S05E01-02: The Cutie Map

Episode, movie, and comic book discussion threads are kept here once they have been released.

Moderators: Perrydotto, Dexanth, Venusy, Wayoshi

Re: S05E01-02: The Cutie Map

Postby Headless Horse (?) » Sun Apr 05, 2015 2:56 am

I spy with my little eye a running theme among Larson's ensemble episodes: having Fluttershy be the one who has to shoulder the burden and come through for the rest of them.

Return of Harmony, Magic Duel, this... possibly others?
Headless Horse
User avatar
The yoke is strictly ornamental
Faithful Students
Joined: May 23, 2011

Postby Perpetual Lurker (?) » Sun Apr 05, 2015 2:58 am

Headless Horse wrote:I spy with my little eye a running theme among Larson's ensemble episodes: having Fluttershy be the one who has to shoulder the burden and come through for the rest of them.

Return of Harmony, Magic Duel, this... possibly others?


Fluttershy was the first friend to be fixed in Magical Mystery Cure, and had the most direct focus given to her due to the fact that her conversion happened before the musical montage began.

That's the only other one off the top of my head, though.
Perpetual Lurker
User avatar
Just blending in.
Special Flowers
Joined: Oct 16, 2012
Gender: Genderless

Postby Lapis Infinitas (?) » Sun Apr 05, 2015 3:00 am

The Doctor wrote:Well, having Spike would have presented a few problems. One he has no Cutie Mark, so he can't be affected by Starlight, and second, he could have just sent word to Celestia and Luna once the six had their Cutie Marks zapped away.


Or he completely saves the day again and they have to give him another stained glass window.
Those things are expensive.
Lapis Infinitas
User avatar
Joined: Feb 14, 2011

Postby PonyHag714 (?) » Sun Apr 05, 2015 3:01 am

:pcstare: :unenthused: Twilight, we have seen the light and rejected our cutie marks. No longer will we be in conflict.

:shock: But you raise the sun...and Luna raises the moon! How...

:speakest: From this day forward, we will raise them both at the same time! And it shall be called Nightday!

:pcstare: Excuse me, sister, but I believe you mean Daynight.

:unenthused: No, I'm quite certain it's Nightday.

:pcstare: I beg your pardon, younger sister...

:bluh: Here we go again.
Last edited by PonyHag714 on Sun Apr 05, 2015 3:02 am, edited 1 time in total.
Image You can't deny the prize, it may never fulfill you.
PonyHag714
User avatar
Now let's go round again!
Joined: Mar 18, 2013
Location: Oromareocto, Canterda
Gender: Male

Postby The Doctor (?) » Sun Apr 05, 2015 3:01 am

Headless Horse wrote:I spy with my little eye a running theme among Larson's ensemble episodes: having Fluttershy be the one who has to shoulder the burden and come through for the rest of them.

Return of Harmony, Magic Duel, this... possibly others?


I noticed that too. He liked to set her up to where she has to push past her fears to really come through for the others. It's a really great way to show her out of her element, and it doesn't even have to be in an episode about her.

You kind of see it in his other episodes from S1 as well. Sonic Rainboom we see her defending Rainbow Dash in Cloudsdale. And in "Cutie Mark Chronicles her story is about finding happiness in a new, and potentially scary place.
The Doctor
User avatar
Turner of all things timey wimey
Celestia's Champions
Joined: May 05, 2011
Location: Time & Space
Gender: Male

Postby Factory Factory (?) » Sun Apr 05, 2015 3:05 am

Headless Horse wrote:I spy with my little eye a running theme among Larson's ensemble episodes: having Fluttershy be the one who has to shoulder the burden and come through for the rest of them.

Return of Harmony, Magic Duel, this... possibly others?


She really is the character for whom it's the biggest deal. It's an automatic stakes-raising to put her in tough situations because she's least equipped to deal with them emotionally.
There is no guarantee that the wizard selling you that bag full of magic sand is wearing pants underneath his robes.
Factory Factory
User avatar
a serious ponk for serious times
Semper Pie
Joined: Nov 07, 2011
Location: Horsedale, NY
Gender: Male

Postby Seven Seas (?) » Sun Apr 05, 2015 3:15 am

PictishBeast wrote:Fluttershy is really, really uncomfortable around arguments and confrontations, so it seems in-character to me that she'd respond well emotionally to this village as being a safe place (even if she knew intellectually that something was off).

