The Curious Case of Flash Sentry · 4:23pm Feb 6th, 2014
So, a while ago, the show had it's first movie, Equestria Girls. For those interested, I predicted hat I'd enjoy it, and I did.
Now, there was one thing introduced by Equestria Girls that got more vitriol than anything else. What's more, this came back momentarily in the comics and also in Three's a Crowd.
Not all of my opinions regarding the show are popular. But if there's one thing that's likely to split me from the majority of te fandom, it's this:
I like Flash Sentry. And yes, I ship him with Twilight. (Though, to be honest, a lot of my ships are mutually contradictory. For example, I ship Twilight with Big Mac as well.)
I've actually noticed that I have a rather different way of shipping from most fans. Probably why I have very different ships from many of the more popular ones. For goodness sake, my first ship for this show was FlutterSpike! (Then again, my secodn was the vry popular AppleDash)
In any event, I'm getting off topic. Flash has attracted lots of hate, or at least disdain.
Some of that being because they prefer Twilight to be with others. Well, as I said, I'm a TwiMac shipper and all Hearts and Hooves Day did to me was make me a CheeriMac shipper in addition to being a TwiMac shipper, so such things clearly don't bother me.
The second is the "waifu theif" stuff. Well, I'm fully aware that I'm not going to get with Twilight Sparkle. And even if she did exist, I'd be happy for her if she found love somewhere else (as is rather likely). I think I'd be happier with Fluttershy in the long run anyway and hey! I ship her with others as well!
And now we get to the crux of the issue. There are plenty out there claiming that Flash has no flaws, personality or is boring.
You see, this confuses me. Consider the popularity of Octavia, Vinyl Scratch, Lyra Heartstrings, Bon Bon, the list goes on! We had way less to work on for any of them. This is supposed to be the fandom that grabs hold of every pony that appears on screen and does something amazing with them! But now it's too much effort with Flash? Despite the fact that there are so many tantailising hints about him?
Here. Let me start. We first meet Flash in the Crystal Empire. He's one of Cadance's guards. Why? Did Shining select him or did he volunteer? Again, why? Cadance apparently doesn't know much about him by the en of the movie. Does that change? Is it because he's new? He announces Twilight. Does that mean that he has a higher rank than the crystal guards? Is this because al the crystal guards are new recruits? Is he the first pegasus to join the crystal guard? To move to the Crystal Empire? Again, why? Why does he look different from the crystal guards? Is it because he's a pegasus? Or the first pegasus considering the other one in Three's a Crowd?
Let's go through the mirror. He's already wearing his cutie mark, suggesting that he's already decided what to do with his life. I doubt that they have royal guards, so what does that mean? Security guard? Police officer? Private investigator (considering his work on Sunset Shimmer's framing)? He plays in a band. We hear the kind of music he plays (not that that meansanything to me as I know nothing about music). Does his pony!self also play an instrument? Is it the same one? Does he also have a band? Or maybe want to start one (with the crystal ponies who are famous for the flugelhorn)? He dated two former ponies! Does he have a thing for the exotic? He seems to have a thing for adorkable. He seems to have a touch of adorkable himself.hy did he date Sunset Shimmer? Is he that naive and overly trusting? Did he feel sorry for her? What got him to finally dump her?
We know from the comics that he sometimes visits Equestria proper. Why? Is it by choice, or is he sent? Either way, why? He's also apparently afraid of opposums. Seeing as though these are Equestrian opposums, this is probably wise.
There is so much to go on! Spare the dude some effort.
In other news, I've finished my first draft of chapter 6 and am currently editting chapter 5. I think that one of my edittors would like me to split 5 in half though. Honestly, I think my edittors would rather have chapter 5 be a multi-chapter fic of its own, but this is a complicated fic and it needs to be here. So we'll see how things go.
Amen.
And I'm right there with you on the mutually contradictory ships.
Wise words, Sereg. I think the whole Flash-hate is just another bandwagon thing, and it will pass. And yes, I think he and Twilight might make a fine couple, too.
I have no problem with with Flash Sentry, and if his character is ever developed he could be quite interesting. The only thing I find disturbing about him isn't his fault at all:
He's not Brad.
