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Season 7, Episode 7
Season 7 Episode 7: Parental Glideance
In five words: Scootaloo meets Rainbow Dash’s parents.
Premise: While doing a school report on a pony she admires, Scootaloo encounters Rainbow Dash’s parents who discover their daughter is a Wonderbolt. They cheer Rainbow Dash on for this feat so loudly it starts getting on her nerves. But could they be in the right for doing so?
Detailed run-through:
Who doesn’t love cartoon physics?
Compared to the last two episodes, this one has a very efficient cold opening. First, the Cutie Mark Crusaders set up a crazy scooter slingshot to send Scootaloo to Cloudsdale, but right as she’s about to be launched, she realizes she could have used something safer like a hot air balloon. Doing something overly ambitious when they could have used a quick and safe alternative is the essence of the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
When she arrives in Cloudsdale, the first pony Scootaloo sees is none other than Rainbow Dash’s father, Bow Hothoof. Technically, this isn’t our first time seeing Rainbow Dash’s family: that would be the flashback in Games Ponies Play, which had a stallion that viewers thought was her father. But it’s still interesting that the show took so long to introduce us to her parents. Maybe it’s because the earlier seasons portrayed her as on the move and rarely showed inside her house, or because it’s common for shows like this to introduce the main cast’s parents after doing all the obvious episode premises.
In any case, the fact that Scootaloo is the first character in the show to interact with Rainbow Dash’s parents already shows how closed off Rainbow Dash is to them. Once again, the show takes a long time to introduce a main character’s family member then provides a surprisingly good reason why. Zephyr Breeze is another example.
Windy Whistles is Rainbow Dash’s mother, in case you forgot.
Scootaloo: My name’s Scootaloo, and I’m doing a school report on your daughter!
Bow Hothoof: Our Rainbow Dash?
Scootaloo: The report’s on an inspirational pony in my life, and nopony inspires me more than she does!
Scootaloo: I’m putting together this scrapbook for my report. I’m her biggest fan!
Bow Hothoof: Uh, little trotter, what you say is impossible. Because nopony is a bigger fan of our Rainbow Dash than us!
Some viewers think Rainbow Dash’s parents are annoying in this episode, but I think they’re really sweet. They proudly express their love for their daughter and they eagerly let a fellow fan of her explore their house, so it’s no wonder Scootaloo gets such a good first impression of them. It often takes an external perspective for someone to realize what they’ve been taking for granted, and that includes loving parents who would do anything for them. Rainbow Dash sees a pair of noisy adults, but Scootaloo sees the most amazing parents in the world.
Scootaloo: Well, I know all about Rainbow Dash’s time in Ponyville. But I don’t know anything about her life before that.
Bow Hothoof: Well, you came to the right place.
Scootaloo speaks for viewers when she knows nothing about Rainbow Dash’s childhood. This episode serves to fill this gap in the show’s lore, which is common in the late seasons. We’ve seen a few flashbacks of Rainbow Dash in flight camp, but otherwise we didn’t know much about her upbringing. It’s interesting that Scootaloo is the one learning about her childhood, almost like Scootaloo is learning something new about her own family. Again, this tells us a lot about Rainbow Dash’s distant relationship with her parents.
It’s really cute how well Scootaloo gets along with Rainbow Dash’s parents.
I love the design of Rainbow Dash’s childhood kitchen because it shows she had a lavish upbringing, possibly the second most behind Twilight Sparkle who grew up in Canterlot. It’s a lot fancier and more polished than Fluttershy’s childhood home. Scootaloo’s initial reaction is amazement, because she didn’t know it was possible to have a childhood like this.
Rainbow Dash’s childhood bedroom is just as full of detail, far more than her nearly undecorated current bedroom. This difference shows that Rainbow Dash is used to having everything good handed to her, which is why she has to learn through the course of the show how to handle failure. Or it could just show that the animators took their sweet time designing this location, but even if you consider the room in itself, one thing is clear: Rainbow Dash had one heck of a good childhood. She never had to experience parental death or bullying in flight camp or endless rock farming, nor did she have to deal with sibling rivalry. This is not to say she never experienced rough times in childhood, but she always had her parents to cheer her on.
Where did they get the huge carpet with Rainbow Dash’s face? Also why, when, and how?
