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My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic Season 4 |OT| Twilight Princess Returns

Blackage

Member
Episode makes it easier to see how Rarity can be the successor to Nightmare Moon.

Nightmare_Rarity.jpg
 

PaulloDEC

Member
Pretty weird episode this week; I feel like it didn't quite find its footing right away. Once it got rolling though I enjoyed it a lot. I've yet to dislike a meltdown episode.

Competent Spike was present and correct, and I really liked Twilight's little moments. Will be very interested to see how it fares on a second viewing sometime down the line.

She's totally marginalized the rest of the cast in her openers and finales since she took over. Look back to the Pilot, or RoH and the adventure was most certainly a group effort. With Meghan, the rest of the cast is crammed into a b-plot so Twilight can do everything.

You're drastically overselling it. Season 3 had to focus on Twilight because her ascension to Princess was the arc for that season (and having less episodes to play with made it all the more necessary). Season 4 is a continuation of that. The Season 2 opener isn't as different as you're suggesting either, with the entire second episode being Twilight versus everyone until the closing minutes.

The Pilot was certainly more of an even spread, but that was because it had to pull double-duty by telling a story and introducing/cementing the cast at the same time.

You didn't acknowledge it earlier, so I'll quote myself again:

Whether we like it or not, Twilight is the lead character in Friendship is Magic. She just is. The others aren't much further down the spectrum, but Twilight sits at the top. Finales and openers are probably always going to revolve around her to a greater degree than the others. You can dislike those episodes for that reason, but suggesting they're bad enough to put McCarthy among the worst writers to have worked on the show seems a little disingenuous.
 
I guess this episode shows just how dangerous it is to let your imagination run wild for too long.
To me, imagination sometimes requires restraint so your creations can be properly done, and Spike enabling Rarity to rely on that book because he was afraid of disappointing her caused a lot of trouble here.

By relying on an easy route, Rarity simply created her inspirations on a whim, eventually forcing Twilight,
Luna
, and
Cadance
to clean up a chaotic mess that someone like Discord would applaud to.
 

Frantic Fanatic

Neo Member
By relying on an easy route, Rarity simply created her inspirations on a whim, eventually forcing Twilight,
Luna
, and
Cadance
to clean up a chaotic mess that someone like Discord would applaud to.

Wait, now that I think about it, why not Celestia? Was it because she cleaned up the last town-wide mess?

The episode was fun, but I thought the fact that she completely missed the point about why her first puppet shop cart wasn't usable was something that could have been tied into the story, or the moral. Likly they were running out of time, so close to the season ending. If they make these sequentially.

Edit: Inspiarity X King Sombra OTP. United by their true love of crystals.
 

PaulloDEC

Member
Wait, now that I think about it, why not Celestia? Was it because she cleaned up the last town-wide mess?

I remain convinced that this is just another reminder of Celestia's plan to transition Equestria from a one-monarch-does-all-the-work system to a larger network of regional Princesses. Now that she has Cadance, Luna and Twilight on board, she has time for more important business:

G7I.jpg


Frantic Fanatic said:
The episode was fun, but I thought the fact that she completely missed the point about why her first puppet shop cart wasn't usable was something that could have been tied into the story, or the moral. Likely they were running out of time, so close to the season ending. If they make these sequentially.

The puppet theatre stuff all felt kinda out-of-place to me; wouldn't that have been more Applejack's speed anyway?

Frantic Fanatic said:
Edit: Inspiarity X King Sombra OTP. United by their true love of crystals.

With their loyal yet ineffectual lackey, Crystal Spike.

 

Village

Member
I remain convinced that this is just another reminder of Celestia's plan to transition Equestria from a one-monarch-does-all-the-work system to a larger network of regional Princesses. Now that she has Cadance, Luna and Twilight on board, she has time for more important business:

.

I would imagine, not great at her job.
 

Jawmuncher

Member
Thought this weeks episode was pretty good.
It had it's moments and was overall still fun. Little sad we didn't see Rarity freak out a little more though.
 
Thought this weeks episode was pretty good.
It had it's moments and was overall still fun. Little sad we didn't see Rarity freak out a little more though.

This is where I was at. I really did enjoy the episode, but given how much Tabitha St. Germain can really chew the scenery I am surprised how restrained she was. If they were going to have a meltdown episode, let her meltdown! But still a fun episode and the Twilight bit at the end was great.

