Such fun times on fimfiction the last few days. Unfortunately, I can only take care of spam in the groups I’m an admin in.

That’s not what this post is about, though. It’s time to continue our rewatch! Next up is “Griffin The Brush Off”, which is by Cindy Morrow! She actually did quite a number of good episodes…

Let’s settle down and watch it and forget some of the other bad things we may have seen recently.

So, we start with Pinkie Pie rambling on and on as Twilight tries to read, and then leaving to follow Rainbow Dash, to Twilight’s relief. I’m with Twilight here.

Rainbow Dash isn’t enthused either, and smashes into a mountain trying to get away from her. Which Pinkie was trying to warn her about.

And Pinkie bounces around town trying to find Rainbow Dash, who is zooming around and burrowing into clouds trying to avoid her. Similar to Party of One later, IIRC.

Zoom. Bounce Bounce Bounce. Zoom. Bounce.

Good super-deformed faces and silly off-model shots, too. The animators were enjoying themselves.

And Pinkie finally catches up with Rainbow with a snorkel in the pond, and wants a favor.

And she proceeds to drive Rainbow crazy with cloud placement.

And there’s Spike with a bunch of scrolls… humming the mlp theme song (G1 again?). Seems to be a reoccuring theme.

And they startle Spike with lightning, causing him to start hiccupping. They share some laughter at causing the misfortune of others. Spike, probably used to being picked on, joins in. Pinkie does express concern that she might have hurt him, but quickly goes back to laughter.

This did, of course, result in Spike accidentally spamming Celestia. Fortunately, she doesn’t seem to have blocked him.

After Rainbow gets back at Pinkie by scaring her with the lightning as well, she decides that Pinkie isn’t as annoying as she thought. She didn’t take Pinkie Pie for a prankster. Seriously, did she even know Pinkie Pie before this?

Pinkie Pie thinks pranks are all in good fun. Hmm, Cindy Morrow did “One Bad Seed”, too, didn’t she?

So they start pranking the town.

Rarity gets flowers at her door with sneezing powder on them.

Twilight ends up trying to take notes on an experiment with invisible ink, causing it to blow up and destroy the town.

They paint the apples in Sweet Apple Acres, potentially ruining a fair amount of apples. Fortunately, it seems to have washed off.

They apparently draw the line at pranking Fluttershy, which is probably why they survived this episode. And, of course, Pinkie pranks Rainbow.

Fluttershy bopping the fake turtle Pinkie was going to prank her with was a nice touch, though.

And there’s Pinkie with a noisemaker, glasses, and a mustache. Except that there’s a griffin in Rainbow’s house, who clearly must have eaten her.

No, never mind, there she is.

“Gilda, this is my gal pal, Pinkie Pie.” Background music here is good.

“Pinkie, this is my griffin friend, Gilda.” Introducing someone as the only member of a species that you happen to be friends with might not be the best of things…

“She’s half eagle, and half lion…” “And alll awesome. Rah!” Did you know Gilda was originally named Grizelda, and even was listed that way in an episode listing?

And Gilda and Rainbow ditch Pinkie to go flying. Kinda like what Rarity does to Gabby later on with Spike?

Unlike that episode, Pinkie tries to bust in on their flying session with a trampoline.

Gilda tries to lose her with a race, and Pinkie catches up with balloons. Basically echoing the earlier part where Pinkie Pie always caught up with Rainbow Dash.

Of course, this time Gilda pops several of Pinkie’s balloons.

And Pinkie pulls out a bicycle-powered mini helicopter type contraption. Which she should totally give to Scootaloo.

And Gilda sends Rainbow in a different direction, yells at Pinkie to get lost, and assaults her. Remind me why she’s redeemed again? Someone’s acting like that, get away from them.

And it’s broken. Okay, maybe that’s why Scoots didn’t get it.

“And I’ve never met a griffin this mean! Well, I’ve never met a griffin at all, but if I had, I bet she wouldn’t have been as mean and grumpy as Gilda!” Fair.

Twilight goes victim-blaming, suggesting that Pinkie is the one who needs to improve her attitude. You know, I kinda hate that.

This sends Pinkie Pie off doubting herself and wondering if she’s just jealous, which is one of the reasons why that was totally the wrong response on Twilight’s part…

So Pinkie drinks a milkshake. Having something like a milkshake or ice cream or something when in that mood sounds like a good idea.

Naturally, Rainbow and Gilda fly by, and Gilda decides to get a bite to eat alone. She also sets out to demonstrate how mean of a griffin she is, by… pranking Granny Smith. And stealing an apple from a vendor. Any by terrorizing Fluttershy and a bunch of baby ducks. Gilda is one bad seed.

And Pinkie Pie decides to get revenge… by throwing Gilda a party.

“Don’t worry your pretty little head about mean old Gilda. Your auntie Pinkie Pie has got it all taken care of.” “I’m a year older than you.” Here’s one of these rare times that their ages are mentioned at all…

And Pinkie pranks Gilda with an electric buzzer, setting out to out-obnoxious Gilda.

Then come the pepper-flavored lemon drops, and punch in a dribble glass.

Snakes in a can for a present. You know, as much as I don’t like Gilda in this episode, Pinkie’s not coming off that good here either.

Fluttershy’s brought her birds back out to sing, in a nice nod back.

Spike: “Can I blow out the candles?” No, Spike, Pinkie Pie’s undoubtedly messed with those, too.

They are the sort you can’t blow out, naturally.

Everypony starts playing “Pin the Tail on the Pony”, which is Rarity’s favorite game. Seriously, Rarity?

And yes, Gilda should definitely go first, so Pinkie can torment her some more.

Turning around and slipping on the frosting was totally on Gilda, though. The tail made a good mustache.

And Gilda snaps, cusses everyone out, and storms off with Dash. Well, no, actually, she doesn’t, because Rainbow prefers her new friends.

Though Rainbow claims to have set up all those pranks herself. Which could be (though Pinkie Pie was wearing the buzzer), though it wouldn’t explain Pinkie’s line earlier. Unless Pinkie had Rainbow set up the pranks, which would make sense. It actually makes Pinkie’s revenge better if she can have Rainbow execute it.

And we have some Pinkie x Dash shipping, and Twilight at least comes over to apologise for earlier.

And we have the moral:

Dearest Princess Celestia,

Today I learned that it's hard to accept when somepony you like wants to spend time with somepony who's not so nice. Though it's impossible to control who your friends hang out with, it is possible to control your own behavior. Just continue to be a good friend. In the end, the difference between a false friend and one who's true will surely come to light.

Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle

And when Celestia tries to write a reply, it’s with invisible ink.

You know, this episode actually kinda did rub me the wrong way, and I wasn’t really expecting that as much as it did. Didn’t remember it as a great episode, but the execution… Part of it may have been my thinking about some of the issues with One Bad Seed.

Oh well, next week, we get to watch in amazement as the Great and Powerful Trixie puts on a show! (Hopefully sans burgers.)

--Sweetie Belle

7048276

You know, this episode actually kinda did rub me the wrong way, and I wasn’t really expecting that as much as it did.

Probably due in part to the fact that this is ground we've covered many times over in many different ways. This was definitely one of those times where a writer tries to simplify a complex topic for a young audience. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

I was rather disappointed that it took Gilda so very long to show up again, this was one of the very first bits of backstory for one of the bearers, 'twas a shame they decided not to expound on it.

Ah, Gilda! Hurrah! A great character who appears in less-than-great episodes. Always felt that to be something of a shame. Given how complex we can be as individuals, and how that complexity shapes our friendships, I thought Gilda was given a really raw deal here. That letter resolution kind of misfires for me too. Eh, yeah, I didn't enjoy this one much the first time round and very little has changed with repeat viewing.

It was episodes like this why I never like Pinkie Pie in the beginning, and likely why she one of my least favorite ponies, but in the early season she was just so annoying. I just couldn't help but feel bad for Gilda, she just wanted to spend time with her friend but Pinkie is like "NOPE!"

