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S06:E16 - The Times They Are A Changeling


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What did you think of the episode?  

212 users have voted

  1. 1. Did you like it?

    • Times are changing, and I do not approve!
      6
    • Eh, not really.
      2
    • Times have changed. MEH!
      13
    • Could've been better
      39
    • Times are changing, and THAT WAS AWESOME!
      152


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Oh Spike, honey, that wig is NEVER going to be your color, I am so sorry darling!  :pout:

Ya know when I saw that wig. I was just " You can't be serious dear boy!" it takes a certain purple to make orange right, but then the light green scales just set it all off. No. no, just no.

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This was a very good episode to watch. We are shown that Thorax was a part of Chrysalis' Swarm during the siege on Canterlot during A Canterlot Wedding, but even after he was born, all he wanted was friendship, but his natural Changeling instincts were a hindrance to that.

 

Then when he met Spike, who was willing to give him a chance, you could tell how because of Thorax even being nearby, and remembering the trauma that Chrysalis put them through, Cadance and Shining Armor were not willing to offer Thorax the benefit-of-the-doubt, especially since their trauma was escalated because of their love for their daughter, Flurry Heart. Anything happens to her, and Shining Armor and Cadance would probably have Celestia and Luna bring the full might of the Equestrian Military down on Chrysalis to get Flurry Heart back.

 

However, as Spike pleads his case in song to them, you could see how Twilight softened as she listened, and realized that as the Princess of Friendship, she had to set an example to her B.B.B.F.F. and sister-in-law, along with Starlight and Sunburst, with accepting Thorax as a friend. If she didn't, who would?

 

As a minor nitpick, I would've enjoyed seeing how when Twilight explains her acceptance of Thorax to her family, friends, and the Crystal Empire Royal Guards, we see Cadance and Shining Armor exchange guilty looks as they realize they let their own past trauma and prejudice blind them this whole time, and that leads to them then approaching Thorax with happy smiles as they accept him as the newest resident of the Crystal Empire, showing that Thorax is the first step to them overcoming their prejudice against Changelings, and if Thorax can use his experience in the Empire to benefit the Changeling Swarm, it might allow some closure between Chrysalis, Shining Armor, and Cadance if Chrysalis is willing to apologize to them for the events from A Canterlot Wedding at least.

 

Other that that, this episode receives a max score of 10/10 for me, and I hope to see Cadance, Shining Armor, Flurry Heart, and Sunburst again sometime before the season finale, even Thorax if it is considered. If not before, then at least during the finale if it involves Chrysalis coming back to seek revenge on Cadance and Shining Armor by kidnapping Flurry Heart, despite Thorax's attempts to stop her since she sees him as nothing more than a traitor to the Swarm because he is friends with Spike and the Royal Family now.

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What was interesting was Crystal Hoof's age. (BTW that's the SECOND time this season Spike has had to look around at random objects to come up with a name - first time was in "Gauntlet of Fire" when he had to cover for Ember.  :lol: )

 

Anyway, "Crystal Hoof" is clearly an adolescent pony - he's smaller than all the other ponies around him, but doesn't sound like a foal. In fact, his voice reminded me of Snails in a way, without the goofiness thrown in. So I wonder if that means Thorax is an adolescent changeling? I realize he was able to turn into Spike who is a lot smaller, but it seems strange to pick an adolescent pony to become if Thorax himself is an adult.

Curious point.  :sunbutt: Personally, I couldn't quite gauge what age he was supposed to be. I'm assuming from the size relative to others that he might be a teen as a pony? We have no idea about changeling lifespans though. The birthing scene could have been 1000 years ago for all we know.  :awuh:

 

 

 

The real star here was Spike, he was so brave and I liked his song though it was a bit off. On one side of me I thought it was unrealistic that Spike could convince them with just a song, I would rather have seen a kind of 2-parter to this where Spike is thrown into prison with Thorax and becomes somewhat of an example, but that gets way too deep.

 

To be fair, there are a ton of episodes that we'd prefer to see as two parters. I guess you could say we just want more:lol:

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I liked it a good bit. There were some awkward parts as there often are for Spike episodes, and the guest VA for Thorax made the character sound like a dork, but I liked it overall – especially Spike's song.

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I hate to say it, but I didn't really enjoy this one. Seeing more of the Changelings was a nice addition to the series and I generally enjoyed Thorax' character. But everything else felt so superficial, so cliché. When Spike entered the room with Thorax at his side, I really thought we would get some kind of heated discussion and drama (Within limits of a kid show) but instead we got a song and everything is suddenly okay. It's all rainbows and sunshine. Being a kids show doesn't mean you have to skip on those kind of things.

 

This episode kind of reminded me an old cartoon I watched a few days ago. The final episode of a series I missed as a kid. It had a scene where the villain mercilessly pummeled the protagonist with an incredibly well written monologue, each word piercing his heart over and over again. Today's episode reminded me of that. The writers of that old cartoon took the difficult path and that short scene made more impact on me than many other cartoons I used to watch. The writers could have handled the scene with Thorax and Spike in any way, using as much of the potential the storyline has to offer, but instead they go for a song to resolve the conflict. (I liked the song though) 

 

 

This entire episode is a good example of wasted potential. They played it safe but could have done so much more.

Edited by JH24
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What is this? Spike episodes have actually been good this season. Also, it looks like it's confirmed that Changelings are bug-like creatures... well, that was probably a widely held assumption anyway, but now we have definite knowledge on what they're like at birth.

 

But I will agree with the above comment about singing a song and everything is rainbows and sunshine. I felt that the consequence of Spike's decision to abandon Thorax was too short-lived; it may have been worth using more time on that of the ~22 minute episode. I was semi-expecting Thorax to say something along the lines of "Maybe I should go back to Chrysalis. If all of my kind are evil, so maybe it was foolish of me that I could be anything else." To me, it seemed like they did a better job at this sort of thing between Trixie and Starlight.

 

But still, it's a Spike episode I actually enjoyed watching. And considering that I haven't really enjoyed one until season 6, that's worth praising in my opinion.

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I think the episode had a lot of potential but it missed out on a lot of it. For one thing I think the song would of had a stronger impact if Spike mentioned himself as a dragon that is not a pony and that dragons too are dangerous and frightening but Spike has shown that not all dragons are like that and the same can be applied to Changelings.

 

And with Spike as a hero I would have wanted to see some kind of inner struggle in the beginning where he has to choose between being famous or doing what he felt was right and then when he sides with Thorax he begins his physical struggle of being pelted with rotten fruits by the townsfolk as he's placed under custody going from hero to zero but becoming a real hero and understanding that value.

 

For a second I thought Spike was going to do something drastic like going on exile and finding his answer on his journey.

 

 

Edited by cider float
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Guess Spike is the only “pony” left who gets decent character-centered episodes. See what you can do with just a smidgen of lore and continuity.

 

However, I understand those who fear that this represents the first step on the road towards the assimilation of all changelings into the cult of friendship. It is a legitimate concern about a plot that would have an unforeseeable effect on the show itself and its viewers.

 

P.S: This season is still dog feces. It only happens that the dog in question gobbled down some jewels along with meat and bone.

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I really liked this episode. I found it funny how the ponies greet Spike as he takes the disguise off when the empire was deserted. I really like Thorax and it was great to hear him talk and get a bit of his backstory. It was also great to see Starlight in this episode after not seeing her for a couple of episodes. I liked the song and it felt heartfelt and had a good meaning within the song. All in all I found this episode to be very enjoyable and it was great to see a changeling want to change for the better. I'm really looking forward to seeing future episodes involving Thorax, later down the series. :)

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You guys are high.

 

No, we just have different opinions. Big difference here my friend.

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Honestly Spike has displayed the Element of Loyalty here, this is how loyalty is used for friendship. Spike has shown great loyalty to Twilight, Rarity and Applejack, to stay true to himself but at the same time can tell them no when they need to hear it. Spike does seem to have a pretty good balance of character.

 

The more and more I watch it again I find this song really good and emotional. 

 

 

Edited by cider float
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The love the writers are showing for Spike this season is unprecedented! From his interaction with Starlight in the season opener, to Gauntlet of Fire, and now this. He is indeed not Hum-Drum, the bumbling sidekick just thrown in as a punching bag for weak gags that fall short.

 

The time he has spent as Twilights number one assistant is shining through. All the friendship lessons that Twilight has learns over the years has not gone un noticed by Spike. We are starting so see that all those lessons Twilight learned (the ones that qualified her to be a princess) Spike has also taken to heart. Princess Spike not withstanding, Spike may even be a better Princess of Friendship than Twilight. Especially considering Twilight in "No Second Prances".

 

2016 the year of the dragon!

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The love the writers are showing for Spike this season is unprecedented! From his interaction with Starlight in the season opener, to Gauntlet of Fire, and now this. He is indeed not Hum-Drum, the bumbling sidekick just thrown in as a punching bag for weak gags that fall short.

 

The time he has spent as Twilights number one assistant is shining through. All the friendship lessons that Twilight has learns over the years has not gone un noticed by Spike. We are starting so see that all those lessons Twilight learned (the ones that qualified her to be a princess) Spike has also taken to heart. Princess Spike not withstanding, Spike may even be a better Princess of Friendship than Twilight. Especially considering Twilight in "No Second Prances".

 

2016 the year of the dragon!

I think all the new writers this season has given Spike a fresh start. 

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I loved it, knowing more about changelings and also it seems they can change into a rock. Then seeing the birth of a changeling and that they apparently or at least he seems to have an individual mind I thought they were more of a hive mind. So yeah I enjoyed it, Flitterheart was adorable as well.

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Y'know, took long enough for season 6 to cough up its second best-of-show contender. What an emotionally affecting and thematically profound episode. Imperfect, maybe, and not every single thing it does works, but this episode hit me like a sack of bricks, making me feel things like this show does only at its absolute best. I think the Spike fans give "Gauntlet of Fire" too much credit, but goddamn, I can't really disagree with them on this one. He's perfect here. "A Hearth's Warming Tale" now has serious competition for the best of the season. 

 

Reviewed on my offsite blog here.

 

I'll actually be really disappointed if the season 6 finale is what everyone seemingly wants it to be, as that sounds really dull and formulaic. I feel like the changeling in the season premiere was Thorax here, and that this concludes that arc, but I wouldn't be against changelings being a major thing in the finale as long as it doesn't centre around defeating a villain. Just... don't fall back on that action-oriented formula, okay? It's not why I watch this show. 

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This right here might just be one of my favorite episodes of the past few seasons and my favorite Spike episode of all time. I loved Spike's first song and though he was written well in Gauntlet Of Fire, I think he has now been fully redeemed after his weak appearances in Princess Spike and several other episodes. This is the Spike I want to see; he has truly learned something from Twilight after years as her friend, assistant, and practically her step-brother.

 

Thorax is awesome and I enjoyed seeing Starlight return. The continuity nods to A Canterlot Wedding were a nice touch and the moral was beautiful and one that has been fairly neglected in kids' media. I really loved this one and I can say with absolute certainty that even though I've enjoyed Season 6 so far, this gives me a lot of hope for the rest of the season. 9.5/10. :squee:

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Wow kinda amazed at how different the reaction here vs /mlp/ is, this episode is getting a ton of bashing over there (which I disagree with, they mostly seem to be ignoring all the good because the endings a bit rushed and a lot of them disliked the song).

Overall 9/10 for me, the ending IS slightly rushed and i wish Starlight had been more involved (like she should of been the first to accept Throax after Spike) but it was a really damn solid episode. It's pretty clear that before S6 the writers must of had some big meeting about an intervention on Spike's character cause they've pretty much pulled a 180 with him and now he's one of the most consistent characters on the show.

Edited by M'gann M'orzz
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This episode has me loving Changelings even more. I can see Thorax and Spike becoming really close friends in the future. Hasbro I want to see more of Thorax!!!

 

What I Liked About the Episode:

 

- Spike the Brave and Glorious trying to go incognito

- The secret hoof dance used to identify Twilight

- The guards and their serious demeanor with a side of humor

- Thorax mirroring Spike's movements

- Thorax's forms: Spike, Crystal Hoof, and of course a rock (Not only can changelings turn into other ponies but they can become different species and inanimate objects)

- Thorax's hissing (It's terrifying but cute all at once)

- Spike's first music number (I would love to hear him sing more in the future)

- The background behind Thorax's life

- Twilight befriending the changeling after learning from Spike

 

What We Learned About Changelings in This Episode:

 

- Changelings CAN TALK!!!

- They have emotions

- They have long tongues

- Can change into a pony, a different species, and inanimate objects

- There is a changeling kingdom somewhere out there

- They live similarly to that of a hive of bees

- Changelings start out as eggs, then larva, and so on

- Queen Chrysalis is the mother of the changelings (literally)

- They feed on taking on the form of a loved pony/creature or off of the friendships they have with others (without changing)

- They can sense strong levels of love

 

What Questions I Still Have About Changelings:

 

- Do changelings have mates and children?

- Is Chrysalis the only changeling able to reproduce? --> The reproduction cycle of bees

- Do the changelings social society act those those of a bee hive?

- Are the growing stages of a changeling similar to bees? --> Development stages of a bee

- Do changelings have a limit on how long they can take one form?

- Can changelings have different colored bodies and hair?

- Do changelings ever just eat "normal food"?

- Must a changeling set eyes on a form they want to become before they can transform or can they create their own form?

Edited by .Alicorn
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This right here might just be one of my favorite episodes of the past few seasons and my favorite Spike episode of all time. I loved Spike's first song and though he was written well in Gauntlet Of Fire, I think he has now been fully redeemed after his weak appearances in Princess Spike and several other episodes. This is the Spike I want to see; he has truly learned something from Twilight after years as her friend, assistant, and practically her step-brother.

 

Thorax is awesome and I enjoyed seeing Starlight return. The continuity nods to A Canterlot Wedding were a nice touch and the moral was beautiful and one that has been fairly neglected in kids' media. I really loved this one and I can say with absolute certainty that even though I've enjoyed Season 6 so far, this gives me a lot of hope for the rest of the season. 9.5/10. :squee:

*brohoof of awesomeness* /)

 

I have to agree about this being the Spike we want to see. We knew he had been having character development all along and it was frustrating to see episodes with him forget this. Not anymore though. And I also loved Spikes song sooo much. Still makes me cry even after seeing it several times.  :please:

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I haven't reviewed any new episodes for a while, but I have to review this one because I really REALLY loved it! :D Spike is definitely getting some great episodes this season, and this along with Gauntlet of Fire has done him great justice. And of course we can't forget the return of the changelings! Thorax was actually a really adorable character; I've found some of the new season 6 characters a bit annoying (like Quibble Pants) but Thorax is now one of my new favourites for sure. 

 

I also think one of the reasons I loved this episode is that it leaves me interested to see what will happen next, since I'm pretty sure that's not the last we'll see of the changelings this season. What will it mean for the rest of the species now that Thorax has been accepted as a friend? Will he have future roles to play? I'm so curious! Hopefully this will tie in to the finale in some way. :D

 

My one critique of this episode would be the way the rest of the characters accepted Thorax so quickly after Spike's song. I thought it would be more realistic to see them being more sceptical. But the song was a nice touch, and it led on to a nice conclusion for Thorax. :)

 

So yeah! Loved this one! Especially after finding the last two or three episodes only of 'okay' quality. Looking forward to seeing Thorax again!

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Now this was hands-down the best Spike episode I've ever seen! It beats Gauntlet of Fire for best season 6 episode, and it beats Equestria Games for best Spike episode! The song was amazing too!

 

Did anybody notice Starlight was starting to feel guilty during the song? She remembers being in Thorax's position! Twilight wasn't the only one who got Spike's message!

 

This episode is just proving my theory some more that all that both Spike and Starlight's episodes this season is this season's arc! Spike befriended Ember and Thorax, Starlight befriended Sunburst and Trixie... what are you planning for the finale, DHX? ;)

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Good afternoon ya'll, so sorry I didn't get this up earlier, been busy with the Ward Jenkins Q&A and some other Poniverse business.  Anyways, welcome, welcome, welcome back to another edition of "Batbrony Reviews" and me oh my do we have a splendid episode to go over today!!!  I really need to watch this episode again before I can determine whether or not I think it's the best of Season 6 so far, at least in my opinion, but I would say for sure that I definitely believe it to be the most exciting episode of the season so far.  To put it into the appropriate perspective, longtime viewers like myself have been waiting for this episode, THE return of the Changelings in some capacity that actually affects the MLP setting and the Changelings' place in it, in a major way since the end of Season 2.  This was a species that immediately grabbed our attention because of how unique they were in the setting, and to this day they have remained a fan favorite group, as evidenced by all the fan art and fan fiction centered around them.  Today, we finally got that, and I have to say it did not disappoint in the least, in fact, it pretty much delivered as much as it could have.  The only way it could have been any better were if it were a two-parter episode, but that was clearly not necessary here.  Without further ado, this is "The Times They Are a Changeling," let's begin!

 

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"Oh, thank goodness it's Spike!  For a second there we thought you were Carrot Top; man, that guy is the worst, not funny at all!"

 

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What?  Seems legit, I'd ship it!

 

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Cadance, you... you do realize you can't use that as a test for ANYPONY ELSE right?  Gosh, no wonder they were all freaking out, pony security against Changelings is apparently still crap!

 

So let's start with our main character, Spike.  Oh Spike, your character has developed so, so, SO very well at this point!  Spike for way too long has been a character that the writers were inconsistent with, for good reason to be fair.  He started out largely as a comic relief character; it wasn't mean-spirited comic relief, on the contrary it usually made sense since he's, well, a baby dragon with a different level of maturity.  But given how long the show has been going, he obviously could not stay the same, and as early as Season 2 I would say the writers started playing around with how they could advance and develop.  It was still hit and miss and that point, though plenty of highlights have come in Seasons 3, 4, and 5 for the lil' guy.  Season 6, however, has probably been his most consistent season ever where it has been most evident that this is clearly no longer the same Spike as in earlier seasons.  In fact, he's not even just another Mane 6 member; Spike has a very distinct understanding of friendship that is unique to himself, namely because of his dragon heritage.  He is very much aware that he has (up until he met Princess Ember, that is) been one of a kind among his own kind, and in large part because, by a fluke of fate, he had the opportunity to grow up among ponies.  What's normal for them couldn't be further from the norm for his kind, and he appreciates the opportunities he's been given and the friendship and love that has been extended to him his whole life.  This has never been more apparent than in "The Times They Are a Changeling," even if his heritage did not ever once get directly addressed.  We've seen already Spike's capacity, stemming I believe from his appreciation of the opportunities afforded to him, to give others a chance or second chances.  This season alone, he has extended kindness and friendship to both Starlight Glimmer, being one of the first in Ponyville to really warm up to her and try to help her in her friendship lessons, and Princess Ember, giving in effect his entire species a second chance at changing for the better by helping Ember ascend to Dragon Lord but, more importantly, learn the value of friendship for herself and dragonkind.

 

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Yeah, I won't lie, I loved this gag

 

This time around, however, saw Spike's bravest act of kindness and friendship yet in his entire character's arc through all six seasons.  Neither befriending Starlight nor Ember ever risked Spike's place among ponies; Starlight had already been forgiven by most everypony, and with Ember the biggest risk involved was losing any support or chance at friendship among his own kind, not ponies.  But in this episode, Spike risked A LOT.  The fact that this took place in the Crystal Empire was very important for a couple of reasons.  One, the place has a very good reason for being as paranoid as it was about Changelings; for starters, the Crystal Ponies have never had to deal with Changelings, at least to our knowledge, but to make matters worst, their rulers were the ponies most negatively affected by the Changelings the last time they attacked ponykind.  So right off the bat you have two ingredients for a paranoid populace the second any news about Changelings crops up (doesn't help that the royal family had a newborn foal as well to worry about).  Second, Spike's best reputation in all of Equestria is in the Crystal Empire; he's not just beloved there, he's a friggin' two-time national hero!!!  There was a lot on the line for him in trying to befriend a Changeling and get others to do it, and his faltering in the second half of the episode makes a lot of sense.  Who would be willing to risk as much personally as he did for a total stranger he just met who's a member of a reviled group?  But in the end, he stepped up in what is easily his finest moment in the show yet, yes, even better than his saving the Crystal Empire, befriending Starlight Glimmer, and befriending Princess Ember.  He didn't just apply the lessons he's learned his whole life, he used them to teach his own friends who needed some reminding about what makes them so special in the first place.  Friendship and extending it to others isn't always supposed to be something that's easy or second-nature; it should be hard to do sometimes, as should be believing in others, especially when those others have either let you down in the past or been downright malevolent.  In a beautiful conclusion for the episode and his own character, Spike reminded his friends and family that part of friendship and befriending others is having the capacity to have faith in others, even when you can't be sure if your faith will pay off.  It's about taking risks, not just saying you'll be a friend to those you know you can count on, but being willing to befriend those you can't be sure about either but are willing to believe in.  Everyone deserves a chance at friendship, a chance to prove their capacity to be good and kind and decent, and Spike reminded his friends how important that is and also that such an opportunity was afforded to him and a risk taken on him by virtue of ponies allowing him to grow up with them at all.  A beautiful moment for his character, definitely the pinnacle of his development thus far in the entire show, and just all around a wonderfully done episode for the little guy, I couldn't be happier with how it turned out.

 

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Next, of course we have to discuss the new character Thorax, our first ever friendly Changeling!  Voiced wonderfully by Kyle Rideout (a VA with not too many acting credits to his name), I feel like the writers came up with a great balance of fan head canon in developing this character and GREATLY expanding on the backstory for Changelings.  In his origins, we saw that most Changelings are naturally inclined to a predatory nature, which fits about as many head canons as it doesn't, but works for me personally.  At the same time, they conveyed that, as evidenced by Thorax, Changelings are capable of changing by nature, they aren't JUST born "evil," and if they're not just born that way, then, with presumably a lot of work, they could also possibly change as well (although I still hope this doesn't happen with Queen Chrysalis since I believe she has more autonomy than your average Changeling to start with, and did come across as genuinely evil and malevolent).  So what we have is a happy balance of head canons; generally Changelings have been depicted as either entirely instinctive to an almost animalistic extent in fan work, OR conversely each is individual and unique in their own ways.  I'm sure we'll continue to see this in fan work, but here we have a Changeling who is both instinctive (he had trouble controlling natural urges to predatorily react to the presence of love or kindness) but also a unique individual, a happy balance that I appreciate.  In fact, it pretty much fits my own head canon on Changelings; I like the idea that they are capable of feeding off of love in a passive, non-predatory manner, simply by getting it from others who genuinely care about them, and giving it in return.  In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if we see the writers expand upon this idea in the future.

 

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Oh yeah, pretty sure she's still evil as ever

 

Furthermore, Thorax in general was just super likable, and his plight very believable and sympathetic.  This is a guy who's clearly been an outsider everywhere he's gone his whole life.  He wasn't like any of his own kind, but he rightfully feared that ponies would never accept him either.  Frankly, the fact that he survived this long is rather impressive, almost miraculous, and I anticipate that we're going to see some great fan fiction that does a great job of playing around with his backstory.  The voice work on him was great, he didn't ever come off as a Gary Stu (the fact that he had natural urges he had to fight, and even reacted angrily at Spike's earlier dejection in the last third of the episode, definitely ensured that), and the animators and storyboard artists did a WONDERFUL job really conveying his emotions and what made him different from the rest of his kind in his body language.  Ward Jenkins (who did storyboard art on this episode) mentioned earlier today that they had to be very expressive with his head/face and body in order to convey his emotions properly, because his eyes can't convey much emotion since Changelings don't have pupils like ponies do.  I was very impressed with the job they did in that regard, and it never felt like the show was reaching either or being forced any time he got very emotional to the point of tears.  It felt real, it felt earned, and this is how this type of character needed to be introduced.  Definitely the best new character of the season thus far, exactly what the Changelings needed in order to advance them like this (and for that matter reintroduce them to the show in a serious manner), and just something I've waited to see for a long, long time in this show.

 

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I for one definitely believed moments like these, very well done if I do say so myself

 

The final major element of this episode to cover was the latest song, "A Changeling Can Change."  This was something we've been waiting for a long time by virtue of the fact that we've waited over five seasons for Spike to get a solo song.  At this point, it had to be a song like this if it were ever gonna happen, it couldn't just be a fun song.  It had to be something that hammered the message of the episode away, and on top of that it had to be a damn good message.  Well, it was a damn good message in a damn good song in a damn great episode!  Spike's vocals are hardly something to write home about, his voice alone ensures that, but that lends to the simple, quiet beauty of the song.  The song isn't really beautiful because of the lyrics, or the tune, or the voice work; it's beautiful because it comes from such a deep place for Spike.  He's never done this before, and I don't just mean sing a solo; he's never really tried to teach his friends a lesson like this before, ponies he's looked up to and learned from his entire life.  On top of that, it was his way of repenting for his earlier failing his new friend, Thorax.  And finally, the quiet nature of the song and Spike's impassioned pleas hammered away that this was coming from a very real, desperate, sincere place for him as a character.  These elements combined to make a song that is beautiful, unusually so for this show, largely not because of the tune itself, but almost entirely because of the substance of the song and the character of the one singing it.  Great song, I'm sure it'll be a fan favorite for this season, and I can't wait to listen to it myself.

 

Of this episode I really have no complaints, just things that I believe could have SLIGHTLY improved it.  For one, I wouldn't have minded Spike's dragon heritage being mentioned at some point, but I believe that the idea of it playing a role in his development in this episode was still plenty there beneath the surface.  I also kind of wanted Cadance rather than Twilight to be the first pony to listen to Spike and reach out to Thorax; I didn't mind that Twilight did and it made sense since she's both a sister and mother to him and also the Princess of Friendship, but I thought there might have been an added element of weight to it seeing the pony who most suffered because of the Changelings last time around (and probably has some trauma from that ordeal still considering she was abducted and held hostage, essentially) being the first to forgive them and try to make peace with at least this one, but again, it worked out just fine.  It was great seeing Sunburst and Starlight Glimmer again, especially because, as some have pointed out, Starlight could very much relate to this Changeling seeking redemption, friendship, and just a place to call his own, to call home.  Seeing Flurry Heart as well was great, she's as adorable as ever and I loved getting to see her make nice with Thorax too.  I also thought it was impressive that none of the ponies ever came off as unreasonable, which would have been really easy to do here; I mean, let's face it, they had plenty of good reasons to be afraid of a Changeling infiltration.  Some of the visual gags, like the mirror one (which Ward Jenkins said he drew inspiration for from I Love Lucy) were a lot of fun to see, as well.

 

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BEHOLD, a baby!  No, before you ask, you cannot eat the baby

 

Overall, this episode I would say was exactly what we wanted it to be.  I don't think anyone wanted the entire Changeling race to be redeemed in a single episode or story arc, but to see that they have the capacity for good is exactly what we wanted.  This baby step in that direction is exactly how one should do something like that, and it reminds me of similar treatments that both dragons and the griffons have received, although neither of them had quite the same stigma attached to them by ponies that Changelings do.  I really hope we get to see more of Thorax in the future as well as further stories with the Changelings as a result of this episode, but for now, let's just revel in how very well done this episode alone was.  This is exactly what MLP is supposed to be all about folks, doesn't get much better than this.  That's all I've got for this week everypony, until next week this is Batbrony signing off.  I'm off! *cue dramatic exit*

  • Brohoof 12
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