I also agree with everything Paullo has said concerning McCarthy. She is a great writer, the only episodes I think she has written that were just so-so were the Crystal Empire ones. But let's face it, that was an obvious Hasbro mandate arch that was a stupid premise to begin with. And even still those episodes were watchable. And Princess Twilight Sparkle ep. 1 & 2 were fantastic. It just seems she gets so much hate because she had the unfortunate duty to follow in Faust's wake, a role that I am sure is extremely hard to do but McCarthy does it wonderfully.
 

DrForester

Kills Photobucket
I thought it was a good Spike episode, meh Rarity episodes. This one felt to plain and simple compared to what we usually get from Rarity episodes.
 

Frantic Fanatic

Neo Member
Rejected, new head-cannon below:

The two theories don't necessarily have to be mutually exclusive enough, with the caveat of:

A: The puppet master not actually being Trixie's dad.
B: Trixie ran away before Snips was born and the family disowned her/doesn't talk about her.
C: Snips is too Ralph Wiggim enough not to remember Trixie is his sister.

Hey, sometimes these tree-building exercises are fun, though honestly only the reason the puppet master was portly was to sell the impractical puppet carrige scene.

I thought it was a good Spike episode, meh Rarity episodes. This one felt to plain and simple compared to what we usually get from Rarity episodes.

But it's more a Spike and Owlowiscious episode. They're the driving force behind the main conflict.
 

brian577

Banned
Part 1 sounds better and better, Part 2 sounds worse and worse.

Celestia's motive sounds far more reasonable than the original synopsis's suggestion that they were powering up Twilight to take on the big bad. It's not perfect but it sounds less silly and Twilight centric to me.
 

draetenth

Member
Part 1 sounds better and better, Part 2 sounds worse and worse.

Yeah, I'm going to agree with Forester here in part because of...

Spirit Bombs doe.
They fighting freeza?

This is my biggest issue. Goku was the best fighter in the series so it made sense that everyone transferred their powers to him. I know Twilight is the Element of Magic, but is she really more powerful than Celestia who has ruled for who know how long? Granted, we don't know how strong anyone is and the best weapon they had used the combined powers of all Elements of Harmony...

I wonder if the foe has a final form?
 

DrForester

Kills Photobucket
Celestia's motive sounds far more reasonable than the original synopsis's suggestion that they were powering up Twilight to take on the big bad. It's not perfect but it sounds less silly and Twilight centric to me.

If this was a comic story, Celestia and the others would be doing things elsewhere.

When Meghan writes the story, no one can do anything except for Twilight. Though, I do expect Discord to play some part in the finale. Why else would he be there.
 

UberTag

Member
The fact that these two episodes are serving as the caboose of a 3-hour Discord marathon at the end of the month tells me he'll be featured prominently throughout the entire finale.
 

PaulloDEC

Member

That all sounds neat to me. Look forward to seeing how it pans out.

If this was a comic story, Celestia and the others would be doing things elsewhere.

When Meghan writes the story, no one can do anything except for Twilight.

You mean like in "The Crystal Empire Part 2" where Spike is the one who takes the Crystal Heart while Twilight remains trapped in the tower? Or maybe the part where Shining Armor and Cadance work together to retrieve the Heart and ultimately save the realm from Sombra?

Or maybe you mean the part in "Princess Twilight Part 2" where Twilight has to be saved from the Cragadile, and then later the gas-plants? Or the part where only together with her friends is she able to unite the Elements and save the Tree of Harmony?

Twilight and Cadance defeating the carnivorous plant together in "Three's a Crowd"? Spike saving the day in "Power Ponies"? Or perhaps you mean the half-dozen other episodes by McCarthy where Twilight isn't instrumental in the plot.
 

UberTag

Member
Preview clips are now up for 'Equestria Games' from series veteran writer Dave Polsky (Too Many Pinkie Pies, Rarity Takes Manehattan, Twilight Time)...

Clip #1
Clip #2

You guys wanted back-to-back Spike episodes, right?
 

UberTag

Member
Equestria Games was a little by-the-numbers although I did think that Cathy Weseluck did a nice job of voice acting this week.
Not sure Celestia even got any lines despite showing up a bunch.

Next week we get Discord as a good guy and Twi acting as a super power amplifier sponge for all of her fellow princesses because they can't do shit without her.
 

DrForester

Kills Photobucket
Good episode.

Loved the little touch of Rainbow Dash losing, but being totally OK with it.

Ponyville winning the medal count seemed a pretty silly thing to include.

