Picking Apart "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic", Season 2 Episode 22

Hurricane Fluttershy

We're now beginning to zero in on the end of Season 2.  Here's the scoop on this episode.  Cloudsdale gets their source of power when a group of Pegasus create a tornado powerful enough to drain an entire reservoir of water in order to produce enough clouds to rain down all over Equestria.

Oh, and the mule from "Applebuck Season" returns to reprise his role of taking no offense.  Again, I don't why he's there, he just is.

Rainbow Dash leads a training seminar and drags Fluttershy into the mess.  The problem is that Fluttershy remembered how much she was tormented in her youth at a flight camp because her flying wasn't all that great.

First she comes up with some excuses, which Rainbow Dash easily sees through.

When she finally does come to the training field to build up her wind power, she seems to get off to a slow start, but when two Pegasus named Cloudchaser and Flitter start to giggle, she suddenly remembers her tormented past and slows down at the last possible minute, barely scoring anything.  Despite her being extremely sensitive, Twilight and Rainbow Dash stupidly decide to lie to her over her efforts.  Spike correctly states that her wing power was less than one, and despite getting a hush-hush...

Spike: Ow!

Too late.  The damage has been done, so she runs off and Rainbow Dash can't bring her back.  Even Cloudchaser and Flitter looked concerned when she was running off.  However, Fluttershy manages to pick herself up off the ground and get back to her training.

Again, why?  Why is it the characters in this show continue to lie when it's remotely obvious and anyone can tell?  I know Fluttershy was created to be sensitive in this series, but really?  I honestly think the truth getting concealed from her would hurt her a lot more than just the truth itself.  Why couldn't Rainbow Dash or someone just tell her, "Good effort, but I think there was something distracting you.  Would you like to take that again?"  That's not too harsh, is it? 

It's not that hard to break things to her gently.  If it can't be done, other characters are gonna give up on her because they would have tried everything and nothing worked.

Anyways, Fluttershy does some private training with the help of her animal friends and after some time begins to make some progress.  But even then, for some crazy reason unknown, Fluttershy's wing power is still only a mere 2.3.  Ugh, I swear Cindy Morrow did this on purpose.

So Fluttershy again loses all of her confidence and at the worst possible timing because the day arrives.

Not only that, but eight Pegasus are out sick with the flu.  Twilight mentions that with all the absences, there might not be enough wing power to do the job that needs to be done.  Rainbow Dash decides to screw breaking the new record and go through with creating the tornado regardless.

They fail the first time, and just as they seem to be on the verge of giving out during their second run, Fluttershy jumps in at last minute, conquers her fears, and ultimately helps get the water from the reservoir to Cloudsdale.

She narrates her second letter to Princess Celestia as she is hailed a hero.

So after these events, it's fair to say that Fluttershy is now a much stronger flyer.  Well, only four more episodes to go.  And believe me, I'm not looking forward to... the next one...