7048276 I had often thought that Gilda worked better when considered as a part of Dash's character, not a separate entity. There are lots of parallels between the two in the ep, but the big one is when both are running away from Pinkie, and I can see lots of similarities between Gilda being mean around town and Dash's own abrasive attitude.

A lot of cool questions arise when we wonder whether Rainbow was that bad back when she was friends with Gilda. Part of that was kinda ruined later, but they're still good questions... There's even a bit of symbolism, I wonder, with Gilda literally being a monster compared to the ponies of Ponyville.

As an episode about bullying, and what to do if your former friend is mean, I think it sucks pretty hard. I do think that maybe it carries more weight as an episode wherein Rainbow more definitively turns away from her darker, meaner aspects. Part of me does wonder, after all, that if Rainbow had met the 'Shadowbolts' before she had met the main cast, would she have gone with them? If her former friendship with Gilda and her behaviour is of any indication, we can guess the answer might well have been yes, possibly because 'right' and 'wrong' weren't things that existed in Rainbow's head without some other pony to guide her.

I... question Pinkie's methods of showing this, however. As often happens in some of the worse MLP eps, presentation sorely lacks when complex issues come knocking. That and Pinkie was the most irritating little shite in early seasons... D :<

Like, was Andrea's voice direction for Pinkie just the word 'weaponizable', underlined, with 'high pitch' in brackets next to it?

7048276
Am I the only one who gets more Looney Toons wibe from early episodes? Maybe I am wrong but seems there used to be a lot more slapstick comedy.

7048287

Like, was Andrea's voice direction for Pinkie just the word 'weaponizable', underlined, with 'high pitch' in brackets next to it?

You know what's really scary? That voice is edited to be less painful for human ears. Now imagine how Pinkie would sound without it.

7048295 D : )

Gilda dug her own grave when she made Fluttershy cry.
Unforgivable.

7048285

Seems that just like everyone else, the show writers took a while to figure out how to write a good Pinkie. that's a surprising amount of nuance lurking in a character who seems bent on playing the part of a pre-Bugs Daffy Duck.

7048276
7048287

Twilight goes victim-blaming, suggesting that Pinkie is the one who needs to improve her attitude. You know, I kinda hate that.
This sends Pinkie Pie off doubting herself and wondering if she’s just jealous, which is one of the reasons why that was totally the wrong response on Twilight’s part…

As an episode about bullying, and what to do if your former friend is mean, I think it sucks pretty hard. I do think that maybe it carries more weight as an episode wherein Rainbow more definitively turns away from her darker, meaner aspects.

I think that when analyzing the first season we should remember what MLP used to be.

Particularly in its the beginning, FiM was written with little kids in mind. In episodes like this we don't have to think or ponder about certain implications, or wonder why the characters don't just go and have a talk to eachother like the mature people they have shown to be in other episodes, because the purpose of a little kids show is just to show a relatable moment, and then give a concrete example about how to act/show what's going to happen.

When I first watched this episode I remembered living situations like this as a kid, Twilight's comment wasn't out of place (besides the fact that it was in character) because you can have self doubts. And then Pinkie immediately sees Gilda acting like a jerk and so she reassures herself.

In the end Pinkie just keeps being herself, and Gilda shows her true colors and Rainbow Dash decides to stop being her friend because she doesn't want to see her other friends being mistreated. And I don't remember if Twilight apologises too, I think she does.

The point here is simply to show kids who are in Pinkie position, but also in Dash's, how to act, and I think that as an episode, Griffin the brush of is pretty innocent and useful enough for a kid, even if anyone older than ten will obviously find all of this stupid.

PS. Also I don't think this episode is really about bullying at all, I think that Gilda is just supposed to be the awful friend of a friend.

7048317

I think that when analyzing the first season, we should remember what MLP used to be.

Well, yeah, but also... nah?

Even in early seasons, one of the major aims of the show was to present something that, whilst aimed at kids, would also be viewable by adults if they happened to get hit by any ricochet. I would also argue that any message that fails to adapt to an adult perspective is flawed as a message to deliver to children, as it will only be temporarily successful and never truly survive the test of timer.

It is the HapHazred way to afford anything a fair chance and goodwill, but to pull no punches when analyzing something. I will forgive the show a lot for being aimed at children, but that doesn't mean I won't point my finger at what I think needs forgiving (point and laugh!).

I personally derive immense enjoyment from analysing what bits and pieces of these episodes mean in the larger context of MLP as a whole, since whilst they may sometimes be flawed, or self-defeating, or even just plain boring (I'm... not a fan of S1...), it is these episodes that formed the basis of the characters as they evolve throughout the show, and understanding the early episodes will inform how we can and should analyse the development of characters later on.

: )

7048281

Probably due in part to the fact that this is ground we've covered many times over in many different ways. This was definitely one of those times where a writer tries to simplify a complex topic for a young audience. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

I was rather disappointed that it took Gilda so very long to show up again, this was one of the very first bits of backstory for one of the bearers, 'twas a shame they decided not to expound on it.

It does have some of the same faults "One Bad Seed" had with a similar setup. You get a bit of whiplash with Gilda acting in unacceptable ways and then being put in spots where you are sympathetic to her and she is being treated badly. Maybe if this had been an arc and expanded over more time, it would have helped.

It did take forever for them to get back to Gilda, unfortunately.

7048282

Ah, Gilda! Hurrah! A great character who appears in less-than-great episodes. Always felt that to be something of a shame. Given how complex we can be as individuals, and how that complexity shapes our friendships, I thought Gilda was given a really raw deal here. That letter resolution kind of misfires for me too. Eh, yeah, I didn't enjoy this one much the first time round and very little has changed with repeat viewing.

The letter did strike me as something that may have been written before the rest of the episode. Maybe that's what they were trying to have the episode be about, but...

7048285

It was episodes like this why I never like Pinkie Pie in the beginning, and likely why she one of my least favorite ponies, but in the early season she was just so annoying. I just couldn't help but feel bad for Gilda, she just wanted to spend time with her friend but Pinkie is like "NOPE!"

The whole "pranks" part of it misfired for me a lot, too, because even the "harmless" pranks irritated me. And I wouldn't appreciate being at a party where I was the target of every prank around, everyone was laughing at me, and when I got upset, I was told to chill out about it. I don't care if the individual pranks are supposedly malicious or not in that case...

--Sweetie Belle

7048295

Am I the only one who gets more Looney Toons wibe from early episodes? Maybe I am wrong but seems there used to be a lot more slapstick comedy.

There definitely was. That's part of all the off-model characters, like the melted Rainbow Dash above, or when her mane was sticking out on end. It's something that they went away from.

7048317

I think that when analyzing the first season we should remember what MLP used to be.

Particularly in its the beginning, FiM was written with little kids in mind. In episodes like this we don't have to think or ponder about certain implications, or wonder why the characters don't just go and have a talk to each other like the mature people they have shown to be in other episodes, because the purpose of a little kids show is just to show a relatable moment, and then give a concrete example about how to act/show what's going to happen.

I've never really bought that we should give things a pass because they are for kids, because a lot of times kids are smarter then people give them credit for, and catch these things anyways.

I'm also not a big fan of the "concrete examples" actually given in this episode. I really hope kids didn't hold parties to humiliate the friends of their friends they didn't like after this.

When I first watched this episode I remembered living situations like this as a kid, Twilight's comment wasn't out of place (besides the fact that it was in character) because you can have self doubts. And then Pinkie immediately sees Gilda acting like a jerk and so she reassures herself.

/the thing about Twilight's comment is that that's exactly what ends up happening to people that are being abused a lot of times. They tell a friend, and the friend brushes it off and tells them they need to change. And this could very well happen to kids, too.

I am glad the show acknowledged that it was the wrong thing to do, though.

PS. Also I don't think this episode is really about bullying at all, I think that Gilda is just supposed to be the awful friend of a friend.