I'm with you here, but I think our minds went to different places. Mine immediately flashed back to Hurricane Fluttershy. Ever since childhood, Fluttershy's had a little voice in the back of her head telling her that she's the misfit, the worse-than, the not-good-enough. For her to be "equal" back then would have been a dream. A town where everyone is equal, where everyone is as good at everything as everyone else? I can see why that would be seductive.
:scootawoo:
Seven Seas
User avatar
Fulfilling Jordan's MLP quota
Scootaloo's Pro Scooters
Joined: Jan 25, 2013
Location: Amman, Jordan
Gender: Genderless
Pronoun: They

Postby PictishBeast (?) » Sun Apr 05, 2015 3:25 am

Seven Seas wrote:I'm with you here, but I think our minds went to different places. Mine immediately flashed back to Hurricane Fluttershy. Ever since childhood, Fluttershy's had a little voice in the back of her head telling her that she's the misfit, the worse-than, the not-good-enough. For her to be "equal" back then would have been a dream. A town where everyone is equal, where everyone is as good at everything as everyone else? I can see why that would be seductive.


This is a good point. For the misfit ponies and the ponies with low self-esteem, the village is a step up. For ponies like Dash, it's intolerable.
PictishBeast
User avatar
Character Select: Winter Nickel
Abilities: Cynicism lv1, Ennui lv1
Inventory: Turnip
Diamond Dusters
Joined: Aug 12, 2012
Gender: Male

Postby Headless Horse (?) » Sun Apr 05, 2015 3:25 am

Yeah. She doesn't express it in those terms here (she goes on about how nice everyone is), but knowing how open-eyed Larson depicts Fluttershy being about her own inadequacy (cf. her conversation with Discord in the maze), you just know she's kind of pining for a chance not to have to constantly be wrestling with those feelings.
Headless Horse
User avatar
The yoke is strictly ornamental
Faithful Students
Joined: May 23, 2011

Postby Dexanth (?) » Sun Apr 05, 2015 3:33 am

Forgive me if nobody else pointed out this cue, but the one thing I loved :
When they lose their marks, their colors become desaturated. Everypony BUT Starlight is desaturated, so it's a big hint she's not given up her mark.

Also, we watched Rainbow Rocks today - and if you look at that, when ponies sit in their thrones there, the marks glow. So RR has foreshadowing for S5E01/02 :awesomedash:
:milkshake: Image ImageImage Image
Dexanth
User avatar
Love conquers all
Celestia's Champions
Joined: Oct 23, 2011
Gender: Female

Postby Highbrow Dash (?) » Sun Apr 05, 2015 3:36 am

Dexanth wrote:Forgive me if nobody else pointed out this cue, but the one thing I loved :
When they lose their marks, their colors become desaturated. Everypony BUT Starlight is desaturated, so it's a big hint she's not given up her mark.


They probably should have given her a muted color scheme, it was a dead giveaway :-P
Image
Highbrow Dash
User avatar
but why would you post such a thing??
Rarity's Roughnecks
Joined: Oct 15, 2011
Location: Spain
Gender: Male

Postby PictishBeast (?) » Sun Apr 05, 2015 3:37 am

I mean, I can definitely see the appeal of that village. You're not constantly competing with other people for limited jobs, you actually have something to do every day, and if you have an off day you're not going to get replaced by someone hungrier and more talented. You can actually relax and not live in constant, gut-churning anxiety that certain disaster is coming for you tomorrow morning like an oncoming freight train.

