New and Latest Episode Thread

[Gnarrkhaz]

One thing i was afraid of was that they'd go the "character becomes too full of himself and friends needs to get him of his high horse"-route but thankfully the episode didn't. We've had enough of those plots in this series in my opinion.

But then again that makes the scene in which Spike imagines himself being psionic kind of pointless.

[Freewave]

Well they saved the best episode of the season for the finale.

1. Discord does betray (and given a true redemption)
2. Awesome badass new villain
3. New songs (pretty decent ones)
4. Elements keybox
5. Epic battle
6. Background pony cameos
7. Alluding to new and old Equestria locations
8. Not permanently changing the mane 6 appearance (as feared) to sell toys
9. Treehouse destroyed, New castle
10. Twilight finally given a role and a duty

The pacing was excellent for a change so it didn't feel rushed or padded. I dunno, this is likely going in my top 5.

[CitricAcid]

It was definitely decent. I wasn't a huge fan of the songs, but at least they didn't cram 7 songs in like they did last season. Daniel Ingram must play mandolin, because that seems to come up a lot in songs. I'm glad they didn't undersell Twilight's power with all of the alicorn magic, though it felt a bit like watching Dragonball P.

Also Ponyville had better at least double in size by next season. There's a princess and her castle there now.

[ph00tbag]

I can't even.

This episode just blew my mind.

For me, the most important thing is Twilight including Discord among her friends. Since Three's a Crowd, I've basically been feeling that Twilight accepting Discord's friendship openly, despite how irksome she finds him, would be a major plot development. I hadn't quite expected it to be the key, so to speak, to unlocking her Rainbow Power, but in retrospect it makes total sense, since that was a major flaw in her standing as Element of Magic/Friendship, basically since Discord's reform. Now that it's out in the open that Twilight does see Discord as a friend, it will be really interesting to see how their relationship develops.

My only gripe is that Celestia and Luna without their magic didn't revert to pink hair and light blue hair, respectively. I always liked the idea that their flowing manes were the product of their overabundance of magic. Not a huge problem, I just felt that the headcanon was better (and better attested in the preceding lore [I mean, they even referenced that coloration in the same episode]) than the canon.

[Stuntddude]

HOLY SHIT. !!!

I can't figure out if I just watched My Little Pony or Dragon Ball Z. With the mane 6 going straight super saiyan and all. And Twilight's combined alicorn powers.

Perhaps the best part of the episode for me though was how they had the epic DBZ-esque ultra-powerful super action fight, and then immediately followed it up with a bunch of personal friendship snazz and how Twilight's role as a princess is to spread friendship everywhere like wildfire, and it didn't feel like a jarring transition or like it was deliberately contrasting the two contexts, they just fell right into the same episode as two elements of life belonging together (given, most people don't literally go super saiyan, but I think you know what I mean). I've always had mad respect for how well the core principles of the show represent the diversity of real people and real life, and how different extremes of people's personalities and lives are not as separate and exclusive to one another as they're portrayed to be. This episode absolutely nailed it for me.

The normal season episodes are in many ways hit-and-miss in my opinion, but there's some special mode of production where they really pull out all the stops for season finales and openers. I have yet to be disappointed by any season premiere or season finale, and I'm just now coming to realize how much I appreciate that format. I love how slice-of-life most of the mid-season episodes are, and I love that they break from that to always do something really grand and fantastical and special for the premieres and finales.

That said, the songs were totally forced and arbitrary, I agree, and they weren't that great. But they weren't that big of a deal so I didn't really mind. They knew there was no way they were going to pull off a musical like they did for the season 2 finale, and they cut it back to two incidental songs, and that was okay with me.

[itroitnyah]

Whoa there Rafiki, calm down man.

AH HA! WE FUCKIN' KNEW IT. WE FUCKIN' CALLED IT. They actually did it, they actually made the items that the mane 6 received the keys to Discord's chest.

Well fuckin' shit, this is intense. Going all Avatar and shit on him. Blowing up libraries at shit. In fact, I'm pretty certain that a lot of the influence for the fight scene between Twi and whats-his-name came from the original Avatar Finale.

But holy shit, that was an amazing episode. Like, season 2 quality shit right there. I loved every second of it, and am super psyched for season 5 to roll around.

This is really making me want to watch Lion King and Avatar TLAB again. And the new Avatar series, since I haven't seen those yet. Gawd damn that was good.

[Facade]

that was some real stick figure fighting action right there

no for the wait yay

[Jokeblue]

Everyone seems to be hyped over the finale and i'm just sitting here watching Kill la Kill...


...I should probably try and catch up on the latest episodes soon....

[ph00tbag]

[Mr. Bigglesworth]

I think the final fight was interesting because we got to see Twilight pushed to an extreme. We've seen her angry before, but this was the only time it's ever been completely and violently furious. I kinda like seeing how characters react to that kinda pressure. Also the scene where Discord initially confronts Tirak was really neat imo. It sorta feels like it was more well thought-out than some of the other scenes in this finale.

