Ranking the Sunny Starscout Episodes/Specials (From Worst to Best) · 9:19pm Sep 12th, 2023
Even if she hasn't been all that focused on since "A New Generation", Sunny Starscout is still the main character of G5. And with Chapter 5 of Make Your Mark slated to be released in less than a week (though given recent leaks, it seems like it may be about to be abruptly cancelled due to Hasbro regarding it as not profitable), I think now is as good a time as any to take a look at the various episodes and specials that have focused on our main characters, starting with Sunny. Sunny has had three episodes definitely focused on her, and one special, for a total of four focus episodes (from what I've heard, she really hasn't gotten all that much focus in Tell Your Tale either). Which ones have done the best for her, whereas which ones have not really done much of anything to advance her character? Well, let's find out. Obviously, this is just my personal opinion, so please respect it.
4. The Cutie Mark Mix-up (Chapter 2, Episode 5)
Why it's on the bottom: I had a hard time deciding whether this or "Winter Wishday" should be the lowest of the four, but this one ultimately won out by a hair. I just can't buy this episode's premise, Sunny and Hitch have been established to be childhood friends. At this point in time there is zero reason for either of them to think the other has the easier job, especially since it doesn't concern any of Sunny's newfound alicorn powers or anything related to it, and Sunny doesn't have to take care of Sparky. If you ship them like I do, you could see this maybe working as a form of couples counciling, but even then I'd find the argument about whose job is harder to be a stretch. Maybe when Sunny and Hitch's friendship was strained like it was in the first act of "A New Generation", maybe this could've worked.
3. Winter Wishday (Chapter 3)
Why it's not on the bottom: The sad thing is, Tell Your Tale of all things did this special and did it better. There were two episodes in a row released late in 2022 where Sunny spent all her time baking food and learning from Grandma Figgy and Alphabittle about the holiday traditions of some of her friends. The very end of this special, Sunny admitting that she doesn't need to make a wish because she already got one, is in character and very touching. It's just that everything else makes Sunny look very selfish and kind of stupid. This could've been an opportunity to call out Sunny's white savior complex she had in "A New Generation", but instead it's just her being that annoying someone who has to micromanage every aspect of a vacation, to the point where she takes all the fun right out of it. The fact that we got to see what this special could've been if the story was better helps to elevate it slightly.
2. Ali-Conned (Chapter 2, Episode 4)
Why it's not on the top: At least this episode was nice enough to explain how exactly Sunny can become an alicorn. And the very beginning of the episode feels like a much more tolerable and tonned down version of her activist self from "A New Generation". Her being a community activist feels very much in character. And Sunny learning not to exploit her alicorn status is a lesson she needed to learn. I just wish they had done more with this concept, really playing up Opaline and Misty trying to corrupt Sunny while her friends try to pull her back. That could've easily been done if they'd scrapped that unnecessary Pipp Petals subplot. If anything, Pipp should be the one to help Sunny realize that even being royalty can have its drawbacks.
1. Sunny Side Up (Chapter 4, Episode 4)
Why it's on the top: Aside from the tacked bit of self-doubt that feels unnecessary even for the sake of the "arc" Sunny went through in Chapter 4, this episode feels like Sunny at her best. Sunny hosting a cooking show with Hitch feels in character, and I can easily buy her getting carried away due to her experience. I know this isn't just her story, but it really feels like it's the one where Sunny is truly in the focus. This is how you do Sunny being an activist right, toning down the political statements and focusing more on community and friendship. Assuming they had to include Sunny's self doubts, why not have that be part of the episode from the beginning with Sunny being unable to do her best because she's worried about setting a good example?
And there you have it, come back tomorrow when we'll rank all the episodes focused on Hitch Trailblazer.
Can't argue with this order of episodes, wish the series wasn't ending though. Felt like it found some kind of footing with Chapter 4 episodes.
Personally, I think one way to describe Make Your Mark's treatment of Sunny using terms from TV Tropes is that she's become a "Supporting Protagonist" at best and a "Useless Protagonist" at worst.
Great list as always, dude. Sunny is my favorite character in this generation and for good reason too. I’m glad you put “Ali-Conned” and “Sunny Side Up” in the top two as I loved those episodes. The only thing I’ll say is that Make Your Mark was never abruptly cancelled. It was always intended to be a limited series with 23 episodes and 4 specials right from the offset. We’re just seeing the end of that. It was never meant to be long-form as it’s telling one singular story arc over the course of 6 chapters. That’s all.
Just thought I’d point that out. Can’t wait for the Hitch list!
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So I take it you were the one who disliked my first comment. If so, then I'll admit that calling Sunny a "Useless Protagonist" was a bit harsh. In retrospect, I think a better term I could've used was "Vanilla Protagonist". But the point still remains that Sunny has barely left much of an impact in the main story arc so far.
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Sunny definitely needs a lot more focus, that I will agree with you on. For some Luna-forsaken reason, the show’s only given her two episodes of development post-movie and that’s honestly quite sad. Because “Ali-Conned” and “Sunny Side Up” were able to mine a lot of potential out of her. Heck, even Tell Your Tale did more with Sunny’s character. I will say she is a fantastic protagonist overall, however, and that’s supported by her absolutely wonderful journey in A New Generation, the Tell Your Tale episodes, and the two Make Your Mark episodes focused on her, but I will agree that she needs a lot more focus going forward as the main character. Hopefully Chapters 5 and 6 accomplish that as they’re running out of time to rectify this. If it makes you feel any better though, I think Zipp was meant to be the main character of Make Your Mark from the start if the pilot episode is anything to go by. It’s starting to shift more towards Misty in later episodes though, which I don’t mind.
5746299 But they can't possibly be continuing G5's story with Tell Your Tale, that show is incredibly inconsistent and at five minutes long it can't possibly tell any kind of ongoing story. Not unless they want to change Tell Your Tale's production values, which I don't see them doing.
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Well, it has already been confirmed that Tell Your Tale will be continuing into 2024 with a second season, along with four 22-minute specials during various months of the year. My hope is that this is temporary and that another CGI series takes Make Your Mark’s place in 2025 because that’s where this generation belongs.
5746344 Failing that, they could make a twenty two 2D series with higher production values than Tell Your Tale if CGI really is too big an undertaking and too time consuming to be efficient.