I'm going to try something a bit different with my followup this time. Usually when I end up doing one (that isn't Trixie focused), it's because whoever called it at the start of the season is unable to spend the insane amount of time it takes to do these due to real life popping it's ugly, pony hating head. This almost always means it's 1:00 AM when I find out, and I end up barrelling in half asleep blinded by Cheerilee cheerleading or something else completely ridiculous.
I apologize for that.
As I sit here to write this at 2 AM, I'm going to go a slightly different direction. Mixed in with the usual inability to control my impulsive need to CELEBRATE whatever pony I'm into at the moment, I'm going to mix some serious bits in. I have a lot of opinions about Twilight and Starlight!
Anyway, followup time. Get the usual reference call-outs, as well as some SERIOUS BUSINESS below.
SWEEP SWEEP SWEEP SWEEP
I've been wanting to 3AM that all day, and here I am suddenly with episode followup duties instead! Perfect~
Now that that's out of the way...
Serious mode activate (y2k ed.)
I can't deny it, I miss normal nerdy flawed Twi. Her wings have changed her in a way that I can't really connect with as well anymore. She has a new set of positives now sure, but the void she left in her transition was pretty jarring. I was losing hope. I'd binge watch Rick and Morty dreaming of a time when Twilight was unicorning around Ponyville poking things with her curious little horn.
But then Starlight happened. She brought back that missing magic focused, snarky, and flawed pony that a lot of us loved back in season one and two. I kind of get the feeling that this is what Twilight would have ended up as if she didn't focus on friendship. If we laid it out on a big old spectrum of possible pre-alicorn outcomes, Sunset would be at the top in the overly ambitious side, Moondancer would be down in the 100% nerd mode side, and Glimmer would be the potential Starswirl replacing archmage somewhere in the middle.
That's not how things turned out though. Wings sprouted, and destiny changed, replacing arcane experimentation for duties. She's off princessatizing the world with her important alicornyness and ain't got time for them spell buildings anymore unless said duties require it.
That's where Glimmer comes in. She brings back that FOR SCIENCE feel original Twilight had. The one that seemed more interested in playing with wild, uncasted magic and analyzing the radical results than flying around fixing arguments.
In a way, she's even more fun than her predecessor when it comes to sheer excitement in magic. If you have ever played Dungeons and Dragons or know about the alignment system, I'd almost consider Glimmer to be the chaotic good to early Twilight's Lawful good. There is an aura of gleeful arrogance as she charges ahead, freely casting without really fully thinking about the consequences. Twilight had some caution while Glim throws it out the window for PROGRESS!
It's really entertaining to see her combining a pile of spells without any sort of testing in an almost "I know this is probably wrong but I want to see what happens anyway!" style. She goes from freaking out at the pressure of entertaining to being completely absorbed in her grand idea for fun new spell to try out on her unsuspecting freinds. The excitement she gives off while doing it is almost contagious. She becomes a wildcard, and I think that is something Friendship is Magic desperately needs with how predictable the plot of each episode tends to be.
I love that about her, and really look forward to where it takes us in future episodes.
That, and she's secretly Captain America.
ALSO TRIXIE
Moving on...
Someone who always accidentally leaks things to me out of excitement (usually Trixie related) told me this episode would have bats. He said Starlight and Twilight would teleport and meet an entire race of them briefly while acting as ambassadors. I was all ready to change EQD's banner for the occasion, with a bunch of celebratory bat pony vectors downloaded and ready to go in order to usher in our new blood drinking, mango eating overlords. It was going to be an incredible banner. A banner for the ages. One that would put all previous banners to shame. My hype level was off the charts, yet I couldn't say a thing and kept my mouth shut for months.
Said leaker has been officially expunged from my friend list as of 1 minute past the episodes completion yesterday. "Bat Ambassadors?" Really? MONTHS I spent ready for BAT MARES in BAT SOCIETY doing silly BAT THINGS. Instead I got... just bats... You monster.
