Equestria Girls: Magical Movie Night Review

(Review begins where text is all italic.)

Hello everybody, this is George Harvey, aka the Autistic Blogger. Some of you may remember earlier this year I posted a random review of a random DVD (Sword Art Online II: Part 4). Today, I’m posting another one, for similar reasons.

Below is my analysis of Dance-, Movie– and Mirror-Magic; the three Equestria Girls specials that were released this past summer. For those of you who don’t know, Equestria Girls is a spin-off brand of My Little Pony, where all the characters are re-imagined as humans. I’ve reviewed each of the movies before, so it made sense to write one on the specials, too – especially as they were said to be the beginning of a series. While I am happy with the finished piece, posting it here feels bittersweet for me. Let me explain.

Usually, when I write a review, I submit it to Amazon.co.uk. There, people can read my analysis and let me know whether it’s helpful or not. This time, though, I wasn’t able to do that. Because, for whatever reason, these specials aren’t available on DVD outside of America. I’ve checked the US version of the site. But apparently, you need to spend at least $50 to post a review there – which would be costly to me. So, with very few options, I posted the review here just to get it online.

However, I would’ve done the same even without the uploading problem.

You see, much like my SAO analysis, I was worried nobody would find this review on Amazon – it’s easy to miss on such a vast site. The thought of that happening was too unbearable, considering how long I’d slaved away over it. I’m not exaggerating either. You wouldn’t believe what I’ve suffered through just to get this done. To give you an idea, let’s look back at my SAO review. When I uploaded that piece, I discussed beforehand how difficult writing was for me sometimes. How my Autism affects my thought process and makes me a perfectionist, which cause me to edit for weeks on end. Since then, I’m afraid to say very little has improved. In fact, it’s worse than before. I began writing this review around early July. It’s now New Year’s Eve! You can do the math for yourself.

To be fair, I haven’t spent every waking moment of my life working on this piece. There have been days, even weeks, where I’ve taken breaks to focus on more important things; like work, drama and online courses. These projects have kept me motivated, and I haven’t stressed over the review as much as I usually do. However, given it’s still taken me this long to finish, I’m honestly having concerns about my future. My dream is to become a children’s author one day. If I can’t write a review within three weeks, what chance do I have finishing a book? It doesn’t seem likely, does it?

With all this in mind, I’ve decided it’s well and truly, seriously time for me to sort out my writing problems. And I think I know how.

I’ve always said my biggest regret was not taking A-Levels in English. If I had, perhaps writing wouldn’t be so complicated now, and I’d have a firmer grasp of its rules. It also would’ve made University a lot easier.

I think what I need to do is go back to the basics. If I can refresh my memory and learn to be confident in my abilities, then it’ll help me avoid the problems I keep encountering. In theory, this should also stop me second-guessing myself, and I can finish things quicker and more professionally. To help me do this, I’ve purchased some GCSE revision guides on Language and Literature. Plus, I still have my old college textbooks and computer programs such as Grammarly. It’s going to be a challenge, but I’m determined to make 2018 my best writing year yet.

I think that’s enough rambling now.

I understand this review may not appeal to everyone. But I do hope you’ll take time to read it and appreciate all the effort that’s put in. This piece could be the last time I write something of this length and quality. It’ll be interesting to see if anything has improved within in a year’s time.

Happy New Year, and enjoy the review. (Be warned: it’s quite long.)

