S08:E13 - The Mean 6

[VeroxVitrus 70]

Probably one of the worst endings to an mlp episode, period. There was so much you can do with the idea of a mean mane 6 in a future installment, hasbro could of took this opportunity to create a episode that would be hyped throughout the hiatus to see the conclusion to a mean 6 arc instead of wrapping everything up and pushing a message at the end of the episode. You could of had a ending where the mean 6 defeats chrysalis but in a future episode she comes to the mane 6 and they come together to defeat the common enemy. 

 

 

[gingerninja666 487]

49 minutes ago, VeroxVitrus said:

Probably one of the worst endings to an mlp episode, period. There was so much you can do with the idea of a mean mane 6 in a future installment, hasbro could of took this opportunity to create a episode that would be hyped throughout the hiatus to see the conclusion to a mean 6 arc instead of wrapping everything up and pushing a message at the end of the episode. You could of had a ending where the mean 6 defeats chrysalis but in a future episode she comes to the mane 6 and they come together to defeat the common enemy. 

 

 

I dunno, I  kinda like the darkness of the tree of harmony just murdering them.

[RDDash 19,163]

1 hour ago, VeroxVitrus said:

Probably one of the worst endings to an mlp episode, period. There was so much you can do with the idea of a mean mane 6 in a future installment, hasbro could of took this opportunity to create a episode that would be hyped throughout the hiatus to see the conclusion to a mean 6 arc instead of wrapping everything up and pushing a message at the end of the episode. You could of had a ending where the mean 6 defeats chrysalis but in a future episode she comes to the mane 6 and they come together to defeat the common enemy. 

 

 

Tree of Harmony just literally saved Chrysalis from a very embarrassing moment

[Misty Shadow 7,842]

I thought it was almost as good of a midseason finale as The Perfect Pear. The Mean 6 were hilarious, seeing the Mane 6's friendship being tested to the fullest in an episode outside of a premiere or finale was great, and like The Perfect Pear, it was edited down almost perfectly considering its constraints. Truthfully, Twilight and her friends being deceived by corrupted forms of themselves has been done before at least twice, once in the show with the The Return of Harmony, and another time in the first arc of the main series of the comics. However, I honestly thought this episode utilized that plot point to its full potential, unlike in the prior examples where in the Season 2 premiere, Twilight and her friends were the corrupted forms and had to get themselves back on track after it had taken a full episode and a half for them to completely lose their way, and in the case of the comics, only a short part of the story was spent on the Mane 6 reacting to what they were simply overhearing before they had to get right back into the action and then be split up. I've also seen people continue to express their worries about Chrysalis being reformed, and as someone who would prefer for her to remain evil to the end, I can't exactly say I'm worried after how well I was entertained by six completely irredeemable characters toy with the Mane 6 and fight amongst themselves. I'll also say that after seeing characters like Iron Will and the Flim-Flam brothers still be the way they are despite the possibility of them changing being implied, as well as both Trixie and Discord still being the same lovable narcissists we've always known them as, I really don't feel the call to be worried about Chrysalis.

That's also not even mentioning the glorious death scene of the Mean 6. The spirit of The Tree of Harmony ain't nothing to mess with.

[Victoria Sponge 1,017]

Interesting episode, was funny to see what was basically the discordant mane six again. I loved mean Fluttershy, Rarity and Twilight the most. I was kinda sad that they died so quick at the end, especially since evil Twilight was strong enough to fight off Chrysalis. Maybe they’ll make a return, who knows? I’m also sad that Cosy Glow doesn’t seem to have anything to do with this, she seemed so sinister. 

[Lambdadelta 1,462]

One of the highlights of this ep is Pinkie Pie confronts Twilight just like what she did in the movie. 

[ImpctR 155]

Oh not what I expected but still an awesome episode! Shortly before watching it, it was spoiled for me who the villain would be but once I saw the name Chrysalis it was set to become an interesting episode. Indeed, I loved it, though it ended in a less exciting way than I expected.

When I first saw the title 'Mean 6' I thought either the Mane 6 would turn into mean 6 or the school 6 would be mean, or that there are other 6 students that are mean.  Who was going behind this I wouldn't have guessed if not seeing the name in the summary.

In the beginning, as soon as I saw the green light, I knew this was either a changeling, I did not expect Chrysalis there.

