Season Four Episode Review: It Ain't Easy Being Breezies · 6:26pm Mar 2nd, 2014
There's a gentle breeze in the air...which will make this episode a breeze to review...and I'm sure the episode won't blow...because “It Aint' Easy Being Breezies.”
TECHNICAL SPECS:
Season: 4
Episode: 16
Written By: Natasha Levinger
First Aired: March 1, 2014
SUMMARY:
The Breezies, a race of fairy-pony-insect hybrids, will be flying by Ponyville on their annual migration. The event is especially important for the little creatures, as if they don't make it through the portal to their own home within two days, they won't be able to get home. Fluttershy (having visited them during the events of “Three's a Crowd”) drills the whole town on how to behave, with the pegasi helping provide a breeze so they can fly home faster and Rarity's sequin fetish being revealed to the world. But there was one thing even Twilight could have predicted: Spike screwing things up. When he attempts to get a closer look by climbing a tree, he accidentally knocks a leaf loose, and the breeze blows it just so that it cuts off one group of Breezies from the rest.
Fortunately, Fluttershy is on the scene and ready to save the Breezies from certain death. Their leader, Seabreeze, is far less enthusiastic about his troop's utter failure at flying, but Flutters just wants to take care of them until they're ready to go back. This turns out to be a misjudgment, as the Breezies quickly take advantage of her generous offer and conspire to remain there. Meanwhile, Seabreeze continues to panic and curse out his vile captor and incompetent minions, and after wasting far too much time, he finally storms off on his own to go home. Unfortunately, the way back is perilous for a single tiny fairy-thing, and he's almost killed by bees until Fluttershy intervenes.
Fluttershy catches Rainbow Eye, realizes that being so nice to the Breezies was the wrong thing to do, and finally tells them to leave. Unfortunately, there's a problem: there are so few Breezies in the group that they won't be able to use the breeze to get home. Fortunately, Twilight has a solution – she turns all of the Mane 6 into Breezies so they can help fly along. And the Breezies go home. And the episode ends. And CR was right.
REVIEW:
If the summary above wasn't enough of an indication, allow me to make it clear: I hate this episode. Absolutely hate it. And it's not blindingly obvious why until you look at it more closely. It doesn't whitewash history like “Over a Barrel.” It doesn't slander everypony like “Mysterious Mare-Do-Well” or “Spike at Your Service.” It doesn't even shatter the setting like “Daring Don't.” For the most part, the episode is just dull and boring.
The only good thing about this episode is Seabreeze. Putting aside the fact that he's voiced by Brian Drummond (who voiced Vegeta in the Ocean dub of Dragonball Z, and who also does many of the male voices on FiM), the guy is just an awesome character. While he's very much a jerk whose managerial style amounts to put-downs and insults, he's also the only Breezy who realizes, “Hey, if we don't get through that magic portal, we'll never see our loved ones again. Shouldn't we be doing something about that?” And I just love the Scottish-Scandinavian accent; it makes everything he says sound more badass than it really is.
And yes, he apparently cusses them out at least twice. Not like the show hasn't skirted that line before. “Flying feather” and “Congratu-pony-lations,” anybody?
The problem with everything else is that it's so boring. The jokes are stale. Nothing at all seems to happen in the episode itself; the entire second act is just the Breezies slacking off and Seabreeze getting more desperate. The only joke (outside of Seabreeze's sailor language) that I kind of liked was Fluttershy doing her bee dance, but that was promptly overshadowed by the forced resolution.
But what makes it truly worse is that the pieces for a very good episode are here. In particular, the moral is one that I'm surprised the show hasn't touched on before: sometimes you have to be a bit cruel to help someone. The Breezies are just fine being lazy until Fluttershy finally tells them to get their tiny butts out her door, and right after she breaks down from having to be that forceful and, for lack of a better word, mean to something small and cute. In fact, if the episode had ended right there, I would have just written it off as a meh or blah episode and moved on.
