As usual with my reviews, it will contain spoilers. Those of you who have not watched the episode yet, you have been warned.
The premise for this story is that Starlight Glimmer, vengeful after her defeat by Twilight and her friends, conjures a spell that could change Equestria?s history forever.
So, here we are, the season finale. And we start things off by having the episode make good on a concept that I have long hoped the series would explore more; time travel. Ever since it was introduced back in season two?s ?It?s About Time?, I have very much looked forward to the day when the show would explore this concept more. It?s a massive idea that this kind of power, to go into the past and even potentially alter the way things play out, was brought up only to be ignored in succeeding episodes. Although Twilight herself hoped to use it at the time to make a big change to the way things went for her, nobody else in the show ever commented on it or how big a deal it is, with the exception of Twilight?s own remark about it earlier this season. So yeah, right off the bat the episode gets a plus point for finally expanding on an issue that I?ve been waiting a long time for the series to get around to.
Actually, it?s funny now that I think about it, that we had TWO season finales both preceded by the same episode, ?It?s About Time?. First we had Cerberus? abandoning his post leading to Tirek?s escape last year, and now we have the introduction of time-travel being expanded upon THIS year. And to think, I actually thought the episode wasn?t that important at the time. Go figure.
Now, as those who?ve read my reviews before will know, I give massive props to any episode that is able to make the audience relate to the situation the characters are going through. This episode, sadly, doesn?t get that distinction since, as you?ve probably guessed, this sort of time-altering stuff just doesn?t happen in real life. Even so, the concept itself leads to a great deal of drama for Twilight and Spike to have to deal with. Having them see their world, their friends, altered in such a dramatic way, clearly has a profound impact on them, making them feel helpless or that they didn?t do enough to prevent it. Two-part episodes have always stood out to me because they were where the real stakes and drama of the show were put forward, and this episode is no exception. It?s one of those stories where, with every passing moment you wonder just how Twilight and Spike are going to get out of it, or even if it?s possible at all for the problem to be resolved. Now, obviously, from past experience, we know that everything will work out in the end, so the drama does get undercut somewhat, but even so, the journey to get there was nevertheless an engaging one.
And I think now is the ideal time to discuss the catalyst of these events. I am, of course, referring to our villain of the piece, Starlight Glimmer. This is the first time in the history of the show where we have a villain being the main driving force of both a season opener AND that same season?s finale. All throughout the four episodes she?s been in, she came across as incredibly unnerving to me, like you never knew just what she was capable of or even when she was going to snap and lash out at someone. Plus, the fact that she manages to do all this, arguably the most real damage any villain has ever done so far, AND while being a regular pony instead of some ancient monster like we usually get, actually manages to make her all the more intimidating. Because it?s actually an understandable fear for our heroines to have. That the biggest threat they?ve ever faced comes not from some strange magical beast from ancient days, but from one of their own kind.
In addition to that, Starlight has, perhaps, one of the most disturbingly realistic motivations for doing the things that she does. She?s not out for conquest like Tirek or Queen Chrysalis, or for self-amusement like Discord, or even out of a sense of feeling unappreciated like Luna was when she became Nightmare Moon. No, Starlight does all this, rewrites history itself and puts many people at risk in doing so, all because she was a person who thought she was wronged, and that someone else needed to suffer for it. That, perhaps, makes her one of the scariest villains we?ve seen thus far, because, as I?m sure we all know, people like that exist in real life. People who are so convinced that they are in the right in terms of their own ideology that they?ll do terrible things to get their way, especially if it means hurting those who?ve opposed them in the past. Plus, the fact that she, as many a keen-eyed fan has pointed out, been effectively stalking Twilight throughout the season to come up with this revenge, actually makes her even MORE unnerving as a character to me, which is saying a lot.
By the end of this whole thing, we finally get an explanation for why Starlight is the way she is, and what drove her to commit the kinds of crimes she did. Now, on the one hand, the idea of having one?s friends drift apart from you leading you to do bad things is an understandable one, and you can really feel just how upset Starlight was made to feel with the loss of her childhood companion. However, on the other hand, the resolution of her role as a villain, and her accepting friends, felt just the tiniest bit rushed. The performances certainly helped it along though, and I do believe that seeing the consequences of her actions would have had a big role in her turn-around, but even so, the fact that she so eagerly embraced having new friends in this manner by way of musical montage is something I?m still somewhat on the fence about. Regardless, if she returns in future episodes as a regular, perhaps my opinion on the matter will change.