 

Spoiler

 

So now the Queen wanders the woods. That must have been a powerful spell to create copies of the MANE 6 that have the same power! They looked a bit desaturated like in 'The return of harmony' season 2 premiere. First things that made them suspicious is the mean AJ = green apples cutie mark and eyes..

The Mean Twilight was scary, more than Starlight was probably. Still wondering why Chrysalis refused to make a clone of Starlight? Was she aware of the powerful enemy she could create like that? Perhaps not since she did not expect the evil Twilight to turn on her.

The evil AJ is a complete liar. The evil Pinkie is bored of everything. The evil Fluttershy would mock the animals. Evil RD just careless. And The evil Rarity was Smeagol (My precious!)

Then the way each of the Mane 6 turned on one another was crazy, I liked the plot, very interesting and evil.

 

Spoiler

 

 

Now, when they reached the Tree of Harmony what did happen? The Mean 6 already turned against Chrysalis but what was that the tree did? (and holy , is the mean Twilight powerful)

 

Spoiler

 

This was the part where I expected some confrontation not realizing that the time for 1 episode had gone.Perhaps it was just a preview of what is to come in the finale. I thought the Mane 6 would confront the Queen near the tree or the Mean before they .. melted.. back into wood. Now it seems the Mane 6 would never know what happened, there needs to be a reference or result in the finale from that to have a bearing.

Of course I give it a 5/5, the plot, the villain raise the standards immediately for me, it was thrilling, only the end was not the events I expected but still great. Funny where the Pillars fit in in all that since the Shadow Play. they are like non-existent. Or maybe the 2nd half of the season will show that the 'disturbance of the tree' has been noticed by the Pillars? They should even try to make a 3-parter if needed but they only air 2 episodes at most.

[Zantetsuken 364]

Look I am all for respecting opinions but... I think that there are huge flaws in this episode that I see no one here addressing.

I have never felt so... isolated, opinion-wise.

I mean is no one here is just a little annoyed with how we are given Chrysalis and she just basically a non-factor? She could have been cut out of the episode completely and the mean 6 could have been standalone antagonists and almost nothing would change (yes I know she created them, that's not the point, okay.)

The episode can't decide wither to be serious or comedic it tries to do both and fails IMO

The mane 6 don't think it's a good idea to question why their friends are suddenly acting not like themselves at all? 

It leads the viewer along thinking there is going to be a payoff with these two parties heading to (and eventually) meeting up at the same place only for that to not happen at all and then the episode just ends on a disappointing anticlimax. 

I mean I'am not saying you can't like the episode I mean if you do then more power to you but I really REALLY dislike it and I wrote a ranty review explaining why that can be found back on page one.

I really just want to reiterate my issues cause I see no one else bringing it up. I'am just seeing nothing but endless praise for an episode that, In my opinion, doesn't deserve it. Please do not write a 7 paragraph novel as to why every issue I have is wrong and why I should be burned at the stake, okay. I am just trying to explain why I dislike this episode that everyone else apparently loves or likes.... ALOT 

I mean can you seriously tell me you aren't at least a little annoyed or disappointed that the mane 6 didn't even know Chrysalis was there?

*Sigh* I have a feeling I am going to regret this post... I just I wanted to say something.

Edited June 10, 2018 by Zantetsuken

[Dark Qiviut 22,379]

Just now, Zantetsuken said:

I mean is no one here is just a little annoyed with how we are given Chrysalis and she just basically a non-factor?

I'm not, and Chrysalis was, in fact, important to the story. She's now at her lowest, insane, and will do whatever it takes to destroy Starlight's will and life. Locating the Elements and tricking them into bonding with the Mean Six is one desperate attempt by her.

4 minutes ago, Zantetsuken said:

The episode can't decide wither to be serious or comedic it tries to do both and fails IMO

Strongly disagree. It's very possible to balance seriousness and comedy, and the episode handles it well. With the Mean Six so eccentric, Queen Chrysalis balances the cast as a straight mare who constantly has her temper and patience tested. Twilight Snarkle understands how to push the right buttons to tick her off and make her listen.

6 minutes ago, Zantetsuken said:

The mane 6 don't think it's a good idea to question why their friends are suddenly acting not like themselves at all? 

Once you think about it more, it's easy to see why. The RM7 are already anxious and impatient because Twilight wants to exit the school ASAP and is slowly losing her temper. None of them fully cooperated with one another and got on each other's nerves. Twilight, in particular, got less and less patient with Pinkie after she forced everyone to stop for the roses and nearly kicked her in the muzzle. Fluttershy wandering off into the forest without telling anyone also put them behind schedule and pushed their patience more.