And then the last three-and-a-half minutes happen.
Twilight once again has a perfect spell that'll turn them all into Breezies. And wouldn't you know it that Hasbro is making Breezy versions of the Mane 6? And of course they spend their first several moments talking about how awesome they are and how goddamn wonderful it is to be a Breezy and I was just left feeling pissed off. The show's a goddamn toy commercial, I get that. I've even defended other plugs like Alicorn Twilight and the Crystal Empire because I didn't feel like they actually got in the way of the show. But this? They might as well just be flashing pictures of the ugly-as-sin dolls while “BUY NOW OR YOU DON'T LOVE YOUR CHILDREN” flashes underneath.
And to top it off, we find out why Seabreeze was so anxious to get home: he has a wife and baby. So he might have actually been cut off from his family forever, with nobody every knowing what had happened to him...because the rest of the Breezies were freeloading assholes? This might be the darkest, most screwed-up episode of the show to date, and I really, really hate it.
But you know what's worse than all of that? Unlike “Daring Don't,” you can't ignore this one. It's Fluttershy's key episode. The same was true of “Rainbow Falls,” but I would gladly watch that one over this thing any day.
CONCLUSION:
I hated this episode and never want to see it ever again. I hereby rescind the right to complain about obvious marketing in any other episode, because none were as blatant or soulless as this. Next time you want to plug a goddamn toy, put some work into the script.
Next week, we have an Apple Bloom and Applejack episode. See you then if I'm still around.
Deep breaths. Remember the exercise Cadance taught us?
Damn I didn't like this episode but I couldn't really figure out why; thanks for putting words to my feelings.
And the thing about him not seeing his family again is pretty fucked, just because none of the other breezies cared in the least!
Equestria, we can change your race, but not your gender.
My impression of the episode is thus:
Hasbro: Hey, we need you to bring up these ten things for our new toy-line.
FiM: Oh ... Ok, alright. Ok guys, we can either spread the blatant cash grab out and degrade the season, or we can just shove it all in one episode and get it over with.
Vote is taken.
FiM: Ok Hasbro, you got it.
Wait, you hate this episode because it's boring to you? I found it a very enjoyable cute episode.
1888468
It's boring, insulting, shameless in its advertising, and fucked up under the surface.
This blog needs more hugs, stat!!
I don't blame you for being upset, IAH, but I ended up enjoying the episode as a whole... in no small part due to Sea Breeze and the possibilities opened up by the diary-given Deus Ex Magika.
Yes, it was a shameless toy plug... and I am not justifying that. It's just that, assuming the spell does more than Breezies, something like Rarity as a griffin is now possible in fandom without crossing into Canon Defilement territory... for what little that may count.
1888472 I didn't see anything insulting. And the whole show is shameless advertising, as enjoyable as it is. And what was fucked up?
Haha! It sounds as if you had to play both Zelda games on CD-I! XD
1888484 Sea Breeze's coworkers were uncaring about never seeing friends and family again for the sake of a Pony-given paradise. That's what is f-ed up.
1888493 That was the point. They were meant as a conflict for the plot and showing the effects of being spoiled by excessive kindness.
1888499 see my own blog on it.
I hadn't actually been aware that Hasbro was doing breezie toys at all, let alone the M6 as such. That does rather make Twilight's deus-ex-magika all the more arbitrarily contrived. Especially since there could have been better ways of engineering the advert. Based on the title alone, I'd actually been expecting the M6 (at least some of them) to get transformed into breezies, except I though t it was going to be the mane driving plot point, something that happens early in the episode, and then with the rest of the runtime spent on antics as they try to get back to normal or just survive until the affect wears off on it's own. Thus the moral would literally be about how it ain't easy being a breezie.
