DonMaguz

No, god... that's horrible as an executive decision. FiM should be whole as the episodic series it is. Every side show and spin off is and should still be a choice for the viewers to watch, a special ending a few months or even a year after FiM ends would be a cheap shot at the series as a whole. Now, your idea of getting a glimpse of the main characters in the future is great and I really think Hasbro will eventually take it on. But I think they will use the power of nostalgia to make a sequel (movie, special or even a full series) some, or maybe many, years after FiM ends.

Behold, the almighty Autumberry Colorarijack! Original source

This is the reason why I don't get how was the premise of this episode accepted. Did someone really thought that a dismissive Rainbow Dash without any interest on an activity would be entertaining in some way? She's always been a pony of action and this episode showed her from her least entertaining angle.

@Dark Qiviut If so many episodes handle her so bad, I wonder why people keep stating Rainbow's selfishness as being 'out of character', her selfishness is a fundamental part of Dash's character and while it is sometimes exaggerated for the sake of plot convenience, it is by no means 'out of character' for her behavior.

@BornAgainBrony The big differences with Dash in all your examples are Dash's goals and interests. > Teaching Fluttershy to cheer, because she was going to cheer for Dash. Dash still gets to compete as a flyer. > The support from her parents, same case as the one before. > Her support to Scootaloo. This one is interesting because Dash herself becomes the cheering pony. But at the end it is to make her honorary sister feel as appreciated as Dash. Of course Dash was going to do it, she loves Scootaloo! > The Wonderbolts as a glorified cheer squad. The thing is that it is still the most elite group of flyers in Equestria. Being in the Wonderbolts already means being one of the best. Now, about the episode itself, there was an activity which had Dash's full interest, the buckball game itself. Being a part of it was important, she's then assigned to something that's not in her interests. She just didn't care about cheerleading. when she said she knew nothing about cheerleading, she didn't analyzed her words, she just wanted and excuse for other ponies to believe so she could be at the practice, either as a coach or even as a fan, that's what had Dash's interest.

She's in character the whole episode, though.

Cozy hands down. Chrysalis a clear second. Vignette Valencia would be my third out of pure entertainment.

Now, there's a dynamic which could hold up a full episode.

Maybe because she isn't? I think it's pretty clear that no RM5 was ever to be #2 to Twilight in the group of best friends they wanted to show, it would make things too hierarchical.

'Obsession' is not a word I take lightly. I'll assume you don't really mean what it means the next time I see you using the word.

Well, yeah. That's why it's called an opinion. Let's say that there's about 85% chance for the main characters of G4 to be on G5 as protagonists and 15% as BG or not at all. My opinion is that the second (and least possible) option would be better to enjoy a new take on MLP and start a period in which nostalgia for G4 protagonists would build up. That doesn't mean I wouldn't enjoy G5 with new versions of G4 characters, it just means that the alternative is more interesting to me. I'll check G5 either way and decide if I follow it or not based on its own merits and not in whether G4 characters have focused roles or not.

Obsession? You give too much weight to a simple opinion. You want a new generation built upon the same characters? That's fine, but if that's the case, I'd rather have more G4 seasons. If they're already thinking about making a new generation, they might as well focus on new interesting characters. Not refurbished versions of the characters I already love and sending them into a never-ending comparison with their G4 counterparts.

I think using the main characters from G4 on G5 would be a mistake. They could work as legends or as cameos, but as main characters they might as well just keep G4 going.

Agreed, the specials were starting to develop the rest of the characters into a path that FiM characters had not taken. That's why I think it's a shame, it's a lost opportunity, but that's all. A proper ending would have been better, but it's not like the show had an actual plot to finish or goal to reach. Most of us assumed a nice ending would be set up in graduation, but that's only because it's a highschool show. That must be the most cliched trope about a highschool show's ending.

Their arc is great, it was probably the easiest arc for any main character and it was well delivered. The only thing missing for them was having grown up in design just as much as they did in personality. A little stretching after S6 would have been perfect for them.

I could see Limestone having trouble taking care of Pound and Pumpkin, then having Marble easily handling them. Now, that counts for a scene, maybe two? I don't find the Pies (with the exception of Pinkie and Maud) or the Cakes to be solid enough characters to hold a full episode entertaining.

Everyone goes about how disappointing it was for him to lose so easily. I was surprised about how easily he won on the Crystal Empire, with Cadande's family having a strengthened Crystal heart full of their citizens love. Makes no sense at all.

They avoided their parents for years instead of facing them and telling them how they felt. Sunburst and Starlight's lack of communication towards their parents fueled their crazy attitude. Stellar Flare and Firelight are no model parents, but they were doing what they thought would help Sunburst and Starlight with little to no information from them. The problem itself is rather common in real life.

Didn't Celestia and Luna wanted Twilight to solve the issue as a test? Even Celestia told Luna to trust her on it.

Just here to point out how Great and Powerful Trixie is.

'The Cutie Map' hands down. The humor, the song, the creepiness, the best villain up to that moment, every main character perfectly well used. I won't say it has everything, but everything it has is top level FiM. 'The Return of Harmony' is a pretty decent second place. Discord is amazing as a villain and the lesson remains to be one of the most important to the protagonist Twilight Sparkle. My third place is a tie between 'Friendship is Magic', for all it represents including the nostalgia, and 'Princess Twilight Sparkle' which also has top level humor and characterizations, including Discord as a troll for the first time.

Addressing the great nerd chemistry between Twilight and Sunburst would be awesome for the show, but making it blatantly shippy would be out of place for FiM. I think that no main ship will be addressed, so that's a relief because any shipping fuel on FiM has been bland at best and confirming a relationship out of bland fuel is really cheap and unfulfilling.