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Post by Applelight Limited on Jul 11, 2015 23:20:32 GMT
What do you all think of it so far?
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Post by japaneseteeth on Jul 11, 2015 23:52:45 GMT
So far pretty good. The premiere was strong, and most of the ones in between have been pretty good. The last two were both amazing.
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Post by Applelight Limited on Jul 12, 2015 0:32:10 GMT
I agree. I think the weakest one so far was either Princess Spike or the one in Applossa, and even they were OK.
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Post by japaneseteeth on Jul 12, 2015 3:28:51 GMT
Agreed. I had actually forgotten about the Appleoosa one. It was an alright episode but it really didn't make an impression like some of the others.
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Post by Applelight Limited on Jul 13, 2015 14:50:36 GMT
What I like most about this season is that it shows that even after five years they're still managing to keep the show fresh and interesting. So there's hope that pony will last for many years to come. The only thing about season five that's disappointing me is the fact that it's now half over.  |
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Post by Mezzaphor on Nov 18, 2015 18:46:24 GMT
Bumpage. Just a few episodes left in season 5, and I have a crazy theory.
This season, there's been something of a running theme of reminding Twilight that she's not as great as she thinks at this whole "friendship" thing. The Cutie Mark Map episodes (aside from the season opener) saw Twilight getting snubbed by the map. Then when she finally does get summoned, her expertise and preparations turn out to be useless, and she winds up playing second fiddle to Fluttershy. Also, "Amending Fences" is all about Twilight cleaning up the mess she made when she abandoned her Canterlot friends. And "What About Discord?" is all about rubbing in Twilight's face that she missed a bonding opportunity because she shut herself in the library for three days.
When I first noticed that pattern a few days ago, I wasn't sure if the writers were leading somewhere with it, or if they were just trying to give Twilight some character flaws. (Perhaps in response to the fans who complained that Princess Twilight was "too perfect" in season 4.) But then I noticed: every episode that fits into that pattern, also ties into the season opener. The Cutie Mark Map is the obvious connection for some of them. But the episodes without the Map, "Amending Fences" and "What About Discord?", are also the same episodes where Starlight Glimmer has cameos, spying on Twilight.
That can't be a coincidence, can it?
So, I'mma go out on a limb: in the season finale, Twilight Sparkle is going to have a crisis of faith and wonder if she's really qualified to be the Princess of Friendship. Starlight Glimmer will then take advantage of Twilight while she's vulnerable (heck, maybe she'll induce the crisis of faith in the first place with an Armor-Piercing Question).
And if the apparent spoiler from Friendship Games turns out to be true, and the season finale involves some kind of time loop, then Starlight's reason for creating the time loop is to change the past and prevent Twilight from ever becoming an alicorn. And the aforementioned crisis of faith will be Twilight's Darkest Hour, where she wonders if there's any point fighting to keep her wings.
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Post by Applelight Limited on Nov 18, 2015 19:44:09 GMT
Wow, that would be an awesome end to an awesome story arc. I've heard the rumours of time travel so this could very well be possible.
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Post by Mio on Nov 18, 2015 20:39:41 GMT
I admit that I haven't watched most of this past season, but haven't wringed all they can out of Twilight's character already? It just seems kind of weird to have yet another Twilight centeredn story arc, after her story has already reached it's end point(s).
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Post by japaneseteeth on Nov 19, 2015 1:30:50 GMT
@meta: That does make sense, and it would definitely tie Twilight's arc together. The main point against it is that it would be weird to have the episode be so Twilight-centric. I think it's much more likely that Starlight's plan is a bit more wide-ranged than just targeting Twilight. I think Starlight's plan is a bit bigger. Crushing Twilight's confidence might be an element of it, but I don't know if the plan would be built specifically around taking her out. There is a pretty common theory that Starlight's plan is to go back in time to prevent RD from performing her first Rainboom, thus keeping the rest of the cast from getting their marks.Mio: Thing is, it hasn't quite finished her story yet. She hasn't quite grown into the position yet, so it makes sense to address her issues with the role and see her fully come to terms with it. |
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Post by Mezzaphor on Nov 19, 2015 14:34:25 GMT
@meta: The main point against it is that it would be weird to have the episode be so Twilight-centric. The writers have had issues in the past with making the season premiers and finales too Twilight-centric. Thankfully, this season's opener seems to show the writers have moved beyond that. |
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Post by Mezzaphor on Nov 19, 2015 19:12:06 GMT
You know, Starlight Glimmer seemed to have some kind of plan for the mane six's cutie marks, back in the season opener. Makes me think that whatever she does in the finale, she doesn't just want to remove those marks—she wants to have the power represented by those marks for her own use.
So if we go with the popular theory that Starlight intends to prevent the original Sonic Rainboom... she also intends to harness all that Destiny (or whatever magic it was that insured the Sonic Rainboom gave cutie marks to all six of the future Bearers of the Elements of Harmony) for her own use.
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Post by japaneseteeth on Nov 20, 2015 1:52:10 GMT
That's why I think it would be weird to have it revolve around her at this point. The premier episodes were very much an ensemble thing, which would make it strange if the resolution focused primarily on her. I mean, yeah, her position as princess will be important, but not to the exclusion of the rest of the case. I guess we'll see when the episodes air.
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Post by Applelight Limited on Nov 30, 2015 18:26:57 GMT
So season five is over. What do we think?
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Post by japaneseteeth on Dec 1, 2015 1:14:57 GMT
Overall I'd say it's about on-par with the other seasons. It had a number weak episodes (Appleoosa's Most Wanted, Princess Spike, Party Pooped, Hooffields and Mccolts) but they're pretty much outweighed by the awesome stuff (Slice of Life, Amending Fences, Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep?, Scare Master, Crusaders of the Lost Mark, The Mane Attraction).
Not to mention the ridiculous amount of continuity that this season built up. I love that they went back and started addressing stuff that were original one-off events. My only gripe is that the ongoing to element of the map missions really never got followed up on; the finale just uses the Map as a plot device and the missions they went on are ultimately kind of irrelevant.
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Post by Applelight Limited on Dec 15, 2015 1:03:33 GMT
Is it weird that I actually want to hold back on watching the last five episodes until after Christmas? I know that we'll be in for a long pony drought so I want to hold onto it for as long as possible.
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