A lot of her awful behavior was bullying type behavior, though. The episode may not have been about her acting like a bully, but she was acting like one...

--Sweetie Belle

7048287

I had often thought that Gilda worked better when considered as a part of Dash's character, not a separate entity. There are lots of parallels between the two in the ep, but the big one is when both are running away from Pinkie, and I can see lots of similarities between Gilda being mean around town and Dash's own abrasive attitude.

A lot of cool questions arise when we wonder whether Rainbow was that bad back when she was friends with Gilda. Part of that was kinda ruined later, but they're still good questions... There's even a bit of symbolism, I wonder, with Gilda literally being a monster compared to the ponies of Ponyville.

That is an interesting perspective. Gilda could be seen as a reflection of some aspects of Rainbow's character, and I could see Rainbow having acted more like Gilda back in the day, and grown out of it.

As an episode about bullying, and what to do if your former friend is mean, I think it sucks pretty hard. I do think that maybe it carries more weight as an episode wherein Rainbow more definitively turns away from her darker, meaner aspects. Part of me does wonder, after all, that if Rainbow had met the 'Shadowbolts' before she had met the main cast, would she have gone with them? If her former friendship with Gilda and her behaviour is of any indication, we can guess the answer might well have been yes, possibly because 'right' and 'wrong' weren't things that existed in Rainbow's head without some other pony to guide her.

Well, her entire reason for not going with them was that she wouldn't leave her friends hanging, so if she hadn't met them, yeah, she'd probably have gone with them.

We even see her working for Nightmare Moon in an alternate timeline, and I have to think she did go with them in that one.

I... question Pinkie's methods of showing this, however. As often happens in some of the worse MLP eps, presentation sorely lacks when complex issues come knocking.

Yeah, that's a problem...

7048319

Well, yeah, but also... nah?

Even in early seasons, one of the major aims of the show was to present something that, whilst aimed at kids, would also be viewable by adults if they happened to get hit by any ricochet. I would also argue that any message that fails to adapt to an adult perspective is flawed as a message to deliver to children, as it will only be temporarily successful and never truly survive the test of time.

Yeah. Especially because kids do pick up on a lot more than people give them credit for.

It is the HapHazred way to afford anything a fair chance and goodwill, but to pull no punches when analyzing something. I will forgive the show a lot for being aimed at children, but that doesn't mean I won't point my finger at what I think needs forgiving (point and laugh!).

I personally derive immense enjoyment from analysing what bits and pieces of these episodes mean in the larger context of MLP as a whole, since whilst they may sometimes be flawed, or self-defeating, or even just plain boring (I'm... not a fan of S1...), it is these episodes that formed the basis of the characters as they evolve throughout the show, and understanding the early episodes will inform how we can and should analyse the development of characters later on.

I do appreciate the simplicity of the earlier episodes when it works. I'm certainly going to complain about it when it doesn't, though, and point at things that bother me about the episodes. And there's nothing wrong with overanalysing the episodes. Sometimes the episodes just work for me even if they are flawed when I analyse them, of course.

And this is certainly the time to analyse them, now that we have the perspective of everything that came afterwards...

--Sweetie Belle

7048341 I can kinda rationalise what I think they were going for with Pinkie's methods... but it's still not presented well at all!

The set-up of Rainbow and Pinkie bonding over pranks is... okay, I guess. I can also see them trying to re-use that as a means to highlight the differences between Dash and Gilda (who, for this little theory, we shall assume represents Dash's dark and cruel side, the side that got repressed when Pinkie said 'no pranking Fluttershy', for example). I just... don't get how Pinkie pranking Gilda fits that theory, which is how it's presented (even if Dash supposedly did it herself... it's not shown that way, and so we're put in Gilda's shoes for that whole sequence. If it looks like Pinkie is pranking Gilda, then that's what Gilda thinks, which utterly lessens the impact of what they might have been trying to do.

If it had been presented instead as Dash trying to basically do something she thought was fun and include Gilda in this (Rainbow got pranked by Pinkie, so I can see it work that Dash might want to include her former friend in her circle by effectively doing what Pinkie did for her, which was prank ponies together), instead of exclude her, this would better highlight how Gilda just wants to harm and shout and stuff, whereas Dash is now kind enough to only want to prank ponies for fun, not malice.

That sequence where Gilda was off being mean to everyone would have made sense in that context if Dash and Pinkie had been there as well, and it had been framed as Gilda pranking, scaring, whatever other ponies. Then when it's turned on her, instead of laughing about it, Gilda could blow up and then the choice between malice and fun-pranky times makes more sense.

Instead, everything was kept separate. Gilda being mean is framed as a big 'reveal' to Dash instead of a moment of personal growth where she chooses fun and light-heartedness over malice. There was no apparent choice for any character, since it never appeared that any of the characters could see all the cards in front of them.

I mean, I can imagine this might have been what the show was going for, at least in part. But it takes a lot of thought, mental gymnastics, and faith on my part to see this, and I believe that if I have to put that much effort into seeing something, then at the very least, it was presented way wrong.

7048276

Everypony starts playing “Pin the Tail on the Pony”, which is Rarity’s favorite game. Seriously, Rarity?

But I'm really good at it! I know I can go pro if I work at it!

7048349

The set-up of Rainbow and Pinkie bonding over pranks is... okay, I guess. I can also see them trying to re-use that as a means to highlight the differences between Dash and Gilda (who, for this little theory, we shall assume represents Dash's dark and cruel side, the side that got repressed when Pinkie said 'no pranking Fluttershy', for example). I just... don't get how Pinkie pranking Gilda fits that theory, which is how it's presented (even if Dash supposedly did it herself... it's not shown that way, and so we're put in Gilda's shoes for that whole sequence. If it looks like Pinkie is pranking Gilda, then that's what Gilda thinks, which utterly lessens the impact of what they might have been trying to do.

I just went and snooped around in the leaks again. There were two versions of the original outline, and the second one was the first that said Rainbow pulled the pranks. And there were notes about the original draft in there¹.

But yeah, I think I would've preferred something like Pinkie setting things up so that Rainbow would see Gilda acting nasty to people without Gilda knowing she was there.

If it had been presented instead as Dash trying to basically do something she thought was fun and include Gilda in this (Rainbow got pranked by Pinkie, so I can see it work that Dash might want to include her former friend in her circle by effectively doing what Pinkie did for her, which was prank ponies together), instead of exclude her, this would better highlight how Gilda just wants to harm and shout and stuff, whereas Dash is now kind enough to only want to prank ponies for fun, not malice.

Rainbow did prank Pinkie very briefly early on, so this could be that part of being friends with Rainbow is that she's going to pull pranks on you. Though they might have made that spot a bit bigger if they were going to riff on it.

That sequence where Gilda was off being mean to everyone would have made sense in that context if Dash and Pinkie had been there as well, and it had been framed as Gilda pranking, scaring, whatever other ponies. Then when it's turned on her, instead of laughing about it, Gilda could blow up and then the choice between malice and fun-pranky times makes more sense.

That could have worked. Come to think of it, Fluttershy was probably picked specifically because Pinkie wouldn't prank her earlier.

Instead, everything was kept separate. Gilda being mean is framed as a big 'reveal' to Dash instead of a moment of personal growth where she chooses fun and light-heartedness over malice. There was no apparent choice for any character, since it never appeared that any of the characters could see all the cards in front of them.

I mean, I can imagine this might have been what the show was going for, at least in part. But it takes a lot of thought, mental gymnastics, and faith on my part to see this, and I believe that if I have to put that much effort into seeing something, then at the very least, it was presented way wrong.

Yeah, it's feeling like they caught some of the issues early on, but not all of them, and didn't rework things enough to fix the problems they did catch properly...

