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In Defense of Flash Sentry

Despite being out for almost three months, Equestria Girls has left such an impact on the My Little Pony brand and the brony fanbase that it continues to be a much discussed topic and it probably will co ntinue until Season 4 rears its head in November. At this point, most bronies worth their salt have vocally expressed whether they liked it or not in some capacity. However, there is one particular talking point that, at least for me, continues to linger in my mind despite believing that I finally put it to bed. It’s been picking at me for the longest time and I honestly never knew if I would be able to find the time to put down my thoughts and properly address it. Thankfully, the stars have aligned and given me a small window of opportunity to write this, so with that in mind, let’s talk about everyone’s favorite stealer of waifus: Dreamy McCutebottom Flash Sentry.

I feel like I’m one of the very few in the brony fandom that seems to like Flash without many strings attached. Even a good amount of people that liked EG tend to consider him an asterisk hanging above that statement. While I can acknowledge the problems that surround the character, I feel like my reasons for liking him outbalance those that, in theory, would make me not like him. Between the time of my written review of EG and now, my opinion is largely the same: I don’t think he does much that makes me wanna stand up and cheer, but he never makes me hate him. I like that he plays electric guitar. I like that he’s a member of the Castle Guard because it makes me think that he can kick the occasional ass. While he doesn’t have much exposure, I think he makes the most of the time that’s given to him. I’m not afraid to admit that I think he’s a good-looking dude and going by his scenes with Twilight, he seems to be kind, gentle, easy-going, a bit of a charmer, a bit heroic, and very gentleman-like. He doesn’t get to show much range as a character, but considering his interactions with Twilight are very incidental and, by and large, disconnected from her mission to get back her crown, it doesn’t really matter. I feel that those scenes in question are genuinely endearing and have a nice payoff, particularly in Twilight’s various awkward and/or adorkable reactions. I’ll admit that I’ve gone back to watch EG (multiple times) just for the interactions between Flash and Twilight. Call me a helpless romantic, but I think there’s genuine sweetness between the two and I don’t think there’s anything wrong in enjoying something just because you think it’s cute (if I didn’t do that, I wouldn’t be able to enjoy MLP in the first place). I may never know what really was the thought process behind the idea of Flash (I’d ask Meghan McCarthy on Twitter but the poor girl has had enough hate mail and trolling already), but just looking at those scenes I wouldn’t be surprised if the whole point of them was to be cute (mission accomplished, btw). And perhaps most importantly, the movie understands the position that a character like him should have in the character hierarchy, meaning that Flash is never made out to be more important than what he needs to be. At no point in the story of EG is Twilight somehow forced to choose between him or her friends or does the film’s story contrive itself to somehow make him a requirement for the film’s resolution (with the possible exception of the scene in Luna’s office) which was my biggest concern regarding the character going into the movie. I was very pleased to see my fears unfounded.

So, yeah. There’s my case for Flash. It may not be much, but I stand by it. Of course, a good defense would not be complete without taking into consideration the potential attacks. Now, I’m not taking into account the fans who hate him just because he exists, those tend to be easier to ignore. I’m talking more specifically about the accusations that he’s a bad character, which is harder to make a good defense for. The main criticism is that Flash doesn’t have a character beyond “cute boy with guitar” and being a love interest for Twilight. I can’t really disagree with that, despite what I mentioned above, yet it still doesn’t bother me and I think the reason why is a matter of perspective: Flash may just be one of, if not the only character in the entirety of MLP so far whose role was to not hog the spotlight.

Let me explain.

The narrative of a standard episode of Friendship is Magic is very straightforward: there’s a single story being told over the course of (usually) 22 minutes. With the possible exceptions of Wonderbolt Academy and Green Isn’t Your Color , there hasn’t been a single episode of the show with multiple storylines, and even in those cases, the subplot is directly tied in some form to the main plot (Twilight keeping secrets and Pinkie Pie getting paranoid about Rainbow Dash, respectively). Sometimes, these stories introduce us to new (mostly one-shot) characters with an important purpose or contribution to the story. Typically, a lot of these characters are defined by a single character trait, but through the interactions with our main characters and through the flow of the plot, we get to see other bits of their personalities. Considering that we may never see most of these characters after their one episode, it’s only natural that the role they play is somehow central to the events of a given plot, at least that’s what we’ve come to expect every time a new character is introduced.

