I thought it was quite fascinating that Fluttershy's biggest fear and what she thought was the most frightening thing was being a disappointment to your friends. The uncomfortableness of the scene made it all the more powerful.
Lemme see... -Flutterbat returning especially in that cute dress. -Some of the costume references like Sailor Moon, Derpy as Princess Twilight, Gem from Gem and the Holograms and supposedly a He-Man and Skeletor reference. -The ponified anime characters as cardboard cutouts. (Evangelion and Dragon Ball especially!!) -And just the cute moments with Fluttershy. Is it me or have the Halloween episodes been the best?
I think my favorite part of this episode is when Fluttershy basically says "F*** baby steps, we're going all out!" Now that is some growth from Filli Vanilli.
As Fluttershy is the Element of Kindness, it makes sense that she'd not want to scare people, but as one who sees fear in everything, she'd make a fantastic frightener if the gloves ever came off and she put plenty of time into her plans (her spooks were thrown together in the span of hours, give her a year and she'd be diabolical)...to say nothing about how a certain Spirit of Chaos would be VERY eager to assist her...
I thought this episode was beautiful, this is such a rare message in a children's show. Off the top of my head, I can't really recall any other show that has an episode teaching that it's okay to not like something popular like this, excluding episode that have the sort of "if all your friends jumped off a bridge message" but that's different. It's great to see a message that tells kids that don't have to be like everyone else in this type of situation just because it's so strongly perceived as what's "normal"
I remember back in a few of your past videos when you compared Fluttershy to your wife. Here we have an episode where Fluttershy takes a step out of her comfort zone to be with her friends, even wearing a costume, and if I recall, your wife was going to do the exact same thing. Just saying that it's funny how on the nose you were on the comparison.
When I was listening to Fluttershys rants about how each costume would hinder her flight response in case of emergency, I got this weird feeling that she knows all this from experience. It's no secret that Flutters was bullied horribly as a filly and Nightmare Night is the perfect time of year for jerks to go all out in scaring their victims. I think maybe she was hit hard with frightening pranks as a child and it scarred her psychologically. It's only now with the help of Angel and her friends that she's able to grow and start getting past all the damage the other foals did.
With the confirmation that Applejack is an orphan, the Granny Smith skeleton thing is actually a bit mean spirited. She already lost her parents so losing Granny Smith as well would be legitimately psychologically scarring.
+Spotted Hyena I don't know, I don't think AJ would've thought that was actually Granny, otherwise she'd have probably been more sad than scared. (Even then, she heard her and Big Mac talking like a minute later anyway...)
Some may like this episode but I think, personally that Luna Eclipsed is the better Nightmare Night episode. A more entertaining episode with a deeper story and moral, in my eyes
I enjoyed this episode, especially Fluttershy using her Flutterbat persona to make her friends have fun and scared at the same time and learning about you can do things with others from time to time but there are times that things others like are not your cup of tea and others accepting the fact whilst overcoming fears at the same time. And I love the costumes, especially Twilight's gladiator costume and one pony dressing up as Sailor Moon ^^
+Rosie Sievers (rigifan32) I had hoped for a real return of flutterbat, but alas... maybe there is a need for the moonlight and another really big shiny apple. she sees moon reflected on apple, and the bat rises again... can't really think of any good plot uses though that aren't cliche though.
+Brendan Bohannon I can, fluttershy is only able to overcome the bat by accepting it as a part of herself. For a whole year now she's been trying to suppress it, but all of that suppression only made her darker half stronger and only by accepting that flutterbat is a part of her can she truly overcome it. It's actually pretty similar to what tsubasa has to do in beyblade metal masters. As a side note this also has the potential to create a funny little side joke where every episode we see fluttershy eating apples and nothing else.
werewolf873 unknown to everyone, she sometimes returns to that state, and causes apple-terror on those nights. then, when reconciled, it becomes a special power-up mode. when an apple is held aloft against the moon, it unleashes her transformation. however, no one must know her secret (Angel is pretty much the only one who knows).
To be honest...this was my favorite episode so far...I just love how Fluttershy is finally brave! You can see her being less scared through the series.
This episode pretty well confirms that Angel Bunny is evil. "Granny Smith's" head falling off with that family history? It's a wonder they didn't have heart attacks when the bear came at them, and then again with the spider web, or that Twilight didn't go laser spam with the beam cannon horn against it. I don't recall about the others, but Spike has been rough with Angel a few times, so maybe the others also did something to make him angry. Anyway, maybe they should also have Fluttershy develop a talent as a writer. With an imagination vivid enough to imagine all that dangers, she would probably be good at it. Maybe she'd be the surprise H.P. Wingcraft of Equestria.
For a series all about friendship, it's nice to hear a message saying that although it's good to step outside your comfort zone, sometimes it's ok to just be an introvert if that's who you really are. So many shows shove the idea of being friends down your throat so much, it's nice to see another perspective. Great Moral.
Hey Dr. Wolf, I just wanted say that I really enjoyed your review on this episode, I can honestly say I enjoyed this episode almost as much as "Luna Eclipsed", what with Luna being my favorite Princess and Fluttershy being my favorite main six pony, I loved both episodes equally, you are amazing at what you do, thanks again
As I mentioned over on Luffy's video, I am surprised how few realized what Twilight's costume was. I think she is dressing as Commander Hurricane. Yes, the colors are different, but the design is the same... and, as we know with Twilight and her Starswirl costume, I could see it that this costume is actually historically accurate. This also fits with Twilight's personality: she likes dressing as historical figures.
While I liked the finale, wasn't too found of the rest of it. Everyone else saw a progression in the way Fluttershy acts while I saw nothing but a reversion of her being afraid of her own shadow.
+cmm07r Agreed. I mean, it's so bad that she's actually hiding under her bed like a little kid. Just like Rarity and Applejack's arguing in "Look Before You Sleep" there's a difference between acting childish, and acting like a child. And what Fluttershy did was no different than a little kid on their first Halloween, except she never actually learns to deal with her fear.
+cmm07r I'm feeling inclined to agree with you there. I mean, I enjoyed the episode as a whole, but having Fluttershy put up barriers surrounding seemingly trivial details felt more like something which Season 1 Fluttershy would've done. Sure, the costume complaints actually proved somewhat valid later on, but shying away from wearing a blindfold and having fears about eating candy? I get the feeling that if it was any other day of the year, those wouldn't be issues. That's the only way I can see this step backwards in her character and irrational fears making some kind of sense. It's the stigma surrounding the night itself. Luckily, the scares she pulled at the maze, along with the "return of Flutterbat", really made up for it in the end.
+SimplyJay () I'm feeling inclined to not agree with any of you on the matter, and instead agreeing with those who see progress. Sure, There were some slow and way-too-awkward parts, where her anxiety was played up way too much, but to say that the "hiding under her bed" is childish is to ignore what she learned that episode. Being under her bed on Nightmare Night seem more like a tradition now. HER tradition.
RubberyCat All the issues I was talking about occurred in the first half of the episode, and I never mentioned "hiding under her bed". I was simply indicating that her irrational fears over such mundane activities felt like a step backward for her character as the Fluttershy we know now has overcome things much greater and much more frightening in the past. Hence my conclusion that it was really the stigma of Nightmare Night itself that was bringing out those fears to begin with. The second half of the episode is where she took a great leap forward, overcoming her fears, but also realizing that such an experience (frightening or not) wasn't something she could consider fun.
