History YMMV / MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E5FlightToTheFinish

** The last time Miss Harshwhinny gives Rainbow Dash a dressing-down for her "over-enthusiastic outbursts", she literally gets up in Dash's face, appearing to kiss her on the muzzle. Slashfics in three...two...

* WhatAnIdiot: Scootaloo herself is painfully gullible here. Silver Spoon convinces her that: "Ms. Harshwhinny will never pick a Pegasus pony who can't fly to represent Ponyville in front of all of Equestria." None of the five fillies have met Harshwhinny before, they know nothing about her decision-making, and the competition has nothing to do with flying. But Scootaloo trusts the word of her enemy.

* AlternateAesopInterpretation: Some ponies (and people) are born differently than us, and can't do what we take for granted. That doesn't mean that they can't still excel and be awesome. Intentional or not, the episode has many disability parallels. Though given that flight is a standard feature of pegasus physiology, it's kind of hard ''not'' to interpret the episode's Aesop as disability-related.[[note]]Plus, "[[KeepingTheHandicap Don't bother seeking treatment]] for a potential DreamCrushingHandicap" is [[BrokenAesop not, by most standards, an appropriate interpretation]] of the "BeYourself" Aesop.[[/note]]

* AccidentalAesop: Some ponies (and people) are born differently than us, and can't do what we take for granted. That doesn't mean that they can't still excel and be awesome. Intentional or not, the episode has many disability parallels. Though given that flight is a standard feature of pegasus physiology, it's kind of hard ''not'' to interpret the episode's Aesop as disability-related.[[note]]Plus, "[[Main/KeepingTheHandicap Don't bother seeking treatment]] for a potential DreamCrushingHandicap" is [[Main/BrokenAesop not, by most standards, an appropriate interpretation]] of the "BeYourself" Aesop.[[/note]]

* TheWoobie / WheelchairWoobie: Poor, poor Scoots. She feels so broken up about not being able to fly, she gives up on her best friends and stays home, believing that she is not worthy of being a pegasus. She even tears posters off of her bedroom wall, and ''throws her scooter in the trashcan''.

* AccidentalAesop: Some ponies (and people) are born differently than us, and can't do what we take for granted. That doesn't mean that they can't still excel and be awesome. Intentional or not, the episode has many disability parallels.

** Scootaloo's trouble flying: After this episode, many fans were hopeful to see Scootaloo eventually fly after all she had been through. Others wanted to leave her grounded, holding her up as a role model for people with disabilities (some of them having disabilities of their own).[[note]]This despite the fact that the episode's dialogue actively avoided answering the question of whether she had an actual disability or was simply a late bloomer flight-wise.[[/note]]

* TheWoobie: Poor, poor Scoots. She feels so broken up about not being able to fly, she gives up on her best friends and stays home, believing that she is not worthy of being a pegasus. She even tears posters off of her bedroom wall, and ''throws her scooter in the trashcan''.

* NeverLiveItDown: There are many who view Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon tormenting Scootaloo over her inability to fly as their MoralEventHorizon and believed they would never redeem themselves after it. This is despite the fact that Discord has been redeemed despite’s far more heinous crimes including MindRape of the Mane Six and trying to TakeOverTheWorld several times.

* NeverLiveItDown: There are many who view Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon tormenting Scootaloo over her inability to fly as their MoralEventHorizon and believed they would never redeem themselves after it. This is despite the fact that Discord has been redeemed, and his crimes include MindRape of the Mane Six and trying to TakeOverTheWorld several times.

* FunnyAneurysmMoment: All the MemeticMutation jokes about Scootaloo being a chicken (a flightless bird) became much less funny when it turns out she has trouble flying in canon.
* HarsherInHindsight: ''Every single Scootaloo fic with her having trouble flying'' is made harsher by the fact that she really ''does'' have flying issues.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Ms. Harshwhinny. After this episode (and "[[MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E12GamesPoniesPlay Games Ponies Play]]") aired, numerous amounts of fanart has popped up significantly, mostly her rather [[StuffyBrit unique facial expressions.]]

* WhatAnIdiot:
** Dash becomes convinced that being "professional" and "collected" means she has to imitate Harshwhinny's cold attitude. Luckily she gets rid of the [[IdiotBall ball]] by the latter half of the episode.
** Scootaloo herself is painfully gullible here. Silver Spoon convinces her that: "Ms. Harshwhinny will never pick a Pegasus pony who can't fly to represent Ponyville in front of all of Equestria." None of the five fillies have met Harshwhinny before, they know nothing about her decision-making, and the competition has nothing to do with flying. But Scootaloo trusts the word of her enemy.

** Some people were also disappointed with the lack of a scene for Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon getting punished or scolded for what they did to Scootaloo. Sure, they didn't win the competition but they still got off lighter then usual for their [[KickTheDog most heinous deed]] to date.

-->Back to the mane page [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E5FlightToTheFinish here]].