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| Yes, I chose a HappyShy image. I have precisely no regrets about this |
S4E14: "Filli Vanilli"
Written by Amy Keating Rogers
15 Feb 2014
My original rating: 9/10 (=★★★★★)
IMDb score: 8.1
Thoughts: In which Disney Princess Fluttershy becomes Stage Star Fluttershy by way of Mark Two Flutterguy. It's interesting to see S4 Flutters, where she hasn't quite managed the confidence she has a few seasons later but has still moved on significantly from the early days. Her clear "No" to Rarity early on is a good example. "Baby steps" indeed. Actually this is also a very good episode for Rarity, and it's nice to see she and Fluttershy in partnership, something we don't see enough of. After the opening sequence there's only the one song, repeated several times, but it is a catchy number. Some lovely little touches, such as Cheerilee's "swoon", and some ridiculous but funny ones, such as 'Shy's diving suit. Flutterguy is an acquired taste, but I think the joke works here. And then there's Pinkie... I still don't really like how she was written here, though even she has her moments (such as "Aw, but I'm so good at it!" and the turkey call). Obviously the harassment inflicted on AKR from some quarters was disgusting. No excuse. But I still wish Pinkie hadn't been written as being quite so oblivious of Fluttershy's distress. That, and the underused Twi and Dash, do hurt this episode just a tad. But then I remember all the good stuff: Zipporwhill, the Spa Ponies' happy stamping, 'Shy's genuinely scary visions when discovered, the Apples' less than impressed reaction to Goldie Delicious's three billionth cat... I'm probably being too kind to this episode because of HappyShy in a cute sweater at the end, but you know what? Tough. So this is still, just about, a five for me.
Choice quote: Applejack: "Big Mac! You got some 'splainin' to do!"
New rating: ★★★★★
Next up is "Twilight Time! Twilight Time! Twilight Time! Twilight Time!"
“Filli “Vanilli - Production Changes
ReplyDeleteThis episode, as you might know, was titled "Flutterfear" all throughout production (the original pitch of "The Return of Flutterguy" was abandoned for being too spoiler-y), and someone else realised the Milli Vanilli connection and suggested the title we got. Amy Keating Rogers wrote from the start.
PREMISE
The Premise is very accurate already - there are some notable changes, but most of them survive to the outline. Only only difference here didn't make it to the Outline - and it's a doozy! Basically Fluttershy DOES fully get over her stage fright and sing with the Pony Tones at the end, loving it. Thankfully they hit on the baby steps part soon after, without which the episode would be positing an unrealistic "of COURSE anyone can get over stage fright just like that" moral. Nice catch!
OUTLINE
This is quite specific and accurate already, especially in the 2nd and 3rd acts. The big notable change is Rarity is not yet part of the Ponytones, and as such many scenes afe often just Fluttershy and Big Mac. This was likely changed to give a far better dynamic for most of the episode, and someone who can actually talk for those scenes - no sense in a writer crippling themselves! Plus, the Rarity/Fluttershy dynamic is a sorely underused one we can always have more of.
In the 1st act, the Pony Tones are new and only have three members - Fluttershy is also reluctantly their musical director, having wanted them to perform for the fundraiser. During rehearsal she notes that the three performing ponies could do with a fourth, but is overwhelmed by her friends' suggestions later she doesn't notice a booming voice throughout the town - not until she's wandered onto sweet Apple Acres and can see Big Mac singing. She asks him to sing, remarking he'll probably be too busy, but says "Eeyup", and syncs with the group perfectly. Obviously this whole sequence of not yet having a fourth member and finding him is pure padding when we could just drop in on a complete quarter as we do in the final episode. The kind of stuff a fanfic writer would probably include, and would probably be fine in written form, but which makes the pace all puffy and parks the main thematic focus unnecessarily for a scene that doesn't really contribute to the story otherwise. No time for that, literally or in quality, in a 21-minute episode!
SCRIPT
By the time of the 1st script, the two major differences from above - Fluttershy being the group's reluctant musical director and the sequence of finding Big Mac - are cut, and Rarity is in charge of the Pony Tones. In fact, outside of vastly different (and generally longer) song lyrics, there's very little to talk about here. Most of the extension comes from there, so there's less cases of extra or extended lines throughout than usual. Even the number of different lines is rather small, and nearly all get adjusted by the 2nd script. However, a few different lines do often change the context of a moment (Rarity is a bit harsher or more judgmental of Fluttershy in two particular ones). Up tp this point, the episode also started with Fluttershy singing in the shower, with her animals there… think it's obvious why that got changed! Also one moment of Rarity and Big Mac trying and failing to persuade Fluttershy to sing onstage with them after the Mayor asks them to perform.
