Service · 4:53pm Apr 27th, 2016
art by Assassinmonkey
“Gauntlet of Fire” was a decent Spike episode, which is a blessing considering so many Spike episodes have suffered from characterization of the baby dragon that can, at best, be called inconsistent. After having watched the episode, I found myself thinking of some of his past episodes, and how they could have been done much better. In particular, I have been thinking about the episode “Spike at Your Service”.
Honestly, “Spike at Your Service” was a good episode in many respects. While Spike’s characterization wasn’t so good, every other character’s was spot on. Applejack was wonderful in this episode. The incredibly hokey plan at the end was hilarious, be not nearly as great as watching Spike see through it and demand to know what the [buy some apples] was going on. And the revisit of the timberwolves was in alternatingly amusing and frightening.
But I believe it suffered from three major flaws. Below the break, I’ll delve into what I think those flaws were and how I would have preferred to see them solved. In the comments, I would love to hear your thoughts on how that older episode could have been strengthened, as well as what your favorite parts of it were.
Before the break, however, one quick bit of news for Fallout fans. Bethesda has just announced the open beta for the Creation Kit. The announcement included the below video advertisement:
art by toonbat
The first problem that the episode had is in Spike’s handling of the timberwolves, both at the beginning and the end. It seems that the writers forgot that Spike is a dragon and can breath fire. Why he didn’t try to just burn them in the first encounter is a serious plot hole. Likewise, in the confrontation with the mega-timberwolf, Spike resorts to battling the creature with a thrown rock. While I understand and appreciate the David and Goliath metaphor that the writers were going for, it makes no sense that a living construct of wood that has no actual lungs would be defeated by choking on a rock.
It would have been far better if, in the first confrontation, Spike had actually tried to breath fire on the creatures, and some explanation be given for it not working. This could have been an environmental reason. Perhaps he could have tripped and fallen into some sort of Everfree plant that sent up a cloud of pollen, impairing him. This would have heightened the sense of distress and danger for Spike as well. Alternatively, it could have been psychological – an anxiety-induced failure that would have laid groundwork for his crisis in “Equestria Games”.
So long as the reason for the failure wasn’t “timberwolves are magically immune to fire”, this would have allowed Spike to use his fire breath to defeat the mega-timberwolf at the end. And defeating it this way after having tried and failed to fight the lesser timberwolves with fire would have made his victory a more personally meaningful one as well.
The second problem is that the episode resorted to turning Spike into a bumbling incompetent, which was terribly out-of-character for Twilight’s personal assistant. The reasons they did this were twofold: not only was it for laughs, but because they felt it was necessary to give Applejack additional reason beyond her morality to not want Spike as a servant.
Personally, I think that the second reason is faulty, and that the episode would have been and even stronger showcase for Applejack if Spike’s attempts to help her were carried through with his expected high competency.
But if the writers had to make Spike’s service undesirable in regards to quality, there is another way they could have gone. Spike has been Twilight Sparkle’s assistant since birth. Everything he knows about being an assistant has been learned through serving her. So I think the writers would have done well to play up how very different Applejack’s needs are from Twilight’s.
For example, wouldn’t it have been more in character and yet just as amusing for Spike to offer to first help with Applejack’s chores by creating a checklist of all the chores she needs to do? And for Applejack’s dismissal that she doesn’t need a checklist to be met with an increasingly frenzied explanation of just how important the checklist is (to the tune of Spike’s “importance of the meeting” scene in front of Sunburst’s house)?
Instead of inventing Spikes incompetence for humor, they could have relied on Twilight’s already well-established OCD tendencies. This could have lead Spike to insist on cleaning up things that don’t need to be cleaned, and otherwise having a service style that did not mesh well with the “uncouth” (as Rarity would say) habits of Applejack.
“You don’t need to tidy up the pig sty, Spike. The pigs will just make a mess of it again tomorrow.”
This would even have made Applejack’s method of getting Twilight’s attention all the more contextual within the episode.
