Would Magic Duel have been better as a 2-parter?

[Twiliscael 3,958]

Would Magic Duel have been better as a two part episode?

 

We all know of the fabled 2-part episodes. We have only seen 3 of these elusive beasts, the Return of Harmony, A Canterlot Wedding, and The Crystal Kingdom. Every single one of these included several things: action, plot/character development, a main antagonist, and a threat.

 

We had all of these elements and more in Magic Duel. We had not one but TWO magic duels between two pissed off soccer moms mares. We had Twilight furthering her magic abilities and confidence in a state of discomfort, something that she does not operate well in. Also, Trixie showed a progression forward at the end during her last scene, when she actually and genuinely apologized. Trixie was obviously the antagonist, and she really did wreak some havoc in Ponyville. Near enslavement of the denizens and positioning herself as a god-figure is something even more evil than what Discord planned to do. That's pretty damn evil.

 

My question? Would this have been better as a two parter? In my mind, it fits all of the criteria to become one. One of my only concerns of this would be that it may become a little too drawn out. What are your thoughts?

 

Edited December 2, 2012 by Velvet Remedyiscael

[Jokuc 8,172]

Yes. Totally yes and if anypony says no they're out of their little pony minds!

Hehe, ok I'm done with the Trixie quoting..

 

But yeah. The episode felt rushed. I want to know more what happened durning Twilight's training and all that..

[HomuraBL 851]

I'm just going to say yes on this. Mainly because of two things:

 

1. I want to actually know a bit more on how Trixe has been faring.

 

2. i want to know what Trixe's life is like now.

 

You have to remember, she is still a fraud. Ponies probably still hate her. Don't they? I don't know, they never told us.

[Dusty Soul 2,611]

I don't know.  I found the episode to be good for what it was.  I think a two parter would've been unnecessary  but it would have been cool if done right.

[Homura Akemi 974]

It would have been an excellent season 3 finale as a 2-parter. I would give the episode a B, but it seems there is a lot of action going on all in 22 minutes.

Edited December 2, 2012 by Dίsmajo

[Descant 1,897]

I agree with @, I had honestly expected the Trixie episode to be the two-part season finale, considering all the hype it was getting on MLB and on these forums. And even if it wasn't the finale, it would have faired better as a two-parter. They didn't dedicate enough time to Zecora being Yoda.

[~Asuka <3~ 867]

Oh hell yes.  I felt that the Zecora part was a little rushed, and the oppression part didn't last as long as I think it should have.  They kind of had too much going on and not enough time to accommodate it.  Still, what an episode.  

[Homura Akemi 974]

I agree with @, I had honestly expected the Trixie episode to be the two-part season finale, considering all the hype it was getting on MLB and on these forums. And even if it wasn't the finale, it would have faired better as a two-parter. They didn't dedicate enough time to Zecora being Yoda.

My Little Brony? I stopped checking that site ages ago because I found the repetitive memes to be ridiculously annoying, but I can see why so many people on that site would cream their pants over Trixie's return.

[Whofch 128]

It could have been fleshed out a bit more than it was. Introduction of a unheard of stupidly powerful amulet + ponies from another country could have had a bit more explanation behind them. There was a whole town takeover, exile of Twilight and her new training from Zecora squeezed into 1 ep.

With only 13 episodes in the season though, they do what they can.

[Descant 1,897]

My Little Brony? I stopped checking that site ages ago because I found the repetitive memes to be ridiculously annoying, but I can see why so many people on that site would cream their pants over Trixie's return.

I'm more interested in Art of Trolling and Failbook and Pokememes, to be honest. I just check in on MLB sometimes to see what it is they happen to be creaming about this time. Plus I like to save the pictures, to send to people from my phone in context.

[Dreadmallon 353]

Yes, because it felt incredibly rushed, mostly after the halfpoint of the episode. I mean, there is a lot of tension in the air when Trixie practically makes Ponyville Trixieville after getting rid of the only competition, and then Twilight is forced into a corner wondering what to do. I liked the idea of Zecora mentoring Twilight...but I thought she was an alchemist, not a magician. Regardless, I still liked it. But they only showed one scene of Twilight being mentored. And then we're supposed to believe that Zecora taught Twilight all she knew except "one thing?"

Edited December 2, 2012 by Prince Dusk

[Stellafera 3,835]

Yes, definitely. There was no time to properly build anything up, and the moral is kind of unclear from that. It would have been excellently epic as a two-parter.

[Fluffy Pinkie 417]

I think this would have been perfect as a two-parter Zecora could have been expanded upon more as well as Trixie. I also would have loved to see Where the Alicorn Amulet came from and just how that shopkeeper managed to get it.  the only thing that worried me is while as a one-parter it felt too rushed as a two-parter would it have felt too over-drawn?