--Sweetie Belle

1. We feel that it’s a bit nasty on Pinkie’s part to be throwing Grizelda an insincere party to humiliate her. We would rather have Pinkie see how bad Grizelda is acting and think that maybe Grizelda just hasn’t had a welcome party yet and THAT’S why she’s so mean.
   
   Then all the pranks on Grizelda are coming from a sincere attempt to cheer her up (which is more in character for Pinkie) only to have Grizelda throw a diva fit. It would then reveal to Rainbow Dash that Grizelda may not be the pony she thought she was something she didn’t realize before because she was too caught up in the nostalgia of flight school.

This is pretty much one of my favorite episodes. Fun, amusing and Dash sticking up for Pinkie was heartwarming.

7048367 There's like, dozens of things that would have been good (or better!) if they had picked a hand and played it properly.

Yeah, it's feeling like they caught some of the issues early on, but not all of them, and didn't rework things enough to fix the problems they did catch properly...

I agree. Probably a case of 'it looks good enough and we need a script' deal.

Ah well. I still have my interpretation, which is I think the best I can do given what I've got, but I'd hardly go around recommending it to folks... It's actually ironic, because one of the eps I disliked the most in S1 (Dog and Pony Show) suffered from the opposite problem, where I thought their method was too blunt and heavy handed for too dumb a concept, whereas here it's a complex and dare-I-say intelligent concept with a wishy-washy and non-committal, incoherent exectution...

(although that could just be me being grumpy, since I hear D&PS was a favourite for some...)

Let's not justify it. Gilda was being a female member of the canine species. She actually committed property destruction, something which could get her arrested in in our world.

7048276

(Hopefully sans burgers.)

oh my god I get that reference

7048319

I would also argue that any message that fails to adapt to an adult perspective is flawed as a message to deliver to children, as it will only be temporarily successful and never truly survive the test of timer.

But I don't think the message is flawed. I think that in the first season the characters acted more like kids than adults, and that the morals were meant to teach kids how to deal with their problems.
When we grow we can forget that perspective, and how different things are as a child. I believe that it would have been much sillier if Twilight had told Pinkie to act her age and to have a talk with Dash, because that's not a real and useful option for a 8 years old.

7048336

I've never really bought that we should give things a pass because they are for kids, because a lot of times kids are smarter then people give them credit for, and catch these things anyways.

Kids are immature and inexperienced, not stupid of course.

I'm also not a big fan of the "concrete examples" actually given in this episode. I really hope kids didn't hold parties to humiliate the friends of their friends they didn't like after this.

It's been like, five years since I last saw this episode, but from what I remember she didn't plan any of that, it was just Gilda that wanted to go first at everything (because she is jerk) and so just happened to get constantly pranked. And again, they weren't anything humiliating.

The point of the episode was, as stated in the final letter, if your friend befriended a jerk it will be revealed in time, in the mean time just be yourself. And again this is just a cartoon, it isn't anyone real parent so it can't be perfect.

that's exactly what ends up happening to people that are being abused

I see your point, I think that this can be considered a flaw because Gilda is portrayed as way too agressive, but again, I don't think she was meant to be considered a bully, because she doesn't go after people, she wasn't ridiculing anyone, Gilda is just extremly hostile and possessive of Dash.

7048398 Well in my opinion, talking as an adult is usually the least effective option. But I'm told that I'm very Machiavellian and manipulative as a person, so I'm sure my opinion isn't worth much...

However, the 'lesson' that a kid would take from this would be, on the surface, to empathise with Pinkie who wants attention, doesn't get it, notices a friend of a friend is mean, and then single out said friend in order to force the other friend to choose her over the original after prodding and prodding them to provoke a negative reaction, then literally go 'it was just a prank bro!'

Nah man. That's bollocks. If that's the message adults take away from that, then it's still a bollocks message for kids. I get that wasn't what the show aimed for by a long shot, but this is what is easiest to take away from it and it's no good.

Gilda is clearly wrong here, and I'm not debating that, but frankly, nobody else is right in how they behave, and both kids and adults (it is my belief that adults are just as easy, if not more easy, to manipulate than children) learn by example. At least, not without some stronk mental gymnastics on my part (which I'm evidently more than prepared to perform, but who else is going to put in that effort on a first viewing?)

MLP has successfully managed to provide simple, strong messages for kids that work great so many times whilst they were airing. They didn't here, which sucks, but it's okay, because at the end of the day it's just a cartoon and is allowed to be fallible.

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However, the 'lesson' that a kid would take from this would be, on the surface, to empathise with Pinkie who wants attention, doesn't get it, notices a friend of a friend is mean, and then single out said friend in order to force the other friend to choose her over the original after prodding and prodding them to provoke a negative reaction, then literally go 'it was just a prank bro!'

But that's not what happened. Pinkie's plan was to be super nice to Gilda to try and win her over. I really can't see Pinkie as having done anything wrong with that episode, she was actually super mature in the end. Rainbow Dash was the one who pranked Gilda. Gilda was just being cynical and assumed Pinkie wasn't actually being nice. Her own cynicism was what made her snap and made Dash lose trust in her.

7048449 Yeah sure. Set a party up for someone and get surprised when they think they're getting targeted by the pony who says things like 'Please help yourself', 'Well, whaddya know, pepper in the vanilla lemon drops, and the punch served in a dribble glass', 'now, I wonder who could've done that', and 'yeah, Gilda should definitely go first'. Someone drops those hints at me, I'd probably suspect them too!

If it wasn't set up so that it looked like Pinkie had a hand in all that, I'll eat my socks. Which are pretty damn stinky right now. The episode notes even imply that she set up the party so that Rainbow could prank her without restrictions. Which makes Rainbow as bad as Gilda, even if Pinkie doesn't have to get her hooves dirty herself... That whole party was one big trap.

To be fair, I am wrong about it being Pinkie who pranks Gilda, no matter how it was presented to the main POV of that section (Gilda...), but that doesn't change that it was the solution presented by the episode. Irritate 'em until they lose their temper and if they lose their temper... they lose I guess? Wouldn't it have made for a better result if Pinkie just showed Gilda being mean without the endless prodding, no matter who was the cause?

It's especially cynical because Pinks and RD show a measure of discretion regarding over-pranking, or going after someone who can't handle it. Pinkie knew exactly what was going to happen. I can live with that, frankly, but then it's framed like Pinkie was just showing 'Gilda's true self'... like, what? Gilda's true self is someone that can be tricked and made to lose their temper? 300+ IQ strat right there.

Nah, I dun' like it. There's too many bad ways to interpret this.

7048276 I really enjoyed this, as it feels like one of those episode follow-ups that Equestria Daily usually does.

And Gilda sends Rainbow in a different direction, yells at Pinkie to get lost, and assaults her. Remind me why she’s redeemed again?

She also sets out to demonstrate how mean of a griffin she is, by… pranking Granny Smith. And stealing an apple from a vendor. Any by terrorizing Fluttershy and a bunch of baby ducks. Gilda is one bad seed.

In Greek mythology, griffons and ponies are mortal enemies due to the fact that, at least in Greek mythology, griffons are known to eat ponies.

You know, as much as I don’t like Gilda in this episode, Pinkie’s not coming off that good here either.

Spike: “Can I blow out the candles?” No, Spike, Pinkie Pie’s undoubtedly messed with those, too.

They are the sort you can’t blow out, naturally.

Everypony starts playing “Pin the Tail on the Pony”, which is Rarity’s favorite game. Seriously, Rarity?

And yes, Gilda should definitely go first, so Pinkie can torment her some more.

Uh, no. As is stated in the episode, Rainbow Dash is the one who set up all of fhe pranks and none of them were meant for Gilda; it was just dumb luck that she just so happened to aet them all off.

And Gilda snaps, cusses everyone out, and storms off with Dash.

Given that she's voiced by Marÿke Hendrikse of all people, this isn't surprising that she would totally chew out the ponies by cussing their ears off. But, no, seriously, if this weren't a childrens' show, Gilda probably would've really given them an earful by doing just that. And, honestly, I can't blame her for losing her temper.

