Ideally, they'd have kept Babs and just substantively explored all of the bullying going on — Babs being insecure, DT being an asshole, SS being whatever they decide her deal is, and the CMC getting too feisty. They're all meaningful scenarios.

Instead we only got to look into the sympathetic ones, and the unsympathetic one was once again nothing more than a plot device.

edited 3rd Mar '13 4:16:27 PM by Pykrete

They did have the unsympathetic bully characters, though. They had Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Their bullying was never justified or given an excuse, and Babs was only a bully to avoid being bullied by them in the first place. The episode showed both types of bullies.

What else would she be, in your ideal scenario? If she were to be expounded upon, and her reasons explored, then she would have been made more sympathetic.

edited 3rd Mar '13 4:16:05 PM by PerpetualLurker

I could get behind that. But what's done is done.

Who knows? Maybe they'll explore DATASS in a future episode.

@Perpetual: I think the issue is more that the episode never really goes into what to do when befriending the bully isn't a viable option. That said, it's still entirely possible we could get an episode that shows the CMC finally dealing with DT and SS's ever-present jerkassery.

Ah, I had forgotten all about that acronym

@JT The solution to Babs was the same solution to DT and SS: Tell someone about it, and don't stoop to their level. Babs could just as easily have not come around at the end and the lesson would have been the same.

What else would Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon be, you mean?

Filthy Rich is a sugar daddy but doesn't seem like the type who'd teach her to be a stuck-up asshole or brook such from the rest of the house. DT would be the worst-case scenario: a spoiled, narcissistic, alpha-as-fuck brat who's used to getting her way and intimidates or manipulates anyone not willing to hand it to her. Not necessarily irredeemable, mind, but deep-seated and self-driven enough that it'd take a rather more elaborate life-changing epiphany than a few nice words.

SS is an unknown and could be damn near anything — the same thing; insecure and intimidated; oblivious and thinks that's just how rich people are supposed to act. All we know about her is she's a subordinate twat to DT's alpha twat, and that could have come about any number of ways.

Also I'm still disturbed by seeing them referred to as DATASS >_>

That was the other thing that bugged me. The CMC fessed up about their issues with Babs and lucked out because Applejack knew she was just a poor tortured soul, but their issues with DT and SS remain completely unaddressed (and telling an authority wouldn't have gone nearly as smoothly, though granted probably better than silence).

edited 3rd Mar '13 4:44:45 PM by Pykrete

I enjoyed "One Bad Apple" for what it was - an introductory episode of a new character.

Bullying is a complex topic. Perhaps too complex for the scope of this show.

I do hope we get an episode that focuses a bit on Diamond Tiara and/or Silver Spoon. They could be interesting characters if the writers delved into their backstories a little.

@ JT, on season 3 only having 2 amazing for you eps, versus 6 for season 2, keep in mind, half the total number of episodes, so that's like saying s3 only had 2 great compared to s2's 3 it's a much closer ratio. It has pretty much the same overall ratio of good bad and great, it's just less of each.

Where is the first A coming from? I thought DT's middle name was Dazzle.

I'm well aware, I just think that overall S3 didn't have as many that really stuck out, even taking the ratio into account. The episodes skew more towards the middle of the spectrum as opposed to S2 where more episodes were at the extreme ends.

edited 3rd Mar '13 4:53:47 PM by JapaneseTeeth

I personally thought it had a higher concentration of mess than the previous seasons. The first half of the season was the usual quality aside from wonks (again, I don't think Bad Apple was bad so much as a wasted opportunity), but other than the Discord one the entire second half starting with Sidekicks kinda fell through, and IMO the last two episodes were disasters.

edited 3rd Mar '13 4:55:23 PM by Pykrete

YMMV and all that, I guess. The only episode of the season that I felt was truly subpar was "Apple Family Reunion". The finale was rushed, but that was honestly the only problem I have with it.

But still that's like a 5 episdoe streak, and the middle of Season 2 was fairly bad for a good streak as well. The biggest issue with the season was simply being short.

AFR was on the lower end, but only really BLEH one for me was Spike At Your Service.

edited 3rd Mar '13 4:58:26 PM by Seraphem

Mostly the same feelings on it — I just think it was rushed so badly as to be cringeworthy is all

It would've been fine if they had the time to more adequately lead into HASBRO DEMANDS PRINCESSES instead of it just being tacked on.

Looking back through season 2 I can only find four episodes I didn't like, and one (It's About Time) was mostly just because it felt rushed and probably would've been fine with another 2-3 minutes.

edited 3rd Mar '13 5:00:53 PM by Pykrete

Pyk, at this point its been all but established this was NOT a Hasbro decision, it was something the writers wanted to do.

The reason it felt rushed, was that the writers thought this might be the series finale, so tried to wrap up Twi's arc as best they could.

I'm aware of why it happened, and I sympathize with constraints. It doesn't make it a good episode.

That's the other reason I'm not inclined to cut it much slack, though I also understand why execs would be leery of two 2-parters in a half-length season.

edited 3rd Mar '13 5:04:49 PM by Pykrete

I'm still confused that the writers found NO episodes they could have sacrificed for the sake of what they thought was the SERIES finale. Was Spike at Your Service so vital that it was less scrapworthy than half the finale?

Looking back I got a lot more angry at season 2 episodes then I did with this seasons. I think maybe partially due to me lowering my expectations for season 3.

That's actually roughly how I felt about Games Ponies Play.

edited 3rd Mar '13 5:14:57 PM by Mio

Honestly, out of anything, I'd rather have had them sacrifice AFR. SAYS wasn't a stellar episode from a writing standpoint, but it was amusing enough that I don't really mind. It's kind of like "It's About Time" in that way; it's heavily flawed, but enjoyable enough that I don't care.

My vote would be for Games Ponies Play. Chickadee could have showed up elsewhen, Rarity doesn't really need a prompt to be FABULOUS, Pinkie doesn't need a prompt to bullshit, and there wasn't much else to be salvaged.

edited 3rd Mar '13 5:18:12 PM by Pykrete

The existence of that episode is entirely justified by this:

Comedy Gold.

Just came to say goodnight though.

Goodnight, Apple.