Wall of text - Thoughts on season 4 so far (also, I'm not dead) · 12:49pm Jan 6th, 2014
First of all, I'm still around and I know my story has been neglected now for quite a while. I do plan on posting more. Recently I've been gathering inspiration for more chapters, because while I have plans for a definate ending and even a possible second story arc, I have been drawing a blank on how to get there. I don't want to rush straight to the end quite yet. Now I feel I'm ready to start writing the next part of Reaching for the Sky.
So, season 4... I've been dreading it since Season 3 which just didn't live up to the quality of the first two seasons. I guess I'm a fan of Lauren Faust's writing and I've been following her every communication with the fandom even after she left the show... That is to say, I've been browsing EQD. Anyway, my opinion of the show coincides eerily well with the episodes she was involved with. It took some digging through old links (I'm lying through my teeth, I googled it for 15 minutes), but I found the one where Lauren Faust comments on her level of involvement with the storyline around the time when she left the show.
Q: Yo Lauren Faust, "Luna Eclipsed" and the midsection of "Hearth's Warming Eve" in Season 2 really feel like your work (and more like Season 1) than the other eps in that season. Am I right? Also, which episodes of Season 2 did you work on the most (stories, mostly)?
A: Wow. I can't believe you noticed.
I worked on all the stories, structurally, and only did script work on the first half. Luna Eclipsed, HWE are two I had a heavier hand in-- also Lesson Zero. Can't remember which others.
Anyway, I guess I started lowering my expectations of the show around the season 2 finale. I loved it but Cadence the Pink Alicorn just seemed like their first big sell-out. That, too coincides with Lauren Faust's involvement.
Q: So, I heard Princess Cadence was on the drawing board during S1. What was your original plan with her?
A: She was not thought up until Season 2. She was created in the story room for that episode. Want to ask a different question?
I also don't like Shining Armor much, but according to yet another one of her many Q&A posts (I'm just going to stop throwing links at you now) the Canterlot Wedding episode was pretty much exactly as planned while she was in the show still. Apparently the only major change made after she left was changing Cadence into an Alicorn.
So yeah, ever since Lauren Faust left, I think I've enjoyed the show less and less. Especially knowing that she had her own plans for Twilight. I.e. no Twilacorn. I would have loved it if she had stayed on. So it's no real surprise to me that I don't like Season 4 much, either. It's definately better than season 3 and good enough that I'm still happily addicted to the show. It just seems like the adult portion of the fandom has had too big of an influence on the show. The constant referencing gets tedious when no real character development occurs pretty much since Hurricane Fluttershy. The Cutie Mark Crucaders are getting on my nerves. 4 years and still no sign of their cutie marks, even though they were already the only 3 ponies not to get them at their age. Not only that, but they aren't even learning from their lessons. Every episode with them features silly gags to illustrate how they just barely miss the last clue. Sweetie Belle having difficulties with magic is believable, but Scootaloo and the chicken jokes... Am I the only one who had imagined her being a good flier? Now season 4 drags us through another CMC episode where the three fillies seem just as ignorant as when we first met them, and the whole episode takes this nasty turn and focuses on Scootaloo's chicken wings. Other episodes in season 4 just rub me the wrong way, too. Daring Don't revealing the fictional character to be real was just... off. Also Rainbow Dash's rape face in that one frame that everyone has been posting, well it just seems like something the fandom would do but not the show writers. That's a minor peeve though compared to the overall story themes. Power Ponies would have been hillarious if that had been the only episode dedicated to silly stand-alone gags, but this entire season seems dedicated to that. Bats is really the weirdest one yet. Not only does it seem completely unconnected to the ongoing story arc, but it turns Fluttershy into a friggin' vampire bat. That one really does seem borrowed from fanfiction. It further grates on my nerves that they had to flash the fang, hinting at more of this in future episodes. Spike also continues to be a comic side-gag. I hated the double where he babysits the pets as it only seemed to solidify his status as useless sidekick, even though it promised he had learned a lesson. Power Ponies revisits that exact gag and Spike remains useless in the most recent episode, Rarity takes Manehatten. He also hasn't gotten over his silly crush and it would be gratifying to see him either hook up with her (unlikely, it's still supposed to be a kid's show) or get past her. Rairty's role in the episode was really good though. I liked all of the Mane 6 in that episode. They seemed true to their characters and even Rainbow Dash's quib about AJ's honesty seemed more tasteful and less like a wave to the fandom. I only wish Rarity's lyrics were better, but that aspect of the writing seems to have fallen in quality as well compared to the first two seasons. I loved the season 4 opener and Discord was still the God of Chaos even if he appeared obedient. He seems to be an important part of the lore and I'm looking forward to seeing that explored further. I'm not sure I like the Tree of Harmony and how it resembles Twilight's cutie mark, but having them give up the Elements of Harmony did seem like an interesting story development. The lesson about how they could still exemplify those virtues without the physical necklaces and tiara was brilliant.
So yeah, block of text. But suffice it to say I'm enjoying season 4 so far and even without the magic touch of Faust, there are good angles being pursued. I just prefer not to pay attention to the bad episodes. Overall I'm elated that the show is back on and every week I continue to smoke a J and settle down to consume the next episode.
Well that was an interesting read I originally just came to your profile to see what your plans for continuing your story was, but reading this makes me glad I stopped keeping up with the show after season 3 episode 3. As you said there there were sure to be good parts, but I just lost interest in the show after that point and ended up spending an extremely large block of time reading stories. Anyway good luck on your story I'll be watching for the next update.