To Where And Back Again Retrospective

[Megalobronia 98]

October 22, 2016; marking the original release of the Season 6 Finale, To Where And Back again. It’s remarkable how much time has passed since its release.

What’s your thoughts on this episode nowadays?

Edited October 22, 2023 by Megalobronia

[Props Valroa 26,048]

Didn't like it very much. Reforming the Changelings was a very low point in the series and it marked the decline of the show for me. Thorax was always one of my least favorite characters in the show - and I believe that if the Changelings were just left as they were, it would have developed more nuance over the lifespan of the show in exchange for rendering them pastel colored creatures that are all about "Feelings". I do like what they did with having Starlight, Trixie and Discord as the main cast for the episode, though. 

[Sonic5421 423]

To be honest, this should have been a three-part finale as there were so many questions left unanswered after it was all over.

[The Recherche 29,965]

Possibly my least favorite season finale, aside from School Raze. I actually don't mind Starlight being the focus; she was fairly scarce throughout most of Season 6, so I am not against her finally being able to do something, alongside her own group of misfits. The issues are, in short:

• Chrysalis is lame villain. She has a cool design, and the Changelings are in general fairly interesting. Her actual character is as stock and boring as they come though. Any novelty she had from A Canterlot Wedding is long gone.
• The pacing is bad. The first part of the finale was decent, but the second half was just very plodding, and the Changeling reformation just happened way too fast. The Changelings all seemed to be a group of sinister bug fiends, until Starlight gives one mediocre speech. Then they all of a sudden turn into a bunch of Skittles Hippies.
• Starlight in general being the focus of the finale is a fine idea, but it feels forced because of how little focus there was on her before this point. She has developed as a character a little bit by this point, but she is still not on the level of the Mane Six in terms of characterization. Her being accompanied by Discord, Trixie, and Thorax makes for a fun dynamic, but even that was purely a novelty, rather than a truly compelling story beat.