S05:E12 - Amending Fences

[J.T. 1,843]

One thing I didn't like about this episode was the fact that it causes paradoxes with the comics. Specifically The Fall of Sunset Shimmer.

[Music Chart Fan 818]

Overall, while this episode does cover some thought-provoking subject matter, it has significant issues that preclude my really enjoying it or getting "the feels" from it. I felt like the episode often tries to tell or lead the audience to believe things without showing good reasons to do so, and I found many of the scenes that were supposed to be emotionally impactful to be implausible and/or awkward. This episode covers a lot of ground, so there's a lot to talk about.

 

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One of the recurring things in the episode is various characters saying or implying that Twilight was a "bad friend" prior to moving to Ponyville. To give a couple of examples, the episode kicks off with Spike saying that Twilght used to be famous for being such a bad friend (which I don't know how she was "famous for" such a thing), and Twilight herself says multiple times that she was a bad friend - including saying that she left her Canterlot friendships in a "total mess" and saying at the donut shop that she "certainly wasn't" a good friend to Minuette and company. The problem is that, while the audience is told over and over again that Twilight used to be a "bad friend", we don't know what that means, and we don't actually see much to corroborate that statement. Consequently, I find it difficult to believe.

 

In fact, from what we know, it seems more likely to me that Twilight was simply not very close friends with Minuette and company, which I would think is different than being a "bad friend". What do we actually know about Twilight's pre-Ponyville behavior? Well, we know that she studied a lot, and she declined to attend Moon Dancer's party in order to study, leading Twinkleshine to remark in the first episode that "I think she's more interested in books than friends" - which I wouldn't think is automatically a bad thing, or indication that she's a "bad friend". She left for Ponyville without saying goodbye, and according to Minuette, she did that often enough that they were used to it - so that behavior could be considered a strike against Twilight, although there were extenuating circumstances when she left for Ponyville, and in any case, such behavior is hardly enough in itself to justify Twilight repeatedly being called a "bad friend".

 

Other events of the episode would also support the idea that Twilight was just not very close friends with Minuette and company. Twilight didn't keep in touch with Minuette and company after moving to Ponyville, and essentially forgot about them (not remembering their names, not having any pictures of them, etc.), but that would be consistent with Twilight not being particularly close friends with them - after all, she has friends in Ponyville now, she's apparently been fairly busy, and it's normal for people not to maintain relationships with every friend they ever had. Minuette says that she's tried to tell her co-workers that she and Twilight were friends back when, but they've never believed her. That might mean that other people didn't see or don't remember seeing Twilight hang out with Minuette and company very often, which would be consistent with them not being very close friends. Minuette says at the donut shop that she and the others considered asking Twilight to hang out when they were in Ponyville, but they figured she'd moved on - so again, the fact that they didn't make the effort to ask Twilight might mean that they didn't actually miss her that much, and it wouldn't be worth the effort to try to hang out with her if they weren't that close of friends in the first place. In conclusion, despite many of the characters insisting that pre-Ponyville Twilight was a "bad friend", I don't know what that's supposed to mean, and I don't see much reason to believe that that was really the case.

 

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All of the above leads to another issue I had with the episode. In the first third or so of the episode, I think we're led to believe that Twilight is overreacting to the idea implanted in her head that she was a "bad friend" to Minuette and company, and that, therefore, she needs to go and apologize to them, long after the "wrongs" she had committed to them. Twilight repeatedly uses overblown rhetoric when saying she has to make it up to Minuette and company, culminating in a statement that "these ponies have probably been suffering ever since I left, wondering why their supposed friend would treat them so badly". That statement in particular betrays what could be considered conceit on Twilight's part - that she considers herself and her actions to be so important and impactful that her former friends would still be "suffering" because of them long after they happened.

 

And in the first third or so of the episode, it looks as though Twilight was in fact overreacting. Minuette seems surprised that Twilight came to visit, and Minuette seems to hold no particular anger or disappointment toward Twilight, leading Spike to deadpan about hoping the others aren't as "traumatized" as Minuette. At the donut shop, again, none of the other three (Minuette, Lemon Hearts, and Twinkleshine) seem particularly angry or disappointed with Twilight. Minuette says that they had considered asking Twilight to join them in Ponyville from time to time, but they had figured Twilight had moved on, which she had, really. And when Twilight pulls out the dramatic apology about all the pain she caused, the other three laugh about it, and say that they didn't take Twilight's leaving without saying goodbye personally or consider it to be much worse than her usual behavior.

