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| "Zephyr, what does that manestyle say about who you are?" |
S6E11: "Flutter Brutter"
My original rating: ★★★
IMDb score: 6.9
Thoughts: Fluttershy's family are finally introduced here, rendering non-canon-compliant all those fics about how pegasi don't have close familial bonds. Given Zephyr Breeze, some may respond "Shame". Still, this is Fluttershy's ep. She's excellent in it, demonstrating character development and a slightly steelier edge since her early days but without having lost her inherent kindness. This is a 'Shy who feels like she should at this point in the series, and indeed this is among my favourites of her episodes in later FiM. The episode is quite American in a "You've been 18 for fourteen seconds, why aren't you in your own house yet?" way, but let's be honest: Zephyr is so annoying that our sympathy for him is always likely to be a bit limited. (Especially when he's trying to hit on Rainbow, though that does lead to a fun misunderstanding from the Shy parents at the end. Poor Dash.) Perhaps Zephyr's personality is a bit over-the-top even for a cartoon, but fortunately the action keeps moving so we don't get bogged down. The song is a pretty good one, if not world-class, and there's even a fun background Zelda reference. I think "Flutter Brutter" is worthy of keeping its high three-star rating.
Choice quote: Zephyr Breeze: "Turns out the animal communication thing isn't genetic."
New rating: ★★★
Next
time, I'll be rewatching "Spice Up Your Life", which I moderately enjoyed, but not quite as much as some of the fandom did.
Zephyr is such a cringe factory. I've always hated him and this episode, they make me feel bad about myself. >:|
ReplyDelete"Fluttershy's family are finally introduced here, rendering non-canon-compliant all those fics about how pegasi don't have close familial bonds."
ReplyDeleteStill, you could substitute "great" for "close" and be closer to the mark. These two must have been absolute pushovers when Zeph was a foal, if Fluttershy was considered the bold one of the family. And don't get me started on Rainbow Dash's home life...
"Still, this is Fluttershy's ep. She's excellent in it, demonstrating character development and a slightly steelier edge since her early days but without having lost her inherent kindness. This is a 'Shy who feels like she should at this point in the series, and indeed this is among my favourites of her episodes in later FiM."
Agreed! One thing I really like about it is precisely the challenge Zeph becomes. It'd be too easy to be kind to someone 100% sympathetic. That's too morally easy. What makes Fluttershy great is that she's under no illusions: Zeph is a jerk and a slacker, and she's not shy about pointing it out. So it's even more impressive she gets her priorities straight - actually helping him move past that - without just dismissing the obvious. It's unexpectedly strong, and I love it.
"Zephyr is so annoying that our sympathy for him is always likely to be a bit limited."
I must be one of the few people who like his character. By all rights, he should draw my contempt, but between his over-the-top "slacker at all costs" personality and his smug, quick line deliveries making almost anything he says automatically funny, he circles back round to being entertainingly awful, like some 70s/80s comedy protagonist. The fact that it's founded on genuine insecurities gives it an extra kick and makes the ending song (God, I love that song!) feel just right to my ears.
"(Especially when he's trying to hit on Rainbow, though that does lead to a fun misunderstanding from the Shy parents at the end. Poor Dash.)"
I also love Rainbow's turn as reluctant deuteragonist. She's there to give the more natural response to Zeph's nonsense (bailing at the first chance, zapping him later on), but ultimately ends up supporting Fluttershy's campaign. The duet is absolutely lovely.
Honestly, I'd put this at a four-star rating, no question. There's just so much I love about the way all these elements come together (in surprisingly mature ways too!) that pushes it into top-tier goodness for me. A clear highlight of the season.
Yeah, I said it! Come at me, bro! :P
That rare thing, a late-series episode that you like more that me! Though actually we're not too far apart. I think it's mostly just that Zephyr gets to me to some extent that's keeping it from getting a four from me too.
Deleterendering non-canon-compliant all those fics about how pegasi don't have close familial bonds.
ReplyDeleteThis has always been one of those "you had to be there" groupthink headcanons of the show's early run to me. Not that I don't get some fics doing that for Dash of Fluttershy or other pegasi, just not that many. Even if Rumble's small cameo (with a squeaky voice) to Thunderlane in Hurricane Fluttershy is the closest we have to a pegasi family prior to this episode otherwise. There's always going to be parts of this fandom I don't "get", is what I'm saying.
It must have been interesting, to be a fly on the wall when they were working out all these "Mane 6 family" episodes across Seasons 5-7. First family at all for Rainbow and Fluttershy, first proper showcase for the Pies and Sparkles (parents), and the coveted Apple Parents backstory (meanwhile, Rarity continues to send her folks a monthly invoice for child support). The pegasi ones do strain a bit when you break down the logic, not just because of these details coming from nowhere after five seasons of nothing, but because, as befits late seasons writers, they don't always fully mesh with what the characters were like at the show's start. We'll get to Rainbow's in about eight months' time (sorry Logan, couldn't resist), but here, I'm not sure I quite buy that the Shys could have considered Filly/S1 Fluttershy bolder than Zephyr. Otherwise, though, I can buy everything: the Shy parents' personalities would for sure produce an equally shy pony and a slacker, respectively. Even them having such gentle careers as cloud work and gardening fits. Given Meghan McCarthy wrote just the story and didn't story edit, it fits the broad strokes snapping into place while the "boldest one" line slipped through under "Continuity? Get that outta here!" Josh Haber's guidance. The Shy parents are basically non-entities anyway (no surprise that, to date, they only have 33 and 21 tagged fics, most of them as bit parts to their children).
Otherwise, this episode was interesting to rewatch. I can't deny my tolerance for cringe humour and folks like Zephyr is low, and thus this is never an episode I'm eager to revisit. And boy, does Zephyr's fear of failure manifesting in not bothering to try hit where it hurts, even if most of us just silently brood rather than boast tall tales like he does.
But within that, I cannot deny a lot about this works really well: Fluttershy's writing and attitude is on point, from not taking anything from Zephyr yet being unrelenting in pushing him. There's certainly no excuse for Fluttershy Leans In with this as a template there! The end duet lands really well, as noted. Zephyr is cringe, but like, good cringe (his smug line deliveries and visual moments are a great example of audio and visual making the character as written). The cameos by the other ponies are well-used (and Angel striking up a friendship with the Bunny Gnome got me good), Rainbow's role serves well… honestly, other than the fact of Zephyr making this tough to watch, there's not a lot I can fault against this that isn't a taste issue, least by Season Six standards (I don't doubt the dialogue and comic timing from earlier in the show would plus it even more, but that's a given).
I don't know if I can reach for IN's ★★★★, but honestly, I'm probably hovering right below your high ★★★. Can probably sum this up with Jim Miller's tweets in the lead-up to this episode's debut referring to a new character he loves to hate. Though the less said about his S9 return in Sparkle's Seven, the better. Writers, don't promise a character's changed if that's all gonna revert later…
"You've been 18 for fourteen seconds, why aren't you in your own house yet?"
Another American thing that's alien to us, and gladly so. Add a few years, though, and it clicks; I'm not sure whether to praise or condemn this episode for this aspect penetrating so deep. Then again, Equestria isn't having a housing crisis…
Ugh, I just hate Zephyr so much that I can't enjoy this episode at all, despite liking Fluttershy's personality in it, and Dash's entertaining put-upon-ness. I found the song annoying as well.
ReplyDelete