The one thing I have to say on your idea of the Cutie Map, although while I agree it has definitely been underutilized contrary to its setup in the season premiere (which would pretty much be par for the course with story arcs in this show only coming up once or twice, or 6 or 7 times if you're lucky enough to have the key arc), it's been sort of symbolic of a change in this show that reaches into episodes where it's not involved. The Mane 6 have transitioned from students to teachers, (IMO one season too late) moving on from learning the slice-of-life lessons to sharing their experiences with others. This was another one of those episodes, even if the symbolic physical device wasn't there.

I see your point with the other ponies not being friends with Twilight, as it were, but they damn well wanted to be, and in very recent situations, I found myself in the position the three unicorns plus Moondancer found themselves in. It's when you're sure you might be making a strong friendship but end up taking a simple situational rejection like a personal slap to the face. I'm sure that, even if Moondancer wasn't friends with Twilight as it were, Moondancer showed a genuine interest in wanting to make a connection with Twilight and had genuine admiration for her in shared talents, interest, personality, etc. The same thing I see in many of my friends on this site, the real world, and elsewhere on the Internet, and even if I have great, supportive friends, one rejection can really strain that relationship.

You make some very good points about Moondancer's characterization in the episode. Everything about her fixation on Twilight did come off as forced when connections to the backstory are to be made. I mainly criticized Moondancer's implementation into the plotline as another obvious Twilight foil (the fourth one in the show). All of these characterization flaws seem to be related to the fact that Moondancer was written as a mirror image of Twilight Sparkle, not an independent character in and of herself. I do agree the conflict would have been more believable if it had not been so Twilight-centric, possibly instead casting the other three in a more negative light by adding more backstory or developing more traits for Moondancer than to just be another extreme mirror image of Twilight.

I do appreciate the story's premise, roots in continuity, and relatability that I've found even through these continuity gaps and Moondancer's characterization issues. In tone, the episode handled itself well, unlike weaker episodes that don't take their issues seriously enough. Even though Moondancer was a thin character, I still felt for her because I projected my own experiences onto that conflict.

It's good to read reviews like this to open up to things I may not have picked up on in my own viewings of the episode.

It makes so much sense for Moondancer to react the way she did. The initial flashback is made to prove the audience how much she and Twilight are alike: studying first, friendship second. Both of them were nearly the same person sans the cutie mark, horn aura, and fur color.

Like Twilight, MD was just as much an introvert. Studios with less perspective of friendship. So it would've taken a ton of prodding just for her to be a part of a gathering, much less set up for one. Lemon Hearts, Twinkleshine, and Minuette had to really convince her that there might be someone who really understands her position, sympathizes with her, and wants to be her friend. Just from the flashbacks, she had to really be convinced that it was a good idea to plan a party for Twilight, herself, and the trio of friends.

Instead, TS blows it off in favor of studying. Later on, when Spike told her about the crushed gift, she said they had no time for it. This happens very often in real life: You plan a party for specific people or a big gathering, only to find out that none of them bother to show up. This can be really crushing for the person who planned it or set up the party for their loved one. Here, Twilight never said goodbye and considered her reading about the Elements of Harmony to be more important than spending time with companions despite being on a break. (Twilight didn't know about the Mare of the Moon's escape until after arriving in her studio.) Moondancer set up the surprise party specifically for Twilight, only for Twilight to not be there, ignore it, and forget about it. Moondancer is already very vulnerable; for this to happen makes a devastating moment even worse.

Now that Twilight understands friendship's importance, what she did is totally justifiable. She had friends there (SA, Cadance), but possibly more. But she didn't see others like Minuette as friends despite THEM seeing HER as one. She wanted to right a wrong, and the audience saw the terrible consequences. Moondancer devolved into a recluse out of bitterness because she can't cope with the painful rejection any other way, and it's very believable. The anger and hurt MD unleashed upon Twilight at the new party was a long time coming; as painful as the lesson is, Twilight had to learn it. Even though her decision turned out for the best, what she thought would be a little action had a really negative impact on MD.