As the episode makes clear, the prevention of Twilight?s friends becoming friends in the first place has disastrous consequences for how things play out for the rest of Equestria, and if there?s one big plus this episode has in its favour, it?s that they do a great job of showing us how terrible things become if those events change. As a fan of speculative storytelling, seeing these various what-if scenarios was truly interesting to see, from Sombra?s war to a world run by Nightmare Moon. If I had one real complaint about it, it?s that, by the end, they sort of rush the alternate futures. While Sombra, Chrysalis and Nightmare Moon?s futures were all somewhat fleshed out, others, like those of Tirek and Discord, were just throwaway moments that didn?t really get expanded upon. But, that?s small criticism when you compare it to the larger good this story does in showing just how bad things in this world are without Twilight and the others.
When it comes to songs, this week we get as very nicely-sung number right at the tail-end of the story, showcasing how Starlight has come to embrace the ideals of friendship and is trying to make amends for her past actions. It?s nice to listen to and, when coupled with the accompanying images, creates a sweet little moment for the final scene of the season. However, if I?m being honest, the song does suffer from having come immediately after last week?s episode, ?The Mane Attraction?. That episode, and the big song at its centre, ?I?m just a pony?, were tremendously impressive musical pieces that easily stand out as the best songs of the season. Having this one come after makes it seem like a downgrade. But, taken on it?s ow merits, it still sounds great, and having the entire singing cast involved in it is always a plus for any song as far as I?m concerned.
Onto the humour now, and, as you?ve probably expected, this episode is fairly light when it comes to jokes. But then, that?s to be expected. As I said earlier and in past reviews, two-part episodes have always mostly been about serious drama and putting our heroines in bad situations. Granted, there have been funny moments in such episodes before, like Pinkie?s antics back in ?The Crystal Empire?, but even so, stories like these are meant to be serious, not amusing. Because of this, there?s very little in the way of jokes I can really comment on, aside from a few brief moments involving Spike here and there. But then, that?s no real mark against the episode in any way. I like good serious stories when they?re given to me, even if they don?t make me laugh, and this one definitely hit it on the dead in that regard.
As for the moral of the story, two-part episodes have always been unique in terms of MLP stories in that, by-and-large, there is no real moral to be had. That?s not to say that there weren?t lessons there at all. After all, the season three opener had the idea of not having to everything yourself, or ?Canterlot Wedding?s? message of trusting your instincts. But even in spite of moments like those, they?ve been fairly minor compared to the real thrust of these two-parters, which is the adventure and the darker moments. This episode, likewise, may have something of a moral, about how you shouldn?t let friends drift apart, and that it?s better to try and make friends than shut them out, but again, it?s something that occurs right at the end, rather than feeling like it was a part of the whole thing. Even so, the lesson is a good one, and the performances between Twilight and Starlight really made you feel like this was a turning point for the latter, so kudos to that one.
So, how did the season finale fare overall? Well, given all the good things I?ve had to say about it, I think it?s safe to say that this is a good story. The drama really had an impact on me as I watched it, Twilight and Spike?s plight always kept me engaged, we have a very sinister villain to thwart throughout it all, and, aside from a few nit-picks here and there, the episode didn?t really falter in the slightest for me. This is a really high-quality story for them to have given us, and it?s clear they went all out with this concept of just how much things could change if a few events were tweaked in the past. The struggle felt real and seeing our heroines come out on top in the end always brings a smile to my face. So, overall, I?d say that this is just as good a two-parter as what we were given at the start of the season, and easily one of the best episodes of the year. It?s a fine way to end the season and I highly recommend you watch it.
Now then, since the finale is over and done with, it?s tradition at this point for me to discuss how I felt about the season overall, and there?s a lot I want to get covered here. First and foremost, there seems to be an overarching theme in this season of helping others whenever possible. Granted, that?s been a message given in many a past MLP episode, but with both the cutie map arc as well as helping others to learn of things like the true benefits of their cutie marks, there really does seem to be the feeling that this season, above all else, is about our main cast going beyond their usual lives to help others. In addition, the message of being able to get along with others, regardless of whatever differences we may have with them, is also prevalent, going all the way to the start of the season. Learning to embrace what makes you special and using that to help those around you, that?s something the show has sought to praise this year. And all of that culminated nicely in Twilight?s reconciliation with Starlight.