This is a good episode, although I do have a couple problems with it. My main issue is a whole portion of the episode. Starting at Fluttershy picking her outfit and ending at the end of Fluttershy's spooky house, it hit a "dry spell" for me. First off, the jokes stop being funny. It got to be pretty old having the same 2 jokes keep being repeated. And the whole scene(s) were very predictable. I was able to guess each of the jokes and what was going to happen before it did; I was getting so annoyed that I kept groaning and pausing the show during this period of time. However, the 2nd half saves the episode completely. Everything about the rest of the episode is perfect; beginning and end. From Fluttershy's part of the maze to the moral, I loved all of it.
I really loved this episode! Not only did I find it to be a great allegory for anxiety, but it was also really empowering for Fluttershy, as well. I don't think the episode was about trying to get Fluttershy to like Nightmare Night, but to me it was really about getting her to a better place, mentally. I think in the end, Fluttershy learned that there was no right or wrong way to see the holiday; instead, it was whatever she decided to make it out to be. She saw that she didn't enjoy scarring her friends (even though she was amazing at it), so she simply decided that the holiday wasn't for her, and would prefer a peaceful night in with her animals. It was really more along the lines of Fluttershy proving how she was stronger than a night that used to have such a negative control over her, but is no longer bothered by it. But just because it no longer scares her, it doesn't mean she's obligated to participate with the night. And compare her from her first scene of the episode to the last, you could tell there is definitely a difference in her behavior. She is much more calm, she's smiling, she isn't shaking in a fetal position. She is enjoying the night in her ideal way, and has finally come to peace with the universe that would surround her every October 31st. If that isn't a positive character development of someone who realizes she has more control and freedom than she thinks, then I don't know what else the writers could have possibly done.
Can I just say that I LOVE the bear dressed up in the fish-man costume? It reminded me so much of the Merm monsters from _Don't Starve_ that I expected the chase/battle music to start playing any second. Also, Fluttershy having a fully-stocked fallout shelter under her bed for Nightmare Night? Holy cow. I didn't see that coming at all. ^^ This was a VERY entertaining episode all around! Here's hoping we get to see even more work this good in the future!
The entire time after Angel laughed evily, i thought they were going to call in Discord, the lord of chaos, to help with the scaring. That would have made perfect sense, but i suppose that it was better to not put a character in, halfway through the story and rather use what was hinted at, at the beginning of the episode. I did think that it was a bit weird how Fluttershy had a creepy spider to help protect her from scaring...
Oh, Angel definitly sent Fluttershy to get carrots in order to coax her out of her comfort. That does seem to be his self appointed duty, after all. Also, Spike was a subtle highlight, with his gently insistent encouragement of Fluttershy, and his gallant "saving" of Pinkie and Rarity. The way Rarity held him during their "terror" at Flutterbat was adorable. It may not be romantic, exactly, but there is something there.
As always, Dr. Wolf, I gravitate to your reviews because while you are honest and heartfelt calling out problems when you see them, you also seem to try to look for the positive things in episodes. Not that it was hard to find the positive wonderful things in this episode. Thanks for being a bright spot in my post-episode euphoria. :D
Is it me or is Dr. Wolf a little more expressive and less monochord in this review? I like it! He doesn't sound very enthousiast even when he does most of the time, so hearing him losing his usual tone really makes it stand out more.
I like the little background details they had in this episode, like the picture of a pony skeleton...I think it's the first time we see what pony skeletons look like and also right at the beginning there is portrait of a pegasus mare in Fluttershys cabin...could that be her mom or some other relative? Also the many referenses to classic horror films are nice additions and the whole visual presentations sets a very nice atmosphere for the entire episode.
Now we wait for the fanfic writers to churn out a million grimdark stories where Fluttershy traps her friends in a hazardous torture chamber and picks them off one by one. Hmm... Excuse me, I have to write something down.
I gotta say, the conclusion was really unexpected. I honestly thought that this was gonna be a tippicle conquer your fears story where fluttershy would end up joining her friends for Nightmare Night every year. But actually it ends with Fluttershy saying that this is just one activity that isn't for her. This is actually very true, friends can enjoy varies activities together but there are just some that they just don't share common interest in.
I've always thought that Angel is really a good, loving bunny, that only tries 'tough love'. P.S. I loved Rarity's 'scary story'. That's the kind of thing I would do, just for laughs.
I also loved the awkward spooky tea party scene. She knows her friends well and she knows what kinds of things would make them freak out a bit if it happened in real life. Like, if Pinkie's friends totally flaked on her without explanation, she'd probably be a bit upset. Fluttershy was genuinely trying, and I can really see why she thought it would have worked.
I have to admit, Dr. Wolf, that when I first watched the episode yesterday after Luna Eclipsed and saw Applejack changing costumes from her scarecrow costume in Luna Eclipsed to being a lion in Scare Master, I had not idea both cases were referencing The Wizard of Oz. If there is another Nightmare Night episode, perhaps your guess that Applejack will be the Tin Man next will be answered. Other than that, it was a great episode! Loved the costumes the Mane Six and Crusaders were wearing for Nightmare Night this time around, and how Fluttershy did try to overcome her fear of the holiday, before deciding, with her friends' support, in going back to her regular plan for the holiday with staying in her cottage until morning! Also, glad you liked the episode as well, Dr. Wolf!
It is common to see a shy person who has gone out to immediately return to their comfort zone, even if they enjoyed the experience. Sometimes they need to retreat to assess the situation or to let go of any anxiety from being out of their comfort zone. It is called a comfort zone for a reason. Being out of it can cause anxiety. Hopefully in Fluttershy's case she will continue to go out and grow more as a pony. I would really like to see her in the future take part in more Nightmare Night activities. Hooves up to her spider pet. *cuddles Flutterbat plushy*
Actually I had a very similar experience just a while ago. I am incredibly easily spooked. Heck, sometimes a "somewhat" sinister tune from child's book is enough to tense me up. But then our class decided we should do a horror-maze at our school festival. And since I was the one spooking the others, I had great fun!
I really liked this episode. After seeing quite a bit of Fluttershy's more assertive side (not that I don't like it) it's nice to see some of the old, nervous Fluttershy make a return. I guess it could be because I have a thing for shy characters, but I thought it was nice.