Think of it this way: you date someone for a short time, think you might really be able to hit it off, and then for some reason find out you'll never see them again (space mission to Mars or whatver
). Shortly after this, your well meaning friends mention that your former paramour has an identical twin... and that you should try hooking up with that person instead.
Now I'm not saying either case is unfeasible, but if someone leapt from one twin to the other, it would strike me as ... odd. Not to mention the second twin would likely be a little startled, and also at an unfair position in that Twilight would assume she already knew things about him.
As I said above, if Flash Sentry gets a chance to develop as a character, this could all progress very naturally.
So let him keep showing up in scenes like this, let Twilight maybe actually talk to him, that could go places. But the moment somepony starts talking about 'destiny' I'm out.
1803027
Cool
Actually I think you hit the nail on the head there. Its because we no nothing about him is why we hate him. He is technically a character but he isn't given any. With the case of background ponies, we gave them character because they would never have it in any way. It might also be a case of overprotective parent syndrome in that we don't want to see our little Twilight with this cookie cutter of a jock. But these are just my opinions.
I think much of the hate-dom towards Flash Sentry comes from one thing...
"MAI WAIFU!!"
That is to say, the crazy section of the fandom that romantically obsesses over characters and either ships them with characters used as stand-ins, or with OCs outright.
They just see Flash as "Standing in the way" and dismiss him. As opposed to use him as a romantic stand-in.
1803474
Ummm no. The hate is he was a poorly written, useless, generic, waste of space and effort that had no effect on anything, could have been cut from the movie entirely without effecting anything. Cute Guy" Who exists SOLELY because some executive somewhere decided their already idiotic combo of an MLP movie without the ponies, AND making the first movie in a fantasy/adventure setting, take place in a fucking generic high school.. tha hey we need some cute guy for Twilight to get a crush on.. becuase. that's what happens in high school.
because there is no freaking reason, at all, for Twi to in anyway give a shit about him. She's a pony, the movie goes over and over her constantly trying to act like a pony, makes clear she still thinks like one. So why the hell would she even know what 'cute' is when applied to a weird, hairless monkey? Let alone feel any kind of attraction towards one.
He was a useless, boring, waste of space. And the pony version, makes even less sense, he's never even talked to Twi other then the ONE time she bumped into him, and yet commented how "They need to stop bumping into each other" which.. had never happened before. And worse he is just so hideously out of place. Every single other guard has a very similar look. Even Shining Armor, the pony with the most unique design till then, still looked like he fit in with them.
Then there's this guy, who looks as out of place as some guy in a straw hat and Hawaiian shirt in the middle of a military parade.
People hate him, because he is just a plain shit character, who stands out way to much for no reason beyond screaming "Look at me I'm unique and special" despite having nothing to him.
As to comparing him to background ponies. BGP's aren't supposed to have that much character, so it means more room to figure out what they are based on the little we know. Flash, was a MAIN character. You are not supposed to have to guess and play fill i the blanks with those.
I must say that there's...not a whole lot being said here. I agree with you, but for the most part this blog just asks "Why the hate?" before briefly touching on a possible reason or two on why and quickly stating why we really shouldn't.
1803830
You can't be generic and different at the same time. They're mutually contradictory.
You're the one who is always saying that having things that could be cut from a story but give a little something extra is a good thing.
He may not have had a huge effect on the plot, but he did hve an effect on it. Personally, I'm with those who say that giving his arc to Rainbow would have reduced its impact.
As for why she's attracted to him, the mind is a plaything of the body. She wouldn't have been able to function at all if that wasn't true. The same thing hapened to Sunset.
They did bump into each other before, at the start of the movie.
The reason that the guards appear so similar is implied to be because of enchanted barding. This is supported by The Crystal Empire. Flash would not use it any more after he started working for Cadance as he would have had a different uniform. Even the Canterlot Royal Guards have different looks for the unicorns and the night vs the day shift. (Not to mention the pyrrippi/thestrals/batponies)
As for having nothing to him, I've just shown in my blog that that's not true.
1804975 Well, it's not exactly meant to be an extensive thesis. I'm just pointing out that the claims that Flash has no character are unfounded.
1805834 You can be both. His, what passes for an attempt at personality, is generic, while his appearance stands out like a sore thumb.