This episode is also, as I may have said elsewhere, just kind of a wasted opportunity. There wasn't really any need to introduce a whole new race of magical creatures just to teach Fluttershy a lesson about not being an overly kind enabler. Which is a darn shame, just by their existence the breezies could have made for some interesting new world building. When the cast first started talking about how important it is for the breezies to carry pollen I figured this was something that factored intricately into Equestria's ecology, like in the same way that pegasi control the weather, but no. They are just taking said pollen back to there home in another world that is sealed off, thus limiting the potential to really ever do all that much more with breezies.
Still, I can't hate this episode with the same kind of passion you seem to, even though I do otherwise pretty much agree with your assessment in full. In the end, however, the fact that it is just so terminally boring, empty and devoid of any meaning --outside of being Flutershy's "key" episode-- means that I just can't get emotionally invested enough to hold any kind of actual scorn or contempt.
Bland & forgettable episode is bland & forgettable... simple as that.
PS: though episode does at least really have its one saving grace in the form of Sea Breeze, the adorably lovable little jerk.
I enjoyed this episode but was definitely underwhelmed by it and I can certainly understand why you hate it. The episode for me was basically a long, uneventful plot with a few enjoyable moments and lines scattered about. Far from one of my favorites this season and could have been a whole lot better, especially since this was Fluttershy's key episode.
Only big highlights were Seabreeze and Doctor Whooves wearing 3D glasses while walking with Roseluck.
I loved it! I'm loving this episode and nopony can stop me!
I liked Seabreeze. That's it.
But, like I said - we were due a truly bad episode at some point.
I only got as far as watching up to the part where the leaf split off the group before I was cut from the rest of the episode and I couldn't find the time to finish it. Now? I'm not sure if I want to see it again.
The only scene in the episode which particularly stuck with me was the opening. The inverted callback to Sonic Rainboom made me laugh out loud the first time I watched it, and didn't lose much the second time, either. Beyond that, though, the episode struck me as pretty mediocre. I didn't get the same impression of horribility that you did, but there was nothing to make it good.
It was G1/3 all over again. That's all that needs to be said about this travesty.
1888934 I'd recommend seeing it just to form your own opinion about it. While IHA isn't wrong, his also isn't the absolute authority as to whether or not something is watchable.
For me, the episode is as boring as Star Trek: The Motion Picture (which I use to cure insomnia). And before IHA jumps down my throat for that crack at ST:TMP:
1) I can summarize each and every single episode of TNG, DS9, Voy, and ENT after watching the first 5 seconds of the episode without knowing the title (which drives my father up the wall)
2) My Avatar is Discord dressed up as Judge Q. It was the first image to do so back when we first learned John de Lancie was playing Discord which I commissioned and had produced that very same day.
3) I own every single TV Series and Movie on DVD.
4) I have been playing Star Trek Online since Open Beta.
I am a huge trekkie, so I am not speaking out of ignorance when I say ST:TMP is dull, since I have watched it 5 times before I started using it as a sleeping pill.
Once again I must disagree with you, I enjoyed the episode... The last 3 or so minutes though did seriously hurt the episode. The part that almost ruined the episode was Seabreeze's forced "I'm mean because I'm scared" speech, I freaking hate those.
1889136 There's a lot of functions in the MLP world that we humans would deem highly impractical and it gets by because it's pretty and inspires teamwork among the ponies. The whole world is pretty much stagnate and everyone works together just to make the weather work. They're even horrified at how the Everfree Forest is totally independent, whereas we find it just fine.
I actually thought that this episode was okay. It was weak but it wasn't bad. I guess that years of watching the marketing atrocity that is the Pokémon animé's Johto seasons has immunised me from blatant use of spin-off shows to sell toys. It literally didn't matter to me.
Overall, it was weak, certainly the weakest Key episode so far but it did handle the moral well. Like IAH, Seabreeze never failed to make me smile, mostly because we've all had managers like this guy. It is still head-and-shoulders above Daring Don't, which is a show without a point as far as I can tell, and Power Ponies, which seems to have been a 'standby' script that they had on the shelf and wanted to use but never found a reason to.
