MLP S7 Episode 7: Parental Guidance Review

Short Version: Mommy’s alright. Daddy’s alright. They just seem a little weird.

Long Version:

-What we have here is the show’s first official episode to dive into the topic of “parenthood”, hence the title. While being a parent has been brought up before, such as in “A Flurry of Emotions”, this is the first time where that particular topic is put front and center, and it throws at us one tricky situation for a moral of an episode to be in: the big takeaway is that you SHOULD be grateful of the support your parents give you, even if it’s kind of embarrassing. To the episode’s credit, as absurd as Windy Whistles and Bow Hothoof’s behavior is, it never really feels like it’s an overreach, at least the stuff about cheering for Rainbow Dash, where they’re interfering with her life at a personal level for the worst. They may blur the line regarding how much “in the sidelines” they are when they’re cheering her on, but it’s pretty harmless, all things considered. Besides, it’s not like you could have the lesson be something like “Hey, mom and dad. Could you try to maybe be less supportive of me?” I mean…that’s pretty messed up, right? In the best of cases, they’re the reason you even exist and why you become someone in life, so if they’re there for you, why WOULD you deny them that or be ungrateful about it?

-Soon after meeting Windy and Bow, A LOT about Rainbow Dash’s personality made sense, whether it’s her penchant for boldness or her “too cool for school”  attitude. Normally, I would argue that this is the kind of stuff that really didn’t need to be explained. I never really felt there was a need to know why Dash was who she was; it was kind of a given for me. That being said, it’s nice to know a little more about where she comes from. While the episode hints that Dash was always a natural when it comes to excelling at what she does, she still had mom and dad rooting for her, and assuming that she didn’t really need them is kinda…cruel? And also pointless? While her self-centeredness and egotistic tendencies are the biggest defining aspects of who she is, it’s easy to forget she can be emotionally fragile at times, as shown in episodes like “Tanks for the Memories”, “Testing, Testing, 1,2,3”  and “May the Best Pet Win”, so there’s plenty of credence to the idea of Dash needing emotional support to overcome obstacles and grow up.
-This might be the first episode that challenges Scootaloo’s reflexive hero worship for Rainbow Dash, as she discovers that she’s not terribly enthused for having someone tell her to believe in herself given how Scoots has had the odds against her for so much of her life, whether it’s being a Cutie Mark late bloomer, or not being able to fly. The episode came SO CLOSE to actually spelling out what’s going on with her family, or lack thereof. Given what the episode implies about wanting parents like Dash’s, it’s probably not a very happy story. It would be pretty ballsy if the show pulled that particular trigger, but I’m not gonna hold it against it for choosing to sideline it. Even so, at this point, it’s all but unofficially confirmed.

-Speaking as someone who’s had to wrestle with self-esteem issues for most of his life, a story about how mom and dad are the ones who help you fight back hits very close to home. Still, it’s a nice touch that the episode makes a case for how even though your parents want the best for you, they’re not perfect. While that may be so, you shouldn’t just dismiss them or tell them to stop. You should embrace them for who they are because, in the end, what matters the most is that they love you. The same could be said about anyone else who’s looking out for you. They may be rough around the edges, but their core is what matters the most.

-Windy and Bow put a lot of trust in Scootaloo despite not knowing her, not to mention handing her a bunch of Rainbow’s personal stuff for her scrapbook. For all they know, she could’ve been some crazy stalker…is what I would’ve said before actually meeting them.

-“I want you to know that I’m YOUR biggest fan.” Rainbow doesn’t get to be this sappy so often. It’s surprisingly effective.

-You know you’re way out of the target demo for this show when your gut instinct is to side with mom and dad about being supportive of their child…even if they do it in as much of an over-the-top way as they do here.

-This episode is louder than the average Pinkie Pie episode. I didn’t think that would be possible.

-Shout-out to all of Scoots’ crazy faces.

-"Dang it, Cheerilee. Let Scootaloo have her moment."

-Not since the first Guardians of the Galaxy film have I had a piece of media about a character’s relationship to a parent resonated with me this hard. Speaking of which, I should probably call mom and dad; tell them I love them. And such.