I'd want to live there at least 50% of the time. :fluttersmith:
PictishBeast
User avatar
Character Select: Winter Nickel
Abilities: Cynicism lv1, Ennui lv1
Inventory: Turnip
Diamond Dusters
Joined: Aug 12, 2012
Gender: Male

Postby Wayoshi (?) » Sun Apr 05, 2015 3:45 am

Highbrow Dash wrote:
They probably should have given her a muted color scheme, it was a dead giveaway :-P

You didn't know the other ponies' colors were desaturated until they got their marks back, though. It was subtle enough that it's fine on first watch.
Wayoshi
User avatar
Paper Fluttershy
Stare Masters
Joined: Oct 26, 2011
Location: Boston, MA
Gender: Male

Postby acksed (?) » Sun Apr 05, 2015 3:45 am

One thing about the Map itself: I'm now almost sure that friendship magic is an actual school, but almost unmasterable because it's a living force. It takes Zen-like acceptance and close bonds to your friends before it'll align with your wishes - in return you tap into one of the fundamental forces of Equestria. Attuning to a friendship artifact is even more onerous, as you exchange part of your free will to become a tool of magic. :twience:
:rainbert: "Rarity, you look ridiculous."
:vogue: "I'm going to ignore that comment out of a desire to help you."
acksed
User avatar
I'm mad, I'm mad, I'm reallyreallyreally mad
Joined: Nov 25, 2013
Gender: Male

Postby Headless Horse (?) » Sun Apr 05, 2015 3:48 am

I wonder how many more times the writers think they can get away with doing variations on this "the ponies have something integral to their characters taken away" thing?

So far we've seen:

- Their Elements get inverted/Discorded (leading to their friendship-fueled powers being sapped)

- Their destinies (as a component of their cutie marks) get swapped with others

- Their abilities as particular pony types get drained by Tirek

- Their Elements have to be "refreshed" throughout S4 as a kind of protracted, season-long version of RoH

- Their special talents (as the other component of their cutie marks) get removed


The writers' room must be quite a grim battlefield after a long night of whiteboarded ideas about how they're gonna subvert these richly defined characters' personalities this time. :gotcha:
Headless Horse
User avatar
The yoke is strictly ornamental
Faithful Students
Joined: May 23, 2011

Postby Headless Horse (?) » Sun Apr 05, 2015 3:49 am

PictishBeast wrote:I mean, I can definitely see the appeal of that village. You're not constantly competing with other people for limited jobs, you actually have something to do every day, and if you have an off day you're not going to get replaced by someone hungrier and more talented. You can actually relax and not live in constant, gut-churning anxiety that certain disaster is coming for you tomorrow morning like an oncoming freight train.

I'd want to live there at least 50% of the time. :fluttersmith:


Yeah, and I suspect the other 50% is when you're actually the hungrier and more talented variety :amazing:
Headless Horse
User avatar
The yoke is strictly ornamental
Faithful Students
Joined: May 23, 2011

Postby Ragnar (?) » Sun Apr 05, 2015 3:50 am

Highbrow Dash wrote:
They probably should have given her a muted color scheme, it was a dead giveaway :-P

I figured her mark was an equal sign to begin with.
Image

Aramek wrote: :eyebrow: Hmmf, Ragnar the Red indeed.
Ragnar
User avatar
Rarity's Roughnecks
Joined: Feb 14, 2011
Location: large gutter
Gender: Male

Postby Marioland1 (?) » Sun Apr 05, 2015 4:01 am

Ragnar wrote:I figured her mark was an equal sign to begin with.

I did as well. Finding it to be a fake was a surprise to me.

I also noticed that she only took the cutie mark off of one side, which somehow made it disappear from the other too. Really Hasbro. You already do it on your toys. Don't do it in the show please.
ImageImage
Marioland1
User avatar
Trouble in Horse Town
Joined: Jun 30, 2014
Location: Behind Minecraft_B5's TTT Control Panel (and autoslay system)
Gender: Male

Postby Ransom (?) » Sun Apr 05, 2015 4:02 am

So about that lore red herring in this episode: Is Mage Meadowlark (sp?) the eastern unicorn and her 8 enchantments something they plan to revist or did they just get tired of attributing every single ancient magical thing in Equestria's history to Star Swirl the Bearded? I'll be disappointed if there is no fanart of her yet.