By contrast, Equestria Girls has more than one thing going on within its story. Twilight is trying to get her crown back, but she’s also getting used to her new body, learning about humans, connecting with the human versions of her friends, and pushing back against Sunset Shimmer’s plans to bring her down. Due to the nature of it being a full-length feature, the story is allowed more room to try more things than what a 22 minute format would permit. While not really a criticism of the movie, it has a lot of plates in the air and it’s hard enough already to keep them all in place. For example, it takes about half of the film for Twilight to meet the human version of her five friends. Given that, it would seem very unnecessary to force a character like Flash into the story beyond the position he already has. Going back to the matter of perspective, I always felt that Flash’s presence in EG was, for the most part, a subplot and didn’t need anything to be more than what it was. While he does cross-over into the main plot at several small points, the takeaway of the character in the grand scheme of things is that he is a romantic interest for Twilight. This may raise the question of whether or not this means EG should have bothered having a character like him, but like I said, I may never know the real reason for why he came to be so I can only judge his character based on what we got in the movie.

The keyword for me is “subplot”. Flash’s scenes with Twilight have no bearing on her main objective, to the point where almost every time Flash shows up, it stops the main story just so we can see Twilight being cute(er) for a few moments, which may be a deal breaker for some, but not for me. Given that Sunset Shimmer had exclusively already taken the “important new character” position mentioned earlier, Flash by default exists for a subplot with no direct impact on the main story, which is a very uncomfortable position for any character to be in, especially when said subplot requires the input of the story’s main character. He’s in a position where he was simply not given a chance to turn his character into something a little more substantial, and that became the primary reason why so many people antagonized him.

However, it’s also very likely that if his role was treated as just as important as Twilight’s quest for her crown or her making friends with the human versions of her pony friends, this could’ve caused the movie to deviate too much from the main story and themes of the movie and would’ve served to fuel the argument that this movie is nothing but a bastardization of the MLP brand in favor of making a trite high school setting that cashes in on the same audience that buys Bratz and Monster High toys (an argument that I don’t buy at all). This is where Flash finds himself between a rock and a hard place. Regardless of how big or small his role was going to be, he was still in a no-win scenario. Too little exposure or development, and he’d be called a flat, boring character. If he had received more exposure than what he did, he could’ve undermined important elements from the main story, particularly the whole “friendship” motif at the heart of FiM and EG.

Despite being able to appreciate his contribution, I argue that if Flash had had a bigger role than the one he got, one that would probably involve his support to help wrap up Twilight’s story, but kept the same level of character that he did in the movie, the backlash towards him would’ve probably been even worse. When the characters of Shining Armor and Princess Cadence were first introduced, I looked down upon them because they had little to no characterization, something that can’t be fixed by Twilight repeatedly telling us they’re the coolest ponies that have ever lived, yet they were given very important roles in both Canterlot Wedding and The Crystal Empire. I had barely gotten to know them and I felt that the series was forcing me to like them just because. It was frustrating to me watching these episodes trying to make a big deal out of them when they paled in comparison to the Mane 6. It was when they finally were stepping away from the spotlight in Games Ponies Play where I began to draw myself closer to not only liking these characters, but accepting them for who they are. This adds to my argument that Flash’s role in the movie works because there was restraint when it came to exposing him and was only given in properly defined doses. Given that I’m not opposed to the idea of any of the Mane 6 having a bit of romance in their lives, yet understanding that the series must adhere to its focus on friendship, I figured that the way this was handled in EG was probably the best way to go. So, while I do feel bad that he never got the chance to really shine, looking at the big picture of the movie, it was probably for the best.