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If there’s one word I can use to describe Equestria Girls lately, it’s independent. Back when Hasbro first commissioned this brand, it was intended to be a loose tie-in with their Friendship is Magic series. Specifically, it featured Twilight Sparkle visiting the human world and protecting it from various magical threats. It also featured other ponies from the show as high school students, creating a unique blend of fantasy and teenage drama. While this concept was successful, there was only so much it could achieve as an extension of the show – especially as the high school clichés gave it limited creative potential. Fortunately, Hasbro had a solution. In 2015, their movies began focusing solely on their human characters and had little to no connection with the series. They even created their own version of Twilight (Sci-Twi) and pushed her into the lead role alongside Sunset Shimmer, a former antagonist. These changes, along with the new magic girl aspects, gave the brand its own identity, allowing it to appeal to a broader audience.
With its newfound popularity, Hasbro wanted to try making Equestria Girls into its own TV series. All they needed was the right opportunity to present one. That opportunity came in 2017. Due to the release of My Little Pony: The Movie, the studio decided not to make a fifth Equestria Girls film. Instead, they produced three half-hour specials that would air on TV as backdoor pilots. If they were successful, it would assure them that releasing two series a year would be worth their time and money.
So now that Sunset and the gang have episode-length adventures are they good enough to warrant a full series? Let’s take a look.
The first special, Dance Magic, takes place sometime after the fourth film. With Camp Everfree still needing repairs, the Hu-Mane Seven are trying to raise money for it. Unfortunately, they’ve only gathered half the funds, and the deadline is next week. That’s when Rarity has an idea. If they can win Canterlot Mall’s Chance to Prance competition, they’ll earn prize money worth more than double what they need. Everyone likes the idea. But it soon becomes apparent they aren’t the best dancers. Plus, some old rivals return from Crystal Prep. And when they steal Rarity’s video concept, she wishes she hadn’t spent the pre-earned money on costumes.
First of all, I love how this story focuses on someone other than Twilight or Sunset for a change. One of the core issues with the Hu-Mane Seven, lately, has been their limited screen time. This has led to them having diminished film roles and almost flanderized personalities. Fortunately, that’s the advantage of shorter stories: they provide individual character development, without tediously dragging out the plot. In this case, the spotlight is on Rarity.
For the most part, Rarity is still her typical fashion-obsessed self, who’s more concerned with appearance than practicality. But we also get to see her creative side and just how passionate she is towards her work. She’s so devoted that she won’t be satisfied unless she’s perfected every detail – even if it means cancelling rehearsals to fix torn clothes. It’s this determination that brings out the best in her character and makes her an ideal director. Additionally, she adopts some of pony-Rarity’s quirks for good measure (e.g. her fainting couch, her running mascara, and eating ice cream when she’s miserable). Most importantly, though, she keeps her other self’s generosity, which plays a significant role in the climax.
Another interesting note is that this story features the return of the Shadow Bolts (Sugarcoat, Sour Sweet, Lemon Zest and Sunny Flare). I actually made a mistake in my Friendship Games review when I said these girls didn’t have individual personalities. In fact, they’re supposed to represent darker versions of the Hu-Mane Seven. Sugarcoat is honest (like Applejack), but she’s also harsh with her words and never sugarcoats anything. Sour Sweet is nice (like Fluttershy), but she’s prone to mood swings and often follows her compliments with sour remarks. In Dance Magic, they retain these traits, along with their highly competitive nature. Which I found unusual at first; until I realised it was done for realism. You see, too often in My Little Pony, villains are reformed after a single good deed. Which isn’t entirely plausible. The best-reformed characters are those who’re given time to reflect on their actions and then progressively make amends for them. That’s how Sunset became the brand’s most well-developed character. The Shadow Bolts are similar in a way; it’s revealed they had good intentions for winning, but they lost sight of them in the heat of competition. It takes Rarity to show them that.
Aside from the video itself, which is lyrically appealing – despite containing a rap number – there’s nothing else to say except Dance Magic delivers. It may not be anything epic or magical, but it’s a solid example of a character-focused story, which every good series needs.
The second special, Movie Magic, sees the girls visiting a film studio. One of its directors is an alumnus of Camp Everfree and has graciously invited them to the set of Daring Do. Unfortunately, production of the feature is in turmoil; costumes have been lost, set pieces are falling apart, the lead actress is threatening to quit. And when some valuable props are stolen, the Hu-Mane Seven begin to suspect there’s sabotage at work. Now they have to find the culprit and save the film before it’s cancelled.