1889053
There are things I will jump up to defend. Just before I wrote this review I was in a small flame war over Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2. (WHICH DOESN'T SUCK.)
But yeah, ST:TMP was a boring, empty movie and it's perfectly fine to make fun of. It had good ideas and some good effects for the time, but it was badly paced, the script was stuck up its own rear end, and it really did feel like someone had padded out one of the scripts from the unmade Phase II series.
I should try Star Trek Online again someday.
1889136
I've found the rules to be a lot more complicated than that. In general:
- You make fun of all the odd numbered classic movies...but you are allowed to concede that Search for Spock wasn't too bad.
- All of the TNG films are awful, with the exception of First Contact.
- The shows are sacred and must not be mocked, except for the following: Season Three of TOS, the Animated Series (if you acknowledge it) with the exception of "Yesteryear," the first two seasons of any show from the TNG era, any episode Q was in that wasn't TNG, Voyager in general, and just about every Enterprise episode that wasn't in Season Four (and even then, you can make fun of the finale all you want).
I'm not even going to get into the reboot. That'll require an entire pie chart.
1889011
G1 was usually better than this. G3...you pretty much nailed.
About the only MLP thing I can think of that's worse is Newborn Cuties. This episode was when the writers didn't care; those things were what happened when nobody cared.
1888885
Except we already had a truly bad episode. It was "Daring Don't." And "Rainbow Falls" wasn't particularly good, either. And that's just this season.
I liked the Breezies themselves for the world building, and of course Seabreeze. And I cracked up at what may have been the least subtle innuendo in a cartoon ever. But back to My Little Freeloaders, their very existance is likely a testament to just how much latent magic is in Equestria, since a Breezy could never have evolved and survived without it. (They damn near can't survive with it, which is why they live in...an alternate dimension, or just a sealed cave, I'm not quite sure.)
Even with the blatant marketing at the end, even a little world building can salvage an episode for me. I see what you mean though.
1889136
I actually like Star Trek III. >.>
The Breezies themselves are freaking adorable.
1889368 I don't know, I thought the episode was pretty good *because* of the overwhelming cuteness of the characters, not the fairly simple plot. (I was actually expecting the Breezies to have to hitch a ride on Rainbow to make it home, second thought was Fluttershy, having all of the M6 turned into Breezies was just pause-key bait and adorable squee time)
I mean in a world of colorful pastel ponies, the creators managed to introduce characters even *more* cute. They're gonna sell a ton of 'em.
Well I liked this stupid episode, specially for the guy's awesome accent as you stated, far better than last week's "lets make the CMC retarded like s1 while Twilight is best bg pony".
My hopes are high for the Pinkie's sister episode, the rest are indifferent for me as of now.
1889295 Yeah, those rules are fairly accurate. Though the "the first two seasons of any show from the TNG era" is a little much. Were there terrible episodes in the first 2 seasons of TNG, DS9, and Voyager (I still say that DS9 didn't hit its stride until until Worf showed up)? Yes, yes there were. However, most of it is still quite watchable, and enjoyable.
It's just when the shows are bad, they are really bad. Though when they are good, they are really, really good. Like any show, there are good episodes and bad episodes. Generalizing like that doesn't amount to much (though I think we can agree that "The Naked Now," "Code of Honor," and "Symbiosis" were the worst episodes that TNG Season 1 had to offer).
Voyager on the other hand… Dear God there are some major problems with Voyager. I will say this: Voyager did not fall apart until after State of Flux. After that point, the series is still watchable, but it doesn't really stick to its premise, beyond lip service. Most episodes are enjoyable (some are outright outstanding) so long as you gloss over the fact that the ship is trapped in the delta quadrant 70,000 light years from home.
