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My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic Season 2 Episode 19

Putting Your Hoof Down

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8.5

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Episode Summary

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AIRED: 3/3/12

Pinkie Pie and Rarity become concerned when their friend Fluttershy seems unable to stand up for herself. This encourages her to attend an assertiveness seminar from the minotaur Iron Will. His advice does make Fluttershy less of a door mat but works so well that she starts trampling over others.moreless

FAN RECAP

Fan Episode Reviews (4)

WTF?!?

5.5

By Naylte, Jan 17, 2013

What were they thinking when the made this episode? Until now ponies have generally been portrayed as better than humans and, all of a sudden, everypony's behaving with the same general morality as humanity. How can ponies be this way if Rarity can run a successful bespoke clothing business when clothes are not necessary and still be so generous? Not only that but, if most ponies are gonna be like this, why haven't the Princesses nationalised everything to ensure fair business practice?moreless
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I think there was some missed opportunity here.

8.0

By That_TV_Dude, Aug 11, 2012

I hate to say it, but in my opinion, this episode of Friendship is Magic didn't hit its mark. Now I don't hate it, but its got a lot of issues. The episode begins with Fluttershy feeding her animal friends, but Angel demands that she make him a specific dish. After being forced to do so, Fluttershy goes to the market to get ingredients, but every pony acts rude and pushes her aside from cutting in front of her, to yelling at her. Pinkie Pie and Rarity come and notice their friend is pushed around too much, and try to help her be assertive but it all fails. After being kicked out of the house by Angel for not getting his dish, Fluttershy finds an ad to be assertive from Iron Will. She goes to the seminar and is trained by the minotaur, Iron Will. The next day, Fluttershy becomes assertive and starts to tell others off for not listening to her from verbally insulting them to hurting them. It gets so bad, Rarity and Pinkie try to coax her, but Fluttershy makes them cry and run off. She then looks at a puddle and realizes that she was acting like a monster and regrets what she did. Pinkie and Rarity come back to comfort Fluttershy, but find her house boarded up and refuses to come out in fear her nasty side will come out. Iron Will then comes in and demands his fee from Fluttershy, but after seeing her friends be a little pushed around by him she refuses to do so. Fluttershy tells off Iron Will without being cruel and tells him there's more to being assertive than being pushy, but being firm with yourself. Iron Will accepts that and goes off to rethink his line of work. Rarity and Pinkie then come to Fluttershy who apologizes for what she did and they all make up. Fluttershy learns there's more to being assertive than being pushy or mean to others, and the episode ends with her feeding her animal friends again. This episode could've gone better. Admittedly, the idea is good and all, and there are some great strong points in this episode. Iron Will was an excellent character and I enjoyed how he acted like Mr. T, Pinkie was a lot of fun with her antics and her Bugs Bunny impersonation, and the moral is great. What really brings it down though is the fact that every pony was mean for the sake of being mean, and there was no reason for that. I really wanted Fluttershy to go back and yell at that cherry seller stallion and that tomato sales mare. Angel was another thing that annoyed me, he was just completely out of line in this episode, and only made me hate that bunny more. Like the other ponies, Angel should've been yelled by New Fluttershy, that would've been a delight to see. He was just a flat out brat who border lined on acting like Caillou. I also think Rainbow Dash should've been in this episode since she always pushes Fluttershy a lot and pushes her to be assertive. I would've liked to see how she reacted to New Fluttershy. All in all, there are some strong points, but this episode kind of fell flat on its face and could've done better. This is a case of watch once, and only once, or for Pinkie and Iron Will.

FINAL SCORE: 8/10moreless
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No more nice pony

10

By Watershiprabbit, Mar 05, 2012

Yo! Da Flutterrage returns

Fluttershy is tired of being pushed around so she teams up with a macho minotuar that learns her to be stronger.

Then Fluttershy shows her new strenghts but it backfires.

Gone are the good old days of Ponyville like in the happy CMC episodes in this episode.

It's just like a fic I wrote about big Spike and Pinkie Pie after Secret of My Excess where the Ponyville citizens are rude against them after Spike's rage.

And at last the Flutterrage is used at Rarity and Pinkie Pie that breaks down.