If I can be honest, this feels like the weakest of the three specials to me. I do give it credit for being the most like a TV episode, but there’s a constant sense that it’s trying to be something it’s not. Let me explain. Going by the set-up, you can tell the writer took a lot of inspiration from the classic Scooby Doo cartoons. You’ve got the group of teenagers who stumble across a mystery, a talking dog who’s obsessed with finding food, comical yet pointless chase scenes, a girl in glasses who explains the villain’s scheme after they’ve caught them, the list goes on. It’s not a bad idea. But having a more comedic tone does affect the story’s quality. Some scenes try so hard to be funny that they abandon all sense of logic and realism. Consequently, the tension feels downplayed and it’s hard to take anything seriously. Even the villain’s motives are board-line ridiculous. It works fine for a Scooby Doo cartoon. But because Equestria Girls also teaches important morals, their stories need to balance out humour with serious moments, or they won’t get these messages across. On top of that, the mystery itself isn’t that engaging. Why? Because it’s too obvious who the culprit is! I won’t give away any spoilers. But if you pay attention to all the not-so-subtle hints, and realise there are only two potential suspects, you can work things out within the first 10mins. It doesn’t help either that the characters blatantly try to mislead us.
Overall, Movie Magic isn’t on par with episodes like Rarity Investigates or MMMystery on the Friendship Express. But that doesn’t mean it’s all bad. In fact, there were quite a few elements it handled quite well. For one thing, all the Hu-Mane Seven share the same amount of screen time. And while their intelligence is questionable at times, they do stay perfectly in character throughout. Twilight and Rainbow Dash are especially memorable because they’re portrayed as fan-girls – something that’s been shown numerous times in the series, but never in Equestria Girls. It’s also good to see the girls using their geode powers for the first time since Legend of Everfree (e.g. Rainbow Dash’s super speed and Twilight’s telekinesis). However, certain flaws with these abilities do get addressed as well. Namely how they’re overpowered and could resolve problems too easily. Because of this, limitations had to be established, such as the girls needing to wear their geodes to use them. It’s a bit dull to hear the old we forgot to bring them excuse, but just having the powers adds some much-needed fantasy to an otherwise standard comedic mystery.
Another aspect worth mentioning is two of the new characters they introduce. The first is Juniper Montage. She’s the director’s niece and production assistant, who’s also a big Daring Do fan. She plays a more prominent role in the third story – so I won’t go into details here. But the plot does well to establish her character and sets everything up perfectly for her appearance later on. The other new face is Chestnut Magnifico, who – I have to say – I don’t particularly like as Daring Do. I get that she’s an actress and not the real thing, but it bothers me she’s even associated with the character. In the series, Daring Do is a wise-cracking tomboy, who’s a mixture of Rainbow Dash and Indiana Jones. Chestnut Magnifico is a generic movie diva, who’s loud, obnoxious and always in a bad mood. Even when filming, she barely looks or sounds anything like her counterpart. If the writer wanted to reinvent a fan-favourite character for Equestria Girls, they only succeeded in tarnishing it.
Perhaps the best part of Movie Magic though, is its pop-culture references. Taking place in a film studio, there are various nods to movies like Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, directors Steven Spielberg and Ron Howard, and even episodes of Friendship is Magic, One of my personal favourites is when the girls end up on a superhero set, dressed as the Power Ponies (Season 4) – with Sunset Shimmer hilariously typecast as the Mane-iac.
So all in all, there are parts of Movie Magic that do work. It’s just a shame that most of them aren’t well-presented.
And then you have the third special, Mirror Magic. I have just one thing to say: Sunset Shimmer meets Starlight Glimmer! This is the scenario fans have been dreaming about for ages. I don’t know what it is about 2017, but it seems to be the year of wish fulfilment for the fandom. There’s this, My Little Pony: The Movie, and the majority of episodes in Season 7. But anyway, let me explain how this meeting of two worlds came to be.
While spending time at Canterlot Mall, Sunset Shimmer tries to write a message to Princess Twilight. Only for her magic journal to suddenly run out of pages. Just then, she gets a reply from her mentor, asking her to come to her castle. That’s right, Sunset Shimmer goes back to Equestria! And, we see her in pony-form for the first time in years! Anyway, upon arrival, she’s greeted by Starlight, who gives her a new journal as Twilight and her friends were unexpectedly called away. Sunset can’t help feeling a bit disappointed. Just as she’s about to leave, however, Starlight becomes curious of the human world and asks if she can see it for herself. Sunset agrees, as long as they keep a low profile. That’s right, Starlight Glimmer in the human world! Meanwhile, an old adversary has returned and imprisons the Hu-Mane Seven. And when Sunset is caught too, it’s up to Starlight to save the day.
