Season 2: Episode 11: Hearth's Warming Eve

Discussion in 'Season 2 Discussion' started by elementofchaos7, Dec 11, 2011.

  1. Jaret

    Jaret Retired Staff
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    Disliked the episode. Why?

    1. The humor seemed... pushed. There was no real humor.
    2. The flag: How did they make that flag, not having any Celestia nor Luna?
    3. Discord: Now you're telling me the product of disharmony are Windigoes? What about Discord?
    4. Snow is created through hatred.
    5. Hierarchy. They presented the "knights" and the "kings" to be much greater than the peasant. They are those who actually made the sun and the moon rise and fall. They are those who create the rain and the snow. Though, that they classified the 3 races as 3 classes, we could also look at this as "racism".
    6. Just the whole episode seemed... stupid. I don't know, i just dislike it.
     
  2. chocolatechip

    chocolatechip Now known as Neoshadow

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    no wonder it hasnt been snowing in england,the concentrated love from the brony meetup has driven away the snow!
     
  3. _IgNiS_

    _IgNiS_ Practically Part of the Site Itself

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    I agree. While i did like the episode, it wasn't the best. Waaay too many gaps in the story left open, no mention of discord or the princesses whatsoever. I guess they all come after this. :s

    Still, humour was great, the anthem was pretty epic, and it gave a good feeling :)
    And Derpy XD
     
  4. Prince Darkmoon

    Prince Darkmoon Philosopher and Pony Lover

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    Intresting episode if nothing else. I kind of liked it, but it raises more questions than it answers.

    Still, they featured a really obscure mythological creature I had not even heard of before, Windigo. But I found this article enlightening.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendigo

    I wonder what Discord had to do with this though, maybe the Windigo are his minions or something. As for the banner I guess it was refering to some ancient pony myth. A myth maybe the sisters exploited in their rise to power. Either that or they are actually warp creatures (Daemons, emotions and faith made manifest). Or the play just used the current Equestria banner as they don't have the older version.

    About the Windigo though, the article say they are spirits of cannibalism, does that mean cupcakes Pinkie Pie is actually possesed by a Windigo? That way the fanfic actually makes sense.

    Or perhaps the entire story is a metaphor or a myth and not actual Equestrian history.

    Edit. Almost forgot, Equestrias national anthem, awesome :omg: .
     
    #24 Prince Darkmoon, Dec 18, 2011
    Last edited: Dec 18, 2011
  5. mike406

    mike406 Moderator
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    *Cough* Also the fact that Pinkie said that "The Earth is round".
     
  6. elementofchaos7

    elementofchaos7 A Pony Every Pony Should Know

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    Discord was never said to be the product of disharmony, just the spirit/god of chaos and disharmony. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if either he created the Wendigo or they created him. Also snow itself isn't created through hatred, it's created by Wendigo which apparently get their power from, well, hatred...so I suppose that's true in a way. :p

    The idea that Discord is somehow powered by disharmony is speculation. I'm pretty sure it was never said that he gets any power from chaos, just that he likes to cause it. Which is why I wouldn't be surprised if he created the Wendigo...or the other way around...

    Other than that, I can understand your concerns with the episode.

    There's also something else we all have to consider--it was just a play. It might not have been historically accurate, at least not completely. Hay, for all we know it's outright fiction based "loosely" on the founding of Equestria. Of course, the heart we saw over Canterlot at the end, not to mention the hint that the Wendigo still exist in some form, disproves that idea, but it still doesn't mean the play is, or even was meant to be, accurate to events that actually happened.
     
  7. Skydancer1993

    Skydancer1993 A Pony Every Pony Should Know

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    Honestly?

    I did not like this episode that much.
     
  8. Prince Darkmoon

    Prince Darkmoon Philosopher and Pony Lover

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    Intresting ideas :smile: . But then I actually think about it, aren't Wendigo who are trying to destroy the entire world by cold and starvation actually more evil than Discord?

    Edit. Found a great comment on youtube on the banner and other things.
    Maybe the arrival of Celestia and Luna is actually pony prophecy. Just a thought.
     
