My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic - Season 8 Episode 20: "The Washouts" (SPOILERS) · 4:01pm Sep 8th, 2018
In which duelling fandoms are discussed and Lightning Dust finally makes her second (and perhaps final) appearance.
Scootaloo rushes through a weekly meeting of the Rainbow Dash Fan Club to kick off her meeting of the Washouts Fan Club, of which she's the only member.
Rainbow Dash is a creeper.
So this episode is basically about a hardcore fan of a thing branching out into other fandoms. This upsets Rainbow Dash and leads to an incredibly meta discussion between the Mane Six about fanbase rivalries.
Rainbow Dash represents the POV of one of those fans who slams The New Thing for being a total ripoff of The Other Thing.
So anyway, the Washouts are daredevil ponies who do incredibly dangerous stunt course racing at insane speeds, and watching their show, Rainbow Dash is impressed. She's determined to meet the stunt flyer who caught her attention.
Guess who it is. If you didn't say Lightning Dust, you're not doing it right.
As soon as Rainbow Dash realizes the Washouts' leader is Lightning Dust, she reverts to hating the group on principle. However, Lightning Dust turns out to not have a grudge against Rainbow Dash at all--because she's having more fun as a Washout than she'd ever have had as a Wonderbolt.
It seems that there won't be any lingering animosity between Rainbow and LD, until Rainbow becomes concerned that the Washouts will be a bad influence on Scootaloo.
Speaking of Scootaloo, remember how in "Parental Glideance" she knew all about the Lightning Dust incident at Wonderbolt Academy? Here, she has no idea who Lightning Dust is. Gotta love consistency!
Dash takes Scoots to Wonderbolts HQ to get Spitfire to scare her straight. Spitfire REALLY hams it up.
After that, we're back to the warring fandoms thing, but now it's colored by Rainbow's genuine concern for Scootaloo's safety.
Scootaloo decides to join the Washouts and use her scooter to do death-defying stunts, even over Twilight's and Rainbow's concerns.
So uhh...these assholes are aware stunt driving takes tons and tons of TRAINING, right? Training Scootaloo doesn't have? But of course not, because Lightning Dust is a thrill-seeking, smug, selfish jerk who doesn't think through the consequences of her actions. Scootaloo realizes this too late, and ends up on a rocket sled to oblivion. Rainbow Dash fortunately saves her before she can meet a grisly death.
Hmm. I'll give this one a 7/10. It wasn't as bad as I'd heard it was, but it's not great either. It's just kind of there, and the moral ends up in a full body wing cast drinking through a straw.
Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!
Honestly, people who complain about Lightning Dust are ignoring all the foreshadowing that there was throughout the episode: The Washouts are shown from the beginning to be performing extreme stunts that nearly ends with Lightning Dust crushed. One of the Washouts is out of commission because she hurt herself during the finale. Lightning Dust shows no concern at all about her teammate being injured and it's abudantly clear she resents Rainbow Dash for getting her kicked out of the academy. Lightning Dust decides to make Scootaloo a member knowing full well she's not even the least bit trained to be a stunt pony and only cares about her own ego.
To top it all off, it's been at least three to four years in show. Considering Lightning Dust is like Rainbow Dash if she never matured, it's easy to see how all that passage of time could make her bitter and even more reckless. Rainbow Dash in Season 1 or Season 2 would've been crushed if the Wonderbolts rejected her, and the entire purpose of Lightning Dust and "Wonderbolt Academy" was to show how much Rainbow had matured in that she was willing to give up her dream if it meant going against her principals.
I will say though that Scootaloo was awfully dense in this episode. I get that she's a kid and kids are easily blinded by idol worship. But the warning signs were out there from the beginning about the Washouts and she didn't seem even the least bit concerned or thought to ask the question she asked Lightning Dust during the climax. I do also think this episode spent a little bit more time than was necessary focusing on Rainbow's bruised ego, and this episode really would've been better if Scootaloo's aunts or even her parents (Nicole Dubac co-writes the book series that introduced her aunts and she's story editor this season so this would've been the perfect opportunity to bridge the continuity gap) had been involved. Because concern about Scootaloo's safety is something her legal guardians would more strongly support the stakes.