Dearest Princess Celestia,

Today I learned that it's hard to accept when somepony you like wants to spend time with somepony who's not so nice. Though it's impossible to control who your friends hang out with, it is possible to control your own behavior. Just continue to be a good friend. In the end, the difference between a false friend and one who's true will surely come to light.

Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle

Honestly, this is probably my biggest problem with this episode, the moral, which seems to contradict the one we had in "The Return of Harmony."

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this was one of the very first bits of backstory for one of the bearers, 'twas a shame they decided not to expound on it.

I think this is one of fhe primary reasons as to why I hate this episode so much. Not only could this character have been used to establish Rainbow's backstory, but Gilda also could've been used to establish lore about the griffon kingdom and expand on the worldbuilding in doing so. Like you say, it's a shame that we didn't get that.

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Eh, yeah, I didn't enjoy this one much the first time round and very little has changed with repeat viewing.

Same here. Episodes like this, I keep watching in hopes that my feelings on it will change, but they never do.

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It was episodes like this why I never like Pinkie Pie in the beginning, and likely why she one of my least favorite ponies, but in the early season she was just so annoying. I just couldn't help but feel bad for Gilda, she just wanted to spend time with her friend but Pinkie is like "NOPE!"

7048287

That and Pinkie was the most irritating little shite in early seasons...

Agreed! Pinkie Pie is one of fhe worst characters on the show! Episodes like "Luna Eclipsed", "A Friend in Deed", "The Last Roundup", "Filli Vanilli", "Yakkity-Sax", "A Trivial Pursuit", "Games Ponies Play", and others do not help her case.

7048287

Like, was Andrea's voice direction for Pinkie just the word 'weaponizable', underlined, with 'high pitch' in brackets next to it?

More like the voice director was asking her, "Could you say that line in an even more irritating and annoying way?"

7048295

Am I the only one who gets more Looney Toons wibe from early episodes? Maybe I am wrong but seems there used to be a lot more slapstick comedy.

Oh, yeah, most definitely. The earlier seasons definitely had a Looney Tunes inspired feel to them, thanks to this episode and others like "Feeling Pinkie Keen." That's what makes these early episodes so enjoyable. The beginning of this episode is pretty much a shoutout to Pepe Le Pew cartoons, right down to the music and Pinkie's animation.

7048301

Gilda dug her own grave when she made Fluttershy cry.
Unforgivable.

True that. Years after the fact, people are still flipping out about it. Gilda will never be able to live this down. Arguably, what she did in Turnabout Storm was even worse. Coincidentally, Trixie is also at her most evil in that fan animation as well.

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I think that when analyzing the first season we should remember what MLP used to be.

Particularly in its the beginning, FiM was written with little kids in mind. In episodes like this we don't have to think or ponder about certain implications, or wonder why the characters don't just go and have a talk to eachother like the mature people they have shown to be in other episodes, because the purpose of a little kids show is just to show a relatable moment, and then give a concrete example about how to act/show what's going to happen.

Not only that, but this episode was very early on in the show's lifespan. The writers were still trying to figure out what kind of people these characters were and introducing us to this world. I strongly disagree with the notion that this show was made with kids as the primary demographic. Like Pixar with their films, this show was aimed at a general audience, not just kids. After all, Lauren Faust herself said that she made the show not just to appeal to kids, but to adults as well.

7048319

(I'm... not a fan of S1...)

Same here.. I detest the first two seasons of this show.

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The letter did strike me as something that may have been written before the rest of the episode.

Looking over the letter again, yeah, it certainly seems that way.

The whole "pranks" part of it misfired for me a lot, too, because even the "harmless" pranks irritated me. And I wouldn't appreciate being at a party where I was the target of every prank around, everyone was laughing at me, and when I got upset, I was told to chill out about it. I don't care if the individual pranks are supposedly malicious or not in that case...

None of the pranks were meant for Gilda. Again, it was merely dumb luck that she set them off. She was at least synpafhetic in this scene as I too would've blown my top if I was in her situation. Yes, she overreacted, but I can understand why she got so steamed.

7048336

It's something that they went away from.

Especially in season two, but that's not a bad thing.

I really hope kids didn't hold parties to humiliate the friends of their friends they didn't like after this.

Honestly, I don't think any kid watching this episode would come away from it with that idea.

the thing about Twilight's comment is that that's exactly what ends up happening to people that are being abused a lot of times. They tell a friend, and the friend brushes it off and tells them they need to change. And this could very well happen to kids, too.

Never thought of it that way.

A lot of her awful behavior was bullying type behavior, though. The episode may not have been about her acting like a bully, but she was acting like one...

And the worst part about this is that it comes completely out of nowhere. I completely understand why Gilda was acting this way towards Pinkie, though.

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Gilda could be seen as a reflection of some aspects of Rainbow's character, and I could[/ii] see Rainbow having acted more like Gilda back in the day, and grown out of it.

While I can't see Rainbow Dash acting this way (although sone episodes certainly do seem to support this idea), if that were the case it makes her booting Gilda out of her life completely understandable.

7048475

I really enjoyed this, as it feels like one of those episode follow-ups that Equestria Daily usually does.

Thanks!

Uh, no. As is stated in the episode, Rainbow Dash is the one who set up all of the pranks and none of them were meant for Gilda; it was just dumb luck that she just so happened to set them all off.

Well, one thing to keep in mind with the way I wrote this followup. I wrote the first couple lines, then started watching, and was basically pausing every few minutes to write my impressions on what I'd seen. Then I wrote the end, went over things afterwards, and inserted pictures.

This was an episode I hadn't watched in a long time. So when I wrote that, I actually didn't remember that Rainbow did the pranks, and was going off of what I'd seen up to that point, which all pointed to Pinkie, not to mention that Pinkie shocked Gilda with an electric buzzer right at the start of the party.

In Greek mythology, griffons and ponies are mortal enemies due to the fact that, at least in Greek mythology, griffons are known to eat ponies.

Imagine how different the episode would be if Gilda had eaten a pony!

Given that she's voiced by Marÿke Hendrikse of all people, this isn't surprising that she would totally chew out the ponies by cussing their ears off. But, no, seriously, if this weren't a childrens' show, Gilda probably would've really given them an earful by doing just that. And, honestly, I can't blame her for losing her temper.

Yeah, if this show had cussing, it'd would have been right here. Though later on, the show managed some effective non-cussing cussing.

Honestly, this is probably my biggest problem with this episode, the moral, which seems to contradict the one we had in "The Return of Harmony."

And, you know, sometimes the difference between a false and true friend doesn't come to light for your friend, and their bad friend convinces them to cut ties with you...

None of the pranks were meant for Gilda. Again, it was merely dumb luck that she set them off. She was at least sympathetic in this scene as I too would've blown my top if I was in her situation. Yes, she overreacted, but I can understand why she got so steamed.

And they still framed everything as if Pinkie had done all the pranks and had her acting as if she had. That was one of the things that bothered me, and now that I know that the original outline didn't have Rainbow saying that she set up the pranks, and it was added in a revised outline, it feels like they tacked that in, but wrote everything around it as if it was still Pinkie behind all the pranks...

Never thought of it that way.

I read a lot, and I've read a bit in the past about why people stay in abusive relationships, and gaslighting and things like that. A lot of times, the abusive person acts nice and sympathetic in public, and also trashes the reputation of the person they are abusing while they are at it, though not necessarily blatantly.

It's one of the reasons why it's a bit of a flag if you start dating someone, and they talk about their crazy ex. They might have a crazy ex, but it's also possible they'll be making everyone thing you are a crazy ex later down the road...

Gilda, mind you, is only acting nice around Rainbow Dash. Not quite the same situation, but taking what someone says about being abused at face value still applies.

And the worst part about this is that it comes completely out of nowhere. I completely understand why Gilda was acting this way towards Pinkie, though.