 

So, based on the first part of the episode, a lesson seemed to be developing that your social faux pas usually aren't nearly as serious as you might think they are. In other words, even if you said or did something a little wrong, and are obsessing about it, more likely than not, the other people don't really care too much, in the absence of something indicating that they do. And as a corollary, social faux pas committed long in the past may not really need to be apologized for in the present - if they don't appear to bothering anyone, then the other people have probably long since forgiven them, forgotten them, and/or moved on. Those are lessons that I think I would agree with. However, those lessons were seemingly contradicted and discarded in light of Moon Dancer's behavior later in the episode, when Moon Dancer did in fact hold Twilight's long-ago faux pas against her, and Moon Dancer apparently changed her life behavior because of them (but more about that later).

 

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In the middle part of the episode, after Moon Dancer closes the door on her former friends, Twilight tries with increasing desperation to get Moon Dancer to talk with her and her former friends, and to get her to see the value of friendship. Twilight and company first spy on Moon Dancer for three days, apparently having nothing better to do. Twilight tries repeatedly to confront Moon Dancer at the library, and uses a spell to get in a book, which finally convinces Moon Dancer to talk to her. Twilight bequeaths the room full of books to Moon Dancer and promises to teach Haycartes's method to her to get her to go to dinner with their old friends. And when Moon Dancer leaves the dinner and rejects Twilight's pleas, Twilight gets the tears ready.

 

All of this seems like a parallel to Pinkie's attempts to befriend Cranky in "A Friend In Deed", so I thought that maybe this episode was leading to a similar lesson, that sometimes other people don't want to be friends with you, or don't want the kind of friendship that you have in mind, and if that's the case, then you can't force them to change their minds. Moon Dancer's statements to Twilight that she tried friendship and it's just not for her, and that she gave friendship a chance, but it didn't work then and it won't work now, would seem to indicate that she just wants to be left alone, and that Twilight's usual methods to cajole Moon Dancer to reconsider won't work. But, as with the lessons above, this lesson also seemed to be abandoned in the episode, since Twilight's big final attempt to throw a replacement party for Moon Dancer apparently works and gets Moon Dancer to open up and reconsider her behavior.

 

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And that leads to the big climax of the episode - Moon Dancer's revelation of how Twilight hurt her and changed her life. There are a few issues I have with this. First is how Twilight comes to the conclusion that her not attending Moon Dancer's party was a super big deal, even when Moon Dancer had given no indication of that prior to her breakdown at the make-up party. The first time this happens is when Twilight and company are spying on Moon Dancer. Minuette talks about how Moon Dancer was supposedly coming out of her shell, culminating by throwing her party, but after that, Moon Dancer stopped hanging out with Minuette and company. From that story, Twilight concludes that the party was very important to Moon Dancer, and that Twilight has to make it up to her. But is that the only conclusion that can be drawn? What if, say, Minuette and company misread the signals, and Moon Dancer wasn't actually committing to coming out of her shell? And why does Twilight conclude that Moon Dancer's reclusiveness after the party was specifically because Twilight didn't attend it, especially when that fact wasn't even brought up when describing Moon Dancer's post-party behavior? Later, when Moon Dancer leaves the dinner and says she won't give friendship a chance, Twilight says that she really messed this one up, and that the party was everything to Moon Dancer. But, again, why is Twilight coming to this conclusion, when no one said anything about the party and Moon Dancer gave no indication that she was upset at Twilight in particular? And the frustrating thing is that Twilight was "proven" to be right about this in the end, even though I don't see any good reason for her to have come to this conclusion in the first place.

 

Now let's get into what Twilight actually did to get Moon Dancer so upset. Moon Dancer says that Twilight didn't even bother to show up to Moon Dancer's first time she put herself out there. But recall from the first episode how Twinkleshine invited Twilight to this supposedly very important party: "Moon Dancer is having a little get-together in the west castle courtyard. You wanna come?" Moon Dancer's party was made out to be a "little get-together", as though it was spontaneous, thrown together without too much effort, and that there wouldn't be too much going on there (not that that's bad or anything). That invitation would not suggest that the party was particularly important, and that Moon Dancer really wanted Twilight to be there, to the point that Moon Dancer's sense of self-worth and attitude toward friendship was on the line. Considering how casual the "little get-together" sounded, Twilight probably didn't think she was missing much by declining to attend, and I wouldn't blame her for thinking that. Making Moon Dancer's party out as a super big deal seems like a failed retcon; would anyone have believed, prior to this episode, that, based on the first episode's dialogue, Twilight was making some momentous mistake in begging off of attending Moon Dancer's "little get-together"?

