I feel it deep within, it's just beneath the skin / I must confess that I feel like a monster / I hate what I've become, the nightmare's just begun / I must confess that I feel like a monster
-Skillet
As for the pony above me, sure why not
I don't believe they can. Sesame Street has been around for way longer than MLP:FIM. In that time they were able to develop a wide array of characters that could tackle different subjects. Mlps main focus if about friendship and is in nearly every episode, they don't leave much wiggle room for anything else.
I love that they developed Fluttershy a little more, but I believe that they could have made it a little better. Some parts of this episode drags a little bit.