from a comic by EStories

Season 7 has been amazing. “Fluttershy Leans In” is, in my opinion, the weakest episode so far, and it is by no means a bad one. “Fluttershy Leans In” is… nice. But beyond that, I really don’t have a lot to say about this episode.

The episode does give us a lot of Fluttershy being adorable. Also, a lot of our cherished assertive Fluttershy. But the episode doesn’t give us any character growth; instead, it is more of a demonstration of the growth that she has accomplished over the course of the series. The Fluttershy we see here deftly handles issues that would have overwhelmed the Fluttershy of S1… but she doesn’t really show anything of her character that wasn’t already showcased far better in the utterly amazing “Flutter Brutter”.

“Fluttershy Leans In” provides something for the character that has been missing: an ambition. And the writers were spot on, giving Fluttershy a goal that makes complete sense for her and that we can easily believe she has been nursing for years even though this is the first time the goal is mentioned. In fact, given Fluttershy’s development arc, it makes perfect sense that she would have kept a secret ambition private until now. Not only has she gained demonstrable confidence and courage thanks to her friends, but seeing them succeed at openly professed goals likely provoked a desire in her to do so as well.

That said, the admission of the goal and the completion of it took place in a single episode, and with no serious challenges. Sure there was a conflict, but it was introduced and then almost immediately resolved. With the exception of a door, Fluttershy never faced a crisis that she struggled to overcome. Instead, the episode was more about reveling in how strong she has grown.

I even feel that the ending “moral” was less of a lesson than a profession of an optimistic world view. Fluttershy didn’t really learn anything here. Nopony did. (I’m reminded of my favorite pony shirt: “Drink Cider, Learn Nothing” – Fluttershy didn’t learn anything because she was right all along.)

vector by DashieSparkle

It is worth noting that the expressed viewpoint isn’t really a universal moral: not all goals are equal and not all dissenting views should be ignored. In my Afterthoughts on “Spice Up Your Life”, I discussed the value of critics and criticism, and the importance of deciphering between helpful and harmful input. Much of what I said there applies here as well.

Pursuing your goals is laudable. But your goals might not be. And even if they are meritorious in intention, they could be deeply flawed in concept. Ignoring sound advice and just bullying through is more often going to result in disaster than in a view “even better than you imagined”.

At the same time, contractors need to respect the client’s vision and attempt to work within the confines of it if they can. If they cannot, they need to be up front about that before proceeding, and determine if this is a project they should be involved with.

As Applejack pointed out, Wrangler’s expertise had merit. The issues arose more from Fluttershy employing the wrong sources of input. All three of the ponies brought in to help were experts in tangentially-related or directly inapplicable fields. Fluttershy needed the help of landscapers and gardeners, not interior decorators and building constructors. It is not a surprise that they ended up going with what they knew and hoping Fluttershy would see the value of it… although frankly they should have just declined the job.

If there is an actual lesson in “Fluttershy Leans In”, I believe it is a lesson to examine and judiciously chose those whose assistance you are going to rely on.

art by RacoonKun

Pillows and Cages:

Season 7 continues to give love to background characters. While not the focus of the episode in any way, “Fluttershy Leans In” brought back two minor characters from past seasons – Dr. Fauna (from “Secret of My Excess”) and Big Daddy McColt (from “The Hooffields and McColts”) – and it was a delight to see them again.

Doom Angel Bunny’s parkour skills are pretty impressive.

Doors, how do they work?

Gawd, this is cute!

The toenail clipping scene was just ...ew.

I loved how supportive all of Fluttershy’s friends were. And how even Rainbow Dash was sincerely moved by her expression of her dream.

I like Rupert.

"And this is the opposite of a nice hug!

...and we shall name the sloth “Flash”...

The animal sanctuary is beautiful, and much like Maud’s new home, it makes a great addition to Ponyville. I hope we revisit it sometime.