:-P
Ransom
User avatar
Joined: Mar 24, 2012
Gender: Male

Postby Headless Horse (?) » Sun Apr 05, 2015 4:05 am

I'll be mightily amused if after edging closer and closer to bringing Star Swirl into the show (culminating in S4 with us seeing a stylized version of his face on a Swirlcon flyer), suddenly this season they realize they're getting too close to doing a dumb Ascended Meme thing and WAVE OFF WAVE OFF OH GOD WAVE OFF

And then Derpy joins the cast :-P
Headless Horse
User avatar
The yoke is strictly ornamental
Faithful Students
Joined: May 23, 2011

Postby Headless Horse (?) » Sun Apr 05, 2015 4:07 am

SlateSlabrock wrote:Observations:
  • AJ definitely has a weird deep-voiced moment early on: "Careful, Pinkie!"


She was speaking in Mike's voice
Headless Horse
User avatar
The yoke is strictly ornamental
Faithful Students
Joined: May 23, 2011

Postby blasmeister (?) » Sun Apr 05, 2015 4:12 am

Image
ImageImageImageImage
blasmeister
User avatar
(heavy breathing)
Semper Pie
Joined: Sep 15, 2011
Gender: Male

Postby MochaBean (?) » Sun Apr 05, 2015 4:14 am

It'd be cool if Meadowbrook was brought up again, but I imagine they just needed another wizard to name-drop besides Starswirl. Dude can only be in so many places at a time!

It'd be like if Abraham Lincoln was responsible for every major event in human history. First he ghost authored the Code of Hammurabi, then he invented the printing press. More recently he walked on the moon and was responsible for the dot com boom (but not the bust.)
MochaBean
User avatar
Take it from me, little buddy
Semper Pie
Joined: Mar 25, 2011

Postby Mir (?) » Sun Apr 05, 2015 4:14 am

I was actually kinda surprised they didn't do more with having the mane six "equalized". They spent the entire time locked up.
Maybe it's because they HAVE done this sort of theme before so they didn't feel the need to show them struggling with it, but I guess I was just expecting to see them trying to find a way to deal with the situation that didn't rely on their talents. :ponder:

I'm not complaining, mind you, I like the way it was played too.
like the Matrix, but with raccoons instead of computers...
Mir
User avatar
Apple Artisans
Joined: Jan 11, 2013
Gender: Female

Postby Master_Twig (?) » Sun Apr 05, 2015 4:15 am

Highbrow Dash wrote:
This was such a S1 wacky face, I loved it :-P


That face has Sibsy written all over it.

Great episode. I really liked that the townsfolk took a big role in defeating the villain. I also echo the sentiment that it wasn't a super high stakes story. Also that Twilight wasn't the focus. Really great.
Master_Twig
User avatar
Hey look, a bee.
Joined: Feb 18, 2011

Postby MochaBean (?) » Sun Apr 05, 2015 4:18 am


Geomancing rules and needs to post more. :awesomedash:

I was thinking this same thing when Starlight's name was revealed, after the pattern we've seen.

Unicorn + Celestial Themed Name = OP Horse with the Possibility of Serious Shit Going Down.
MochaBean
User avatar
Take it from me, little buddy
Semper Pie
Joined: Mar 25, 2011

Postby Perpetual Lurker (?) » Sun Apr 05, 2015 4:21 am

Headless Horse wrote:I'll be mightily amused if after edging closer and closer to bringing Star Swirl into the show (culminating in S4 with us seeing a stylized version of his face on a Swirlcon flyer), suddenly this season they realize they're getting too close to doing a dumb Ascended Meme thing and WAVE OFF WAVE OFF OH GOD WAVE OFF

And then Derpy joins the cast :-P


Really, going by what's in the Journal of the Two Sisters, I'd place the likelihood of Twilight meeting Starswirl in the flesh this season via time travel shenanigans pretty damn high. Starswirl plays a huge part in the Journal, and it's heavily implied that he'd traveled far enough forward in time to meet Twilight in person.
Perpetual Lurker
User avatar
Just blending in.
Special Flowers
Joined: Oct 16, 2012
Gender: Genderless

Postby Headless Horse (?) » Sun Apr 05, 2015 4:26 am

Mir wrote:I was actually kinda surprised they didn't do more with having the mane six "equalized". They spent the entire time locked up.
Maybe it's because they HAVE done this sort of theme before so they didn't feel the need to show them struggling with it, but I guess I was just expecting to see them trying to find a way to deal with the situation that didn't rely on their talents. :ponder:

I'm not complaining, mind you, I like the way it was played too.