(I totally think that Angel faked the lack of carrots or allowed her to forget just to get her to challenge herself by going out on Nightmare Night. And that grin on his face later... You just know he's been DYING to let the evil out... And I to liked the moral. It wasn't what I was expecting, but the simple 'it's okay to not like something' was an awesome message... really worked for me.)
i enjoyed this episode, its always nice to see character development like this, i do wonder if angel planed all of this great revirew Doc, keep up the great work
Congratulations once again for getting this review out so fast! I don't know what order the rest of the episodes were supposed to come out in but I'm certain this one was made to come out on Halloween for obvious reasons. lol I have to say I love Twilights Royal Guard outfit! It's a dream come true...sniff. lol I don't think Angel had a allterior motive here but I think he really enjoyed the idea of scaring the Mane 6. Oh I have been waiting for this moment! Bwwaaa! lol While a few of Fluttershys fears and points were legit I think most of them are kind of silly and just make me go "Come On Fluttershy" lol The scary tea party was kind of interesting from a analytical stand point I didn't really enjoy watching Fluttershy crash and burn. lol That scene is definitly "binary" you either like it or you don't but I think in the end it was ok. I really like this lesson so it is so atypical of MLP. Normally the show tries to get the Mane 6 to participate in as many things as possible but here they are saying that it is ok to not participate not because she is afraid but simply because she doesn't want to. That's certaintly true that they are just some things that all your friends are not going to enjoy but as you said it's not because she let her fear control her. She tried it despite her fears and decided that it wasn't for her. It's a very simple lesson but it's still a very good one and very atypical of the show, but they did it in a way that wasn't a downer. Anyway good work as always! BlueStar Out
I've always thought that Angel is trying to help Fluttershy. He can be rough and abrasive but more often than not that mean little bunny genuinely cares for Fluttershy and tries to help her and never babies her. He gives what many people call "tough love" which is doing something out of the kindness of your heart but being forcful enough to be willing to give them a swift kick in the butt on to the right path. If I could put Angels relationship with Fluttershy into a sentence it would be "I care about you, but you need to suck it up and stop being a coward."
I liked the way they actually went to the extra effort of having Rainbow Dash's voice sound different when she is wearing the space helmet. Extra points for the way Pinkie moved on her roller skates for the whole episode. :-D
Having watched this episode when it was leaked, and watched it again live. I must say it's still really fun and interesting, both the content and the lesson at the end. The only thing bothering me is that Fluttershy had way too much worry at the beginning, made it seem like she has gone backwards in her development. But other than that, this episode was really fun. :)
This episode was pretty awesome, and I really thought for a moment that flutterbat had returned, but then it turned out a costume. Was really cool ^w^ Anyway.. about the carrots for Angel, in the very end, it seemed like Angel had it's carrots, so he got what he wanted in the end ^w^ Hope you all had a happy Nightmare Night!
in all honesty Fluttershy was never my favorite character but my gosh.... when Flutterbat appeared. it is such a cool thing and I'm not surprised she is so popular
I really like the idea that Angel Bunny was trying to help. This episode was pretty great, the only problem I had with it was that I think some of Flutter Shy's fears were a bit ridiculous and made me really irritated at times. However that's really the only complaint that I have about the episode. And the "dead" Granny Smith was by far my favorite of Flutter's tricks. Also, THOSE ANIME PONIES! XD
The constant tail slapping from Rarity's costume... If it weren't for the discorded effect, I'd almost say it was Karma from the return of harmony part 1 when she tail whipped Twilight in Discord's maze.
Yeah High Remember me, I was the one who messaged you about seeing this episode before this released. And I gotta say I'm glad I did because of Hearthswarming that came soo soon
I feel that Fluttershy's first attempt to scare them was genuine. She fears disappointing others. As a perfectionist, I also fear this. However most people don't have a perfectionist attitude, so they find Fluttershy's attempt to be silly. Fluttershy is so afraid of others being disappointed in her that she believes that anyone would be afraid of it, hence her saying "Why don't you look terrified? You showed up to a party and everyone was extremely disappointed in you. Can you imagine anything more upsetting?" It's things like this that make Fluttershy such an appealing character to me.
Flutterbat is so adorable. In the MLP game from Gameloft she dresses up as a bunny, which is cute, too. I don't think Fluttershy hides because she's afraid of scaring others, but because she's very easy to scare. That other thing just came up as an additional realization at the end. I missed Derpy and AJ's Oz reference. Big Mac as mummy fails. He should run after them some more and generally walk around the labyrinth, having some horrifying sounds on playback, like those Amnesia monsters. The tea party was very atmospheric. I didn't like her jokes, but the scenery was creepy alright. As for angel: I don't care enough about him to think about whether he's just bratty as always or has ulterior motives. Maybe he should've dressed up as Bun-bun from Sluggy Freelance and made the famous ca-click sound. :-) Btw: Did you watch that episode a few weeks earlier like I did? iTunes did release it early by accident.
This might prompt me into making my own review video, something I've wanted to do for a while. However, something I loved about Fluttershy this episode is it shows her anxiety. I suffer from generalized anxiety disorder, so when she is freaking out over all the possible outcomes/not being able to predict danger I could totally relate to her. This season has been very relate-able in terms of mental health I find and I so wish that someone would discuss these aspects of the show, whether the writers intended it or not.
I'm wondering if next Nightmare Night the re-Mane 5 (and maybe a few others) might hit up Fluttershy the night before (or a few weeks before) for tips and pointers on how to scare ponies. Fluttershy might not be too keen on doing the scaring herself (yet), but seeing how good she can be at it I can imagine her being okay with giving a few pointers by next year, knowing how much her friends enjoy the scary time play.
I really enjoyed this episode it had so much to like about it. I would tell you what got me to smile but there's so many in it i can't really name them all.
I really enjoyed this episode. The writers actually had Spike not annoying to me, unlike the other episode where he burned Shining Armor's mint condition comic books. I also liked the fact that Spike saved Rarity and Pinkie Pie in their believed life or death situation.. When I saw Spike and Fluttershy converse, I saw a oppurtunity to have a actual good Spike episode and Fluttershy is a very important piece to it like the episode " Imagination Manifestation". The episode could have ended the same and Spike and Fluttershy become closer from it. " Spike invites Fluttershy out on Nightmare Night to show her the joys of the event, while helping her get over her fears. It ends in failure, but Fluttershy is grateful for Spike's dedication to her and her and Spike become closer friends from this." Also Spike's costume was not that...good. He could have gone as Humdrum.
I sometimes think Angel isn't a bastard, but is more of a person trying to push her to be assertive by putting her in situations where she should be assertive, such as Putting Your Hoof Down, or encourages her directly to ask for things for herself as in Ticket Master.
I believe it is running gag with AJ. After all her pet dog is named Winona amd if Im not mistaken that was name of Dorothy ' s dog in Wizard of Oz. I would not be surprised if AJ would be fam of the story
Isenlyn - The Frenchy Brony wrote: "I really like this episode, but I don't know why I feel that's there is something off about it. Like, I liked it when watching it, and was, meh... at the end." Quite right! It was a great episode, but there was a subtle inconsistency in the final message. As Ro9ge wrote: "For a series all about friendship, it's nice to hear a message saying that although it's good to step outside your comfort zone, sometimes it's ok to just be an introvert if that's who you really are." Now this IS a great message to take from the episode, but it´s not completely accurate to what the characters DID: Fluttershy seemed PROUD of being introverted; her friends were EXCITED for her, as though she had had a moment of awakening. To what, I ask, did she awaken? To understanding that she liked being too scared to leave her house on Nightmare Night? That would be good for her to know, but hopefully she´s gotten over her fear of what most fillies know is harmless! More likely, she´s come to recognize that she prefers her usual tradition of being with the animals. And there´s where we run into the difficulty. Her friends LOVE Nightmare Night, but she just PREFERS reading under her bed? It shouldn´t make her proud, and her friends, excited. More like relieved or calmly glad. No, I feel like what we´re seeing here is a nod (a hesitant one) to a common belief people use to excuse them from difficult and necessary change: that it´s braver to merely "be yourself" than to keep on trying to become your BEST self.