Scootaloo then gets to see inside Rainbow Dash’s trophy room, which celebrates all her accomplishments as a foal. Some of these items veer into cartoon gag territory, like the diaper when Rainbow Dash spoke her first word, but most of them are trophies from classes and competitions.
Now comes the shocker: Bow Hothoof and Windy Whistles never knew their daughter became a Wonderbolt.
Scootaloo: So, where’s all the Wonderbolts stuff?
Bow Hothoof: You mean Rainbow Dash’s personal collection of Wonderbolt memorabilia?
Scootaloo: No, I mean, where’s all the stuff about Rainbow Dash getting accepted into the Wonderbolt academy and then getting chosen as a Wonderbolt?
Scootaloo: Wait, you don’t know that your daughter’s a Wonderbolt? And I got to tell you?
Scootaloo: Oh, wow! You should see your faces right now!
Scootaloo is just a child, so it makes sense she doesn’t think about how strange it is that Rainbow Dash’s parents were out of the loop. I suspect Apple Bloom or Sweetie Belle would immediately sense something is fishy and ask the adults why they never knew, but Scootaloo is too caught up in the joy of meeting her hero’s parents.
Bow Hothoof and Windy Whistles: Our daughter’s a Wonderbolt?!
Bow Hothoof: Great timing.
Scootaloo: Great door.
Windy Whistles: I just… it’s… unbelievable!
You might think Bow Hothoof and Windy Whistles should be sad their daughter never told them about this amazing news, but I think they’re just giving Rainbow Dash the benefit of the doubt. For all they know, their daughter is so busy being a Wonderbolt that she can’t make any time to tell them. They’re totally oblivious to the real reason they didn’t know.
Scootaloo brings Rainbow Dash’s parents to a Wonderbolts training session, and their loud cheering disrupts the event. This brings me to something controversial about this episode: some fans think their loud cheering is over-the top annoying and unrealistic. But you need to remember what we learned in All Bottled Up: people will have absolutely no idea that they’re annoying you unless you tell them.
Rainbow Dash: Mom, Dad! So… good to see you.
Windy Whistles: Oh, honey! It’s so great to see you too. And wow! You were so amazing up there with all of that flying!
Rainbow Dash: Uh, how did you know I was here?
Windy Whistles: Scootaloo filled us in on everything. You modest pony, you.
Rainbow Dash’s relationship with her parents is at a phase familiar to many viewers: the phase where you barely tell them anything about your life and interests because you’re afraid they’ll embarrass you about it. I used to be in this phase, but gradually got out of it over the past few years and became more open with my parents. It was a good decision and it’s made me a more mature person. But for now, Rainbow Dash and her parents’ relationship is at an impasse unseen by any of the other Mane 6.
Windy Whistles greets the other Wonderbolts and almost goes on a tangent about her bath time goggles, until Rainbow Dash pulls her aside. This right here is what happens when you don’t tell your parents about something big in your life, or only tell them the bare minimum about it. They get all the facts wrong and have no idea how to talk to their child’s new friends.
Rainbow Dash is avoiding communication with her parents, even though she claims to be close with them.
Scootaloo: Is something wrong?
Rainbow Dash: Yeah. You should have warned me that you were bringing your parents! Or talked to Twilight or something. Not just shown up!
Scootaloo: Why?
Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash are interesting because unlike the other two Cutie Mark Crusader sibling pairs, the younger sibling is often the voice of reason. Maybe this is because they aren’t biological sisters, so Scootaloo views Rainbow Dash as more of a role model than an authority figure. The phrase “you should have warned me” shows that Rainbow Dash hasn’t outgrown the slightly antagonistic way a child sees their parents. She claims she and her parents are very close, but that’s a lie. They’ve never been more distant in their lives.
Rainbow Dash: It’s just… my parents and I have a delicate relationship. I love them very much, and we’re really close, but there’s a reason I didn’t tell them I’m a Wonderbolt. They can be a little bit… embarrassing.
Scootaloo: Huh? Really?
Rainbow Dash: Yeah, really. And now you’ve invited a whole lot of crazy into my life.
Scootaloo: What’s wrong with a little support?
Rainbow Dash has an expansive definition of “delicate relationship”. The phrase is supposed to mean that they’re at risk of lashing out at each other if one wrong thing happens, not that Rainbow Dash gets easily embarrassed by them. It’s totally understandable that she wants her parents to be less loud, but the way she talks about the problem is so entitled. From a narrative perspective, her being entitled is exactly the point.