I can understand her being annoyed with Pinkie. I do take issue with her doing things that could potentially have involved Pinkie falling to her death, though. Though it was more Looney Tunes logic at that stage then it is later in the show, so that could be messing with my expectations a bit.

While I can't see Rainbow Dash acting this way (although some episodes certainly do seem to support this idea), if that were the case it makes her booting Gilda out of her life completely understandable.

I do kinda wish we'd seen more of her backstory. And by the time we saw Gilda again, the people who previously would have had ideas on her backstory with Rainbow Dash would've been mostly gone...

--Sweetie Belle

7048427

but that doesn't change that it was the solution presented by the episode. Irritate 'em until they lose their temper and if they lose their temper... they lose I guess? Wouldn't it have made for a better result if Pinkie just showed Gilda being mean without the endless prodding, no matter who was the cause? [...] Nah, I dun' like it. There's too many bad ways to interpret this.

Does Pinkie look like someone that makes plans? She is like a pony chasing butterflies, she wouldn't know what to do if she ever caught one!
Don't overthink this, especially season one

No, Pinkie doesn't have to do anything, the point is that an awful person will expose themselves sooner or later, and then it's up to your friend to do something about it.

And again, we are talking about little kids here.

7048475

I don't think I can link the show bible, but it's online if you want to check (it's pretty great), but the main audience for this show is "girls aged 6 - 11" , with a secondary audience of little-er kids (3 - 6 years old), "boys" and finally their mothers.

Anyway, nobody said anything about it not being enjoyable for adults, my point was just that the first season had more morals that were definitively aimed to its target audience than, I dunno, Twilight going into a complete neurotic breakdown over exams, which is something everyone older relates, but hardly something a kid understands.

“Pinkie, this is my griffin friend, Gilda.” Introducing someone as the only member of a species that you happen to be friends with might not be the best of things…

Well, how many ponies are friends with any griffins?

And Gilda sends Rainbow in a different direction, yells at Pinkie to get lost, and assaults her. Remind me why she’s redeemed again? Someone’s acting like that, get away from them.

Well that's kind of the point here, isn't it?

“And I’ve never met a griffin this mean! Well, I’ve never met a griffin at all, but if I had, I bet she wouldn’t have been as mean and grumpy as Gilda!” Fair.

Spoken like a pony who has never been to Griffonstone (yet).

Everypony starts playing “Pin the Tail on the Pony”, which is Rarity’s favorite game. Seriously, Rarity?

And why ever not, darling?

Though Rainbow claims to have set up all those pranks herself. Which could be (though Pinkie Pie was wearing the buzzer), though it wouldn’t explain Pinkie’s line earlier. Unless Pinkie had Rainbow set up the pranks, which would make sense. It actually makes Pinkie’s revenge better if she can have Rainbow execute it.

The point is that Pinkie wasn't doing revenge at all.

7048475

Honestly, this is probably my biggest problem with this episode, the moral, which seems to contradict the one we had in "The Return of Harmony."

Hmm? How come?

Like you say, it's a shame that we didn't get that.

But... we did. It just took a while.

I'm going to take a contrary stand and say I liked this one - looking back at my reviews of Season 1, it's the first one I've ranked as "Excellent" rather than just Good. Parttly becuse I like Gilda as our first "social villain", and the wider implications of griffons. And a lot because on a lesser show (like later FIM) they would have pranked Fluttershy, and the episode would be about dealing with that - but instead, the characters solved the obvious plot by not making a dumb mistake, and were rewarded with a cool guest star.

There's a line in the sand that you just don't cross, and in the early seasons it definitely sat at fing with Fluttershy. In fairness, it still sat there in the later seasons, but it was a whole other kind of wrong in the early seasons... specifically before Fluttershy found her more no-nonsense side. Unfortunately for Gilda, she didn't know about this line until she crossed it and officially became THAT birb

7048641

And they still framed everything as if Pinkie had done all the pranks and had her acting as if she had. That was one of the things that bothered me, and now that I know that the original outline didn't have Rainbow saying that she set up the pranks, and it was added in a revised outline, it feels like they tacked that in, but wrote everything around it as if it was still Pinkie behind all the pranks...

No. Here is the dialogue from the actual episode.

Gilda: No way. It was Pinkie Pie. She set up this party to trip me up, to make a fool of me.
Pinkie Pie: Me? I threw this party to improve your attitude. I thought a good party might turn that frown upside down.

A lot of times, the abusive person acts nice and sympathetic in public, and also trashes the reputation of the person they are abusing while they are at it, though not necessarily blatantly.

Oh, i know. I speak from experience.

Not quite the same situation, but taking what someone says about being abused at face value still applies.

But Pinkie never said anything about Gilda's abuse. Again, here is the dialogue from the actual episode.

Twilight Sparkle: So Pinkie Pie, are you sure that this friend of Rainbow Dash is really so mean?
Pinkie Pie: Um, yeah. She keeps stealing Rainbow Dash away, she pops my balloons, and she told me to buzz off. I've never met a griffon this mean. Well, actually, I've never met a griffon at all, but I bet if I had, she wouldn't have been as mean and grumpy as Gilda.
Twilight Sparkle: You know what I think, Pinkie Pie.
Pinkie Pie: Hmm?
Twilight Sparkle: Well, I think... you're jealous.
Pinkie Pie: Jealous?
Twilight Sparkle: Well, yes. Jealous. Listen Pinkie, I don't want to upset you, but just because Rainbow Dash has another friend doesn't make Gilda a grump. I mean, perhaps it's you, Pinkie, who needs to improve her attitude.
Pinkie Pie: Improve my attitude? But I... D... B.. It's Gilda that... D... Are you seri... [scream of frustration]

And by the time we saw Gilda again, the people who previously would have had ideas on her backstory with Rainbow Dash would've been mostly gone...

But RD's backstory isn't important. They likely left it open-ended for us fans to have fun with. Besides, we got a little bit of her backstory in episodes like "Sonic Rainboom", "Newbie Dash", and "Parental Glideance."

7048655 Hmm, that might have been Hasbro's intention, but I distinctly remember Lauren Faust saying that she didn't make the show exclusively just to appeal to kids. She comes from a background where shows like The Powerpuff Girls not only appealed to kids, but college kids as well. I'm sure she took that into account when making this show. And, yes, the first couple of seasons had morals, but I think that might have been the trade-off with Haabro. They probably agreed to let Lauren and her team have full reign of fhe show, within reason, as long as they included morals, and even long after they sropped doing them after season two, they still made the effort to include morals all the way up to the ending of the series.

Hmm? How come?

The noral for "The Return of Harmony" was that friendship is hard, but there's no soubt it's worth fighting for. This episode, on the other hand, takes that moral and chucks it out the window. The moral for this episode seems to be, "Friendship is hard, but there's no doubt it's worth fighting for, except when your best friend is a rude, inconsiderate bitch, then you can just dump her like a hot potato."

But... we did. It just took a while.

Not really. Episodes like "Sonic Rainboom", "Newbie Dash", amd "Parental Glideance" gave us snippets here and there at least.

And a lot because on a lesser show (like later FIM) they would have pranked Fluttershy, and the episode would be about dealing with that - but instead, the characters solved the obvious plot by not making a dumb mistake, and were rewarded with a cool guest star.

We actually got that episode years later in season six's "28 Pranls Later."

7049059 Sadly, she has yet to live this down. I don't think there's anything she could've done to redeem herself for doing this to poor Fluftershy. You do not mess with Fluttershy! Ever!

7048276
Pinkie has become one of my favorite ponies, but seriously, it took a while. This episode certainly didn't help.

There are some people who Just. Don't. Get. It, and she's one of them. When someone tells you, overtly or covertly, to LEAVE THEM THE HELL ALONE, that's probably a good idea. I can't fathom why the writers had her as such an annoying character...maybe they knew someone like that in real life and thought she was cute. If I met someone like Pinkie in real life, it would be all I could do not to strangle them. And you just know Pinkie caused a sizable majority of the target audience to emulate her. Gaaah!