Does anyone have any ideas on what other kind of costumes we could've seen for background ponies or other secondary characters? Let me know! I think it would've been interesting to see Iron Will and Trouble Shoes wear a dual Tirek costume (and MisAnthro Pony said he thinks it would sound good for a comic)!
It was a pretty cool episode and I made a review for it. In my opinion, I thought that this episode that made Spike bit more better. I mostly agree braveness and choice. I mentioned that in my review. Although I kinda had a small thought on their consume, I didn't really think that was really true.
I like that they brought flutterbat back or at least that they showed the forshadow (probably spelled wrong) of fruitbats or somthing like that my english isn't that good.
At some point, I came across that last dress for FS long before watching this episode. After watching ‘Bats!’ and noticing Flutterbat in ‘Magic Sheep?’ (unlike you), I was expecting a twist ending that FS can still gain the form and spent all this time tempering it.
I think that Angel had wanted to do something like this for a long time.. maybe not to help Fluttershy, but just doig this to somepony... I mean he is a devilish little bunny.
What really spoke to me about this episode was how it's ok to have different likes and dislikes from your friends. I have TONS of friends who love zombies and "The Walking Dead" is like their favorite show on earth. I never really wanted to watch it because A) I don't like zombies. Period. and B) I have a thing about watching people being eaten. With these two things said, I have been interested in watching "Attack on Titan" because, while it does show people getting eaten and it looks pretty intense, I am sort of curious as how these people can survive the Titan attacks and where these monsters came from. Also, while not a huge zombie fan, I do want to see "Shaun of the Dead", but I'm not sure that's on par with "Walking Dead." I guess these would be my two "out of my comfort zone" things in order to see what my friends see in these two shows.
This one bit of an oddball when it comes to online view, one of the video sites I frequent actually had this out like sort of leak before "Made in Manehattan", While I'm sure some of the people who frequent that site did watch it soon after it's posting I only watched up to the opening credits at the time, then watched the whole piece last night for more genuine Nightmare Night feel. I'm sure you're not new to leaked episodes, but it is important address it when it happens. They all had really wonderful costumes, I look forward to the next Nightmare Night episode, instead of focusing in on a member of the Mane 6 maybe it will focus in on the CMC. We keep on seeing the matured members on Nightmare Night as a focus, but what the kids and their experiences on Nightmare Night? Both Scare Master and Luna Eclipsed just gave us glimpses of what the younger members of Ponyville experience on the spookiest night of the year.
Aside from the parts about Angel (iffy) and Rainbow Dash (not at all X( ), I completely agree. This was a fantastic episode. In fact, it pulled me out of a particularly nasty depressive episode when it was leaked. That may make me sound a bit biased, but that alone made this a stellar episode, and Fluttershy deciding what she likes and doesn't like for herself, made this my favorite episode of season 5, and my favorite episode ever! XD
+Idi Yeah, though I guess the idea could have been that they'd go over to it for comfort/to ask questions and instead find a spooky skeleton. I mean if she did die she wouldn't decay that quickly, and I think she heard Granny in the maze soon after so AJ knew she wasn't really dead.. she just didn't know quite what was going on. I agree though it was a bit of an odd choice... hn.. must have been Angel's decision, only he's that evil ;p (That or maybe I can see Granny Smith herself setting it up as a joke.. just maybe.)
Sorry, another comment. I find it VERY interesting how many of the blind react posters don't like this episode but those like you, Dr Wulf, myself, and other 'after the fact' reviewers love the episode. I think that is because this is an episode designed for reviewing. Little sight gags, callbacks, and a deep moral.
The only thing I remember about this ep, is anime ponies. Not that the episode was bad, but I got so hyped at the anime ponies that I forgot what happened afterward....
Does every-pony know there was a pony that wore a Jason Vorheess costume? If so, would there be a Freddy Kruger costume next year? (CAUSE-I-WOULD-EXPLODE-WITH-SHOCK-&-AWE!!!)
yeah but also when fluttershy she did never did night mare night i was really head scratching but again i am glad she did take out of her comfort zone. but i did hope that she getting help from Discord you know... lord of chaos
I agree on the changeling things around, I have a episodes list app and it has a episode title that is still listed for season 5 but but doesn't have a episode number, and odder still it is titled " rotten applejack"
I didn't understand what DrWolf said at 1:55 "First time she went as a scarecrow and now a lion? Does this mean we'll get to see her as a (word I've never heard) next time?"' The captions didn't help me neither, even tho' I laughed when seeing them. By the way, in the scene when they see Granny Smith in a chair and after getting closer they find out it's just a skeleton... I thought of Hitchcock's "Psycho" immediately. Anyone else did as well?
It is also a better version of putting your hoof down. Fluttershy did´t enjoy scaring ponies at all, not even for a second. I can relate to that. I am easly scared but I am curious how it whould be to be the one scaring others but I whould feel bad if I made someone have nightmares. Example. I get the living daylights scared out of me by wearwolf´s. Still I am fascinated by them and love the lore and whould love to potray one with costume or something. But I know it whould be scary facing me face to face.
I don't know whether they'd meant to broadcast the episodes on a certain day, but I, personally, have chosen to skip Hearthbreakers and go back and watch it on Christmas... Eve or Day, I don't know which I'll choose yet.
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I thought it was quite fascinating that Fluttershy's biggest fear and what she thought was the most frightening thing was being a disappointment to your friends. The uncomfortableness of the scene made it all the more powerful.
The Granny Smith skull bit left me in stitches.
Pretty dark for a show this light and colorful.
+TheAdam1995 It gets darker: Fluttershy never says anything about the skeleton afterwards.
+92axelmaster Holy shit I just realize
Lemme see...
-Flutterbat returning especially in that cute dress.
-Some of the costume references like Sailor Moon, Derpy as Princess Twilight, Gem from Gem and the Holograms and supposedly a He-Man and Skeletor reference.
-The ponified anime characters as cardboard cutouts. (Evangelion and Dragon Ball especially!!)
-And just the cute moments with Fluttershy.
Is it me or have the Halloween episodes been the best?
I think my favorite part of this episode is when Fluttershy basically says "F*** baby steps, we're going all out!" Now that is some growth from Filli Vanilli.
As Fluttershy is the Element of Kindness, it makes sense that she'd not want to scare people, but as one who sees fear in everything, she'd make a fantastic frightener if the gloves ever came off and she put plenty of time into her plans (her spooks were thrown together in the span of hours, give her a year and she'd be diabolical)...to say nothing about how a certain Spirit of Chaos would be VERY eager to assist her...
Quite liked this episode, it had quite a good structure and gave Fluttershy more development and had an excellent moral.
I thought this episode was beautiful, this is such a rare message in a children's show. Off the top of my head, I can't really recall any other show that has an episode teaching that it's okay to not like something popular like this, excluding episode that have the sort of "if all your friends jumped off a bridge message" but that's different.
It's great to see a message that tells kids that don't have to be like everyone else in this type of situation just because it's so strongly perceived as what's "normal"
I remember back in a few of your past videos when you compared Fluttershy to your wife. Here we have an episode where Fluttershy takes a step out of her comfort zone to be with her friends, even wearing a costume, and if I recall, your wife was going to do the exact same thing.
Just saying that it's funny how on the nose you were on the comparison.
+animegx45 Twas a very interesting comparison.
+DRWolf001 That's a very interesting coincidence.
