It seems really strange to be posting a new discussion thread for a new episode after the hiatus and all the episodes that were aired first in Canada and Australia, but we're all caught up, and a new episode is airing tomorrow!

So, let's see, this episode is called "Fame and Misfortune". Lemme just see if who it's by is up yet.

Wait, really?

Okay. This episode is by M.A. Larson, according to the Lady Writers twitter. I really didn't think we'd be seeing him writing episodes again.

Well, I'm excited. I'm guessing this must be the episode where the rest of the cast becomes alicorn princesses. Probably accidentally, with the "misfortune" in the title.

Anyways, as usual, all discussion about the new episode should go in this thread or the spoiler channel on the Discord, to keep all the spoilers in one place.

I think the pilot of DuckTales 2017 comes out tomorrow, too, but discussion on that would be more the free for all chat thread...

--Sweetie Belle

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Wah! This season! The episodes just show up whenever they feel like it!

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Sometimes things do show up just when they feel like it!

--Sweetie Belle

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Don't worry the Commonwealth Empire will strike back with partisan episode airing!

And yay wings for everyone. Wings for Rarity, wings for Applejack, wings for Rainbow Dash... wait.

Well, I'm excited. I'm guessing this must be the episode where the rest of the cast becomes alicorn princesses. Probably accidentally, with the "misfortune" in the title.

WE GET IT, M.A. LARSON IS A TERRIBLE WRITER

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Rainbow Dash gets double the wings for twice the awesome!

Toola-Roola makes a return from the ancient times, along with Coconut Cream, and they both look so cute! It's nice to see the animators branching out with more complex color combinations; here's to fewer monotone manes as time goes on!

That jab at people keeping stuff in ‘mint-condition’ without actually getting any benefit from them. I like.

Also, Rainbow Dash confirmed: Rainbow Dash is awesome.

Take that, Fluttershy haters!

“stress-sowing”
“Right away, pony who still likes me!”

This episode is amazing.

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Do you mean the cat or Silver Spoon?

I never thought I would enjoy a meta-humor episode so much. Top-tier handling of the topics, great song, and stress-couture.

I only wish they didn't leave it hanging how they got rid of the super-fans. Mass-teleport? Amnesia spell? Hiding in the castle for a few days until they get bored and walk away?

The meta humor in this was pretty great.

And the person who just downvotes everything I say indiscriminately is back again. If you don't like me, you could try just ignoring me; I'm sure it would be healthier than working yourself up every time you see my name.

I'm going to start charting when likely suspects are online in comparison to when the downvotes appear; I'll figure out who you are eventually. You could make it easier by just showing yourself.

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And she did, too!

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I was so sure that the Mane Six were going to solve the problem themselves and then Starlight would come busting in with a magic crossbow or something. ^^

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Well, they do have a a mostly underused castle, and no guards whatsoever. If Twilight was smart, she'd use this to build her case for a contingent of Royal Guards to be based at her castle. Quite frankly, after Starlight's map shenanigans, you'd think Twilight would have put the case to Celestia earlier.

Also, Applejack was clearly too stressed out to see the benefits of having such an extended family. She should have put them to work. If she gets her relatives to help her raise barns, then she should have no qualms about putting complete strangers to work. Think of how many chores she could have pawned off on the new family members!

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Twilight's continued lack of guards is a little odd, but I can see why they wouldn't want to add any; they would have to introduce them in some fashion, and then write them into scenes just so they can stand there being guards. They'd mostly just get in the way, story-wise.

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Oh yeah, I'd never expect it at this point, but it's just something weird.

Also, on another note; I believe Rarity's auditioning for the role of the Joker:

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I think the idea was that you can't get rid of other peoples opinions no mater how much you want. Instead focus more on people wiling to listen to you. You know, the thing that guy who is down voting you fails to understand.

The sense of right isn't satisfied with this lack of solution but oh well, still fun episode.

Friendship is Magic first impressions review: Fame and Misfortune (s07e14)
by Obake

Thankfully, season 7's return begins with an episode worth talking about!

Fame and Misfortune is the most meta episode the series has ever done, and that is saying a lot. Whether you like the episode will boil down to how easily you can ignore or laugh at the dumb moments, and sympathize with the good.

The Mane 6 publish the friendship journal, not realizing it will become an instant phenomenon. The townsfolk become fanatics, representing the show's real life fans, the journal being the show, each lesson individual episodes. The townsfolk create all sorts of havoc; arguing that certain lessons are better than others, that Fluttershy learned the same things over and over, that Rarity never truly learned anything, etc.

Writers addressing real life criticism is most often bad, but it can be done in ways that put the writers on level with the audience instead of trying to be above them. This episode? It's about half and half.

I'll be honest, I do sympathize with the writers, as much as they justifiably deserve criticism. They have a lot on their plate, working under the umbrella of a conglomerate, trying to reach deadlines on salaries that are far less than the most experienced in their field. Being a writer for a show of this caliber means working under strict rules, with little room to expand creative potential. It is a job enviable to those outside of the industry, not so much on the inside. Only the higher ups really get to make the most creative decisions, and their ideas are often the least risky and most bleh.

That said, Fame and Misfortune has many flaws. Like any episode of MLP, there are awful lines of dialogue. Take when Twilight says "Poor Rarity. She overheard all the mean things they were saying. She must feel devastated." This comes right after witnessing Rarity run off crying because of criticisms. The line conveys what was just shown, but it is also a perfect opportunity for the writers to jab at their own misgivings. Imagine one of the townsfolk turning to Twilight and saying "No duh. Why do you always explain things that just happened?" It would be poking fun at the show gracefully. But no such luck.

There is also an impromptu song number, which thankfully ends with the townsfolk still bickering (an example of the writers admitting their use of songs to fix situations has become silly.) The song itself is the best the show has had in years, in part due to how catchy it is, and also because of its terribly misguided lyrics. "We're not perfect" the Mane 6 sing. I don't think many fans have criticized the Mane 6 for being flawless (that's a criticism that goes towards Starlight). The entire song is the Mane 6 lamenting how everyone perceives them wrong. Like everyone thinking Pinkie is a non stop joke machine, even though in many an episode that is exactly what she's been (for good and for bad). It is the same for each character. Honestly the song is so upbeat and fun to listen to. It's so-bad-it's-good.

I do also appreciate the episode not ending with the townsfolk being satisfied, but instead the Mane 6 learning that two little fillies (Toola Roola and Coconut Cream, voiced by Alyssa Swales and Aine Sunderland, respectively), have learned friendship lessons from the journals, making it all worthwhile. This may seem like a middle finger to the older fans who made the show the success it has become, but I'd argue the show's greatest strength was being able to charm people of any demographic, regardless of age. As the show's gone on, it has lost this focus, and I fear its youngest fans may view episodes and not get anything out of them.

With all of this said, do I like this episode? Yes. There is not an ounce of subtlety to the parallels the writers are making, and despite how out of touch elements of it are, it is nonetheless entertaining. The things that happen, like townsfolk laughing at every line Pinkie says, make for refreshingly surreal setups. It does not matter if the townsfolk are in character or not, because the episode is its own entity. I know for sure this episode will be hated by quite a few people, and that is understandable. I found it enjoyable (and often laughably bad) enough that it worked, and I feel younger fans will be just as entertained by its strangeness.

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This had to be the most meta episode ever.....of all time. And that's what made it so damn awesome. It was so self aware of our fandom it was funny. I kept on thinking to myself, "It's funny because it's true," throughout the episode.