Which makes me ask myself: should Flash be given the chance to come back and actually have a more meaningful role? If he came back, what would be the most ideal way to handle the character without feeling like he’s overwhelming Twilight’s motivations and other relationships?

I’ve been thinking about whether or not characters similar to Flash in terms of hierarchy already exist on the show. At first I thought of characters like Cheerilee and Big Macintosh, but they’ve already had a bit of more exposure other than their defined roles of schoolteacher and big brother respectively, even if it’s something like being the foil for the Cutie Mark Crusaders or, in the case of Big Mac, having an entire comic book arc dedicated to showing off your no-nonsense, eye-on-the-prize mentality that clashes with your otherwise introverted demeanor. The closest example I could come up with are Mr. and Mrs. Cake, who so far have been strictly supporting players with no episode to call their own the way Hearts and Hooves Day worked for Big Mac and Cheerilee (Baby Cakes comes close, but they’re largely absent from it). However, I’d say that the Cakes have the benefit of not having their roles confined to something as specific as “romantic interest”. Most of their screen time involves either doing their own thing as owners of Sugar Cube Corner or having Pinkie Pie around and reacting to whatever she’s doing. They’ve had some smaller moments here and there where we see them freaking out over things, which are fun and do give us a quick glimpse of what they’re like, but then again, if you had someone’s who is essentially your god having lunch over at your place or having something you’ve clearly put a lot of time into, like a very large, impossibly delicious cake, in danger of being ruined, wouldn’t you also be kind of a nervous wreck? Their relationship with Pinkie has never been fully explored so far, but it’s something that seemed to be part of the status quo since the beginning of the show, so fans don’t take issue with it (also, they were created by Lauren Faust). The only other character I could think of that fits the bill is Mayor Mare, but her presence on the show is even more limited. For the most part, she only shows up during important Ponyville-centric events, and so far, despite not being a bad character in and of herself, doesn’t have a meaningful connection with any of the main characters.

If Flash were to hypothetically show up again, and if the series were to commit to his role as love interest for Twilight, I think he’d be better suited if his role was a similar capacity to that of Zecora. Fans don’t seem to be bothered that her sole purpose is to be a mentor figure for whoever is around, whether it’s Twilight, Spike, Applebloom or even Big Mac. The whole rhyming thing makes her role to be best suited for a bit part, but every time she shows up, her contribution is usually a lot of fun. The main difference, of course, is that Zecora’s role so far is not zeroed in on a single character. So if Flash were to return, I’d be a smart decision if he was allowed to do more things than simply being a romantic interest. Since the idea for this writing, I’ve been oddly curious to learn more about the kind of role that royal guards play in Equestria. There must be a reason why they have so many around when the ponies they are protecting are literally the most powerful ponies around. I like to think that while Twilight and Co. are called into action to take on the most crucial of missions (they’re basically Celestia’s personal special ops team), royal guards constantly get to handle similar, smaller missions throughout their respective domain and maybe all over Equestria. I’ve said in the past that this could really help to more properly flesh out Shining Armor as a character, and I’ve half-jokingly said that he and Flash should team up at some point. I think I’d be worth it just to hear them talk about Twilight. These kinds of stories could also help us learn more about Flash. What’s his background? Why did he join the Castle Guard? Stuff like that.

Of course, it’s very unlikely to see stories like these on the show, mostly because none of the main characters would be related to it, so I guess Twilight would have to be involved in this somehow. We could hypothetically have another episode set in the Crystal Empire and have Flash show up from time to time to help Twilight, Shining, etc. but that could potentially bring back the problem of Flash not having enough chances to expand. The comics could potentially be a good option for this, considering that we’re about to get a mini comic arc focusing on the Equestria Girls world, so there’s potential for more time between him and Twilight or at the very least, we could learn about his former relationship with Sunset Shimmer. Shining and Cadence are about to have a comic arc devoted to how they met, so who says that we can’t have another story focusing on these two, particularly in present day Equestria, and have Flash around to help out on whatever problem arises.