+lorianne scandalito coincidence?? i think NOT....
When I was listening to Fluttershys rants about how each costume would hinder her flight response in case of emergency, I got this weird feeling that she knows all this from experience. It's no secret that Flutters was bullied horribly as a filly and Nightmare Night is the perfect time of year for jerks to go all out in scaring their victims. I think maybe she was hit hard with frightening pranks as a child and it scarred her psychologically. It's only now with the help of Angel and her friends that she's able to grow and start getting past all the damage the other foals did.
With the confirmation that Applejack is an orphan, the Granny Smith skeleton thing is actually a bit mean spirited. She already lost her parents so losing Granny Smith as well would be legitimately psychologically scarring.
+Spotted Hyena I don't know, I don't think AJ would've thought that was actually Granny, otherwise she'd have probably been more sad than scared. (Even then, she heard her and Big Mac talking like a minute later anyway...)
angel bunny ALWAYS has ulterior motives
Some may like this episode but I think, personally that Luna Eclipsed is the better Nightmare Night episode.
A more entertaining episode with a deeper story and moral, in my eyes
I enjoyed this episode, especially Fluttershy using her Flutterbat persona to make her friends have fun and scared at the same time and learning about you can do things with others from time to time but there are times that things others like are not your cup of tea and others accepting the fact whilst overcoming fears at the same time. And I love the costumes, especially Twilight's gladiator costume and one pony dressing up as Sailor Moon ^^
+Rosie Sievers (rigifan32) I had hoped for a real return of flutterbat, but alas...
maybe there is a need for the moonlight and another really big shiny apple.
she sees moon reflected on apple, and the bat rises again...
can't really think of any good plot uses though that aren't cliche though.
+Brendan Bohannon I can, fluttershy is only able to overcome the bat by accepting it as a part of herself. For a whole year now she's been trying to suppress it, but all of that suppression only made her darker half stronger and only by accepting that flutterbat is a part of her can she truly overcome it. It's actually pretty similar to what tsubasa has to do in beyblade metal masters. As a side note this also has the potential to create a funny little side joke where every episode we see fluttershy eating apples and nothing else.
werewolf873 unknown to everyone, she sometimes returns to that state, and causes apple-terror on those nights. then, when reconciled, it becomes a special power-up mode.
when an apple is held aloft against the moon, it unleashes her transformation. however, no one must know her secret (Angel is pretty much the only one who knows).
+werewolf873 NO its NOT fang as gag it not PARt of her at all. ugh I personl groaned at the flutterbat
zuzoscorner uhh...what?
Wait a second... I just realized something.
Equestria...has toilet paper?!
To be honest...this was my favorite episode so far...I just love how Fluttershy is finally brave! You can see her being less scared through the series.
I love the anime references in this episode that must mean FLUTTERSHY IS AN OTAKU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT IS NOW CANON!!!!!!!!!!!
oh stfu
+Joshua Lopez I must have missed them. What anime references?
+Joshua Lopez
I think I know four out of five of those cutouts: Sailor Moon, Evangalion, ???, Dragonball, Ranma 1/2
+Jester Leafnose The third one is from Revolutionary Girl Utena.
Ah. Thank you. I've never bothered to watch that one.
The list has been filled! :D
Well she is a farm girl like Dorothy.
This episode pretty well confirms that Angel Bunny is evil. "Granny Smith's" head falling off with that family history? It's a wonder they didn't have heart attacks when the bear came at them, and then again with the spider web, or that Twilight didn't go laser spam with the beam cannon horn against it. I don't recall about the others, but Spike has been rough with Angel a few times, so maybe the others also did something to make him angry.
Anyway, maybe they should also have Fluttershy develop a talent as a writer. With an imagination vivid enough to imagine all that dangers, she would probably be good at it. Maybe she'd be the surprise H.P. Wingcraft of Equestria.
For a series all about friendship, it's nice to hear a message saying that although it's good to step outside your comfort zone, sometimes it's ok to just be an introvert if that's who you really are. So many shows shove the idea of being friends down your throat so much, it's nice to see another perspective. Great Moral.
Hey Dr. Wolf, I just wanted say that I really enjoyed your review on this episode, I can honestly say I enjoyed this episode almost as much as "Luna Eclipsed", what with Luna being my favorite Princess and Fluttershy being my favorite main six pony, I loved both episodes equally, you are amazing at what you do, thanks again
This episode was leaked on the internet three weeks early. I remember seeing it posted on TH-cam.
Insightful, thought provoking and entertaining as usual, Doc!
As I mentioned over on Luffy's video, I am surprised how few realized what Twilight's costume was. I think she is dressing as Commander Hurricane. Yes, the colors are different, but the design is the same... and, as we know with Twilight and her Starswirl costume, I could see it that this costume is actually historically accurate. This also fits with Twilight's personality: she likes dressing as historical figures.
Applejack and the Wizard of Oz.
+Kevin Ricke I'd love to see that. MLP peeps, make it happen!
+Kevin Ricke I'm pretty sure someone made a fan fiction of this by now.
***** Did they?
+Kevin Ricke "we've come to see the apple
..."the wonderful apple of ooooooooz
Applejack the Tinmare
While I liked the finale, wasn't too found of the rest of it. Everyone else saw a progression in the way Fluttershy acts while I saw nothing but a reversion of her being afraid of her own shadow.
+cmm07r Agreed. I mean, it's so bad that she's actually hiding under her bed like a little kid. Just like Rarity and Applejack's arguing in "Look Before You Sleep" there's a difference between acting childish, and acting like a child. And what Fluttershy did was no different than a little kid on their first Halloween, except she never actually learns to deal with her fear.
+cmm07r I'm feeling inclined to agree with you there. I mean, I enjoyed the episode as a whole, but having Fluttershy put up barriers surrounding seemingly trivial details felt more like something which Season 1 Fluttershy would've done. Sure, the costume complaints actually proved somewhat valid later on, but shying away from wearing a blindfold and having fears about eating candy? I get the feeling that if it was any other day of the year, those wouldn't be issues. That's the only way I can see this step backwards in her character and irrational fears making some kind of sense. It's the stigma surrounding the night itself. Luckily, the scares she pulled at the maze, along with the "return of Flutterbat", really made up for it in the end.
+SimplyJay () I'm feeling inclined to not agree with any of you on the matter, and instead agreeing with those who see progress. Sure, There were some slow and way-too-awkward parts, where her anxiety was played up way too much, but to say that the "hiding under her bed" is childish is to ignore what she learned that episode. Being under her bed on Nightmare Night seem more like a tradition now. HER tradition.
RubberyCat
All the issues I was talking about occurred in the first half of the episode, and I never mentioned "hiding under her bed". I was simply indicating that her irrational fears over such mundane activities felt like a step backward for her character as the Fluttershy we know now has overcome things much greater and much more frightening in the past. Hence my conclusion that it was really the stigma of Nightmare Night itself that was bringing out those fears to begin with. The second half of the episode is where she took a great leap forward, overcoming her fears, but also realizing that such an experience (frightening or not) wasn't something she could consider fun.
