My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

[Kunoichi]

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Is that really what Discord's nature is, though?  Unable to change, always bound to sow chaos and disharmony throughout the land with no actual choice or free will on the subject?  Considering that the premise of the episode completely fails if we take that viewpoint, I don't think it's the one the writers took, either.  It's pretty clear that they're more interested in having a Discord who is capable of change, so that they can have him show up in future episodes without having to make a big deal about him escaping from his stone prison.

As for the trap itself, that was actually the part that I liked best about the episode.  Admittedly, that probably has more to do with John de Lancie's acting skills and the expressions the animators gave Discord than the actual writing, but it didn't stretch my suspension of disbelief at all.  Among other things, I really like that they made it pretty clear that Discord saw it coming himself, and that he willingly walked right into because he didn't believe it was going to work.  It wasn't until he heard the words coming out of his own mouth that he realized just how much having Fluttershy's friendship actually meant to him.  That part was incredibly well-executed.

The big problem with the episode is that, right after that, we jump straight to the Mane 6 presenting a now-reformed Discord to Celestia, without any depiction on just how far his reformation has actually gone or anything.  They try to make it pretty clear that they still don't fully trust him, and he says outright that he still intends to have some fun from time to time, but the sudden transition is still the most jarring part of the episode.

[ReijiTabibito]

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

I believe that it is.  That's how he introduces himself - Discord, elemental spirit of chaos.  What I have to say following this is probably too adult for a kid's show, though it is my perspective.

There was a study done during my growing up years about crime.  Two sociologists conducted a survey of over a thousand known repeat criminal offenders, looking for some sort of link, some sort of commonality that was called the 'root of crime' - a factor that could determine how likely someone was to become an offender.  They crossed the gamut in their studies - race, education, socioeconomic background, virtually anything and everything you could think of that might influence a person that descends into that life.  What they found?

Nothing.  There was no common link, no correlational relationship that they could discern except one.

When presented with the choice to uphold the law or break it, they chose, invariably, to break the law.

What I say about Discord, I say about people and ponies, too.  We can't change our nature, we can't change who we are deep down.  The very base part of us, that will always be there.

If you played Skyrim, think of Paarthunax.  He's a dragon, he can't change who he is, his innate desire to dominate and destroy is always present.  The only way that he's managed to not do those things is through thousands of years of actively resisting who he is, and he notes that while he's gotten better at resisting his nature - his nature hasn't changed one iota.

We can't change who we are.  All we can do is train ourselves to resist our own impulses.

IF you ignore that, though, then trap at the end was well done, and another prime example of how the Mane Six beat Discord before - they used him against himself.  In RoH, his absolute refusal to believe that the Mane Six presented a threat was what did him in.  Here, his refusal to believe that Fluttershy's plan would actually work was his downfall.

Personally, I think they just used the episode to bring back John de Lancie and continue the trend of 'no one's really evil, just misunderstood' ultimate villains.  It was easy to do with Nightmare Moon because of the story, here, not so much.

[ulthakptah]

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

But Discord isn't evil, he is chaotic. There is a difference you know, just ask anyone who plays Dungeons and Dragons. Even in The Return of Harmony, it doesn't seem Discord is doing what he does out of malice.

[SinXAzgard21]

My daughters favorite song from the show.

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otAFRGL4yX4

[Arohk]

I happen to agree with everything Reiji is saying because those were my thoughts as well. I just came a little late to the conversation this time around. XP

[ABagOVicodin]

Alicorn Twilight is going to be canon. Thoughts?

http://www.equestriadaily.com/2013/01/ia-ia-twilight-fhtagn.html#more

[BraveEarth]

I'm really underwhelmed by this current season to be honest I've only really watched up to the Trixie episode they don't seem as smart as the previous episodes, and very song laden.

[Arohk]

I agree that the first two seasons were better than this one. But I haven't exactly disliked it either. I've liked most of the episodes. Some of them I could even call great. But the rest are forgettable in a way that a lot of them weren't in previous seasons. Not expecting perfection or anything, but I do think it's true that the other seasons were better. I thought that this one started out really awesome and got less so as time went on.

