Well pony is back everyone! …A bit sooner then I expected but that seems to be the theme about Season 6. We only had a few months between the end of Season 5 and Season 6. And now our mid-season break is only 2 months long.

But interestingly enough this one is themed on conventions and it airs at a time where major conventions have come and gone and/or are still coming soon. So pretty nice timing all things considered. It’s also the 3rd Daring Do related episode in the series, and as such contains quite a bit of meta for the fans watching. Read It and Weep covered what it’s like to get into FiM for fans, Daring Don’t covered what would certainly happened if our favorite character turned out to be real, and this one covers the differences in opinion within a fandom. As Quibble could represent anyone who thinks the show has gone downhill after a certain moment (Just pick any moment that compelled fans to feel the show/franchise has gone downhill. When Faust left, Canterlot Wedding, AliTwi/Season 3 in General, Equestria Girls, Starlight Glimmer’s quick redemption + addition to the main cast, and/or Flurry Heart’s debut. They all apply here)

Now I gotta admit as someone who follows the synopsis soon after they’re revealed this is one of the few times the episode gave me the wrong idea about something. As the synopsis for the episode says that Quibble hates Daring Do as much as Rainbow loves it. Which sounded like this character was someone who literally hates everything about it which made me think this was going to be a “tolerate the haters” episode even though if this guy is heading to a convention even though he clearly hates it then that’s kind of an extreme example and probably isn’t worth the time to tolerate. But now it makes more sense when we find out he IS a Daring fan, but what he hates is simply the later books. Even outside Ponies there’s always someone like that in every fandom where they feel later seasons, sequels, or other things don’t hold a candle to the originals. It’s much better then what I thought originally as obviously he would have a reason to go since he’s still a fan of the series very much so, just not so much of anything related to what came after the “original trilogy”.

Though this means that the ultimate lesson in the end as it turns out is everybody have their different reasons for liking the same things a lot of the time. I’ve had my own disagreements with other fans and even friends alike over what episodes or seasons were good in this show. But that doesn’t entirely mean I stop talking with those I was friends with. When a popular piece of media has gone on long enough it will undoubtedly go through changes that depending what is changed will either have some people like it even more then they already did, or will make others feel it’s no longer the same anymore. But in the end, (Unless the change really, really, REALLY pissed someone off) they’re still fans just for different reasons. And this applies to any popular media with a loyal fanbase. It’s just human nature to have our own reason to like things, I may have my own disagreements on things and heck I even have my own negative opinions on some things. But as long as you can come to an understanding, then it’s all good. No harm, no foul. Just agree to disagree.

It’s certainly an interesting episode to start off the rest of the season as it’s certainly something the entire fandom sometimes needs to remember. Though what may be a little funny is the whole Daring Do part even have it’s own split ever since Daring Don’t showed Daring Do was actually in-universe in FiM instead of a fiction within an already fictional universe. And for that reason, if you didn’t like Daring Don’t you may not find this episode to your cup of tea. I for one liked Daring Don’t but admitted I did kinda liked it better when it was just a fiction in the universe. But again that’s differing opinions and everything. So that in itself could be a meta thing

Now that we are officially halfway through I still must say the first half of Season 6 is my least favorite 13-episode stretch of the series so far. But that’s not to say it doesn’t have it’s good moments. As Gauntlet of Fire, Saddle Row Review, Hearth’s Warming Tail, and even now Stranger Than Fan Fiction all had fun moments provided. There just hasn’t been a really, really, REALLY, great hit yet that contends with some of the best we’ve had yet in my opinion. Let’s hope the 2nd half of the season picks up whatever slack there was in that department.

Next week’s episode I have a feeling we’re going to see a lot of Mario Kart related things going on in fan comics and/or art. Especially of Double Dash, considering there will be 2 ponies per race kart.