Season 2 Episode 3 "Lesson Zero" Discussion, ***SPOILER****SPOILER***PONIES PWN*** Options

[Masked Toaster]

I suspect that Twi's been through a lot, and she may have been as much driven into study (and away from having friends) through rejection by others as it being a genuine passion. Certainly, having seen her raw magic at work, her early career as a magic user may have been marked by a number of embarrassing incidents.

Well, there's the chance she was ostracized for being the teacher's pet, but that doesn't seem right for there, and how the ponies were trying to be friendly to her in the opening scenes of the first episode.

well i don't think people would be so mean to someone like that when you're grown up
kids though tend to be mean

Kids can be worse that Tyrantestia playing with lives. I was really brutal early elm, and late elm, almost a whole class was against me, after I had transferred.
But I've seen adults just as bad, if not worse. I have relatives like that.

The more I reflect on this episode, the more it doesn't sit right with me. Let's be honest, we've seen Twilight obsessive about studies and desperate to please Princess Celestia, but even in the worst circumstances she was the voice of reason. Her portrayal here just went way too far, starting with the completely out of place and unprovoked OCD attack involving the cupcakes.

She's smart enough to know when she's taking things to far and I don't buy for a second that she'd intentionally attempt to sabotage the CMC's friendship just so she could write a report, especially since we've seen her taking an active role as one of the trio's mentors. To me, that was completely out of character.

Psychosis and the internal mindset that everything must be perfect can lead to deteriorating sentality and poor choices.

[Scavgraphics]

This episode certainly does have an unusual vibe to it.
It's almost like we stepped into the...dare I say it.........THE TWILIGHT ZONE!

(IMG:http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee270/Asriel16Asi/My%20Little%20Pony%20Friendship%20is%20Magic/Ponyville/EyeSeeWhatYouDidThere.jpg)

The more I reflect on this episode, the more it doesn't sit right with me. Let's be honest, we've seen Twilight obsessive about studies and desperate to please Princess Celestia, but even in the worst circumstances she was the voice of reason. Her portrayal here just went way too far, starting with the completely out of place and unprovoked OCD attack involving the cupcakes.

She's smart enough to know when she's taking things to far

Like when studying Pinkie Pie? She went completely over the top rude to her friend. And we see her in Swarm of the Century, losing it over failing Princess Celestia, big time, even before the parasprites. Twilight as an asocial shut in thrust into a new world of social relationships would be terrified of losing all of that too.

Was it further then she's gone in previous episodes? Yes. Because in comedy, you don't drop a car on someone after you drop a bus. You drop an aircraft carrier. Did Tex Avery not teach you anything?

I did find Celestia's appearance a bit...offf "Go to the Library!"...It was of course for the dramatic "Oh no, Twilight was right! Oh, she was wrong" moment, but it was rather stern of her to start off with.

[RC85747]

This episode has a DHX Media logo. Did Studio B get discontinued as a brand?

[TM2-Megatron]

Well, DHX Media owns Studio B so it's the same basic thing. Although, from a design standpoint, the Studio B logo was much nicer-looking.

[TM2 Dinobot]

I can't believe somepony hasn't pointed this out yet. Big Mac has a college edumacation. He's only the 2nd Pony we know of that that can use fancy-shmancy mathematics and such. Maybe he had a Smarty Pants doll when he was younger. Or, more likely, he wanted one, but was too poor to afford it, being a country pony such as he is.

I think most of thew Mane 6 had rough childhoods. Twilight was teased at school, we know Fluttershy and Dash had it rough. AJ had a hard time finding herself when she was a socialite (though she brought that on herself) Pinkie lived on a rock farm with no smiling. Maybe in the upcoming Rarisode we'll see Rarity's horrible childhood experience and complete the circle.

[Copper Bezel]

I did find Celestia's appearance a bit...offf "Go to the Library!"...It was of course for the dramatic "Oh no, Twilight was right! Oh, she was wrong" moment, but it was rather stern of her to start off with.

I didn't read it that way. Twilight had created a situation that could have gone from ugly to tragic at any second. Celestia was genuinely pissed at her. The way she addresses the other five, she's intentionally humbling Twi (putting her at their mercy, which of course they have in plenty, just wanting to keep their friend around, but it's a meaningful gesture nonetheless.)