All of this, of course, is pure hypothesis and very unlikely. Given the information available at the time, and also the way MLP handles supporting characters not named Trixie or Discord (and maybe also Babs Seed), Flash may not be coming back at all. Whether or not he does will depend on whether the staff of MLP feel they can work in the character into the core FiM series or if the Hasbro higher-ups decide to either include some form of reference to Equestria Girls in FiM or even make another animation in the EG world, but the potential for that is a whole different discussion. Considering that EG was an unprecedented success across multiple demographics (to date, the EG premire is the Hub’s highest rated broadcast), it’s only a matter of time before Hasbro announces their next move with this brand. No matter what decision is that, I really hope that Flash is tied into it one way or another, because I’m genuinely bummed out by the fact that he may never find his true place in the sun. Having a love interest for the main character should, at least in theory, be a big deal, but for the most part, there doesn’t seem to be an intention to follow this up, which makes Flash’s role to be kind of wasted. Of course, this is all an assumption being made on the statement from Meghan McCarthy that Flash isn’t coming back for Season 4. Personally, I think Flash’s presence has potential for some interesting stories, and even lessons, which could be addressed by the series. And even if it doesn’t, I think it’d be worth it just for the sweetness of it. I love the idea of Twilight, of all the characters in the series, to be the one who gets to experience romance, or at least something that could lead to it (To be perfectly fair, the best that Flash gets from Twilight by the end of EG is sharing a dance). There’s something about watching a female character, particularly one who is pretty nerdy and a bit awkward like Twilight, starting a romantic relationship and having her as the focus of that dynamic (In most media, it’s usually the other way around: geeky guy hooks up with hot girl) that I find very appealing, especially when even though it has a very limited presence, it’s payoff is as good as it is. So even if we won’t be seeing Mr. Sentry again, at least he and Twilight will always have Canterlot High.

Also, Flash is not afraid to dork it up with Twilight. That alone makes me wanna take back anything snarky I might’ve said about him and give him my undying respect.

Description
In Defense of Flash Sentry

Despite being out for almost three months, Equestria Girls has left such an impact on the My Little Pony brand and the brony fanbase that it continues to be a much discussed topic and it probably will co ntinue until Season 4 rears its head in November. At this point, most bronies worth their salt have vocally expressed whether they liked it or not in some capacity. However, there is one particular talking point that, at least for me, continues to linger in my mind despite believing that I finally put it to bed. It’s been picking at me for the longest time and I honestly never knew if I would be able to find the time to put down my thoughts and properly address it. Thankfully, the stars have aligned and given me a small window of opportunity to write this, so with that in mind, let’s talk about everyone’s favorite stealer of waifus: Dreamy McCutebottom Flash Sentry.

I feel like I’m one of the very few in the brony fandom that seems to like Flash without many strings attached. Even a good amount of people that liked EG tend to consider him an asterisk hanging above that statement. While I can acknowledge the problems that surround the character, I feel like my reasons for liking him outbalance those that, in theory, would make me not like him. Between the time of my written review of EG and now, my opinion is largely the same: I don’t think he does much that makes me wanna stand up and cheer, but he never makes me hate him. I like that he plays electric guitar. I like that he’s a member of the Castle Guard because it makes me think that he can kick the occasional ass. While he doesn’t have much exposure, I think he makes the most of the time that’s given to him. I’m not afraid to admit that I think he’s a good-looking dude and going by his scenes with Twilight, he seems to be kind, gentle, easy-going, a bit of a charmer, a bit heroic, and very gentleman-like. He doesn’t get to show much range as a character, but considering his interactions with Twilight are very incidental and, by and large, disconnected from her mission to get back her crown, it doesn’t really matter. I feel that those scenes in question are genuinely endearing and have a nice payoff, particularly in Twilight’s various awkward and/or adorkable reactions. I’ll admit that I’ve gone back to watch EG (multiple times) just for the interactions between Flash and Twilight. Call me a helpless romantic, but I think there’s genuine sweetness between the two and I don’t think there’s anything wrong in enjoying something just because you think it’s cute (if I didn’t do that, I wouldn’t be able to enjoy MLP in the first place). I may never know what really was the thought process behind the idea of Flash (I’d ask Meghan McCarthy on Twitter but the poor girl has had enough hate mail and trolling already), but just looking at those scenes I wouldn’t be surprised if the whole point of them was to be cute (mission accomplished, btw). And perhaps most importantly, the movie understands the position that a character like him should have in the character hierarchy, meaning that Flash is never made out to be more important than what he needs to be. At no point in the story of EG is Twilight somehow forced to choose between him or her friends or does the film’s story contrive itself to somehow make him a requirement for the film’s resolution (with the possible exception of the scene in Luna’s office) which was my biggest concern regarding the character going into the movie. I was very pleased to see my fears unfounded.