If you ever want to play STO again, let me know. I'll add you to my friends list. :)
I think this season has finally killed my desire to watch the show. I haven't seen an episode since Pinkie Apple Pie, and didn't watch Daring Don't either, so out of the 16 episodes I've seen 8 of them. To me it just doesn't have the charm I liked in the other seasons and I've been kinda spoiled with the character studies that can be done with fanfics. Just can't bring myself to sit down and watch the show but oh well, had to happen eventually.
1889662
Sorry to hear that.
1889295
I feel the episode's "quality" can't be blamed entirely on the writer. Hasbro has gone from sticking its finger in the pie to just mashing its face through the crust and absorbing the filling via osmosis.
the animation for the one-time-characters-let's-just-get-it-done was hardly inspiring either. Even the male breezie had a female's body (and it wasn't until they referred to him as a male that I realized that was even the case) and in close-up shots of their legs, like when he's apologizing for his rough attitude earlier, you can see that his hooves are disjointed from his legs for several seconds. How awkward.
and that's not all , i saw another review by someone pointing out how shity the characterization in that episode was when it came to fluttershy and seabreeze , still think it was the weirdest episode thus far....
...man , why can't you like blog posts like this? think it is needed for accurate/detailed reviews like this....
1889775 just to offer a counterpoint to your opinion, I thought it was kind of neat that there was no distinction between the genders, it could be read as just another biological difference between ponies and breezies rather than just lazy animation. And vice-versa!
Honestly, this episode was just a drag to get through for me. I sat down and watched it, not really because I wanted to but because I felt obligated so I could be informed before reading reviews like these and to keep up with fandom stuff. I think that's sad. The season started off with great promise and it felt like a real continuation of S3, especially with the establishment of the arc hook. But so far except for the occasional bright spot this season has been quite muddled. Either the writers are struggling to meet the many demands the executives put upon them, or, the worse option, imo, they have just grown complacent knowing that out there there's gonna be an audience for the show no matter what. And they're right.
/apologies for the monologue
1890725
Ehhh, I'm gonna stick with lazy animating on this one. That's a handwave I just can't accept.
For watching the latest episodes, I agree entirely. It's more to just keep pace with the fandom and pick out the few good ideas that might make for a good plot point, or at least a throw-away gag.
1890859 Suppose so! I didn't really notice the first time and don't plan on re-watching it any time soon lol
Re: watching episodes, yeah. It kinda sucks. I hate that I'm losing my intense love of this show very slowly. Already I feel nostalgic for the days when the new episode was all I could think about on Saturdays or right before. Now I'm lucky if I remember to watch it on the same day it airs.
Aww, I liked this one.
The pacing sucked, but it had a great moral, great visuals, and some funny moments.
1890960
I used to watch MLP because it made me feel on top of the world afterwards. Now I count it as a success when I don't feel angry :/
1891025 Never quite made it to angry, myself, just dissatisfaction and disappointment, which honestly feels worse imo.
1890725
The way I see it, the season's not over yet and I'm still having fun most weeks. However, I understand your feeling that the show isn't as exciting or something to look forward to like it used to be. I've gone through the same thing with other shows and fandoms I've been a part of.
I have no real answer other than to say that you're awesome and I hope that next week's episode at least makes you happy to watch.
1888464 I agree that seemed to be the general idea, though at the same time it would be better if they hadn't made it a key episode.
Maybe other factors were in the way, but that one fact unfortunately makes this episode impossible to ignore. Which might have been part of Hasbro's evil plot. But let's not forget how many episode they've put out now. This is the 76th episode in the whole series. Considering this whole thing was just going to sell toys to little girls I think they've done a great job of making most of the episodes something everyone can enjoy.
I'm not saying this episode isn't bad, but considering the law of averages here we were bound to get some bad ones sooner or later. And add to that maybe we as fans have grown to have too high of an opinion about the show. The huge fan base and high expectations mean that the writers have to struggle to put out the best they possibly can to keep everyone into it.
I'm not saying we should dismiss their work wither and let bad stuff slide. Basically we need to take a step back and, as the lyrics for MST3K go:
"If you're wonderin' how he eats and breaths,
and other science fact. (la la la)
Just repeat to yourself 'it's just a show,
I should really just relax'."
