MLP, and episodes I'll never watch again

As much as I love MLP:FiM, there are now a grand total of three (technically four) episodes that I can never watch again:

• Newbie Dash
• Dungeons and Discords
• School Daze (Parts 1 & 2)

These episodes just hit way too close ot home for me. Far more so than similar episodes of other series (The "Prof. Rowan's School" mini-arc in Pokémon comes to mind immedately).

Newbie Dash

While the bullying aspect hurts so much it's not funny, what hurts the most is that the entire point of why RD gets her nickname is because she "didn't look both ways before crossing the runway". Except that, not only did the two coming in for a landing just come in from a dive on their way in (signalling that they would've been Z-axis positive from RD's view, and possibly out of sight), not only did the two trying to land not need the runway (pegasai can use VTOL-based flight) but not a single member of the Wonderbolts witnessed RD failing to look, and simply assumed she was a klutz. The full premise of the episode is based off of quarter-baked logic that I've honestly come to expect from that group. Add in the fact that I've never once enjoyed a Wonderbolts-oriented episode ("Testing Testing 1, 2, 3" doesn't count), and the bullying/demoralizing aspect of the episode, and it comes out as one I'm never watching again, simply because of how stressed it made me. I didn't even want to finish it the first time, but one of my mates kinda guilted me into doing so.

Dungeons and Discords

I finished this one on my own, begrudgingly. The point of contention for this one is the point where Spike and Big Mac kinda single out the newbie Discord in their campaign of "Ogres & Oubliettes". Even more so when you take into account the (albeit unintentional) toxic moments where they barely explain shit to Discord.

I once tried to get into "Dungeons & Dragons" myself, doing so with some friends. Those people aren't my friends anymore, and I kinda swore off TTRPGs because of just how they treated me when I was new at the whole thing. I won't go into detail since doing so will mean a few hours just trying to cool off afterward, but let's just say "toxic pedantic perfectionist lore-worshippers" only touches the surface of how these guys worked, and I was completely new when they pulled me in. Hell, I've even been offered spots on a few campaigns, but had to turn them down simply because it's that bad of a sore spot for me.

Seeing Discord go through that very same thing hit a nerve with me. One that really stung. I can't watch this episode without being remembering that sting, and as such, I just can't watch it.

School Daze

Point of contention: Chancellor Neighsay. Straight-up, outright, this piece of work really hurt to see. He's someone I would not mind physically kicking into the ground if we actually met somehow, at least in his current state.

I grew up in the US midsouth, straight in the heart of the Arkansas River Valley. This is a part of the US where racism was still very much alive and well among some schools, albeit veiled in excuses, during my time in grade school. I saw this sort of bullshit happen far too often to be comfortable with it in any way today. And the accuracy of Neighsay's actions and attitude were so close to reality from that time that it hit me like a truck.

Did I cheer when Twilight Sparkle threw his "accredidation" right back into his face? Oh. Hell. Yes. That was the most satisfying part of that entire episode. Unfortunately, it's those events with Neighsay that stop me from being able to re-watch it. Those memories are just a bit too strong for me to be comfortable with it.

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That said, 4 episodes out of 171 is an incredible track record for a show when it comes to episodes that irk me. Most have around 10-12 cringy episodes when they hit the 50 episode mark. I mean… Technically, there's more since I really don't enjoy any of the Wonderbolts episodes, but I could re-watch those. I don't enjoy them, but they don't make me stop the show to go watch videos of kittens just to calm down.

With that said, rant over.