W&D S01EP24 - Owl's Well That Ends Well [we're live!]

[Ginger Mint]

hi hi

It is so simple! Why didn't I think of that?

There was something I thought of randomly today, in the "I'm getting something out of the freezer and it suddenly hits me," sort of way. In the scene where everyone is watching the meteor shower (Amazing voice acting here by the way) there are several groups of background ponies all watching the same thing. It is like a reference to the moral of the story from the previous episode. I can picture others looking up at the same sky, experiencing the same sense of wonder, separated only by distance at that moment.

[flutterscotch]

I really hope that Aloysius was really just a one-off non-related reference to Brideshead Revisited. I am betting the name was chosen simply for the pun factor, though. Those ponies and their puns.

[Kalpira]

Still didn't figure the owl's name out o.õ Oh well, just hope he (or she...) isn't a character that came to stay. Eww

[Whitehawke]

So apparently, the owl's name is Owlowiscious.

I've watched the episode a few more times. Delving more on my opinion of the owl, I think what disappoints me about him/her is that it is never explained how s/he forms a bond with Twilight. There's an instance where it shows him/her reacting to the night's cold, and I guess that could explain why they're together afterwards, but I'd be much more convinced if it was something like him being very hungry after meeting Twilight, and her feeding him: Cliched, but it's a common way to get someone to befriend a pet in shows.

It's a bit disapointing to see them stumble on a character's natural motivations and interests now, because Friendship is Magic is doing a great job characterising ponies/creatures with as little as 5 seconds of air time...while Owlowiscious couldn't convince me of having any feelings and motivations after half an episode. As a result, s/he comes off as having a robotic personality: Never defying the orders of Twilight and never showing any other interests than obeying her. And there is no natural explanation (Staying inside because of the cold doesn't cut it for me) for why s/he is staying with her.

Hence why Twilight feeding Owlowiscious would at least give me an idea of why s/he stays with her: for food.

Finally, despite the awkwardness of the beginning, I still think it was one of the better parts of the episode.

[Dessa]

Well, she said it SHOULD have been Owloysius, so I'm going with that.

Owloysius doesn't need motivation. It is a spy sent by the forces of the moon! And even if it is never revealed as such, I'm just going to go on pretending that is the case because it makes for a more entertaining character.

[Ginger Mint]

hi hi

You might be on to something Dessa, perhaps Owloysius is one of Nightmare Moon's minions trying to discover Twilight's weaknesses and study ways to bring the evil mare of darkness back.

[MyLittlePonyTales]

hi hi

You might be on to something Dessa, perhaps Owloysius is one of Nightmare Moon's minions trying to discover Twilight's weaknesses and study ways to bring the evil mare of darkness back.

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[Hippo]

I thought of that before the episode even aired. In fact, I was a little disappointed that the Spike vs. Owl feud was more one-sided than expected. Mr. Owl in this episode didn't seem to have any current proof of malicious nature, but I think he should. Why do you think owl's are associated with spookiness? And apparently, they can be a little trollish themselves.

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[Dessa]

I laid it out above, but for those with an injured mouse-wheel finger:

1. Owloysius arrived the night after a meteor storm that otherwise seemed to be entirely superfluous.

2. He came straight to Twilight's study and provided her with everything she needed, and asked nothing in return. Rather convenient.

3. Owloysius is indeed mean to Spike, as he gave Spike an evil glare not once, but twice.

4. He is creepy and robotlike.

5. This is 2 episodes before the finale. A good time to introduce something like a spy.

But mostly number 1.

Counterargument: It was a badly written episode, and the meteor shower might just have been filler. His helpfulness may just be transparent and hamfisted character introduction. That this is 2 episodes before the finale might just mean they rushed it and went cheap so that they could spend more time on the big finish.

[Hippo]

I laid it out above, but for those with an injured mouse-wheel finger:

1. Owloysius arrived the night after a meteor storm that otherwise seemed to be entirely superfluous.

2. He came straight to Twilight's study and provided her with everything she needed, and asked nothing in return. Rather convenient.

3. Owloysius is indeed mean to Spike, as he gave Spike an evil glare not once, but twice.

4. He is creepy and robotlike.

5. This is 2 episodes before the finale. A good time to introduce something like a spy.

But mostly number 1.

Counterargument: It was a badly written episode, and the meteor shower might just have been filler. His helpfulness may just be transparent and hamfisted character introduction. That this is 2 episodes before the finale might just mean they rushed it and went cheap so that they could spend more time on the big finish.

Oh, man. What I wouldn't give to have a juicy story like that in a little girl's show....

[Leon K Fox]

I remember thinking to myself whilst watching this episode for the first time "Wow, it's so obvious that owl is going to turn out to be evil towards the end of the episode, how utterly predictable" and then having to do a double take when it turned out he wasn't when he saved Spike XD