I found the first half or so of the episode a little hard to watch because Twilight's escalating panic really was painfully contrived, but she has established in the past her (mostly) irrational fear of sudden banishment to spheres unknown. And frankly, it makes sense, given her situation - she studies hard and puts the work in, but she was as surprised as Celestia when she first discovered her innate ability, and it's at least partly responsible for the favoritism she's given. A person in that situation is rarely inclined to take such favoritism for granted.

So yes, it's comedy, it's not played particularly deep, and so on, so there's not a lot of explicit reflection on any of this in the series, but I actually think the math works out if you want to put it up to that kind of scrutiny.

This post has been edited by Copper Bezel: Oct 15 2011, 08:08 PM

[Rezo]

I did find Celestia's appearance a bit...offf "Go to the Library!"...It was of course for the dramatic "Oh no, Twilight was right! Oh, she was wrong" moment, but it was rather stern of her to start off with.

I didn't read it that way. Twilight had created a situation that could have gone from ugly to tragic at any second. Celestia was genuinely pissed at her. [...]

This, pretty much. Twilight carelessly used a spell and did some pretty major damage with it - not property damage, but the population of Ponyville starting a free for all fight isn't exactly minor. It's certainly the worst result Twilight's actions have caused since she started living in Ponyville.

That little filly needs some reigning in - not cruel punishment, but reigning in -, and Celestia realises this. Her not sounding pissed but remaining her usual, infinitely-patient & understanding self would've been rather more strange. There's got to be some limits to the royal 'Oh, it's okay' approach.

This post has been edited by Rezo: Oct 15 2011, 08:21 PM

[Masked Toaster]

Twilight wasn't being rational. Her OCD and innate fear of ruining Celestia's image of her and dragging the princesses down with her pushed her over the edge. Her rationality was pushed so far into the corner of her mind, it just about fell out of her left ear. You can't blame her for not thinking, especially since she got the fillies fighting over who should have to play with Ms Smartypants rather than who wanted to play with her first.

That right there proves her mind wasn't functioning properly.

[pao]

Twilight carelessly used a spell and did some pretty major damage with it - not property damage, but the population of Ponyville starting a free for all fight isn't exactly minor. It's certainly the worst result Twilight's actions have caused since she started living in Ponyville.

Not that property damage is out of her reach. Parasprites, after all. And nopony really seemed to remember what they were fighting about when it was all over, so while Twi's actions were Wrong, they were apparently easily reversed. Rebuilding Ponyville on the other hand--in time for the next episode, no less!--had to be a chore. I'd say it's a toss-up.

[TM2-Megatron]

It looked to me like they did remember something; the Mayor blushing like she did indicates she was pretty embarrassed about having fought over that ratty old thing, hehe.

That said, I thought the whole Smartypants doll thing was very cute, taken out of the context of this episode. I hope we see some adorable fanart and comics of filly Twilight playing with Smartypants in the coming days/weeks. Only a super dork on Twilight's level could possibly have a doll with a notebook and quill as accessories, so she can pretend the doll is doing homework while taking a break from her own homework, lol.

[Waspinator]

(IMG:http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/1046/twilighttotherescuebyni.jpg)

[TM2-Megatron]

I wonder if that bear was Fluttershy's inspiration for her "Harry the Bear needs a cavesitter" excuse in Party of One.

[Waspinator]

Good idea. That bear is now Harry!

[TM2 Dinobot]

Already thought that. Should have said it outloud. Blast.

[Masked Toaster]

Good idea. That bear is now Harry!

To late. Now the bear was Harry.

Already thought that. Should have said it outloud. Blast.

Head shot.

[Don_East]

Good idea. That bear is now Harry!

I declared it hours ago.
(IMG:http://img.ponibooru.org/_images/f92f9c61e02c2edfb00fbcf53950f04c/71423%20-%20Fightershy%20Fluttershy_wants_her_huging_money%20Harry_the_bear%20caption%20fluttershy%20macro%20season_2.jpg)

[Cabooceratops]

But this was just supposed to be "another typical adventure", which is why stuff like Spike pushing backgrounds out of the way or flipping them up like window shades just seems all the crazier.

I noticed that every time he did that, he was trying to snap Twilight out of her panic attack, it was a neat little visual cue.

[Waspinator]

On a side note, there is such a thng as a Jane Austen action figure with a quill.

[TM2-Megatron]

On a side note, there is such a thng as a Jane Austen action figure with a quill.

That would be so fitting for Twi, lol.

[RC85747]

I dare Hasbro to make Smartypants.