Be prepared for another pony rage in next episode as it's Twilight's time.

OK episode and not one of the very best but still worth a watch.

This episode deserves 7.5.moreless
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"No means no"

8.0

By tigerdude22, Mar 04, 2012

Pinkie Pie and Rarity become concerned when their friend Fluttershy seems unable to stand up for herself. This encourages her to attend an assertiveness seminar from the minotaur Iron Will. His advice does make Fluttershy less of a door mat but works so well that she starts trampling over others. Well, I didn't know what to put for the introduction of my review so I decided to use the quote "No means no" said by the adorable and sweet Fluttershy. I don't use quotes that often for the introduction of my reviews but I figured, yeah, just do it for the heck of it. Anyways, the writers FINALLY get their head straight and realized that they have forgotten about Fluttershy all season long so we get a Fluttershy episode after so so so long. Yet, I was expecting so much more since I love Fluttershy and she is my favorite character right next to Pinkie Pie but there had to be an episode like this. I don't hate the episode, I thought it was GREAT which is why it was in the "Great" range but there were problems with this episode that I had. First of all, I really didn't like how the Ponyville citizens were treating Fluttershy in the first half of the episode, just because she is a shy and sweet pony... they had to take advantage of her. I also hated how that Pony with the "last cherry stand" was making Fluttershy pay 10 coins then raises it up to 20 coins but then when Fluttershy was about to get it... he sold the last cherry to the other pony for 2 coins. Wow!!! I just couldn't help but punch that pony in the face for doing that to Fluttershy. Another problem I had with this episode was that Fluttershy was WAY out of character making Pinkie Pie and Rarity run away crying. Although, I don't blame Fluttershy for being mean though because that blame goes to the citizens of Ponyville. Man and I thought Ponyville was a friendly town. After seeing everyone in Ponyville singing and smiling in Pinkie Pie's musical number "Smile, smile, smile" in the previous episode "A Friend In Deed", I said to myself "Wow!!! Ponyville is a very friendly town... if only I lived in a town where people are like that" but after seeing how the citizens of Ponyville were acting towards to Fluttershy in this episode. I said to myself "Forget what I said, they don't seem to be that friendly of a town after all". The last problem I had with this episode was that it went by WAY too quick. This episode didn't feel like it was 23 minutes long (I took out the commercial timing), it felt like a 5 minute episode to me... yeah that's how quick the episode went by in my opinion. As for the funny parts...well.... not too many but the parts that did make me laugh were Fluttershy standing up everyone in Ponyville somewhere in the middle part of the episode such as when a pony cuts in line and then she shouts "Go to the back of the line" and then every other pony in line all went to the back of the line, Iron Will's entrance at his seminar (they even played a parody of the song "Eye of the Tiger"... listen to it closely and you'll see), Iron Will saying that he needs to go grocery shopping, and Pinkie Pie's mouth opened surprised when Fluttershy was standing up to Iron Will. The funniest part, though, was definitely when Iron Will was giving a thumbs up to the camera and Rarity and Pinkie Pie didn't know what was going on. Overall, I like this episode and it was GREAT and it's most likely an episode I can watch again but I was expecting so much more for a Fluttershy episode and it just went by too quick. 8/10moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Tabitha St. Germain	Rarity
Andrea Libman	Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Trevor Devall

