- Return to Angel
This speculation comes from one of, if not Angel's biggest lover and defender in the fandom. You might not like the character, but it's only fair that this gets talked about since I despise the way the show keeps using him. They way they've been using parts of his character were not handled well and it makes the creators look like they care as less about him as the fandom. Since I care, what I've noticed became big problems in general and must be discussed. SuKanzoo (talk) 23:31, October 7, 2018 (UTC)
Angel's Torment and Untold Trait[]
So as of season 3, the show has kept torturing the character in some way. Unlike Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, in the episodes Angel's tortures occurred in, almost none of them were comeuppance because he did nothing wrong in those episodes to deserve it. Yes, Angel's done bad things in the past, but from what I've heard a cartoon critic say, a character getting tortured for thier bad actions in past episodes does not work that way. To be fair, I'm not a fan of anti-humor anyway, but still. This happens to him a lot on the show and several of his appearances were just for that torment. It's not like he ever did get comeuppance in the episodes where he did do something wrong... except for in one episode, and ironically, it was the worst episode they ever used him in!
My most hated joke in the series.
Fluttershy Leans In! In the episode, Angel injured his foot, training for the Ponyville Parkour Contest, and Fluttershy ran out of bunny foot bandages for it. She sent him to see Dr. Fauna, where the main story of the episode begins. She bandaged his foot and gave him crutches, then when she offered him a carrot pop, he blew a raspberry at her and walked away. A moment later, baby ducks pecked at Angel's injured foot, causing him to scurry away on his crutches as the ducks followed him in a line as Fluttershy ends her sentence with "ducks in a row". As if that didn't frustrate me hard enough, that was his last big role in the episode. When I saw the beginning of it, I expected something a lot better to be used with Angel, but knowing that his injury has a way smaller role than I thought and him misbehaving for what seemed like no reason, it drove me unbelievably mad. It's like the show wanted me to hate him too, which would've been futile anyway, and I really didn't want to agree with how the rest of the fandom reputates him. I figured there must've been some sort of exclamation for his misbehavior, and as it turns out, I was right.
"Oh, you have a pocket pet? Like a tiny mouse? Or a baby bird? Or a trained butterfly?"
When I thought about when Dr. Fauna offered Angel that treat, I realized that she was asking him in an infantile way with a very cooie grin on her face. At first I got suspicious, then when I remembered why he got mad in Maud Pie, it was confirmed! Angel hates baby treatment!! In Maud Pie, Angel hated hearing those cutesy things Fluttershy said, ticking him off. That trait is what occurred in Fluttershy Leans In, and the show never told us that so we wouldn't care about the character and focus on the main story, and give him karma for good measure. Knowing that there was an exclamation, I felt so much better, but then I got so mad when that karma turned out to be fraudulent because there was something that made Angel mad after all and that the show wasted an opportunity to do something better with him. And if that wasn't enough, he would've done those last couple things he did in the episode (answer the door and help create the animal sanctuary) without his bandages; and furthermore, he was last seen with his crutches on that painful moment! So besides leading to the main story, Angel's main buildup in the episode was just for that 'karma'. They really just didn't bother afterwards. It's like the show knew how muddy his reputation was with the fandom that they wouldn't think or care to wonder why he got mad. If that's not why he got mysteriously mad in those two episodes, I have no idea why. Oh, and in case you're thinking that he was also treated that way by the Cutie Mark Crusaders in Just for Sidekicks, he was actually being treated like an animal, not a baby. There's a big difference. Unless maybe it is still similar enough to baby treatment and was just inconsistent writing because the show doesn't even bother.
Hypothetically, if the show never told us about that trait, then the reason why must be because that they're planning to make a positive episode about him in the future where they do reveal that. I really hope so because the show can't keep hiding it and using Angel that way forever.
I actually found out that there was a comic version of Fluttershy Leans In where Angel gets a much bigger role. I haven't read through it yet, but I've only looked through several pages of it including the last one. By the looks of it, although it still wasn't a happy ending for Angel, at least it seemed much better than that 'duck in a row' joke. I don't even know if the comic series is canon. SuKanzoo (talk) 23:31, October 7, 2018 (UTC)
Post-Series Thoughts[]
Yay! A happy ending!! <3
So although the show never acknowledged that Angel hates baby treatment, whether that's true or not, I'm happy that they stared him in an episode with Fluttershy and that it ended with him apologizing and learning a lesson! It might not have to do with the generally aggressive side of his personality, but oh well. I guess I can't expect every cute-striking creature to be as charming as I want them to be. If I felt that way about Cozy Glow, that'd be a whole 'nother story for me. However, I should point out something about Angel's negativity that made everyone hate him: When he mistreated Fluttershy in the past, she didn't care. If she did call him out and/or felt sad for what he did to her, or better yet, her friends, then that might not only change the character, but the show would also have to spend an episode about him learning his lesson about it. Sadly, MLP's not that kind of kids show, so I wouldn't expect them to make that especially since the show needs misbehaving characters to spice it up, unless it's on the last season, and I'm glad they did something like that in She Talks to Angel. SuKanzoo (talk) 18:42, March 1, 2021 (UTC)
Are Angel and Bunnies Speech-Capable?[]
Another thing that's been a bother is Angel's way of communicating. He always tells things in charade or points things out, and never speaks in chatter for Fluttershy to understand. That would have to mean that he and the bunnies on the show are incapable of speech, and can't talk to Fluttershy. That wouldn't be so bad if the show weren't so inconsistent (again).
Wait, the bunnies CAN talk to Fluttershy??
In Viva Las Pegasus, Trapeze Star's gray rabbit, Bernard, was clearly speaking to Fluttershy and she clearly understood him. So this whole time, Fluttershy actually can understand bunnies verbally, unless it was just that one bunny who's an acrobat's co-star that we heard say "Ta-da!", but all it takes for Fluttershy to understand any animal is their chatter.
...and Angel's BEEN able to speak??
As for Angel, he was angrily chattering at a squirrel in Fluttershy Leans In, and furthermore, was talking with the rest of the animals in the beginning of The Hooffields and McColts. It doesn't end there either. He spoke to her in whisper in A Trivial Pursuit, he mostly communicated with gestures in She Talks to Angel on the same season; and in Viva Las Pegasus and Spring Breakdown, Fluttershy was able to understand the chattering bunnies just fine. So if Fluttershy can understand a bunny that way and Angel can speak that way, why hasn't he done that before!? Is there an exclamation for why Angel tells everything in charade instead of just talking to Fluttershy?
The bunny has been doubled!
It's probably just inconsistant writing, but still, if you want to portray a mute character, you can't change the rules with his kind. You have to make the bunnies for Fluttershy either verbally understandable like the rest of the animals, muted so they can't talk to her; or just make it so Fluttershy can't understand bunnies specifically, which wouldn't make sense since she can understand what just about every other animal is saying, but this part of my speculation wouldn't exist. Considering it all started with Angel charading, it almost feels like another sign that the show just didn't care about writing him better. Not to mention, there's an animation mistake of him in Forgotten Friendship. SuKanzoo (talk) 18:42, March 1, 2021 (UTC)