Chem, just don't. Some of us are watching right now.
ETA: Final grade, A+! Will go into more detail at the right time!
ETA: Final grade, A+! Will go into more detail at the right time!
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I was talking about your negative attitude, Chem. That was a couple of minutes into the episode and it's frustrating to me that you seem to be looking for something negative right out of the gate.
Sweet Luna on a tricycle!
That was AMAZING! I was not expecting anything quite like this, I am stunned. Damn. I know we're past the requisite spoiler time frame, but just to be safe:
Whew!
Seriously, I cannot get over how awesome that was. Now we begin the long, agonizing wait for season 5!
That was AMAZING! I was not expecting anything quite like this, I am stunned. Damn. I know we're past the requisite spoiler time frame, but just to be safe:
From the really cool song near the beginning (a Princess ensemble! That's a first. 
), to the seriously creepy, legitimately threatening new villain, to the fact that they took the lack of major developments for Twilight's Princess status and used that as a plot point (brilliant! They had a plan all along!), to the Discord stuff (now that HE'S been betrayed, maybe he understands friendship a little bit better), to the amazing battle (they REALLY took the gloves off for this one! Level 55 Alicorn combat mage vs. the devil, more or less), to using the Tree of Harmony again, to Twilight getting her own castle (a tree castle!), to another really catchy song to close it out.
), to the seriously creepy, legitimately threatening new villain, to the fact that they took the lack of major developments for Twilight's Princess status and used that as a plot point (brilliant! They had a plan all along!), to the Discord stuff (now that HE'S been betrayed, maybe he understands friendship a little bit better), to the amazing battle (they REALLY took the gloves off for this one! Level 55 Alicorn combat mage vs. the devil, more or less), to using the Tree of Harmony again, to Twilight getting her own castle (a tree castle!), to another really catchy song to close it out.Whew!
Seriously, I cannot get over how awesome that was. Now we begin the long, agonizing wait for season 5!
A+
Twilight Sparkle PONY OF STEEL!
Twilight Sparkle PONY OF STEEL!
Pretty much everything Saito said for me too. Just want to add that
Like I said, Saito said pretty much everything I wanted to, but I also was a little afraid we'd invert the Star Trek movie formula, with the even season-enders being eh and the odd ones being great since that was my take with the first three. But I was overjoyed at how this one turned out and I very very much look forward to S5.
The ep gains a very easy A+ from me.
Discord's reformation in this ep specifically makes me think of a much less cynical take on Megatron at the end of the Predaking movie. "Now that I have experienced true tyranny, I find have lost my taste for it" or something thereabouts. Also Dashie's super form made me think very much of an 80's hair band star.
The ep gains a very easy A+ from me.
They really went all out in the final act. Very impressive - as was the solution the, ahem, problem.
Other than the rather odd art style shift to anime in the battle and the slightly too blatant toy commercial ending, that was alot better than many of the previous few episodes.
Nothing's going to beat the season 2 finale but this one was adequate for what they started out with.
Just:
On the other hand, the story itself and JDL's acting finally sold me on Discord's reformation, in that they made it clearer that it didn't really take hold fully until now. One of the main problems with KCaFO being that it seemed too quick.
Although canonising "that" character opens a whole can of worms about what else from that movie is also canon.
Nothing's going to beat the season 2 finale but this one was adequate for what they started out with.
Just:
The library, really don't like that it's gone and we have the buy-me-now castle playset in it's place.
On the other hand, the story itself and JDL's acting finally sold me on Discord's reformation, in that they made it clearer that it didn't really take hold fully until now. One of the main problems with KCaFO being that it seemed too quick.
Although canonising "that" character opens a whole can of worms about what else from that movie is also canon.
This isn't the first time he's appeared. You do know that, right? He's shown up in the comics, too. Like it or not, Flash exists in the FiM world and has for a WHILE now actually. If they were going to bring anything else in, I'm pretty sure they would have by now.
EDIT: Just looked it up and realized you meant a movie from 19 frigging '84. So I'm done, I'm not gonna bother with this "discussion" further.
A
Amaris
Guest
SWEET MOTHER OF CELESTIA, THAT WAS EPIC!
