Stranger than Fanfiction first impressions

Friendship is Magic first impressions

S06e13 Stranger than Fanfiction

by Obake

(SPOILERS!)

Stranger than Fanfiction comes close to being a heated atom bomb. But instead of creating an even greater rift between the writers and fans, it finds the right balance and does not explode at all.

Rainbow Dash attends a fan convention for Daring Do, and meets up with an earth pony named Quibble (voiced by Patton Oswalt). At first they hit it off, enamored by the fun activities celebrating their favorite hero. Then things get heated when Quibble reveals his hatred for the Daring Do books after the first trilogy, which happen to be Dash's favorites. The two argue adamantly.

Quibble says the later books are nothing but implausible action, which Dash knows is not technically true. In the Season 4 episode Daring Don't, Dash and the gang meet up with Daring Do's author A. K. Yearling, and find out that she's secretly the real Daring Do. Asides from the implausibility of an adventurer being able to publish her real life stories exactly as they happened without anyone catching on, the episode was not great.

Luckily Stranger than Fanfiction is an improvement, and feels more daring (no pun intended.) The locations are more interesting, the action better paced, and the conclusion more satisfying.

But back to the story. Also attending the convention is Daring Do herself, as her A.K. Yearling persona. Rainbow knows this, and wants Daring to prove to Quibble that the later books are indeed possible. Daring, on the other hand, is in the middle of a mission to stop her nemesis Dr. Caballeron and his goons from obtaining a key to unlock a mystic seven-sided chest, located within an ancient temple.

Rainbow and Quibble end up getting kidnapped by the Dr, who suspects them to be working for Daring. They are taken hostage to the temple, located in a dense jungle. Quibble thinks its one of the convention's "adventucation" courses, until event after event prove otherwise, the biggest being chased by an alligator monster.

Once Quibble realizes the events are real, he and Dash team up to stop Dr Caballeron. Daring Do arrives in time, and the three utilize their talents to save the day.

This is a really fun episode all around. Unlike other shows might do with the premise, the episode does not shove pop culture or current trends in our face. Sure, Daring says the word "cosplayers", and the con itself is riddled with the usual array of fandom geeks. But I don't mind any of it, because it fits in with the story, and still feels in-universe for the show.

Story wise, it may not be as strong as Gauntlet of Fire. But overall I like Stranger than Fanfiction more, even with its problems.

The most potentially damaging part of the episode is Quibble and Dash's arguments. What I feel saves them from being unwatchable is that both Dash and Quibble are are petty and unrelenting. Dash is just as insulting and critical as he is, even if the episode does not always treat it that way. Quibble's criticisms, though obnoxious, sometimes lead to funny banter, and he's actually useful to the story. He even helps Daring and Dash solve a major puzzle! Dash admits that though Quibble is stuck up, "he's [also] usually right."

The ending message of the episode is that it is perfectly fine to have different opinions. Quibble still does not like the Daring Do series after the third book, Rainbow still likes the later books most, but the two are able to accept each other. Despite the myriad of issues the episode presents, I believe it finds a happy balance.

Extras:
*The pre-title sequence features Twilight, forlorn that she cannot make it the convention. The reason: Princess Celestia wants her to solve a friendship problem in Griffonstone. Anyone else get the feeling this may be a hint to a future episode?
*I will admit, Quibble does come off as a stereotypical critic...but, Dash is not much better. Plus, as Dash stated, Quibble is not just a useless mouthpiece. He actually gets stuff done.
*While Dash and Quibble enjoy drinks near the concession stand, there are what I can only assume to be FiM's equivalent of hotdogs on rollers in the background: carrots.
*I love the banter between Quibble and Caballeron. Quibble finds the villain's accent "all over the place"
*My favorite line is Quibble telling Dash she should get a refund after a bridge falls apart.