I appreciated how AJ spent the whole time while locked up lying on her back drumming her heels pointlessly against the door.
Headless Horse
User avatar
The yoke is strictly ornamental
Faithful Students
Joined: May 23, 2011

Postby Seven Seas (?) » Sun Apr 05, 2015 4:37 am

I enjoyed that Pinkie, for once, was the one who spent hours burying herself in books trying to find a way out. That was some really nice characterization. If only the books had any text other than equals signs. :v:
:scootawoo:
Seven Seas
User avatar
Fulfilling Jordan's MLP quota
Scootaloo's Pro Scooters
Joined: Jan 25, 2013
Location: Amman, Jordan
Gender: Genderless
Pronoun: They

Postby WandereringPony (?) » Sun Apr 05, 2015 4:57 am

Wayoshi wrote:Party Favor defies physics with his balloons, common among "silly" cutie marks. I bet he's met up with Cheese Sandwich before. :hiiiii:


People said "Earth Ponies have no real magic"...

Once. Then there was Pinkie. And Cheese. And Party Favor. Three ponies who would (or have) made Twilight's logical-magical mind shut down in protest of their capacities. I think this ought to put that notion down for the count, no?
WandereringPony
Joined: Mar 23, 2013
Gender: Male

Postby Headless Horse (?) » Sun Apr 05, 2015 5:10 am

Party Favor and Double Diamond are excellent top-drawer pony names, btw.


So, I want to note that the whole cold-open sequence and the intro to them heading off on an adventure felt really odd in texture, like it felt like we were joining a story already in progress or something. But then I realized that we were literally picking up exactly at the moment when Twilight's Kingdom left off, like right at the exact frame more or less, the way the ATLA comics took over at the instant of the final cut-to-credits of the show. The ponies went straight from Tirek to map-directed friendship quest without skipping a beat.

Which is especially hilarious considering the length of the inter-season hiatus. :-P

" :v: Gosh, it seems like just yesterday we had these crazy gaudy color schemes and were battling a three-hundred-foot centaur demon!"

" :-/ Actually it was about ten minutes ago."
Headless Horse
User avatar
The yoke is strictly ornamental
Faithful Students
Joined: May 23, 2011

Postby SlateSlabrock (?) » Sun Apr 05, 2015 5:46 am

Aaaand part 2:
ImageImageImageImageImageImageImage

ImageImageImageImageImage

ImageImageImageImageImage

Dexanth wrote:Forgive me if nobody else pointed out this cue, but the one thing I loved :
When they lose their marks, their colors become desaturated. Everypony BUT Starlight is desaturated, so it's a big hint she's not given up her mark.

Add this to magic colors as evidence that ponies are colorblind.
SlateSlabrock
User avatar
The information's unavailable to the mortal man.
Celestia's Champions
Joined: Feb 14, 2011

Postby PaulloDEC (?) » Sun Apr 05, 2015 6:00 am

The Doctor wrote:Maybe we'll get that "Boys Night Out" episode this season. Spike, Big Mac, and Shining Armor.


Oh god, I never realised I needed this until now.
PaulloDEC
User avatar
Gah!
Joined: Jun 13, 2014
Location: Queensland, Australia
Gender: Male

Postby Mr. Big (?) » Sun Apr 05, 2015 6:03 am

A lot of boy-centric shows do a "girls night out" episode, focusing on their female characters. So it'd make sense that a girl-centric show do a "boys night out" episode :-P
Mr. Big
User avatar
A batty bat
Scootaloo's Pro Scooters
Joined: Mar 27, 2011
Location: TN
Gender: Male

Postby SlateSlabrock (?) » Sun Apr 05, 2015 6:06 am

PaulloDEC wrote:
Oh god, I never realised I needed this until now.

