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MLP:FIM S6E06 - "No Second Prances" - Grading & Discussion

Episode Grade

  • Total voters
    9
  • Poll closed .
A

Amaris

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Episode Title: "No Second Prances"
Air Date: April 30th, 11:00 AM Eastern Time (3:00 PM GMT/UTC)

Summary: "A new friendship forms between Starlight Glimmer and a fellow formerly bad pony, but Twilight disapproves."


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=-

Ruminations:
Trixie is returning! Not only that, but it seems that Starlight Glimmer will take a shine to her, but Twilight disapproves. This is going to be a great episode, I think, because we now get to see Twilight tested on the foundations of friendship. Can she watch as two former villain-type ponies form a bond of friendship between one another? We've seen villain and virtue (Flutters and Discord), but I don't recall ever seeing two reformed villains make amends with one another. Well, unless you count Luna and Discord, but I don't think Luna necessarily likes Discord, so I figure that one doesn't count. Anyway, I can't wait to see this episode, especially after having to wait that extra week to get the chance! To your cable/satellite or livestream channel! <bat signal sound>


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Is Trixie actually reformed? I don't remember that happen but then, I'm still not done with my rewatch of last season.

It could be a trick by Trixie to get back at Twilight. We'll see.
 
Count Zero said:
Is Trixie actually reformed? I don't remember that happen but then, I'm still not done with my rewatch of last season.

It could be a trick by Trixie to get back at Twilight. We'll see.
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Technically, she's "kinda" reformed. At the end of Magic Duel (S3E05) she apologized for her behavior towards Twilight, and then ran away in the most adorable way, so while she may not be wholly reformed, I guess she was kind of reformed, but we'll see this Saturday just how tenuous that reform was. :D
 
Celestia's expression says it all.

Nopony is even trying to determine why Starlight has that kind of power, letting her off the leash and letting her LITERALLY shove that power down other ponies throats to force them to do what she wants. And only starting to show the beginning of thinking it's wrong in a "do I have to?" kind of way.

And lets not linger on the fact Trixie was willing to commit suicide to prove a point over a matter of pride.

Their pushing the facial expression joke too far now, it was kind of funny two seasons ago, but some of them are way over the top in a scene breaking way this time.

I don't know, Starlight's the one reforming people and being used to make Twilight look bad, shoving her out of the main character slot of her own show, this is getting ridiculous now.
 
***SPOILERS***

This was an interesting episode. We get to see the first major speed bump in the Mentor/Student relationship. It's highlighted here when Starlight makes her first friend on her own. Instead of giving her some leeway to make mistakes and discover the friendship process for herself, Twilight tends to guide with a heavy hoof. She means well, but it's clear she, too, has some lessons to learn.

Starlight is still learning that just quickly doing something out of convenience doesn't always make for the best route. She's clearly used to her magic being the problem solver in every situation, when it isn't. Quickly setting the table without listening to Twilight's directive, making a cake from magic in order to please Mrs. Cake without seeing if she was okay with such an action, forcing Big Mac to speak so he could converse in a way she was accustomed. She means well, she really does, but she's just too quick to apply her own framework of friendship without letting it grow organically.

As for Trixie, I'm glad to see that while she's no longer trying to harm other ponies with her words or actions, her personality hasn't really changed all that much. She seems more dedicated to her stage magic, which is great, and we get some indicators of her motivations. Interestingly here, her favorite magician is Hoofdini, and she was inspired by him to get into stagecraft. I actually like that aspect of her personality coming through.

I like the budding friendship between Starlight and Trixie. They kind of rushed it a bit, IMO, because even as gregarious as I am, there's no way I'd trust a magical act I hadn't fully tested with someone I had just met, regardless of how talented they seemed.

I also wasn't too keen with the way Celestia behaved around Twilight. It's out of character for her to look upon her own ponies with what appeared to be boredom and disdain. She's there for a friendship lesson update, and we see Twilight's still getting the hang of it. So instead of making conversation with her citizens to pass the time (as best as one can and Celestia should be able to do this after thousands of years), she sits there with a bored, and frustrated expression on her face. That part struck a wrong note with me.