I think part of why Scootaloo doesn’t see Rainbow Dash’s parents as embarrassing is because she cheers for Rainbow Dash just as much, and Rainbow Dash doesn’t mind at all and loves the attention. She can’t see why Rainbow Dash feels differently when her parents do it.
Notice Dr. Whooves and Rose (or Roseluck) sitting together.
In the audience for a Wonderbolts show, Scootaloo recaps several episodes focusing on Rainbow Dash’s biography as a Wonderbolt. It turns out Rainbow Dash’s parents never knew their daughter even got into the Wonderbolts Academy, which was four seasons ago. If this doesn’t tell you how much of her life Rainbow Dash has been withholding from her parents, then I don’t know what does.
Rainbow Dash’s parents annoy most of the audience with their cheering, but they leave the Wonderbolts undisturbed till the end, when they set off fireworks without permission. Some fans argue they shouldn’t have been let off the hook for doing this, and that’s actually a fair point. But I trust that after they’ve reconciled with their daughter at the end of the episode, they’ll learn where to draw the line.
Together with the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Rainbow Dash’s parents cheer her on for increasingly tiny things. To me, it’s clear that they’re still treating Rainbow Dash like a child, but maybe the episode didn’t make that obvious enough to all viewers.
When Bow Hothoof and Windy Whistles praise their daughter for hanging a towel, most viewers probably interpret it as cartoonish exaggeration. But I’d argue that since the family-oriented episodes of season 7 are meant to be realistic, a different interpretation is in store. It could be that they’ve realized their daughter has barely told them anything about her life in years, so now they’re extremely desperate to reconnect with her or regain her favor.
A second interpretation is that they’re frustrated that Rainbow Dash is refusing to communicate with them, so this is their passive-aggressive way of taking it out. They don’t know how to be honest with Rainbow Dash either. That’s exactly what happens when people are frustrated with their immediate family.
And here comes the most controversial part: Rainbow Dash reaches her breaking point and lashes out at her parents. Unlike so many fans, I really don’t see anything wrong with this scene. When you’re annoyed with your parents but keep trying to hide it, this is a perfectly realistic thing to happen.
Rainbow Dash: STOP!!
Rainbow Dash: This is ridiculous! Mom and Dad, you are both too supportive!
Rainbow Dash: This is exactly why I didn’t tell you I was a Wonderbolt! You’re just too much!
Windy Whistles: Did—did we do something wrong?
Rainbow Dash: YES! The fireworks, the cheerleading, and, and, how do you even compare who is better or worse at hanging up a towel?
This is exactly what happens when you refuse to tell someone that they’re annoying you. Eventually, the bottle bursts and you let out all your annoyances in one big tirade. It’s much like what happened in All Bottled Up, but it’s worth showing again here because this is especially liable to happen between family.
The animators of this episode had a lot of fun using pegasus wings as hands.
Bow Hothoof: We’re just trying to be supportive.
Rainbow Dash: Well, I’m tired of it! I’ve had enough of you two being so proud of every little ridiculous insignificant thing I do! (pant, pant)
Rainbow Dash: I think you should leave.
Windy Whistles: First of all, great job yelling at us, sweetie. No one can make their parents feel more worthless than you.
Bow Hothoof: Your words were direct, clear, and so painful. Is there nothing you can’t do?
I really like the way Rainbow Dash’s parents’ reaction to her rant is written. They’re hurt but trying their best to sound proud anyway, and they have a tinge of passive-aggressiveness. Some fans are weirdly super defensive of Rainbow Dash exploding at her parents and driving them to tears, but you should try to think of it from her parents’ perspective. For all those years, they had absolutely no idea they were bothering their daughter. But now that they learned Rainbow Dash never told them about any of her recent accomplishments, especially becoming a Wonderbolt, and that they got an explosive rant handed to them, their only conclusion is that Rainbow Dash hates them. For all they know, their exuberant style of parenting was all for nothing and Rainbow Dash never needed their help. But we’ll soon find that the opposite is true.
The truth is, Rainbow Dash can keep being close with her parents, but she’s an adult and now past the phase where they need to loudly cheer her on. This is proven in her parents’ moment of self-awareness near the end of the episode.
Scootaloo: Why?