[Baykush 328]

Crhysalis: I know better than to strike alone. I need...

Evil Twilight: ...friends?

Never had the show ever delivered a friendship lesson so quickly, efficiently, smoothly, hilariously, and ironically since it's coming from a villain. The dialog in this episode was some of the best from the show, I need more Evil Twilight in my life.

[Truffles 2,033]

On 6/9/2018 at 7:42 PM, Zantetsuken said:

I am just trying to explain why I dislike this episode that everyone else apparently loves or likes.... ALOT 

I mean can you seriously tell me you aren't at least a little annoyed or disappointed that the mane 6 didn't even know Chrysalis was there?

It wasn't that they didn't meet up with Chrysalis that bothered me (for some reason I never expected they would, maybe because she could pretend to be anything to hide from them if they did happen to bump into her?) but what did bother me is the Mane 6 never got a chance to figure out there were a bunch of evil doppelgangers parading around as them.

In my perfect ending, the Mane 6 would have met up with all of the others together at the Tree of Harmony. Chryssie would have camouflaged herself because she doesn't want blow her cover and her minions were expendable, anyway. The Mean 6 would have gloated that the Mane 6 were too late - they were about to take control of the ultimate power in Equestria and that's when the Tree turns them back into wood. The Mane 6 wonder what just happened, and what these things were, leaving them with a disquieted feeling that some new unknown evil is afoot as the show rolls into the Summer hiatus. That would have been a lot more dramatic and satisfying IMO. (And Chrysalis would still be free to move forward with her plans - especially now that she knows the location of the ToH and some of its defenses.)

But I still liked this episode, even though I didn't love it. It was quite funny, and seeing a reprise of a version of the Discordant 6 was entertaining.

Straight into the miscellaneous comments today. (I was busy for most of the day and will be for the next 2 weekends, too - good timing for a hiatus, I guess? )

• Are those trees that were used to give birth to the Mean 6 the same ones Nightmare Moon possessed in the second episode of the series? I'd like to think so, just for the joy of having another callback this season.
   
• The creation of the Mean 6 seems like a bit of a nod to the alternate changeling lore the MLP comic introduced that states they came from rotten acorns growing under a cemetery.
   
• I'm not sure how her plan of controlling the Elements by using the mean 6 to wield them would allow her to control the 3 pony races, other than threatening them into servitude. If she really wants a new hive, however, she should act like an actual queen bugpony, find a fertile drone, and get busy.
   
• Rainbow Dash: "Rarity, why is Applejack carrying all your stuff?"
  My answer: Spike isn't around to do it this time out.
  Yeah I know it was AJ's camping stuff anyway, but when I heard that question asked, it was the first thought that popped into my head.
   
• Only Pinkie could roll around in a rosebush and find the thorns fun. Either that, or she has no perception of pain.
   
• There were a few non-sequiturs that I found confusing. Rainbow Dash asks "Greedarity" if she's seen Starlight, and her answer of "If I knew that" sounds like Starlight was part of the clones as well, but she isn't. This version of Rarity shouldn't even know who Starlight since Chrysalis never mentioned her after they were spawned. In fact, later in the episode that notion is proved when LiarJack asks who the hay Starlight is when the two of them meet for the first time.
  For that matter, how did evil Pinkie know anything about the retreat when she's talking with Twilight? Unless she was simply acting like a chatbot and giving an appropriate canned response for her anti-element.
   
• Greedarity channeling Gollum/Smeagol was hilarious.
   
• Even though the Mane 6 + Starlight work it out in the end, the episode reveals it doesn't take much to have them get at each other's throats. It was only because Twilight stepped in and conceded did the fighting stop. It kind of bothers me the Mane 6 didn't ask more questions of each other to try and figure out why some of them in their group were acting so weird. The concession scene helps explain this a bit, but I still have that nagging dissatisfaction due to none of them getting to the bottom of things.
   
• On a similar note, It's strange Chrysalis doesn't question Twilight Snarkle about how she found the location of the tree. If Chrysalis had taken a pause to ask some questions instead of constantly interrupting and berating her creations, she might have figured out the Mane 6 were out in the woods and could have planned accordingly. I suppose since the ToH took matters into its own...branches it may not have mattered, anyway.
   
