Ranking the Misty Brightdawn Episodes (From Worst to Best)

With Chapter 5 of Make Your Mark slated to debut tomorrow with a considerable amount of focus on Misty from what's been shown, it's only fitting to take a look back at the episodes that have starred her more or less. It's entirely possible she'll also be the star of "Secrets of Starlight", which appears to be the name of the Chapter 6 special coming in November. Anyway, Misty has had a total of four episodes that definitively focus on her to some extent. Which ones have brought out the best in her? Well, let's find out.

4. Sunny Side Up (Chapter 4, Episode 4)
Why it's on the bottom: It's easy to forget that Misty has a subplot of notice here. Between Opaline finally doing something all on her own, and Sunny and Hitch hosting their cooking show, Misty's subplot of finally performing magic on her own and taking her first steps towards independence get overshadowed pretty easily. It's part of her arc, but it could've come at almost any point prior in any other episode. Then, like with "The Jinxie Games", Misty spends most of her time watching the mane five (or at least Sunny and Hitch).

3. Have You Seen This Dragon? (Chapter 2, Episode 8)
Why it's not on the bottom: Misty is the last character on which this episode focuses before it ends, and it offers the first real hints about why she stays with Opaline. It also drops the first true hints about how unhappy Misty is with Opaline, and it's implied that she ends up crying herself to sleep as a result. This is Misty at her most evil, which is very noticeable when she's still conflicted and torn. The real problem is that they cut back to the exact same scene of Misty having cornered Sparky in the Brighthouse three times, and nothing changes. That undermines a lot of the tension not only for Misty but for the mane five, because we know Sparky's in no real danger. By the time Misty succeeds, the episode is almost over, and her work is hastily undone.

2. The Manesquerade Ball (Chapter 4, Episode 5)
Why it's not on the top: Misty more or less steals the show once she joins the mane five here. We spend almost all our time at the titular ball watching her tail Zipp, and ultimately confessing to Zipp that she has no cutie mark. Interestingly, during the song "Show Me Your Pony Moves", Alphabittle briefly looks at Misty as if he's seen her before somewhere. But Misty begins and ends the episode still loyal to Opaline, and keeping Opaline in the dark about where she went. We also don't get to see how Misty knew Zephyr Heights would have books on alicorns like Opaline, or how she was able to steal the pages without Zipp finding out. The plot for her kind of wraps abruptly so we can cut back to Sunny's and the song.

1. Missing the Mark (Chapter 4, Episode 7)
Why it's on the top: Misty is the first and last character of focus here. She starts out the episode by finally succeeding in capturing Sparky and taking him to Opaline, and the episode ends with her officially joining the mane five as she vows to help them defeat Opaline. This truly is Misty's big time to shine, the defection we all knew was coming. About the only misstep this episode commits for Misty is that the second scene of her apologizing to the mane five is pointless, even from a "Rule of Three" point it accomplishes nothing. They already spend a lot of time showing Misty's conflicted views, whether to betray Opaline or stay loyal to her. The butterfly is symbolic of rebirth, hence why Misty gets it. It's also a bit odd that she manages to slip away from Opaline without being detected, and Opaline is none the wiser about Misty getting an actual cutie mark. Supposedly, Misty might be going back to Opaline to serve as a mole for the mane five, to which I say she should not. Misty just escaped from an abusive situation, she shouldn't throw away her happiness and go back to being abused just for the sake of trying to get some intel. Regardless of the threat Opaline poses, throwing Misty back into the fire is a terrible idea.

And there you have it, come back tomorrow for my review of the first episode of Chapter 5 of Make Your Mark: "Cutie Blossom Bash".

Comments

[BronyRanger]

Supposedly, Misty might be going back to Opaline to serve as a mole for the mane five, to which I say she should not. Misty just escaped from an abusive situation, she shouldn't throw away her happiness and go back to being abused just for the sake of trying to get some intel. Regardless of the threat Opaline poses, throwing Misty back into the fire is a terrible idea.

Ever hear of the expression "taking one for the team"? Besides, the Mane Five didn't force Misty to be their double agent. She chose to be one of her own volition. And before you say that Misty is making the same mistake Meg Griffin from Family Guy made in the episode Seahorse Seashell Party, let me tell you one big difference between the two; what Misty will go through is for the benefit of her friends, not her abuser.