So, yeah. There’s my case for Flash. It may not be much, but I stand by it. Of course, a good defense would not be complete without taking into consideration the potential attacks. Now, I’m not taking into account the fans who hate him just because he exists, those tend to be easier to ignore. I’m talking more specifically about the accusations that he’s a bad character, which is harder to make a good defense for. The main criticism is that Flash doesn’t have a character beyond “cute boy with guitar” and being a love interest for Twilight. I can’t really disagree with that, despite what I mentioned above, yet it still doesn’t bother me and I think the reason why is a matter of perspective: Flash may just be one of, if not the only character in the entirety of MLP so far whose role was to not hog the spotlight.

Let me explain.

The narrative of a standard episode of Friendship is Magic is very straightforward: there’s a single story being told over the course of (usually) 22 minutes. With the possible exceptions of Wonderbolt Academy and Green Isn’t Your Color , there hasn’t been a single episode of the show with multiple storylines, and even in those cases, the subplot is directly tied in some form to the main plot (Twilight keeping secrets and Pinkie Pie getting paranoid about Rainbow Dash, respectively). Sometimes, these stories introduce us to new (mostly one-shot) characters with an important purpose or contribution to the story. Typically, a lot of these characters are defined by a single character trait, but through the interactions with our main characters and through the flow of the plot, we get to see other bits of their personalities. Considering that we may never see most of these characters after their one episode, it’s only natural that the role they play is somehow central to the events of a given plot, at least that’s what we’ve come to expect every time a new character is introduced.

By contrast, Equestria Girls has more than one thing going on within its story. Twilight is trying to get her crown back, but she’s also getting used to her new body, learning about humans, connecting with the human versions of her friends, and pushing back against Sunset Shimmer’s plans to bring her down. Due to the nature of it being a full-length feature, the story is allowed more room to try more things than what a 22 minute format would permit. While not really a criticism of the movie, it has a lot of plates in the air and it’s hard enough already to keep them all in place. For example, it takes about half of the film for Twilight to meet the human version of her five friends. Given that, it would seem very unnecessary to force a character like Flash into the story beyond the position he already has. Going back to the matter of perspective, I always felt that Flash’s presence in EG was, for the most part, a subplot and didn’t need anything to be more than what it was. While he does cross-over into the main plot at several small points, the takeaway of the character in the grand scheme of things is that he is a romantic interest for Twilight. This may raise the question of whether or not this means EG should have bothered having a character like him, but like I said, I may never know the real reason for why he came to be so I can only judge his character based on what we got in the movie.

The keyword for me is “subplot”. Flash’s scenes with Twilight have no bearing on her main objective, to the point where almost every time Flash shows up, it stops the main story just so we can see Twilight being cute(er) for a few moments, which may be a deal breaker for some, but not for me. Given that Sunset Shimmer had exclusively already taken the “important new character” position mentioned earlier, Flash by default exists for a subplot with no direct impact on the main story, which is a very uncomfortable position for any character to be in, especially when said subplot requires the input of the story’s main character. He’s in a position where he was simply not given a chance to turn his character into something a little more substantial, and that became the primary reason why so many people antagonized him.