Spike was great.
 

Frantic Fanatic

Neo Member
Equestria Games was a little by-the-numbers although I did think that Cathy Weseluck did a nice job of voice acting this week.
Not sure Celestia even got any lines despite showing up a bunch.

Next week we get Discord as a good guy and Twi acting as a super power amplifier sponge for all of her fellow princesses because they can't do shit without her.

Well, she does bridge the Sun and the Moon and twilight is a magical, lovely time. :B
 

Silvawuff

Member
Two Spike episodes in a row? Eh.

This episode was much better after the anthem scene. Otherwise, I felt it was just a showcase of past characters making an appearance, just cause. I hope the finale delivers -- it probably will.
 

draetenth

Member
I enjoyed this Episode especially Spike. I do wish they could have shown more of the games because I'm curious how Ponyville won the medal count. Honestly, I would take a full movie of the Equestrian Games over Equestria Girls.

I don't know why, but the pegasus doing wing-ups always crack me up. It just seems so weird.
 

brian577

Banned
Four alicorns in the stadium and Twilight is the only one who even thinks about doing something? Still a good episode though.
 

McNum

Member
The episode was decent, but wow was Spike's singing so very, very awkward.

That said, the spotlight stealer is this: Season Finale Teaser!

I know this thread runs on a free-fire spoiler policy, but... I'm marking this one.

THEY BLEW UP THE PONYVILLE LIBRARY?! Nice Death Star shot reference, though.

And is that... Tirek? G1 Tirek? Is he gonna get brutally murdered on camera by the Rainbow of Light again? And threaten to decapitate Spike for old times' sake?
 

PaulloDEC

Member
Great episode, enjoyed it a lot. I especially liked the callback to S3 with Spike being a celebrity in the Crystal Empire. Rainbow Dash having mastered her competitive nature was really nice to see too.

Not sure why or how Ponyville managed to win the medal tally. As everyone else has already said, seemed a bit weird/unnecessary.

Four alicorns in the stadium and Twilight is the only one who even thinks about doing something? Still a good episode though.

Well, Cadance does ask one of the guards to get some help for Spike. I guess Twilight was the only one close enough to Spike to want to spare him the embarrassment directly.

The episode was decent, but wow was Spike's singing so very, very awkward.

God, yes. That was difficult to watch.

That said, the spotlight stealer is this: Season Finale Teaser!

I know this thread runs on a free-fire spoiler policy, but... I'm marking this one.

THEY BLEW UP THE PONYVILLE LIBRARY?! Nice Death Star shot reference, though.

And is that... Tirek? G1 Tirek? Is he gonna get brutally murdered on camera by the Rainbow of Light again? And threaten to decapitate Spike for old times' sake?

Not the library! I guess Twilight really will be moving into her weird tree-palace.

Good spot with Tirek by the way (whom I'd not even heard of until now), could definitely be him.
 

Tritroid

Member
The episode was decent, but wow was Spike's singing so very, very awkward.

That said, the spotlight stealer is this: Season Finale Teaser!

I know this thread runs on a free-fire spoiler policy, but... I'm marking this one.

THEY BLEW UP THE PONYVILLE LIBRARY?! Nice Death Star shot reference, though.

And is that... Tirek? G1 Tirek? Is he gonna get brutally murdered on camera by the Rainbow of Light again? And threaten to decapitate Spike for old times' sake?
Looks like the Tree of Harmony somehow becomes her new sparkly palace...or at least the top of it.
 

DrForester

Kills Photobucket
The episode was decent, but wow was Spike's singing so very, very awkward.

That said, the spotlight stealer is this: Season Finale Teaser!

I know this thread runs on a free-fire spoiler policy, but... I'm marking this one.

THEY BLEW UP THE PONYVILLE LIBRARY?! Nice Death Star shot reference, though.

And is that... Tirek? G1 Tirek? Is he gonna get brutally murdered on camera by the Rainbow of Light again? And threaten to decapitate Spike for old times' sake?

And it looks like Twilight will officially become a Mary Sue with that episode. Can wait to see what wonderfully unique ways Meghan come sup with for only Twilight to save the day again on the S5 premier...
 

PaulloDEC

Member
And it looks like Twilight will officially become a Mary Sue with that episode. Can wait to see what wonderfully unique ways Meghan come sup with for only Twilight to save the day again on the S5 premier...

Because you wouldn't know anything about endlessly repeating the same tedious themes, would you Doc?

I4J.gif
 
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