It felt like a movie! It was awesome! It was so *yay* awesome! THAT IS HOW YOU END A BUCKING SEASON!
A+!
THERE AREN'T ENOUGH A's!
It felt like a movie! It was awesome! It was so *yay* awesome! THAT IS HOW YOU END A BUCKING SEASON!
A+!
THERE AREN'T ENOUGH A's!
A
Amaris
Guest
I'm still processing it all. There was just SO MUCH that was put into that finale. It was fantastic! It is now, hooves down, the best finale yet, IMO.
Agreed! It's tough for me because I think the Gala and MMC are both excellent (Canterlot Wedding is really well done in some ways, and I still find it fun to watch overall, but I do have some serious issues with it that keep it below the other two). But I have to say, this eclipsed them - it's definitely the best finale, and is also a serious contender for being the best of all the "adventure"-type episodes so far, too.
A
Amaris
Guest
The finale felt so Disney-esque. I mean, Canterlot Wedding had a Disney feel, but in some places it didn't work. On the flipside, this finale was just, I mean, damn. Super powerful villain, several great musical numbers, top notch animation, and just great execution. I'm just now coming down from the excitement of seeing it, and I may just watch it one more time, so that I can catch things that I know I missed the first time around.
A
Amaris
Guest
*** THERE BE SPOILERS HERE! ***
Now that I have had time to process everything, I have to say I am immensely pleased with how this finale turned out. The story moved swiftly, and managed to cram so much story and action into 44 minutes. We get to see so many great moments with our beloved Mane Six. It's clear how strong the bonds are between them, and how close they are to one another. The villain, Tirek, is probably the best evil type villain yet. He doesn't just threaten to destroy things, he destroys things. He doesn't just offer a villainous speech, he gets *yay* done without hesitation. There are no long winded speeches, just straight up evil, and he delights in it. He's the anti-friendship. Unlike Chrysalis, or even Discord, it is unlikely that Tirek can be reached with the magic of friendship to change him. His own brother tried to save him, and Tirek took him out. Tirek actually thrives on the void of friendship, so I doubt he'll be reformed in the future.
What was pleasant was seeing Discord finally, and truly, discover the magic of friendship. I had my doubts that he had fully reformed; a trickster god reforming after thousands of years of imprisonment and plying his trade? Certainly not. While he obviously adores Fluttershy, that's all that was holding him to his word. When he felt that he could break free of his reformation, and truly be chaotic again, he turned on them, and the great thing was it wasn't just Fluttershy who brought him back around, but Twilight! So now he has two ponies willing to extend him friendship, and it finally takes root. Knowing Fluttershy, they were having tea and cucumber sandwiches by the next day.
I'm glad Discord learned his lesson. There's no rule that says you can't be chaos, and still have good friends.
Now, on to the big one: the battle. Holy Super Saiyan Goku, Batman, the whole battle sequence between Twilight and Tirek was amazing! I mean, Tirek was powerful! Really powerful! Not just a "beam of energy zapping Celestia and knocking her out powerful," but "magic stealing, civilization destroying, mountain cracking, library exploding in a giant fireball" powerful! The key to Tirek was that he was also truly malevolent. He wasn't like Chrysalis, who was more vain and narcissistic than evil, or Discord who was more unchecked chaos than evil, or even Sombra, who, while malevolent, lacked just about everything else in a villain. No, Tirek was evil, he was malevolent, and he wasn't stupid. He didn't fall for all of the classic tricks most villains fall for, he was actively thinking, actively plotting, and actively destroying everything he laid his hands upon.
I'm establishing this because of the next item on my awesome list, which is: Princess Twilight Sparkle beat the tee-total buck out of him. Before she got her rainbow revelation, before she traded off her magic for her friends lives, she was laying the smackdown on Tirek. Here we have Twilight Sparkle, filled with alicorn magic, and she is handling it like a boss. Back when I was in high school, we would have said, "she got game!" She was all over that guy, and gave as good as she got. I was so glad to see that, because it leaves no doubt to the notion that pretty, sweet, bookish, purple, Princess Twilight Sparkle is a badass motherbucker, and if you mess with her friends, she will buck you up. I am so glad that Twilight got to show her true self, her deep down confident and capable self. No longer did she go into battle worried and doubtful; she went into this battle to take down the enemy, and she did it with grace under pressure.
