SPOILERS! Mariusioannesp Reviews: "Scare Master" · 7:36am Nov 1st, 2015
WARNING!!! The following contains SPOILERS for today’s MLP episode “Scare Master.”
Still probably, doesn’t matter that much since this episode was leaked “accidentally” a few weeks ago.
But I waited until now to see it when I was supposed to.
Now, without further ado, here is my review of “Scare Master.”
It’s once again every pony’s favorite time of year! Nightmare Night! It’s also Fluttershy’s least favorite time of the year. Fluttershy is ready to batten down the hatches for the night when she is unexpectedly forced to go out. When Fluttershy runs into her friends, they encourage her to try to get into the Nightmare Night spirit, and she agrees. Will Fluttershy learn something and actually grow from the experience?
So, what’s the verdict?
Nightmare Night, what a fright!
Give me something sweet to bite!
Hoo boy. Quite a fright indeed. It’s “Filli Vanilli” all over again, albeit just slightly better.
This was another mixed bag of an episode.
So, I guess it was okay.
We begin as previously stated with Fluttershy steeling herself for Nightmare Night. All her little animal friends are assisting her. A particularly large spider she calls Fuzzy Legs seals her blinds shut with it's webbing. Some songbirds are prepared to warn her when not if scarily-dressed trick-or-treaters come by. Harry the Bear has prepared a hiding place for her under her bed with everything she’ll need for the night. It’s like she’s preparing for The Purge rather than Pony Halloween.
However, Fluttershy has neglected to stock up on carrots or the like for Angel, and he won’t eat anything Fluttershy already has. That means Fluttershy will have to go out into the utter horror that is Nightmare Night to get him something.
Fluttershy is wandering through Ponyville, which has been all decked out for Nightmare Night. She freaks out at a pony skeleton in a window and some of those fake spiders in a booth from “Luna Eclipsed.” Continuity! So, Fluttershy has no problem with real huge spiders but gets creeped out by clearly fake huge spiders. She runs into a group of fouls singing their little Nightmare Night chant from “Luna Eclipsed” and freak her out with their fake, mangled teeth. Hey, more continuity! Anyway, Fluttershy ends up hiding beneath Granny Smith and Big McIntosh’s hay cart. Granny Smith sees her and notes how odd it is for Fluttershy to be out on Nightmare Night. She then goes into how they need all the hay for their annual Apple Family Haunted Maze. She describes what lurks in the scariest maze that ever was, like a mummified pony, thousands of slimy eyeballs peering from beyond the grave that might be peeled grapes, and the bones of the ponies who never made it out! 
Wow! That is really pushing it towards the dark. Fluttershy runs off in horror, and Granny Smith wonders what got into her. Now, I can practically hear all the naysayers, at least those who say nay more than I do, crying out “Out of character! Out of character!” I though have spent quite some time among older people, and they can get to the point where they stop caring about what they say. I figure Granny Smith is the same way. That’s one of the few defensible things in this episode.
Fluttershy ends up in Princess Twilight Sparkle’s castle, which happens to be all dark and scary. 
She freaks out at monstrous shadowy figure walking down the hallway towards her. Turns out, it’s just Spike in a half-finished costume. Fluttershy explains to him that she was atypically out on Nightmare Night because she forgot to get food for Angel, and then she got freaked out by the festivities and ran inside the castle. Spike was hoping she was out because she wanted to join their friends in the festivities. He points out that since she already out, she might as well join the others as it would make them really happy if she was with them. Fluttershy being the kind mare that she can’t turn down such a prospect so she goes to the Remane 5 and tells them she’d like to join them for Nightmare Night. She says it’s like how she was afraid to sing in public. If she hadn’t tried it, she wouldn’t have known how much fun it was. Is she talking about “Filli Vanilli”? Because she didn’t actually get to the point where she could sing in public in “Filli Vanilli.” (She does sing in public though in the chapter book Fluttershy and the Fine Furry Friends Fair. If that’s so, then at least Natasha Levinger and G.M. Berrow have read Berrow’s book.) Anywho, her friends are really looking forward to Fluttershy joining them in dressing in costumes, playing Nightmare Night games, eating candy, and going through the Apple Family’s corn maze. Wait, it’s a corn maze? Why do they have a corn field if they’re the Apples?
Moving on, Fluttershy is with Rarity trying to pick out a proper costume. 
As you can see, Rarity is already in some kind of mermaid costume. That can mean only one thing. Mermares on canon in MLP proper! Rarity goes through the costumes at her disposal to find one for Fluttershy. One of them is of a vampire fruit bat to which Rarity gives a “definitely no.” Well, “Bats!” was kind of a Halloween episode. Continuity! Figuring Fluttershy wouldn’t want to dress as something scary, she offers her a period costume, which is apparently all the rage.