Admittedly, when I first heard there was going to be a Starlight in this special, I wasn’t too keen on the idea. I was concerned a human version would overshadow Sunset, and the latter would lose significance as a brand-exclusive character. The individual brands work so well, in my opinion, because they have two different ponies as their seventh lead. Fortunately, Sunset wasn’t undermined. Because, rather than creating their own version of Starlight, the writer merely borrows the one from the series. Knowing this, we’re assured she’ll return to Equestria and Sunset will remain the face of Equestria Girls.
However, I’m not saying Starlight’s inclusion here was a bad thing. In fact, by the end of it, I was hoping she’d become a semi-recurring character. This is mainly due to her relationship with Sunset. The chemistry between these two is just perfect; they’re charming together, they have similar backgrounds, and they’re able to help with each other’s problems. Starlight offers Sunset advice on the rogue magic that’s loose in her world, while she gives Starlight a chance prove herself as Twilight’s pupil. Additionally, they’re both incredibly funny characters. In one scene, Sunset forgets to walk on all fours and use magic in Equestria. Then, Starlight behaves like a pony in the human world. It’s definitely a treat seeing them play off each other, and it never feels like one is upstaging the other.
Of course, Starlight and Sunset aren’t the only stars. As mentioned before, this story also features Juniper Montage. Following on from Movie Magic, she’s now a theatre usher and has developed a hatred towards the Hu-Mane Seven. One day, while slacking off, she finds a mirror infected with Equestrian magic. It seems harmless at first, showing her reflection as a famous movie star. But then she discovers it can also banish people she hates to a mirror-dimension. Eventually, she’s so overcome by its power that she transforms into a giant, delusional monster – one only Starlight can subdue.
I have to say, regarding Equestria Girls villains, Juniper might be my favourite character to date. She’s a perfect example of how the brand can create its own characters, rather than relying on those from the series. True, she comes off as being a spoiled brat. But thanks to Movie Magic we understand why. Like any girl her age, Juniper had strong ambitions for the future. She dreamed of becoming an actress and was fortunate enough to have an uncle in the film industry. If she’d bided her time as his assistant, it could’ve led to many great opportunities for her. Now, because of a mistake she made, she’s lost that dream position and ended up in a job she feels is beneath her. On top of that, she’s constantly reminded of her enemies’ success, which only causes her to lash out. With this in mind, it’s natural that she’d become infatuated with the mirror’s reflection and allow herself to be corrupted. I’m not saying this justifies her actions, but the narrative does make us feel sorry for her. Deep down, all she really wants is friendship.
I suppose my only complaint about Mirror Magic is the runtime. Given Starlight’s presence and the depth of Juniper’s character, the story really could’ve been expanded into a full-length movie. It’s especially troubling for Juniper since it makes her development feel rushed and forced. If they’d held back on her return, she could’ve become a recurring villain for the brand. Now it seems she’ll just fade into obscurity like Diamond Tiara did. Nonetheless, the special is of movie-quality standards, and many agree it’s the best of the three.
So how well do these stories hold up collectively? As backdoor pilots, I’d say very well. Although each of them varies in focus and quality, they all share a common desire to present Equestria Girls as a plausible series. They have on-screen credits, similar to Friendship is Magic and theirs; an original – albeit short – opening theme, and even individually designed title cards. They also do a good job tying-in with each other, as well as the movies. Dance Magic refers to the Friendship Games and Legend of Everfree; Movie Magic features a character seen briefly at the end of the fourth film (i.e. the director); and, Mirror Magic has both Juniper Montage and the Dance Magic music video.
In conclusion, there’s no reason Hasbro shouldn’t make Equestria Girls into a full-length series. The fandom wants it, they’re capable of doing it, and the brand has proven countless times it can support itself with fleshed-out characters, evocative storylines and limited MLP nostalgia. The best part is, a series seems closer now than ever before (in 2017). Not long after these specials aired, Hasbro released the Summertime Shorts. These segments continued the Hu-Mane Seven‘s adventures, but also expanded their universe; showing us some of their hobbies, where they lived and even where they worked – that’s right, they have jobs this world! The shorts were so popular that within weeks Hasbro announced they’d be releasing a digital series on YouTube. This, unfortunately, turned out to be more shorts, but their quality and world-building remained. Plus, extended episodes could be on the horizon, given that a fifth film is rumoured to be in the works.
If you love Equestria Girls, and want to experience the brand in series-form, then these specials are an absolute must-watch for you. If you’re not a fan, but you still want to get into them, then I’d recommend at least watching Legend of Everfree first. Once you’ve seen where a series started taking shape, you’ll be eager as a brony to see more.
That’s all I have to say for now. So until next time, stay tuned.

