S05:E12 - Amending Fences

[Brainstorm 4,092]

It's good that Twilight made up with her Canderlot buddies and help Moondancer, maybe she'll show them Ponyville and it's good that Spike is buddies with them as well.

[aoEAF2FBvC0MIo2Q 3,671]

Urgh... It's like I could relate to Moondancer a little too well. My breath feels toxic and it's like my mouth could start foaming at any minute now.

 

The episode is good, make no mistake about it -- it's just that the theme hit way too close for comfort.

[rjrgmc28 130]

*sniffle* I didn't even watch this episode live and I took some time away from Splatfest this morning to watch it and well....I got a bit choked up towards the end.

 

I'll let my tweet sum it up:

 

"So....that episode was one that hit home with it's message. Something I know all to well. ...and I'll leave it at that."

 

As mentioned above, I went into this episode not knowing what to expect in terms of story, character or what was about to happen. I didn't expect the story about Twilight trying to mend some broken friendships to be so indepth. I didn't expect Moondancer to be like Twilight and I certainly didn't expect her to break down in tears like that.

 

I can't put my finger on it, but this episode hitted home for me. I don't know why or if it was my past experiences in trying to make friends in the past and having a hard time in doing so that reflected what happened.

 

Also on a side note, I don't know if I should make this comparison, but based on life experience I often have difficulty being socially active due to my Aspergers/Autism.

 

The full thoughts on the episode are now available to view on my new blog post here. Its a little on the short side though.

Edited July 5, 2015 by rjrgmc28

[Radiance64 7,051]

Wat, there was a new episode today?

I'm staying so spoiler-free this season that sometimes I just forget!

[Lambdadelta 1,462]

Great story about seeking forgiveness, Moondancer is nice, the climax is great (I hope it will longer). Ok 10/10

Wait... NO SONG!? GG. Well... 9,6/10

No Celestia!? Are y kidding me ? No pandering ? No derpy ? What wrong with this episode? they have no fanservice. Sr episode... 9/10

Wait... Fancy Pant and his girlfriend :3

And PINKI-COPTER? Ok you earn my forgiveness. Final verdict: 9,999/10 lol ) Pinkie saves this episode from being 9,0, she saves the day AGAIN, give her wings already Larson!

[StitchandMLPlover 930]

Well, it was Hasbro's directives who ordered that Twilight Sparkle be made an alicorn, and they would probably have a rule that no new episodes can be made with unicorn Twilight; perhaps because that footage was copied straight from the first episode (it's frame-per-frame the same) it was allowed, but notice that on the scene with filly Twilight in the science lab, they took special care to never reveal her side, since that is new footage and thus subject to the no-unicorn rule.

 

That scene at the intro is probably an animation mistake, a big one certainly. Maybe I could email Hasbro about it...

Well even Faust wanted Twilight to be Princess Celestia's successor. I find it more likely that the writers and animators are hiding her sides as more of a gag rather than a rule. Moon Dancer was in the same pose as Twilight anyway.  They have kept that unicorn scene since season 4 ep 1 so it is more likely that they are lazy rather than it being an error i.e why change the opening if you don't have to. Besides in that part of the song Twilight is singing about her life before friendship in the opening sequence so it makes sense story wise to keep her a unicorn in the theme. Again I think any rule would apply to toys and merchandise only. 

[LZRD WZRD 1,929]

I guess this was a pretty good episode

[Azatrot 66]

Wow... I didn't just love the episode. It felt like it was a very meaningful episode for me personally. After having seen a few scenes with Moondancer, I pretty much thought "Oh my... I am Moondancer". She tried out friendship. It didn't quite work out, so she withdrew from most social life, convinced herself that friendship wasn't for her, and distracted herself with reading. From skimming the replies in this thread, there seems to be fairly common for bronies to be Moondancers...

 

I really liked the continuity in this episode (like the reference to A Canterlot Wedding), and that the inconsistency of Minuette, Lemon Drops and Twinkle Shine living in Canterlot but often being seen in Ponyville was adressed. That was something that would have bugged me, so I liked that they adressed it fairly quickly.

[Steve Piranha 28,742]

It's not bad. From first impressions, I like the overall story and the character of moondancer. Considering they might be using this story idea for Equestria Girls 3, I am a bit worried that they used it for this episode. It can be overdone.

 

I liked the flashbacks, especially to foal Twilight. It helps to make the story interesting.

 

There is some canon violations such as the idea of Twilight having friends before the pilot and those friends living in Canterlot except for moon dancer. Like it or not, the show established the others as living in Ponyville. It's too late to go back on that. Also, moon dancer is a lazy recolor of Twilight.

 

After the two prior episodes, this one is golden by comparison. Not perfect but a good edition to the season.

1-Twi might had them as friends, or at least, they were the ponies she was closest with, but she never made any attempts to actually bond with them

2-Those other three mares (and Lyra) weren't intended to be more than background ponies, hence why we see them all the time in Ponyville, but the fandom had other ideas. The idea of Lyra moving to Ponyville and the other three were there to visit her was kind of a silly explanation, but I liked it because they at least they cared to avoid big plotholes 

3-Moon Dancer's being a recolor of Twi, is justified, as she was intended to show what kind of mare Twi would've become if she didn't take this whole friendship journey and stuff.... poor girl 

[twilightfan28 52]

Loved this episode. She meets with old friends, to make up for what she did. I think i would have done the same

[Lambdadelta 1,462]

YOU GUYS LOOK!!! STARLIGHT IN THE BACKGROUND  !!! BEST EPISODE EVER 12/10 

[Silver Letter 1,830]

 

 

Twi might had them as friends, or at least

She was fully jaded against the idea of making friends.