This is a good episode, although I do have a couple problems with it. My main issue is a whole portion of the episode. Starting at Fluttershy picking her outfit and ending at the end of Fluttershy's spooky house, it hit a "dry spell" for me. First off, the jokes stop being funny. It got to be pretty old having the same 2 jokes keep being repeated. And the whole scene(s) were very predictable. I was able to guess each of the jokes and what was going to happen before it did; I was getting so annoyed that I kept groaning and pausing the show during this period of time. However, the 2nd half saves the episode completely. Everything about the rest of the episode is perfect; beginning and end. From Fluttershy's part of the maze to the moral, I loved all of it.
I really loved this episode! Not only did I find it to be a great allegory for anxiety, but it was also really empowering for Fluttershy, as well.
I don't think the episode was about trying to get Fluttershy to like Nightmare Night, but to me it was really about getting her to a better place, mentally. I think in the end, Fluttershy learned that there was no right or wrong way to see the holiday; instead, it was whatever she decided to make it out to be. She saw that she didn't enjoy scarring her friends (even though she was amazing at it), so she simply decided that the holiday wasn't for her, and would prefer a peaceful night in with her animals.
It was really more along the lines of Fluttershy proving how she was stronger than a night that used to have such a negative control over her, but is no longer bothered by it. But just because it no longer scares her, it doesn't mean she's obligated to participate with the night. And compare her from her first scene of the episode to the last, you could tell there is definitely a difference in her behavior. She is much more calm, she's smiling, she isn't shaking in a fetal position. She is enjoying the night in her ideal way, and has finally come to peace with the universe that would surround her every October 31st. If that isn't a positive character development of someone who realizes she has more control and freedom than she thinks, then I don't know what else the writers could have possibly done.
Can I just say that I LOVE the bear dressed up in the fish-man costume? It reminded me so much of the Merm monsters from _Don't Starve_ that I expected the chase/battle music to start playing any second.
Also, Fluttershy having a fully-stocked fallout shelter under her bed for Nightmare Night? Holy cow. I didn't see that coming at all. ^^
This was a VERY entertaining episode all around! Here's hoping we get to see even more work this good in the future!
The entire time after Angel laughed evily, i thought they were going to call in Discord, the lord of chaos, to help with the scaring. That would have made perfect sense, but i suppose that it was better to not put a character in, halfway through the story and rather use what was hinted at, at the beginning of the episode.
I did think that it was a bit weird how Fluttershy had a creepy spider to help protect her from scaring...
Oh, Angel definitly sent Fluttershy to get carrots in order to coax her out of her comfort. That does seem to be his self appointed duty, after all.
Also, Spike was a subtle highlight, with his gently insistent encouragement of Fluttershy, and his gallant "saving" of Pinkie and Rarity. The way Rarity held him during their "terror" at Flutterbat was adorable. It may not be romantic, exactly, but there is something there.
As always, Dr. Wolf, I gravitate to your reviews because while you are honest and heartfelt calling out problems when you see them, you also seem to try to look for the positive things in episodes. Not that it was hard to find the positive wonderful things in this episode.
Thanks for being a bright spot in my post-episode euphoria. :D
Is it me or is Dr. Wolf a little more expressive and less monochord in this review? I like it! He doesn't sound very enthousiast even when he does most of the time, so hearing him losing his usual tone really makes it stand out more.
+Lulink () You can hear when he really likes an episode. ^_^
I like the little background details they had in this episode, like the picture of a pony skeleton...I think it's the first time we see what pony skeletons look like and also right at the beginning there is portrait of a pegasus mare in Fluttershys cabin...could that be her mom or some other relative?
Also the many referenses to classic horror films are nice additions and the whole visual presentations sets a very nice atmosphere for the entire episode.
Now we wait for the fanfic writers to churn out a million grimdark stories where Fluttershy traps her friends in a hazardous torture chamber and picks them off one by one. Hmm... Excuse me, I have to write something down.
I gotta say, the conclusion was really unexpected. I honestly thought that this was gonna be a tippicle conquer your fears story where fluttershy would end up joining her friends for Nightmare Night every year. But actually it ends with Fluttershy saying that this is just one activity that isn't for her. This is actually very true, friends can enjoy varies activities together but there are just some that they just don't share common interest in.
I've always thought that Angel is really a good, loving bunny, that only tries 'tough love'.
P.S. I loved Rarity's 'scary story'. That's the kind of thing I would do, just for laughs.
I also loved the awkward spooky tea party scene. She knows her friends well and she knows what kinds of things would make them freak out a bit if it happened in real life. Like, if Pinkie's friends totally flaked on her without explanation, she'd probably be a bit upset. Fluttershy was genuinely trying, and I can really see why she thought it would have worked.
I have to admit, Dr. Wolf, that when I first watched the episode yesterday after Luna Eclipsed and saw Applejack changing costumes from her scarecrow costume in Luna Eclipsed to being a lion in Scare Master, I had not idea both cases were referencing The Wizard of Oz.
If there is another Nightmare Night episode, perhaps your guess that Applejack will be the Tin Man next will be answered.
Other than that, it was a great episode! Loved the costumes the Mane Six and Crusaders were wearing for Nightmare Night this time around, and how Fluttershy did try to overcome her fear of the holiday, before deciding, with her friends' support, in going back to her regular plan for the holiday with staying in her cottage until morning!
Also, glad you liked the episode as well, Dr. Wolf!
I'd must have missed that sight gag of Derpy dressed up as Twilight a couple of times from re-watching the episode
I love angels grin. its like you never know what's going on in that evil Bunny's mind and I love it. :)
It is common to see a shy person who has gone out to immediately return to their comfort zone, even if they enjoyed the experience. Sometimes they need to retreat to assess the situation or to let go of any anxiety from being out of their comfort zone. It is called a comfort zone for a reason. Being out of it can cause anxiety.
Hopefully in Fluttershy's case she will continue to go out and grow more as a pony. I would really like to see her in the future take part in more Nightmare Night activities.
Hooves up to her spider pet.
*cuddles Flutterbat plushy*
Actually I had a very similar experience just a while ago. I am incredibly easily spooked. Heck, sometimes a "somewhat" sinister tune from child's book is enough to tense me up. But then our class decided we should do a horror-maze at our school festival. And since I was the one spooking the others, I had great fun!
I really liked this episode. After seeing quite a bit of Fluttershy's more assertive side (not that I don't like it) it's nice to see some of the old, nervous Fluttershy make a return. I guess it could be because I have a thing for shy characters, but I thought it was nice.
(I totally think that Angel faked the lack of carrots or allowed her to forget just to get her to challenge herself by going out on Nightmare Night. And that grin on his face later... You just know he's been DYING to let the evil out... And I to liked the moral. It wasn't what I was expecting, but the simple 'it's okay to not like something' was an awesome message... really worked for me.)
i enjoyed this episode, its always nice to see character development like this,
i do wonder if angel planed all of this
great revirew Doc, keep up the great work
Congratulations once again for getting this review out so fast!
I don't know what order the rest of the episodes were supposed to come out in but I'm certain this one was made to come out on Halloween for obvious reasons. lol
I have to say I love Twilights Royal Guard outfit! It's a dream come true...sniff. lol
I don't think Angel had a allterior motive here but I think he really enjoyed the idea of scaring the Mane 6. Oh I have been waiting for this moment! Bwwaaa! lol
While a few of Fluttershys fears and points were legit I think most of them are kind of silly and just make me go "Come On Fluttershy" lol
The scary tea party was kind of interesting from a analytical stand point I didn't really enjoy watching Fluttershy crash and burn. lol That scene is definitly "binary" you either like it or you don't but I think in the end it was ok.
