Talking about "Bats!"/Why I'm not Worried about Season 4 (Spoilers) · 4:45am Jan 1st, 2014
I've noticed lately that people seem to be getting worried about season 4, and the show in general. A few of my friends, and, hay, even Tommy Oliver and Digibrony, have noted that something just feels different this season, and not everyone likes it. I decided I wanted to finally step up and talk about this because, for me, "Bats!" seems to fully encompass both everything different about the show thus far, as well as why I'm not worried about it.
The most comprehensive thing I can really say about "Bats!" is that it doesn't take itself seriously. Not one tiny bit. The concept became outlandish and a bit far-fetched since... well, you'd be hard pressed not to know when. However, the main twist managed to sneak up on me and whack me over the head hard enough to lull me into a sense of forcefully suspended disbelief, and I ended up loving every second of watching Flutterbat flying around, hanging from her tail, and hissing like my old cat on a bad day. Ironically enough, I found her more adorable and visually appealing as a vampire pony than I ever have before, the contrast between the ferocious imagery of sharp fangs, messy fur, and red eyes contrasting with her delicate appearance, and everything I've come to expect from Fluttershy thus far. It's one of the most fun and entertaining things I've seen in this show since watching a giant mob of fun-sucking vampire Pinkies ravage the peaceful town of Ponyville back in season 3, and my biggest wish for season 4 is now that the ending wasn't just a gag, and that we'll get to see more of Flutterbat further down the road.
Speaking of ending gags, I'm not the only person who's noticed an obvious abundance of them in season 4. These are somewhat of a double-edged sword; on the one hoof, if they're all just gags and carry no weight in the future of the season, then I'm not the only one who's going to be very, very upset with the MLP writing staff. However, I don't believe that's the case. These ending gags aren't taking the obvious backseat of tugging desperately for a final laugh. They're more serious, and leave too much of a lasting impression for me to believe that the writers, especially Meghan McCarthy, would unintentionally leave us guessing. Something epic is on the horizon, I promise you. Feel free to hate on me if I'm wrong. Or dress me up as an apple and unleash Flutterbat on me. Actually, that doesn't sound too bad...
Yeah, I'm going to try to bring this to a close now that I have that distracting image stuck in my head. It's obvious that the creative staff here are trying a lot of new things this season, from the animation to the character handling, and the overall feel of the show. It may scare some people, but I choose to look at it like a pilot episode. They're experimenting, having fun, and getting ready for... well, I don't know what, but whatever it is, I'm excited for it.
1670219 I honestly think people are looking too hard for shout-outs where there are none.
Plus, I'm not so sure I even want them to listen to us. I mean, last time that happened we ended up with Equestria Girls!
1672183 Hopefully...
I just don't want them to cater to us. I can only see that ending badly.
1672251 Yeah... not that I hate the movie, it had its moments, but they were just so held back by the concept that...
Everypony's already had this discussion.