Spitfire was really channeling Chris Farley there.
A FULL BODY WING AND HOOF CAST, DRINKING THROUGH A STRAW, IN A VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER!!
Darn it, I hadn't noticed the research disconnect. I'd cite timeline ambiguity, but Dash's parents are there in the last scene. Yeah, that's straight-up discontinuity. (That or Scootaloo didn't make the connection, but how many Lightning Dusts are there in Equestria?)
Honestly, I'm more caught up on the fact that Equestria apparently has liquid-propellant rocketry. The first one was invented in... 1926? Huh. Okay, not so bad, but it still feels pretty absurd.
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YES, I'm glad I'm not the only one that caught that
To me, the real winner of this episode was spitfire. So motivational 🤣
4933396 I feel like you're being harsh. She's a teenager going through a rebellious phase. From her point of view, The Washouts have more appeal since they're more inclusive. And though Rainbow Dash had the right idea, to Scootaloo, it just came off as her being jealous about not being the center of attention.
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WELL WHOOPDY FRICKING DOO!
It was an amusing but meh episode.
Got a bit loony toons with the rocket scooter at the end there.
What jumped out at me was Scoots telling Rainbow that she cant and more then likely never will be able to fly.
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I think that what many people overlook is why Scoots shifted her attention from RD to the Washouts: Because of her dreams.
Scootaloo had idolized Dash for several years now, so it'd stand to reason that she set her own life goals to reflect Dash's, to become a flight performer. The only problem for her --and that was adressed in this episode in the most raw and direct manner in the show up to date-- is that Scootaloo can not fly.
After becoming increasingly aware of this throughout the show, she realized that her dreams are literally too high for her to reach. So, she needed a new dream or else she'd be miserable and depressed for a long time. And what does she see when she learns of the Washouts? A chance to make her own dream come true. Not as a flight performer, but a performer in the end, where she can still participate in shows with a team of pegasi in front of an audience.
That this particular team was composed of a low-key masochist, a guy literally named "Short Fuse" and a short-sighted, egomaniac, selfish, idiotic, carless and in my eyes unredeemable loose bullet is simply unfortunate. But Scoots was not able to see that, because too overjoyed because of what she was doing (and is still a young mare). I don't blame Scootaloo's attitude in this episode at all.
This episode might have been better if over half of Dash's motivations is that she's getting her ego poked because everyone isn't putting her or the 'Bolts on the top spot. Even the parts with her worried about Scoots' safety still come off as Dash not being able to handle her not being her number 1 fan.
Well the episode shows Lighting hasn't mature at all but this mostly comes at the end with Scoots, but at the start, she buried the hatchet with Rainbow but for the said pegasus, her ego was a big problem.
Yeah this episode is one of the reasons why I don't like AJ and RD and most recently both mane 6 and spike.
I can see Lightning is still a sociopath. Is it bad that I almost hope that rocket of hers blows up while it is dragging her?
Overall, a fun episode that shows how much Rainbow cares about Scootaloo.
So um who else thinks that the fact Spitfire went and yelled "YOU'LL IN UP A FULL BODY WING AND HOOF CAST, DRINKING THROUGH A STRAW!!!" 3-5 times in that scene of hers has more meaning to it than just scared straight drill sergeant? Like she's yelling it out cause SHE did that very same sort of thing when she was younger and had to experience first hand personally what being in "A FULL BODY WING AND HOOF CAST, DRINKING THROUGH A STRAW!!!" feels like? That would explain her going crazy with that one specific scenario the whole scene cause it just sounds very oddly specific with how much emphasis she put on that only and not mention any other possible scenario.
Oddly enough also reminds me of EP 1 or was it 2 of AoT Abridged with the Drill Sergeant's Sweet Mother Teresa on the Hood of a Mercedes Benz! Skit.
People should be lining up with their praise for this episode. It explores a subject not really touched yet, which is rare in a show on its eighth season, and it brings back a crowd favorite.
If anything, Rainbow's really in character, and so is Lightning Dust. It also addresses a common thing with teens, and that's making bad choices in role models. I'm sure most of the adults here remember looking up to people, whether they knew them personally or whether they were celebrities of some sort, who weren't good examples. Teens sometimes make bad decisions.
