All these reasons are horrific. This is like discussing the intricacies of a Brawl CPU. If you ponies crave more substance from a kids’ show, then I recommend y’all get lobotomized. It’s astounding that we think we have the influence of the staff to make their characters six-dimensional noting that these are already high-end personas for a show rated TV-Y on basic cable. I don’t know if the show quite actually makes ponies mad, either through hidden messages or embedded channels telling ponies 18-25 to commit vagrancy, or y’all genuinely believe these characters are remotely possible and not at all accentuated caricatures, but wholly possible human personalities… Geh, I need sleep, see ya;. :j

Don’t even get me started. We all know Applejack is the real victim here.

@The Smiling Pony: This has nothing to do with screen time. it’s about quality. Watch the 2nd episode and tell me that season 3 Fluttershy is the same pony. She’s shy, nervous, timid, etc. sure. However, the ORIGINAL Fluttershy had an enormous wisdom about her that allowed her to see the true heart of a situation. Her ability to understand people and to be kind to them USED to be at the level of a super power. That was under Lauran Faust. NOW her only “super power” is FLUTTERAGE ARRG … and that’s when she’s not being completely and utterly useless to herself and others.

…You guys are idiots.

Frostyhawk’s jimmies have successfully been rustled.

Well as much as I like Fluttershy it was uncomfortable watching her this episode because she was so badly written
 
I mean realistically any of the Mane 6 would stallion the fuck up if one of them was in danger of never seeing them and they could have done so much more with that
 
I don’t care if this has been said before it’s me who’s saying it now motherfucker

@ThatGuyImpious “She plays the wounded gazelle ploy in the face of confrontation, almost every time.”
 
Aw shit, disregard my previous comment as there is now egg on my face. It all makes sense now. It’s all just a ploy! I can already see her subverting every conflict that comes up in favor of smoking weed with her animals and listening to Sublime all day. You know, like actual little girls would do. Because we all know that there are no little girls who fail to recognize their own strengths and seep into dread and self-doubt when faced with a challenge. So why would the writers bother to write a character that relates to these fictional entities? Thanks man, your insight is pretty valuable. B)

“She’s not weak, she’s apathetic. I don’t like that about her.”
 
Your understanding of how naturally timid people work is atrocious. If she were really ‘apathetic’ she wouldn’t be so hopelessly worried all the time in the first place. Your interpretation is literally the opposite of show-reality.

Fluttershy had a lot of screentime last episode but she was also flanderized to a heavy extent
 
I don’t care what character gets the spotlight, but don’t exaggerate another one just for the purpose of a gag

I didn’t mean Spike not getting recognized in the show, I meant TSP didn’t include him in the “these are the main characters”.

@Grieffon
 
What? I meant the premier with the Crystal Heart and window.
 
Jeez, didn’t even know that taking a book from someone meant you despise them.

Her characterization was kinda wonky here. She’s throwing a fit over Twilight just levitating them, while she let RD do much worse in Find a Pet.

@Starly:
 
If you are talking about how Spike took the book from Fluttershy, now that really sounds like Flutterhate.

If anything, Spike finally got the recognition he deserved.

As Hogtree said, Fluttershy’s role was rather good in Magic Duel. However, it would be hard for the writers to change her. Shy is in her name, literally, so if they push her too far out of that, she will no longer be Fluttershy.

@TSP: Spike?

@Hogtree
 
I hardly call what I said as ‘Flutterhate’.
 
She just didn’t have to cry and whine so much when doing it, and she practically gave up multiple times if her animal friends didn’t push her forward.  
If she wasn’t such a pussy, her scenes would be fine.  
But her pussyness just makes her more popular.

Dude she didn’t even say two words about disliking FS.
 
Calm down.

@Starly  
And I knew you would start the Flutterhate. _{_}  
Given that she was the only one able to trick Trixie’s barrier spell (using her Doctor Dolittle-esque abilities) and her part in the rematch (pretending to be a duplicate of Rainbow Dash), she did okay in my opinion.

We’ve had 5 freaking episodes (4, given premier).
 
There are 9 main characters (main six and CMC).
 
God damn chillax before claiming one character or the other got shafted.
 
Sheesh.

I wouldn’t mind “shafting” Fluttershy…

She’s not terrible this season, of course, and her scenes in Magic Duel were pretty endearing.
 
I just don’t see her appeal. She’s proven that she’s actually a pretty strong pony, she just chooses not to be because she can’t be assed into putting herself on the line. She plays the wounded gazelle ploy in the face of confrontation, almost every time.
 
She’s not weak, she’s apathetic. I don’t like that about her.

@Pomf
 
Pfft.

This is what I fear amongst the fans. I hope she gets her own episode.

@Applejack  
Nah, she’s been cool. Trixie didn’t even Zap her.
 
She’s gotten lots of scenes with rarity too.