Also dat princess song

[ganondox]

I literally skipped the part where Spike sang the Cloudsdale Anthem. I absolutely can't stand that kind of humor.

The rest of the episode was quite good. Best Spike episode of the whole series hands down.

Pinkie Pie was funny, Rainbow Dash was awesome/adorable, the interaction was all nuanced and fun. There were all sorts of cool little animation details. I really quite liked it, it was just kinda ruined by the whole Cloudsdale Anthem.

The Cloudsdale Anthem was the only thing I liked in that episode. The rest of it was seriously meh.

Well they saved the best episode of the season for the finale.

1. Discord does betray (and given a true redemption)
2. Awesome badass new villain
3. New songs (pretty decent ones)
4. Elements keybox
5. Epic battle
6. Background pony cameos
7. Alluding to new and old Equestria locations
8. Not permanently changing the mane 6 appearance (as feared) to sell toys
9. Treehouse destroyed, New castle
10. Twilight finally given a role and a duty

The pacing was excellent for a change so it didn't feel rushed or padded. I dunno, this is likely going in my top 5.

I think there was one part were the pacing was off, namely when Twilight discovered what the keys were, but other than that and a few minor plot holes, it was an excellent episode and makes up for the rest of the princess arc.

[Gnarrkhaz]

There's some stuff that doesn't make much sense (like always) but i'm not too hung up on that. I wish there would have been more songs and the songs that were there weren't all that special. The Dragonball stuff was overly silly (...but kind of awesome still) and so was the rainbow nonsense. Thank god they reverted back to their normal form. I found it quite funny that Twilight was wondering at the beginning what she's supposed to do as a princess given that she doesn't do anything ever. Exactly the same thing that everyone has been criticising. Also, what exactly was in the chest now? Overall it was good and a fitting ending to the season. More importantly it makes me excited for season 5.

Still, A Canterlot Wedding is still my favorite of the opener/closing episodes.

[simonli2575]

I found it quite funny that Twilight was wondering at the beginning what she's supposed to do as a princess given that she doesn't do anything ever. Exactly the same thing that everyone has been criticising.

And you know, they've actually never thought about, let alone discussed Twilight's destiny. There was no build up to it whatsoever, which I found a bit irritating.
That said, the season finale was still great, the battle scene and the build up to that was fantastic and there were some twists and turns I didn't quite see coming.

[Jokeblue]

So a friend of mine just sent me this

Spoiler Long Image:

To be read while listening to this

Something seems to have gone wrong with posting it, so just right click the image and select "Open Image in new tab"

[The_Rariot]

Finale was great. Got chills during the whole "Princess Quartet" thing, even though the song was kinda lackluster. Both songs were a bit of a let-down IMO, but Twilight's badassery more than made up for it. I definitely didn't see My Little Dragonball fight scenes coming.

Also, this

[ganondox]

Also, this

I'll raise this.



Your turn.

[Jokeblue]

[simonli2575]

The one on the right. Now where's my prize?

[ganondox]

The one on the right. Now where's my prize?

His right or our right?

[FLAOFEI]

His right or our right?

Idk what he ment... But if it where up to me I'd chose the one on our right.
The lighter blue one would contrast a great deal with his red skin, drawing focus away from his eyes. That's not what we want, so I'd go with the one that will attract the viewers eye less, allowing the viewers attention to be focused on the eyes.

[ganondox]

His right or our right?

Idk what he ment... But if it where up to me I'd chose the one on our right.
The lighter blue one would contrast a great deal with his red skin, drawing focus away from his eyes. That's not what we want, so I'd go with the one that will attract the viewers eye less, allowing the viewers attention to be focused on the eyes.

I agree, and I do say he'd look rather stunning in it.

[Jokeblue]

His right or our right?

Idk what he ment... But if it where up to me I'd chose the one on our right.
The lighter blue one would contrast a great deal with his red skin, drawing focus away from his eyes. That's not what we want, so I'd go with the one that will attract the viewers eye less, allowing the viewers attention to be focused on the eyes.

I agree, and I do say he'd look rather stunning in it.

Now... all we need to get that dress onto him...





And then put him in this.

[ExoBassTix]

I watched the season finale today.
- Tirek was very well thought out;
- The spoilers I inevitably encountered on Tumblr really made me think the fighting scene would be a huge DBZ-ish thing, but I was happily surprised when it wasn't too much of it;
- Twilight has a new home, that'll promise interesting stuff for S5;
- I strongly disliked the Mane-6's super saiyan forms;
- Discord, and how Twilight treated him, was awesome;
- LOTS of AWESOME facial expressions;
- Quite some weird and annoying (imo) facial expressions, especially from the three not-Twilight princesses (especially the songs);
- Except for the fact that Celestia, Luna and Cadence sung together, I didn't particularly enjoy the songs. They're not bad, but not too good either imo. I also reeeeaaaally didn't like the three princesses' movements during the whole of their song-part;
- They gave -all- of their powers to Twilight :D wejoooo;
- Twilight fucking moved the sun and moon! YES FINALLY!