One of the hardest-hitting moments of the eppy was when Scootaloo told Rainbow she can't fly. It's a startling admission from the filly that she'll never be like her mentor.
I howled at Spitfire channeling Matt Foley, and I enjoyed every moment of Dusty's return. They got me in the beginning, as I believed it was a rerun for a few seconds. I'd compare The Washouts to those backyard wrestlers. They think they know what they're doing because they watched pro wrestlers, but they don't see the countless hours of practice or the safety measures the pros take in order to prevent serious injuries or death.
If you'll excuse me, I'll be in a full-body wing-and-hoof cast, drinking through a straw while I'm living in a van down by the river!
WHOOP-DEE-DOODLE-DOO!
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This was by far the best part of the episode.
A lot of people seem to be disappointed by the fact that Lightning wasn't redeemed in this episode, not realizing that not every single antagonist can be redeemed. Certain characters have flaws that keep them from changing because they themselves refuse to change.
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At the moment, Lightning Dust is one of those characters.
As shown in both her debute episode and this one, she refrained from learning from her mistakes and it nearly cost the mane five and Scootaloo big time in the long run.
Not to mention the fact that bringing an untrained child into their ranks was a very bad move on their part, and it was pretty clear Lighting was only doing it to spite Rainbow Dash.
The fact that she showed no empathy for anyone she put in danger showed that she was too much of a loose cannon to actually be put on a military force like that. keep in mind that when Rainbow Dash tried to dissuade her from making the tornado and then called her out on it she brushed it off as if it wasn’t a big deal, despite the fact that several ponies could have died.
Here’s the clip for reference:
Not only did Rainbow Dash try to convince her not to make the tornado, but after Lightning pressured her into doing it and nearly got the main five killed, you’ll notice that she wasn’t among the group that actually try to help them, instead she hung back and when all was said and done she acted like it wasn’t a big deal and even expected to be praised for her actions.
A lack of empathy for civilians or the well-being of your respective comrades in general are not the ideal qualities for members of a military organization.
And back to Lightning Dust herself, even long after she was kicked out she clearly shows no regrets for what she did or seems to understand the ramifications in general.
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The fact that she put Scootaloo in grave danger proves that even further.
In this instance, Lightning Dust is one of the Prime examples of letting your ego and apathetic nature eclipse your actual good judgement and empathy for those around you. Especially when others can get hurt because of your actions, and even more so when you acknowledge what could have happened and act like it isn’t a big deal as long as it doesn’t affect you personally.
Here’s the difference between the characters who were reformed and characters like Lightning:
Empathy.
At the end of the day those characters not only expressed regret for their actions, but understood the ramifications and at the very least made attempts to better themselves in the long run.
Say what you want about Starlight’s quick redemption, at least she worked to earn it through various episodes, earned it in the end, and actually showed empathy for others and genuine guilt when she realized just how badly her actions would screw over Equestria.
Lightning was told to her face exactly how badly her actions could have affected others and still didn’t care.
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Starlight: "THIS is the future Equestria will face because of me!? Oh Lord, what have I done?!"
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Lightning: "So a couple of civilians almost got killed because of my tornado? Meh, no biggie."
As for the characters who stayed exactly the same way they were despite being given chances to change their ways? That’s nobody’s fault but their own.
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I'd like to counter this point by saying that in the real world, "being sorry" doesn't undo the damage you've done. Forgiveness might be all well and good in a magical pony world where all kinds of harm can be erased with the concentrated effort of one or more powerful individuals, but that doesn't translate into reality. That said, those who don't even come as far as an apology don't deserve the least amount of mercy.
That said, as has been mentioned before, Lightning Dust has no place in a military unit. The blatant disregard she's shown for collateral damage, especially to civilians and allies, would and absolutely should not be tolerated. An individual who presents as much harm to those as to their targets would appropriately be positively devastating to the entire institution's reputation and could result in it suffering grave consequences, up to and including being pressured to disband entirely.
