Friendship is Card Games: Common Ground · 10:51am May 5th, 2019
Well, this is awkward. I quietly shipped Quibbledash, but that doesn’t work too well when the guest VA brings in his actual wife and daughter. Let’s see just what’s in this torpedo.
Huh. Newsreels are a thing in Equestria. That wasn’t certain—indeed, this is the first sign of movie theaters outside of a musical number, and that was Season 3—but it says a lot about the speed of information spread. News travels a lot faster in Equestria than I thought… though a lot of it could still be sports and celebrity gossip. It’s not like ponies would want to see the latest from the warfront (in most timelines, anyway.)
So, in addition to teaching, Sweetfeather Sanctuary, throwing parties for an entire town, et cetera, et cetera, Fluttershy and Pinkie are also pro sports stars. See, this is why I assume Twilight and Starlight set up some Granger-grade chronomancy to keep everypony’s schedules open despite the impossible demands on their time.
Well, that or this is actually taking place relatively deep in the past. There’s no sign or mention of Starlight in this episode, “Stranger than Fan Fiction,” or “Buckball Season.” (Or “Newbie Dash,” given that Rainbow’s a full-fledged Wonderbolt.) Strictly speaking, this could predate “The Cutie Re-Mark.” Even the construction of the Buckball Hall of Fame isn’t much of a limiting factor; we’ve seen how quickly ponies can build.
Interesting to see that buckball fever has spread even to the higher echelons of society. I do like that Fleur’s choice in accessories is much more understated than the average hooligan’s.
On the one hand, Snips exploiting his best friend is somewhat aggravating. On the other, at least he finally has a personality trait beyond stupidity. And I actually like how his mercantile nature contrasts Snails’s lack of attachment to worldly concerns.
So… the multi-time saviors of the realm didn’t expect so high an honor as a sports hall of fame. After getting multiple stained glass windows dedicated to them in the royal palace. Unless Celestia really does hoof those out like candy or Royal Society of Party Planners memorial libraries. (The RSPP raises questions in and of itself, but may actually explain more than it obscures. Assuming that it exists outside of Pinkie’s fevered imagination.)
Hmm. A tent with Daring Do’s cutie mark. Gee, I wonder whose that could be.
Huh. That is Quibble Pants’s natural mane color.
“Clear Sky”? Violating the One Steve Limit with one of the Abbot and Costello weather ponies from “Tanks for the Memories” there. Not a complaint, just a comment. And given that name and her daughter, she may well be the one unicorn in a pegasus family. Interesting…
Quibble, I don’t care how little you know about sports, you should know not to touch the exhibits in a museum.
I do like how Snails looks as uncomfortable as Fluttershy in the hall of fame photo. He’s not in it for the notoriety, after all.
Ah, trying to buy the affection of a stepchild. Yeah, that’s not going to go over well. The fact that she reads it as trying to replace her father definitely doesn’t help.
Also, it's downright weird to see a tiny desaturated Twilight who doesn't like books.
I do appreciate how Quibble is fully aware that Dash’s plan is terrible and should never be put into action. Unfortunately, neither of them has any better ideas.
Heh. Shades of the best pet competition in trying to find Quibble’s sporty side. Maybe they should’ve just tested him for generic coolness, awesomeness, and/or radicalness.
Okay, seriously, was Quibble just running in place or what? We’ve already seen him move faster than that. I suspect he was just overthinking it. At least, I hope he was.
The strength test feels especially absurd. I know that stallion has hauled more mass than that home from Daring Do conventions.
Oh good, Snips didn’t ruin the Ponyville team’s chances with excess commercialization.
Okay, Pinkie and Fluttershy underscoring Quibble’s tremendous nerdiness was fantastic. And I did appreciate him trying to rules-lawyer his way out of losing the game. Doubtlessly a tactic he’s attempted in O&O sessions.
Rainbow Dash has to exhaust all available sports-related options before considering alternatives. (See also the first Equestria Girls movie.)
And there’s the titular common ground. I know statistics are my favorite part of sports, especially the absurdly specific ones.
In all, this was fun and touched on a surprisingly deep topic… but it touched said topic as gently as possible. I don’t expect My Little Pony to confront death directly (unless it’s hibernation,) but it does feel like the episode abandoned much deeper potential in favor of cringe. Not the worst cringe the show’s ever performed, but still. And it didn’t help that there was a potentially much more interesting story going on with Snips and Snails in the background. Think about that. There was a much more interesting story going on involving Snips and Snails.