 

 

 

as she was intended to show what kind of mare Twi would've become if she didn't take this whole friendship journey and stuff....

Perhaps. We already had Sunset Shimmer for that though.

[Singe 2,109]

The comparison of Twilight would have been like Moondancer doesn't fit. Twilight Sparkle had an apprenticeship under Princess Celestia to manage her and that study would have lead to some purpose. Moondancer was scarred by Twilight Sparkle and binged 'study' for an entire year with no direction in life.

Edited July 4, 2015 by Singe

[Radiance64 7,051]

Cute episode, that's what I call calling back!

All the way to the beginning of the entire show, exploring the possible consequences of Twilight leaving her former friends... just wow, I did not expect that at all. Don't blame Twilight for forgetting their names though, Minnuette, Lemon Hearts, and, uh, other pony...? No consequences with them really, until we got to Moon Dancer... and Twilight comes to see her ultimate'what could have been' scenario, because she's turned out no doubt how Twilight would have had she not discovered her friends in Ponyville(I mean, if the world wasn't hanging in the balance that day, but that's besides the point), making her the hardest friend to amend. But man, we've all had to have felt like Moon Dancer did every now and then with our friendships, I know I have so her character really hit close to home... loved her, what an extremely realistic portrayal of long-term grief for this show, not that I expected any less. The whole party thing to make it up to her was heart-warming, pretty much what you'd expect to happen but portrayed very well, even with Pinkie just kinda tacked on in there. Overall though, well...

This episode is fucking awesome. Moon Dancer is the best and this is real, hard-hitting stuff. We're halfway through the season now sure, but I can only hope it's all going to be as amazing as this. Preparing to keep expectations subverted.

Also, they forgot about Lyra, I found that funny lol

10/10

YOU GUYS LOOK!!! STARLIGHT IN THE BACKGROUND !!! BEST EPISODE EVER 12/10

HOLY MOTHER OF PONIES

Oh crap, I reaaaaaaaaaly hope this means something for her like her coming back to screw more stuff up at the end of the season or something

[LongGoneGr 1,304]

I love this episode! It's fantastic!

[Lambdadelta 1,462]

 

 

HOLY MOTHER OF PONIES Oh crap, I reaaaaaaaaaly hope this means something for her like her coming back to screw more stuff up at the end of the season or something

Spread this news, my friend. COMRADE STARLIGHT IS BACK! 

[Mesme Rize 15,681]

Spread this news, my friend. COMRADE STARLIGHT IS BACK! 

 

 

Spread it throughout the internet.

[Jon the VGNerd 842]

I'm not gonna lie. This episode has moved me a lot. And I almost cried with happiness. Here's an image of my reaction to this episode (because I didn't want to bore you with so many details):

 

Edited July 4, 2015 by Jon the Bronynerd

[Lambdadelta 1,462]

I'm not gonna lie. This episode has moved me a lot. And I almost cried. Much better than Princess Spike. Here's an image of my reaction to this episode (because I didn't want to bore you with so many details):

 

Plz, dont even compare this episode to Princess Spike  This episode deserves better comparision  . 

[Jon the VGNerd 842]

Plz, dont even compare this episode to Princess Spike  This episode deserves better comparision  . 

 

Meep! Sorry if I slipped by referring it. Maybe I should edit it out.

[Lambdadelta 1,462]

Meep! Sorry if I slipped by referring it. Maybe I should edit it out.

Wait, i'm just joking, man   Anyway, did you see Starlight in the background of this episode?

[Jon the VGNerd 842]

Wait, i'm just joking, man   Anyway, did you see Starlight in the background of this episode?

 

Oh you.

 

And yes I saw her, just barely. I was feeling moved from the episode. Maybe she's trying to blend in without being seen?

[Singe 2,109]

Twilight's obsessiveness takes a new path as she tries to fix the blemish on the perfect Princess of Friendship. Three of her old friends are the more stable ponies of it not being a big deal. However, Twilight Sparkle and Moondancer can't let that lie as they are the two most dramatic characters of the episode. This episode is also a kinder repeat of A Friend in Deed. Twilight Sparkle does push Moondancer to break down then forgive her, but she also tries other methods like bribes and a party trap. Moondancer was scarred so bad by the awesome Twilight that she took a year long 'study' binge to drown out the pain, being that she had no future goal to do with that studying.

 

Now we'll just wait for Starlight Glimmer to ruin it by telling Moondancer how much of FIM she's been left out of with Twilight Sparkle's adventures, except Equestria Girls.

[Luffyiscool 397]

When Moondancer had her emotional outburst, I cried. 

It brought back some memories of times I've gotten socially burned, mostly in school.

[Guest]

This episode was so good! I cried

YOU GUYS LOOK!!! STARLIGHT IN THE BACKGROUND  !!! BEST EPISODE EVER 12/10 

Holy shit, nice catch, I didn't even notice that!