• The one thing that really bothered me about  the schism caused by the Mean 6 was Fluttershy being hated by her animal friends. While the Mane 6 resolved everything between themselves, no such thing occurred between the animals and Fluttershy. Ugly rumors spread like wildfire, and I can imagine eventually even her animal friends that live near her will find out about what "she" did to those baby birds. Will the misunderstanding will be revealed at that point? Or will the animals forgive her but keep in their thoughts that Fluttershy isn't as nice (or mentally stable) as they always thought? It just frustrates me even more wondering if the episode's unresolved ending has left a permanent stain on the record of all of the Mane 6.
   
• I'd like to think the ToH killed the Mean 6 because it saw they were all abominations of nature. At least, that sounds cooler, anyway. And hooray for a powerful entity on the side of good that doesn't get felled by a villain so easily. Yes, princesses, I'm looking at you.

Edited June 12, 2018 by Truffles
addt'l thoughts

[Thrond 3,263]

There's not a whole lot going on here aside from specific jokes, so all I really have to say here is that this rules. Nonetheless... here goes, point by point:

• This is a very good idea and it's executed very well. I enjoyed every single joke here, and found the misunderstandings sufficiently witty that they didn't feel tedious. I like that the Discorded personalities have actually been expanded on, and in the case of Twilight and Pinkie changed for maximum humour. The style just feels a lot like the first two seasons, which I positively adore. Season 8 has something for everybody. 
• Chrysalis talking to herself and failing in her villainous plans is something I never knew I wanted. She was always the villain I had the most fun hating, and her combination of sincere villainy and total ineptitude here is comedic gold. Nothing she did here really seemed to matter, but I don't mind that. Forget a reformation, make her the Wile E. Coyote of this show. It'd be awesome. 
• Chrysalis's disguise as a photographer pony is amazing and I wish that was a real character that could hypothetically return. 
• There's barely a moral here, but I'm totally okay with that. Yet again, I'm glad this show is putting humour and story over moralizing, as it just makes for better television in my opinion. It's replaced with much smaller, more specific emotional beats, which are also admittedly minor but much preferred. Besides, the little stuff we got - "all this crazy stuff is fine as long as we're together" and "our friendship is strong enough to overcome our differences" - works really well for the story at hand. 
• Too bad Evil Twilight won't return. She'd be a really fun villain. 
• Wonder what Starlight's evil counterpart would be. 
• Admittedly, the reason for Fluttershy to split off is a little contrived. Wouldn't she tell the others where she's going first? 
• That's all I got. This is just all jokes, all the time, and it's delightful. 

Score:
Entertainment: 10/10
Characters: 9/10
Themes: 7/10
Story: 8/10
Overall: 85/100

[Ganondox 899]

9 hours ago, gingerninja666 said:

I wonder why Evil Twilight seemed to be the most.... sentient? Is that the word I'm looking for? The most sentient of the Mean 6. Like, she behaved and thought the most like a real person out of the 6 of them.

No, it's not the word you're looking for. Human as an adjective would probably be the closest fit. 

[Thrond 3,263]

Also, I have never related to Starlight more than when she said she hates the outdoors. 

[Jonny Music 3,400]

I just found it hilarious that Chrysalis's spell backfired on her, and that the Mane 6 were never aware of the Mean 6. A hilariously ironic episode. 

Yet, I could see the possibility of the "corrupted" elements of harmony coming into play later in the series/season. 

14 minutes ago, AlexanderThrond said:

Also, I have never related to Starlight more than when she said she hates the outdoors. 

Regarding Starlight compared to me, I do like to stay indoors most of the time. Though I do like my fair share of going outside for a walk in nature (forests, parks, etc.) to take a break from everyday work.

[Truffles 2,033]

46 minutes ago, AlexanderThrond said:

Admittedly, the reason for Fluttershy to split off is a little contrived. Wouldn't she tell the others where she's going first?

I noticed this as being a little odd as well. I guess she was too focused on the baby bird. More generally, I'm surprised she wasn't a little more nervous about wandering off by herself in the Everfree. For that matter, after a couple of episodes where the Everfree has been portrayed once again as a dangerous place, this episode goes back to it being more domesticated since the Mane 6 + Starlight decide it's fine to go for a leisurely walk through there instead of teleporting directly to the Castle of the Two Sisters.

