Re: S05E05: Tanks For The Memories
I hate to feel like I'm just emptyquoting, but here's a great comment I read on Fimfic and I agree with just about everything it says
Strange Reasoning wrote:
Ah, dude. You're missing the point in a huge way, with Tanks for the Memories.
Why did Rainbow Dash pick Tank as a pet?
Answer: because he showed unsolicited loyalty to her. That thing she aspires to have as a core value, but all too often doesn't succeed at.
Look at the first line of the song "If life gives you lemons, make lemonade, well life gave me Tank..." Stop and think for a second. She's saying her whole life's been an exercise in finding silver linings, in not letting bad stuff get her down. But she counts Tank as the biggest blessing she's gotten.
Now, instead of acting incredulous and reacting "What about Fluttershy?" why not take the writers at their word with what they're telling us between the lines?
Dash feels like she's not important to anypony. Not important enough for anypony to make her a priority in their lives. (And look at Fluttershy. Yah, Dash acts like a jerk to her a lot, but Fluttershy prefers animals to ponies...including Dash, the pony who'd take bruises for her honour if it came to that. Now, maybe that's not what Fluttershy needs. Isn't that the tragedy of so many friendships, what what folks can offer doesn't line up with what they need).
So Tank isn't just a pet. He's the flashing neon sign that the reason Rainbow Dash is so fixated on being a Wonderbolt isn't just pure ego. It's ego she's had to develop to smother the doubts about her worth to everypony. This is the sort of thing we saw hints of all the way back to S1. They aren't just pulling this struggle out of nowhere.
So this is why when I watch "I'll fly" I bawl inconsolably. Because I know what it's like to have a socially deformed life and have the one piece of it that's giving me what I want most taken away. Even if it's just for a season.
Rainbow Dash's issues and her reaction to them is totally plausible. I can only hope against hope they'll somehow take the logical next step and slowly _explore_ her issues. Contrasting them, perhaps, with Twilight. Who has the same sense of worthlessness, but copes by acting like she's only as worthwhile as she is useful.




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Durandal
dunkification in progress - Joined: Jun 05, 2011
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