That whole scene floored me. I've gone back and watched it half a dozen times. The writers, animators, producers of the show went all out to make this finale epic, and they did. They really did.
Speaking of flooring me, those movie elements really helped, as well. The animation was smooth, and fluid. The scene transitions were cinematic, and the music was flawlessly epic when it needed to be, and subtle and moving when it needed to be. It felt like an actual pony pony movie, more than any previous finale, and that includes A Canterlot Wedding which came really close.
Now, I've seen some complaints, mostly on EqD, that this was fanservice, and I cannot agree with that assessment. This plotline has been in the works for some time, at least since season two, and even disregarding that, I cannot agree because it takes away the point of the show: that girls can like fun, engaging, action packed shows, too. So it has a battle between an alicorn princess and a magic stealing villain, where destruction and mayhem ensue? Why is that only for us, the bronies? Why can't it be for the little girls who also like to watch Transformers, Ninja Turtles, Batman, and DragonballZ? This isn't fanservice, this is fun, action packed, adventure stories! This is what Lauren wanted in the first place! Something that girls could enjoy without having to cater solely to pretty frilly tea parties, and talking about cute boys.
And now I can't wait for season 5. I have no idea what's in store, but DHX, and all the people behind MLP have really upped the ante, and I can't wait to see what's next for our beloved ponies.
A few fun points of interest for the finale:
* Spike is worst motivational speaker.
* Applejack is worst motivational speaker critic (I laughed for ten minutes after she bonked Spike in the back of the head).
* Discord Poppins!
* Pinkie Pie abuses rubber chickens.
* Discord made Fluttershy cry! You bastard!
* Super Saiyan Twilight Sparkle.
* Twily beating the shit out of Tirek like a boss.
* Hooray, Derpy's okay!
* Spike has best mini-throne
So, as I said before, I give the finale an A+. The episode is so filled with lore, I may just recommend it to people who are new to the show, so that they can dive right in. It has everything, and I just can't thank Meghan, and everyone else, enough for all of the hard work they put into this. Meghan said it was going to be epic. She laid the groundwork for something great, and I think she was right; I think it paid off.
Fantastic!
Now that I have had time to process everything, I have to say I am immensely pleased with how this finale turned out. The story moved swiftly, and managed to cram so much story and action into 44 minutes. We get to see so many great moments with our beloved Mane Six. It's clear how strong the bonds are between them, and how close they are to one another. The villain, Tirek, is probably the best evil type villain yet. He doesn't just threaten to destroy things, he destroys things. He doesn't just offer a villainous speech, he gets *yay* done without hesitation. There are no long winded speeches, just straight up evil, and he delights in it. He's the anti-friendship. Unlike Chrysalis, or even Discord, it is unlikely that Tirek can be reached with the magic of friendship to change him. His own brother tried to save him, and Tirek took him out. Tirek actually thrives on the void of friendship, so I doubt he'll be reformed in the future.
What was pleasant was seeing Discord finally, and truly, discover the magic of friendship. I had my doubts that he had fully reformed; a trickster god reforming after thousands of years of imprisonment and plying his trade? Certainly not. While he obviously adores Fluttershy, that's all that was holding him to his word. When he felt that he could break free of his reformation, and truly be chaotic again, he turned on them, and the great thing was it wasn't just Fluttershy who brought him back around, but Twilight! So now he has two ponies willing to extend him friendship, and it finally takes root. Knowing Fluttershy, they were having tea and cucumber sandwiches by the next day.
I'm glad Discord learned his lesson. There's no rule that says you can't be chaos, and still have good friends.
Now, on to the big one: the battle. Holy Super Saiyan Goku, Batman, the whole battle sequence between Twilight and Tirek was amazing! I mean, Tirek was powerful! Really powerful! Not just a "beam of energy zapping Celestia and knocking her out powerful," but "magic stealing, civilization destroying, mountain cracking, library exploding in a giant fireball" powerful! The key to Tirek was that he was also truly malevolent. He wasn't like Chrysalis, who was more vain and narcissistic than evil, or Discord who was more unchecked chaos than evil, or even Sombra, who, while malevolent, lacked just about everything else in a villain. No, Tirek was evil, he was malevolent, and he wasn't stupid. He didn't fall for all of the classic tricks most villains fall for, he was actively thinking, actively plotting, and actively destroying everything he laid his hands upon.