    #28 Prince Darkmoon, Dec 18, 2011
    Last edited: Dec 18, 2011
  9. Qenters

    Qenters An Everypony Regular

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    It was a reenactment meant to be suitable for a general audience, so I'll bet that there was plenty that was slightly off from the real history of Equestria. The flag could very well have been an anachronism on the part of the Mane Six.

    I really didn't care much for the song at the end though. It felt like it was supposed to sound like a Christmas song, but about friendship instead of Christmas.... Maybe I've just been listening to too much Christmas music.
     
  10. TurkThePony

    TurkThePony The Olden Artist

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    This Episode was a Simply Amazing! The Story was Great and loved every second of it. :3 Love the Middle Age Style of the Ponies and it just blew my Mind, Man.

    P.S The Story of Celestia, Luna and Discord doesn't have to be included in this. Its all in fun and should enjoy for what is given. :3
     
    #30 TurkThePony, Dec 18, 2011
    Last edited: Dec 18, 2011
  11. Joey the Gardener

    Joey the Gardener New In Town

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    Not the best. There were a lot of questions that were brought up. My guess is that the story was passed down so many times that they must have botched some details here or there. That or there is more to the story than we are being shown, but that's another story.

    Yet, we shouldn't get too worked up about canon. It's just a cartoon, so relax.

    That being said, it was a pretty good episode. Some of the jokes were pretty good, and the story was interesting.

    (And now for a really bad pun) That's what I call heartwarming! *gets shot*
     
  12. TheColtofPersonality

    TheColtofPersonality An Everypony Regular

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    I really liked this episode, I like episodes that play on myths and backstory to shine new light on things.
    So this episode shines light on the idea that Celestia and Luna are not goddesses that created this world and that they came to rule after some time.
    Now we do have the flag of Equestria shown with apparently Luna and Celestia on it but it could symbolize the Yin/Yang relationship that was established at the very beginning.
    It makes me wonder if the main religion of Equestria is Taoism now as its main tenants is balance as opposed to good and evil like in most religions.
    This is a melting pot for fanfic writers, it makes us wonder how Alicorns came about (genetic breeding? Perhaps Celestia and Luna are both the Kwisatz Haderach!)

    Anyhow major fanfic fuel here, I loved it.

    I am glad they went with this route as it gives people time to come up with their own ideas on how the Princesses came to be and how Discord got his power.
    Its major fanfic fuel
    its really a nice change of pace to see something about the lore of a world, while yes this show is more about the characters then the lore the mere fact that lore exists is pretty awesome.
    A issue I see with a lot of cartoons is the lack of lore and explanation, now of course I am not expecting something like Lord of the Rings here or something but a lot of universes just go about having adventures and all and not going deeper into the history of said universe.
    A good sign of good fiction is the establishment of back story and lore, and to the merits of FiM it give us that from the very beginning.


    Look at it this way, FiM could have just jumped right into an episode where all the characters know eachother and we are left with no backstory on how they became friends.
    This is a mistake that all the previous My Little Pony series did, all of them were like:
    Backstory, who gives a horseapple?
    Dont wonder why or how kiddies, just look at the cute ponies!

    A mistake that I feel FiM has not made

    There is this little thing we like to call effort, and FiM is made of such effort.

    Like I said this was established at the very beginning that this series was not going to be just about ponies playing about, having adventures, or having tea parties or whatever.
    Sure for you something like this may not work, but for me its something I must praise.
    Sure the mythology here does have its flaws like not showing how these ponies came into becoming three tribes, but in a way that works as hey we as humans dont really know why we have so many races/ ethnic groups so stick that in your pipe to smoke for a bit.
    I did like the idea that Celestia and Luna did not found Equestria and that Discord was not the first threat to the peace of the planet too