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If you have any questions, please leave me a comment – I’ll be happy to answer them. And, until next time, stay tuned.

(Image courtesy of: https://mylittlepony.hasbro.com/en-us/characters/meet/equestriagirls)

Life, Animated (2nd Anniversary Special – Part 3)

(Continued from Part 2: https://georgeharvey2015.wordpress.com/2017/08/01/life-animated-review-part-2/)

Throughout the documentary, we see numerous people trying to help Owen prepare for life on his own. They all teach him essential skills like communication and self-awareness. However, they also express concerns about his well-being. These include him walking with his chin down, his limited knowledge of road safety, and whether or not he can cope without hands-on support. Owen does want to be independent. But he knows his condition will make things challenging. Especially when it comes to perceiving reality.

As mentioned before, Owen struggles to understand people and situations, unless they relate to a Disney film. Anything new or unfamiliar makes him feel anxious. This is a constant problem for him because the world is always changing. If he’s not mentally prepared to adapt, then his adulthood will only intimidate him.

I, myself, find change extremely difficult sometimes. I try to stay organised by writing myself timetables. But once I’m used to a routine, something new comes along and throws a spanner in the works. Maybe my hours at work will change. Maybe there’s a meeting I have to attend. Or perhaps a deadline will come up, and doing it means I’ll have less time to finish other tasks. Staying on top of things can be stressful when you’re not anticipating them.

Owen’s mother says it best: the reason her son loves Disney films so much is they’re the one thing in his life that never change. The characters don’t age. The stories don’t take drastic turns. It’s just the same scripted events, followed by the same characters, who learn the same moral lessons that Owen can understand.

The trouble is, real-life isn’t a Disney script.

Going back to Owen’s childhood, his Autism continued to be a hindrance for him. Although he was able to communicate better thanks to his parents speaking in Disney dialogue, they knew this couldn’t be a permanent solution. Eventually, they’d have to teach him to interpret reality without Disney’s help. Otherwise, his development would be slow. This was made evident during his school years.

Initially, Owen was enrolled in a specialist school for learning disabled children. It worked well for a time. But after a year or two, it became apparent he wasn’t making enough progress. His limited speech and social skills meant he couldn’t keep up with the other students – despite them also having conditions like dyslexia and ADHD. Soon after, the school decided there was nothing more they could do, and Owen was excluded.

This actually brings to mind a pressing matter in today’s society. There have been numerous cases where a child has been unjustly excluded from school – or refused entry entirely – because of circumstances relating to their disability. It is essential for teachers and parents to remember that every child is entitled to a proper education, regardless of their physical or mental impairments. Denying them that right is an unacceptable course of action.

Being taken out of school was hard on Owen. He described it as a “glop” year, where everything went downhill, and he felt his best days were behind him. He even lost his passion for animated movies. Following an extensive period of home-schooling, his parents got him enrolled in a new school for special needs children. Unfortunately, this did little to improve his emotional state. Then the bullying started.

At some point in our lives, we’ve all experienced bullying and the harsh impact it can have on our psyches. For those with Autism, though, it can be a lot more harrowing. This is because we have two symptoms that bullies like to exploit. The first is our sensitivity. Because we struggle to control our emotions, bullies know they can get a reaction from us with little provocation. The second is our literal way of thinking. Given how our minds work, we tend to sort everything into black and white areas. If anything falls into the grey (e.g. sarcasm or rhetorical questions), it can be difficult to process what’s true and what isn’t. As such, we instinctively believe what we’re told most of the time. This assures bullies that their threats will be taken seriously – even if they’re false.

In Owen’s case, the boys at his school tormented him by saying they’d burn his house down. This terrified him because he genuinely believed his family was going to be killed. The documentary illustrates this fear by showing us some frightening clips from Disney; Bambi escaping a forest fire, the wolves from ‘Beauty and the Beast’, Chernabog from ‘Night on Bald Mountain’, Jafar laughing, Simba watching his father die. There’s even one part where Owen watches ‘The Hunchback of Notre-Dame’; specifically, the scene where Quasimodo is tortured and ridiculed by the townsfolk. It’s very symbolic.

