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Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Flutter Month (Yay!): Stare Master




Hello & welcome back to Flutter Month (Yay!) as today, I take a look at Fluttershy's second episode,  Stare Master.  This one is rather interesting in that unlike the previous episode, this one really isn't about Flutters facing her fears but rather her facing responsibility.   With that out of the way, let's begin.


Episode Title

Stare Master

 This title refers to Flutters' power of The Stare and how she can use it on animals to get them to behave.  And also,  it is actually said by best filly, Scoots in the episode.


The Plot

This is just as much a Cutie Mark Crusader episode as it is a Fluttershy episode.   The main focus of the episode is that the CMC (Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, & Apple Bloom) were supposed to have a sleepover at Rarity's but because of a huge order and the fact that Sweetie used some of the fabric that Rarity needed for her big order to make the CMC capes. But before this, we see Flutters come by and drop off, Rarity's pet cat Satan, sorry I mean Opalescence. Who can be a bit of a problem for Rarity but  not around Flutters.











But because of Sweetie using the fabric that her big sister needed,  the sleepover was cancelled until Flutters offered her assistance.  And this is where the plot really begins because Rarity tries to warn Fluttershy that her sister and her friends can be a handful but Fluttershy just sees them as sweet angels.  Oh, Flutters!  Never make that mistake when dealing with little kids because that usually means they are going to be a pain in the flank.














A little while later,  we see Flutters foalsitting the girls as they run into Twilight Sparkle and she comments on how Fluttershy has her hands full and Flutters still doesn't see it.  Fluttershy, open your eyes, sweetheart.















It isn't until that Fluttershy and the girls finally get to her cottage, that she realizes how troublesome they can be as they break her table as the Cutie Mark Crusader Creature Catcher.















After all of the mishap,  Flutters decides  to put the girls to sleep and sing them a lullaby but the girls don't stay asleep as they sneak out of the house and into The Everfree Forest (They had it far easier then Dustie) because one of Fluttershy's chickens, Elizabeak had ran loose and the girls wanted to find them and this led to a classic CMC moment.







And to clarify my feelings on this, I'll let Best CMC speak her mind.













Ahem,  back on topic.  The girls break out and thankfully Flutters finds them in time but they also come across a cockatrice,  a creature with a head of a chicken and the body of a snake that can turn anypony to stone as Fluttershy noticed with Twilight Sparkle.















I have to admit that was a bit eerie.  Not creepy but just something that I was taken aback by and oddly, it really wasn't until I watched this episode that I felt the eerie nature of this moment and I've seen this episode a thousand times.  Wonder, why it wasn't until this viewing I felt the eerie nature of this.   And then we come to Fluttershy's big moment of this episode, where she stares down the Cockatrice as she is being turned into stone herself.















And this is where the episode title comes from as one of the CMC, I believe it was Scoots says that she is a stare master.    In the end, Fluttershy learns that things may not always be as easy as you think and with the CMC,  they learn that when an adult talks, they need to listen.



Plot Device

The Stare















The Stare is Fluttershy's secret weapon, she can use it on most animals to get them to stop what they are doing and listen to her.  Though as we will see in an upcoming review, it won't work on everyone such as a certain Draconequus, it won't work on everyone. But it truly is one of her most effective skills.





Characters


Now,  I won't be breaking this down any further because even though, there were other characters, I'll only be focusing on Fluttershy and the Cutie Mark Crusaders. With that out of the way, let's begin.




Fluttershy voiced by Andrea Libman















Now as stated up top, this episode is more about Flutters learning how to deal with responsibility and realizing that sometimes that you get in over your head.  Cutest Pony thought that because she was good with small animals, that she'd be good at taking care of little kids.  As she found out, this isn't the case at all as it turns out to be far more then  she could handle.  Though, it was a good learning experience for Fluttershy.




The Cutie Mark Crusaders (Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, & Apple Bloom) voiced by Madeline Peters,  Claire Corlett,   &  Michelle Creber














Now as for the CMC,  this was their first episode where we got to see them as a group and they play off of each other quite well.   I think they have some of the best chemistry in the show and majority of their moments are genuine and actually feel like kids.  Of course, I think it helps that they are played young actresses for that.   Their friendship feels very real and the best part.


Music


Hush Now, Quiet Now








Sing it Sweetie,  honestly how can this filly not realize her special talent is singing?  Anyways, this is a cute little number and that Sweetie sure can belt it out. What's strange is I think this is the only song, I'll be covering during Flutter Month (Not Yay!)




Antagonist

Cockatrice






Okay,  that has to be one of the silliest looking creatures in the entire show.  But he is a real threat because just with his eyes, he can turn one to stone. As we saw with Twily.














That is still eerie.      To think that a creature could do that, wow!  Of course,  that didn't work on Fluttershy as we saw up above.



My Final Thoughts


All in all, this was a great episode.  It was good episode and nice to see something different with Flutters as she realized, she had gotten in over her head but she succeeded.  It was a very cute episode and I liked it a lot.  Oh darling, that shade is just wrong for you.  Haven't we been over this...

Green Isn't Your Color





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