I'm glad Twilight managed to improve upon herself by showing Starlight that she was willing to trust her, and that she made a misstep in doubting Trixie's fledgling reformation. If we're really going to give someone a second chance and forgive them, we have to mean it, otherwise a deception like that leads to recrimination and betrayal later. That is a good lesson.

On a side note, we discovered that the only pony Angel truly adores openly is Starlight Glimmer.

So, for the message of the episode, Twilight learning a valuable lesson about trust, the fun and engaging Trixie, Starlight making a new friend on her own, Derpy being Derpy, and Cranky Doodle's hilarious question there at the end, I still give this episode an A. It would be an A- if we were using the more nuanced grading system, but an A nonetheless.

Chemahkuu said:
Celestia's expression says it all.

Nopony is even trying to determine why Starlight has that kind of power, letting her off the leash and letting her LITERALLY shove that power down other ponies throats to force them to do what she wants. And only starting to show the beginning of thinking it's wrong in a "do I have to?" kind of way.

And lets not linger on the fact Trixie was willing to commit suicide to prove a point over a matter of pride.

Their pushing the facial expression joke too far now, it was kind of funny two seasons ago, but some of them are way over the top in a scene breaking way this time.

I don't know, Starlight's the one reforming people and being used to make Twilight look bad, shoving her out of the main character slot of her own show, this is getting ridiculous now.
Click to expand...
I don't think Twilight's getting shoved out or made to look bad, so much as I think they're trying to build her up to something big this season. I could be wrong, I don't know, but I have that feeling, and have since the first episode of the season. Time will tell.

Also, I just realized that while everyone else has the color wheel type irises, Trixie's irises are smooth. Not sure if that means anything, I just find it interesting.
 
That and she only has one reflection bubble, not two. I don't know if that's a holdover from season 1 and they just imported her model into the rendering without any alterations. Her colour scheme and eyes were different in Magic Duel too.

I don't know, I just don't have a good feeling about where this is heading.
 
Chemahkuu said:
That and she only has one reflection bubble, not two. I don't know if that's a holdover from season 1 and they just imported her model into the rendering without any alterations. Her colour scheme and eyes were different in Magic Duel too.

I don't know, I just don't have a good feeling about where this is heading.
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This thought popped into my head earlier: Celestia's OOC moment seems indicative of a change in her, to some degree. She seems less outgoing, less diplomatic, and so on. I wonder if she plans on "retiring" and leaving Twilight in her place? It may sound far fetched, but it's just something I was thinking. It would be one heck of a way to end season six.
 
I think Celestia has something going on that we're not aware of yet. I can't say what that is... but there's something going on...
 
Peach Wookiee said:
I think Celestia has something going on that we're not aware of yet. I can't say what that is... but there's something going on...
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You think maybe something that's affecting her personally, or some kind of looming national crisis?
 
Peach Wookiee said:
My gut says personal crisis.
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Now I'm curious if this will lead anywhere. Next week's episode is about Rainbow Dash. Considering next week's events (don't read it if you don't want to be spoiled), it seems like they really are wrapping things up.
 
Lauren always wanted Twilight to succeed Celestia, that was changed with Twilight herself becoming Princess, Meghan wanted her to have her own Kingdom. It was worked into the opening of the first novel (Crystal Heart Spell) but a lot of that has been decanonised now mostly for Gilda and Trixie's part in it.

I think she was just annoyed that Twilight wasn't making enough progress and I agree. Starlight still makes light of enslaving ponies and barely acknowledges that removing their free will was or is a bad thing, continuing to do it months after being taken in.

Trixie was on her third chance, after showing no signs of remorse, well none that she didn't go back on moments later. She's my third favourite unicorn, but she's bad news, and Twilight's motivations were sound, she has Equestria to worry about, both of them were threats to it.

I hate that they tried to frame her badly yet again, and it's growing to be a theme from season 4 onwards. And to be honest, Celestia and Luna could drop the vague bullshit and just help, it's not like their are so many Alicorns for her to learn from.

She does need her own space, but everyone needs simple, plain help from time to time, which they don't do, instead endangering lives and letting things get too far. At first when we thought they were almost godlike and had a plan...maybe.

