# Anyone else looking forward to the Friendship is Magic Season 4 premier?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-looking-forward-to-the-friendship-is-magic-season-4-premier/673972
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [November 15, 2013, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-looking-forward-to-the-friendship-is-magic-season-4-premier/673972 "2013-11-15T11:45:26Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2013, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-looking-forward-to-the-friendship-is-magic-season-4-premier/673972/21 "2013-11-21T06:38:53Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#):
>
> Usain Bolt is a record-breaking Olympic sprinter, and possibly the fastest runner in history; could he make it as an Olympic gymnast, or even a circus acrobat?
Plus RD was even more arrogant and cocksure in the past and might not have fit in with the Wonderbolt culture. Or she wasn’t old enough. Or when they say elite they’re not joking around – there’s like what, four or five of them? Maybe they had to wait for a spot to open up.
I wonder if they’ll ever actually show Dash joining the Bolts. Seems like something she could end up not liking – wouldn’t she have to move away to Cloudsdale? And travel all the time, without her friends. Probably lots of stuff associated with the job that isn’t particularly exciting or glamorous. If she wants to have her ego stroked or be famous or get an adrenaline rush I’d think the current setup she has being an elemental bearer would scratch that itch. Certainly helps a lot of people that way. Could be a good moral or two right there, grass is greener on the other side, don’t know what you have until it’s gone, etc.
Too bad the show isn’t serialized like an anime, that as a mini-arc could be pretty cool. But if it ever happens it’ll be crammed into 22 minutes.
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### Author:  [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)
#### Post date: [November 25, 2013, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-looking-forward-to-the-friendship-is-magic-season-4-premier/673972/22 "2013-11-25T03:53:19Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#):
>
> Wasn’t them eyeing Dash pretty much the _whole point_ of that episode?
>
> They invited her to the Academy, and timed how long it took her to recover from high-speed spins. They teamed her with Lightning Dust for a training exercise, at which point injury ensued. They had her fly through the obstacle course before deciding she’s a better fit as leader than in the wingman role. They heard what she had to say about the tornado she just now (a) helped whip up, and (b) endangered innocents with. _You know all of this_. How much more eye could they train on her?
> [@marshmallow](#):
>
> Plus RD was even more arrogant and cocksure in the past and might not have fit in with the Wonderbolt culture. Or she wasn’t old enough. Or when they say elite they’re not joking around – there’s like what, four or five of them? Maybe they had to wait for a spot to open up.
>
> I wonder if they’ll ever actually show Dash joining the Bolts. Seems like something she could end up not liking – wouldn’t she have to move away to Cloudsdale? And travel all the time, without her friends. Probably lots of stuff associated with the job that isn’t particularly exciting or glamorous. If she wants to have her ego stroked or be famous or get an adrenaline rush I’d think the current setup she has being an elemental bearer would scratch that itch. Certainly helps a lot of people that way. Could be a good moral or two right there, grass is greener on the other side, don’t know what you have until it’s gone, etc.
>
> Too bad the show isn’t serialized like an anime, that as a mini-arc could be pretty cool. But if it ever happens it’ll be crammed into 22 minutes.
The show has went from Twilight focused, to mane six focused, and all the characters have had their own episodes, I think they could probably get away with characters moving away and getting on with their lives, as long as they reoccur regularly.
It’s a smaller step making a athlete into a star athlete then it is to turn a reclusive unicorn into a goddess
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### Author:  [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)
#### Post date: [November 27, 2013, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-looking-forward-to-the-friendship-is-magic-season-4-premier/673972/23 "2013-11-27T21:34:55Z")
I don’t know what it’s called when a lot of people are worried a show is about to jump the shark but then it _doesn’t_, but I think the s4 premier did that. I’ve seen love for it on most of the fansites, including 4chan (which tends to reflexively label the newest episode as _the worst evar_).
It was pretty ambitious too, juggling half a dozen sensitive plot points and then ending with an actual season quest arc and seemingly making another major status quo change by taking out the EoH. I wonder if the status quo ran over McCarthy’s dog or something.
\*\*Good: \*\*
Perfect Cel/Twi interactions.
Discord with the Xanatos gambit, surely securing his place as the show’s most competent villain. Either the chaos vines get rid of the princesses and take over Equestria or they give up the EoH and he can do whatever he wants.
'Dat Luna heresy flashback. Celestia getting shot in the heart and Twi crying over her motionless body was some Disney shit. Difficult to imagine them ever getting more hardcore than that.
The awkwardness of Twi being a major political figure _and_ the hero causing team friction. They didn’t shy away from this at all. Though the pacing was a bit goofy.
**Not so good:**
Could chalk it up to flashback time compression, but Nightmare Moon’s terrible rebellion that inspired fear across the land for the next thousand years was…about three minutes and involved some minor property damage. And while cool, the battle was pew pew laz0rs. I’d imagined the cosmic sisters going at it would be a bit more cataclysmic. This is the danger of revealing ‘epic’ backstory in fantasy. Removes the mystique, ya know?
**Bad:**
Maybe it was just me, but NMM’s lines and/or delivery seemed straight up narmy. Guess she can join Korra with Vaatu, the Spirit of Ham and Really Awkward Evil Laughs.
\*\*
You dirty devils:\*\*
They kinda cheat on the flashback to make it seem like it’s actually happening. NMM tries to crush Twi with rocks, then Cel enters the room and seems to gaze down at her on the floor. For a second I was hyped for moar NMM and Luna either being secretly bad the entire time or just not having her underlying issues with her sister fixed by a magic rainbow laser. Oh well.
Lots of speculation on what’s in the box, but I’m wondering if Celestia knows and it’s just another long game or if she’s actually clueless for once.
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### Author:  [@GovernmentMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GovernmentMan)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2013, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-looking-forward-to-the-friendship-is-magic-season-4-premier/673972/24 "2013-11-28T08:39:56Z")
> [@Rhiannon8404](#):
>
> My 15 yr old son and his friends are eagerly awaiting it.
isn’t he a little too old for this show?
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