I don't even understand this whole hooplah with Twilight being an Alicorn. So what? Watch it and then complain if you don't like it. I'm perfectly fine with how things are turning out. *shrug*

[Sabby]

I'm not exactly up to date on the show, so I can't give a personal contribution. Just guna drop this link here for those who will actually be able to get something out of it. I see 'MLP', 'Controversy', and 'Internet', and I'm like

[Dhi]

I don't see how anyone could be surprised that Twilight is going to become an alicorn. Was this ever seriously in question?

[Sabby]

I think this is just the knee jerk reaction that comes with change. People grow to love the character as they are, so any kind of growth from that makes them something different from that. Which is why so many shows just don't evolve. At all. Too afraid of the backlash that comes from slightly mixing up a tiny piece of the foundations.

Kind of like when they rebooted Spiderman to be a student again, because people felt that was the way he was 'supposed to be', and growing into an adult was somehow a departure instead of, ya know, the plan?

[Kunoichi]

Actually, from what I've heard, the big thing people hate about current Spider-Man is that Peter Parker is dead, and the current Spider-Man is Doc Ock in Parker's body.  Which is a pretty stupid ongoing storyline, admittedly...

[Sabby]

[Wolfy]

Well, either they're going to give Spike a make-over....or an orgy.

[Oniya]

Considering the age of the character, that better be a makeover.   

[Kunoichi]

Yeah, I'm guessing it probably is. ^^

So, the last two episodes told two sides of a single story...  Anybody have any thoughts on them?

[Chris Brady]

Not sure if this is pertinent, but apparently, there's talk of a spin off?

http://www.equestriadaily.com/2013/02/mlp-spin-off-series-confirmed-rumor.html#more

[Dhi]

Yikes.
I need a calendar next to my desk that always says it's April 1st, so I can be superficially relieved and let rumors like this bounce off me.

I'm reminded of the unspeakable atrocities of G3.5 ponies and their poorly animated super-deformed, ostensibly human cherubosity getting up to such thrilling Archie-style teen drama as Let's Ride A Ferris Wheel and Oh No I Spilled Some Marbles: That Is The Whole Inane Plot.

[Wolfy]

Not sure if this is pertinent, but apparently, there's talk of a spin off?

http://www.equestriadaily.com/2013/02/mlp-spin-off-series-confirmed-rumor.html#more

AHEM:

MLP Equestria Girls-Extended Hub Promo Edition

Equestria Girls, you say?

[BraveEarth]

I don't see how anyone could be surprised that Twilight is going to become an alicorn. Was this ever seriously in question?

Did not know this D:

But honestly to be it seems like setting hard rules for each of the species and just denying the fact that just a plain old Unicorn could be just as powerful as the Alicorn variety in terms of magic. Kind of setting up clear Castes for the species based on possibly a class system, in the modern day world that wouldn't sit well with many... Myself included  Given that I know NOTHING, about the hows and whys of this though I can't really comment accurately.

[Sabby]

Kind of setting up clear Castes for the species based on possibly a class system, in the modern day world that wouldn't sit well with many...

Oh, sure, they laughed at me when I said Ponyville was an indoctrinated theocracy...

[BraveEarth]

Well it is a Theocracy although that's all of Equestria. Atleast that's how the original myth in the first episode presented it.

[Chris Brady]

Oh, sure, they laughed at me when I said Ponyville was an indoctrinated theocracy...

It's a Theocracy built on respect, acceptance and friendship.  I don't know about you, but I'd love to live under that sort of rule.  I mean, she even accepts SKEPTICS and outsiders into her fold.

[Sabby]

Oh, yeah, love and respect. Happiness everywhere. Must be happy.

Must always be happy...

Don't worry Twilight. You'll come around eventually. They all do. They all become happy, or they go away. So smile Twilight. It's for your own good.

[Dhi]

I've always wondered what the king in He-Man was king of. Didn't the humans all pretty much live in a castle, with maybe a walled garden? She-Ra at least had towns and villagers, but He-Man was set in this endless Spaghetti Western of orange rock, populated by mutants Prince Adam seemed to be meeting for the first time. Most insular nobility ever.

I also didn't get how they were Masters of the Universe. They mostly seemed to cruise around looking for ugly guys to hassle.