And if this wasn’t enough of a reason, the episode could have moved on to explore how Spike simply doesn’t have the strength and stature to help Applejack with most of her chores. Spike simply can’t applebuck. Finally, if they really felt they needed to go further, they could have had Spike accidentally set one of the apple trees on fire. It would not be the first or last time a dragon sneeze has ended in unfortunate destruction.
The third issue that I had with the episode was the “Dragon Code”. This was something invented purely for the episode to justify and drive the episode’s conflict, never being seen or hinted at before or since, and conflicting with everything we have seen about dragons. Yes, Spike clearly made it up. But I personally think the episode would have been a stronger showing for Spike if his sense of indebtedness came purely from him without the crutch of the “Dragon Code” nonsense.
And if the writers were going to have Spike invent a made-up ethical framework that drove him to try to serve Applejack, I wish they had gone another way. Spike has struggled before with feelings of being left out. We have seen him stick his picture into photographs of the Mane Six.
Wouldn’t it have been a deeper and more interesting exploration of his character if Spike had instead announced that he had to serve Applejack because that was his Element? And when Applejack asked the expected “It’s your what now?”, Spike had insisted something along the lines of, “You know! You’re honesty. And Rarity is generosity. And Twilight’s magic… Well, I thought long and hard about it, and I’m the Element of Service!”
Not only would such proclamation reveal that Spike had done some serious soul-searching, but it would also speak to his yearning to be part of the group and would shine a new, virtuous light on the role he plays. It plays to his strengths, as well as his difficulties with sense of identity and belonging.
Spike has always been Twilight’s “Alfred”. He dutifully serves Twilight out of devotion not only to her but to the role of being her assistant, even when it sometimes seems that Twilight is using or taking advantage of him. Even when he isn’t given the respect he deserves. Serving is something he wants and even needs to do. It is an integral part of his psychological character and core to his self-image.
Service is a beautiful and selfless virtue. I find it quite likely that service is Spike’s primary virtue (followed closely by longsuffering), and think this Spike episode should have been better used to examine and laud this.
I will be posting a proper Afterthoughts for "Gauntlet of Fire" before the next episode airs. For now, I’ll leave you with this thought:
In most societies, the governmental leaders act as either rulers over the people or servants of the people. From “Gauntlet of Fire”, we learn that dragon society is one of the former. If instead it had been revealed to be one of the latter, do you think that might have changed Spike’s decisions and/or the final outcome?
vector by Porygon2z
I'm excited about the Creation Kit! Already downloaded it, but it seems the Creation Kit wiki is a bit... completely empty. I need some tutorials to learn how to use the software. Best I can do right now are the tutorials for modding Skyrim, which are kinda close but I fear there will be just enough things different to screw me up. (like being unable to find the Data Files option on the Fallout 4 launcher where it is for Skyrim. That's different.)
I can agree. Spike is very inconsistent throughout the series. From competent assistant in one episode, to bumbling idiot in the next. I understand the necessity of plot, but you can't change a character for it, instead you need to adjust the plot hook.
well it is a kids show meant for the younger folk.
I love your suggestions for improving "Spike at Your Service," especially given how it's my absolute least favorite episode of Season 3. Same goal achieved without assassinating Spike's character for the sake of the plot.
As for the hypothetical question at the end, it's an interesting scenario, albeit one I have a lot of trouble picturing. Even before "Gauntlet of Fire," it was pretty clear that serving others was quite low on the list of draconic priorities. Still, if that were the case, I could see Spike feeling more conflicted about passing the torch (and the scepter) onto Ember... but I still think he would. He might feel he bears Service, but loyalty is one of his greatest virtues. Heck, the scene in "Spike at Your Service" where he says goodbye to Twilight is one of the best in the episode in terms of his character shining through the crappy writing.
