History Recap / MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E8TheMysteriousMareDoWell

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

->'''Rainbow Dash:''' Never fear, your [[Franchise/SpiderMan friendly neighborhood]] Rainbow Dash is here!

* CatchPhrase: Rainbow Dash assigns herself one (or rather, use Franchise/SpiderMan's and WesternAnimation/{{Underdog}}'s.) Unfortunately, it turns out [[TalkingIsAFreeAction talking is]] ''[[AvertedTrope not]]'' [[TalkingIsAFreeAction a free action]].

** "Never fear, [[Franchise/SpiderMan your friendly neighborhood]] Rainbow Dash is here!"

** Mare Do Well's look is one to WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck, Franchise/{{Zorro}}, and Franchise/{{Batman}}. The lens and [[SuperheroesWearTights slick spandex]] portions match Spider-Man's costume.

* SuperheroEpisode: Many of the heroic (and not-so-heroic) tasks performed between Rainbow Dash and Mare Do Well borrow from the common superhero trope, such as BabyCarriage and ConstructionZoneCalamity, and with nods of the heads to similar heroic deeds from notable superhero films series like ''Film/{{Superman The Movie}}'' and the ''Film/SpiderManTrilogy''.

* SuperheroEpisode: Many of the heroic (and not-so-heroic) tasks performed between Rainbow Dash and Mare Do Well borrow from the common superhero trope, such as BabyCarriage and ConstructionZoneCalamity, and with nods of the heads to similar heroic deeds from notable superhero films series like ''Film/{{Superman}}'' and the ''Film/SpiderManTrilogy''.

* JerkassBall: The rest of the Mane 6 for some reason decide that not only do none of them even talk to Rainbow Dash before going through with their plan, [[NiceJobBreakingItHero they decided to go through with this before she let her ego get in the way of saving other ponies.]]

* JerkassBall: The rest of the Mane 6 for some reason decide that not only do none of them not talk to Rainbow Dash before going through with their plan, [[NiceJobBreakingItHero they decided to go through with this before she let her ego get in the way of saving other ponies.]]

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Done fairly subtly with this exchange:
-->'''Scootaloo:''' There just aren't enough words in the dictionary to describe Rainbow Dash's awesomeness.\\
'''Twilight Sparkle:''' I can think of [[ParentheticalSwearing a few new words]].

* AcquiredSituationalNarcissism: The episode in a nutshell. It's not like Dash is normally humble, but once she's the town hero, her attitude goes from "I'm awesome" to "I'm awesome and everyone [[AttentionWhore should admire me for it.]]"

** Rainbow sees a large crack in the town damn and instead of finding someone who can actually fix the problem, she shoves her hoof into the crack for a few seconds, then pats herself on the back for a good job done. It ends with Dash being sent down river by a huge wave of water.

* JerkassBall: The rest of the Mane 6 for some reason decide that not only do none of them bother speaking with Rainbow Dash before going through with their superhero plot, but it's made very clear that they decided to go through with this before she let her ego get in the way of saving other ponies.

* OutOfCharacterMoment:
** Rainbow Dash when you consider that she's been hailed as a hero not [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E2ElementsOfHarmony once]], not [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E16SonicRainboom twice]], but [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E2TheReturnOfHarmonyPart2 three]] times before this, and not once was there indication that it went to her head.
** Fluttershy not only joins in the Mare-do-Well ruse, but does a fly-by above the dam, [[{{Hypocrite}} just to show off.]] This was long before "Putting Your Hoof Down" gave her more confidence. Though it could be justified as she wasn't shy due to the fact she was disguised.

* TookALevelInJerkass: The rest of the Mane 6 sadly fall into this category, due to the fact that not only do none of them bother speaking with Rainbow Dash before going through with their superhero plot, but it's made very clear that they decided to go through with this before she let her ego get in the way of saving other ponies.

* ShowDontTell: We only see the mane five casually commenting on Rainbow Dash's boasting, while the main argument for them assuming the Mare Do-Well mantle is that "she wouldn't have listened anyway" we never ''see'' them actually ''try'' to talk with her or at the very least consider the option.