Calm, thoughtful, positive critique is what we need. Yes, the creators need to know if an episode is bad, but we need to help them improve and grow just like any creative work. Love and Tolerate. Would any of us here rag on a bad writer for putting out one bad story? Yes these guys are professionals, but if Pinkie's Pride has shown anything it's that we need to work with those are skilled and grow together rather than challenging them at what they do.
1888487 Please never speak of those horrors. No good person should ever be forced to deal with such monstrosities.
1891135 Thanks. I hope you enjoy it too. :)
Why do everytime I enjoy an episode, my favourite authors hate it, and if it is not them, a large number of fans.
I guess my opinions just belong in a waste bucket.
(WARNING: This comment was written in the heat of the moment, so I may be a little blunt in it.)
You know, I was already having a bad night tonight, freaking out over the end to the new How I Met Your Mother episode.
Then I see that you posted a review of the newest episode, so I checked it out, hoping for a pick me up.
Now, while I have no explicit opinion on the review itself or the tone of it, one line just made me feel worse:
"And CR was right."
No.
Stop.
Please.
I understand that you're currently in a funk; why, I don't know, but you are. But never say that. Do NOT give him the satisfaction. Was this episode bad? ...I'm not gonna beat around the bush, it kinda was. But it wasn't so bad that you need to AGREE WITH CHAD "FUCKWAD" ROCCO'S CURRENT OPINION OF THE SHOW. DON'T THINK LIKE THAT.
Seriously. CR will never be right about this show ever again, and it is foolish to agree with him.
I will agree with you on many points.
Bad episode? Yes, Fluttershy becoming a doormat again and being completely oblivious to being taken advantage of is more annoying then the mane 6 becoming breezies...what the hell did that even accomplish by the way? Just more so the breeze doesn't make them fly crazily? Whatever, not important.
The ones who were the best was everyone except Fluttershy solely for that reason.
Now then, that being said...nothing personal but I am not following your reviews anymore. I'm not following any 'episode review' anymore because it's all fucking horseshit. All of it.
Every time I see one come up its negative this, terrible that...I'm fucking done. Just because one can give a review doesn't mean one should. And being 98% of all these reviews I watch or read essentially shit on this season I have had it. No more reviews, otherwise things will not go over well.
1895040
Okay. I'm sorry.
Other reviewers, blogs, and forums that I watch are for some reason *in love* with this episode. I have no idea why, but it seems like fans are gushing over the cute Mane6 breezies and Fluttershy in this one.
I can always read IAH's blog for critical, and yet reasonable, episode reviews.
I think you can be too negative sometimes, and you've been especially hard on this episode. But these things *need* criticism, we can't just mindlessly gush over every single thing.
I see that too much in the brony fandom, many people are not willing to criticize the show at all.
1895040
No need to be so mean, but -
I don't follow episode reviews as closely as I used to either - I find that when I read the opinions of others, I tend to have a more negative view of the show. I'd rather form my own opinion without the influence of any blogger or reviewer.
At the same time, a review might point out something that you didn't think of before, and introduce new ideas that you wouldn't have had on your own. IAH tends to have some pretty intelligent opinions about things, sees things in a way that I don't.
1895363
That's the thing, I agree with IAH completely on this episode, it's a bad episode. Probably one of the worst of the season, again it's not him, it's not his review. It's all of the reviews...
1895163
No need to feel sorry, it isn't your fault. You I at least agree with on some of what you've said as far as your reviews go. The ones I followed on YouTube? They hate every single episode...they think they know what they're talking about when in reality they don't.
(As a writer one has a bit of a edge on stories and flow though, since one has to make a story work.) that has essentially tarnished all reviews of the season for me. No matter how much I agree with you on this episode I can't take it anymore, rather odd that I agree with the review and dislike it at the same time but nothing's ever easy.