... Though now that I think about it, if dragon society did choose the public servant over the shouting overlord, then Spike might not have even stayed to compete. After all, potential dragonlords who'd seek to plunder and pillage Equestria wouldn't be nearly as prevalent in such a society.
hmmm. never thoguht someone could make improvements.
also spike thinking everyone was as ocd riddled as twilight would have been compeltely hilarious Xd
Essentially, Spike is everybody's stepping stool. He's used and abused, and he doesn't know any better. It's how he was taught. I like his character, but I loathe the slave status he has.
That's what he is. A slave. The sort of house slave a rich Roman senator would have had. Doing all the chores, the up keep of a home, getting food, keeping his master's works organized, etc..
He only does something on his own when someone is following him, so there's no freedom there. Baby dragon status aside, as you said, he can breathe freakin' fire. He can also chill out in a pool of lava. So what on earth can possible hurt him from those two observations? Not much, really.
So, everyone, take a moment to throw some love at Spike, the only slave in Equestria.
(btw, really racy drawing of Rarity there!)
All that aside, loving the expansion and kits to FO4!!
I agree the episode needs improvement, but I don't think all of your suggestions are actually improvements.
Like, it would have been way more awesome for Spike to try to fight off the timberwolves with fire, only to find out that being chased by *flaming* timberwolves is not an improvement.
And the 'Element of Service' kind of makes me gag.
Service is not a component of friendship.
3900543 Well, given the thought came from the mind of a child, it does kinda of make sense, even if it is ultimately wrong.
hi hi
I'm going to try really hard to not be a dick about the things I don't like, but I have to say that "Spike At Your Service," is one of the episodes that convinced me to stop watching My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.
The episode honestly left me with a really skeezy feeling. "No," should mean "no." There's no other thing it should mean, and so when Spike decides to disregard Applejacks wishes and continues interfering with her life, he was seriously misbehaving, and nobody ever really called him out on it. I felt it was genuinely uncomfortable to watch Twilight, Applejack's friend, take Spike's side and suggest that he is somehow entitled to Applejack because of his own personal needs and dragon code.
Even if service was his element, what he was doing was not service. Trying to give someone unwanted favors is not noble, it's not dashing, it is not helpful. It is harassment. It is tantamount to stalking.
When Spike asked "How will I know that I'm a noble dragon?" I really wished the episode would have provided a legit answer.
Moral of the story: If someone says that the best way to help them is to leave them alone, and that's not good enough for you, you are not helping. If someone is trying to give you unwanted favors even though you've told them to stop, do not try accepting those favors, in hopes that it will get them to stop.
3900613 Very good point. I doubt the writers were even considering the "no means no" issue. Spike should absolutely have been called on that.
3900543 Virtues do not have to be components of friendship. The show is about virtuous ponies who are friends, but their virtues are not necessarily defining characteristics of friendship. Nor does a person's prominent virtues have to be "components of friendship" in order to make someone a friend (or worthy of being a friend). It is perfectly okay to be someone whose most defining virtues are not. Justice is a virtue. Modesty is a virtue. Hell, cleanliness is a virtue. All three of those are positive qualities in a person without being "components of friendship".
Love the flaming timberwolf idea though!
3900838 You said 'element', though. They're elements that when you put them all together, you get friendship == magic. You can have positive qualities that aren't pieces of the puzzle.
Unless you meant 'Element of Bureaucracy' or something. Twilight can be 'Checklists', Mayor Mare can be 'Oversight', and apparently Pinkie Pie is 'Database Management'.
Pretty much all of these ideas would have been significant improvements. I think that Spike's position as an outsider and, essentially, a servant makes him an uncomfortable character for the show's writers to deal with. They can't "fix" him with easy lessons like, "be brave" (Fluttershy), "don't be stubborn" (Applejack), or "don't be an arrogant jerk" (Rainbow Dash). Tackling issues of Spike's wanting to be a member of the group becomes a lot harder when the show's formula pretty much precludes that ever happening. And many people in our modern society probably don't view "service" as a virtue at all, equating it with slavery or weakness; the show is a bit hit-or-miss when it comes to tackling complex issues ("The Best Night Ever" would be an example of the show doing so well).