 

Moon Dancer also says that Twilight left town without saying goodbye, even though they were supposed to be friends. But remember, Twilight first left Canterlot for Ponyville because Princess Celestia sent Twilight there to oversee preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration, and at the time, Twilight was also concerned with finishing that as soon as possible so she could research and find evidence for Nightmare Moon's imminent return, which she turned out to be right about. So there were extenuating circumstances for why Twilight wouldn't have said goodbye on her first trip to Ponyville - she was performing presumably temporary duties for Princess Celestia, and was also worried about the imminent disaster of Nightmare Moon's return. To be fair, we don't know how much of this Moon Dancer knows, but this would all seem like something Twilight could at least bring up in explanation of what actually happened.

 

Moon Dancer may also be upset that Twilight didn't keep in touch after staying in Ponyville (at Princess Celestia's decree, although Twilight did want to stay there also). But let's also remember that Minuette and company apparently didn't hold a grudge against Twilight for that. They said that they didn't take it personally, and that they were used to Twilight leaving without saying goodbye. They said that they had figured Twilight had moved on, and seemed to go about their normal lives. They laughed off the idea that Twilight had to apologize for causing them pain. And also, as I detailed above, it seems more likely to me that Twilight was not especially close friends with Moon Dancer and company. So why would Moon Dancer take Twilight's staying in Ponyville so badly, when Minuette and company didn't? The fact that Moon Dancer may have been trying to "come out of her shell" at the time doesn't seem like a particularly compelling reason; all of the above reasons why Minuette and company weren't upset by it should still apply.

 

And what happened to Moon Dancer as a result of Twilight's actions? Moon Dancer says that she was humiliated, but humiliated in front of whom? Who (either in reality or in Moon Dancer's mind) thought less of Moon Dancer or treated her differently because Twilight didn't attend her party, and, after an extraordinary set of circumstances, started staying in Ponyville and lost touch? Moon Dancer says that she felt like she wasn't important, that she had to be finally convinced that she had value and that other ponies might like her and want to be her friend. But how did one friend - Twilight - not attending her party and later moving to Ponyville cause this? Why did Moon Dancer's sense of self-worth hinge on Twilight attending her party, when Twilight was known by Moon Dancer and company for preferring to study, and when Moon Dancer's party was not made out to be very important? Why did Moon Dancer's sense of self-worth hinge on Twilight, who, as I've said, didn't seem like a particularly close friend, saying goodbye to her amidst extraordinary circumstances?

 

In short, the episode seems to want the audience to believe that Moon Dancer's holding a grudge against Twilight, becoming completely unsocial, and foregoing friendship even among her then-current friends is justified, or at least understandable, but to me, it's neither. It seems to me like Moon Dancer overreacted to a series of fairly understandable events. Consequently, I have a hard time sympathizing with how Moon Dancer reacted to these events. And, frustratingly, it seems like the fault is placed solely on Twilight, while none of the characters discuss or consider whether Moon Dancer reacted appropriately, or has anything to learn from her reaction.

 

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Now there are a few bigger side issues to address. One of them is Moon Dancer's studying that she's wrapped herself up in since her party. What is she studying for, and why is it so urgent that it can be used as an excuse not to socialize with her old friends? The only clue we get is that Moon Dancer says at the dinner that she's not planning to be a professor. So is Moon Dancer still in school? Does she have some job that really requires her to spend essentially all of her time studying? Or is it just what Moon Dancer does to spend her free time? It's stange to me that, other than using it as an attempt at conversation at the dinner, none of Moon Dancer's friends seem to have questioned the urgency of her studying, especially when it's apparently been her go-to excuse to avoid doing anything else.

 

Also, I was puzzled by Moon Dancer's statement during her confession at the climax of the episode that "those three [Minuette, Lemon Hearts, and Twinkleshine] finally convinced me that I had value, that other ponies might like me and want to be my friend!". Assuming that this happened after Twilight didn't attend Moon Dancer's party and moved to Ponyville,  when did this convincing by Minuette and company happen, and what did they do? Earlier in the episode, Minuette says that after Moon Dancer's party, they tried to invite her out a few times, but she was always too busy studying, so they stopped asking. And at the school, Minuette and company seem to have forgotten about Moon Dancer when Twilight asks them about her, and Minuette says that they lost touch. So, based on those statements, I don't see when or how Minuette and company convinced Moon Dancer of her value and likability.