I'm establishing this because of the next item on my awesome list, which is: Princess Twilight Sparkle beat the tee-total buck out of him. Before she got her rainbow revelation, before she traded off her magic for her friends lives, she was laying the smackdown on Tirek. Here we have Twilight Sparkle, filled with alicorn magic, and she is handling it like a boss. Back when I was in high school, we would have said, "she got game!" She was all over that guy, and gave as good as she got. I was so glad to see that, because it leaves no doubt to the notion that pretty, sweet, bookish, purple, Princess Twilight Sparkle is a badass motherbucker, and if you mess with her friends, she will buck you up. I am so glad that Twilight got to show her true self, her deep down confident and capable self. No longer did she go into battle worried and doubtful; she went into this battle to take down the enemy, and she did it with grace under pressure.
That whole scene floored me. I've gone back and watched it half a dozen times. The writers, animators, producers of the show went all out to make this finale epic, and they did. They really did.
Speaking of flooring me, those movie elements really helped, as well. The animation was smooth, and fluid. The scene transitions were cinematic, and the music was flawlessly epic when it needed to be, and subtle and moving when it needed to be. It felt like an actual pony pony movie, more than any previous finale, and that includes A Canterlot Wedding which came really close.
Now, I've seen some complaints, mostly on EqD, that this was fanservice, and I cannot agree with that assessment. This plotline has been in the works for some time, at least since season two, and even disregarding that, I cannot agree because it takes away the point of the show: that girls can like fun, engaging, action packed shows, too. So it has a battle between an alicorn princess and a magic stealing villain, where destruction and mayhem ensue? Why is that only for us, the bronies? Why can't it be for the little girls who also like to watch Transformers, Ninja Turtles, Batman, and DragonballZ? This isn't fanservice, this is fun, action packed, adventure stories! This is what Lauren wanted in the first place! Something that girls could enjoy without having to cater solely to pretty frilly tea parties, and talking about cute boys.
And now I can't wait for season 5. I have no idea what's in store, but DHX, and all the people behind MLP have really upped the ante, and I can't wait to see what's next for our beloved ponies.
A few fun points of interest for the finale:
* Spike is worst motivational speaker.
* Applejack is worst motivational speaker critic (I laughed for ten minutes after she bonked Spike in the back of the head).
* Discord Poppins!
* Pinkie Pie abuses rubber chickens.
* Discord made Fluttershy cry! You bastard!
* Super Saiyan Twilight Sparkle.
* Twily beating the shit out of Tirek like a boss.
* Hooray, Derpy's okay!
* Spike has best mini-throne
So, as I said before, I give the finale an A+. The episode is so filled with lore, I may just recommend it to people who are new to the show, so that they can dive right in. It has everything, and I just can't thank Meghan, and everyone else, enough for all of the hard work they put into this. Meghan said it was going to be epic. She laid the groundwork for something great, and I think she was right; I think it paid off.
Fantastic!
I would absolutely not recommend this to anyone new. You really wouldn't get anywhere near what we did without watching Twilight grow into the character we seein this episode.
Other than that, 1000% agreed with your post, J. Personally I was thinking "Augh no what are you dooiiiiing" when Twilight gave up her magic because I just thought "oh my god this is one of the oldest tricks in literally every villain playbook", but it ended up working out pretty well in the end.
Especially for Dashie and her 80s mane.
Other than that, 1000% agreed with your post, J. Personally I was thinking "Augh no what are you dooiiiiing" when Twilight gave up her magic because I just thought "oh my god this is one of the oldest tricks in literally every villain playbook", but it ended up working out pretty well in the end.
Especially for Dashie and her 80s mane.
It's nice to hear them all. And Nicole Oliver as Celestia as well. We've heard Cadance singing before, and while we haven't heard Luna herself, we've heard Kazumi Evans as Rarity before. To hear them together is amazing. 
