The support means the world to me, and thanks to your kind contributions I was able to go and visit my boy in Britain. I'll try and mock up a proper recap blog—though I am notoriously terrible at doing those, I don't think I've ever managed a proper recap blog for any of the various conventions I've gone to over the years. I guess there wasSpike Sucks Volume 15 [Not Really Spoilers] · 7:47am Jun 23rd, 2015
Spike: Two delegates have speeches booked in the same hall! What do I do?
Twilight: No problem... just put the hay in the apple and eat the candle...
Spike: Twilight! Now is not the time to compose a Red Hot Chili Peppers song!
Twilight: [beatboxes a funky bassline with snores]
Well, there's not much to say about this episode, honestly. This was my face during the entire episode:
I assume most everyone has seen the episode already, so there's no real spoilers to be had here. This episode is truly a victim of post 100 hype, but it was also terrible for other reasons. It's just... nothing. It's using the same dichotomy that Spike has had for the past two seasons. He's an under-appreciated buttmonkey who fucks up the instant he's given the slightest chance to improve his situation. It's just... depressing.
The Canadian pony was cute, but all the delegates sorta blended together. Cadance wasn't really a character, just a prop to save Spike and then to tell him to fuck off. Sleeping Twilight was adorable, but can an episode really be saved by that?
I honestly forgot that there was an episode on Saturday. That's just how heavy post-100 hype was for me. I knew that no episode could follow that up, and I guess I'm kinda glad such a shitty one did. A gem wasn't buried under the fandom-wank that was episode 100; a forgettable, typical "Spike is a dipshit who can't be trusted with anything" episode takes the fall for us. It's almost poetic in a way.
This episode is honestly one of the few that I can say is... bad. MLP is rarely bad. Sure, mediocre can describe a fair few, but never outright bad. This episode, along with Spike At Your Service (which, what a surprise, is another Spike episode), are one of the two that I would consider truly BAD. It's taken me three days of trying to watch this episode just to get all the way through it. And the more I watch... the more I don't want to.
I don;t understand what happened to Spike. In the first two seasons, he was annoying at times, but he was also the voice of reason. And when he fucked up, it was in a way that honestly contributed to his character. Now, he's either written out so he can be completely ignored (e.g. the premier) or treated as a complete buttmonkey. And in this episode... he's just an asshole.
Spike has a lot of potential as the voice of reason. He can be funny, and a valuable member of the cast. Instead, he gets treated as a throwaway gag to only be seen once an episode, or handed off to be a cardboard cutout meant to show kids that they shouldn't get too cocky. And THAT wouldn't even be an issue if it were done with tact (and it isn't, hence the "cardboard cutout" mention).
I dunno. What pissed me off in this episode more than Spike being an asshole is that it's just another example of wasted opportunity. But, like I said... better it be this episode that gets overshadowed by Slice of Life than something actually good.
I hope this week steps it up, because if there's another episode like this... I don't know if I can handle it.
The Cutie Map pts 1 and 2
Slice of Life
The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone
Make New Friends But Keep Discord
Castle Sweet Castle
Appaloosa's Most Wanted
Tanks For The Memories
Bloom and Gloom
Princess Spike
I kind of feel it is a little bit the fault of Twilight growing up. Early on he was the straight man to some of Twilight's insanity... But as she's grown on to require less stabilization (which was kind of Spike's role) he's become superfluous to the show.
See how he was in Equestria Girls one... Once again the voice of reason when Twilight was thrown way put of her depth.
Without Twilight regressing to her pre-season 3 state, there isn't much else for him to be other than buttmonkey.
I know people hate to hear it, but spike is a supporting character at best. There isn't enough meat for him to become a main character. And it's ultimately pretty unnecessary for him to become one.
To me personally, this is one of those episodes where the story isn't great, but the presentation makes up for it. We got several new and distinctive background ponies, and I think this episode is probably one of the best at showing just how diverse the selection of body types among ponies has become since the show started. There's value in that.
That was Marge lifted right out of the Coen Brothers' Fargo. She's from Minnesota.
It's funny because references, and stuff.
Y'know, I consider this to be on the same level as SAYS, but SAYS wasn't exactly bad either. Slice of Life is bad, but these episodes are just nothing. They may as well have not happened. (Though at least this one wasn't predicated on a life-changing contrivance that will never again appear in the series.)
3173569 Ain't that bein' the truth, doon'tcha know?
(It's funny because my Music Theory class listens intently to our teacher, as she is from Minnesota, waiting to see if she'll say "root of the chord", or "rut of the chord", etc. She does not often, so on the rare occassions she does, it is funny and stuff because reasons. Aren't we so grown up, here in College/University? X3)
3173569 I wonder if her name was Wood Chipper.
It was kind of a boring episode, but it had its moments. But like you said, after episode 100 it was very weak in both plot and comedy. Spike though has potential as more than a butt monkey and Rarity Stalker. What they need to do is have him become a straight man to someone else since Twilight isn't really the OCD student we all know and loved. They need him to ride herd on the CMC's. They could have a lot of fun with that.
3173569 Never seen Fargo. And I'll save you the effort of making a post telling me to do so, because I plan on doing do.
3173764 I can't really all something that was as entertaining as SoL as bad to be honest. If you've ever watched Welcome To The Basement, Matt Sloan and Craig Johnson had a conversation about bad movies; can a movie really be considered bad if you had fun watching it and it entertained you? After all, that's the point of entertainment art...
3174212 I agree; I'd love to see him as the CMC sidekick.
3174324
I go with "poor example of the medium". I'm here for stories primarily. :B
And yeah, I'm totally gonna go watch Fargo too. :V
He reminds me of Brian Griffin. Starts out with lots of potential. Squandered and now he's just a plain unlikable character.
3174722 hilariously enough, Brian Griffin is Seth MacFarelen's creator avatar. Really brings up interesting thoughts...
but this is the downfall of Family Guy in general. Series started off strong as mocking sitcoms, with seriously flawed but at least somewhat relatable characters. Now it's a mockery of itself, with the characters just existing to make jokes regardless of how they'd actually act. And this is during the three minutes of the episode that isn't dedicated to making cutaway gags about how overdone cutaway gags are. Their metahumor has ruined the show.
3175163 I remember PTV and Excellence in Broadcasting were excellent pieces of satire
I think Family Guy occasionally strikes gold, but it's more of an immature focused scatterbrained South Park to me.
Really? I thought every pony else were idiots. Spike was just doing what he needed to do.
3176678 so Spike milking everyone for free stuff is what he NEEDED to do? Spike assuming all of Twilight's roles just so he could enjoy a taste of the high life is something he NEEDED to do? Spike ADMITTED he went power crazy; there's no real arguing point against that. He didn't NEED to be a power hungry weasel, he chose to be.
"Yo Spike."
"Ayy, Prinsez Purple. What's chrackin' ma alicorn?"
"I know we forgave ya for bustin up our party today after you gave a speech how you was sorry n' shit..."
"Yeah?"
"But din you learn the same mothafuckin' lesson about how not to be a self-centered greedy cunt on yo birthday?"
"Which birthday you talkin' bout"
"The one where went all giant and rekt Ponyville, like god-fuckin-zilla, nigga! Don't be playin'."
"Oh, yeah, that. Shit Twalot, you's right. Damn, I'm sorry 'bout that too."
"Could'ja- like -cut that shit out, nigga? Y'all dun fucked up two cities already."
"Dunno mang. Ain't my decision. Y'all gotta ask Megan 'bout that one. It's outa my claws."
"Sheeeeiiiit."
Spike is a good boy. He dindu nuffin. He needs them programz.
3177232 >ponyville
>city
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