I've been starting all my friends with the buffalo episode followed by Bridle Gossip, and they've all gotten hooked immediately.
You know your friends best. Personally, I think that most of the awesomeness of the show comes from the characters, so not knowing them removes a lot of the awesomeness.
For example, how good are the three Fluttershy episodes if you didn't see her whimpering in episode 1? What kind of context does Rainbow Dash have if you didn't see her clear the sky in ten seconds flat? Twilight Sparkle really has nothing going on at all if you didn't see episode 1, and she's the most important pony in the show.
I think you underestimate how easily that kind of stuff is grasped. When Ranbow Dash got out of the train car to chase the little buffalo, my friend Adam goes, "Oh, so she's basically the awesome pony, right?" It's also very easy to catch on to Twilight being the voice of reason and Rarity being a bitch. When it got to the part in Bridle Gossip where Fluttershy's voice changed, even with only one episode of context, they roared laughing. It is a kids show, after all. Kids aren't necessarily going to have seen every episode in order from the beginning, so it's made so that the basics are going to be graspable in any episode without context. I'm not saying that you shouldn't watch all the episodes from the beginning onward, but sometimes it's helpful to start with a really good episode first as motivation to tough it out through the "meh" episodes. And I definitely find the first episode to be relatively meh.
If they started with the first two episodes they wouldn't get that impression, though. I wouldn't say that the early episodes are "meh" episodes either. They're good, just not as good. You do have a point with regards to motivation, but there's a tradeoff to consider.
Sure, but that's you. Other people on this forum who started with the first episodes have stated otherwise. In fact, "bitch" was the long-standing and widely-held view of Rarity here until recent episodes.
I didn't. She has some negative qualities, but apart from in "Sonic Rainboom" I don't think she ever earned the label of "bitch".
Whaaa? I think that the Suited for Success episode is the only one that gives her any kind of focus and doesn't make her look and/or sound like a "bitch".
Whaaa? I think that the Suited for Success episode is the only one that gives her any kind of focus and doesn't make her look and/or sound like a "bitch".
Diamond Dogs. She wasn't a bitch, she was batman. She sacrificed her tail to help Cecil (as I now refer to him). She stood up for Fluttershy when she saw the crowd at the fashion show mocking her.
I've watched alltogether too much Initial D. My mind, on it's own, overlays sounds of engines and screeching tires on top of any eurobeat.
Pinkie Pie would drive a pink Miata. Fluttershy would drive a AE86 ('cause you don't consider it a threat when you first see it, but watch out!). Rainbow Dash would drive a Nissan GTR, because that thing fucking drips speed. Rarity drives strictly grip in her Lamborghini Gallado. Applejack rides a 2009 Fairlady Z. The Japanese muscle car; Strong and nothing complicated. Twilight drives an MR2, because you've gotta fucking magic to drift that thing.
Pinkie Pie would drive a pink Miata. Fluttershy would drive a AE86 ('cause you don't consider it a threat when you first see it, but watch out!). Rainbow Dash would drive a Nissan GTR, because that thing fucking drips speed. Rarity drives strictly grip in her Lamborghini Gallado. Applejack rides a 2009 Fairlady Z. The Japanese muscle car; Strong and nothing complicated. Twilight drives an MR2, because you've gotta fucking magic to drift that thing.
Yes to Pinkie Pie in the Miata. Fluttershy would drive a Volkswagen. Rarity would drive a Rolls Royce. Applejack drives a pickup truck. Twilight drives an electric, Nissan Leaf? Rainbow Dash drives an F1 Ferrari, way more than 20% cooler.
You don't think that if Batman could throw the Joker for a loop by whining, that he wouldn't do it in a second?
Nope. Probably not. First he is all about causing fear and secondly he's too proud to whine in front of his enemies (or friends) even when it would be part of a plan.
I haven't watched the new episode yet. Heck, it's not even over yet. However, I was reading some comments from people who are still watching. We know from the synopsis of this episode that Fluttershy helps Celestia's bird without permission. It seems that this bird is a Phoenix! +1 D&D monsters! Also, if it is a Phoenix, why would it need Fluttershy's help if it's sick? They're immortal.
Also, if it is a Phoenix, why would it need Fluttershy's help if it's sick? They're immortal.
My fast theories, based on what you told. A) It's just something that looks like Phoenix, but isn't actually immortal. Immortality doesn't mean that it couldn't be sick and in pain. C) I'll hope that there will be angry god Celestia in this episode.
That could be the case, but Fluttershy doesn't strike me as a pony who wouldn't know any better when it comes to animals.