[KH7672 1,604]

2 hours ago, ImpctR said:

Still wondering why Chrysalis refused to make a clone of Starlight?

Starlight's not an Element bearer, a clone of her would be useless for such an objective of power.

2 hours ago, Zantetsuken said:

I mean is no one here is just a little annoyed with how we are given Chrysalis and she just basically a non-factor? She could have been cut out of the episode completely and the mean 6 could have been standalone antagonists and almost nothing would change (yes I know she created them, that's not the point, okay.)

The episode can't decide wither to be serious or comedic it tries to do both and fails IMO

I believe the idea, set-up, and exection were entirely purposeful and twists a sort of dark comedy element the show has never done. I will agree with one thing it was extremely risky to attempt a complete subversion of all expectations and even leads to some odd characterizations later on but allow me to provide my interpretation of the story structure:

[Note the rest of this is no longer explicitly directed at you @Zantetsuken it's just a compilation of more of my thoughts on the episode]

As I said the writing seemed to purposely subvert every single expectation such a set up could bring.

Returning Villain-> Let's have her not interact with the main characters at all

Evil Clones-> Let's have them merely cause some trouble but never once be found out by the main characters

Clones causing Misunderstandings-> Let's have the characters take everything at face value and work out the misunderstandings themselves without catching on to the clones (this is probably the most frustrating but I do have more to expand on this).

Serious possible Mean vs. Nice battle-> Nope, let's have the main characters have they're own problems and the bad guys have theirs only crossing paths to perpetuate comedic misunderstandings (I'm sorry but I don't see the seriousness some think the story has other than this evil villain here yet she is reduced to "foalsitting" evil doppelgangers and sinking further into desperation for a plan.) Again a subversion of the usual villain she has been with a changeling army.

Now to expand on the lesson and the characters problems. I've seen the complaint that they should have been able to pick up on the differences easily (which Rainbow and Applejack did with Mean Rarity) and keeping them in the dark and having them take everything not ask questions and just work it all out themselves is dumbing them down for a lesson however, it's time for my favorite question! Why?

Why have the Mane 6 and Starlight seen through a ruse before contrary to this performance. Well the biggest thing is lack of conflict. When it was Discord's maze or Cadence's Wedding there was already a bigger conflict to worry about. They are more alert to odd occurrences because there are bigger things to worry about than an argument. Even with Starlight returning in to Where and Back Again she is looking for friendly advice and not receiving it is off-putting. But here what's the actual conflict? They're just walking together to go camping, and not even a very important camping trip. And with tensions already starting to run high it's not hard to wear on them.

So when they experience the Mean 6 is it really hard to twist these tensions

-Mean Twilight just interacts with Pinkie and with Twilight already putting so much stress on retreats and team building can you really fault a pop quiz at least when you're Pinkie. Pinkie's so happy-go-lucky anyway it's not hard to fool her, unless you neglect helping a friend which is when Pinkie catches on to Twilight butby then the real one is back and she rationalizes it as Twilight being to focused on the retreat to not care about lost Fluttershy (which she kinda did when she let Fluttershy wander off and Pinkie wasn't around for that).

-Mean Fluttershy doesn't interact with any pony just the animals and like the ending says Fluttershy can easily rationalize this to just being a bad day for the animals.

-Mean Rarity is hoarding things but this is after Rarity made a huge boast of not needing "essentials" it could be rationalized as a relapse into wanting them which she admits in the end anyway. (Definitely the most stretching it)

-Mean Pinkie is just bored which Twilight equates to not being interested in her retreated which she kinda seemed to show by jumping around and running off before

-Mean Applejack spins a tall tale but why would Rarity not trust her. She just cares about her safety and she's clearly fine just wagonless (which original Applejack is as well) so not much to worry. The doubt comes more when ridiculing Starlight but Rarity has her to worry about more than Mean Applejack's behavior and besides friends can joke around with each other just don't take it too far. Starlight herself just feels hurt for having all that stuff Applejack did dumped on her for what seemed like a mean joke, but she takes this more as an attack on her hatred of camping which she reconciles.