    I feel good that it wasnt a atypical Christmas/holiday special, its more about the meaning of a holiday as opposed to the ponies celebrating the holiday.
    The issue with most Holiday/ Christmas specials is that they all have the same relative issue:
    Most are about opening gifts, getting presents, Santa and his elves, you know commercialized bullhorseapples.
    None tell us why we celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Ramadan , Festivus, Dawn of Cthulhu whatever.
    No most Christmas specials play safe by saying Santa exists and that whole Jesus thing is all for adults.
    Hardly any talk about the story of Christ, or the story of Judah and the Maccabees, or the celebration of being African American, act of sunmitting to the will of god by fasting, or how your father hated the commercial/religious aspects of the holidays, or the worship of an outer rim Eldritch Abomination that feasts on souls.
    No its all sanitary and safe, hardly any dive into why we celebrate such holidays especially nowadays with everything having to be politically correct.
    However even though this episode plays it safe too by not even mentioning Christmas it still delivers a good message that we should try to settle our differences and come together as one.
    By keeping to its own mythos it makes it better then most so called holiday specials.
    Especially the Star Wars one, that tried to establish its own mythos but failed as they never said why the Wookies celebrated life day.

    I would have been disappointed if this was an episode where the ponies were giving out gifts and Celestia was Santa Claus, or this was yet ANOTHER re enactment of a Christmas Carol, instead we got a new mythos to play around with and a reminder that despite all our differences there should be a time for us to try to get some piece.
    Too bad that not even the holidays dont do that anymore, its all about commercialism and santa.

     
  13. BrycedVelvet

    BrycedVelvet Dream catcher

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    All I have to say: Rainbow Dash looked EPIC.

    Actually, I have one more thing to say:

    I like how they explained how ponies discovered Equestria. I'm sure this episode will give our fandom a huge base to build amazing stories upon.

    I need more intel about Celestia and Luna, tho D:
     
  14. Danvid23

    Danvid23 Princess of the Forum

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    Indeed, but still a very good episode, even if celestia and luna weren't described.
     
  15. elementofchaos7

    elementofchaos7 A Pony Every Pony Should Know

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    I think it's a good thing to teach kids to not be so greedy. I'm sorry to say it, but I think the new generations of kids kinda' needs that lesson. Although SunBurn has a good, and hilarious, point--why is Hasbro okay with it? XD Seriously though, they aren't pure evil or anything, I'm sure they want to teach kids good morals just as much as those writing for Friendship is Magic.
     
  16. Danvid23

    Danvid23 Princess of the Forum

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    It is 100% true.
    I have heard kids say they would let someone die over 100$.
     
  17. mike406

    mike406 Moderator
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    I hear similar things too unfortunately. I worry for my little sister who is only 11. I don't want her to become like that... Another reason why I love MLP so much. I actually got her interested. She's never been into girly things, so at first glance she didn't want to watch MLP, but I'm so glad I got her to like it. I hope its messages will stay with her and she'll avoid kids at school who are like that.
     
    #37 mike406, Dec 19, 2011
    Last edited: Dec 19, 2011
  18. Prince Darkmoon

    Prince Darkmoon Philosopher and Pony Lover

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    I do like this episode, alot. It has given me alot to think about. As how the servants in the story may represent the people disatisfied by their rulers warmongering and desiring peace.

    That is ridiculous, that is just chump change. 100.000$ however is a different story and more can persuade even otherwise good people.

    That being said christmas is no longer as commercial now when I am an adult, I can buy anything I want anyway so I do not care that much for the gifts themselves. Christmas is also not as fun as it used to be as getting the gifts in time can be really frustrating.

    7th of January, that is my birthday :smile: .
     
    #38 Prince Darkmoon, Dec 19, 2011
    Last edited: Dec 19, 2011
  19. mike406

    mike406 Moderator
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    Really? UGH, wow I didn't know that. Oh well, I guess it isn't too bad. It kind of gives a little time until the next episode, so that we have something to look forward to. At least that's how I see it lol.
     
  20. ResidualChaos

    ResidualChaos A Pony Every Pony Should Know

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    Luckily, we know it wasn't Rarity saying it. It was her character. That was something I actually had to remind myself of several times whilst watching this. It's easy to see these ponies as the ponies we all know and love. Seeing them as the characters they were portraying in the episode instead was a fun challenge!
     

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