Why Do People Hate Crusaders of the Lost Mark?

If you read my episode review of “Crusaders of the Lost Mark”, then you know that I absolutely loved it. I admit that the ending was rushed, but I don’t fault the episode for that because, remember, the writers only have twenty-two minutes to get the whole story told. Considering all of the stuff that happened in that episode, I’d say they pulled it off quite well.

Regardless, some people seem to really hate this episode, some going as far as declaring it the show’s Dethroning Moment of Suck. Honestly, this brings me back to “Magical Mystery Cure”, yet another episode that a lot of people hated. I guess that’s fitting considering that “Crusaders of the Lost Mark” is pretty much the “Magical Mystery Cure” episode for the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

Okay, so what don’t people like about this episode? Well, as one TV Troper put it, they don’t like how the writers expect us to feel sorry for Diamond Tiara. They feel as if putting this episode in season five is a problem, that it should have come sooner. They find it hard to feel sorry for Diamond Tiara simply because she has a mean parent. They take the time to point out that both Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon bullied Scootaloo about her inability to fly without any prompting from Spoiled Rich, never giving off the impression that they were being abused at home. From my understanding, bullies are very good at masking their pain. The way they talk and act, you would never guess that they were being abused at home.

I understand that this is a cliché with bully characters in fiction, but this is actually more true to life than you would think. More oftentimes than not, the reason why a bully is the way they are is because of problems at home. Maybe they’re being abused or molested or maybe their parents are going through a divorce or fighting or they’re being neglected. This actually brings me to my next point.

I don’t understand why so many people have a problem with the plot in this episode. I don’t think very many people who hate this episode remember the fact that the writers of Hey Arnold did this very same thing years before My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic was a thing, yet no one ever seems to complain about the fact the writers expect us to feel sorry for Helga Pataki because she has a bad family. Why did people complain about the same thing happening in “Crusaders of the Lost Mark”, but not complain about the same thing happening in “Helga on the Couch?” It doesn’t make any sense.

Don’t get me wrong. I really liked “Helga on the Couch.” Aside from “Arnold’s Christmas” (one of the most touching episodes of Hey Arnold, I’d argue), it’s one of my favorite episodes. But a problem that some people had with “Crusaders of the Lost Mark” was the fact that there was no buildup to it. Admittedly, this is something that I kind of agree with. It would have been nice if there were a couple of episodes centered around Diamond Tiara and her family. The same argument applies to “Helga on the Couch.” There was no buildup to it. Yes, there were episodes detailing what Helga’s family was like, but “Helga on the Couch” was basically a rehash of everything we knew about Helga to begin with. Her parents neglect her in favor of her older sister Olga, so much so that her father oftentimes calls her Olga by mistake.

However, as much as I love “Helga on the Couch,” it seems as if the writers were deliberately going out of their way to manipulate the audience into feeling sorry for Helga by tugging on their heartstrings. What’s sadder than a little four year old girl walking alone in the rain and having her lunch stolen by a stray dog? Again, this is what’s known as manipulation, and it’s all over this episode. Aside from her dreadful walk to preschool, Helga’s mother oftentimes forgets to pack her lunch. One time, her mother packed her a pack of stale crackers and a can of shaving cream. No joke.

We don’t get any of this in “Crusaders of the Lost Mark.” Diamond Tiara’s dilemma comes off as very believable. Very much like Andrew in The Breakfast Club, Diamond Tiara’s mother expects her to be a winner. She comes off as one who can’t and won’t accept the fact that her daughter lost something. I can just hear Diamond Tiara reciting Andrew: “Diamond Tiara, you’ve got to be number one! I will not tolerate any losers in this family! Win! Win! Win!”

One other problem people had with “Crusaders of the Lost Mark” is Diamond Tiara’s redemption. They don’t buy it because it was so rushed. I think the only thing I didn’t buy was Diamond Tiara’s mother agreeing to do as Diamond Tiara says. I’m pretty most of us wouldn’t dare talking to our parents the way Diamond Tiara did, if only out of fear of getting our asses knocked to the floor. Honestly, I think Diamond Tiara’s redemption was one of the best parts of the episode. Here’s why Diamond Tiara’s redemption wasn’t such a problem for me. In “The Pony I Want to Be” Diamond Tiara clearly points out that she doesn’t like being a bully and would much rather be somepony else. (The imagery and lyrics of the second verse also seem to imply that she isn’t very close to her parents, or that they’re not very affectionate.) In “The Way” the Cutie Mark Crusaders reassure Diamond Tiara that there is a better way, by being nice to others instead of being mean. It’s clear that Diamond Tiara is sick of being mean and being manipulated by her mother, so it makes perfect sense why she would jump at this path at the first opportunity.

Finally, people seem to have a problem with Diamond Tiara’s new calling. They say that her new calling entails her getting other ponies to do what she wants. I don’t think this is what was being implied. As seen in episodes like “Ponyville Confidential”, Diamond Tiara is very good at leading others. Her reprise of “The Pony I Want to Be” shows her leading the other kids in repairing the playground and installing the new equipment. As I said in my review, I am very eager to see what’s in store for this character and her fellow classmates in season six.

In all honesty, I can understand why some people don’t like “Crusaders of the Lost Mark,” but I find their arguments baseless, meaning that their arguments seem to be senseless and, dare I say it, stupid. Like the episodes “Magical Mystery Cure” and “Slice of Life,” this is an episode that the fandom is going to be very divided over. Either you love it or you hate it, and I am in the former category. Whether you like this episode or not is entirely up to you and if you don’t like it, that’s totally okay with me. No harm, no foul.

For more on this issue, feel free to watch this video.

Comments

[SuperPinkBrony12]

I think that "Crusaders of The Lost Mark" puts everything Diamond Tiara's ever done into perspective. She has a father that clearly loves her, and tries to teach her right from wrong, but he's always working and expects her to take over his company when she gets older, no doubt placing a lot of demands on her. And her mother is emotionally abusive towards her, constantly belitting her and instilling in her a sense of needing to be the best. Silver Spoon was her only friend, and it's safe to say that Silver Spoon never knew what Diamond Tiara was suffering from at home, or she likely wouldn't have broken off their friendship following the election (she probably would've stepped in much sooner, telling Diamond Tiara that she's becoming like her mother).

Diamond Tiara never had anyone who knew what she was going through, or anyone who cared about her as an individual, except for Silver Spoon, who was sadly out of the loop. Many kids at Diamond Tiara's age don't realize that if one or both of their parents are treating them in a way they don't like, they don't have to put up with. Kids are taught at a young age to respect their elders, and never disobey their parents. They know it's wrong, but they don't see any way out, and often times they believe it's because of something they did. And this leads to them lashing out at those around them.

Diamond Tiara's bullying was a mask used to make her feel better about what she did. Does it excuse her behavior? No. But it puts it into perspective, and explains why she did what she did.

"Ponyville Confidential" showed she had a talent for leadership, and "Crusaders of The Lost Mark" allowed her to realize that this talent could be used to benefit others, and not just herself.