Keep Discord and Fluttershy On [episode spoilers!] · 1:28pm Jun 20th, 2017
Alternate alternate title: "The Blunder Down Under".
It's a shame "Blame Australia" doesn't have the same cadence as "Blame Canada" because goddammit fuck. I mean, it's nice that we can get into the hiatus after actually having watched half the season instead of 11/26ths of it, but aw who am I kidding, I haven't seen ponies in weeks and I've been loving it. <.<
Anyway, this episode wasn't worth seeing early.
This gets off to a good start with the one thing that makes Discord episodes worth watching: solid visual gags. And overall, this episode has at least a half-dozen that made me laugh out loud, from him eating the sandwich crusts (seriously, a perfect inversion of expectations matching the exploding milk in the original episodes) to his Mr. Rogers getup. It's actually a good look for him!
But then it immediately circumvents that good will by doing the thing that makes Discord episodes tedious and aggravating: Discord trying to do things.
Discord, you are bad at doing things. You need to accept this. You may be a millennia-old eldritch spirit whose removal from the ways of mortal pony means that you have no inherent understanding of concepts like "different is not necessarily bad", but you're fucking terrible at having ideas and doing things, and you need to stop, because it's exasperating to watch you fail again and again. You would be a good lead character for a show aimed at toddlers, is what I'm saying.
On top of all that, this episode is marked by hefty amounts of tedium. I mean, the tea seller is completely fucking adorable, but all the shopping scenes were more or less the antithesis of entertaining. The cleaning crew sequence was a little better, more visually appealing at least, and the episode actually made me sit up at attention once Discord started fading from existence (if only the mane six could have convinced him to have a tea party in Return of Harmony...) but that was well into the third act.
And I mean, it ends with a pretty solid affirmation of friendship between Fluttershy and Discord. Like, I can actually believe that they really are friends now, and I say that mostly from Fluttershy's perspective. She's not just humoring him or anything, she really likes him for him. But that also means the Fluttercord shippers are going to be gross and unwieldy for the next ever, so this episode has a lot to answer for. >:B
On the other hand, I need to get someone to redraw my avatar as a pinata, because that "pinatas hate bats" line was inspired and I have found my spirit animal.
Solidly in the middle, not one I'll relish a rewatch of.
A Royal Problem
Parental Glideance
Honest Apple
All Bottled Up
Rock Solid Friendship
Forever Filly
A Flurry of Emotion
Discordant Harmony
Hard to Say Anything
Celestial Advice
Not Asking for Trouble
Fluttershy Leans In
Best Friends Until the End of Time
Battle for Sugar Belle
...And speaking of avatars, when did they stop being circular? O.o
4577085
Probably when Knighty realised that the best and most important parts of our avatars were being cut out by the circular parts.
Also, I can't watch the new episode early because it's in squeak. It's bad enough that we brits have this problem, but now Australia as well?
I genuinely enjoyed this one. Best accidental suicide attempt since "Sleepless in Ponyville."
Man, I thought you off all people would have appreciated the milquetoast/milk toast wordplay/visual gag
That was great imo
4577089
are we not counting trixies manticore mouthdive? or wa that not accidental enough?
4577103
No, that was clearly premeditated.
4577102
I fucken died at that part
Also, I weirdly dug the tiny bit of Fluttershy getting her wacky on. But then again, I haven't slept in a while due to large beetle fear induced insomnia.
The visual gags were pretty on point, now that I ruminate on it, but it does drag on at the end. I suppose a more interesting way to end things might have been Discord having to fight his chaotic tendencies while trying to appear normal for Fluttershy...but that's a well-trod trope too and could also have been easily done poorly.
Though the idea of him giving up chaos, even for a few minutes causing him to no longer exist is kinda neato.
Tea seller was adorable, but the piñata was the best part! I actually thought this was one of the best discord episodes.
4577137
I was surprised because, as predictable as this episode was, I saw that coming, yet it wasn't nearly as cringey as I'd anticipated.
It was pretty good, but i found the discord at home scenes tedious and the shopping scenes good. And hey we got to see Pinkie talk without screaming!
My biggest gripe with the episode is that we didn't get to see a bull running that china shop.
Quick 'n' Dirty: dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/15337940/PPPinata.jpg
This is the core valuable part of the episode, and it's why I can forgive the episode for being largely tedious for the first two acts. This is important to establish, and it's crazy that it's taken until Season 7 for the writers to get around to doing it.
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...You are too kind.
Put a little caption that says "I hate bats" around it. :D
Oh, is that what it was? Curse my British ignorance! :P
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s
Will do!
4577615
That's how it parsed for me, but I could always be wrong. I've misinterpreted referential jokes before. :B
This one was a mixed bag for me. Not bad start, boring middle with the shopping. (Also, bad advice from Pinkie, whom you'd think would know better.) Good visual gags after the multiway split, liked the makeover deal. Really predictable overall... but once Fluttershy got there and started doing things, it was great. But yeah, pacing.
On the subject of things we're never going to hear the end of from Fluttercord shippers... "Doin' anything for ya?" :V
That one got me.
You're darn frickin' RIGHT!
I don't think I've been so uncontrollably happy during an MLP episode since Pinkie Pride back in Season 4. This episode was essentially Discoshy Christmas. And I'm going to celebrate it like Christmas.
4577649
Nope, that was Mr. Rodgers and it was awesome. I thought Discord had a bunch of funny lines just straight out. Story was, I agree, kind of weak. But yeah, Fluttershy and Discord are adorable together.
4577840
gross D:
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Here you go!: dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/15337940/PPPinata2.jpg
4578136
Fantastic. :D Now I just have to wait for the episode to air, if for no other reason than no one will get the joke..
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Yeah, It will be cool to pull this out just as the episode airs in the US!
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Be sure to remind me, because doubtless I will forget. :B
And thank you, as always, you are too kind. :D
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No problem!
Maybe it's just because I genuinely enjoy the low-stakes slice of life stories that this website has inundated all of us with, but I found the story delightful from beginning to end. Including the basic principle of Discord doing a thing.
4578728
Me too.
Like... Discord's my favorite of the heel-turn brigade. He didn't get a 180 personality turn like Starlight, actually tries to be better (unlike Trixie), and is inherently childish enough that his friendship fuckups feel natural. An episode about him really, really trying to be a good friend for Fluttershy felt good to me. We got a barrage of fun gags, a cute moral, and the icing on the cake was the scene with Pinkie. Discord's interactions have generally consisted of fawning over Fluttershy and annoying Twilight, so seeing him having a nice slice-of-life chat with Pinkie was immensely charming. And him capping it off with a genuine compliment felt like so much more development than any number of "Starlight is totally good now" episodes.
This was really okay, but nothing more. Miles above the dumpster fire that was "Fluttershy Leans In" for sure.