Rainbow Dash: Scootaloo, you don’t understand.
Scootaloo: I met your parents hoping to learn more about you. But I don’t like what I found out.
Scootaloo: I’ll find somepony else to do my hero report on.
When you learn the full story about someone you admire, you won’t just learn about their great accomplishments, but also their flaws and their biggest mistakes. You might even be mad about what you learned, and that’s OK. It can help you and maybe even them grow as a person.
For now, Scootaloo can’t possibly understand why Rainbow Dash is mad at her parents. The reason Scootaloo feels so differently is truly eye-opening.
As is so often the case, it only takes one fond childhood memory for you to realize what all your family has done for you. This photo drives Rainbow Dash to tears and makes her scramble to explain herself to Scootaloo.
Rainbow Dash: Can I tell you something?
Scootaloo: Sure.
Rainbow Dash: Okay, but you might want to hold onto your wings, because this could rock you to your very core.
Rainbow Dash: Believe it or not, there was a time when I wasn’t the best at everything.
Scootaloo: (gasp)
(Rainbow Dash nods)
To adult viewers, it’s not at all surprising that Rainbow Dash wasn’t always the best at everything, but Scootaloo’s dramatic gasp matches how child viewers are likely to feel. Just as Apple Bloom was surprised her big sister used to be a liar, Scootaloo never expected Rainbow Dash to not always have been the best flier in Equestria.
Derpy is on top here, but that won’t last forever.
Here’s a flashback with three supporting characters I have something to say about. I’ll start with Spitfire; Lightning Dust and Derpy Hooves will have to wait.
Spitfire scoring third place (or possibly tied fifth place with the filly two to the right of Derpy) shows that just like Rainbow Dash, the brash captain of the Wonderbolts had to start somewhere. She scored better in some competitions than others and looked disappointed when she reached fourth place, but she kept on competing and celebrated when she scored high. Also, I always assumed Spitfire was quite a bit older than Rainbow Dash, but the difference might not be as big as I thought. Rainbow Dash says she was the youngest pony in the Senior Flappers Club, whereas most ponies her age were in the junior club, so I don’t think they’re the same age.
Spitfire is so depressed about coming fourth place that she looks slightly transparent.
Next, let’s talk about Lightning Dust. I’m surprised she and Rainbow Dash went to flight camp together, because I thought Wonderbolts Academy was their first time meeting. Maybe Rainbow Dash didn’t socialize much with the other ponies at flight camp and kept her eyes on the prize, which is why she doesn’t remember Lightning Dust years later. Then again, she fondly remembers Gilda from flight camp, but maybe Junior Speedster Flight Camp was a different thing.
Note that Lightning Dust had a default plain smile when she scored at the top. For her, scoring first place is the default and means all is well, and scoring lower means that something went horribly wrong. On the other hand, for Rainbow Dash, scoring first place means a huge moment of triumph. That’s a nice childhood example of the contrast between them.
OK, now we can finally talk about Derpy. Amusingly, even though Derpy was the subject of one of the biggest controversies in the show’s history, pretty much every fan has the same opinion about the reveal that Derpy used to be a top-tier flier. They all agree that Derpy’s high spirits throughout the deterioration of her flying skills provides a nice little side message: you shouldn’t let a disability get in the way of enjoying life. Derpy Hooves is a total sweetheart and if you don’t love her, you don’t love MLP.
Rainbow Dash: Being the best came with consequences. Very loud, very embarrassing consequences.
Scootaloo: You know, some ponies would dream of having parents like that.
Rainbow Dash: Yeah, right. Name one.
Scootaloo: Me.
Scootaloo: Growing up, I never thought I’d be the best at anything, because nopony ever told me. But your parents told me over and over again.
Now here’s a part of the episode that I really respect: it acknowledges that not everyone’s parents are nice and caring. Scootaloo’s lines in this passage hit me straight in the gut. Even though the moral is meant primarily for viewers whose parents are supportive, I’d argue Scootaloo’s role in this episode provides us a secondary moral. If your parents are more distant or outright antagonize you, then it’s possible to find a substitute in other adults. For Scootaloo, that turned out to be Rainbow Dash’s parents. I find it incredibly cute how well she gets along with them.
Scootaloo: Look! Best bathroom taker ever, best carrot eater under three, greatest napper of all time.