But now we know they're all just unicorns and pegasi with stunted emotional development and letting the Tree of Harmony actually dictate everything...it's not so great.

I'm not enjoying the mane6 getting sidelined to promote a character that is still extremely dangerous and no one is trying to keep that power under control.
 
Give a A for Trixie alone

So apparently the Princess Of Friendship is good as helping ponies make friends...with other ponies that loath her.

Plus: TFW, Trixie was basically--knowingly or unknowingly--attempting suicide by attempting the trick, that was impossible for her to do by herself, without Starlight
 
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Chemahkuu said:
Lauren always wanted Twilight to succeed Celestia, that was changed with Twilight herself becoming Princess, Meghan wanted her to have her own Kingdom. It was worked into the opening of the first novel (Crystal Heart Spell) but a lot of that has been decanonised now mostly for Gilda and Trixie's part in it.

I think she was just annoyed that Twilight wasn't making enough progress and I agree. Starlight still makes light of enslaving ponies and barely acknowledges that removing their free will was or is a bad thing, continuing to do it months after being taken in.

Trixie was on her third chance, after showing no signs of remorse, well none that she didn't go back on moments later. She's my third favourite unicorn, but she's bad news, and Twilight's motivations were sound, she has Equestria to worry about, both of them were threats to it.

I hate that they tried to frame her badly yet again, and it's growing to be a theme from season 4 onwards. And to be honest, Celestia and Luna could drop the vague bullshit and just help, it's not like their are so many Alicorns for her to learn from.

She does need her own space, but everyone needs simple, plain help from time to time, which they don't do, instead endangering lives and letting things get too far. At first when we thought they were almost godlike and had a plan...maybe.

But now we know they're all just unicorns and pegasi with stunted emotional development and letting the Tree of Harmony actually dictate everything...it's not so great.

I'm not enjoying the mane6 getting sidelined to promote a character that is still extremely dangerous and no one is trying to keep that power under control.
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I do think Starlight is trying to change, but she does get an awful lot of freedom considering her original stated goals.

SeerSGB said:
Give a A for Trixie alone

So apparently the Princess Of Friendship is good as helping ponies make friends...with other ponies that loath her.

Plus: TFW, Trixie was basically--knowingly or unknowingly--attempting suicide by attempting the trick, that was impossible for her to do by herself, without Starlight
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Yeah, that was a rather dark concept they had in there. Whether or not they meant it, it clearly came across as "my best friend is gone, I'm all alone, and let's do this suicidal trick I know I can't do."
 
Not the first time they've had that in cartoons. Remember that Tom and Jerry short... ended with "our girls dumped us for other guys, let's die together"?
ETA: A point about Starlight... she wasn't blasted with the Elements of Harmony like two others we know. She had to be coaxed. So that the seeds of darkness remain doesn't surprise me.
 
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Peach Wookiee said:
Not the first time they've had that in cartoons. Remember that Tom and Jerry short... ended with "our girls dumped us for other guys, let's die together"?
ETA: A point about Starlight... she wasn't blasted with the Elements of Harmony like two others we know. She had to be coaxed. So that the seeds of darkness remain doesn't surprise me.
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What interests me, um interestingly, is how I've come to really like Starlight Glimmer. Oh, she can't replace any of the Mane Six for me, but I do actually like her. She seems far more flawed and a bit more nuanced than previous villains. She's clearly strong in magic, which does irk me somewhat because I remember when Twilight doing these things was considered amazing and incredible, and Starlight's doing them is kind of passed over, and I would like them to address it. In fact, that may be the only lingering issue I have with Starlight which is, as @Chemahkuu points out, where the hell is this font of magic coming from?
 
Twilight even said that unicorns are only born with enough power for their talent. Twilight and Sunset are meant to be the only two born with that kind of power because their talent *is* magic. And it had to be nutured and grew over time, Twilight from overstudying and Sunset from reading from advanced texts before she was ready (according to the comics), both were given powerful spells to master.

Starlight, we're supposed to believe she has more power than Twilight or Cadance, Alicorns, without any training, in a way that is so carefree as to not need to think about it? that shouldn't even be bodily possible for a unicorn.

That's a massive plot point that somebody really needs to address soon.
 
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