The one thing I have to say on your idea of the Cutie Map, although while I agree it has definitely been underutilized contrary to its setup in the season premiere (which would pretty much be par for the course with story arcs in this show only coming up once or twice, or 6 or 7 times if you're lucky enough to have the key arc), it's been sort of symbolic of a change in this show that reaches into episodes where it's not involved. The Mane 6 have transitioned from students to teachers, (IMO one season too late) moving on from learning the slice-of-life lessons to sharing their experiences with others. This was another one of those episodes, even if the symbolic physical device wasn't there.

 

I see your point with the other ponies not being friends with Twilight, as it were, but they damn well wanted to be, and in very recent situations, I found myself in the position the three unicorns plus Moondancer found themselves in. It's when you're sure you might be making a strong friendship but end up taking a simple situational rejection like a personal slap to the face. I'm sure that, even if Moondancer wasn't friends with Twilight as it were, Moondancer showed a genuine interest in wanting to make a connection with Twilight and had genuine admiration for her in shared talents, interest, personality, etc. The same thing I see in many of my friends on this site, the real world, and elsewhere on the Internet, and even if I have great, supportive friends, one rejection can really strain that relationship.

 

You make some very good points about Moondancer's characterization in the episode. Everything about her fixation on Twilight did come off as forced when connections to the backstory are to be made. I mainly criticized Moondancer's implementation into the plotline as another obvious Twilight foil (the fourth one in the show). All of these characterization flaws seem to be related to the fact that Moondancer was written as a mirror image of Twilight Sparkle, not an independent character in and of herself. I do agree the conflict would have been more believable if it had not been so Twilight-centric, possibly instead casting the other three in a more negative light by adding more backstory or developing more traits for Moondancer than to just be another extreme mirror image of Twilight.

 

I do appreciate the story's premise, roots in continuity, and relatability that I've found even through these continuity gaps and Moondancer's characterization issues. In tone, the episode handled itself well, unlike weaker episodes that don't take their issues seriously enough. Even though Moondancer was a thin character, I still felt for her because I projected my own experiences onto that conflict.

 

It's good to read reviews like this to open up to things I may not have picked up on in my own viewings of the episode.

Thanks for the comment. I think the episode relies too much on generating that “I know that feels, bro” reaction. The reaction itself is valid, and seems to have hit home for many fine fans like yourself. And that’s okay, I don’t think less of a person for thinking that way. I just found the way the writers went about it was so confused and clumsy, and Moon Dancer herself to be so emotionally immature that the sentiment just rings hollow to me.

It makes so much sense for Moondancer to react the way she did. The initial flashback is made to prove the audience how much she and Twilight are alike: studying first, friendship second. Both of them were nearly the same person sans the cutie mark, horn aura, and fur color.

 

Like Twilight, MD was just as much an introvert. Studios with less perspective of friendship. So it would've taken a ton of prodding just for her to be a part of a gathering, much less set up for one. Lemon Hearts, Twinkleshine, and Minuette had to really convince her that there might be someone who really understands her position, sympathizes with her, and wants to be her friend. Just from the flashbacks, she had to really be convinced that it was a good idea to plan a party for Twilight, herself, and the trio of friends.

 

Instead, TS blows it off in favor of studying. Later on, when Spike told her about the crushed gift, she said they had no time for it. This happens very often in real life: You plan a party for specific people or a big gathering, only to find out that none of them bother to show up. This can be really crushing for the person who planned it or set up the party for their loved one. Here, Twilight never said goodbye and considered her reading about the Elements of Harmony to be more important than spending time with companions despite being on a break. (Twilight didn't know about the Mare of the Moon's escape until after arriving in her studio.) Moondancer set up the surprise party specifically for Twilight, only for Twilight to not be there, ignore it, and forget about it. Moondancer is already very vulnerable; for this to happen makes a devastating moment even worse.