 

Finally, a lot of posters here say that they see themselves in Moon Dancer, her actions, and her situation. So do I see myself in Moon Dancer? Maybe in a few respects, but overall, not really. It is true that I'm an introvert, I spend a lot of time doing unsocial activities like compiling Billboard chart databases (an analog to Moon Dancer's studying), and I don't spend a lot of time hanging out with friends. But I feel like I don't make much effort to make friends and be social with classmates/colleagues/etc. because it usually doesn't seem worth the effort, not because I "got burned" by friendship, as Moon Dancer supposedly was. In other words, I'm not usually the one to initiate social interaction, but if other people want to do it, then I'll probably go along with it. I don't feel like I go out of my way to avoid social interaction, as Moon Dancer did in the episode. If a group of, say, high school acquaintances shows up at my door one day and asks me to hang out, I probably would, although I would expect it to be rather awkward, and I wouldn't necessarily be overflowing with excitement. If one of my old friends sees me at the library or wherever and wants to talk, I would probably do so (so long as I'm not doing anything urgent). While Moon Dancer showed open annoyance at and resistance to attempts by Twilight and company to socialize, I don't think I would act that way.

 

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Now just a few more miscellaneous observations:

 

What exactly is the dusty room at the top of the tower from the first episode? Twilight says to Moon Dancer that it's where Twilight used to live, so is it like Twilight's former apartment? Why has it been untouched since then, and why is Twilight seemingly surprised by that? If it's on the grounds of the castle, did the castle staff all just leave it locked up?

 

On a related note, Moon Dancer is upset that Twilight didn't take Moon Dancer's gift book with her to Ponyville, but as far as we can tell, Twilight didn't bring any of the other books in her former room to Ponyville, either. It is an interesting question why Twilight never did that, but it doesn't necessarily have to be interpreted, as it is in the episode, as another indication that Twilight was a bad friend. Maybe, for example, Twilight had read all of those books enough that she didn't need them, and never realized that she left them behind; or maybe there were copies of most of the books at the Golden Oak Library already.

 

Twilight worriedly says that nobody looks at Moon Dancer or says hello or even gives her a smile when she's at the library or walking to her house, but I don't see why that's in itself a problem; the same thing usually happens to me when I walk around a public place.

 

Twilight confronts Moon Dancer at the library repeatedly, but why at the library, rather than, say, when she's walking back to her house? Is the point that Moon Dancer can't get away, or that she'll be forced to acknowledge Twilight for fear of looking uptight and mean?

 

Twilight says you'd be amazed by how much you can pick up when you're actually in a book, as Twilight demonstrated at the library, but how does being on the pages of a book like Twilight was help her to pick up knowledge much more quickly or easily?

 

Pinkie chastises Twilight for not knowing that Pinkie and Minuette are friends and hang out, but is it part of the job of the Princess of Friendship to know who everyone else is friends with?

 

Does Moon Dancer suspect Twilight at all when seeing a trail of books on the ground that she finds interesting, especially considering how much Twilight was trying to get Moon Dancer to do things with her before?

[Nature's Spell 526]

So wait a minute. We're suppose to believe that Twilight and Lyra were friend in school, and in the entire time she was living in Ponyville she never once noticed her? I call shenanigans!

Yeah Larson went a bit too far with the clueless Twilight. We get that she wasn't a great friend back in the day, but he could have been more subtle with proving that point.

[J.T. 1,843]

If Twilight already had friends in Canterlot then why did Celestia send her to Ponyville to make new ones instead of saying "Hey you should stop being an ass to your friends"?

[Nature's Spell 526]

If Twilight already had friends in Canterlot then why did Celestia send her to Ponyville to make new ones instead of saying "Hey you should stop being an ass to your friends"?

Because her Canterlot "friends" weren't bearers of the Elements of Harmony. Harsh but true. The Mane 6 were destined to be friends and Twilight was destined to be Princess of Friendship. But it's great that she is trying to reconnect with her past.

Edited July 6, 2015 by Nature's Spell

[J.T. 1,843]

 

 

Because her Canterlot "friends" weren't bearers of the Elements of Harmony.

Maybe they could have been? I kinda think the mane six got to be the bearers because they just happen to be in the right spot at the right time. :/

[Nature's Spell 526]

Maybe they could have been? I kinda think the mane six got to be the bearers because they just happen to be in the right spot at the right time. :/

Maybe. Twilight's Cutie Mark being at the center of the Tree of Harmony is huge flashing destiny sign and given that they all got their Cutie Marks from the same event it seems clear that the fates were with them. It doesn't lesson any other friends they have.

Edited July 6, 2015 by Nature's Spell

[NavelColt 22,876]

It's nice to see the show continuing to hit the various demographics, personalities and just types of people there are. Maud introduced introverts by showing a perhaps extreme version of one. This introduced those introverts who develop into recluses for one reason or another, and how, a lot of times, these people are just lacking the self-confidence to go out and pursue happiness, friendship, activities, etc. A helping hand to guide them may help a lot.

 

The season started as a Season of Stallions. Now it has evolved into a Season of Background Ponies! BG Ponies speak outside the featured BG pony episode. Illuminati Confirmed.