All by all, second-best episode. Daaamn good!

EDIT - a post worthy of being my 2500th on this forum.

[RCYouKnowMe]

I was like... whoa mlp...whoa... most lib way of dealing with a person who doesn't know what to do with their job. If I said " I don't know what you expect me to do working here" at MY job... well they'd tell me, but these guys "You're having trouble finding your way...I get that." then she actually figures it out on her own... that's a faded message these days which is why the show is still interesting. Friends vs. Freedom... well... ouch that's tough. I would say both, but the episode forces you to choose so I say if you have freedom... then you have the choice to make friends...but the episode was like "No, I din't like that Idea" or whoever wrote it, and discord got fooled...but the end was good.

[ph00tbag]

Okay, so since a new season has begun, I thought I'd revive this thread. Mostly because I want to gush, and talk about all of the things I liked about this episode.

In general, I love the use of foreshadowing in this episode. In the first moments, we have some where each of the mane 6 sits down in their chairs, and their cutie marks light up. This is done casually, and although there is a sound effect that comes with it, no further attention is drawn to the phenomenon until all six elements are activated. This preps the viewer for something to happen when Twilight sits down, and also generates some dramatic irony when Twilight is pacing around, wondering what the point of the castle with the thrones is, while all of her friends have unknowingly activated their chair symbols.

But the big foreshadowing in the story is the way Starlight Glimmer's deception is belied throughout the episode, but because not all of the information about the effects of cutie mark removal are revealed right away, it's not immediately obvious. However, as we learn more about the process, things get more suspicious. From the beginning, however, it's apparent that Starlight is of a different cut from her neighbors. Her speech mannerisms are not strained and emotionless. She's vibrant and purposeful in her movement, while everyone else in the Town moves and talks slower. At this point, it's subtle, but astute observers will also note that Glimmer's coat is brighter than her compatriots'. Is this because she's simply embraced her philosophy more fully than everypony else? No reason is yet given as to why, but this subtly sets the stage for everything we learn about the town down the road.

We eventually learn that the process of removing cutie marks should, in fact, make the victim's coat grayer, and make them less physically fit. We learn that a certain amount of acculturation in the Town involves a good dose of brainwashing, yielding the strained and emotionless qualities of the townspeople. This throws Starlight's differences into starker contrast, and it seems like much less of an odd coincidence. The suspicion this causes in the viewer is rewarded when Starlight is revealed never to have given up her cutie mark. The way these elements are subtly introduced to the viewer is really satisfying to those that have paid attention.

I also love how the Town's creepy factor is so steadily built up. From the beginning, there's a sort of Stepford Wives/Pod People aspect to the town that is immediately unsettling, but it's hard to fault entirely, because everyone seems happy. Twilight's observation that Double Diamond's company may not be a simple offer of a tour guide, but an attempt at surveillance, suggests its own Big Brother-esque feeling, suggesting that for all the rhetoric, Glimmer may not be so tolerant of the Mane 6's views after all. It's not until we meet Party Favor, Night Glider, and Sugar Belle, that we see the cracks in the town's veneer, revealing the rot underneath. Once the Mane 6's cutie marks have been removed, the Town becomes a veritable Dystopian nightmare, with the Mane 6 incarcerated in an enclosed space, and Orwellian platitudes pumped into the room through loudspeakers. The framing accentuates the smallness of the space, and the PAs are just loud enough to distract while listening to the dialogue. This scene is one of the most psychologically dark in the whole series, and I love it. The equals sign imagery that has pervaded not just the Town's heraldry, but everything about the Town, is, at this point, given a much darker tone, when the light coming into the room through the windows forms into its own double bar, showing the encroaching nature of the town's philosophy as the Mane 6 slowly lose touch with the things that make them unique. This culminates the development of the Town as a Bad Place, just in time for Fluttershy to see Glimmer's cutie mark revealed. From a plotting standpoint, this is an expert progression.

Among this are other little details that just make me happy. Fluttershy bobbing her head to the Town's anthem. The way all of the Mane 6 have slightly different reactions to the Town's philosophy. Sugar Belle saying, "muffins," as though she means to continue, but having nothing further on the menu. Fatty Pie. The brief moment where Twilight wonders, "wait, Meadowbrook's nine enchanted items?" The fact that Applejack also lost her metaphors and similes when she lost her cutie mark, as well as the lampshading of same quirk. "Even tweets don't make sense anymore!", which I suspect was written this way intentionally by Larson, who is a known Twitter fiend. There are probably other things I'm missing here, as well. This was a phenomenal episode, so it's easy for me to have missed some things.

The only thing I didn't really care for was Spike's hoofball tangent. For some reason, it felt like a cheap gag, which hasn't really been spoken of before, and will likely never be heard about again. But it's a small quibble against an otherwise excellent start to the new season.