Note also the few times we see the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Sweetie Belle is wearing a period costume.
Anyway, Fluttershy forgoes the suggested costume because she’s concerned she might trip if she has to run away from something scary. Isn’t that like a slasher movie trope? Rarity then suggests a masquerade costume, a simple black dress with a mask, but Fluttershy is still concerned that the mask, even with it’s rather large eyeholes, could obstruct her vision.
Perhaps there is reason for concern over the eyeholes.
Fluttershy decides just to go with the dress. The rest of their friends arrive in their costumes. Twilight is a some kind of Roman centurion, Applejack is a lion, Rainbow Dash is an astronaut, and Pinkie Pie is one of the members of Jem and the Holograms on roller skates. I’ve never actually seen the old cartoon Jem and the Holograms or the comics, but I am aware of it. I know some pony filly was dressed as an astronaut in “Luna Eclipsed,” but it makes me wonder whether or not they have astronauts and space travel in Equestria. Spike is also there as a two-headed dragon. Anywho, the rest of Fluttershy’s friends don’t do a good job of hiding how lackluster they feel her costume is. Kind of the same way I feel about this episode. So, they try their hooves at some games, like Pin the Horn on Nightmare Moon. Fluttershy doesn’t want to play because she doesn’t want to be blindfolded because then if somepony leaps out in front of her, she won’t be able to defend herself. Next, they try bobbing for apples. Fluttershy is concerned that with her head under the water, she won’t be able to see if a scary monster comes to attack. That’s slightly reasonable given this is Equestria. Up next, candy! Yes, candy! Pinkie has a bag prepared with each of their favorite candies in it. Fluttershy though remains concerned because chewing on a taffy could cause her mouth to close shut, and then she won’t be able to scream for help.
Yes, seriously! Also, how did Rainbow Dash get her candy inside her helmet?
That would have been slightly more reasonable though that is technically an urban legend.
There’s cautiousness, even overly cautiousness, but there’s also straight up paranoia! Fluttershy, I love darling, but I think you need some professional help. I don’t know if this counts as a legitimate out of character moment. Perhaps, Fluttershy’s issues are just exasperated this time of year. Sure. Why not? I don't know.
That’s like the third reference so far. This review is brought to you by my new favorite adult cartoon Rick and Morty!
Fluttershy is then concerned, legitimately for once, that she is ruining the fun for everyone. So many things frighten her about Nightmare Night that she can’t predict what will set her off. Twilight suggests that perhaps she could take control of the situation by being the one who does the scaring. Fluttershy seems rather taken by the suggestion, and I feared another “Putting Your Hoof Down” situation. Fluttershy goes off to her cottage to set things for scaring her friends. When the Remane 5 arrive at Fluttershy’s cottage, they find she has set up a scary tea party for them. They can’t pass the sugar because there isn’t any! She’s a bad host! Rarity hasn’t had her dress complimented! Pinkie can’t pass the cucumber sandwiches to her best friend next to her because the seat is empty! Her friend didn’t care enough to show up! And there are unplanned guests and not enough food for everyone! And there’s a kitten without a home, but they don’t have time to help! Fluttershy can’t understand why her friends don’t appear to be scared by all this. 
It probably has a lot to do with the fact that Fluttershy tailored this according to what scares her the most. As Rarity explains, these are not the things that normally provoke horror. But I agree with Twilight that it was quite creative. Fluttershy doesn’t feel that she’s really cut out for this Nightmare Night stuff, and she thinks it’s best for her friends to go on without her. They don’t want to leave her, but Fluttershy insists that she’s okay as she spends every Nightmare Night on her lonesome. After they leave, Fluttershy starts to think that perhaps she didn’t do enough to get the proper Nightmare Night scares from her friends. She’s only been taking baby steps, but now she needs to take grown up steps! Apparently, Angel has some ideas as to how she could do that.
The Remane 5 arrive at the Haunted Maze and are greeted by a terrifying visage.
That looks familiar.
Moving on, the Remane 5 have their little giggling scares at Big Mac dressed as a mummy and the bones that are actually sticks painted white. Then though, they notice something creeping about behind them. Then, they are chased by flying ghosts! Rarity ends up tripping on her dress and realizes Fluttershy had a point. The ghosts chase them into an underground tunnel. Applejack’s not sure what’s going on even though she helped plan all this. Though, she seems much more sure of herself when she thinks she sees Granny Smith in the tunnel. But, it’s actually a pony skeleton dressed as Granny Smith! Applejack admits she has no idea what’s going on, or why they’re down there. That’s when they’re attacked by a swamp monster! 
Kind of looks like that Gill-man from that movie Creature from the Black Lagoon. Never seen it, but I am aware.
They run off in horror until they are caught in a giant spider web!
That is my worst nightmare right there. I do not like spiders. Not one bit.
You ever see that Mutant Giant Spider Dog on Youtube.