-Mean Rainbow Dash was just a lazy loner and only interracted with Fluttershy. So let's say Fluttershy calls her out "You didn't even help me" "What do mean I never saw you?" "Oh really but I thought....no you're right, I'm sorry, I guess being lost and alone out here I wasn't thinking straight and mistook you not helping." "Well if I did pass by you, I'm sorry for not helping, because you know if I did see I certainly would have" "Yeah I know" 

Because of the lack of stakes there is no reason to possibly doubt their experiences. To them they're just friends walking in the woods, nothing explicitly weird or out of the ordinary and friends are going to argue and disagree sometimes. Sometimes it's just one of those days and that's exactly how they take it as indicated by Pinkie at the end but it doesn't ruin the shared experience, and I enjoy that kind of sentiment when it comes to hanging out with friends.

Edited June 10, 2018 by KH7672

[StitchandMLPlover 930]

2 hours ago, ImpctR said:

Oh not what I expected but still an awesome episode! Shortly before watching it, it was spoiled for me who the villain would be but once I saw the name Chrysalis it was set to become an interesting episode. Indeed, I loved it, though it ended in a less exciting way than I expected.

When I first saw the title 'Mean 6' I thought either the Mane 6 would turn into mean 6 or the school 6 would be mean, or that there are other 6 students that are mean.  Who was going behind this I wouldn't have guessed if not seeing the name in the summary.

In the beginning, as soon as I saw the green light, I knew this was either a changeling, I did not expect Chrysalis there.

 

  Hide contents

 

So now the Queen wanders the woods. That must have been a powerful spell to create copies of the MANE 6 that have the same power! They looked a bit desaturated like in 'The return of harmony' season 2 premiere. First things that made them suspicious is the mean AJ = green apples cutie mark and eyes..

The Mean Twilight was scary, more than Starlight was probably. Still wondering why Chrysalis refused to make a clone of Starlight? Was she aware of the powerful enemy she could create like that? Perhaps not since she did not expect the evil Twilight to turn on her.

The evil AJ is a complete liar. The evil Pinkie is bored of everything. The evil Fluttershy would mock the animals. Evil RD just careless. And The evil Rarity was Smeagol (My precious!)

Then the way each of the Mane 6 turned on one another was crazy, I liked the plot, very interesting and evil.

 

  Hide contents

 

 

Now, when they reached the Tree of Harmony what did happen? The Mean 6 already turned against Chrysalis but what was that the tree did? (and holy , is the mean Twilight powerful)

 

  Hide contents

 

This was the part where I expected some confrontation not realizing that the time for 1 episode had gone.Perhaps it was just a preview of what is to come in the finale. I thought the Mane 6 would confront the Queen near the tree or the Mean before they .. melted.. back into wood. Now it seems the Mane 6 would never know what happened, there needs to be a reference or result in the finale from that to have a bearing.

Of course I give it a 5/5, the plot, the villain raise the standards immediately for me, it was thrilling, only the end was not the events I expected but still great. Funny where the Pillars fit in in all that since the Shadow Play. they are like non-existent. Or maybe the 2nd half of the season will show that the 'disturbance of the tree' has been noticed by the Pillars? They should even try to make a 3-parter if needed but they only air 2 episodes at most.

I hate to accidentally give spoilers so I apologize if I do but I heard a rumor that at least Starswirl will appear in part 2 of S8. 

[Ganondox 899]

3 hours ago, ImpctR said:

Still wondering why Chrysalis refused to make a clone of Starlight? Was she aware of the powerful enemy she could create like that? Perhaps not since she did not expect the evil Twilight to turn on her.

She had no reason to as she's not an element of harmony and thus played no role in the plan. Also, I sure she took pleasure in spiting her by "forgetting" her.

Edited June 10, 2018 by Ganondox

[Nye 1,652]

I absolutely adored this episode! It was great to see 

Spoiler

Opposites of the Mane 6 dubbed “Mean 6”

And it was nice to get that feel of the earlier seasons when they all make up because of how great of friends they are to one another.

Spoiler

Without even questioning why nopony had said what they were accused of saying.

They moved on.

Spoiler

Also cool that Chrysalis is back.

The Tree of Harmony showed more power

Spoiler

Recognizing the opposites/evil forms of the Elements of Harmony.

 

[LeafFerret 3,382]

What's the rule on spoilers in the forums? I kind of want artwork of Chryssy's pony form which I think her name was Shutter Bug like as soon as the rule allows us to.

[Moving On 8]

The episode was enjoyable. I expected nothing important to happen since it’s a mid-season finale.

[Ganondox 899]

I loved this episode, it was just so fun. I'd place at the 3rd best of the season. While I went in knowing about the clones, I had no idea what Chrysalis's actual plan was, so it was a nice surprise. 