There’s no doubt high school was a dark time for Owen. But there was a light on the horizon.

Sometime after the bullying, Ron noticed his son was spending a lot of time in the basement. So one day he went down and saw Owen had been drawing Disney characters in a scrapbook. The one significance, however, was that every one of them was a sidekick – there were no heroes. Owen explains he never felt like a hero at the time. He always felt more like a sidekick. “Sidekicks”, he says, “are fun-loving, comical, wacky, playful, friendly and delightful. And they help the hero fulfil their destiny.” On the last two pages, he wrote, “I am the Protector of the Sidekicks. No Sidekick gets left behind.” What that meant was, although he doubted he would ever be a leader among regular people, he could be one to those just like him. This is likely what inspired him to start his Disney club. And what got him into writing.

‘The Land of the Lost Sidekicks’ is one of the best highlights of the DVD for me – perhaps more so than the diagnosis section. It’s the tale of a young boy, who’s awoken in the night by a storm made of garbled voices. He escapes into the forest where he meets the Disney sidekicks. They’re lost because they no longer have a hero to follow – having fulfilled their purpose in their movies. The boy is named Protector of the Sidekicks and helps them defeat the storm – which is really a demon. While they, in turn, show him the path to his destiny.

Not only is the animation here beautiful – with its pencil-esque style and brilliant use of watercolours – but the story is a creative retelling of Owen’s life. The boy is the same age he was when he was diagnosed. The demon is the stressful voices he couldn’t understand as a child. The sidekicks are the friends he always longed to have, who also give his life purpose. It’s inspiring to see how Owen took both the good and bad parts of his life and turned them into something meaningful.

This is what I want to do someday: write stories from personal experience that will help me make a difference in other’s lives.

Back in the present day, Owen’s family celebrate Walter’s 26th Birthday. After a scene where Owen struggles with his speech, we take a moment to focus on his brother. Walter admits he cares deeply for Owen and would do anything to make sure he’s okay. However, it does overwhelm him knowing he may one day have to take care of him and their parents. Every passing year brings him closer to that fate. As a result, his birthday depresses him as much as it did when he was nine.

This part opened my eyes to something. For those of you who don’t know, I have a twin sister. Unlike me, she’s not Autistic, has many friends and spends most of her time out of the house. After watching this, it really dawned on me that I’ve never asked her how she feels about my condition or its effects. I know she loves me regardless. But I have to wonder if she’s ever had the same concerns as Walter. Perhaps we should talk about it one day.

Once again, I have to give ‘Life, Animated’ credit for being so sincere about how Autism affects everyone in the family – not just the child and parents.

After spending some time with Walter, Owen’s graduation day finally arrives. The most pivotal chapter of his life is about to begin.

Continued in Part 4: https://georgeharvey2015.wordpress.com/2018/04/02/life-animated-review-2nd-anniversary-special-part-4/

(Image courtesy of: http://www.tulsakids.com/Web-2016/Life-Animated-at-Circle-Cinema/)

My Little Pony: Lesson Zero and Autism (Part 2)

(Continued from Part 1: https://georgeharvey2015.wordpress.com/2016/10/22/my-little-pony-lesson-zero-and-autism-part-1/)

From here onwards, the episode focuses on Twilight trying to cope with the stress of potentially missing her deadline. Many people go through this situation, of course. But it’s important to note how Twilight is reacting. And why. Because she thinks very highly of Celestia, she feels it’s necessary to push herself – if she’s not perfect, it’s not meeting her tutor’s standards. I had this same problem in university. Because I took Creative Writing at Greenwich, one of London’s top colleges, every assignment felt like it had to be precise or else I’d fail my course. This goes back to what I said before about problems feeling bigger than they actually are. No one expects perfection – not even royalty. But if you’re used to being a model pupil, it’s easy to stress over small details and imagine all the negative outcomes.

Thinking she’ll be sent back to magic kindergarten if she fails, Twilight decides to find a friendship problem and solve it by the end of the day. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have much luck. Every time she runs into one of her friends they look like they’re in trouble. But it turns out to be a misunderstanding, leaving her crushed.

Yes, Twilight is actually hoping her friends are suffering so she’ll have something to fix and write about. When you’re stressing over a deadline, it’s hard to concern yourself with anything else.

