User blog:AnimationFan15/Retcon-Driven Stories

One of my favorite analysts in the Brony community is the Voice of Reason. He's one of my favorite analysts because he actually brings up some interesting discussion topics. In his video where he reviews the MLP Season 9 episode "Sweet and Smoky", he brings up the topic of retcons (retroactive continuity) working in the episode's favor. A retcon is when the story disregards a plot point/event established in a previous episode in order for the story to work.

Considering that The Loud House gleefully takes pride in not having consistent continuity because it gives the episodes more room to be creative, it got me wondering if there are any episodes with retcons that actually work in the story's favor. As of now, I can only think of one episode.

Retcon: Lola is revealed to be illiterate, even though it was shown in "Ties That Bind" that Lola is capable of reading.

Why it works: To me, the idea that Lola can't read seems realistic, since she's 6 years old. Another reason why this retcon works for the episode is because the episode is primarily focused on teaching Lola how to read, and why it's not only important, but how it can actually be fun. Speaking of what the episode is focused on, it also expands on the bonding Lincoln and Lola share, which reveals how much Lincoln would go through just to help Lola accomplish a goal.