7049099

And a lot because on a lesser show (like later FIM) they would have pranked Fluttershy, and the episode would be about dealing with that - but instead, the characters solved the obvious plot by not making a dumb mistake, and were rewarded with a cool guest star.

We actually got that episode years later in season six's "28 Pranls Later."

I kinda liked 28 Pranks Later. Not as much as other Rainbow-centric eps by a long shot, and it does kinda give off similar vibes as Mysterious Mare-Do-Well, but I think there's a few things that are more impressive in 28 Pranks, especially since it had the leisure of having an established Rainbow and a more courageous, tougher Fluttershy.

I always kinda scratched my head at the criticism that 'RD pranked Fluttershy! Raaaagh!', because it seemed mostly to stem from the whole meme of 'make Fluttershy cry, u die!', which is hardly elaborate analysis...

It's also a more constructive way to deal with Rainbow's pranking (it's inclusive, unlike what we see happen to Gilda here! They basically teach her a lesson by joining in on something Rainbow enjoys, which is conducive to how Rainbow operates: she mostly learns through contest, if she gets beaten, she stops to think), and it also serves to highlight Rainbow's heroic qualities, which never happens to any character in Griffon the Brush Off... Gilda is simply portrayed as irredeemable (kinda out of the blue as well...), whereas Rainbow gets the benefit of proactively working to save the children first and lead a rescue, which is pretty impressive, and a healthy reminder for her character: she may be tone-deaf to how to act sociably, but she is a brave, heroic character in the face of immediate danger.

If I had a criticism of 28 Pranks, well, it's that it doesn't really say much about the characters. I don't think I've ever quoted it when analysing RD's character, or anyone else's (although the argument could be made that all the other characters demonstrated a more fun-oriented mindset when it came to defusing a growing problem, which is nice since episodes like Bats!...).

7048276 I think what hurts this episode the most is that it changes direction multiple times. We start out with an unrelated, unspecified story about Rainbow Dash avoiding Pinkie Pie for some reason. Then we have Pinkie stalking Rainbow Dash, which while fun doesn't really have connection to the plot. Then we have Rainbow and Pinkie pranking others and hanging out. Then it abruptly segways into Gilda. And then it takes a while before we realize the focus is on Gilda being a bully, which even then is framed more from Pinkie Pie's perspective than Gilda's which unfortunately colors it.

This is also a highlight to one of Season 1's biggest problems, shoehorning Twilight into every episode even if she doesn't have a role to play, just so she can deliver the friendship report/aesop at the end.

And to think that some reviewers only complain about Gilda's outdated 90's slang.

The noral for "The Return of Harmony" was that friendship is hard, but there's no soubt it's worth fighting for. This episode, on the other hand, takes that moral and chucks it out the window. The moral for this episode seems to be, "Friendship is hard, but there's no doubt it's worth fighting for, except when your best friend is a rude, inconsiderate bitch, then you can just dump her like a hot potato."

TThis show oftten prefers tto show tthe two sides o a moral through separate stories rather than trying to balance them. For instance, try comparing Suitted for Success and Flutttershy Leans in.) The whole moral is probably "Good friends are worth fighting for, and also worth cutting loose bad friends over."

Not really. Episodes like "Sonic Rainboom", "Newbie Dash", amd "Parental Glideance" gave us snippets here and there at least.

Griffin lore, worldbuilding, Rainbow's backstory with Gilda? I think you're missing an important title there.

We actually got that episode years later in season six's "28 Pranls Later."

Yeah, and possibly needed it sooner - say, in Mare Do well's slot. But at this point, five eps in, the subversion was fun.

And Pinkie has emotionally hurt Fluttershy more and is still a popular character.

7049156
The main point where this would come to the fore was A Friend in Deed - and they kind of fluffed it.

7049158
Yeah, it may not be a great ep, but it's not a bad one either. (Though I don't think anyone really saw Gilda is iredeemable here - she just stormed out in a huff.)

7050221
Yeah, you see, what you don't like about this episode is part of what I like about it. It doesn't follow an easily predicted route, but it all connects in the end. And I don't see Twilight as being particularly intrusive, either.

7050287 Irredeemable is probably a strong word, but I think it's hard to argue that the episode didn't put considerable effort into convincing the audience that Gilda was a Bad Dude by having her act pretty outrageously unjustifiably (nearly running over ducklings? If there was a puppy on that street, I'm convinced Gilda would have tried to kick it in that rather blunt sequence...) , and made no effort in keeping open the possibility of redemption...

Not the point of the episode, I know, but the ep goes to great lengths to show no good aspect to Gilda, which thankfully is something that 28 Pranks didn't have to deal with, since we already knew Rainbow had many strong qualities. I simply found it particularly strong of the ep to keep those virtues at the forefront when Rainbow was dealing with the consequences of her attitude, which made the whole ordeal feel more nuanced to me...

7050308
Her crimes are certainly clear, but also quite petty, and not really that much worse than what any of the Manes might do on a bad day.

As for the "good aspect", I think you might have missed it in your looking at Gilda as a bad side of Rainbow's - it's that she is Rainbow's friend. Both in that she seems complerty sincere about it (compare how she treats RD to how she treats everyone else) and the fact that even early RD probably wouldn't make friends with someone unless they had something to recommend them.

Really, if the portrayal was as you said, why was Gilda brought back and redeemed so often, in fics and then eventually in the show? Because people saw her as totally redeemable, of course - and they were watching the same episode you were.

7050387 That's an interesting point (and the point that, years later, the show works that concept way more than it does here), but probably botched by how it was presented in the episode... Once Pinkie starts spying on Gilda, I don't remember much in the way of good aspects to her, and we don't even see her with Dash that much... Twilight even implies in the end that Gilda was a 'false friend', and since in the episode itself they don't make any move to support their 'friendship' and work through Gilda's attitude, it doesn't speak well of how much either RD or Big G valued that relationship at the time of the episode... and it certainly doesn't leave a good impression of where the episode appears to want to leave their friendship, so I doubt we were originally supposed to value Gilda and RD's relationship that much...

I think fans of the show were quick to pick up on the weirdness surrounding this episode. Just because the ep worked pretty hard to sell Gilda as a baddie doesn't mean every fan bought it, evidently... and eventually the show itself came around to try and do their relationship a bit more justice than what was presented here. And remember, just because some fans redeemed her doesn't mean all of them followed suit... I remember a fair few fics involving a vengeful, even murderous Gilda...

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Of course we don't see good aspects through Pinkie's point of view - the whole point is that Pinkie is trying to give her the benefit of the doubt, so she has to see condemning evidence. (Which is another moral - this ep has a few - "try not to judge people by one bad deed, but rather their overall behaviour".) But we don't really see her with Dash much from Pinkie's view either. Even in the end, her only real objection to Dash is her standing with Pinkie - and what's Twilight's record on being right so far this episode? She' still a friendship novice anyway.

Gilda could go either way after this episode, and I think (without checking the leaks) that that was probably intentional, in as much as any thought was given to the re-usability of guest characters five episodes in.

7050473 Pre. Sen. Ta. Tion.

The episode presents only Pinkie's view, and vindicates it. I get that we can say 'oh well, uh, what if Pinkie was just wrong or biased?!', but it's the job of the episode to show us these alternate viewpoints and give us that information. It doesn't; if it wanted us to buy that Gilda had all these hidden redeeming aspects, it's still failed miserably at showing them until years later.

The episode presents a moral stating that Gilda is a false friend, and what we're supposed to do is interpret that as 'oh well the moral of the episode is just wrong'? Nah, man. Bad presentation. I don't buy it.

I've said it before further up, but yeah, I get that there are interpretations of this ep that are good and all that, and I know that's what they were going for (because of course they weren't aiming for any of these negative interpretations) but it wasn't put forward well. It did give us the character Gilda, though, and whilst she was done dirty here by the show, it opened up the possibility of them reversing that later on and building something stronger onto her character. It just wasn't in this ep.

