Options aren't as simple as using
just fair or air dodging though.
They incorporate timing and spacing on every selection.
If you're in a situation which you're likely to lose, then for what reason were you in that situation in the first place? It's either a player mistake, or you're using a bad character (in general or in that MU). When you're in that type of situation, the best option is still likely to lose. That player could have mixed up a FF AD (for example) instead of something else and get away with it. But these situations played out properly and executed properly are
frame trap scenarios. That's a mistake of the initiator, not some sort of mega mind game.
"Best options" are best because of how they are used, not because of their just "pure usage". We've struggled to deal with Meta Knight for half a decade because his best options are usually self sufficient in pure usage. In fact, tier lists generally reflect how easy it is for character's to impose their merit with their best options with little proficiency (especially early in the game's life time). The best characters can punish MK's everything though when not used properly... They can also still punish almost everything in a lot of scenarios when the MK DOES USE IT PROPERLY (!!!!!) [Sorry bad characters
] (Power shields are that ****ing dumb, fyi)
The best options when used correctly are generally not going to get punished. A good player getting past a best option used relatively well is as simple as a power shield or timing a roll, crouch or spot dodge. Getting past a best option used amazingly well, is, as some would expect, generally not punished. Usually player reaction at the time is something like "that was ****ing amazing".
Then we get the situation where Meta Knight's are properly timing/spacing their nados [incl the ending], the use of their mid air jumps properly for fast vertical acceleration frame trapping everything (!!!!) etc etc and this tippity top level of MK (which is still expanding) thwarts every character up to a certain point. Otori is beating characters he's never played before in his life just by being exceptional with Tornado. I've had Vinnie and Tyrant both say to me (well, listening to a conversation between the two) "Anti using ftilt properly is basically gg".
My personal vexations of MK are his inconsistent ability to approach and the level of skill required to actually achieve MK's best usages for his best options. Other characters are a little easier to define for their best options/usages (Falco: landing laser being silent, Marth hitting fair frame 4 or 7 only, Olimar fsmashing with yellow for it's vertical priority wall, etc etc), and when done consistently by the best players usually win. At the top level when you watch matches, you most often see the losing player as the one who's just executing poorly not the "oh my god mind game".
MK's **** requires great timing, great spacing and like 70 inputs per frame. **** that.
P.S. this notion from all this is the reason why some players (like ZeRo) are saying Brawl's getting faster, more aggressive and more like melee.