With no friendship problems in sight, Twilight curls up on a park bench trying to comfort herself. However, the pressure is clearly getting her. She’s stroking her tail, her mane is frazzled, she starts crying and arguing with herself (Gollum-style.) She even has hallucinations of younger ponies (fillies) laughing at her.

You might think this behaviour is a bit exaggerated or comical. But I can tell you, from personal experience, that it’s realistic. There were times in university when I’d curl up in fear. Or I’d cry and talk to my reflection. Sometimes I even had nervous twitches that made me throw up in the morning. The point is, stress can cause you to act the way Twilight does. And I’m glad Meghan McCarthy and the animators gave us such an accurate portrayal here.

Spike tells Twilight she needs to calm down because he’s worried about her. He suggests they go to the picnic so she can relax. But Twilight sees this as another chance to find a friendship problem.

Again, this is realistic behaviour from Twilight. When you have short deadlines, it feels like you can’t afford to take breaks. If you do, you’ll just have less time to finish your tasks, which makes the situation more stressful.

Arriving at the picnic, Twilight tells her friends she desperately needs their help. They seem eager to lend a hoof until she explains she’s late for an assignment. At which point, they brush off the problem and go back to their picnic. Twilight insists her whole life depends on this. But her friends just say she’s getting all worked up over nothing – some even laugh and call her a drama queen. This infuriates Twilight, and she runs off in frustration.

This is a very pivotal moment in the episode. Not only does it affect everything that happens afterwards, but it ultimately leads us to the moral of the story.

Also, this situation is something I feel very personal about.

To be fair, Twilight’s friends aren’t being hurtful on purpose – they do show regret after she runs off. But if I were in her position, I’d be mad too. There have been times when I’ve gone to people for help, and all they’ve done is tell me my problems aren’t worth stressing over. I  do understand why they say this. But it doesn’t do anything to help me, and I almost hate them for it.

It’s the same with Twilight.

Yes, she is overreacting – that much is obvious. But she wouldn’t be panicking if she didn’t feel she had a reason to. Her friends don’t see what’s so stressful because they’re not the ones with the problem. So they think the obvious solution is to stop worrying about it. But this is the worst thing you can say to somebody in Twilight’s predicament.

People do prefer not to feel negative emotions. But they can’t stop feeling how they are just because someone tells them to. If you were punched in the face, you wouldn’t forgive the person who did it just because they said it was a joke. You wouldn’t immediately cheer up if you were told your mother died. And you wouldn’t stop worrying about something just because another person said they would. Telling someone they’re overreacting, without offering a proper solution to their problem, just makes that person think you’re being insensitive. Or worse, poking fun at their misery. This is the sort of thing that ruins relationships.

Twilight’s friends don’t realise the severity of their actions – or lack of them. And it’s what leads us to the episode’s climax.

We cut back to Twilight, who’s watching the sun set from her bedroom. By this point, her mind has officially snapped, and she’s descending into madness.

Seriously, go on YouTube, type Crazy Twilight Sparkle and click the first video that comes up. This scene alone proves why My Little Pony isn’t just for girls anymore.

With seemingly no other option, Twilight decides if she can’t find a friendship problem, she’ll make one.

I’ve been through this scenario once too often; the pressure of meeting a deadline can be so overwhelming you resort to taking shortcuts. The stress means you can’t think straight and you’re so focused on finishing the task you don’t care if it’s done well or not.

Twilight goes outside, with a sadistic grin on her face (see image link below), and comes across Applebloom, Sweetiebelle and Scootaloo (the Cutie Mark Crusaders). She shows the fillies her Smarty Pants doll and gives it to them, hoping they’ll fight over it. When they don’t, she casts a “Want It/Need It” spell, which forces them to fight. Twilight tries to teach the girls about sharing but quickly realises the spell is too powerful. Then more ponies fall under her spell until nearly everyone in Ponyville is fighting over the doll. Twilight finds her friends and admits she messed up, just as the sun sets over the horizon.

By the way, I should mention the sun has been setting in a rather unique way. Along with a ‘ticking’ windmill, it’s been jolting across the sky like the hours on a clock face. I love how the animators did this because it emphasises how Twilight is feeling about her time pressure.