[Ninja(Pinkie)Midget 180]

I liked this episode.  It showed off Twilight and her humility very well.  It started out feeling like the writers were reaching for material when there was the reference to the first episode, but they developed it well from there.  I gave it 4 stars just because I like it when there's a new musical number that's catchy, but that's just me.  Pinkie coming in to save the day....well, that's just awesome!

[Foliha 395]

I dunno, it seems to me that Moondancer and Twilight were color-variations of each other for a reason.  Twilight is a solipsistic creature,  she lives in her own world, and has since she was quite young.  Being an "egg-head" as Rainbow Dash would say, often means that the world, with all its drama and emotional frustration, can go by without making much of an impression. 

While some creatures who are more social will roll their eyes and the egg-head's seeming cluelessness & callousness, the egg-head will often shrug and feel, "What's the big deal?"  This was certainly true of Twilight.  But having had an intensive course in the concept of friendship, and all that it implies, Twilight is now aware that there is more to life that a fascinating data-set. 

 

Minuette and Co. probably grew up with lots of siblings, or just talented parents.  They learned not to take other people's drama too seriously.  They roll with it.  But perhaps Moondancer is a much more sensitive creature.  Perhaps she saw Twilight as a sort of role-model.  Maybe she had a school-girl crush on her.  I that case,Twilight's disinterest in entering into a deep, heartfelt relationship with her could be pretty devastating.  Crazier things have happened. 

 

Twilight's sudden realization that she grew up without deeply-bonded friendships - at least not on her end - might have been a source of hurt to others.  So of course, being Twilly, she goes into an OCD meltdown, and wants to make it right. 

 

Spike, the realist, just lets her go and get on with it.  (The remark about Minuette's friends maybe not being traumatized was hilarious.  Who says there's no humor in this episode?)

 

In the meantime, Moondancer has become a scholarly recluse, just as she perceived Twilight to have been.  (If I can't be close to Twilight, I'll become Twilight.)  When Twilight reappears, Moondancer tries to keep her at arm's length.  After all, she's found a way to be, and she's used to it.  Why chance an emotional upheaval and possible 2nd abandonment?

 

But Twilight is in Lancelot mode, and will not be gainsaid.  Pursuit and attempts at atonement ensue and eventually Moondancer caves in and wails out her frustration and abandonment issues. 

 

What I want to know is how will all this affect Moondancer in the future?  We see her playing ball with her friends at the end of the episode.  That bodes well, but seems too much of a right-about to be entirely believable.  On the other hand, she's still young.  Maybe she'll be fine...

[Sectus 246]

This was, surprisingly, one of the few episodes that I knew from the get-go that I would enjoy. It was very heartfelt and sweet, but also very realistic from a worldly standpoint. It was cool to see that Twilight was willing to go so far to make it up to her friend not to save face, but because she genuinely cared for her.

[Buck Testa 5,503]

One thing I didn't like about this episode was the fact that it causes paradoxes with the comics. Specifically The Fall of Sunset Shimmer.

It doesn't cause a paradox at all, Comics and the show run on separate but similar continuities. Kind of like how the pony world mirrors the Eqg world.

[Pinkie-Guy 563]

This will be one of the great episodes of the series.  I only wish all the writing was this good.  The fact that she was oblivious to all of this shows that she still has weak spots.

[Truffles 2,033]

I can't shake the impression that deep down, all Twilight wanted was to rekindle relationships so SHE could feel better.

I got the vibe from Twilight as well... Like she was in panic mode because she felt like she had failed another of Celestia's tests. I was almost expecting her to break out into her "Failure Aria" again. (She even had Spike around for backup!  ) I will admit a third of the way into the episode she did seem genuinely concerned about how everypony in her past was doing.

 

And a little party, (that Pinkie Pie put together, no less), is not going to do the trick in my book. Again, Pinkie saves Twilight's butt.

It's funny that after "Party Poopers", there appeared a whole topic on this forum dedicated to whether Pinkie is actually a better Princess of Friendship than Twilight - and in the very next episode, they ask that very question outright!  It's like M.A. Larson read the script to "Party Poopers" and probably thought the same thing! 

 

 

On a related note, Moon Dancer is upset that Twilight didn't take Moon Dancer's gift book with her to Ponyville, but as far as we can tell, Twilight didn't bring any of the other books in her former room to Ponyville, either. It is an interesting question why Twilight never did that

My thinking on this is Twilight probably expected she wouldn't be gone very long, so she pretty much left everything just like one does when they go on a trip. From my recollections of S1E1 she wanted to get her task of making some friends with the "crazy" ponies of Ponyville as quickly as possible and then get her rump right back to Canterlot,

 

From reading your commentary, I think the main complaint you had was the episode seems to imply that there is something wrong with you if you don't have a lot of close friendships. If that's the case, I agree with you that that isn't really a great message. One finds happiness in balancing relationships with the amount of time one wants to spend alone pursuing their interests. Having said that, I don't think Moondance wasn't very happy and hadn't found that balance yet. So I did thoroughly enjoy the episode, even just for the nifty concept of revisiting some loose ends introduced back in the very first moments of the first episode!