And speaking of the overall story arc of the season, that?s something I think falters a little. Now. I?ve made no secret of the fact that, as a fan of big story arcs, I?ve considered that of the cutie map to be a fairly weak one, at least when compared to the arc of the secret box last year. Now, to be fair, this arc had a strong start with the season opener and served pretty well at the end here, but even in spite of that, its infrequent use throughout the middle section of the season always bugged me. However, apart from that, what helped to bolster this season were the various interactions between not only the main cast but also with the new and recurring characters. As I mentioned earlier, there was a big push in this season to have the regular cast go out and help others, and this served to provide many moments of interesting interactions and character combos, like Rainbow reuniting with Gilda to serve as one example.
If I had to sum up the season in a single word however, it would probably be ?conclusion?. We had many instances here of various character arcs and story threads coming to a close, as well as a resolution of many things that have been left in the air for most of the series as a whole. The CMC finally getting their cutie marks. Rarity finally getting a shop in Canterlot. Twilight having finally moved past her initial awkwardness at being a princess, leading to her fully embracing the role. Luna confronting and coming to terms with her past crimes. And that?s just to name a few. If it wasn?t for the fact that I already knew that a sixth season was in the works, I?d easily suspect the MLP crew of engineering all this to bring the show to a definitive close. But, even if that wasn?t the case, it gave the season a sense of resolution that few other seasons have given me, making it feel all the more complete, even in the knowledge that there?s more to come.
But, now that I?ve discussed all that, there?s the obvious question of how I think this season ranks against those of the past. And here, I find myself in a difficult position. Because while I may offer more praise to one season or another for various reasons, I?ve always been of the opinion that no season is BETTER per se than any other. This season may have had its faults, but it more than made up for them with great character moments and some astonishingly good episodes, like ?Amending Fences?. If I had to truly rank it, I?d say that, overall, I felt that it was about on par with season four, though not QUITE as high. The fact that we had fewer individual character focus episodes than we did last year was a big drawback to me, as season four gave pretty much EVERYONE in the main and supporting cast a moment in the spotlight.
Still, that?s season five. It was good, even though I felt some things could have been done better. We got some great episodes, some amazing moments of character development, a memorable villain, some remarkable songs and an overall very good feel to it. Like I said, I know a sixth season is in the works, as well as a full on NON-Equestria-Girls MLP movie to arrive in the next year or two. And just like everything else beforehand, I look forward to watching and reviewing all that comes our way.
Thank you all for reading my reviews of this season, and I hope to be back to it when MLP returns to our screens next.
The premise for this story is that Starlight Glimmer, vengeful after her defeat by Twilight and her friends, conjures a spell that could change Equestria?s history forever.
So, here we are, the season finale. And we start things off by having the episode make good on a concept that I have long hoped the series would explore more; time travel. Ever since it was introduced back in season two?s ?It?s About Time?, I have very much looked forward to the day when the show would explore this concept more. It?s a massive idea that this kind of power, to go into the past and even potentially alter the way things play out, was brought up only to be ignored in succeeding episodes. Although Twilight herself hoped to use it at the time to make a big change to the way things went for her, nobody else in the show ever commented on it or how big a deal it is, with the exception of Twilight?s own remark about it earlier this season. So yeah, right off the bat the episode gets a plus point for finally expanding on an issue that I?ve been waiting a long time for the series to get around to.
Actually, it?s funny now that I think about it, that we had TWO season finales both preceded by the same episode, ?It?s About Time?. First we had Cerberus? abandoning his post leading to Tirek?s escape last year, and now we have the introduction of time-travel being expanded upon THIS year. And to think, I actually thought the episode wasn?t that important at the time. Go figure.
Now, as those who?ve read my reviews before will know, I give massive props to any episode that is able to make the audience relate to the situation the characters are going through. This episode, sadly, doesn?t get that distinction since, as you?ve probably guessed, this sort of time-altering stuff just doesn?t happen in real life. Even so, the concept itself leads to a great deal of drama for Twilight and Spike to have to deal with. Having them see their world, their friends, altered in such a dramatic way, clearly has a profound impact on them, making them feel helpless or that they didn?t do enough to prevent it. Two-part episodes have always stood out to me because they were where the real stakes and drama of the show were put forward, and this episode is no exception. It?s one of those stories where, with every passing moment you wonder just how Twilight and Spike are going to get out of it, or even if it?s possible at all for the problem to be resolved. Now, obviously, from past experience, we know that everything will work out in the end, so the drama does get undercut somewhat, but even so, the journey to get there was nevertheless an engaging one.