Just when it looks like things can’t get any worse, a voice cries out “TWILIGHT SPARKLE!” It’s Princess Celestia. She casts a spell which removes the enchantment from the doll, returning every pony to normal. She then approaches Twilight and says to meet her in the library. Believing she knows what this means, Twilight says a sad goodbye to her friends and walks away – it’s only then they realise how big Twilight’s problem might’ve been.

However, it turns out Celestia isn’t mad. She tells Twilight she’s a wonderful student, and she doesn’t need to get a letter from her every week to know that.

This is further proof that Twilight set the letter deadline herself. She was just pushing herself, unnecessarily, to impress her teacher.

Suddenly, Twilight’s friends burst in and beg Celestia not to punish her. They insist it was their fault for what happened because they didn’t take Twilight’s feelings seriously before. If they did, they could’ve done more to help her, and she wouldn’t have caused all the chaos.

I’m so glad Megan McCarthy included this scene. The episode could’ve ended with Twilight learning her lesson, and that would’ve been enough. But she makes it clear that Twilight wasn’t the only pony at fault. Her friends share equal blame for not taking the right course of action. To quote a line from an old Sonic Underground episode: “You’re part of the problem if you’re not helping solve them.”

Celestia seems impressed that every pony has learnt from the day’s experience. So she makes a deal with them. She’ll forget the fiasco if, from now on, all six of them write her letters on their lessons of friendship – when, and only when, they discover them.

This solution is perfect for two reasons: A) it takes some much-needed pressure off of Twilight, and B) it solves a problem many critics had with the first season. You see, because Twilight was the only pony who could write Celestia letters, she had to be shoehorned into every single episode – even when she wasn’t the primary focus. With this new set-up, however, the writers could keep the spotlight on other characters, without squeezing Twilight in if they didn’t need her.

Before Celestia leaves, Twilight finds out it was Spike who told her she was in trouble and needed some guidance.

I love how Spike was written in this episode. He’s the only character (other than Celestia) who did the right thing. Twilight was too busy panicking to contact the one pony who could’ve assured her nothing was wrong. So, like a true friend, he did it for her. It’s better to express your fears to the person you’re answering to rather than worrying about what they might say or think.

The episode ends with everyone working together to write Celestia a letter. Twilight has learnt not to let her fears get the better of her, or let a small problem turn into something bigger. Her friends have learnt it’s important to listen to others, and consider their feelings when they come to you with a problem. Spike tries writing how great he is and how he didn’t need to learn a lesson but realises he should cross it out. Everyone laughs as the screen fades to black.

*

Overall, Lesson Zero is one of my favourite Friendship is Magic episodes. There have been better ones since it aired like Magical Mystery Cure (S3, Ep13), Slice of Life (S5, Ep9) and Crusaders of the Lost Mark (S5, Ep18). But I enjoy how relatable it is.

I don’t think I would’ve done anything differently to Twilight in this episode. In fact, one of the lessons it teaches has had a profound impact on my writing.

When I first started this blog, I tried to write something for it every week. Unfortunately, this proved too stressful because I had other things going on in my life. And I couldn’t always come up with ideas. So I decided to take Princess Celestia’s advice. Now, like Twilight and her friends, I only write when there’s a significant topic I want to discuss, and when I’m able to devote enough time and effort to it. This has allowed me to produce much better content, with the quality and high standards that my readers deserve.

I could tell you more about what Lesson Zero has done for my life. But I can’t do it justice just by talking about it. If you have Autism, or you care for somebody with the condition, then I would seriously recommend giving this episode a watch. Who’s knows, you might like it so much you end up becoming a brony/pegasister yourself, and watch all six seasons of Friendship is Magic – plus the four Equestria Girls movies.

That’s all I have to say for now. I’m sorry it’s taken me forever to finish this post – it’ll probably be a while before there’s another one – but I try to make sure I have the right blend of quality and quantity in my work. If you have any questions, please leave me a comment. I’ll be happy to answer them. And, as always, stay tuned.

(Image courtesy of http://www.brony.com/brony-facts-faq/my-little-pony-cast/)

(Twilight’s sadistic grin: http://orig11.deviantart.net/8150/f/2012/193/1/9/twilight_sparkle___crazy_by_pyschedelicskooma-d56ymme.png)