But all that being said, this was still a fun popcorn episode. There’s definitely a good message, but it does feel like I just read Patton Oswalt’s self-insert fan fiction. In any case, let’s see what’s hitting the field:
Hopeless Prospect 1W
Creature — Pony Citizen
Hopeless Prospect can’t attack unless it’s paired with a creature with soulbond.
“I don’t know what she sees in me. I just see four left hooves.”
3/3
Radiant Heliomancer 2W
Creature — Unicorn Wizard
Soulbond (You may pair this creature with another unpaired creature when either enters the battlefield. They remain paired for as long as you control them.)
Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, Radiant Heliomancer gains lifelink until end of turn. If it’s paired with another creature, that creature also gains lifelink until end of turn.
2/3
Legal Dispute 1UU
Instant
Addendum — If you cast this spell during your main phase, you may pay U rather than pay its mana cost.
Counter target spell.
“But if you look at part IV, subsection 328, paragraph 4, you will clearly see that the term ‘it’ is left entirely nebulous.”
Moneyball 2U
Instant
Support 2. (Put a +1/+1 counter on each of up to two target creatures.)
Create a colorless Treasure artifact token with “T, Sacrifice this artifact: Add one mana of any color.”
It’s not paying to win. It’s getting the most bang for your bit.
Sideline Analyst 2U
Creature — Pony Advisor
Partner with Swooping Youth (When this creature enters the battlefield, target player may put Swooping Youth into their hand from their library, then shuffle.)
T: Draw a card, then discard a card.
“On my signal.”
1/2
Triple Bounce 4U
Instant
Assist (Another player can pay up to 4 of this spell’s cost.)
Up to three target creatures get +1/+0 and gain flying until end of turn.
Imitating Pinkie Pie is best done with multiple spotters and a medic on standby.
Swooping Youth 2B
Creature — Pegasus Child Warrior
Partner with Sideline Analyst
Flying
Whenever you discard a card, Swooping Youth gains deathtouch until end of turn.
2/1
Royal Jester 2BB
Creature — Pony Rogue
When Royal Jester enters the battlefield, you become the monarch.
Whenever an opponent becomes the monarch, if you were the monarch as the turn began, that player discards a card.
“Meet the new boss, sane as the old boss.”
2/4
Sporty Side 2R
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +2/+1 and has haste.
Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your team’s control, you may attach Sporty Side to that creature.
“Everypony is a star waiting to happen.”
—Rainbow Dash, Bearer of Loyalty
Aggressive Marketer 3R
Creature — Unicorn Advisor
Partner with Serene Celebrity
At the beginning of combat on your turn, target creature gains menace until end of turn.
2/2
Unfamiliar Ground 1G
Sorcery
Each creature you control can’t be blocked by more than one creature this turn.
Draw a card.
“I’m more lost now than I was in the jungle.”
—Quibble Pants
Exhibition Match 2G
Instant
Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt this turn. Put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control that’s attacking or blocking.
“Thanks for the practice. Good luck in the next round!”
Serene Celebrity 3G
Creature — Unicorn Monk
Partner with Aggressive Marketer
Serene Celebrity can’t be blocked by more than one creature.
4/3
Buckball Hooligans 4GG
Creature — Pony Warrior
When Buckball Hooligans enters the battlefield, support 3.
Whenever a nontoken creature your team controls with a counter on it dies, create a 2/2 green Pony creature token.
The stands are full for every match.
4/4
Signed Memorabilia 2
Artifact
T: Add C.
T: Add one mana of any color. Spend this mana only to cast a legendary spell.
There is power in worship, and worship takes many forms.
Buckball Almanac 5
Artifact
3, T: Each player on your team draws a card.
Everything you, your neighbors, and your extended family wanted to know about buckball, but never thought to ask.
Celebrity Connections WB
Sorcery
Search your library for a historic card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. If you control a legendary permanent, instead search your library for a card and put that card into your hand. Then shuffle your library. (Artifacts, legendaries, and Sagas are historic.)
Growing Affection GW
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature has lifelink.
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a +1/+1 counter on enchanted creature.
Every healthy bond will grow with time. Some are just more literal about it.
Own Goal 1RW
Instant
Target attacking creature deals damage equal to its power to itself and to its controller.
“Impressive.”
—Ditzy Doo
Unfit 1(ur)//Unfair 2UR
Sorcery//Instant
Unfit: Draw two cards, then discard two cards.
Unfair: Creatures you control get +2/+0 until end of turn. Creatures your opponents control get -2/-0 until end of turn.
Buckball Stadium
Land
T: Add C.
1, T: Clash with an opponent. If you win, add two mana in any combination of colors. Otherwise, add CC. (Each clashing player reveals the top card of their library, then puts that card on the top or bottom. A player wins if their card had a higher converted mana cost.)