And I think now is the ideal time to discuss the catalyst of these events. I am, of course, referring to our villain of the piece, Starlight Glimmer. This is the first time in the history of the show where we have a villain being the main driving force of both a season opener AND that same season?s finale. All throughout the four episodes she?s been in, she came across as incredibly unnerving to me, like you never knew just what she was capable of or even when she was going to snap and lash out at someone. Plus, the fact that she manages to do all this, arguably the most real damage any villain has ever done so far, AND while being a regular pony instead of some ancient monster like we usually get, actually manages to make her all the more intimidating. Because it?s actually an understandable fear for our heroines to have. That the biggest threat they?ve ever faced comes not from some strange magical beast from ancient days, but from one of their own kind.
In addition to that, Starlight has, perhaps, one of the most disturbingly realistic motivations for doing the things that she does. She?s not out for conquest like Tirek or Queen Chrysalis, or for self-amusement like Discord, or even out of a sense of feeling unappreciated like Luna was when she became Nightmare Moon. No, Starlight does all this, rewrites history itself and puts many people at risk in doing so, all because she was a person who thought she was wronged, and that someone else needed to suffer for it. That, perhaps, makes her one of the scariest villains we?ve seen thus far, because, as I?m sure we all know, people like that exist in real life. People who are so convinced that they are in the right in terms of their own ideology that they?ll do terrible things to get their way, especially if it means hurting those who?ve opposed them in the past. Plus, the fact that she, as many a keen-eyed fan has pointed out, been effectively stalking Twilight throughout the season to come up with this revenge, actually makes her even MORE unnerving as a character to me, which is saying a lot.
By the end of this whole thing, we finally get an explanation for why Starlight is the way she is, and what drove her to commit the kinds of crimes she did. Now, on the one hand, the idea of having one?s friends drift apart from you leading you to do bad things is an understandable one, and you can really feel just how upset Starlight was made to feel with the loss of her childhood companion. However, on the other hand, the resolution of her role as a villain, and her accepting friends, felt just the tiniest bit rushed. The performances certainly helped it along though, and I do believe that seeing the consequences of her actions would have had a big role in her turn-around, but even so, the fact that she so eagerly embraced having new friends in this manner by way of musical montage is something I?m still somewhat on the fence about. Regardless, if she returns in future episodes as a regular, perhaps my opinion on the matter will change.
As the episode makes clear, the prevention of Twilight?s friends becoming friends in the first place has disastrous consequences for how things play out for the rest of Equestria, and if there?s one big plus this episode has in its favour, it?s that they do a great job of showing us how terrible things become if those events change. As a fan of speculative storytelling, seeing these various what-if scenarios was truly interesting to see, from Sombra?s war to a world run by Nightmare Moon. If I had one real complaint about it, it?s that, by the end, they sort of rush the alternate futures. While Sombra, Chrysalis and Nightmare Moon?s futures were all somewhat fleshed out, others, like those of Tirek and Discord, were just throwaway moments that didn?t really get expanded upon. But, that?s small criticism when you compare it to the larger good this story does in showing just how bad things in this world are without Twilight and the others.
When it comes to songs, this week we get as very nicely-sung number right at the tail-end of the story, showcasing how Starlight has come to embrace the ideals of friendship and is trying to make amends for her past actions. It?s nice to listen to and, when coupled with the accompanying images, creates a sweet little moment for the final scene of the season. However, if I?m being honest, the song does suffer from having come immediately after last week?s episode, ?The Mane Attraction?. That episode, and the big song at its centre, ?I?m just a pony?, were tremendously impressive musical pieces that easily stand out as the best songs of the season. Having this one come after makes it seem like a downgrade. But, taken on it?s ow merits, it still sounds great, and having the entire singing cast involved in it is always a plus for any song as far as I?m concerned.
Onto the humour now, and, as you?ve probably expected, this episode is fairly light when it comes to jokes. But then, that?s to be expected. As I said earlier and in past reviews, two-part episodes have always mostly been about serious drama and putting our heroines in bad situations. Granted, there have been funny moments in such episodes before, like Pinkie?s antics back in ?The Crystal Empire?, but even so, stories like these are meant to be serious, not amusing. Because of this, there?s very little in the way of jokes I can really comment on, aside from a few brief moments involving Spike here and there. But then, that?s no real mark against the episode in any way. I like good serious stories when they?re given to me, even if they don?t make me laugh, and this one definitely hit it on the dead in that regard.
