel duty bound to do this:

Dash's math at the beginning puts a rough ceiling on the number of pegasi in Ponyville, if we assign an average wingpower of 10 and 1000-1100 as the general area she was targeting.
This is somewhere in the neighborhood of 100-110.
The loss of 8 pegasi and Fluttershy from that assumed total means we've dropped from a conservative 1000 to borderline 800. These must have been the core of Dash's flyers, since each of them would have been pulling 20-25 wingpower when we saw early results trending in the upper single digits for most others (could they have pulled that after serious training, I dunno, math or something). That would leave an average of 8-9 for the rest of the flyers.

Ponyville is a rural town, so a population of several hundred total doesn't seem out of line.
Fillydelphia is depicted as being more urban, so it might be a middle-sized city. Unless all of its pegasuseseses are unbelievable chain smokers, the record of 910 wingpower with a wimpy average of 5 units per flyer gives us little over 180 for a city.
Pegasus populations might not scale and large population centers might be dominated by the other types of ponies. This does seem consistent with the massive number of relatives Applejack can introduce, and because the record holder isn't a city like Manehatten.
I'm not a fan of Twilight's abacus discipline, by the way...

[jerrylee]

I just caught up and watched this episode and wow, awesome. Definitely in the top half of this season and maybe higher than that, I haven't really parsed it all yet.

Here's more or less a running log of my thoughts while watching:

-Proper Derpy cameos!
-Fluttershy is a tree!
-Pony 50s public service announcement!
-Filly Dash and Fluttershy!
-Wow, that, that nightmare tunnel of eyes.
-Training montage. With wing-ups!
-I really like that this episode manages to show both aspects of Dash's personality--super competitive hardassness and caring for her friends--as not being mutually exclusive.
-I also really like that they basically just wrote off the record attempt and didn't try to double-down on the feel-good ending with Fluttershy somehow pulling 200 wingpower out of nowhere to break the record. A worse show probably would've tried to do that.

[Headless Horse]

I wasn't sure what to think in the cold-open with the mule gag being recycled word-for-word from Applebuck Season. Couldn't they have fiddled with it a little?

But I did love how RD counted the attendees in the library, and did it silently. I couldn't even figure out what she was doing at first. Talk about not leading your audience around by the nose!

[Wayoshi]

OK, how in the heck is that Fluttershy's voice at 16:22?

I had to go check the transcript to see who & what was said, and it makes sense, but it sounds very .

E: ^ Be cool or be mule was at least a fresh take on it.

[FrosthawkI don't mind straight people, as long as they act gay in public.]

Even if Dash's motives were different in this episode, it's still kind of amazing how differently she treats Fluttershy here as compared to, say, Dragonshy.