Iron Will

Guest Star

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (3)
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- Pipsqueak (from "Luna Eclipsed") makes a brief cameo appearance in the marketplace.
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- Fluttershy used "The Stare" for the first time since "Stare Master".
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- Derpy cameo: She is seen in the middle of the crowd of ponies while Iron Will is giving his speech. She is also seen at the stand next to the cherry stand when Fluttershy goes near it.
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QUOTES (12)
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- Rarity: Let us not descend into petty insults.
  Fluttershy: Why not? I thought petty is what you're all about, Rarity. With your petty concerns about fashion.
  Pinkie Pie: Hey, leave her alone! Fashion is her passion!
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- Iron Will: Ohh, are you... sure you're not just a little bit satisfied? B-because maybe... we could, cut a deal, I-I mean, we're both reasonable creatures, aren't we?
  Fluttershy: I'm sorry, but no means no.
  Iron Will: No means no, huh? Nopony's ever said that to me before. Huh... I gotta remember that one. That's a good catchphrase for my next workshop.
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- Iron Will: Woah! He's blocking your path. What are you gonna do about it?
  Fluttershy: Um, politely walk around him?
  Iron Will: No.
  Fluttershy: Gingerly tip-toe around him?
  Iron Will: No.
  Fluttershy: Go back home and try again tomorrow?
  Iron Will: No! When somepony tries to block, show them that you rock!
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- Fluttershy: (lying on the ground, right outside of her front door) Look at me. I really am a doormat.
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- Fluttershy: I can't believe that the two most frivolous ponies in Ponyville are trying to tell new Fluttershy how to live her life, when they are throwing their own lives away on pointless pursuits that nopony else gives a flying feather about!
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- Rarity: Hold it right there, mister small and handsome.
  Nerdy pony: Uh, who, me?
  Rarity: Oh, of course, you. Nopony ever called you handsome before?
  Nerdy pony: Uhh, that'd be a big no.
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- Rarity: What happened to nice Fluttershy? We want that Fluttershy back.
  Fluttershy: No. You want wimp Fluttershy. You want pushover Fluttershy. You want do anything to her and she won't complain Fluttershy.
  Pinkie Pie: Too many Fluttershys to keep track of. Make it stop!
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- Fluttershy: You just want new Fluttershy to be a door mat like old Fluttershy. But old Fluttershy is gone!
  Pinkie Pie: New Fluttershy? Old Fluttershy?
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- Pinkie Pie: Looks like nasty Fluttershy is here to stay.
  Rarity: I cannot believe what that monster Iron Will has done to you! (She and Pinkie Pie run away crying)
  Fluttershy: Iron Will's not a monster. He's a minotaur! (Looks at her reflection in a puddle and gets teary eyed) I'm the monster.
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- Fluttershy: No pony pushes new Fluttershy around. NO PONY!
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- Fluttershy: New Fluttershy feels pretty stoked about new Fluttershy.
  Pinkie Pie: Well old Pinkie Pie feels really proud of new Fluttershy. Proud as pink punch. (Brings in a bowl of pink punch) Want some?
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- Pinkie Pie: Old Pinkie Pie's not so sure new Fluttershy is such a good idea after all.
  Rarity: Old Rarity agrees.
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NOTES (4)
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- Twilight, Applejack and Rainbow Dash are all absent in this episode.
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- Friendship Report: Fluttershy learned that there are ways to stand up for yourself without being pushy or mean.
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- The title of this episode is a version of the phrase "putting your foot down", meaning to make a firm stand and establish one's authority on an issue, modified for ponies.
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- This episode revolves around Fluttershy.
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ALLUSIONS (6)
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- Loony Tunes: In one scene, Pinkie Pie argues with the tomato seller about the price of the tomatoes with Pinkie Pie arguing 1 bit per tomato and the seller arguing 2 bits per tomato. Unknown to the seller, Pinkie Pie changes her mind to match the seller's price of 2 bits, and because the seller doesn't notice this change, she ends up going with 1 bit as her final offer, exactly what Pinkie Pie claimed the price should be in the first place. In the TV show Loony Tunes, this scenario is played out by Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny over what season (Rabbit or Duck) it is and Bugs Bunny always manages to win the argument by doing what Pinkie Pie did in this episode.
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- During his speech, Iron Will says the line "I pity the fool," which is the famous catchphrase of actor, Mr. T.
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- The music being played when Iron Will makes his entrance sounds quite similar to the song "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor.
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- Iron Will is a minotaur, a beast from Greek mythology with a head of a bull and a body of a man. The Minotaur in the myth dwelt within the centre of the Cretan Labyrinth, a giant maze-like structure. Similarly, Iron Will held his seminar at the centre of a hedge maze.
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- When Fluttershy sadly walks back to her cottage, the music is reminiscient of the "The Lonely Man" theme from the end credits of the TV seriesThe Incredible Hulk.
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- Fluttershy: As Celestia is my witness, I'm never gonna be a pushover again!
  
  This is a parody of the "I'll never be hungry again" speech from Gone With The Wind. In fact, this is the second time this season that line has been parodied (The first was in "Sisterhooves Social").
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