That said, Lightning's antics in her first showing and Rainbow's reaction to them provided a teachable moment to Spitfire that she desperately needed. Up to that point, it really looked like Lightning's mentality was the sort that was promoted by the Wonderbolts. Let's not forget that when Soarin was injured, they very callously discarded him to improve their chances at victory in a stupid, ultimately meaningless competition. I think that that's the real reason for Spitfire's over-the-top reaction to Scootaloo's decision to join the Washouts, even more than the fact that they were in direct competition to the Wonderbolts: she was harboring regrets for how she treated him and was overcompensating. And to be honest, I highly doubt it was out of genuine concern for Soarin's well-being, but more for Spitfire's self-image. Though she lacks the situational awareness to have intent to, Rainbow Dash has become the moral standard by which the 'bolts, and especially Spitfire, have begun to measure themselves with the perceived need to rise to. Which says a lot about the Wonderbolts, and especially Spitfire, considering that this is Rainbow Dash we're talking about.
While we're on the topic of dreams, though, I thought that Scootaloo had been weaning herself off of the idea of following in Rainbow Dash's hoofprints since she got her Cutie Mark (which let's be real, represents nothing). Her talent seems to be for building things, and her primary drive is to help others, especially those who lack a sense of identity. Being a performer isn't going to help either of those. Still, Scootaloo saying that she can't fly directly to Rainbow's face was a pretty powerful moment, in spite of its deficient context. It meant that she was embracing the reality of her literally crippling flaw, a vital part of growing up. Both Applebloom and Sweetie Belle have had their own respective episodes confronting their idolized elder sisters with the reality that adulthood was fast approaching for them, and it was about time that Scootaloo got hers, too. But there's something unique in the dynamic between Scoots and Rainbow that isn't present between the other two sister-pairs, other than the voluntary nature of their siblinghood, and that is the fact that it is becoming readily apparent that Scootaloo is going to end up outpacing Rainbow on the path to emotional maturity. I wonder if the show's writers are going to handle this well. I normally wouldn't hold out hope, but between this and the episode with Rainbow's parents, things look good so far.
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Well that may be true, but MLP doesn't exactly operate on 100% real world logic. Especially considering Equestria's national heroes believe that there can be hope for an individual to change their ways. Characters like Starlight, Trixie, Sunset, the changelings, and dragons are proof of that.
That doesn't really hold much weight in the grand scheme of things. The Washouts can't even measure up to be in competition to the Wonderbolts because A) there are only three members. B) the Wonderbolts are part of a question is military force, which cannot be compared to a trio of dropouts becoming a stunt group. C) She was more focused on the fact that a young untrained child was thinking about joining a group that blatantly disregards safety regulations. It's one thing to say that's tough to look cool for the cameras, it's another thing to actually follow through with it, especially when you have someone as underaged as Scootaloo on the team.
I suggest you pay attention to the episodes you're watching before making such a blatant assumption like that.
Scootaloo's cutie mark represents her ability to help others realize their own natural and/or inherent talents, tell them be more than what they are. Her more secondary talent is for building things and stunts.
Not really, she still has a long way to go considering the fact that she didn't even consider the fact that she was underage, unskilled in comparison to the other members, not to mention she acted somewhat callous towards Rainbow Dash.
Also, there's this:
Scootaloo: "What if I joined (the Wonderbolts) and dropped out super quick!?"
Me: WOW, way to spit in the face of your Idol and the dream she worked hard to achieve.
I was giving her a little leeway up until this point, but that's when she came off as just being a brat.
She has a national hero who:
1: Practically adopted her as her little sister.
2: Manages to the balance mentoring her alongside having three jobs: being a weather pony, helping run the school, and being a Wonderbolt.
At this point, Scootaloo getting on her case for being concerned about her well-being just comes off as stingy on her part.
The fact that Rainbow Dash had to swoop in and rescue her from her own poor decisions so she has a lot to learn before anyone can entertain the idea of her outpacing Rainbow Dash in maturity.
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I blame tunnel vision on that one. When it comes to Scoots, anything not RD is irrelevant.
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It may even go further than not caring. There's a tiny moment where the camera shows Lightning Dust's face as she watches Scootaloo being launched into the sky. A little girl she knows can't fly under her own power.
She's smirking.
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This is right before Rainbow Dash dives in to save Scootaloo. I'm honestly wondering if she was trying to get her hurt. That would be one hell of a way to get some payback on Rainbow Dash.