Rainbow Dash: I am pretty good at napping. I can fall asleep anywhere. (snore)
This passage proves that Rainbow Dash’s parents praising her for everything as a foal really did help, despite all her complaints. Why else would Rainbow Dash brag about her napping skills? She took her parents’ support for granted all this time, because she thought all ponies had an upbringing like her.
Rainbow Dash: (gets woken up) Huh?
Scootaloo: For your entire life, your parents gave you the confidence to believe in yourself.
Rainbow Dash: You’re right. I was always so embarrassed by my parents that I didn’t realize their support actually made me the awesome, confident, amazing, awesome, and awesome pony I am!
Rainbow Dash repeating the word “awesome” with no self-awareness is a perfect lapse of humor before her grand realization: she needs to do something to make it up to her parents. What she ends up doing is quite a sight.
Windy Whistles: I’m telling you, I just can’t see a thing! Scootaloo, you are just so great at blindfolds.
Bow Hothoof: It’s true. You must tell me what kind you used. Uh… falconer’s knot? Wait, no! A farmer’s loop.
Bow Hothoof and Windy Whistles are so lucky to have found a new filly to pamper with affection and praise. It turns out that Scootaloo loves this kind of attention even more than Rainbow Dash does. In effect, Scootaloo has become like their adoptive child.
Rainbow Dash reveals she brought her parents and Scootaloo over for a private Wonderbolts event, intended to show her love and gratitude for her parents and apologize for lashing out. I find it heartwarming that her fellow Wonderbolts came through to help her out with the event. All Spitfire says is “happy to help”, which shows the Wonderbolts sticking to their foundational principle of loyalty.
Rainbow Dash: Mom and Dad, I want you to know that I’m your biggest fan.
Windy Whistles: Oh honey, thank you. But you didn’t have to all this. It’s kind of… embarrassing.
Bow Hothoof: It is a bit much.
This last scene shows that Rainbow Dash’s parents have finally gained self-awareness on how they’ve been treating their child. It also shows that Rainbow Dash can be over-the-top affectionate when she wants to be, just like her parents. We’ve already seen her act this way with Tank, and on occasion Scootaloo.
To finish the episode, Scootaloo ends her presentation on Rainbow Dash and gets a B, because it was heavy on images and the book had a moldy sandwich inside. Rainbow Dash and her parents cheer her on anyway, calling her the greatest report giver of all time. Rainbow Dash has realized that children really do benefit from this kind of encouragement, even if Scootaloo looks overwhelmed and Cheerilee wants them to calm down.
Overall thoughts:
I really don’t get why people hate this episode at all. I find it a very sweet episode from start to finish. We learn that Rainbow Dash’s parents were extremely supportive of her throughout her life, Scootaloo forms a friendship with them, and Rainbow Dash herself learns to respect them even if they might embarrass her sometimes. It’s a very good moral for viewers, especially adult fans who might have fallen out of touch with their parents. And for viewers whose parents aren’t so supportive, it tells them that they can still find other adults to look up to.
This episode hits home for me personally because since moving into my own house almost a year ago, I’ve started to realize everything that my parents have done for me. Everyone gets into arguments with their parents sometimes, and everyone sometimes think their parents are insufferable jerks. But without my parents’ support and open-mindedness, I wouldn’t have moved into my house at the age I did, or gone on so many trips where I met up with friends from far away, or felt like I could succeed in life at all. Maybe that’s why I view this episode so positively: I can easily relate to Rainbow Dash’s situation and sympathize with both her and her parents.
Grade: A
Maybe this episode could have done some things differently so that fans would be less divided on it. But for me, this episode sets out to do everything it intended and does so perfectly.
Miscellaneous notes:
- In Newbie Dash, Fire Streak was mentioned as the Wonderbolt who retired to open a slot for Rainbow Dash. We didn’t know until this episode what Fire Streak actually looks like; turns out he’s a background Wonderbolt we saw since season 1.
- Contrary to Rainbow Dash’s words, I think it’s possible to judge how good someone is at hanging towels. The best way to hang them is flat and evenly aligned, so that the towel dries quickly; the worst way is to have it lazily bunched up.
The next episode introduces a relationship between familiar characters who become parents at the end of the show.
See you next time for episodes about romance and constructive criticism. Maybe once I finish or pause my Eurovision blog posts, I can go back to saying “see you next week”.
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