I think the most interesting thing, however, will be that the others two Pony Tones' roles were initially filled by… Doctor Whooves and Octavia! Yep, seriously. They still barely have any more dialogue than their replacements, and get replaced by the 2nd draft (Hasbro possibly got itchy feet about using background ponies fan had invented personalities for?). Least it's neat to see a cellist and a (possibly) time-travelling pony in a singing quartet!
[continued below]
[continued from above]
DeleteThe remaining drafts adjust the few odd or different lines (including adding more to the back-and-forth between Applejack and Big Mac), while cutting nothing, as is the norm. There wasn't much to adjust! Leaves the final script with a scattered handful of extra bits, half of them in two scene extensions which are outlined below.
ANIMATIC & OTHER CHANGES
Based on the final script, the following bits got cut or changed in the final episode.
* After Fluttershy's journal entry, there was a silly coda of Big Mac doing a turkey call outside, only for Pinkie to bounce up, say something silly about that Turkey Call being "for the birds" and that Big Mac should stick to singing.
* Prior to Big Mac being revealed to having lost his voice, Fluttershy checks out all the preparations throughout the square for the fundraiser.
* The montage of the Pony Tones performing at lots of places also included them performing for Cranky Doodle and Matilda at a cafe - song restructuring probably necessitated this being cut even before accounting for time.
* Fluttershy's opening song took place as she does her morning routine indoors, not outdoors.
* It's a small thing, but the script was quite specific about Angel's gestures through the "Big Mac lost his voice!" sequence in a way that didn't get communicated very well in the final episode. Fluttershy's line about not wanting to perform, said in Zecora's hut, was originally said directly to Angel, better explaining his "talk to the paw!" gesture, and giving more buildup to Rarity using him to sway Fluttershy's mind.
* A small handful of extended and extra lines throughout - not many.
The animatic emails go out of their way to praise both the songs from being super-catchy and never getting repetitive, and for excellent storyboarding that keeps them lively and different, and perfectly shows Fluttershy getting more into her performance with every iteration. There's a few odd instances of them trying gags that didn't quite work out (Pinkie eating her hair during the last scene at the gazebo, an attempt to setup up why Big Mac would do a turkey call if he had to sing the next day, a bagpipe pony being put out during the cutecenera because he lost his performing gig), but very little of worthy note otherwise.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
The three major changes - adding the "baby steps" bit in the outline, scrapping the redundant sequence of recruiting Big Mac and Fluttershy being the group's musical director, and working Rarity into the proceedings - all count as good changes to me, the kind it's reassuring to see, because it's understandable why they were the way there were originally, as opposed to it seeming odd the original idea was even considered. Hardly anything else to discuss here, as outside of the initial use of Octavia and Doctor Whooves as glorified extras, the two non-trimming bits cut aren't of much interest or consequence (think the turkey call bit worked best as a once-off gag myself), and while the song lyrics were massively reworked, hard to document that here! And a few softened or decontextualised lines after the 1st draft - most from Rarity, but some from Pinkie too. Yes, she was originally even worse.
Of course, those who can't stand the episode won't feel any of the above made it better. Fair enough. But I think this is one of the better examples of how this script production process is supposed to work myself.
Pinkie was awful, starting a downward slope on her character portrayal. Don't know how AKR managed that.
ReplyDeleteThe song is catchy, yes, but hearing it ad nauseam for the entire episode absolutely ruined it.
The callback to Flutterguy as an actual solution for a problem was... really not great. It's up there with Fluttershy being able to use the Stare on command and Rainbow Dash doing Sonic Rainbooms whenever. It cheapens the mystique of the setting.
And the Ponytones were never heard from again! I'll never understand how none of this doesn't drag the episode down for you. :|
I am not objective on this episode. It's not a five objectively, but I absolutely adored watching it again, hence the score. I'm aware most people will wonder how I didn't at least knowledge l knock one star off, but on this particular occasion I don't care. I'm afraid you'll have to file this one down as one of Logan's many little eccentricities. :D
DeleteYou can ignore "knowledge I" though. :P
Delete@Present Perfect You know, having being stunned at this being your pick for "Most Overrated" episode recently (mostly because there's enough dissenters to disqualify it in my eyes, but I digress), I was curious to see what you would say. Beyond Pinkie, of course.
DeleteWe'll agree to differ on the song being repetitive in any negative fashion, and I'ad advise looking elsewhere on this page for my reasoning on Pinkie's two terror speeches being a minor detracting element rather then an episode-ruining problem.