* FixFic:
** The ''Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries'' isn't ''solely'' a Fix Fic, but the author typically does explain Rainbow Dash's behavior in the episode as the result of her trying to cover up/compensate for her HeroicBSOD resulting from how she handled Discord's SadisticChoice.
** Similar to the ''FanFic/PonyPOVSeries'' example listed above, the fix fic [[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7598776/1/No_Hard_Feelings "No Hard Feelings"]] takes place right after the events of the episode, where the rest of the Mane Cast have a JerkassRealization over how their plan to teach Rainbow Dash a lesson in humility ended up unintentionally hurting her feelings.

* HairColorSpoiler: A variant. The scene where the Mare Do Well uses magic to repair the dam probably gives away what's going on to older fans, though a later scene does restore some ambiguity (see RedHerring below).

** Posters of the Mare Do Well in the style of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries''. When Mare Do Well starts playing StealthHiBye with Rainbow Dash, [[SuspiciouslySimilarSong a take]] of Danny Elfman's legendary Film/{{Batman}} theme for the series and movie can be heard.

* ShowDontTell: The main aspect that sevearly harms this episode, we only see the mane five casually commenting on Rainbow Dash's boasting, while the main argument for them assuming the Mare Do-Well mantle is that "she wouldn't have listened anyway" we never ''see'' them actually ''try'' to talk with her or at the very least consider the option. Even if she didn't listen, it would've been a nice gesture of faith they trusted her enough as ''friends'' to try talking with her first before resorting to more drastic measures.

->'''Mayor Mare:''' A mysterious mare, that has done well by our fair city today. I dubbed this new masked hero: [[TitleDrop The Mysterious Mare Do Well!]]

* MinorMajorCharacter: Fluttershy joins in on the ruse but does nothing of actual value aside simply does a minor flyby.

** The Mare Do Well is established as being stronger than Rainbow Dash, particularly in her hind legs. "Fall Weather Friends" established that Applejack's hind legs are stronger than Rainbow's.

** Pinkie Pie and Spike are easily scared, which is a nod to them being afraid of "zombie ponies" in [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E9BridleGossip "Bridle Gossip"]]. Though Pinkie might just be pretending to be scared for fun, like she did for Nightmare Night.

** Then again, if the damn was so weak that 'mjust leaning on it'' would've caused it to break then chances are it would've collapsed anyway, even without Rainbow's interference.

** Fluttershy not only joins in the Mare-do-Well ruse, but does a fly-by above the dam, [[{{Hypocrite}}just to show off.]] This was long before "Putting Your Hoof Down" gave her more confidence. Though it could be justified as she wasn't shy due to the fact she was disguised.

* RightlySelfRighteous: The other ponies take perverse pleasure teaching Rainbow Dash a lesson in humility because she was in severe need of it. It comes of majorly mean-spirited as a result.

* ShowDontTell: The main aspect that sevearly harms this episode, we only see the mane five casually commenting on Rainbow Dash's boasting, while the main argument for them assuming the Mare Do-Well mantle is that "she wouldn't have listened anyway" we never ''see'' them actually ''try'' to talk with her or at the very least consider the option. Even if she didn't listen, it would've been a nice gesture of faith they trusted her enough as ''friends'' to try talking with her first before resorting to more drastic measures.

Later in the same day, a baby carriage goes careening off a steep road, heading straight for a cliff. Once again, Rainbow Dash is on hoof to save the baby, and one again a cheering crowd meets her. This time, the praise goes to her head, and she poses and shows off to the crowd and cameras, to the bemusement of Applejack and Twilight. Yet another disaster strikes soon afterwards, wherein a group of elderly ponies find themselves on a collapsing balcony.

** Fluttershy not only joins in the Mare-do-Well ruse, but does a fly-by above the dam, just to show off. This was long before "Putting Your Hoof Down" gave her more confidence. Though it could be justified as she wasn't shy due to the fact she was disguised.
* PoorCommunicationKills: The mane six are never shown just talking to Rainbow Dash about her boasting until the very end of the episode. Heck, they don’t even appear to consider it a legitimate option to fixing the problem.

* RightlySelfRighteous: The other ponies take perverse pleasure teaching Rainbow Dash a lesson in humility because she was in severe need of it.