However, it’s also very likely that if his role was treated as just as important as Twilight’s quest for her crown or her making friends with the human versions of her pony friends, this could’ve caused the movie to deviate too much from the main story and themes of the movie and would’ve served to fuel the argument that this movie is nothing but a bastardization of the MLP brand in favor of making a trite high school setting that cashes in on the same audience that buys Bratz and Monster High toys (an argument that I don’t buy at all). This is where Flash finds himself between a rock and a hard place. Regardless of how big or small his role was going to be, he was still in a no-win scenario. Too little exposure or development, and he’d be called a flat, boring character. If he had received more exposure than what he did, he could’ve undermined important elements from the main story, particularly the whole “friendship” motif at the heart of FiM and EG.

Despite being able to appreciate his contribution, I argue that if Flash had had a bigger role than the one he got, one that would probably involve his support to help wrap up Twilight’s story, but kept the same level of character that he did in the movie, the backlash towards him would’ve probably been even worse. When the characters of Shining Armor and Princess Cadence were first introduced, I looked down upon them because they had little to no characterization, something that can’t be fixed by Twilight repeatedly telling us they’re the coolest ponies that have ever lived, yet they were given very important roles in both Canterlot Wedding and The Crystal Empire. I had barely gotten to know them and I felt that the series was forcing me to like them just because. It was frustrating to me watching these episodes trying to make a big deal out of them when they paled in comparison to the Mane 6. It was when they finally were stepping away from the spotlight in Games Ponies Play where I began to draw myself closer to not only liking these characters, but accepting them for who they are. This adds to my argument that Flash’s role in the movie works because there was restraint when it came to exposing him and was only given in properly defined doses. Given that I’m not opposed to the idea of any of the Mane 6 having a bit of romance in their lives, yet understanding that the series must adhere to its focus on friendship, I figured that the way this was handled in EG was probably the best way to go. So, while I do feel bad that he never got the chance to really shine, looking at the big picture of the movie, it was probably for the best.

Which makes me ask myself: should Flash be given the chance to come back and actually have a more meaningful role? If he came back, what would be the most ideal way to handle the character without feeling like he’s overwhelming Twilight’s motivations and other relationships?

I’ve been thinking about whether or not characters similar to Flash in terms of hierarchy already exist on the show. At first I thought of characters like Cheerilee and Big Macintosh, but they’ve already had a bit of more exposure other than their defined roles of schoolteacher and big brother respectively, even if it’s something like being the foil for the Cutie Mark Crusaders or, in the case of Big Mac, having an entire comic book arc dedicated to showing off your no-nonsense, eye-on-the-prize mentality that clashes with your otherwise introverted demeanor. The closest example I could come up with are Mr. and Mrs. Cake, who so far have been strictly supporting players with no episode to call their own the way Hearts and Hooves Day worked for Big Mac and Cheerilee (Baby Cakes comes close, but they’re largely absent from it). However, I’d say that the Cakes have the benefit of not having their roles confined to something as specific as “romantic interest”. Most of their screen time involves either doing their own thing as owners of Sugar Cube Corner or having Pinkie Pie around and reacting to whatever she’s doing. They’ve had some smaller moments here and there where we see them freaking out over things, which are fun and do give us a quick glimpse of what they’re like, but then again, if you had someone’s who is essentially your god having lunch over at your place or having something you’ve clearly put a lot of time into, like a very large, impossibly delicious cake, in danger of being ruined, wouldn’t you also be kind of a nervous wreck? Their relationship with Pinkie has never been fully explored so far, but it’s something that seemed to be part of the status quo since the beginning of the show, so fans don’t take issue with it (also, they were created by Lauren Faust). The only other character I could think of that fits the bill is Mayor Mare, but her presence on the show is even more limited. For the most part, she only shows up during important Ponyville-centric events, and so far, despite not being a bad character in and of herself, doesn’t have a meaningful connection with any of the main characters.