However, having mused on it, I can actually admit that the use of Flutterguy does fall into the same mystique-cheapening area as using the Stare or Sonic Rainbooms on command (ever notice that's first done in the first Faust-less episode, "A Canterlot Wedding"? Another piece of the puzzle falls into place!). It doesn't personally affect my enjoyment or take of this one, but similar to the "Everfree Forest is defanged!" point as the show proceeds (something I do find problematic), I totally see it, and I would wish for an alternate way. Except it's so interwoven into the episode that it would require a major amount of work to take out, which isn't worth it when I still think this highly of it.
But! It is a good point.
As for the PonyTones never appearing again… hardly the first time that's happened with a new element! I personally find it bizarre to fault the episode where they appear and are utilised (exceptionally, in my eyes), for not getting used again. That's the Future Story Editors/writers/DHX crew's fault. We'll see this again next week - it's not "Twilight Time"'s fault that the "mentoring CMC" angle got an early retirement.
For an earlier example, I don't blame "The Crystal Empire" for its lore going severely underused later on. There, I have future episodes to blame! It's easy to blame this one for the PonyTones never coming back, with no such future candidates. I get that instinct, because otherwise there's nothing to blame. But that's why I don't fault the episode myself for it.
The PonyTones never showing up again is worth mentioning to me because it's one more minor hassle in an episode that I find no redeeming value in. (And I would argue that they are not used well, but we are apparently agreeing to disagree on the song?)
DeleteAnd the thing about Poison Joke is like... It's supposed to play a joke on the victim, right? That was the whole mythos behind it in season one. So if you go into it a second time and it plays the same joke on you... Doesn't that mean it's boring? It doesn't get funnier the second time. Maybe Poison Joke is really stupid, being a plant and all, but that's never addressed.
So I guess my complaint is that the plants of the Everfree don't have enough characterization? :B That sounds dumb when I say it out loud.
My headcanon there is that, since S1, Zecora has learned enough of how PJ works to be able to control it to some extent. Actually, if you were feeling extremely charitable, you could use a similar explanation for the Stare.
DeleteOkay, actual Episode Opinion time, courtesy of your resident ghost host!
ReplyDeleteLet one thing be clear - I do love this episode, but I am not above admitting and acknowledging it does have some problems and shortcomings. They're enough to take it out of the top tier, but I'd still consider this a great episode.
So, those shortcomings. Pinkie is one, but to listen to the way folks talk about her here (and to observe the Merriweather Williams-level harassment Amy Heating Rogers got from some), you'd think this was like her characterisation from Act III of "A Friend in Deed", still going after Cranky even after she ruined his scrapbook. Her two overblown "innocently insensitive" terror speeches, aye, we should criticise them (and the first is much worse - the context of her second one reads as a mis-directed attempt to empathise with Fluttershy, helped by the clarity of the following dialogue). But episode-ruining? Objectively not so.
I guess I find it hard to let any one isolated element ruin a whole episode, probably because I'm so analytical that I instinctively split an episode's components up, to compartmentalise and analyse them. Which means decent or good elements counterbalance it. For an element like this to be episode-ruining, it has to be core to the episode (which this, an isolated gag, is not), take up a substantial portion of the screentime (Act III of "A Friend in Deed"), or be so abysmally awful in concept or execution as to warrant a major downgrade (a lot of Season 6-9 episodes - pick your poison).
Besides which, Pinkie has many stellar bits, from the turkey call to the "sound like a dude" bit, though I will note some whiplash from the first, and worst, terror speech being followed by the charming "Aw, but I'm so good at it!" line. Need I say more?
So - yes, Pinkie's two terror speeches do detract marginally from the episode, I would be a fool to deny that. But only marginally. I can get why some viewers would consider them more problematic then me - but not to episode-ruining level. That said, Pinkie is often inconsistently characterised, and we should criticise that, make no mistake.
[I don't realistically expect this to sway any dissenters - but hopefully you can see, understand, comprehend and respect this objective reasoning.]
The other negative, one that caught me off guard, is that the use of a more traditional moral at the end, starting from the reassurance after the group find Fluttershy at the gazebo is… a little off. Mostly because the episode was doing grand with a nontraditional one through the compromise between Fluttershy's love of singing and refusal to sing onstage. The episode ALMOST posits that you can just get over stage fright (public speaking is one of the most common fears - this is little different). The "baby steps" moment saves it, but the last few minutes' structure is still rather wobbly as a result.
M'kay, now I can gush. Almost everything Logan mentioned is a plus, from a perfect balance between early timid Fluttershy and later-season Confident Fluttershy, to a lovely and immaculately constructed Fluttershy/Rarity team-up (was "Green Isn't Your Color" that long ago? They compliment each other so well!), to the surfeit of funny, charming and lovely moments throughout. I'll agree with the sentiments from the animatic emails - the song avoids repetition through excellent storyboarding, acting, and a mix of fresh gags/moments (like the one-two punch of the Spa Ponies' stamping and Fluttershy in a diver suit).
