Rating:
Why. Why do we need a
Ponyville adaptation of the Hatfield and McCoy feud? The one where they were killing each other
and anyone unlucky enough to be around them for decades. Twilight and Fluttershy finish off the first mini
map arc which everyone agrees was underwhelming in some fashion. For me, Gilda’s surprisingly solid
rehabilitation preceded two boring filler episodes where little of consequence
happens. Here, our leads must navigate
an unnecessary battle between two Southern stereotype families whose solution
is obviously apparent early on. One
family builds things well while the other grows crops, and each is terrible at
the other’s skill. The in-between parts
find Twilight wondering why she can’t just ask them to stop fighting and
Fluttershy trying to save every animal caught in the crossfire. While somewhat less painful than season
five’s worst episodes, Hooffields doesn’t do much right either. Twilight (books) and Fluttershy (animals) are
again nothing more than caricatures, and the new characters don’t distinguish
themselves either. Then Hooffields’
ending only occurs because animals have apparently squeaked their feud’s origin
story down through many generations.
Joanna Lewis and Kristine Songco’s third effort is easily their worst, since
they couldn’t make anything from an admittedly terrible premise. Warring factions won’t usually stop because
of innocent casualties (lord knows this story’s real life inspirations
certainly didn’t), and there really isn’t a lesson for the kids outside of praying
for peace. With silly betrayals and many
head-shaking moments, Hooffields only marked time before the fifth season’s
end. There are far worse episodes, and
Hooffields does technically complete an arc, but it still shouldn’t have been
made. Resources would be better spent on
perfecting the few decent episodes rather than wasting time on such garbage.
Fluttershy is just starting the book club she has with her
animal friends…wait seriously? Lewis and
Songco throw another teaser away so we can watch two animals exchange
differently sized copies of the same book and Angel pointing to Fluttershy’s
ass when it starts glowing and she doesn’t immediately recognize what that
means. Maybe starting with Twilight
instead was preferable, since she concurrently compiles a portfolio with perhaps
one hundred different possible solutions and does a year’s worth of graduate
research. She’s so nerdy, it’s
hilarious!
They visit the regular Smoky Mountains, and find both title
families battling from their abodes perched atop opposite hills. Each one treats these unwanted visitors similarly
in that they assume both are spies for the other family while refusing to stop
their attacks. As will (unsurprisingly)
be observed, they commonly hate the other family without knowing what started
their quarrel. Twilight tries many
convincing speeches, but none are effective as the families continuing firing
different objects at each other. Ma
Hooffield does appear convinced to settle, but her “cake” is naturally a Trojan
horse whose poorly thought out “surprise” doesn’t decisively end matters.
Throughout these events, Fluttershy has been saving various
animals, and one squirrel finally tells her about the dispute’s beginning after
Twilight appears ready to give up. The
princess uses some questionable magic which freezes everyone while Fluttershy
relates this story. Each family’s male
ancestor came to the valley with a different idea about how they would
prosper. Hooffield wanted to grow crops,
while McColt thought building physical structures was better. They couldn’t come to an easy compromise and
started fighting, which never improved up until now. Faced with little choice given their current
incapacity, each leader calls off the feud so that no more innocent animals are
hurt. Fluttershy’s silly appeal to
sensibilities they probably don’t have is somehow successful, and the two
families start working together on improving their living conditions.
While given a solid opportunity for characterization, Lewis
and Songco couldn’t accomplish anything useful.
Twilight again tries doing everything “by the book”, and couldn’t
possibly have had enough time to put together that friendship portfolio. Perhaps she worked on it while her friends
were busy with earlier map adventures, but they specifically state that it was
only done now. Her thankfulness at
finally doing something is understandable, but then we just see Twilight using
her title in an attempt to stop the families from fighting and pouting when that
doesn’t work. Lewis and Songco also
happily continue the tradition of Twilight having a spell for whatever the plot
requires without regard to logic. None
of this counts as an interesting or useful development.
Although compared to Fluttershy, it almost does. As the B
“why am I here” character, she spends her time mumbling, saving various
animals, and half-heartedly advising Twilight on their situation. This just in, Fluttershy is shy and likes
animals. She doesn’t even come up with
the solution, since that great squirrel historian whispers it to her. Basically everything occurring around Fluttershy
is implausible, like that young squirrel remembering what happened generations
ago or the two families giving a rat’s ass about whatever woodland creatures were
nearby. Fluttershy really only gets used
as a plot device and doesn’t show any sense of development. None of the various Hooffields and McColts
inspire any lasting impressions either, especially since both leaders are so
similar. Why create new characters when
you can just use stereotypes instead?
Considering the conflict’s specificity, there doesn’t end up
being much point to Hooffields either.
Rather than delivering a lesson about fighting, the episode concentrates
on one specific family squabble which isn’t applicable for most people’s
lives. Nor is the solution, which only
comes about since Twilight has magic at her disposal. Has any conflict ever ended because of
animals getting hurt? Even if they are a
metaphor for innocent bystanders, that still usually isn’t enough for both
sides to stop fighting. Twilight’s book
of solutions might have actually been more effective, but here they’re all complete
bullshit. When rationality doesn’t work,
just freeze/incapacitate everyone until they desist. That will definitely succeed in the real
world.
Acknowledging
one of the United States’ bloodiest rivalries might have seemed like something
which could create friendship lessons, but Lewis and Songco didn’t produce anything
of the sort. Hooffields stands as a
mildly amusing filler episode, but nothing more. We don’t learn anything about conflict or the
characters, and there are again no consequences. Separating the mane six into pairs only
highlights how none of them are actually good friends and that they really only
work well together in a group environment.
This map arc has therefore weakened the series’ main characters instead
of providing them with development. Hooffields
might have been barely passable on its own, but contextually it represents the
failure of many different parties in a season which began with much more
promise. These episodes should not be
acceptable, but seem inevitable given 26-show seasons and a staff filled with
poor writers. Perhaps Hooffields appears
harmless, but it’s actually just as hurtful as the conflict described within.
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