Discord's Domain: Trig Rant #2 Mare Did Bad

Friday, October 5, 2012

Trig Rant #2 Mare Did Bad

Superhero Day at school is coming up... I'll be sure

to send in my pictures.

The Mysterious Mare Do Well by Raikoh-illust

How do you defend the most hated Friendship is Magic episode of all time? Very carefully. But being one of the six bronies that liked Mysterious Mare Do Well, I felt it unbecoming of a true ranter to hold out on this post.

Mysterious Mare Do Well was Merriwether William’s first go at lead writer for an episode of My Little Pony. Although her first script was marred by criticism, she went on to write Hearts Warming Eve and Dragon Quest, two considerably better received episodes.

Mare Do Well is largely shot down for its interpretation of not only Rainbow Dash’s character, but the rest of the Mane 6 as well. That and a muddled message made Season 2 Episode 8 rather unfavorable for many of you bronies out there.

Head on past the break to see why I think you’ve all got it wrong…

Rainbow’s character in season 2 is a hard one to digest transitioning from season 1. We knew she was full of herself, but that aspect of her character is taken to quite the extreme in some of the early episodes. I believe Rainbow wasn’t misrepresented by the writing in this episode, and here’s why…

Soarins, Soarins everywhere!

Before we start talking about the events within the episode, I think it’s essential that I allude back a few moments in the show. First up, Twilight’s very first encounter with RD. Yep, Season 1 Episode 1, where it all began. The inception, some might say. When prompted to prove herself, Rainbow jets out of her lazy slump to clear the skies in ten seconds flat. What else is revealed in this scene? Rainbow’s fascination with the Wonderbolts, the esteemed fliers of Equestria. This is a life long goal of Rainbow, and its presence persists throughout the show, unlike many other throwaway elements of MLP (I’m looking at you, half of the mane sixes pets!).

Flash forward to the Grand Galloping Gala where Rainbow Dash fails to leave a large enough impression on the Wonderbolts to be accepted. Everypony there went through similar disappointment, but take a look at what the rest of the mane six lost: A chance to talk with the Princess, a party, a good business day. Most of their losses were trivial in the grand scheme of things, but Rainbow’s was a life-changing opportunity, one that she misses persistently.

And finally, we arrive at Mysterious Mare Do Well. This episode is a main contributor to peoples’ dislike of Rainbow Dash in season two. She seems to go over the top with her arrogance and self-appreciation, and some believe that was not an accurate interpretation of her character. Let me start by adding up what’s happened in Rainbow’s life: possesses palpable skill and potential, yet is consistently brought back down to a feeling of mediocrity when seemingly on the verge of becoming something great. Mare Do Well starts off with Rainbow Dash quickly becoming a celebrity of Ponyville, but alongside that developing a persona of arrogance.

Could the lack of this ^ of led to the
events of Mare Do Well?
Rainbow Dash with goggles by SierraEx

But you see, the brief moments in the opening act of Mysterious Mare Do Wellweren’t the only factors leading up to this neoteric, season two Rainbow Dash; her attitude in the middle segment of the episode are a culmination of all the loss and disappointment in her entire lifetime. After being denied entry to the Wonderbolts time and time again, a Pegasus is bound to get desperate for recognition of her apparent skill. A Pegasus who hasn’t been recognized for her abilities for years of living in Ponyville is finally getting noticed. For a pony that can break the sound barrier and go so fast that rainbows emanate out of her mane, it simply seems unfair. Why Rainbow Dash acted the way she did was a critical mass of all the hardships she’s had to go through to garner a simple appreciation. Her first legitimate achievement of recognition creates a celebratory RD long overdue.

But unfortunately, Rainbow’s deprivation of appreciation contributes to her fall. I believe this is the only portion of the episode that is rightfully questionable as believable. While it is a cartoon, I don’t think it is likely that even Rainbow Dash in her current state would risk somepony's’ life to get a few extra autographs in. With Friendship is Magic so focused on story telling, as opposed to other cartoons, this is a bit of a disconnect. But it’s there to communicate the idea of how far Rainbow has gone to bask in her glory, which I still find plausible in at least some of the situations in the episode. She tries to capitalize on every moment of recognition as it has been missing for the last few years of her life.

Ooooooh, Mare Do Well time. This character, created by the rest of the mane six, is often described as only there to outdo Rainbow Dash in her acts of “bravery”. Well, as we saw, Rainbow Dash’s arrogance was starting to hamper the town’s safety, and the problem needed to be addressed before Rainbow let it go to far. As I pointed out in Trig Rant #1, I feel Rainbow Dash is a character that simply needs a leader or a role model to be able to unlock her full potential; she doesn’t know how to handle too much on her own, regardless of the incredible skills she possesses. Mare Do Well was originally crafted by Twilight and company as a way to show Rainbow Dash what a true hero was, not to simply dethrone her.

Let's take another visit to the Nomenclature corner. My gracious brother in amrs, Robotbob, discovered that the term "ne'er-do-well" refers to a person (maybe they should edit it to pony) that isn't able to adequately provide for someone else. Mare Do Well is seen as a great, selfless heroin. Truth is, she's designed to be a character with flaws alongside Rainbow Dash. Although the message isn't properly communicated, Mare Do Well is a caveat to rash decisions. I'll talk about that aspect a little later though.

Time for sandcastles.

If you look at the early dual-feats of RD and Mare Do Well, you’ll notice Rainbow Dash could’ve easily beaten her to the punch, but put lives in danger so she could look grander and capitalize on the moment. Meanwhile, Mare Do Well saves the lives of ponies without any desire of personal recognition. This wasn’t necessarily to humiliate Dash, but to serve as a role model for what she needed to be. As the episode progresses, Rainbow Dash become more and more desperate for the appreciation she briefly had.

I think if you look at the message a certain way, it becomes clearer why the mane six did what they did. Rainbow Dash was lost in her own image, blinded to the true nature of her current attitude. When someone, especially a pony like Rainbow, is lost, they need a leader. Mare Do Well appeared to serve as an example for Dash, but it ultimately caused confusion for her. She, like many viewers, believed that Mare Do Well was simply there to show up RD and humble her through embarrassment, when in fact they were trying to raise Rainbow Dash back up. Strangely, I think this episode brings the friendship aspect into play more than a majority of other season two episodes.

Ultimately, like I said above, look at the message from a different perspective. This whole charade with Mare Do Well was a learning experience for the entire mane six. Although resolution to Rainbow’s confusion came a little too quickly, it seems both parties were wrong in how they approached things, and learned from each other. In the end, the five just wanted to see Rainbow at her best again without letting her fail the town and be left alone to crumble. They needed to step in and help her find her way back to humility, but wanted to lead her at the same time.

All in all, I think the episode was great. I believe Mare Do Well’s intentions have been misinterpreted due to Rainbow’s inability to come to a realization before the unmasking. There should’ve been a moment before the reveal of Mare Do Well’s identity where Rainbow realizes to herself that she has not been thinking clearly regarding where her status was and how that was affecting her character. I think Rainbow’s continuing failure, even after she proved she CAN be a hero to the town left a sour taste in peoples’ mouths as the episode progressed. People need to look back and see that Mare Do Well was trying to lift Dashie back up; it just didn’t quite work out as planned. What ultimately got muddled were character intentions, as I’ve said a couple times. If there’s something to take away from the episode, it’s not to “not be proud of your accomplishments”, but to serve as a guide for friends in need. Honestly, I think the mane six underestimated Rainbow’s state of being just as much as any of us did. Not one of the best episodes by any means, but I think Mysterious Mare Do Well did pretty decent.