I think this episode is underrated because people don't understand it's purpose. It had a major villain in it, but it definitely wasn't two-parter material, it's just another episode. Maybe it will be important in the future, but for now it's just (very entertaining) filler. The other confusing part is the episode has two completely parallel narratives, which is complex and not like anything the show has done before. First, I'll cover the narrative with the mane six, as it's a bit easier to cover. It's just a regular episode. Sure, the mean six butt in to drive the conflict, but the main six have no idea who they are, and they don't have much impact on Chrysalis (the only thing they give her is the location of the tree of harmony, but that was a minor point and I'm sure Chrysalis could have found it on her own eventually). The key thing with this is narrative is that the mane six are clearly flawed, even without doppelgänger intervention, but their friendship is strong, so they can recover from their problems. They fall sometimes, but they get back on their feet again. Nice simple conflict with a simple moral, Chrysalis doesn't matter to it and that's it's strength. It adds dramatic irony, it keeps this episode from disturbing future plans with Chrysalis, and it just lets the episode work as a typical episode. 

It's the other narrative that's really interesting though. Chrysalis's plan was doomed from the start, she never had a hope. The mean six could never bear the elements as they WEREN'T the elements, just the exact opposite. The Return of Harmony made it very clear that this wouldn't work. Thus the tree destroyed them instead of lending them their power. Some people called this a Deus Ex Machina, but the tree was just doing what it always does: use the elements to destroy evil. Since the episode had a forgone conclusion,  it appears the actual plot of this episode doesn't really matter, the episode is all about the characters. The Mean Six were obviously foils to the Mane Six, but Evil Twilight's character had a bit more going on with it. She's probably one of the evilest characters the show has ever had. The main significance of this is the contrast with Chrysalis, who appears to have some values, like some sort of sense of loyalty. While Chrysalis is a villain, she was not the villain of this episode. You can't be all bad when the good tree spares your life by destroying some of most loathsome characters in existence. 

So, more on Chrysalis. This episode has developed her further than any other. She's clearly evil, but I think she has potential to be good, deep down she's just a wounded animal with some incorrect ideas. She kinda acted like a mother due to the Mean Six. A bad mother, sure, but to be fair to her, they were pretty loathsome, and while she expected them to obey she had no intention to betray them and was shocked when they betrayed her. She's probably just leading the way she's been taught to lead, and is now hurt and confused that no one respects her anymore. Now she's all alone, and there is a implication that her live could be turned around if she just makes a real friend. A few other interesting developments. One, it was revealed that Chrysalis is one of the most potent spellcasters in the series, that spell really was something, rivaling the stuff Starlight, Twilight, and Star Swirled do. Second, it showed that in her current state she can't even hold off a shadow of Twilight that she created. 

I have no doubt that in the series finale (or at least Season 9 finale, I doubt she's going to be appear in the Season 8 finale or the Season 9 opener, but we'll see) she's going to be the main villain as this episode was pretty much the final straw for setting her up as the main villain in the series, and afterwards it's extremely likely that she's going to be reformed. At that point, the only real options would be redemption or death, and they aren't going to kill her. Thus she will become a junebug, and it will be adorable. I have some theories for what the final will be. First, while there could be a second antagonist, I highly doubt Chrysalis is going to team up again based on her monologue at the end. She's far too weak to take on the mane six directly though, not without love.  As such, she's either going to take out the mane six using tactics, or with the help of a magical artifact like the alicorn amulet. I suspect it's going to be both. Next, I think the Tree of Harmony will play a role now that Chrysalis knows it's whereabouts (they've actually been setting things up for the future in later seasons), and for it's importance to the series in general. I'm guessing Chrysalis will end up destroying it (it's okay though because Shadow Play established that we can just grow a new one :P) and the mane six will need to rely on something else to defeat her, and of course it's not going to be brute strength either. It would be appropriate of an ending to the series as any at this point. The fact she's been a villain for so long after rejecting it once already is what will make her redemption actually powerful. 

 

Edited June 10, 2018 by Ganondox

[Jonny Music 3,400]

7 minutes ago, Ganondox said:

I loved this episode, it was just so fun. I'd place at the 3rd best of the season. While I went in knowing about the clones, I had no idea what Chrysalis's actual plan was, so it was a nice surprise. 