Remember way back in season 1 when Pinkie Pie said something about eating hot dogs? Were you around for the flood if GRIMDARK that followed? We can finally kill off all those terrible fanfics about her carnivorous, pony hotdog making ways thanks to the reveal of an Equestrian hot dog 5 seasons later!
I love the new spell names they are using this episode. Very Harry Potter-esque. It makes me want that rumored side series about Luna's School for Gifted Unicorns even more. Or maybe a Starglimmer the Unbearded thing. She would make such an amazing castle archmage. I can't wait to see the tower explosions and weird mutations she comes up with~
Is someone going to remix Pinkie's new cake song? Should we run an event on it and see how many terrible entries we get?
Looking back at the episodes this season, I'm 90% sure the animators have a contest going for who can make the most ridiculous, ugly face possible. I'm definitely doing a top 10 of those at the end of the season. Totally not for any form of clickbait because that's all most of you will read, nope.
I have an aunt who is literally Applejack in this episode. Every time a family gathering happens, the photo albums come out and it's 3 hours of history time, followed by 20 minutes of embarrassment as the terrifying baby pictures of everyone in attendance start to flow. Usually the hope is she's too drunk to get to that section before it happens. Unfortunately this has happened so many times that she has built up an almost inhuman tolerance. Old people~
On a side note, have we ever heard ponies use "Moons" to describe time before? I wonder what a "Moon" is considered in Equestrian time? Isn't the moon always full? I always thought that timetable was either every full moon or every full moon cycle.
I've watched this scene so many times. Glim has a certain personality that pops out when she's about to do something slightly evil and I love it every single time. "Everypony wins!" as she lobs her mysterious spell concoction at her 5 besties is just so chaos-glam.
She likes to act all innocent to convince her inner new-glim that she has changed, but deep down, she knows exactly what she just did.
Is there any vocal style Tabitha can't nail? I'm leaning toward Rarity and Fluttershy for best mind-controlled versions.
I feel kind of bad for Applejack after the single sentence command is set. There is a moment or two reaction where her inner stubborn pony is demanding to refute it, but all she can do is "humh..." Poor Apples.
That deadpan "They ran away" had me laughing. She's adorable even when she has no personality.
Obligatory crazy cat mare. Or whatever "lady" is for horses.
Do we have a name for this beastie yet?
[Glimmerbetes intensifies]
Rarity's stomp is right up there next to Glimmerbetes too. So cute and stompy.
Would you still love Fluttershy even if she walked into your house covered in snakes, centipedes, spiders, and whatever those red things are? Would you help her clean them out of her mane and tail while preserving them in your kitchen as a new home? These are the sacrifices you must make if you plan to waifu Fluttershy.
Am I a bad person for really loving these expressions despite the complete lack of awareness at the possibility of drowning?
Wet manes
The fact that she is more concerned with the spell failing than how much damage she caused is why I love me some chaotic archmage Glimglam! <3 p="">3>
<3 p="">
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STAHP
I like how Pinkie's physics don't even register with me anymore. I screencapped this for that excellent look Rarity is sporting, and ended up with a pancake pony.
Hey
Hey Dash
Maybe you should...
Chillax?
Fluttershy tier cute
That being said, it doesn't matter how diabetes inducing you are. The second I see a spider being rescued and returned to my wall is the second you get EVICTED.
[Tail Censor]
It wouldn't be a followup without at least one conveniently capped image that I get angry emails for commenting on.
Blah blah friendship lesson ect. ect. you know the drill
Overall I loved this episode. The mind controlled mane 6 were excellent, the new spell names add more of them lore layers, and It took the Starlight fan in me and turned me into an even bigger Starlight fan. I genuinely think she was their answer to having to cannibalize some of Twilight's old ways for the sake of making her more princessy. Starlight is everything I ever wanted in a slightly crazy SCIENCE level pony wizard, and easily a candidate for the path Twilight was originally going to follow. The fact that she's best friends with Trixie is a HUGE BONUS!
Final Verdict:
Glim/Glam
Note: I know some of you dislike Glim and I respect that. She has been a pretty polarizing pony if the swarm of comments on any given Starlight teaser are any indication. Hopefully she grows on you by the finale, and please don't hate me!