@Red: Not at all; it's just people exaggerating. They're just butthurt that Spitfire is acting the part of the drill sergeant and not showing RD any favoritism for the Sonic Rainboom. I personally thought she acted exactly like someone in her position ought to act.

edited 15th Dec '12 8:40:38 AM by JapaneseTeeth

So, is Spitfire now just a terrible person? I haven't seen the episode yet, but I'm okay with broad spoilers.

Terrible? Heck, no. I'd call her stern and take-no-bull, but fair.

I can only hope to have a teacher like Spitfire (exaggeration but still, she was absolutely tough but fair.)

Part of maturity is understanding that when the drill sergeant yells at you, it is nothing personal. They have their job and you have yours. Their job is to motivate you and correct you when you are doing it wrong.

edited 15th Dec '12 8:42:44 AM by HouraiRabbit

Hell, if anything she was pretty lax for a Drill Sergeant. She let RD question her decisions without getting any kind of punishment!

My personal guess that normally she wouldn't, but she does respect RD's flying ability enough to let it slide.

this wasn't a full on Boot Camp. Close but not tat extreme.

edited 15th Dec '12 8:42:56 AM by Seraphem

My instructors were pretty good :V A tad rough, but I'd say our Alpha had better instructors than Bravo or Charlie :P We didn't get shouted out of bunk after hours on the night before our Passing Out Parade for hazing after all :V

Dashie is already pretty well-qualified, since she was able to organize the waterspout back in Hurricane Fluttershy.

edited 15th Dec '12 8:43:42 AM by AceOfScarabs

Methinks people are just bitching because it's a Merriweather episode. I didn't think Spitfire was out-of-character at all, but then again, I figured she'd be like this while on-duty.

x5 Agreed, I'm surprised she didn't get smoked right then and there, or get utterly taken down but then again this is a kid's show.

edited 15th Dec '12 8:43:40 AM by HouraiRabbit

look what I made

Looking at Spitfire's cutie mark some more...Yep, it's a Phoenix.

Thanks to everyone who responded.

Definitely my favorite Rainbow Dash episode by far. I feel like it's culmination of her Character Development from all her previous episodes, particularly Hurricane Fluttershy.

As for Lightning Dust jumping to having Lack of Empathy too quickly, I felt that with the Dizzitron drill, she had no regard for her own safety and not in the selfless way which made me feel that if she doesn't have that then it's not much of surprise she doesn't have any regard for anyone else's.

@Kisame: Yeah, I'm getting sick and tired of all the Merriwether bashing. Yes, MMDW wasn't the best episode (I personally don't even think it's the worst) and ever since then it seems like she's become synonymous with bad writing with forgetting that A) She was behind Hearth's Warming Eve and B) She was behind a lot of good series prior to MLP (Some of the best Spongebob episodes came right from her).

edited 15th Dec '12 8:48:18 AM by AkoSiKuya23

@Ace: Actually, yeah, that may be the thing: Spitfire was there to observe, so she knows Dash has leadership skills. Teamwork skills are just as necessary though, so making her the leader was unimportant, but making her the wingpony was.

Funny thing is, I kinda see a butterfly...

On the other hand, I've been toying with the idea of a pony who inherited a pheonix's magic and was functionally immortal because of it, so Spitfire might do the trick, then...

"My Name is Spitfire... and I am going to die."

edited 15th Dec '12 8:46:37 AM by kegisak

I can understand when Lightning Dust says she wants to push her limits but to me, everything she did looked like showboating. I'm commenting on her actions only.

Incidentally, I know a guy like her in my training unit. I he really gets on my nerves when he goes all hooah.

edited 15th Dec '12 8:46:18 AM by HouraiRabbit

@Shephard: Bad font/color choice for that kind of Image Macro :P Use a nice big bold Impact, white with black outlines! Don't waste your effort with Comic Sans.

@Kegi: That's why she wanted to see if Dashie could follow rather than lead. By protesting Lightning's bad conduct, she proved she would do the right thing regardless of questionable orders.

edited 15th Dec '12 8:46:54 AM by AceOfScarabs

btw, Andrea Libman's on Bronystate right now.

I was about to say that you guys are all over-thinking Spitfire's thought process regarding Rainbow, but then I remembered that this is fandom and tvtropes.

Carry on.

Been great talking with you guys and looking forward to more, but chores call me. Hi-ho, Rabbit! Away!

@Wryte: Just extrapolating based on my prior experience in the paramilitary. I am a straight-up Corporal in the SCDF you know.

I really liked Spitfire's outfit. I have a thing for ties.

I did not know.

I lost half the battle.

I still find Spitfire's role in the episode to be questionable. I think it would have been better for a different character to take Spitfire's place, maybe they could have had a Captain Smooth and Sergeant Rough thing going with this hypothetical character and Spitfire.

I'm this wierd Red Mage-like jumble of skills all over the board, giving me epic Troper extrapolating powers.

Having deliberately WAR FACED up to scare the department newbies straight in my course of duty, I can say you clearly haven't been experienced the life yet :P

edited 15th Dec '12 8:51:03 AM by AceOfScarabs

Season One pilot: Rainbow Dash wants to be a Wonderbolt.

Season Three, Episode 7: Rainbow Dash is now in Wonderbolts training camp, working to achieve her goal.

I love the character development and forward progress in this "show for little girls."

Ahoy hoy!

What's the reactions?