I really like this lesson so it is so atypical of MLP. Normally the show tries to get the Mane 6 to participate in as many things as possible but here they are saying that it is ok to not participate not because she is afraid but simply because she doesn't want to. That's certaintly true that they are just some things that all your friends are not going to enjoy but as you said it's not because she let her fear control her. She tried it despite her fears and decided that it wasn't for her. It's a very simple lesson but it's still a very good one and very atypical of the show, but they did it in a way that wasn't a downer.
Anyway good work as always!
BlueStar Out
the Tea set up my mind set at social effects 100%
I've always thought that Angel is trying to help Fluttershy. He can be rough and abrasive but more often than not that mean little bunny genuinely cares for Fluttershy and tries to help her and never babies her. He gives what many people call "tough love" which is doing something out of the kindness of your heart but being forcful enough to be willing to give them a swift kick in the butt on to the right path. If I could put Angels relationship with Fluttershy into a sentence it would be "I care about you, but you need to suck it up and stop being a coward."
That's the same way I thought about Angel for a long time. Angel can be a brat at times, but he's basically Fluttershy's #1 supporter.
I always thought of Angel as an anti-hero: the confidence FS never had to get time and access for himself.
I liked the way they actually went to the extra effort of having Rainbow Dash's voice sound different when she is wearing the space helmet. Extra points for the way Pinkie moved on her roller skates for the whole episode. :-D
Having watched this episode when it was leaked, and watched it again live. I must say it's still really fun and interesting, both the content and the lesson at the end. The only thing bothering me is that Fluttershy had way too much worry at the beginning, made it seem like she has gone backwards in her development. But other than that, this episode was really fun. :)
Angel ALWAYS has ulterior motives!!
This episode was pretty awesome, and I really thought for a moment that flutterbat had returned, but then it turned out a costume. Was really cool ^w^
Anyway.. about the carrots for Angel, in the very end, it seemed like Angel had it's carrots, so he got what he wanted in the end ^w^
Hope you all had a happy Nightmare Night!
1:51 you mean tin mare. eh? eh? get it
in all honesty Fluttershy was never my favorite character but my gosh.... when Flutterbat appeared. it is such a cool thing and I'm not surprised she is so popular
I really like the idea that Angel Bunny was trying to help. This episode was pretty great, the only problem I had with it was that I think some of Flutter Shy's fears were a bit ridiculous and made me really irritated at times. However that's really the only complaint that I have about the episode. And the "dead" Granny Smith was by far my favorite of Flutter's tricks. Also, THOSE ANIME PONIES! XD
I like how Twilight chose a costume based on the idea that everypony would know what she was as opposed to last Nightmare Night.
The constant tail slapping from Rarity's costume... If it weren't for the discorded effect, I'd almost say it was Karma from the return of harmony part 1 when she tail whipped Twilight in Discord's maze.
Yeah High Remember me, I was the one who messaged you about seeing this episode before this released.
And I gotta say I'm glad I did because of Hearthswarming that came soo soon
I feel that Fluttershy's first attempt to scare them was genuine. She fears disappointing others. As a perfectionist, I also fear this. However most people don't have a perfectionist attitude, so they find Fluttershy's attempt to be silly. Fluttershy is so afraid of others being disappointed in her that she believes that anyone would be afraid of it, hence her saying "Why don't you look terrified? You showed up to a party and everyone was extremely disappointed in you. Can you imagine anything more upsetting?" It's things like this that make Fluttershy such an appealing character to me.
Flutterbat is so adorable. In the MLP game from Gameloft she dresses up as a bunny, which is cute, too.
I don't think Fluttershy hides because she's afraid of scaring others, but because she's very easy to scare. That other thing just came up as an additional realization at the end.
I missed Derpy and AJ's Oz reference.
Big Mac as mummy fails. He should run after them some more and generally walk around the labyrinth, having some horrifying sounds on playback, like those Amnesia monsters.
The tea party was very atmospheric. I didn't like her jokes, but the scenery was creepy alright.
As for angel: I don't care enough about him to think about whether he's just bratty as always or has ulterior motives. Maybe he should've dressed up as Bun-bun from Sluggy Freelance and made the famous ca-click sound. :-)
Btw: Did you watch that episode a few weeks earlier like I did? iTunes did release it early by accident.
to quote hoodwinked. never trust a bunny
What I do know is that Spike was a VERY likeable character compared too previous episodes. I wish they made him like this from now on.
This might prompt me into making my own review video, something I've wanted to do for a while. However, something I loved about Fluttershy this episode is it shows her anxiety. I suffer from generalized anxiety disorder, so when she is freaking out over all the possible outcomes/not being able to predict danger I could totally relate to her. This season has been very relate-able in terms of mental health I find and I so wish that someone would discuss these aspects of the show, whether the writers intended it or not.
I'm wondering if next Nightmare Night the re-Mane 5 (and maybe a few others) might hit up Fluttershy the night before (or a few weeks before) for tips and pointers on how to scare ponies. Fluttershy might not be too keen on doing the scaring herself (yet), but seeing how good she can be at it I can imagine her being okay with giving a few pointers by next year, knowing how much her friends enjoy the scary time play.
LOL
I didn't even notice the Applejack costume or FlutterBat costume parts!
XD
I really enjoyed this episode it had so much to like about it. I would tell you what got me to smile but there's so many in it i can't really name them all.
A great review as always, Dr Wolf! :)
I really enjoyed this episode. The writers actually had Spike not annoying to me, unlike the other episode where he burned Shining Armor's mint condition comic books. I also liked the fact that Spike saved Rarity and Pinkie Pie in their believed life or death situation..
When I saw Spike and Fluttershy converse, I saw a oppurtunity to have a actual good Spike episode and Fluttershy is a very important piece to it like the episode " Imagination Manifestation". The episode could have ended the same and Spike and Fluttershy become closer from it.
" Spike invites Fluttershy out on Nightmare Night to show her the joys of the event, while helping her get over her fears. It ends in failure, but Fluttershy is grateful for Spike's dedication to her and her and Spike become closer friends from this."
Also Spike's costume was not that...good. He could have gone as Humdrum.
I sometimes think Angel isn't a bastard, but is more of a person trying to push her to be assertive by putting her in situations where she should be assertive, such as Putting Your Hoof Down, or encourages her directly to ask for things for herself as in Ticket Master.
I believe it is running gag with AJ. After all her pet dog is named Winona amd if Im not mistaken that was name of Dorothy ' s dog in Wizard of Oz. I would not be surprised if AJ would be fam of the story
Isenlyn - The Frenchy Brony wrote:
"I really like this episode, but I don't know why I feel that's there is something off about it. Like, I liked it when watching it, and was, meh... at the end."
Quite right! It was a great episode, but there was a subtle inconsistency in the final message. As Ro9ge wrote:
"For a series all about friendship, it's nice to hear a message saying that although it's good to step outside your comfort zone, sometimes it's ok to just be an introvert if that's who you really are."