Hall of Fame
Land
Hall of Fame enters the battlefield tapped unless you have two or more opponents.
T: Add R or W.
Past glories are enshrined here with all the care and devotion of any temple you can name.
I’ll take Patton Oswalt’s fanfiction over G.M. Berrow’s fanfiction any day.
Hmmm....given the touching R/L end of things, what do you think of further Quibbledash that went on from a currently extant fic? Let us say that my desperately naughty friend Pegasub went on to write a sequel of her positively scandalous work. Would she have to state, “it’s AU after Episode X, obviously,” and then roll from there? I think it would be better than “oh, yeah, they broke up, BTW,” which I never find convincing. Or should she abandon all hope and never write of wing clips again?
I’m asking for Pegasub, obviously.
5053787
Well, if you wrote a FlutterMac story and flat-out ignored Sugar Belle's existence, it'd still work without creating cognitive dissonance in most readers' minds, so a QuibbleDash story should still make sense as well.
Though yeah, not a good idea to say "the canon pairing broke up". That'd just make it sad. In this case, writing in a pre-s9 setting may be best as to not create confusion.
Yeah I know right?
I could swear I've seen fan characters that looked just like her, only, they were meant to be Twilight's OC-daughter. Makes you wonder who the father is... my first guess was Twilight's estranged pegasus-son from the future.
...Buuuuuut I think a more "normal" family connection on her father's side would probably make it less awkward considering the RL side of things.
Also, huh. That probably explains her appearance.
5053787
I'm always leery of breaking up canon couples, especially in an offhand, offscreen manner. I think AU is the way to go, but then, I almost always think AU is the way to go.
Ah yes, alongside no one commenting on Snips's entrepreneurship, this was the other thing that surprised me.
One thing I really liked about this episode was that Quibble wasn't, as I think is fairly typical for this sort of story, trying to get Wind Sprint to like him to get in or keep her mom's good graces -- if anything, Clear Sky already very much liked him -- but because he recognized that he was inherently going to enter her life as well by entering her mother's, and that she has as much a right as anyone else to choose who she has to share her life and time with.
That is a much greater degree of autonomy and respect being shown to kids than I'm used to by either the writing or individual characters in this sort of story. I am very impressed.
One little thing I really liked was when the kid was talking about how lame books are and Dash just straight up tells her books are awesome.
Given all the ponies get done....this just furthers two of my headcanons. 1. Equestria runs on like, a 48 hour day or something. 2. The Mane 6 aren't full time teachers, but only do like, two or three classes a week.
To be fair, that pony's name was Clear Skies, not Sky.
Yes, but that was likely inside a Saddlebag of Holding. So reduced overall weight he was carrying.
That was hilariously nerdy.
Yeah, the ep was a bit... light? I guess. Some good ideas but,not really going into them and feeling a bit, well shallow. But, was still kind of touching and nice of them to bring in Patton's IRL family for this. The Meta knowledge does make me give the ep a bit of a pass. Not OMG AMAZING! But, not bad either just, average, but with some bonus meta points.
5053822
Ohhh very, very true point, and one major credit in the eps favor.
I sure hope that Pegasi mothers have sense enough to give birth on the ground on the chance that the non-mendelian, roulette-wheel that is pony genetics gives them a foal that can’t stand on clouds.
I have a pet theory that Dash’s comment from Top Bolt about how Pegasi performance depends on their confidence applies to all pony tribes. If you want a unicorn example, see Twilight’s ability to parry Sombra's magic in the premier after the pep-talk.
Do you think he’s a wizard in Friday Night Hocus Pocus: the Get-Together?
As opposed to all those other
.
dayshoursminutesseconds when you are not reading fan-fiction already5053822
I loved that little turn at the end when he was hangdog about her 'We need to rethink things' and she was later "What? I meant rethink the way you were approaching her"
There was also that very nice moment between mother and daughter where it almost looks like that would have resolved the episode there in that small heart to heart.
This is where I think the RL fact that Patton remarried after his wife's death help shy away from some of the usual Sitcom tropes since in real life its all flipped as others have mentioned.
If Pinkie's helping Fluttershy I wouldn't think about it very hard. And Fluttershy's done Pinkie stunts before too...
Er... which is it?
Also, excellent cards as always
Yeah, the cringe was a little much for me, and most of Quibble's fails stretched my suspension of disbelief. I would have liked the episode better if it focused more on the serious family issue at hand, but the episode overall was still enjoyable.
You know, I knew there was a reason that I was vehemently opposed to QuibbleDash.