Image
(source)
SlateSlabrock
User avatar
The information's unavailable to the mortal man.
Celestia's Champions
Joined: Feb 14, 2011

Postby CrystalBrony (?) » Sun Apr 05, 2015 6:14 am

Ok, mods, I looked for a suitable place to post this... please move it to a better thread if you feel it is too off-topic.

I LOVE DANIEL INGRAM and for me, he nailed it again in this episode. One of the main takeaways for me from "Our Town" was the nod to WWII era propaganda music. The melody seemed to seamlessly drift from a major to minor keys and then back again, making the entire song feel sort of dark and forebodingly creepy. I would almost guess that certain parts of the song (or the whole thing) were in a different mode (i.e. mixolydian or something of the sort for anyone else out there who is musically inclined. If anybody can confirm this and wants to PM me I would love to discuss this further) Honestly, it's not really a song I would probably listen to all day every day to rock out to in my car like "Babs Seed" but for some reason in this episode it just... works. I think that, lyrics aside, even musically it really set the tone for what was to come. Just my two cents.
“Fairy tales are more than true – not because they tell us dragons exist, but because they tell us dragons can be beaten.” ~ G. K. Chesterton
CrystalBrony
User avatar
Joined: Dec 14, 2014
Gender: Male

Postby The Doctor (?) » Sun Apr 05, 2015 6:21 am



Please implement this one immediately.
The Doctor
User avatar
Turner of all things timey wimey
Celestia's Champions
Joined: May 05, 2011
Location: Time & Space
Gender: Male

Postby PaulloDEC (?) » Sun Apr 05, 2015 6:22 am

CrystalBrony wrote:Ok, mods, I looked for a suitable place to post this... please move it to a better thread if you feel it is too off-topic.

I LOVE DANIEL INGRAM and for me, he nailed it again in this episode. One of the main takeaways for me from "Our Town" was the nod to WWII era propaganda music. The melody seemed to seamlessly drift from a major to minor keys and then back again, making the entire song feel sort of dark and forebodingly creepy. I would almost guess that certain parts of the song (or the whole thing) were in a different mode (i.e. mixolydian or something of the sort for anyone else out there who is musically inclined. If anybody can confirm this and wants to PM me I would love to discuss this further) Honestly, it's not really a song I would probably listen to all day every day to rock out to in my car like "Babs Seed" but for some reason in this episode it just... works. I think that, lyrics aside, even musically it really set the tone for what was to come. Just my two cents.


I have absolutely no knowledge of music theory, but what you're saying about the melody sounds like it could be right. I spent the whole song trying to get a fix on how the tune actually went, without much success.
PaulloDEC
User avatar
Gah!
Joined: Jun 13, 2014
Location: Queensland, Australia
Gender: Male

Postby londonarbuckle (?) » Sun Apr 05, 2015 6:37 am

Headless Horse wrote:I spy with my little eye a running theme among Larson's ensemble episodes: having Fluttershy be the one who has to shoulder the burden and come through for the rest of them.

Return of Harmony, Magic Duel, this... possibly others?


I like how well that works with the theme of this episode, too. She ended up doing most of the work out of the group: pretending to be converted, exposing whatshername's cutie mark. I was half-expecting it to end with her not wanting to take credit because all six of them are equally important, and then realizing what she's saying.
Image: The Return of Me Having a Signature
londonarbuckle
User avatar
see those OCs with their long curly manes
goodnight to the brony era
cause they don't need you anymore
little mare, colt, mare
cooooooooooooooooooooooollllllt
Princesses of Soul
Joined: Oct 17, 2011
Location: HTX
Gender: Male

Postby Wayoshi (?) » Sun Apr 05, 2015 6:40 am

CrystalBrony wrote:Ok, mods, I looked for a suitable place to post this... please move it to a better thread if you feel it is too off-topic.

An analysis of the song is fine! Ingram is having a panel at Babscon today, wonder if this will somehow be brought up.
Wayoshi
User avatar
Paper Fluttershy
Stare Masters
Joined: Oct 26, 2011
Location: Boston, MA
Gender: Male

Previous Next

Return to Pony Media Release Threads

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 5 guests