7050502
And yet many people still came away thinking Gilda wasn't actually that bad. (Not as many as Trixie, but that's next week.) I don't think that was by accident. She was never meant to be worse than a petty jerk.

And really, I think the show did her strong enough out of the gate. Just the part where she sings the Junior Speedsters song with Rainbow says a lot.

I recall you saying once that you switched your least liked characters to the most over time, So I gather from that you aren't a fan of early RD. I do wonder if that hinders you in seeing Gilda as more than a flat character here.

7050513

I recall you saying once that you switched your least liked characters to the most over time, So I gather from that you aren't a fan of early RD. I do wonder if that hinders you in seeing Gilda as more than a flat character here.

...why? Dislike of one character doesn't mean dislike of another, separate character, surely?

Besides, Rainbow was never my least favourite. She was just lower than Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy and Spike. I always had Pinkie and Rarity to remind me that I disliked other characters more! Aw. Good times.

Then Rainbow and Rarity catapulted upwards, Applejack pretty much stayed where she was, Twilight descended, and Fluttershy plummeted hard. Whoops. Hap struggles with the shypone. D :

7050524
No, but you said yourself that that you prefer to look at her as RD's bad side., which obfuscates the relationship between them. And of course, her friendship isn't much endorsement to you. If you also disliked Pinkie, I can see why you don't like this one much. I didn't dislike any character at this point,including Gilda, so...

7050538 So what, you like the characters and therefore aren't biased, but I didn't and therefore I am? Surely that works both ways...

I did rewatch the episode later from a more recent perspective as well, you know, and I wouldn't assume too hard what counts as an endorsement for me. You know what they say about assuming!

Contrary to how it may seem, Gilda was actually my favorite part of this episode. Shouting at Pinkie scored her major points with me. But I still don't think she was presented in such a way that was conducive to understanding and empathising with her situation, and I certainly don't think that she was intended to be likeable. Her little dance was cute though.

7050575
Well, I got her fine. It's not that we're meant to understand her situation, but her being bothered by Pinkie is obvious enough - we see Rainbow being annoyed by her earlier, if it wasn't obvious enough - and since she's being "bad" on a TV-Y7 show she hardly does anything unforgivable by grown-up standards. (Well, maybe the balloon-popping. And this is still the show where the big bad was just jealous of her sister getting the spotlight - I don't think anyone who appears in it at this point is supposed to be essentially bad, just some more flawed than others.

Hmm... I finally bit the bullet and went leak-diving. The results are... interesting, but not conclusive.

It seems that "Grizelda" was originally intended to be acting bad "true to her griffinly nature" - non-ponies really weren't Faust's strong position, were they? This is only at the bible stage, though, which doesn't really explain why she wants to hang out with Dash (no old friends angle yet). Note that she is also drawn and described a lot prettier than Gilda.

Then we get to the outline stage, and the flight camp angle comes in, with the story taking it's recognisable form. However, this Grizelda is still distinct from Gilda in that she's more of an alpha bitch, top-of-the-school type. This was probably changed (and her design roughened up) as the team got a better sense of Rainbow Dash and where she fit in the social order.

So she does seem pretty unsympathetic by design - but the elements of that design are changing often enough it's hard to pin down. (They also seem to have gone back and forth on which one of them should break the friendship - in the end it's kind of mutual, though Rainbow leads.)

I have nothing nice to say regarding this episode. If you ask me, this episode was one of those episodes where a lot of potential was completely wasted. Here we have an example of a good character being introduced and the writers doing nothing with her but making her a one-note bully character. I can’t stand it when writers do that.

We’re introduced to Gilda, a griffon, a character who could have been a great way of establishing Rainbow Dash’s backstory. Furthermore, this is a character that we’ve never seen before, so this could have been a great opportunity to expand the universe and give us a chance to explore the Griffon Kingdom. We don’t get any of that in this episode. What we get is an episode of Pinkie Pie being jealous, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg of all the problems that this episode has.

For one thing, Gilda seems to be a pretty likable character when we first meet her. Then, for no reason, and with no transition at all, Gilda suddenly starts being cruel to Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. With Pinkie Pie, I can understand because she was being annoying by way of constantly bothering Gilda and Rainbow Dash. The latter is perplexing, however. Fluttershy is leading a group of ducks down the street. Instead of getting out of their way, Gilda deliberately bumps into Fluttershy, all so she can call Fluttershy a doofus and tell her to watch where she’s going. It didn’t help that she screamed in Fluttershy’s face, bringing the poor thing to tears. It’s no wonder Pinkie Pie got so pissed off. Gilda being cruel to Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie for little to no reason at all quickly got on my nerves. What makes this even more annoying is that the only reason the writers did this was for no other reason other than to show us that Gilda is a bitch. Like I said, “The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone” really helps this episode be more tolerable, but that doesn’t necessarily make it any better.

Now we get to the climax of the episode, that being the party that Pinkie threw for Gilda in hopes of improving her attitude. Did Gilda overreact? Yes, but you can’t tell me that if you were assaulted by prank after prank for a good five minutes, you wouldn’t be pissed off too. I know for sure that I would be. This scene isn’t helped by the fact that Rainbow Dash pretty much tells Gilda, “Screw you! Get out of my life!” This seems to really contradict the moral of “The Return of Harmony.” The moral there was that friendship was worth fighting for. According to this episode, friendship is worth fighting for, unless your friend is an inconsiderate bitch.

Had the writers gone into how and why Gilda was a bitch and given her some character development, this could have been a great episode. As it stands, though, this is one of my least favorite episodes of this season. Not helping matters is the fact that Twilight learned the lesson and not Pinkie Pie. Granted, this was back in season one, back before the rest of the cast started to learn friendship lessons, but given that Rarity learned a lesson in “Sonic Rainboom”, there is no reason why the lesson couldn’t have been shifted to Pinkie here. Instead of the moral being that you can’t control your friends’ behavior and that there is plenty of room for old and new friends, how about the moral be that you shouldn’t butt into peoples’ lives and learn to leave people alone when they ask you to? That moral would have fit this episode perfectly.

7155207
Some people really are just jerks. And others - like Gilda - are more than just jerks, but that doesn't stop them being big jerks too.

Maybe Rainbow could have handled things better, but she's far from perfect herself. And I do think her and Gilda's interactions, while brief, say plenty.

7155207 Gilda was the one who made it all about herself. She sent Rainbow Dash away to lure Pinkie close, and instead of telling her she was being annoying she said she thought Rainbow Dash didn't need anymore friends. And it was Gilda who made the ultimatium, telling Dash they should leave together. Rainbow was appalled by Gilda's behavior, but Gilda made it a case of "Me or them". About the only thing Rainbow Dash could've and should've done was try to get in touch with Gilda later, instead of letting the bridge be burned.

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Gilda was the one who made it all about herself. She sent Rainbow Dash away to lure Pinkie close, and instead of telling her she was being annoying she said she thought Rainbow Dash didn't need anymore friends.

Pinkie wasn't much better. Up to that point Pinkie had been constantly bothering them. As much as I may not like Gilda in this episode, I can at least understand where she's coming from. Pinkie obviously couldn't take a hint. What makes you think she'd listen to Gilda telling her she was being annoying?

And it was Gilda who made the ultimatium, telling Dash they should leave together. Rainbow was appalled by Gilda's behavior, but Gilda made it a case of "Me or them". About the only thing Rainbow Dash could've and should've done was try to get in touch with Gilda later, instead of letting the bridge be burned.

Except there was an obvious, peaceable solution here. Have everyone take a ten-minute break to cool down and talk things out. But, nope. Dash pretty much says, "Fuck you, get out of my life." Who does that to one of their best friends from childhood? Honestly, this episode makes every single character look terrible, including Twilight.