Because there was a better ship waiting in drydock.
5053906
I was about to point this out. Oh cool, q misprint!
5053781
Ahaha.
Go away with that shit.
5053807
I agree. I saw a lot of it in bad Harry Potter fan fiction, where Tonks or Hermione or someone decided that “they just weren’t a good fit” with Character A and then faded off into obscurity. I’m reminded of Play It Again Sam, in which the main character is having an affair with a friend’s wife, and tries to think of ways in which this might work out, all of them film-inspired. In one of them, the husband states, on his way across the tarmac to a small airplane, “Alvy, I fell in love with a woman in Alaska. I don’t know why. It just happened. Well, I’m off to Alaska.”
Personally, I used to write “canon up to ___,” and to be honest, I usually lost interest when it was blatantly not canon. I actually haven’t seen this episode yet. I’m still catching up with Eight! But it does seem as though there have been some episodes that have obliquely dealt with divorce lately: the hippogryff who can’t decide whether he wants to be with his father in the air or his mom in the sea, for example. I thought that was even better, because that was POV target audience and something kind of needed.
Anyway, back to disappearing while I catch up on this. And GoT. And Endgame. As for Pegasub, her total naughtiness couldn’t be considered canon anyway.
Worth reminding everybody here, in case commenters didn't know: Quibble Pants's wife and stepdaughter are played by his second wife and his actual RL daughter here. The whole story was directly inspired by the death of Patton's first wife, his remarriage, and the issues involved. If the story suffers from, well, not dealing with that core point as well as it could have, part of it is because, according to Patton, his daughter and new wife bonded fairly quickly and without any serious drama (or shenanigans). But it was a major concern going into the marriage.
For the fans who feel that this episode didn't fully deliver on its potential, I think that's an unavoidable result of the show as a whole being specifically targeted toward elementary school students.
Ostensibly, the moral of this episode is supposed to be "just because you're (potentially) getting a new stepparent doesn't mean you have to stop loving your biological parent." The inherent problem with conveying that moral is that the audience proxy (the child) is completely passive in the situation. There's nothing for them to do except realize that they might have something in common with the stepparent after all.
Focusing on that alone would make for a very short episode (or a long, boring episode), so instead, to create an actual plot, the focus has to be on the stepparent's attempts to win over the child. Which does show the target audience that the stepparent's intentions are coming from an honest, caring place (and it gives the adult fans someone to empathize with), but it obfuscates the intended point of the episode. All of the adult fans are more interested in learning about this new pony and her daughter (what's their story?), but none of that matters to the moral. So naturally, the adults are disappointed.
Which, as has been expressed by frustrated My Little Pony staffers in the past, is the disconnect that occurs when adults try to view a kids' show through their adult perspective.
I do agree that this episode just abandoned a couple of potential B stories that it looked like it was setting up. Snips is commercializing his friend's success! ...Yep, that's all. Becoming famous buckball stars may jeopardize the team's getting the practice they need in order to win! ...Nah, they're still great. Heck, while I was watching the episode, I didn't even notice that the intimidating new opponents introduced in act one were quickly and quietly defeated in act two.
On a lighter note, I'm surprised the animators are still using the foam finger from season one. I'm even more surprised that Lyra isn't wearing at least two of them.
5054027
It was mostly a "major issue" to Oswalt's fans, who had never met him, don't know him, and had no business making a big thing of his personal life. It was a sweet idea. I don't have a problem with people shipping whoever they want, as long as they're not obnoxious about it. If non-canon ships were banned here, 85% of the fics or more would shrivel and die.
(Canon or semi-canon ships get way more grief, in my opinion!)
I also was sad to see QuibbleDash soundly sunk by this episode. And disappointed that the return of Quibble Pants had to be in a sports-themed episode. (The flavour text on your Unfamiliar Ground does almost make up for it, though.)
I'm not sure I'd've wanted to see any more of Snips and Snails either, though.
5053822 and 5053846 (and 5054059) do make some fantastic points which help me feel significantly better disposed towards the episode. Yay for thoughtful, well-reasoned commenters!
To the cards!
I'm unconvinced about Money Ball as an instant. Two +1/+1 counters at instant speed doesn't sound like something blue should be doing in almost any set.
I'm really impressed at your ability to sync up the theme of your cards. Between support, assist and partner with, these cards were oozing sports arena just from the mechanics.
I love everything about Own Goal, both in flavour and mechanics.
Buckall Stadium should probably have "activate this ability only any time you could cast an instant" on it, for sanity. I know it's not technically necessary, but we really don't need any more Selvalas.