 

 

Wow. Moondancer's place is a mess.

Seeing Moondancer reminded me very much of future-Rarity in "For Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils" - except Moondancer at least was willing to come out and go to the library. The message the series seems to give is acts that one might seem to be insignificant can have great repercussions on another life....

Edited July 6, 2015 by Truffles

[LHfunk 422]

Can someone delete this post please? My internet broke and I accidentally sent the same message a bunch.

Edited July 6, 2015 by Real Lightning Flash

[ernesth100 4]

So, pre-friendship acceptance Monndancer is what Twilight could've become had she never met the Mane 6?

[LHfunk 422]

I absolutely loved this episode. It was nice to see Twilight return to her old friends (even though Lyra wasn't there). It was also one of two episodes that have at least made me teary eyed. I bet you can guess the other one. (Tanks for the Memories, I cried hard during that). Anyway, I gotta say, I never really laughed during this episode, but it just gave that warm feeling that you can never describe but is just there. This is my second best Feelings Episode of all the seasons. I would like to see more of these.

Can a mod or admin or someone delete all of my broken internet comments?

[Dolphanatic 298]

For the longest time, I've been wondering what happened to Moondancer, seeing as she was briefly mentioned in the series premiere, only to seemingly be completely forgotten, due in part to her simply being irrelevant to the show's storyline until now. Finally, I know what those background ponies really think of Twilight after she turned them down. I know a lot of people like MontagnaMagica were always curious of what would become of them after Twilight left them. M.A. Larson managed to use this to his advantage as made these open ends the basis of an entire episode... And a great one, too!

 

I'm glad to see Twilight coming to terms with her problems. It's immensely satisfying to see characters develop (yes, actually develop, not shoehorn a pointless pair of wings on said character's back and use "character development" as an excuse for contrived writing and/or a bad concept) and overcome their flaws as they mature, standing firm after finding their place in life with full conviction, and it really does show here, with Twilight of all characters being the one to tell the antisocial bookworm to get some friends, all while feeling completely natural and in-character. Yes! Thank you, writers! This is how Twilight should be! Until now, the most I've gotten out of post-Season 3 Twilight was usually little more than a mere shell her former self, often coming off as forced and unnatural. But here, it actually feels genuine, and as a long-time Twilight fan myself, that's a huge plus in my book (pun not intended)!

Despite this show only being about five years old, the nostalgia was through the roof! In fact, let me go on and rave about how well this episode went full circle. First and foremost, Spike, the one who usually receives letters from Celestia, is the one to give Twilight the idea to go back to Canterlot and help some other ponies learn a valuable lesson about friendship... And who knows, that pony might even unite with her friends (and various other background ponies, like the citizens of Ponyville, such as the ones we all saw in Slice of Life, and maybe even the ponies from "Our Town", I'm calling it) to save Equestria from a major villain (perhaps even the one who was spying on them in Donut Joe's bakery, hint hint). That would really bring things back around and actually give Twilight a good reason to be an alicorn princess for once, rather than simply being one to sell toys! Or maybe something even better... Regardless, I'm really liking the way things are shaping up this season!

I haven't even mentioned how awesome it was to see Twilight's old library, exactly like she left it (minus the dust and cobwebs)! Everything from the Predictions and Prophecies book being left on the page about the Elements of Harmony, to Spike's gift for Moondancer still sitting around torn open through the middle, to the ladder being tipped over, and more shows that the animators really went all out in this episode and it shines! It's a great scene and is easily one of my favorite moments in the entire show, if only for the visuals alone. I even eyed that giant hourglass (which we now know may very well have been a gift from Minuette) to see if any minor spoilers would show up, only to find out that there were none... But we do see a certain familiar unicorn in Donut Joe's bakery, like I mentioned earlier in parentheses.

The music was epic, too, even without any vocal songs. The background scoring fit perfectly, especially in the aforementioned scene in which Twilight and Spike enter the old library. The way the clarinet slowly plays a melody eerily similar to the song heard when Twilight was invited to Moondancer's party in the series premiere just gives me chills, especially when you consider just how much has happened outside the library. Basically, the music, along with the visuals, are emphasizing the fact that this is the only thing Twilight knows of that hasn't been changed, which is actually really deep when you think about it. Everything else about Twilight (even her physical self, being an alicorn now) has grown and matured except for this one dark corner. Even after all these years, it's stayed the exactly the same, albeit slightly less inviting now that it's been abandoned, just like Moondancer. The fact that I can go on and on about all the symbolism in just this one scene alone shows just how well thought-out this episode truly is.