 

Now that Twilight understands friendship's importance, what she did is totally justifiable. She had friends there (SA, Cadance), but possibly more. But she didn't see others like Minuette as friends despite THEM seeing HER as one. She wanted to right a wrong, and the audience saw the terrible consequences. Moondancer devolved into a recluse out of bitterness because she can't cope with the painful rejection any other way, and it's very believable. The anger and hurt MD unleashed upon Twilight at the new party was a long time coming; as painful as the lesson is, Twilight had to learn it. Even though her decision turned out for the best, what she thought would be a little action had a really negative impact on MD.

Thank you for the comment; you certainly give a good reason for why the flashback was included, and its importance to the story. If you don’t mind, I’d like to edit that in (I'll credit you for it, of course). However, my opinion on Moon Dancer remains unchanged, if not lowered. Her being similar to Twilight makes her reaction less justifiable, because she should have understood that an introverted pony like Twilight might wish to spend an evening quietly studying alone over socializing at a party, much as MD herself might prefer that. She’s allowed to be introverted, but Twilight isn’t? That’s a blatant double standard. It also shows MD putting her needs and desires ahead of Twilight’s. Not cool at all. Speaking of which…

Another damning aspect is that MD is unfairly projecting her own insecurities and feelings onto Twilight, without Twilight even knowing about it. If she wants to attach expectations to Twilight without so much as making an attempt at cluing her in, then it’s her own fault if Twilight doesn’t meet those expectations. The writers, and even Twilight herself, are too quick to attach blame to Twilight for MD’s own neuroses. Twilight even says at the end “Back when we were in school together, you invited me to a party. I was so focused on my studies that I didn't show up.” Which is a blatant contradiction of what we saw in the pilot and the flashback based on it. MD herself never invited Twilight anywhere. Twilight got a backhanded invite from a different pony. MD set up the party for Twilight, but she didn’t actually invite Twilight, and made no effort to ensure that Twilight knew that it was important to her. So it’s utterly unjustified for MD to get upset when Twilight doesn’t show. To which I also have to add: an invitation in no way obligates the person to accept, no matter how much you want them to. Twilight did nothing wrong in declining the invitation. Had she previously agreed to go, and then not shown up, it might make me feel MD has a right to be upset. As it stands, no.

The ponies whom MD credits with making her more social in the first place (notably, she doesn’t include Twilight in that group) did show up, but their support and friendship apparently meant nothing to MD; only Twilight's presence was important. Isn’t it just a little bit unfair of MD to treat the other three like that? They even tried to invite her out afterwards, but she turned them all down. Don't they have just as much right to be angry at her for her rejection of their friendly overtures?

Moon Dancer's hurt feelings and resulting isolation are entirely self-inflicted, but she blames Twilight for it, and (this is the part that really annoys me) Twilight accepts the blame, rather than pointing out that she couldn’t reasonably have been expected to know how important it was to MD. I remain convinced: Moon Dancer is a horribly written character, and this is a horribly written episode. 

Actually for the Twilight Twinkle part I'm sure Dancer didn't seriously think it was her name.

Since she seems pretty angry and has a grudge against Twilight for what she caused in the past to crush her and make her more introverted than before after ditching the party, she most likely was jokingly or sarcastically calling her Twilight Twinkle to give her a hint that she didn't wish to be bothered.

A lot of people who act saracastic sometimes or seem annoyed could act as such and do something like pronucing someone's name wrong or getting the name wrong. And Dancer sure seemed annoyed with Twilight.

Also, it's a clever reference to the development of the show. Twilight orginially was going to be named Twilight Twinkle however before the first episode it was changed to Twilight Sparkle.

Still a good review overall and you for sure changed my opinion on the episode. I'm starting to dislike this episode now for this. You did a well job on this review!

Actually for the Twilight Twinkle part I'm sure Dancer didn't seriously think it was her name.

 

Since she seems pretty angry and has a grudge against Twilight for what she caused in the past to crush her and make her more introverted than before after ditching the party, she most likely was jokingly or sarcastically calling her Twilight Twinkle to give her a hint that she didn't wish to be bothered.