Animals != unique mythical creatures
Wrong symbol. Unique mythical creatures are still animals, if anything, so you want a symbol saying "is a proper superset of" Granted, Fluttershy may not have experience with extremely rare animals, but I'd think she'd know enough about them anyway.
The only exception I'd see is if it is specifically the point of this episode for Fluttershy to make that mistake.
Fluttershy knew about Manticores and Cockatrices, that's fucked up if she doesn't know about Phoenixes. Also, in the episode summary it says she helps it. She clearly knows enough about it in order to help it out.
Fluttershy would drive a AE86 ('cause you don't consider it a threat when you first see it, but watch out!).
Not so much of a threat anymore. A good 3/4 of them are driven by people who can't drift for shit, but picked one up because they heard they were godly drift machines, and/or because it's the car the Takumi Drives in initial D/The King of Drifting drove one starting out, and still does from time to time.
Twilight drives an MR2, because you've gotta fucking magic to drift that thing.
Er, Not really. In fact, they're excellent drift cars. It's by no means a beginner's car - They're sometimes a little squirrely, they are more tail-happy than a front engine car, and you have to pay more attention to your weight shift and throttle. However, They won't snap-oversteer unless you do it really wrong(Especially the second generation with it's complete suspension redesign), and they come standard with the 4A-GE sprinter engine, with the 4A-GZE (A tuned 4A-GE with a Roots supercharger on it) model which isn't much more expensive than your regular MR2. It's not a beginner car, but it's not that problematic - If you have the skill, it's a better drift car than the AE86, unless you're the protagonist in a shonen manga who has a plot-shield against losing more than once(and the first time just teaches you were you failed so you can beat them the next time. Or they cheated, either way.)
How does car talk relate to MLP? Both involve horsepower. *Rimshot*
I think "Suited for Success" proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Rarity isn't a bitch. She never once got pissed off or mad at something related to her dresses, despite the fact she made all of them for her, on a whim and then made a second pair which put her creditability completely on the line. The only thing that angered her in that episode was when Dash took Opal and put her in a tree.
And I always find that whining scene to be funny as hell. That was just her asserting her power, considering that she would slowly get leverage over the much more brutal and intimidating diamond dogs, she just took advantage of that.
Comments
For example, how good are the three Fluttershy episodes if you didn't see her whimpering in episode 1? What kind of context does Rainbow Dash have if you didn't see her clear the sky in ten seconds flat? Twilight Sparkle really has nothing going on at all if you didn't see episode 1, and she's the most important pony in the show.
I wouldn't say that the early episodes are "meh" episodes either. They're good, just not as good. You do have a point with regards to motivation, but there's a tradeoff to consider.
That's three episodes pretty handily.
Pinkie Pie would drive a pink Miata.
Fluttershy would drive a AE86 ('cause you don't consider it a threat when you first see it, but watch out!).
Rainbow Dash would drive a Nissan GTR, because that thing fucking drips speed.
Rarity drives strictly grip in her Lamborghini Gallado.
Applejack rides a 2009 Fairlady Z. The Japanese muscle car; Strong and nothing complicated.
Twilight drives an MR2, because you've gotta fucking magic to drift that thing.
Riiight. Just like Batman.
Fluttershy would drive a Volkswagen.
Rarity would drive a Rolls Royce.
Applejack drives a pickup truck.
Twilight drives an electric, Nissan Leaf?
Rainbow Dash drives an F1 Ferrari, way more than 20% cooler.
Rarity had those kidnappers wrapped around her hoof with hardly an exertion.
I haven't watched the new episode yet. Heck, it's not even over yet. However, I was reading some comments from people who are still watching. We know from the synopsis of this episode that Fluttershy helps Celestia's bird without permission. It seems that this bird is a Phoenix! +1 D&D monsters! Also, if it is a Phoenix, why would it need Fluttershy's help if it's sick? They're immortal.
A) It's just something that looks like Phoenix, but isn't actually immortal.
C) I'll hope that there will be angry god Celestia in this episode.
Granted, Fluttershy may not have experience with extremely rare animals, but I'd think she'd know enough about them anyway.
The only exception I'd see is if it is specifically the point of this episode for Fluttershy to make that mistake.
This episode was really funny.
It's not a beginner car, but it's not that problematic - If you have the skill, it's a better drift car than the AE86, unless you're the protagonist in a shonen manga who has a plot-shield against losing more than once(and the first time just teaches you were you failed so you can beat them the next time. Or they cheated, either way.)
How does car talk relate to MLP? Both involve horsepower. *Rimshot*
And I always find that whining scene to be funny as hell. That was just her asserting her power, considering that she would slowly get leverage over the much more brutal and intimidating diamond dogs, she just took advantage of that.