Now this IS a great message to take from the episode, but it´s not completely accurate to what the characters DID: Fluttershy seemed PROUD of being introverted; her friends were EXCITED for her, as though she had had a moment of awakening. To what, I ask, did she awaken? To understanding that she liked being too scared to leave her house on Nightmare Night? That would be good for her to know, but hopefully she´s gotten over her fear of what most fillies know is harmless! More likely, she´s come to recognize that she prefers her usual tradition of being with the animals.
And there´s where we run into the difficulty. Her friends LOVE Nightmare Night, but she just PREFERS reading under her bed? It shouldn´t make her proud, and her friends, excited. More like relieved or calmly glad.
No, I feel like what we´re seeing here is a nod (a hesitant one) to a common belief people use to excuse them from difficult and necessary change: that it´s braver to merely "be yourself" than to keep on trying to become your BEST self.
Does anyone have any ideas on what other kind of costumes we could've seen for background ponies or other secondary characters? Let me know! I think it would've been interesting to see Iron Will and Trouble Shoes wear a dual Tirek costume (and MisAnthro Pony said he thinks it would sound good for a comic)!
Her eyes shrink a bit but how do the contact lenses stay in?
It was a pretty cool episode and I made a review for it. In my opinion, I thought that this episode that made Spike bit more better. I mostly agree braveness and choice. I mentioned that in my review. Although I kinda had a small thought on their consume, I didn't really think that was really true.
I like that they brought flutterbat back or at least that they showed the forshadow (probably spelled wrong) of fruitbats or somthing like that my english isn't that good.
Finally, someone mentioning the Wizard of Oz refriant. I thought it was just me.
It's a fun episode. I'm just having a little trouble wrapping my head around the lesson.
At some point, I came across that last dress for FS long before watching this episode. After watching ‘Bats!’ and noticing Flutterbat in ‘Magic Sheep?’ (unlike you), I was expecting a twist ending that FS can still gain the form and spent all this time tempering it.
I think that Angel had wanted to do something like this for a long time.. maybe not to help Fluttershy, but just doig this to somepony... I mean he is a devilish little bunny.
What really spoke to me about this episode was how it's ok to have different likes and dislikes from your friends. I have TONS of friends who love zombies and "The Walking Dead" is like their favorite show on earth. I never really wanted to watch it because A) I don't like zombies. Period. and B) I have a thing about watching people being eaten. With these two things said, I have been interested in watching "Attack on Titan" because, while it does show people getting eaten and it looks pretty intense, I am sort of curious as how these people can survive the Titan attacks and where these monsters came from. Also, while not a huge zombie fan, I do want to see "Shaun of the Dead", but I'm not sure that's on par with "Walking Dead." I guess these would be my two "out of my comfort zone" things in order to see what my friends see in these two shows.
If the mid-season hiatus was really supposed to last a month or two longer, that might explain how this episode got leaked so early.
Ah, ah ah Doc! You missed one crucial background pony...
It was...
Jason Voorhees! He's near the beginning of the maze bit.
This one bit of an oddball when it comes to online view, one of the video sites I frequent actually had this out like sort of leak before "Made in Manehattan", While I'm sure some of the people who frequent that site did watch it soon after it's posting I only watched up to the opening credits at the time, then watched the whole piece last night for more genuine Nightmare Night feel. I'm sure you're not new to leaked episodes, but it is important address it when it happens. They all had really wonderful costumes, I look forward to the next Nightmare Night episode, instead of focusing in on a member of the Mane 6 maybe it will focus in on the CMC. We keep on seeing the matured members on Nightmare Night as a focus, but what the kids and their experiences on Nightmare Night? Both Scare Master and Luna Eclipsed just gave us glimpses of what the younger members of Ponyville experience on the spookiest night of the year.
Aside from the parts about Angel (iffy) and Rainbow Dash (not at all X( ), I completely agree. This was a fantastic episode. In fact, it pulled me out of a particularly nasty depressive episode when it was leaked. That may make me sound a bit biased, but that alone made this a stellar episode, and Fluttershy deciding what she likes and doesn't like for herself, made this my favorite episode of season 5, and my favorite episode ever! XD
That was Derpy? I thought that was just an extra Twilight they put in there just for someone to point and say "Look! An extra Twilight!"
Is it just me, or was faking Granny Smith's death a tad too much?
+Idi Yeah, though I guess the idea could have been that they'd go over to it for comfort/to ask questions and instead find a spooky skeleton. I mean if she did die she wouldn't decay that quickly, and I think she heard Granny in the maze soon after so AJ knew she wasn't really dead.. she just didn't know quite what was going on. I agree though it was a bit of an odd choice... hn.. must have been Angel's decision, only he's that evil ;p (That or maybe I can see Granny Smith herself setting it up as a joke.. just maybe.)
It may have been a play on the "And then a skeleton popped out" trope
+Nøva Only one thing to say:
Spooky scary skeletons...
Notice that Fluttershy never says anything about a skeleton afterwards.
+Idi It was a reference to Psycho.
Sorry, another comment. I find it VERY interesting how many of the blind react posters don't like this episode but those like you, Dr Wulf, myself, and other 'after the fact' reviewers love the episode. I think that is because this is an episode designed for reviewing. Little sight gags, callbacks, and a deep moral.
The only thing I remember about this ep, is anime ponies. Not that the episode was bad, but I got so hyped at the anime ponies that I forgot what happened afterward....
Does every-pony know there was a pony that wore a Jason Vorheess costume?
If so, would there be a Freddy Kruger costume next year?
(CAUSE-I-WOULD-EXPLODE-WITH-SHOCK-&-AWE!!!)
yeah but also when fluttershy she did never did night mare night i was really head scratching but again i am glad she did take out of her comfort zone. but i did hope that she getting help from Discord you know... lord of chaos
I agree on the changeling things around, I have a episodes list app and it has a episode title that is still listed for season 5 but but doesn't have a episode number, and odder still it is titled " rotten applejack"
what changeling?
+Avizanski I believe he meant to write "changing", not changeling.
Why didn't you talk about the PONY POOP PAPER that the cutie mark crusaders used on that tree?
If only Toon and Ken could listen to you now
'Angel'(demon) bunny just didnt care about his carrots when he relised he had a chance to show his true colors. DESTROY THE DEMON! DESTROY ITTT!
I didn't understand what DrWolf said at 1:55
"First time she went as a scarecrow and now a lion? Does this mean we'll get to see her as a (word I've never heard) next time?"'
The captions didn't help me neither, even tho' I laughed when seeing them.
By the way, in the scene when they see Granny Smith in a chair and after getting closer they find out it's just a skeleton... I thought of Hitchcock's "Psycho" immediately. Anyone else did as well?
It is also a better version of putting your hoof down. Fluttershy did´t enjoy scaring ponies at all, not even for a second. I can relate to that. I am easly scared but I am curious how it whould be to be the one scaring others but I whould feel bad if I made someone have nightmares. Example. I get the living daylights scared out of me by wearwolf´s. Still I am fascinated by them and love the lore and whould love to potray one with costume or something. But I know it whould be scary facing me face to face.
I don't know whether they'd meant to broadcast the episodes on a certain day, but I, personally, have chosen to skip Hearthbreakers and go back and watch it on Christmas... Eve or Day, I don't know which I'll choose yet.
fluttershy, fluttershy, fluttershy is so kawaii
Derpy dressed up as Princess Twilight? How could I have missed that?
well I LOVE Fluttershy and it's a Great episode