 

A lot of people who act saracastic sometimes or seem annoyed could act as such and do something like pronucing someone's name wrong or getting the name wrong. And Dancer sure seemed annoyed with Twilight.

 

Also, it's a clever reference to the development of the show. Twilight orginially was going to be named Twilight Twinkle however before the first episode it was changed to Twilight Sparkle.

 

Still a good review overall and you for sure changed my opinion on the episode. I'm starting to dislike this episode now for this. You did a well job on this review!

Thanks for the comment! While I agree that "Twilight Twinkle" was probably just Moon Dancer being facetious, I still think it's more a red herring than anything. After all, Twilight wasn't being sarcastic when she admitted she couldn't remember the names of her "friends", and the others weren't being sarcastic when they couldn't at first remember who Moon Dancer was. Given the previous two instances, putting it in (even as a mythology gag) gives a false impression of Moon Dancer not remembering Twilight Sparkle, even though she is the pony who broke her heart in the past.

I also don't think you should reverse your position on the episode based on what I've pointed out here. Just acknowledging that there are problems with the writing is all I could ask. Whatever you liked about it in the first place should still be relevant, so like it if you like it. I don't mind if people like it, but when they declare it flawless, I have to disagree, because it certainly isn't flawless. But then, what episode is?

I tend to enjoy this episode about up to the ending, partially because I respect its ambition, partially because the continuity is appealing, but mostly because until the ending it reads just as easily like Twilight's overreacting to her supposed misdeeds. I really thought that this episode was going to have a message about how friends drift apart and how some people just don't want to be friendly and extroverted, but then it goes into its ending and, despite how many strong emotional tricks the episode pulls out, just about every single one of the issues you've listed here becomes hard for me to ignore. 

Moreover, the fact that Moondancer's reclusiveness is a bitter defense mechanism doesn't really ring true, and as a result, I find Twilight bothering her so much to border on stalking. It's hard enough to get behind Twilight when the episode grants her zero flaws, but then her actions become difficult for me to justify despite the episode clearly thinking they're downright necessary. Maybe if we saw how Moondancer's actions were harmful to her, it'd make sense, but they leave that exclusively for recollections, flashbacks, and the ending. It seems like she's just an introverted person who doesn't want annoying ponies bothering her all the time with stuff she doesn't care about. 

In addition, I can't help but feel that Twilight being the cause of Moondancer's reclusiveness only serves to justify Twilight's paranoia, which is doubly frustrating because Twilight doesn't learn anything.  Anything you could see as this episode's main lesson is something she already knows from the past four and a half seasons.

Season 5 frustrated me because of episodes like this and "The Mane Attraction," where a main character only exists for us to see a completely new character who we have no reason to care about. Moondancer is probably the worst example, because at least Coloratura has an understandable issue even if she lacks personality. I can't be invested in Moondancer if I've only known her for half an episode, and if her issues are only explored for half of that. 

Usually, I'd comment that it's good this wasn't a map episode, because I think the map is a really lazy plot device which only exists as a storytelling crutch, but it honestly wouldn't be all that much worse than the actual setup of the episode, where Twilight neurotically feels she needs to fix a previous mistake based on an offhand comment from Spike. Again, justifying Twilight's neuroses doesn't feel like the correct course of action for this episode. Still, I guess I'm glad Larson tried to have a character-relevant reason for Twilight to go to Canterlot. 

Part of the issue, I think, really is length. There's obviously more behind Moondancer's issues, but they're explored at such a surface level that, without an intrisnic emotional connection, they don't even make all that much sense. The episode might have been much more understandable if we knew more about Moondancer and why she was reacting this way, but all of this stemming from Twilight Sparkle - Twilight Sparkle of all ponies - not attending a single party isn't particularly believable for me. 

I appreciate the review - it's so cathartic to find someone who shares my thoughts on this one, when everywhere else I turn I see heaps of adoration for it.