I think this episode is underrated because people don't understand it's purpose. It had a major villain in it, but it definitely wasn't two-parter material, it's just another episode. Maybe it will be important in the future, but for now it's just (very entertaining) filler. The other confusing part is the episode has two completely parallel narratives, which is complex and not like anything the show has done before. First, I'll cover the narrative with the mane six, as it's a bit easier to cover. It's just a regular episode. Sure, the mean six butt in to drive the conflict, but the main six have no idea who they are, and they don't have much impact on Chrysalis (the only thing they give her is the location of the tree of harmony, but that was a minor point and I'm sure Chrysalis could have found it on her own eventually). The key thing with this is narrative is that the mane six are clearly flawed, even without doppelgänger intervention, but their friendship is strong, so they can recover from their problems. They fall sometimes, but they get back on their feet again. Nice simple conflict with a simple moral, Chrysalis doesn't matter to it and that's it's strength. It adds dramatic irony, it keeps this episode from disturbing future plans with Chrysalis, and it just lets the episode work as a typical episode. 

It's the other narrative that's really interesting though. Chrysalis's plan was doomed from the start, she never had a hope. The mean six could never bear the elements as they WEREN'T the elements, just the exact opposite. The Return of Harmony made it very clear that this wouldn't work. Thus the tree destroyed them instead of lending them their power. Some people called this a Deus Ex Machina, but the tree was just doing what it always does: use the elements to destroy evil. Since the episode had a forgone conclusion,  it appears the actual plot of this episode doesn't really matter, the episode is all about the characters. The Mean Six were obviously foils to the Mane Six, but Evil Twilight's character had a bit more going on with it. She's probably one of the evilest characters the show has ever had. The main significance of this is the contrast with Chrysalis, who appears to have some values, like some sort of sense of loyalty. While Chrysalis is a villain, she was not the villain of this episode. You can't be all bad when the good tree spares your life by destroying some of most loathsome characters in existence. 

So, more on Chrysalis. This episode has developed her further than any other. She's clearly evil, but I think she has potential to be good, deep down she's just a wounded animal with some incorrect ideas. She kinda acted like a mother due to the Mean Six. A bad mother, sure, but to be fair to her, they were pretty loathsome, and while she expected them to obey she had no intention to betray them and was shocked when they betrayed her. She's probably just leading the way she's been taught to lead, and is now hurt and confused that no one respects her anymore. Now she's all alone, and there is a implication that her live could be turn around if she just makes a real thing. A few other interesting developments. One, it was revealed that Chrysalis is one of the most potent spellcasters in the series, that spell really was something, rivaling the stuff Starlight, Twilight, and Star Swirled do. Second, it showed that in her current state she can't even hold off a shadow of Twilight that she created. 

I have no doubt that in the series finale (or at least Season 9 finale, I doubt she's going to be appear in the Season 8 finale or the Season 9 opener, but we'll see) she's going to be the main villain as this episode was pretty much the final straw for setting her up as the main villain in the series, and afterwards it's extremely likely that she's going to be reformed. At that point, the only real options would be redemption or death, and they aren't going to kill her. Thus she will become a junebug, and it will be adorable. I have some theories for what the final will be. First, while there could be a second antagonist, I highly doubt Chrysalis is going to team up again. She's far too weak to take on the mane six directly though, not without love.  As such, she's either going to take out the mane six using tactics, or with the help of a magical artifact like the alicorn amulet. I suspect it's going to both. Next, I think the Tree of Harmony will play a role now that Chrysalis knows it's whereabouts (they've actually been setting things up for the future in later seasons), and for it's importance to the series in general. I'm guessing Chrysalis will end up destroying it (it's okay though because Shadow Play established that we can just grow a new one :P) and the mane six will need to rely on something else to defeat her, and of course it's not going to be brute strength either. It would be appropriate of an ending to the series as any at this point. 

 

A very interesting analysis there. I pretty much agree with you on everything you said about your theory.

[bwrosas 252]

LIVE!, On this Sunday Morning (6-10-2018), I give my review and take on the Mid-Season 8 Finale, "The Mean 6", and talk about the various things that some fans found good and not good about it.

Comments are Welcomed

LIVE!, On this Sunday Morning (6-10-2018), I give my review and take on the Mid-Season 8 Finale, "The Mean 6", and talk about the various things that some fans found good and not good about it.

Comments are Welcomed