Eeeew.
Twilight teleports them off as the swamp monster gains on them. They make it out of the tunnel where they encounter the most frightening horror of all!
IT IS THE RETURN OF FLUTTERBAT!
… CONTINUITY!
Flutterbat swoops down and attacks them! She even rips off the second head from Spike’s costume. As the Remane 5 are huddling together in abject fear, Flutterbat stops. Turns out, it’s just Fluttershy in that vampire fruit bat costume they mentioned before. Fluttershy begs for forgiveness and confesses to being the one responsible. Her friends though are actually amazed that Fluttershy was able to scare them like that. It was like one of those haunted houses where you have to sign a release before you go in. You know, because it could literally kill you! Fluttershy explains that she wasn’t ready to give up on Nightmare Night after they left so she asked Granny Smith if she could make the maze scarier for her friends. She received help from her animal friends. The songbirds wearing sheets were the ghosts, Angel was the scary figure creeping after them in the maze, Fuzzy Legs the spider wove the giant spider web, and the swamp monster was Harry the bear.
The Remane 5 are excited because Fluttershy can do this every year, and they can celebrate Nightmare Night together. Fluttershy says that she could do it again next, but she doesn’t want to.
Hold on! What?!
Fluttershy explains that she realized in this whole escapade that while they may love Nightmare Night and she may be good at part of it, she doesn’t like seeing her friends think they’re in danger, even though they aren’t.
Wow, Fluttershy’s lame.
Fluttershy is just not into it. She doesn’t think Nightmare Night will ever be something they can enjoy together. But her friends are okay with that. That’s a lesson I can stand behind, I guess. In the end, Fluttershy spends Nightmare Night as she always does. Huddled beneath her bed with her animal friends.
So, this episode has the lesson that it’s okay that your friends don’t like the same things you do. Admittedly, that’s a great lesson. Interestingly enough, it’s a lesson that might apply to Bronies in particular.
Given that this season seems dedicated to us, the Brony fandom, it’s not that surprising. I think we’ve all had the experience of encountering a friend or loved one who just doesn’t get the wonders of MLP. So, this is something that it behooves us to take to heart.
Despite how good the lesson is, it suffers in the process of executing that lesson. Basically, this lesson ends up making it so that pretty much nothing happens in this episode. It’s one of the cardinal rules of storytelling that something is supposed to happen in a story. The episode ends as it begins with Fluttershy deciding that she will continue to not celebrate Nightmare Night. This was the same fatal flaw that was the downfall of “Filli Vanilli” last season. This could have been executed a lot better if it had been from another character’s perspective. Like if it was Twilight or Pinkie Pie or Rainbow Dash or Rarity who was trying to convince Fluttershy to come out and celebrate Nightmare Night. Then, something happens in the episode with the other character in question learning that ponies like Fluttershy don’t like celebrating Nightmare Night.
Speaking of Fluttershy’s character, the episode also suffers in that regard. I believe I’ve spoken of in the past that one of MLP’s biggest flaws is that they don’t know what to do with certain characters. Chief among them are Fluttershy, Spike, and sometimes Applejack. Fluttershy’s main character trait is her shyness, and it’s quite an endearing trait. I have always been of the opinion that Fluttershy has darker impulses that she keeps buried deep within her heart. You can see that even here with how successful she is in scaring her friends. However, if Fluttershy were to ever get over this shyness, then there’s not much left to do with her. This leaves the writers putting her through a revolving door of development where she appears to move forward but nonetheless goes back to being her shy self. Fluttershy developed more in the first two seasons of the show than she has since. Her development’s quite stagnated to be honest.
And now for another installment of background moments that steal the spotlight. 
Let’s take a closer look, shall we.
That is our beloved Derpy Hooves dressed as Princess Twilight Sparkle!
But this week is a twofer. 
Yes, that the one known as Noteworthy dressed as Jason Voorhees from the Friday the 13th movies. I’ve never seen any of these movies, but I am aware.
Overall, “Scare Master” was neither scary nor fun and so suffered from a distinct lack of scary butt fun. it was a bit of a flawed episode that doesn’t do Fluttershy that many favors.
What did you all think of “Scare Master”?
God bless you all. God bless America. And God bless Equestria.
Happy Halloween! May we remember all the sainted souls and the souls of the dead as they suffer on their way to Eternal Life.
Yeah, I had mixed feelings about this episode too but I think may have liked it a tiny bit more.
I really need to check out Rick and Morty. It looks like my cup of tea.
I remember that spider dog video. I like it.
I noticed Derpy as Twilight but I missed the Jason reference. Can't believe I did because I'm a big horror fan.
3516802
Rick and Morty is definitely worth checking out. It's that rare adult cartoon that isn't afraid to punch you in the feels and make you think. Kind of like Futurama back in the day.