My Little Pony

[Zixinus]

Also: NO GOLD FUR U!1!1!1!

I have heard rumors about the whole Cadence/Shining Armor thing may be a season ending/new season beginning. I think it may be a season ending thing, it would fit with what we saw so far: a problem in the beginning of the season and a big event that the season was building up to at the end of it.

[Bright]

Also: NO GOLD FUR U!1!1!1!

I have heard rumors about the whole Cadence/Shining Armor thing may be a season ending/new season beginning. I think it may be a season ending thing, it would fit with what we saw so far: a problem in the beginning of the season and a big event that the season was building up to at the end of it.

That would also explain why we're supposed to "watch out for" episodes 27/28 at the end of this season. They completed the Cadence episode later on, for season 3, but transferred them to the end of season 2 for some reason. That's my theory anyway.

[Zixinus]

Maybe the end of the season will cause a conflict for the beginning of the next season?

[Irbis]

Maybe the end of the season will cause a conflict for the beginning of the next season?

Wasn't beginning of this season (when they actually wrote episodes) marked with leadership shift and uncertainty about third season? I honestly doubt that, I'd expect S2e26 to be standard season closing, with conflict (if any) being in summer special (that rumoured Cadence thing). But even then, not really.

[Bright]

New episode announcement:

http://ponyleaks.yoursiblings.org/2012/ ... 02e20.html

This is intriguing. I could see this episode being amazing as long as it doesn't end up too similar to Lesson Zero.

[Revy]

Yes! A Twilight episode! I was worried we weren't going to get any more for her. I wonder what the warning will be.

[Crazedwraith]

Hmm. Watched the hearts and hooves episode. A bit meh. Nothing really wrong with it but it wasn't stand out either. Also lowest screentime for mane six of any episode?

Have they changed Sweetie Belle's singing voice?

Was surprised Scootaloo was so down with Hearts & Hooves and the romance plot. She's previously been very against the mushy stuff like in Cutie Mark Chronicles.

[Zixinus]

She's still a girl.

Am I the only one who noticed the rope in the cold opening? That later disappeared?

I have no idea what it was. Maybe a swing?

[SpaceMarine93]

So, with Season 3 approaching, everyone's wondering what the new Season 3 opener would be about.

How about we think about how it SHOULD go?

Here's what I am wondering; what kind of villain/catastrophe do we need to start Season 3 off with a bang? How would the relationship between the Mane cast be threatened by it and how they would eventually come back together? Just what kind of episode?

Maybe they should introduce a villain in the form of a MLP FIM version of Tirek, or whatever evil they keep mentioning that possessed Luna and turned her into Nightmare Moon a thousand years ago. Perhaps the plot could had something to do with Princess Cadence?

Any ideas anypony?

[Rossum]

Watched the new episode, and I gotta say I liked the song or and how adorable the CMC were during it. Seriously, the first few seconds of that song has the CMC at maximum adorableness and right before they go into the "This one's too young, this one's too old." bit you can see all three off the crusaders ROCKET through the town for about a split second. Its like the first seconds are them being sweet little fillies and then for one split second before they get into the song you get a birds eye view of how hyper they can be.

I dunno, its just little split-second things that I like about this show. Like how Twilight adjusted her hat during Luna Eclipsed or when Rarity pushed a kitchen sink off to the side in Suited for Success.

I also liked how they called the Love Potion a poison once they figured out its negative effect, in real life things like medicines or poisons are only really differentiated by things like dosage or how they are used. One could suppose that the Love Poison could be used in a beneficial way if the participants were consenting and it was used by somebody who knew what they were doing. Still, kind of irresponsible for Twilight to just hand out recipes for that stuff to little fillies.


Oh, as for the new villain:

Narrator: Once upon a time in the land of Equestria,
Dark Demon Lord Grimdark came to kidnap Celestia.
The evil lord of torment appeared and sad...

Grimdark: NOOOO!! *gets blasted by the Elements of Harmony*

Pinkie: That's right! Haha, now everythings fine!

Twilight: We were prepared and beat that guy just in time.

Celestia: But his commanders are still out there, causing trouble and stuff.

Rainbow: So lets beat up those jerks and say enough is enough!


Cue a two-parter where the big bad is introduced and defeated in the opening intro. Then they spend the rest of the first episode tracking down his underling. Then the second episode involves one the underlings planning something like reviving the big bad or unleashing something like the Schmooze (cuz nothing can stop the Schmooze!) and the mane six have to stop him. Might be a decent mix-up from the previous two cases where the bad guys basically win the second they show up.

(Oh, and the above little song thing was inspired by the Duane and Brando song for Zelda II where it shows Gannon getting defeated in the first few seconds.)

[Revy]

The fanfic I wrote had Twilight turn evil. Evil Twilight was fun to write, and I think she'd make a great villain (I had her declare herself queen and make Discord into a chocolate milk fountain that she taunted daily). We know she has a lot of magical power, and her being the villain would make a more personal conflict than some completely new threat. They wouldn't be able to use the Elements against her (presumably) and she'd know all of her friends weaknesses and insecurities. Despite that there'd be the potential for her to be saved by the magic of friendship if her friends can somehow 'get through' to her and snap her out of it.