Really, so many moments throughout were a joy (totally forgot Goldie's cat-splurging cameo!), and there's just an infectious sweet joy to it - Rarity's picking up on Fluttershy's growing joy is especially heartwarming. The episode's flaws should be acknowledged, yes, but it does so many things so wonderfully, that it achieves legitimate greatness.
I've been thinking about this today, and I think if I wasn't so obviously biased this would probably still be a four-star episode. Fluttershy and Rarity together, when written well (either in canon or in fanfic) make up one of my favourite teams. "Green Isn't Your Color" is indeed my other favourite with those two as a focus pair.
DeleteI really like this one. Starting an episode with Fluttershy singing is one of the lesser-known cures for depression. n.n
ReplyDeleteCan't think of much to add that hasn't already been said. Between this and "Pinkie Pride" and a few other episodes of hers ("The Best Night Ever" and "A Friend in Deed" from way back and "Canterlot Boutique" and "The Mane Attraction" from way ahead) I get the impression A. K. Rogers really likes flexing her musical chops.
There's something really cosy about this episode that means I always comfortably get into it. The way Fluttershy gets around the stage fright and thus gets a chance to live out her dream risk-free, while Rarity soon picks up on her enthusiasm, is a big part of that. And yeah, I can't resist a lovely Rarity-Fluttershy team-up. Five stars from me too!
If I had to pick a flaw, then I'd probably brush past the occasional obvious low points of Pinkie's terror speeches (because her problem is mostly inconsistency: she's otherwise a hoot in this) to pin down the weird way the moral is delivered. I'm happy with the "baby steps" part, but her friends asking her why she should suffer stage fright when it happened to go down well this time rubbed me the wrong way. Like, that's not how it works. Stage fright is usually irrational.
It also admittedly ties in to my dislike for how the show treats Fluttershy in a reductionistic "she's fearful, so she's all about overcoming her fear" moral framework, when the other Main Six aren't usually so repetitive. There are not only more dimensions to Fluttershy than that: it's a very one-sided view of fear in any case (I'd love to see an episode wherein Fluttershy's caution and aversion to conflict is presented in a good light, perhaps in a "fools rush in where angels fear to tread" scenario).
Granted, I tend to like Fluttershy's episodes for lots of reasons anyway, so it's not ultimately a knock against this episode specifically. Just something I'd have liked to have seen done more often.
Also, I'm curious if the man who voiced Flutterguy in this is the same one who voiced the dragon back in "Dragonshy", because they sound awfully similar.
On the VA for Flutterguy. From the MLP Wiki:
DeleteBlu Mankuma (English, S1E9)
Alvin Sanders (English, S4E14)
Marcus Mosley (English, S4E14)
Flutterguy has so few non-singing lines in this one, which helps matters when comparing to "Bridle Gossip" ("Dragonshy", he says, ha), but that Mosley matches both speaking VAs for Flutterguy near flawlessly (like, closer then Shannon-Kent and Shoichet do for Libman and Strong), is definitely worthy of praise. Also, they use a vocal sample of S1 Flutterguy during the flashback, so props to them sounding similar despite that reminder.
Solid points on Fluttershy's moral framework often being a bit boxed in (though ironically, once the show settled into "reduction to relearn morals" mode for the whole cast round S6, she was one of the few who actually continued to grow, at least in some ways - whether the execution was up to par is in the eye of the beholder). Space forbids a full discussion of that here, but suffice to say the reliance on "overcoming her fears" stories is probably a poor side effect of writers not knowing how to write for passive timid characters in contexts other then growing out of it - and to be fair, it's not an easy skill. Or at least, not having the confidence do it in that budget, timescale and for that target demographic. Still on them for said failing, but it's food for thought.
Nice word for the episode, "cozy". That's by and large how I feel about it too. I think, on a number scale out of ten, this is either an 8.5 or a 9 for me. I'll have to see come the season's end. Either way, I'd be very surprised if this didn't crack the season's top 5 in my books! In fact, that a borderline impossibility, I feel.
This is an episode I enjoyed quite a bit. I am rather disappointed the Ponytones never appeared again, not even by reference. This is a show known for callbacks, so how hard would it have been to show Big Mac's sweater hanging in his closet at some point?
ReplyDeleteStill, I liked the song a lot, so I didn't mind the level of repetition, but of course that'll go with how much a particular viewer likes it. The only detriment for me was Pinkie's over the top stupidity at obviously causing her friend distress. The other jokes were good, Rarity played a nice role, and it was one of my favorite, Fluttershy-centric episodes.
My favourite episode.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit I've never spotted Angel on a date in it, and even now I'm not sure when that happens.