And yes, I am arguing for that, but Flash doesn't do that, he detracts from the story, adds nothing to it, and simply drags down an already poorly executed narrative. The entire plot-line he was involved in, could have been cut entirely with how little impact any of it had, not just given to someone else.
And the whole mind/body thing, doesn't hold up when the movie spends so much time and had so many gags all about how Twi was still thinking and acting like a pony.
And he was so bland, so basic, such an empty shell, that you could fill him with whatever you wanted. But nothing was actually shown beyond "Cliched 'nice guy' high school crush"
1806683 I've already explained his appearance.
His storyline was necessary because Sunset needed to respond to Twilight's actions.
If his personality is so generic, why is he the only pegasus to have joined the crystal guard at that point? (And that's certainly not part of the cliché as it isn't even part of high school)
1803474 Once the site bans any shipping but the official ones, all will be well in the world.
Even if the few romantic fics I have written go down in hellfire, why bother with shipping but the official pairings?
I say that we as a site should go so far as to ban it all but the most official, including any past works that do not fit canon.
Why keep something that isn't read much anymore? It just takes up valuable server space that could be allotted to better uses, am I correct?
Perhaps the users who ship are so uselessly inept themselves that they cannot do so in RL.
So they forcibly pair up ponies who have nothing to do with each other romantically.
Perhaps it is these fools who are the ones that deserve to die by the sword.
After all, they are the ones contributing to the horrible decline in quality in this fandom and elsewhere.
Getting rid of them would go a long way towards helping purge this fandom of the outright garbage here. If not outright eliminate immediately.
The opinions of who may say otherwise be damned. Canon is the most important facet to any fandom, and ignoring it is paramount to heresy. It not only means deviating what clearly has been laid out by the show, but it also insults whatever work the writers of the show have done.
Sadly, there are things called "morals" that prevent the eliminations of these individuals from this fandom. However, one can go about removing them banning of course.
1806683 Your opinion means nothing sir. You have nothing to back up your argument.
Kindly leave your commentary to the more professional. You obviously have no qualifications for even thinking on an intellectual level.
You are trying to argue with a writer who has plenty of experience up his sleeve.
I would even dare say you are part of the problem that plagues this fandom's decline in quality productions. Really, what makes you think that you know better this Sereg here?
1807934
Wow, there is, so much hypocritical idiocy there. But, yeah I know there is no point in trying to argue.
Though just to point out why I think I DARE have the audacity to argue with Sereg when he's such a great writer.
Well thanks, no really it means you're enjoying the stories. Glad to hear it. He's a friend.
Also, I've been one of his primary pre-readers/editor's since near the start of Stripes. And added quite a lot of work to these stories along with him. So thanks. Glad you're enjoying our work.
But really gotta love how you go off about
While praising Sereg, whose work clearly and explicitly departs from canon.
1808191 Perhaps I should elaborate.
His work is the exception to the rule.
Though since you pointed out part of my own hypocrisy, I suppose I should mention that attitude is such due to how the fandom itself operates.
Everything about fanon is throw away.
It only holds till the next big thing in canon comes along.
Then fanon whatever "good" fanon out there dies.
The worst of it though? It is still here.
And like I said, you have not helped your own argument.
You have no experience. Why should I heed to your words?
Pfft.
1808409 Forlance, I know and understand your cause, but being passive-aggressive isn't helping. Also, Seraphem disagreeing with me is one of the things that has helped me mature as an author.
1808191 He's being sarcastic. He dislikes it when authors change their plans due to new revelations from canon.
If people want to ship Twilight with somepony else, let them have fun, but don't treat Flash like dirt because he "gets in the way".
1809734
I don't care about "He gets in the way" I just think he is a horrible, poorly developed, and useless character all around. Who stands out like some idiot in a clown suit in the middle of a military formation. he's to obtrusive to ignore, and yet, to bland, boring, and undeveloped to care about.
Plus, yeah I'd rather they just kept anything relating to romance way the hell away from the Mane 6.
Greetings Sereg. You might be interested in reading my thoughts on this matter. They do tend to coincide somewhat with yours.
1832619 As a said over there, excellent work. I like what you've done there.
Totally agree with you there´s so many questions to make about him, we better let our imaginations run wild with stories about him. Plus, I think the guy is cute as hell