 

Speaking of Moondancer, the conflict was well-written, for the most part, even despite the lack of interaction between Twilight and Moondancer up until now. Rather than ignoring it, the writers instead used this to their advantage, with the lack of interaction between Twilight and Moondancer being the reason for the conflict.

 

However, as much as I liked Amending Fences, there are two major issues I have with this episode.

 

First of all (besides Twilicorn, since I've already beaten that dead horse enough), Moondancer's reaction to the whole thing was far too drastic. She abandoned all the rest of her friends, the very same thing that made her so upset in the first place, over something so trivial as one party? Seriously? Even so, that doesn't excuse her bitterness toward Lyra Heartstrings, Lemon Hearts, Minutte, and Twinkleshine. They did nothing to deserve that, and it's never explained outside of Moondancer stating that she didn't want to give friendship another chance.

 

Then there's one more major issue I have with it: Twilight's friends from Canterlot. Who are they and why should we care? Apparently they were classmates that spent some time together and got to know each other presumably in magic kindergarten. But how? We never see any of that. In fact, it's hardly even mentioned at all! Outside of Amending Fences, the only interaction we've ever seen between any of them and Twilight was the brief exchange about Moondancer's party in the series premiere, and that was nothing more than the average "She's having a party, wanna come with us?" invitation. That's hardly an indication of any sort of long-time friendship at all! In fact, I've had more engaging conversations with door-to-door salesmen! You're really milking it, M.A. Larson!

Actually, didn't A Canterlot Wedding basically confirm that Twilight had no friends in Canterlot, hence the reason why she referred to her brother as being her "best friend forever" as a filly? For crying out loud, she even had an entire musical number dedicated to just that! Remember?! What? Are we supposed to forget any of that ever happened now? Apparently so, because this episode practically retcons all of it now!

It's those little details that can easily become a giant Achille's Heel in terms of storytelling. Call me a killjoy nitpicker, but this is a serious problem. Because of the way this episode lazily throws these characters in your face, saying "They're friends and they've been that way since before the show even started, so deal with it!" like a poorly-written fanfic, the whole storyline is dragged down as a reslt. Give us a reason to believe you! Give us some substantial backstory! I'm not asking for a whole Cutie Mark Chronicles flashback montage here. I just want one reason why I should believe that Twilight knows these ponies beyond one brief exchange about some party five seasons ago! Not to mention, people will from now on constantly be arguing over whether episodes like A Canterlot Wedding are even canon anymore, thanks to this one tiny instance of obliviousness on M.A. Larson's behalf! Uggh! What a mess this episode has caused, and all because one minor flaw! Just one! It's instances like this that show just how significant little details truly are. They can drastically change the outcome of something entirely, just like it did here with this episode's storytelling.

It's because of this that I can't in good conscience say that this episode is the best Twilight-centered episode, even though I love what the writers were going for and still think they did a great job here. Looking back, it's truly amazing how much this show has matured since 2010. It's not something I see often in shows, especially nowadays, and it brings liquid pride to my eyes to say that about this show.

Edited July 6, 2015 by Dolphanatic

[Sunny Fox 5,929]

This episode just doesn't do it for me. Spike is just there to make Twilight feel guilty and kick off the plot. He stays with Twilight throughout, but he actually DO anything significant after the opening? Oh, right, he gave Moondancer the picture... which Twilight could have done just as well. In fact, it's a gesture from Spike, not from Twilight, so her accepting it kind of goes against the rest of the episode's "it's all about Twilight" motif.

 

What else? Minuette is a discount Pinkie Pie. I was surprised the two of them didn't annihilate each other in a gigantic explosion of energy when they hugged. And she giggles constantly, which I found pretty grating. Pinkie at least only giggles when there's a reason to do so, not all the time.

 

And that flashback to the school fillies... was that meant to establish some kind of potential friendship between Twilight and Moondancer? Because all I saw was Twilight being both unbearably snooty and proven right. "Oh, you totally showed me up in our chemistry class - our friendship shall last forever!"

 

But the biggest disappointment for me was Moondancer overall. The best design they could think of was a recolour of Twilight? Oh, and Moondancer: Aku called, he wants his GREAT FLAMING EYEBROWS back!

(In other totally unrelated news, TVTropes called me... said they "wanted their joke back", whatever that means...)