The other thing I think would be great to explore would be that evil/crazy Twilight would be like the opposite to Discord. Instead of pure chaos, imagine being ruled by someone obsessed with order, check lists, timeliness and organisation. Everypony will follow the rules or they will be punished! Everypony will be on time! Tardiness will not be tolerated! You will be assigned a task and you will carry it out efficiently! *eyetwitch*

Failing that, maybe an intelligent Windigo with an evil personality? Conflict, eternal winter etc.

[evilsoup]

Why in the wide wide world of Equestria would Twilight turn evil?

Well the next episode is going to involve Spoiler

time travel, so maybe they can do something with that at the beginning of the next season... say, have the mane cast go back in time and end up helping a young princess Celestia defeat xyz time travelling baddie. Oh, and have the whole thing be the CMCs fault.

[Crazedwraith]

In that case, I'd much rather see the reverse scenario.Spoiler

The Mane Six battling a time travelling villain from the future. To be aided by the adult Cutie Mark Crusaders New Mane Trio who have also travelled back in time. Fanwank, yes, but it'd be awesome fanwank

[Revy]

Why in the wide wide world of Equestria would Twilight turn evil?

In the story I wrote she was possessed by a gem imbued with the same dark magic powering Nightmare Moon. If they wanted to do it in the show, I imagine it'd be a good way to show us more about whatever evil corrupted Luna and possibly helped free Discord.

It doesn't help that Twilight is just one deadline away from becoming a mentally unstable fruitcase. I could certainly see something offering her a faustian bargain to help her resolve a problem that has her tearing her mane out in frustration over. I always imagined something like that happening to Luna - she wasn't happy with the status quo so something offered to give her the power to prevent the sun from rising and create eternal night, and she snapped it up and became Nightmare Moon in the process.

If it really wanted to screw with Twilight rather than wait for an opportunity, whatever 'it' is it could secretly take away her magic just before she's supposed to enter a contest or give a demonstration in front of Celestia and the whole Canterlot royal court. "Hello my pretty, I can give you enough magic to impress everypony, just sign here on the dotted line ..."

[Kuja]

Cheerilee's reactions in the episode were great. When she rolls her eyes in the classroom scene you can practucally hear the "CHILD I WILL END YOU" impulse.

[Bright]

The fanfic I wrote had Twilight turn evil. Evil Twilight was fun to write, and I think she'd make a great villain (I had her declare herself queen and make Discord into a chocolate milk fountain that she taunted daily). We know she has a lot of magical power, and her being the villain would make a more personal conflict than some completely new threat.

In my fanfic, I have an alternate universe Twilight Sparkle that's evil simply because of her fanatical devotion to an evil Celestia. I'm trying to play her as a perfect little fascist foot-soldier that's trying to emulate her mentor as much as she can in demeanor. I think that works rather well as a possible path in her life.

[lordofchange13]

Revy have you posted you fanfic(s) online yet or are they still in the planing/first draft stage?

[Revy]

I've only done one so far. It's posted on Fanfiction net. I recently proof read it and I'm going to submit it to Equestria Daily, though I'm not so sure they'll accept it. At some point I'd like to do either a Daring Do or a CMC fic as well.

Pinkie Pie episode next! I can see that episode being about how you can't make friends with everyone, and that there's some people who just don't want to be friends with you no matter how you try. Then again that almost seems like an anti-friendship lesson, so maybe not. Incidentally I'm getting a Pinkie Pie tshirt!

[lordofchange13]

That website is a big place, so a link would be appreciated.

[Revy]

I didn't notice this myself, someone pointed it out to me. Not sure if it has already been mentioned before, but have a look at this.

It's from Lesson Zero - Twilight's imagine spot. Take a look at the pale yellow filly to the right of her. Is that a winged unicorn? I guess it could be an animation error. And it is Twilight's imagination. Still, given the fandom tendency to create massive elaborate backstories for minor background ponies, I'm surprised they haven't jumped on this one. Or if they have I haven't heard.

[lordofchange13]

That is a winged unicorn! Fanfic writers report to your stations this is Code Blue, Code Blue!

[Zixinus]

It has been confirmed as an animation error.
Besides, it is generally agreed that writing an OC winged unicorn character is just bad form.

[Crossroads Inc.]

Ok so FOUR songs in ONE episode!
That has got to be a new record.
Also inclusion of basically EVERY background pony ever.
Even Spa Ponies are back!!!

[Bright]

Great episode. I especially liked that they managed to balance both Cranky's and Pinkie's characters fairly well. Cranky was asocial, but he wasn't a dick and showed quite a bit of patience for Pinkie's antics. Pinkie Pie was annoying, but still showed how she could be well-liked by others.

And some of the cartoony bits were really good, like the scene inside Pinkie's mind. Very novel.

[lordofchange13]

The Episode: