S07:E17 - To Change a Changeling

[Lambdadelta 1,462]

My first impression of this episode:

- Pharynx is awesome in this ep even he transforms, badass changeling still badass. He is not a bad changeling, he's a good changeling at heart, just his ways are different. He is the best part of this episode.

- Starlight and Trixie are fun to watch but not amazing. Starlight had plans but failed, and Trixie played blame game, they are just here to witness the conflict solved itself, but at least they didnt act stupid like Spike in Triple Threats.

- Exposition, exposition, exposition. 

- Starlight's speech to those changelings is cool, remind me of her S5 self, that's good. 

- Little Thorax played dolls, pussy. Pharynx is right all along, those changelings are pussy now. 

- The hive is less egdy and more natural, i like it. 

- Starlight's magics are nerfed in this episode or she doesnt want to go full-blown to let the conflict solved itself, in the end, magics didnt solve anything or they just dont want to do it. Starlight could just blast Pharynx away when they first met but she let him carry her away and Starlight could just blast that Maulwurf away easily but she let those changelings defeat that monster by themself, Kevin Lappin nerfed Starlight to let the story go on or he made Starlight restraint herself to let the conflict flowed naturally, is it genius or contrived writting?

-  Not impressive with the dialogue with this episode...

- Thorax still adorable as ever, i want to see colorful bug horse more and more.

Another good episode this season, not great, but it's still good. THANKS GOD, KEVIN LAPPIN DIDNT RUIN THIS EPISODE LIKE HE DID WITH HONEST APPLE, THIS EP COULD BE BETTER IF IT WAS WRITTEN BY JOSH HALMINTON or SOMEONE, BUT AT LEAST IT'S NOT BAD. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[heavens-champion 1,903]

This is the second episode where none of the Mane 6 make an appearance.

[Thaliel 116]

That feelings forum, though. They have turned into hippies

[FizzyGreen 909]

I really liked this episode.

It showed the problem with people being way too soft, and shows, even if we all get along, there is still a reason to not let all your guard down.

 

56 minutes ago, Thaliel said:

That feelings forum, though. They have turned into hippies

No, into transphiles.

[StrawCherry 1,673]

Do you think Starlight and Trixie were summoned by the map for this mission? It seemed like a friendship problem to me.  Anyway, I think Trixie might be a favorite after this episode. I never really liked her because she didn't stand out too much to me, but I realized that I really like her personality. She brought the humor into this episode and I think I'm considering her my 7th official favorite.  Also, I was fine until the moment all the changelings came to help Pharynx, I sobbed like a little baby. I love situations like that and they make me extremely emotional hahaha.

[ErisPegasus 56]

minor note to add, but the 'stop hitting yourself' resurfacing in the climax was extremely cringeworthy. I've railed against this show for its relentless Chekhov's Guns before, and this is one of its most egregious examples. It was unnecessary. It did not add anything. There were 1000s of other ways they could have resolved the monster fight.

It was useful before and after, to texture the brothers' relationship, but during the climax? Ughhhhhhhhh.

This is why I always defend the Star Spiders in Castle Mania. Sometimes a shaggy dog story is for best.

Edited September 3, 2017 by ErisPegasus

[Hierok 11,831]

5 minutes ago, ErisPegasus said:

minor note to add, but the 'stop hitting yourself' resurfacing in the climax was extremely cringeworthy. I've railed against this show for its relentless Chekhov's Guns before, and this is one of its most egregious examples. It was extremely unnecessary. It did not add anything. There were 1000s of other ways they could have resolved the fight.

It was useful before and after, to texture the brothers' relationship, but during the climax? Ughhhhhhhhh.

This is why I always defend the Star Spiders in Castle Mania. Sometimes a shaggy dog story is for best.

They could just change into a dragon and send that 'thing' flying. 

[Skytower 71]

This episode reminded me of the Road movies that Bob Hope and Bing Crosby made.

[Violet Bookish 350]

I really liked this episode because not only did it have some great character development for Thorax and Starlight, but it addressed a real issue in Thorax's ruling strategy and in the reformed changelings themselves. While I didn't agree with everything Pharynx did, I can understand his struggle and he makes a good point. The changelings may have become a peaceful colony but that doesn't just automatically erase the dangers to their hive, and they need to be prepared to defend themselves.

So, overall, while the episode may have been a little predictable I really enjoyed it. It addressed a serious issue with the new changelings, and not only did it teach Starlight and Thorax an important lesson, it also taught the whole changeling colony as well. Sure they can be a peaceful colony, but that doesn't mean there aren't any dangers and that, when it comes to dangerous creatures, being civil isn't always going to work, they need to be faced head on. So, overall, while it may have been a little predictable I think it was a good episode overall.

Edited September 3, 2017 by Butterquilt
Pharynx.. why does your name gotta be so weird!

[ErisPegasus 56]

Pharynx is basically your Platonic Trump supporter. Feels left behind by new, colourful culture; blames his current unemployment on said culture instead of declining economic opportunities; wants the old society back despite it being more xenophobic and repressive (which - get this - doesn't impact him personally). The difference is that the second clause is correct in the episode: his current unemployment has direct causation with the demilitarisation of changelings.

 

Him being older also helps the comparison. If he was younger, he'd spend his time gaming and calling other changelings cucks.

 

I just realised that Starlight was dreadful in this episode. Darn, at this rate i'm downgrading my vote to a 3/5.

Edited September 3, 2017 by ErisPegasus

[Moved to Elsewhere 11,331]

Anyone else draw some....odd parallels to our current political climate? Specifically during that changeling safe space scene?

[Stardust Balance 7,738]

Just now, ChikoritaCheezits said:

Anyone else draw some....odd parallels to our current political climate? Specifically during that changeling safe space scene?

I really try not to compare the show with anything political. XD

[King of Snake 54]

An episode that features two of my favourite characters, Starlight and Trixie, is always going to appeal to me, but that's weighed down by the fact that firstly I find the reformed changellings about as uninteresting as I find the yaks and secondly Pharynx is one of the least likable characters of all time. There was some good comedy in this episode though. I didn't recognise the writer Kevin Lappin but I see he also wrote Honest Apple, which was another good comedy episode, so I hope he gets to write some more MLP. Overall, it was Starlight and Trixie and the funny lines that stood out - the rest I didn't much care for, and if it had been any two other characters I probably wouldn't have liked the episode at all.

[Sonic5421 423]

This was a great episode for me to watch. Not only does it continue what Thorax mentioned back in Triple Threat with the trouble he was having with renegade Changelings, but we're introduced to Thorax's big brother, Pharynx, who refuses to complete his metamorphosis due to how the Changelings behave now, but still wants to protect the hive from threats, and due to how close Starlight and Trixie are to Thorax, they head to the hive to help him, showing how much the land around the wrecked hive has changed as the effect of Chrysalis' throne was gone, giving the land a chance to return to normal.

However, the Changelings are dealing with a new threat, and Thorax is hesitant to kick his brother out of the hive due to his family ties to Pharynx, even as other Changelings want Pharynx gone for his behavior to them. When Pharynx overhears Starlight and Trixie starting to agree with the Changelings, he decides to strike out on his own, but can't bring himself to leave the hive completely unprotected due to his loyalty to it. Thorax can't leave Pharynx out there to fight the new threat to the hive alone, and goes to help his brother, joined by Starlight and Trixie, and soon the rest of the Swarm arrive to help, only to find themselves sorely out of combat prowess compared to Pharynx and his old duties as head of the guard for the hive.

However, thanks to Pharynx and Thorax using their old tricks from when they were younger to cause the threat to beat himself up and injure himself, it soon flees, and after the Changelings apologize to Pharynx and make amends with him, Pharynx finally undergoes his own final metamorphosis and takes on an appearance similar to Thorax, but with a darker color scheme and looking a little younger than Thorax.

Pretty good episode that focuses on Thorax, his brother, Starlight, and Trixie. I'll give it a 10/10 for my rating.

[Bricks_Ahoy 860]

Last week I said the episode would get a 10/5 because it is a StarTrix episode. But, that was the only part of the episode I liked. The changelings were all jerks. Thorax did nothing. The writers tried to pull of an emotional backstory which collapsed. It was generally a mess. 

3/5 

[Dowlphin 463]

Interesting. First Thorax episode two eps ago and this one has a similar approach: Mess things up and that fixes the problem. Actually not that rare, actually, if you think about it. Starlight and Trixie themselves weren't the friendship problem this time as severely as Spike. But it was close. But more or less many episodes follow this pattern. When does the first attempt at solving the problem ever succeed? Exceptions from that are a delight to me. Magical Mystery Cure comes to mind. I am so glad they didn't have more time to drag that out.

Pretty early it was obvious to me the way to help Pharynx was to give him purpose again. There's a reason he was the only one preserving the old way. A pendulum that swung to the other side needed to come to the middle. No one left behind, so to speak.

Beautiful role reversal writing: Thorax used to be in a very similar situation as Pharynx was now.

Also, in how in the end Pharynx transformed, this episode expressed a very profound spiritual lesson: From acceptance comes change.

P.S.: I'll never get used to ponies walking on three legs while talking with their hoof. The animators should really focus on making them more expressive in other ways if they feel it necessary. It's mindbuck to me every time. Something I'd expect to see in a YTP video and laugh.

P.P.S.: Maulwurf - German word for mole. Nice easy pun for a mauling menace.

Edited September 5, 2017 by Dowlphin

[Music Chart Fan 818]

16 minutes ago, Dowlphin said:

P.S.: I'll never get used to ponies walking on three legs while talking with their hoof.

Yeah, I notice that, too. I keep half-expecting them to faceplant when they lift their one front hoof that (in theory) is supporting their front weight. Maybe ponies' flanks are so dense that they counterbalance the weight of their necks and heads, and shift ponies' center of gravity over their rear legs?

[Patty Thundersnow 4,146]

Starlight's actions and bad plan ruined this episode for me. If she didn't come up with that bad idea, it probably would have gotten a better grade from me. As is, It's slightly above average.

[ErisPegasus 56]

Re: the ending, I went over it again and I really like how Pharynx's second design meshes with his voice. It's funny in a 'snappy' way.

It feels like something from an MLP Abridged Series.

I'd like to see him again in future eps, and have him play the 'uncle who's grumpy but loves his subjects'. He'd moan about the new generation being soft, but never as harshly as I've heard from some boomers.

Edited September 4, 2017 by ErisPegasus

[Merion 783]

8 hours ago, Dowlphin said:

P.S.: I'll never get used to ponies walking on three legs while talking with their hoof. The animators should really focus on making them more expressive in other ways if they feel it necessary. It's mindbuck to me every time. Something I'd expect to see in a YTP video and laugh.

Yeah, exactly! It's just so frustrating to watch! They should be limping but they're not and it looks so unnatural and stiff 

[Justin_Case001 4,873]

Alright episode.  I liked it, but it wasn't really what I was hoping for.  First off, let me say what I liked.  I'm thrilled that they are addressing the changeling hive and developing them a bit.  My biggest complaint of the otherwise fabulous To Where & Back Again was the speed of the changeling conversion.  The fact that they've addressed some rogue changelings goes a long way to fixing that for me.  I was glad to hear that they referenced Ember's advice helping Steve (...oh....right, that's not his canon name.  Ahem...Thorax) to get all the rogues except Pharynx on board.  (Hmm....Pharynx is kinda of difficult to type.  I'm gonna call him...um...Brad.)  I thought it was cool introducing a brother for Steve; after all, we don't know too much about him, and since changelings are hatched in broods or whatever, they'd probably all have siblings. 

So, it wasn't a bad episode, but I was actually hoping for something more epic and dangerous.  I was hoping that Brad was going to be leading a rebellion against Steve--a changeling civil war.  I was hoping that we'd hear Brad say things like, "Chrysalis was right all along, and I am her successor!  I will prevail where she failed!"  I was hoping for a large-scope, dangerous situation with battles and the like.  And then at the end, perhaps there would be a moment where Brad is defeated, but he, unlike Chrysie, decides to take Steve's hoof and make peace.  But instead, there really wasn't any threat from Brad.  He was just being annoying to the others.  Like I said, it was okay, I just wanted a changeling schism, but that would have required a two-parter, something I wish they had permission to do mid-season.

It looks like some people have pointed out the suspicious absence of Spike.  I didn't think of that.  Yup, that's a thing alright.

During the fight with the...um....moleworth?  Molewort?  Woolworth?  (Idk) ...anyway, I kept thinking, "Um...Glimmy, where is your magic that was so powerful that Twilight F*cking Sparkle couldn't beat you in The Cutie Remark?  You do realize that you're probably the most powerful magic user on the planet, right?  Maybe, try your stasis block spell?  Or teleport the thing into solid rock?  Or a mile into the air and let it fall to it's death?"  But...y'know, as we all know, if unicorns actually used their magic to its full extent at the opportune moments, there'd be no show.  Twilight's magic works like this:

And she has taught her student well.  Twi: "Now remember, Glim, the most important lesson about magic: Never use it when there's a lesson to learned for someone else."

Why are Steve and Brad the only ones with antlers, and why are they bigger than every other changeling?  They're like the Royal Sisters of the hive, but there doesn't seem to be any reason for it, because they were normal sized changelings before....   And I'd like to know more about Chrysie.  I mean, she was the queen, obviously, but where did she come from?  Can there be other queens?

I enjoyed it, though.  It was fine.  I'm glad that Trixie and Glimmy thought of a reason to go visit the hive on their own, rather than being sent by the plot map.

I loved the feelings forum.  That was great.  Was that green changeling really doing a parallel for gender identity issues?  If so, that's freaking awesome.  That's how I took it.  Perhaps I'm misinterpreting, but even if it was just supposed to be a generic identity crisis, it was still great.

Edited September 4, 2017 by Justin_Case001

[Dynamo Pad 11,049]

I found this episode to be enjoyable. It's nice that we get to visit the changeling kingdom once again. I'm surprised that it wasn't a map episode, but I guess it makes sense. Given how the map episode were spaced out throughout the season. I found it funny when Trixie calls out her teleportation spell. It was a pretty good callback to the episode, "All Bottled Up." It was interesting to see how Thorax came up with activities for the changelings. The feelings forum reminded me of this forum, in a way and it was pretty nice. I liked how Thorax was able to help most of the rogue changelings after getting advice from Ember. Pharynx was a nice addition to the episode. I also liked how he looked a bit different from the old changeling design. I liked how Starlight and Trixie told Pharynx about their pasts. It shows what they've done and how they have moved past those events. I was a surprised when Starlight wanted to give up on helping Pharynx. It felt a bit out of character for her, in my opinion. While I say that, in a way I can understand her train of thought. I've had a similar experience with a friend I used to hang out with. While the end result for me wasn't the same as Starlight's in the episode, I still felt like I knew what she was going through. It seemed the attitude the changelings had toward Pharynx didn't make it any easier for Starlight and Trixie's course of actions. I liked the flashback we got of Thorax and Pharynx of when they were younger. It almost felt like a role reversal from back then to where they were at now. I was glad that Starlight found the resolve to keep trying to help Pharynx after hearing that story. While Starlight's idea didn't go completely according to plan, I still felt her heart was in the right place. The speech to the changelings was pretty awesome and I thought the maulwurf was pretty cool. I also liked the Manbearpig reference they made from South Park in this episode. Pharynx's change was great and I liked how he and Thorax look similar. It felt similar to Celestia and Luna when it comes to ruling in their own separate ways, or something along those lines. I liked how the changelings admitted that they've been out of practice from those peaceful times. It's nice knowing that Pharynx will help them in protecting their home in the future. I'm glad Starlight took responsibility of what had happened instead of pinning the blame to someone else, or dodge any trouble. I wasn't really a fan of Trixie in this episode. She was funny at some parts, but I wasn't a fan when she threw the responsibility onto others, or trying to avoid getting into trouble. All in all, I liked the episode and some of the dialogue was pretty funny. I hope we get to see more of the changelings throughout the season.  

Edited September 4, 2017 by Dynamo Pad

[Batbrony 16,040]

Good evening, everypony, and welcome back to another edition of "Batbrony Reviews"!  The hits just keep on coming in Season 7 with, yet again, another episode that was more than exceptional.  In fact, I'd go so far as to say that "To Change a Changeling" was downright inspired in certain moments, especially in its writing.  Let's not waste any more time dawdling on introductions and just get to it, without further ado, this is "To Change a Changeling"!

Starlight Glimmer and Trixie - Imperfect Mediators

Given how influential the Cutie Mark Map has become as a plot device in the show for helping the main cast find new friendship problems, most of us going into this episode were assuming that Starlight and Trixie would be chosen by it to visit the changelings.  Much to our delighted surprise, this was not the case.  Now, make no mistake, I don't mind the Cutie Mark Map in concept, nor in how it's used most of the time; DHX has shown restraint in not using it too much to the point that it would become an obvious and forced plot device crutch, and it is definitely a staple of the show by this point, but not in a tired or overused way.  Still, given how likely it seemed that it would be used here, it was still pleasantly surprising and noteworthy to see that Starlight and Trixie were simply on hoof to help by accident more than anything else.  They were simply coming by to surprise their friend Thorax with a visit and see what the state of the Hive in general was, but they had no idea what exact problems they were facing.  This both helps make perfect sense as to why Spike wasn't there, and also helps put into context why Starlight and Trixie weren't the best prepared to help with this specific issue; while they share similar backgrounds with Pharynx, Starlight was a true ringleader (and as such shares more in common with the still-unreformed Chrysalis) while Trixie was (and to some extent still is) just an annoying nuisance more than anything else, who just so happened to get incredibly dangerous at one point by virtue of acquiring an incredibly powerful magical artifact.

What really made them most helpful in this situation is that they both knew how much it can hurt to not really feel like you belong anywhere or are a part of anything, which was definitely at the heart of Pharynx's issues.  We'll get into those more later on, but probably the biggest reason they weren't willing to give up on Pharynx is because they could sympathize with his situation; if somepony else had been there, they may have focused too much on how Pharynx was affecting the Hive, not how the Hive's situation was affecting Pharynx as well.  Now, some may raise that Starlight was willing to recommend that Pharynx be kicked out of the Hive, but in her defense she (1) didn't believe that Pharynx had any willingness, inclination, or personal reasons or potential to change for the better at the time, (2) was trying to figure out what was best for the most parties involved, which did in fairness have to put precedent on the Hive first and foremost, and (3) changed her mind about this after learning more about who Pharynx was as an individual and realizing that he did have the potential to find his own place in the Hive again.  Even though her initial recommendation that Pharynx be kicked out as well as her plan to lure maulwurf to the Hive so that Pharynx might have the chance to protect it and prove his worth to it both backfired, she did remain perseverant in her efforts to help both Thorax, Pharynx, and the Hive, and ultimately her and Trixie's efforts forced them to confront Pharynx's issues head on, instead of letting them fester and grow worse.

On top of that, Starlight and Trixie were, as always, an entertaining pair.  Trixie's ego is still as hilarious as when it backfires on her (her "teleportation spell GO!!!" bit was especially amusing, as was her constantly being a thorn in Starlight's side), Starlight found herself confronted by more than a few problems she wasn't necessarily very well equipped to handle (largely because of cultural differences between the ponies and changelings) which led to many amusing results, AND to top it all off, Starlight had a Braveheart moment that inspired absolutely... NOPONY!!!  Well, at least for five minutes, but to be fair, it DID eventually work!  All in all, while neither Starlight or Trixie had all of the answers for the changelings here, they still found a way to help them confront their problems and ultimately resolve them, which is to be commended considering most ponies probably would have balked at a problem like this.  Good outing from the both of them, all in all, very solid indeed!

"HELLO!  My name is Starlight Glimmer, and today I am here to tell you about the maulwurf: Half Mole, Half Bear, Half Razor Sharp Claws!"

In all honesty, that thing is bucking terrifying

The Changelings - Old Habits Die Hard

Oddly enough, the changelings themselves were at the heart of the Pharynx issue, or rather why it wasn't resolving itself all that well.  As we can see, the whole Hive by this point has been reformed by Thorax's efforts and is now attempting to build a society built on giving and sharing love with one another rather than taking it, and for the most part those efforts are going quite well.  The changelings still have to take many baby steps, but they are definitely getting there.  However, what seems to be taking FAR longer to change is an interesting tendency of the changelings we haven't really discussed, largely because we've never gotten to see all that much of it: group-think.  What do I mean by that?  Let me explain.

Now, clearly the changelings under Queen Chrysalis were essentially her thralls; she would call them things like her children, and even though she had some level of affection for them, they had no choice over the direction of their lives.  This seems to have gone on for as long as changelings have existed, which could be hundreds if not thousands of years, meaning in all of that time they got very much used to every single member of their society "agreeing" to follow every single one of Queen Chrysalis's orders about the direction of their society and what they should do for it.  Under King Thorax, they now have free will, but they are clearly still getting used to it; this was very well evidenced in both the scene where Thorax shows off some of their new cultural activities, as well as the Feelings Forum scene, by a number of clear examples.

(1) Thorax shows the changelings engaging in very simple, basic cultural activities, like theater, potluck, swing dancing, and arts and crafts; with all of these activities taking place in the same space, the scene almost felt like an adult version of daycare was on display.  I do not say that condescendingly, it actually makes perfect sense in fact that the changelings would need to start with very basic cultural activities like that; they've probably never had any opportunities to do anything like that given that their entire existence has always been devoted to only fulfilling Queen Chrysalis's wishes or surviving from taking the love of others.  (2) Building off of that, the Feelings Forum scene shows us a changeling explaining that she thinks she's supposed to be a green changeling since that's what she transformed into, but sometimes wants to be a blue or a purple changeling; given that she can easily change into these, she's tempted to, but since she was transformed into a green changeling, she thinks that might be living a lie and not who she really is.  (3) In the same scene, another changeling shares how arts and crafts time helped him cope with his own personal insecurities.

OK, that's bucking adorable

All of these scenes show us ways in which the changelings are grappling with their emerging individuality as they struggle to embrace their newfound free will; new cultural activities give them opportunities to discover differences between themselves and become more comfortable with their identities as unique individuals.  Yet at the same time, it's a struggle because not only were they once a society where every member followed the same exact direction and path, but they also largely looked the same in their base changeling form, and were used to impersonating others; now, they have both free will and unique appearances, and while they clearly want to find out who they are as individuals, they're also scared of doing so, and some still love the possibilities of being whatever they'd want to be with their changeling powers, even though they know that wouldn't necessarily be who they really are, and would feel like they're both lying to themselves and others.

The biggest thing by far, however, making it harder for them to break their old habits and way of thinking is without a doubt the Pharynx problem.  Pharynx is, to most of the changelings, just being a pain in the flank, and when they are all agreed that he's a problem, they fall into a bad habit of group-think.  It's still hard for them to have disagreements with one another, so given that Pharynx is universally disliked by all in the Hive when the episode starts, it's easy to see how they'd so easily agree with one another that they just want him to go.  It's the easiest course of action, and all of them seem to want it, so of course it makes the most sense to them all!  The problem with this is that, in their earnest universal agreement with one another, none of the changelings besides Thorax consider what they'd lose in kicking out Pharynx.  They're too caught up in agreeing with one another that he's got to go that they never ask themselves what he might have to offer to the Hive instead; he's the most different from the rest of them now, the new Thorax essentially.  And where Thorax had no place in the old Hive before, Pharynx in their eyes has no place in the new Hive now.  But the first time around, Thorax being away from his people clearly wasn't the right call; sure he needed to live with ponies in order to discover what sharing love is truly like, but ultimately he needed to go back to them in order to help save them.  Likewise, Pharynx leaving his people wouldn't have been the right move either, but again, the changelings dangerous habit of wanting universal agreement and accord among themselves in directing their society almost led to this happening.  Overall, we got a fascinating look at the state of changeling society in the midst of a massive societal and cultural overhaul which told us a lot about who they used to be, who they are now, and what they aspire to be, probably the most of a look we've ever gotten at changelings as a whole.

Also, I can't lie, some of the background changelings were amazing.  We got "splashed by Pharynx with paint" changeling, Feelings Forum moderator changeling, Feelings Forum identity crisis changeling, Feelings Forum arts and crafts changeling, but by far my favorite had to be "My soup is too hot" changeling!  That guy CLEARLY has his priorities straight and knows exactly what folks are coming to the Feelings Forum for!  Soup on, my man, soup on.

Soup Changeling, the only changeling who got exactly what he wanted out of the Feelings Forum!!! 

Pharynx and King Thorax - A Tale of Two Bros

As much of a douche as he was, this was hilarious

So now we finally come to the crux of this episode, King Thorax and his older brother, Pharynx.  These two by the end of this episode serve as an interesting converse to the Two Sisters, Celestia and Luna, in Equestria, especially given Pharynx's late episode transformation.  Whereas with the latter, the elder sibling, Celestia, has always been more bureaucratically minded (not just in her duties, but much fanon speculates this is the case as well) while the younger sibling, Luna, has always been the more aggressive of the two (to the point that some fanon has speculated that she is the more involved of the two in Equestrian military affairs), Thorax as the younger sibling is the far more diplomatic of the two while Pharynx, the elder sibling, is far more aggressive and militaristic (which makes sense given that such aggressive behavior used to be the norm for the changelings).  Another interesting development is that, as pointed out earlier, Thorax used to be the odd-man out among the changelings, while Pharynx was as in as one could be as head of patrol for the entire Hive; the changeling transformation and reformation, however, flipped this on its head.  Pharynx, when the episode begins, is by this point universally reviled by the rest of the Hive, with the exception of his younger brother, but even Thorax doesn't know how to deal with him.  This is where things get most interesting.

Initially, when we heard the premise of this episode as well as saw the beginning, it seemed like the most likely route it would take would be in showing that Pharynx alone had to change.  The idea that he might even be in open rebellion against Thorax was not off the table.  However, it quickly became apparent that that was not the case.  Pharynx did not initially capture Starlight and Trixie out of spite against Thorax, in fact, he didn't even know who they were; instead he brought them to Thorax, claiming they were trespassers and enemies of the Hive, but then begrudgingly accepted Thorax's vouching for them.  This right away made clear a couple of things: (1) Pharynx recognizes Thorax's authority as head of the Hive, even if he doesn't agree with or understand the new direction he's taking the Hive, (2) who's in charge of the Hive mattered less to Pharynx than the state of the Hive itself.

Now to be fair, I'm not letting Pharynx off the hook entirely.  He was clearly a pain in the flank of most of the Hive, and for confusing reasons at times.  He needlessly tears down or destroys some of the Hive's new decorations, constantly was butting heads with the other changelings and frightening them (even doing crazy shit like pouring black paint on a changeling to make her look more intimidating), and even seemed to miss sucking love from other ponies like they used to (he did not hide his disdain of ponies much at all, though that never really stopped him from working with Starlight or Trixie if he felt it was worth working with them).  However, in his defense, most of this nostalgia seems to stem not from his enjoying being evil for the sake of being evil, but simply having a FIERCE protective streak in him, both for Thorax as well as the rest of the Hive; if he simply wanted to be evil for the sake of being evil, he'd probably have left already and joined Queen Chrysalis, wherever she's at.  Instead, Thorax stayed loyal to the Hive, even if he hates what it's currently like and can't wrap his head around it because, like the other changelings, he's not used to the idea of a society where its members have different likes, interests, and ideas, including things they disagree on.  Despite his stubbornly refusing to embrace things like a softer outlook on life and gentler activities like Thorax was promoting, Pharynx does actually love something; he loves the Hive, he loves the changelings in it, and he'd do anything to protect them.

No joke, I ADORE Deer Bug Pony 2.0's design and coloring, the antlers especially tie the whole look together (@PathfinderCS agreed?)!!!

Now, Pharynx is clearly a placeholder for ANY group of people (or an individual) who another, opposing group just wishes would go away, the idea being that life would be so much simpler if he/she/they were gone, rather than finding a way to work with them instead.  More specifically, however, he is clearly a stand-in for a conservative individual; I do not say this, even as a moderate conservative myself, because of some victim complex or anything.  Pharynx had his own issues to work out, certainly, especially in figuring out how he could still appreciate a place he very much still loved when it didn't look anything like he wanted it to and he felt he had no true place in it.  But nonetheless, I have to very much commend DHX for making him so sympathetic in this instance, because while Pharynx was certainly acting like a jerk, the show was far more critical, it seemed, of the idea of kicking him out.  The "progressive" changelings, if you will, for the most part thought the best solution would simply be kicking him out of the Hive, rather than finding a way to live with him and incorporate him into it, even if it was harder.  The only reason Thorax even stood up for Pharynx wasn't because he was his brother, but because Pharynx showed him when they were younger that he did have his own ways of caring for others, even if he still had a gruff exterior.  But it took Starlight and Trixie forcing a confrontation with the maulwurf to show the whole Hive how Pharynx still belonged; Thorax's initial plan to lure the maulwurf away from the Hive may have worked, but it might not have been a permanent solution.  Pharynx, on the other hand, was the only changeling acting like he had any gonads left; now it makes sense that the changelings, now having to share love with one another, would initially try to avoid as much aggression as they could, but still, they clearly went too far and in their earnest embracing of their new lives, forgot that sometimes protecting yourselves requires force, not just peaceful solutions.  Pharynx was far more a protector than an aggressor at his heart, even if he overcompensated for his new role as outsider in the Hive by putting on far too aggressive of an exterior.

Some bronies have also pointed out that Pharynx isn't even just a stand-in for a lone conservative voice who feels like the world he has always known has, all too quickly, left him far behind, but also a stand in for military veterans.  This is a very curious but accurate point, I believe.  Pharynx, like many military veterans, feels that his efforts to protect the Hive are misunderstood and unappreciated by a soft public that doesn't understand why he has to do what he does.  With how gentle the changelings have become by this point, he's clearly at a point in life where not only does his role in the Hive feel muddled, confused, ambiguous and uncertain, but downright pointless and thankless.  This is probably at the core of most of his aggression, aside of course from his background as a servant of Chrysalis.  He clearly needs to change and find a new place in this new changeling society, but he doesn't need to change as much as most of the changelings think he does.  He can still have his gruff exterior and tough as nails persona, he just has to be willing to accept that the other changelings aren't like that now while still finding a way to work with them.  In turn, the other changelings need to accept that Pharynx is the way he is to their benefit, that it's OK if he isn't as gentle or loving as the rest of them, that he can still love the Hive just like they do in his own way and even help them be better at protecting it too.

At the heart of this episode is the complex message that difference is not a dirty word, even if that which is different from you may, on the surface, be a pain in the ass.  When dealing with something or someone like that, you have one of two things you can do.  You can either take the easy route with someone like that and just have nothing to do with them, ignore them, even cast them out from your life and society as much as you can; this is even easier if everyone else you know wants to do the same.  But just because it's the easiest route doesn't mean it's the best route.  In doing so, you keep both yourself and the person or group you loathe so much from discovering what you may have in common, that you both are, when you get down to it, both perfectly decent for the most part even if you look at things very differently, and that you both have valuable things to contribute to your society and each other, and can even make each other better when you find ways to work with and cooperate with one another.  Taking the hard route and finding a way to do just that, live with, love, and appreciate someone who lives their life and views things completely differently than you do may be much more difficult, but it is also far more rewarding to you, the 'other' and society as a whole.  I've made many friends myself, both in real life and on the forums, who have VERY different world views than I do, and while I may not share all of the same views with them, I know that deep down they're still good people who I am more than happy to know and be friends with, and that when we're friends with each other, we're both better for it.  Pharynx AND the Hive both go through this transformation by the end of the episode, understanding that they both need each other and still love and appreciate each other, even if they don't always get each other.  Not always getting someone else is OK as long as you don't let it blind you to whether or not they are a good person.  This subtle and complex message is why I highly appreciate what this episode did, and why it is yet again another amazing addition to an already amazing season of MLP.  Don't think there's really much else I can cover, so that's all I've got for ya today everypony!  Until next time everypony, this is Batbrony signing off.  I'm off!!! *cue dramatic exit*

[Dowlphin 463]

2 hours ago, Batbrony said:

Now would you look at that!  Regal brothers re-united!

Edited September 4, 2017 by Dowlphin

[Will Guide 21,357]

2 hours ago, Batbrony said:

 

I agree that this picture sums up my thoughts on the Brothers.

Also, I'm glad that when the rest of the hive wanted Pharynx gone, Thorax firmly makes his decision known that he's going to help his brother. Ember's assertive lesson to Thorax from Triple Threat actually paid off!