 

Another tip, Lunarjigger, if your entire self esteem is predicated on one particular pony coming to your party, next time you might want to actually invite said pony yourself. And why was she so fixated on Twilight? I guess all the other ponies who came to her party are just the chopped liver. She even has a sister, but NO, Twilight is the frikkin' be-all-and-end-all of her life. Minuette outright states the others asked Moondancer out afterwards, but she kept turning them down... because of one party Twilight didn't attend. The moral seems to be "fixate on one particular person, and if they snub you unintentionally, ignore anyone else who could be your friend and sequester yourself."

 

If you liked it, or you can relate to it, I'm glad, but overall, I was just not impressed with this episode. 

 

Maybe I'll find some more positive things to say come review time...

 

Actually, I did find something positive... this episode at least teaches that one should be careful of how one acts... one act of kindness can make a big difference in a person's life, while one act of thoughtlessness can really hurt someone. So there's that.

[LHfunk 422]

Actually, didn't A Canterlot Wedding basically confirm that Twilight had no friends in Canterlot, hence the reason why she referred to her brother as being her "best friend forever" as a filly? For crying out loud, she even had an entire musical number dedicated to just that! Remember?! What? Are we supposed to forget any of that ever happened now? Apparently so, because this episode practically retcons all of it now!

So your saying that because Twilight said her brother was her best friend forever, means she can't have other friends? Now, I don't remember the episode all that well, but I'm pretty sure that she could easily have friends. Everything here seems perfectly canon to me. Then again, I do just watch it and enjoy it rather then pick it apart. I let others do that. Anyway, my point against your point, is that just because she said her brother is her best friend, doesn't mean she can't have other friends. (Anyone going to say anything against me should remember I can't remember Canterlot Wedding well and I probably missed something's in Amending Fences)

[manic 121]

Wow, full circle. Who'd have imagined that a pretty throwaway scene in the pilot would have made it into a full-blown and meaningful episode?

[Lambdadelta 1,462]

I just have thought there wont be any good Twilight episode since season 4 (i wont count 2-parters). Thanks Larson  . Any upcoming Twilight-centric episode written by Larson/Meghan are always awesome  . I dont want any writers touch Twilight  . So far season 5 is great with only 2 episode i want to forget they actually exist : Princess Spike & Apploosa. Dave Polski makes me so disappointed this season, his season 4 episodes are amazing, then why Apploosa is SO BAD? He supposed to good at comedy... Larson is the best writer now, i hope there are more Larson Where's Meghan, my goddess? She wont write any season 5 episodes? The upcoming episode should be written by Meghan :comeatus: and that episode should be insane

Edited July 6, 2015 by Lambdadelta

[Cleverclover 1,525]

Well, I just have to admit it: 

 

This episode has really made me like Twilight a bit more.

 

Not too much, but it's a significant step forward. Not only was it quite refreshing to see her have to work so hard to amend a mistake, even it if was a past mistake, but it was also quite refreshing that this episode contained none of her annoying post-alicorn character traits:

 

We weren't treated to any redundant, self-righteous speeches about friendship, no moments of her exerting power over anyone else, no flashy laser battles just for the sake of making her look awesome, no moments of her serving as a dues ex machina or expositional device, and no overall moments of perfection, infallibility, or flawlessness. 

 

This was a great episode. 

[Silvermoon2 6]

It was a glorious episode to behold. I hope we see more episodes like this in the future.

[Dolphanatic 298]

Well, I just have to admit it: 

 

This episode has really made me like Twilight a bit more.

 

Not too much, but it's a significant step forward. Not only was it quite refreshing to see her have to work so hard to amend a mistake, even it if was a past mistake, but it was also quite refreshing that this episode contained none of her annoying post-alicorn character traits:

 

We weren't treated to any redundant, self-righteous speeches about friendship, no moments of her exerting power over anyone else, no flashy laser battles just for the sake of making her look awesome, no moments of her serving as a dues ex machina or expositional device, and no overall moments of perfection, infallibility, or flawlessness. 

 

This was a great episode. 

 

Agreed!

 

...Although If by "laser battles" you mean that battle in Twilight's Kingdom, then I'd have to disagree with you there, since that was done in self-defense. Plus, she lost, anyway. That being said, I do miss the old unicorn spells. From what we've seen so far from post-Season 3 Twilight, her magic arsenal has been little more than basic levitation spells that she could already do as a unicorn to weak lasers that hardly do anything most of the time, with the occasional secret password-type spell to access alicorn artifacts and the like. What happened to the gem-finding spell, the mustache spell (or any of the spells she used in Boast busters, for that matter), or the "want it, need it" spell? What happened to that failproof spell she was working on back in Return of Harmony? Whatever. I'm getting off topic.