The soapbox returns! Albiet a little later than it should be. I blame my phone alarm for not going off. Expect it back at it's normal time next week.
Community soapbox time, where opinions from around the fandom are dropped down below for you all to discuss and debate! Expect these posts normally when not late every Tuesday at 2:00 PM MST. To submit your own, see this post.
Headlines for the week:
Episode 200 Potential
Timeline of the Show
Joi in Blade Runner 2049 Should Have Been a Pony
Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Who?
Next Big Mac and Sugar Belle Episode for season 9: Meeting Sugar Belle's family
And get your soapboxes below!
Episode 200 Potential
By: Nightmare Muffin
With episode 200 coming up fast, and memories of episode 100 still lingering in the minds of the fanbase, I- and many others- have wondered what exactly is in store for this milestone episode? While “Slice of Life” paid homage to the fanbase that made g4 what it was, I feel like the 200th should take a page from Greg’s Anatomy’s milestone 300, with paid homage to the original cast members and the ones who got the ball rolling- not just with FiM, but the pony franchise as a whole. Lauren Faust could be given mention as an “Omnicorn” an achieved state of higher alicorn, and one who even Starswirl acknowledges was greater than himself, but who exists between dimensions. Bonnie Zacherle, the creator of g1 could lend her voice to a character and be given an appearance also, along with Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman. Perhaps, rather than the standard 22 minutes, it could be twice the length and also incorporate the perma-return of Sunset Shimmer, for a blend of ‘oldschool and new’.
Timeline of the Show
MLP doesn't seem to have a clear time motion at first glance, despite having run for 8 seasons now. However, we can estimate how much time has happened show wise thanks to specific events. It's been pretty much confirmed that S1-S4's premiere happened in the span of a year because it's where the second Summer Sun Celebration takes place. However, we've seen in S1 alone all four seasons (fall, winter, etc) take place, making S1 cover "a year" already. This could be because of unplanned schedule order. Faust said S1/S2 episodes weren't necessarily chronologically ordered so we can guess the Hearth's Warming Eve ep took place before Winter Wrap Up, not after May the Best Pet Win (to justify RD's unawareness of tortoises hibernating in winter in Tanks For the Memories). In other words, it's plausible that S1-S4 premiere took place in a year by rearranging certain episodes. As for S5, there's another HWE episode since S1/S2's, which means there's another year-long gap between S1/S2 and S5. If we subtract this, we get to the conclusion that from S4 to S5 it's been half a year. Later in S6 there's another HWE ep, indicating that there's another year long gap. Later in S7 there aren't particularly significant time hints but we know that in IITMTAY Rarity's mane took 6 months to grow back. Later in S8 in Non Complete Clause it's revealed the School had been running for 9 months (I don't know if this was either a gag or a hint, but let's assume it's the latter). This means it's been a year since S7, and there should be another HWE soon.
All in all, it's been 3+ years show wise. This could help determine the current CMCs age, if we assume they are the same age as Apple Bloom (who started as a 7 year old). They'd be 10+ years old by now, maybe 11.
Ways G5 could work
By: MegaSean45
I've been taking a break from pony lately cause I've been in a Star Warsy mood, and after watching the Clone Wars, it occurred to me, what if G5 was more like it? By that I mean, what if G5 turned out to be a story arc driven series? Like some episodes could be a multi-parter right in the middle of the season, and cliff-hanger after cliff-hanger! Maybe even a season finale that has a cliff-hanger! No more of these simple slice of life stories! Alot of shows these days are becoming more like this, and it would be nice to see episodes focus more on story and lore than just the same friendship lessons over and over!
G5 might turn out to be better than we thought, if the show turns ou to be more like this, and there isn't really a Mane Six remake! Cause that's what really hurts the series in my POV. I wanna see this show turn out to be more of a possible sequel many years into the future, instead of a reboot that retcons G4 right there and then. I do not handle those well.
Joi in Blade Runner 2049 Should Have Been a Pony
By: EnergeticRider
For me, BR2049 was a complete disappointment. And one of the most disappointing things was a lack of imagination. Joi was protagonist’s holographic companion – that could present so many opportunities! Shapeshifting, hacking, distracting enemies and she could even draw some schematics in the air when explaining something. And none of these was in the film. She was just a generic housewife, who even changed her clothes only a couple of times.
Yet, the most interesting (and at the same time obvious) opportunity creators missed was to make Joi’s primary form – a small cute equine-like creature. Not only it would make a better presentation of the question if she is just a pet to her owner or his equal, but also show how broad can be boundaries of relations.
Yes, there would be some challenges. Like sex scene between a human and quadruped creature would obviously not acceptable for such major film. But in that case, Joi could either become a human (remember, shapeshifting) or that scene could be simply dropped altogether, because frankly it doesn’t add anything meaningful to the film, nor is it fit the story (see Cinemasins video).
Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Who?
By: Indiana
Did the show actually forget about these 2? Before the reformation episode in S5 they were in every single season and that was fine since they represented the bully type but now that they are kinda/maybe good they are gone? Diamond Tiara was just a child and she was like that because she was indoctrinated. Now that she snapped out of it there was a huge opportunity to show the most genuine reformation and make it shine. Where is it? Changing yourself and becoming a different person is something that actually happens very often in youth but the problem is that there is almost no depiction of it. You will get a fleeting mention of it at best. Why? Well it's because metaphorically speaking that old you is dead and there is a whole new person to deal with. A lot of people don't know how to deal with a change like that and it seems that MLP writers are no exception to this. It is a real shame because showing how an ex-bully reintegrates in society is one of the best moral lessons you can give to kids of that age. MLP needs to show some good DT&SS reformation episodes and i think/hope it's not too late for that.
Next Big Mac and Sugar Belle Episode for season 9: Meeting Sugar Belle's family
by ShadowWriter45
When Big Mac and Sugar Belle became an official couple, I was more than willing to see where they took the couple and I've become a full fledged SugarMac shipper; despite the cringe of the two episodes that revolved around them becoming a couple. That being said I wonder where else they are going to take them in season 9 since I don't think they're going to do anymore episodes about them in season 8.
If I had to guess, the next episode about them may focus on Big Mac meeting Sugar Belle's family. My reason being that it would be the best next step in their relationship. Specifically, having Sugar Belle worried that her parents may not like Big Mac or something and her having to stand up for her special somepony.
Part of me brought this up not only as a way for them to continue their relationship in other episodes but also how their relationship, even though doesn't have to, almost mirrors Bright Mac and Pear Butter's relationship but in a very different form. Ultimately, I think the next episode around them should focus on them because it just sounds like the best step for them.