As for the moral of the story, two-part episodes have always been unique in terms of MLP stories in that, by-and-large, there is no real moral to be had. That?s not to say that there weren?t lessons there at all. After all, the season three opener had the idea of not having to everything yourself, or ?Canterlot Wedding?s? message of trusting your instincts. But even in spite of moments like those, they?ve been fairly minor compared to the real thrust of these two-parters, which is the adventure and the darker moments. This episode, likewise, may have something of a moral, about how you shouldn?t let friends drift apart, and that it?s better to try and make friends than shut them out, but again, it?s something that occurs right at the end, rather than feeling like it was a part of the whole thing. Even so, the lesson is a good one, and the performances between Twilight and Starlight really made you feel like this was a turning point for the latter, so kudos to that one.
So, how did the season finale fare overall? Well, given all the good things I?ve had to say about it, I think it?s safe to say that this is a good story. The drama really had an impact on me as I watched it, Twilight and Spike?s plight always kept me engaged, we have a very sinister villain to thwart throughout it all, and, aside from a few nit-picks here and there, the episode didn?t really falter in the slightest for me. This is a really high-quality story for them to have given us, and it?s clear they went all out with this concept of just how much things could change if a few events were tweaked in the past. The struggle felt real and seeing our heroines come out on top in the end always brings a smile to my face. So, overall, I?d say that this is just as good a two-parter as what we were given at the start of the season, and easily one of the best episodes of the year. It?s a fine way to end the season and I highly recommend you watch it.
Now then, since the finale is over and done with, it?s tradition at this point for me to discuss how I felt about the season overall, and there?s a lot I want to get covered here. First and foremost, there seems to be an overarching theme in this season of helping others whenever possible. Granted, that?s been a message given in many a past MLP episode, but with both the cutie map arc as well as helping others to learn of things like the true benefits of their cutie marks, there really does seem to be the feeling that this season, above all else, is about our main cast going beyond their usual lives to help others. In addition, the message of being able to get along with others, regardless of whatever differences we may have with them, is also prevalent, going all the way to the start of the season. Learning to embrace what makes you special and using that to help those around you, that?s something the show has sought to praise this year. And all of that culminated nicely in Twilight?s reconciliation with Starlight.
And speaking of the overall story arc of the season, that?s something I think falters a little. Now. I?ve made no secret of the fact that, as a fan of big story arcs, I?ve considered that of the cutie map to be a fairly weak one, at least when compared to the arc of the secret box last year. Now, to be fair, this arc had a strong start with the season opener and served pretty well at the end here, but even in spite of that, its infrequent use throughout the middle section of the season always bugged me. However, apart from that, what helped to bolster this season were the various interactions between not only the main cast but also with the new and recurring characters. As I mentioned earlier, there was a big push in this season to have the regular cast go out and help others, and this served to provide many moments of interesting interactions and character combos, like Rainbow reuniting with Gilda to serve as one example.
If I had to sum up the season in a single word however, it would probably be ?conclusion?. We had many instances here of various character arcs and story threads coming to a close, as well as a resolution of many things that have been left in the air for most of the series as a whole. The CMC finally getting their cutie marks. Rarity finally getting a shop in Canterlot. Twilight having finally moved past her initial awkwardness at being a princess, leading to her fully embracing the role. Luna confronting and coming to terms with her past crimes. And that?s just to name a few. If it wasn?t for the fact that I already knew that a sixth season was in the works, I?d easily suspect the MLP crew of engineering all this to bring the show to a definitive close. But, even if that wasn?t the case, it gave the season a sense of resolution that few other seasons have given me, making it feel all the more complete, even in the knowledge that there?s more to come.
But, now that I?ve discussed all that, there?s the obvious question of how I think this season ranks against those of the past. And here, I find myself in a difficult position. Because while I may offer more praise to one season or another for various reasons, I?ve always been of the opinion that no season is BETTER per se than any other. This season may have had its faults, but it more than made up for them with great character moments and some astonishingly good episodes, like ?Amending Fences?. If I had to truly rank it, I?d say that, overall, I felt that it was about on par with season four, though not QUITE as high. The fact that we had fewer individual character focus episodes than we did last year was a big drawback to me, as season four gave pretty much EVERYONE in the main and supporting cast a moment in the spotlight.
Still, that?s season five. It was good, even though I felt some things could have been done better. We got some great episodes, some amazing moments of character development, a memorable villain, some remarkable songs and an overall very good feel to it. Like I said, I know a sixth season is in the works, as well as a full on NON-Equestria-Girls MLP movie to arrive in the next year or two. And just like everything else beforehand, I look forward to watching and reviewing all that comes our way.
Thank you all for reading my reviews of this season, and I hope to be back to it when MLP returns to our screens next.