So, it becomes much easier for the writers just to ignore all of these issues entirely and try to turn Spike into essentially a personified gag, even if it means assassinating his character. One of the reasons FiM stands head-and-shoulders above its competition is because such oversimplifications are the exception rather than the rule; it normally takes its characters quite seriously for the genre, which allows the audience to take the characters seriously as well, even if they appear at first glance to be merely pastel horses. ~ Sable
3900838
Lest we forget Patience is a virtue as well as the old saying goes. As I have done on the side hobby of modding a game for a while, I get some satisfaction from the service I perform for others who want something (that is feasible) or need help with technical issues. I am not very active otherwise to help others so it helps facilitates a obligation, a need to help people or fulfill specific desires. Some mod themes are high in demand as if it is commercial goods. I believe in helping others that very much need it, and want said help if I can assist. It is odd that the feeling of helping others seems to enable me to help myself better as well. I do agree though the episode's message of "no means no" was handled poorly. When someone does not want your help after politely telling you once, and being stubborn the second time just desist trying to give involuntary assistance. I was eager to help a Steam friend get Fallout 3 working as I have done before for another Steam friend but then this second Steam friend did not want to spend time to get Fallout 3 to work, especially with the effort being pointless as the friend used Fallout: New Vegas's Tale of Two Wastelands mod.
Most of those, great ideas, especially having Spike actually be not an idiot and do thing competently, but in ways that simply won't work for AJ. Or even him being TO helpful, doing stuff for AJ that she wants to do herself, doing so much that she feels out of place, like he's trying to take over completely. So yeah most of those ideas were awesome.
The "Just breathe fire on them" one, not so much. Given they are living being they are likely made out of green wood. Green wood doesn't burn that easily. (Baring Equestria Games, which came later anyway) we've never really seen Spike unleash fire that could really pose that huge of a threat. You'd need a lot of heat, maintained for a decent period to actually catch them on fire, and even then he would be unlikely to char them to ash, but more, as someone else pointed out, simply cause him to be chased by Timberwolves, who are now on fire. Spikes fire is hot enough to burn paper and singe hair easily, but that doesn't take a whole lot of heat compared to doing significant damage to that much of a mass of living wood.
3900838
I suspect you're right, that it just wasn't considered. I don't even think that characters shouldn't be allowed to make mistakes during the course of a story, but if they don't learn from their mistakes, I prefer it when the writers at least hang the lampshade on it, and let the audience know that they're doing that on purpose for a reasonable reason.
I mean, even though it was heart wrenching, I thought that Littlepip's struggles with addiction were some of the most powerful moments in Fallout Equestria, but they were also addressed in ways that affirmed the seriousness of the issue. (Even with Velvet Remedy's actions being arguably flawed, and leaving the resolution of that argument up to the reader to decide, the story let the reader know that it wasn't trivial.)
There are a whole lot of reasons why living a life that is dedicated to serving others can be rewarding and fulfilling in its own right. I for one subscribe to the definition wealth can be measured not by how much I have, but by how little I need; and so it is easy for me to see how helping people ends up helping everyone. But there are certainly others who view things differently. It's a part of philosophy that runs rather deep, and finding a good balance can depend a lot on an individual, so I think it is also difficult for Spike, since he's still basically a kid. Maybe it would helpful if the writers would take a wider view sometime, as Spike bounces back and forth from being self-serving (eating too much and yearning for praise), and serving others (constantly helping out and sometimes literally letting ponies walk on him). Rather than having Spike act, and then be criticized by someone as the constant butt of the joke, have him stop and struggle with what he wants to do. I dunno, there are probably better ways that I wouldn't think about too.
((Also, the requirements of being a leader are fundamentally different from the requirements of being a friend. Especially when it comes to managing disagreements, but I digress.))