If Flash were to hypothetically show up again, and if the series were to commit to his role as love interest for Twilight, I think he’d be better suited if his role was a similar capacity to that of Zecora. Fans don’t seem to be bothered that her sole purpose is to be a mentor figure for whoever is around, whether it’s Twilight, Spike, Applebloom or even Big Mac. The whole rhyming thing makes her role to be best suited for a bit part, but every time she shows up, her contribution is usually a lot of fun. The main difference, of course, is that Zecora’s role so far is not zeroed in on a single character. So if Flash were to return, I’d be a smart decision if he was allowed to do more things than simply being a romantic interest. Since the idea for this writing, I’ve been oddly curious to learn more about the kind of role that royal guards play in Equestria. There must be a reason why they have so many around when the ponies they are protecting are literally the most powerful ponies around. I like to think that while Twilight and Co. are called into action to take on the most crucial of missions (they’re basically Celestia’s personal special ops team), royal guards constantly get to handle similar, smaller missions throughout their respective domain and maybe all over Equestria. I’ve said in the past that this could really help to more properly flesh out Shining Armor as a character, and I’ve half-jokingly said that he and Flash should team up at some point. I think I’d be worth it just to hear them talk about Twilight. These kinds of stories could also help us learn more about Flash. What’s his background? Why did he join the Castle Guard? Stuff like that.

Of course, it’s very unlikely to see stories like these on the show, mostly because none of the main characters would be related to it, so I guess Twilight would have to be involved in this somehow. We could hypothetically have another episode set in the Crystal Empire and have Flash show up from time to time to help Twilight, Shining, etc. but that could potentially bring back the problem of Flash not having enough chances to expand. The comics could potentially be a good option for this, considering that we’re about to get a mini comic arc focusing on the Equestria Girls world, so there’s potential for more time between him and Twilight or at the very least, we could learn about his former relationship with Sunset Shimmer. Shining and Cadence are about to have a comic arc devoted to how they met, so who says that we can’t have another story focusing on these two, particularly in present day Equestria, and have Flash around to help out on whatever problem arises.

All of this, of course, is pure hypothesis and very unlikely. Given the information available at the time, and also the way MLP handles supporting characters not named Trixie or Discord (and maybe also Babs Seed), Flash may not be coming back at all. Whether or not he does will depend on whether the staff of MLP feel they can work in the character into the core FiM series or if the Hasbro higher-ups decide to either include some form of reference to Equestria Girls in FiM or even make another animation in the EG world, but the potential for that is a whole different discussion. Considering that EG was an unprecedented success across multiple demographics (to date, the EG premire is the Hub’s highest rated broadcast), it’s only a matter of time before Hasbro announces their next move with this brand. No matter what decision is that, I really hope that Flash is tied into it one way or another, because I’m genuinely bummed out by the fact that he may never find his true place in the sun. Having a love interest for the main character should, at least in theory, be a big deal, but for the most part, there doesn’t seem to be an intention to follow this up, which makes Flash’s role to be kind of wasted. Of course, this is all an assumption being made on the statement from Meghan McCarthy that Flash isn’t coming back for Season 4. Personally, I think Flash’s presence has potential for some interesting stories, and even lessons, which could be addressed by the series. And even if it doesn’t, I think it’d be worth it just for the sweetness of it. I love the idea of Twilight, of all the characters in the series, to be the one who gets to experience romance, or at least something that could lead to it (To be perfectly fair, the best that Flash gets from Twilight by the end of EG is sharing a dance). There’s something about watching a female character, particularly one who is pretty nerdy and a bit awkward like Twilight, starting a romantic relationship and having her as the focus of that dynamic (In most media, it’s usually the other way around: geeky guy hooks up with hot girl) that I find very appealing, especially when even though it has a very limited presence, it’s payoff is as good as it is. So even if we won’t be seeing Mr. Sentry again, at least he and Twilight will always have Canterlot High.

Also, Flash is not afraid to dork it up with Twilight. That alone makes me wanna take back anything snarky I might’ve said about him and give him my undying respect.