[Commander Urdnot 2,680]

Ehhh, maybe. I think the episode is fine the way it is now.

 

It could be better as a two-parter, but that all depends on how they go about doing it.

Edited December 2, 2012 by Urdnot Pinkie Pie

[NavelColt 22,876]

It didn't feel rushed to me, so I'm going to go with no. I think they did very, very well with all of what they included, and that the outcome to the problem was very believable and well-done.

[Marshmallow 1,134]

No, the episode was good as it is. Sure, it did feel a little bit rushed, but I don't think there would have been enough content to make it a two-partner. Besides two-partners feel a little bit pretentious by trying to be epic and stuff. Don't get me wrong, I loved the two-partners we've had so far, but I'd rather not have too many of them.

[duidamasterXD 9,626]

I'm going to be one of the only people to say no. I might take a couple of extra minutes for Trixie to apologize to the rest of the town and to better establish the moral (which I believe to be about not holding grudges) but I don't feel like there's enough material to cover another episode. You'd have to fill up the extra time with more of Trixie's flashback ( which I found comprehensive enough) more of her tormenting the town (which was hard enough for me to watch, and more of it would have made it harder to forgive Trixie, and it was hard enough already) or more of Twilight's training ( which was ultimately not too relevant to the plot). It was a pretty good episode, lets leave it be.

[Yellow Diamond 7,564]

Meh... Probably not. The episode was fine in and of itself. A two-part episode dedicated to Trixie's return---unless it led into a far larger and more impactful series of events---is overkill, in my mind. She came back, krunked up Ponyville, and was subsequently defeated and left penitent. That's enough for me.

[Stellafera 3,835]

You'd have to fill up the extra time with more of Trixie's flashback ( which I found comprehensive enough) more of her tormenting the town (which was hard enough for me to watch, and more of it would have made it harder to forgive Trixie, and it was hard enough already) or more of Twilight's training ( which was ultimately not too relevant to the plot). 

 

Hmm, so perhaps the pacing issues could have been solved by removing Zecora and having Twilight just wander around in the Everfree, trying to think of something. Would have given more time to develop the problem and solution.

Edited December 2, 2012 by Stellafera

[Batbrony 15,994]

Honestly, I thought the pacing was fine.  As you said Velvet Remedeyiscael, it might've gotten a little drawn out if it were a two-parter.  Yeah, the ending might have been able to be extended, especially so that we could have gotten more of an explanation for Trixie's turn for the better at the end (which I, and I know many others, found to be very sudden and rushed), but still, there would have been a need for a lot of filler in the middle of the episode if it were a two-parter, and the only other thing that could have really been used as that filler would have been Zecora's training of Twilight and whatever misery the ponies in Ponyville were suffering under Trixie's rule, and frankly that could have hurt the episode; too much of the former could eventually get boring, and too much of the latter would inevitably become uncomfortably unpleasant and downright depressing to watch (I myself was very saddened as it was at the little we did see Trixie doing to the Mane 6 and Ponyville).  Overall, I thought the pacing was fantastic in this episode, and aside from the rushed end, I wouldn't add or take away anything from it.

[duidamasterXD 9,626]

Hmm, so perhaps the pacing issues could have been solved by removing Zecora and having Twilight just wander around in the Everfree, trying to think of something. Would have given more time to develop the problem and solution.

I actually kind of liked bringing Zecora back though, just because I like to see her from time to time. If Twilight had merely wandered around the Everfree and quickly came up with her epic trick if anything I feel like it would have weakened the importance of the decision ( and Twilight coming to terms with the fact that she wasn't going to overpower Trixie). Even if the training didn't help her win I sort of feel like it was necessary to show, so that we could understand Twilight's emotions a bit better. Honestly I can't really think of what I would cut out of the episode to lengthen the ending.

[pinkiefan1287 610]

Well when I checked my guide last week for the episode, it came up as being an hour long episode and I was like this is going to be so cool. Then when I checked again on Thursday it wen track to being a half and an hour episode. 

 

Now I thought the episode was good, but I was kinda hoping for a little more. Like showing more of Trixie taking over the Town, maybe how some of the other ponies were suffering, and Twilight having a kinda better training or something like that. Still it was a good episode I just felt there could have been more.

Edited December 2, 2012 by pinkiefan1287

[Batbrony 15,994]

Honestly I can't really think of what I would cut out of the episode to lengthen the ending.

 

I know what you mean, and you know what I just realized that makes the pacing as it was a bucking miracle?  This episode's plot was essentially "The Dark Knight Rises" general plot ponified and condensed from almost 3 hours into a 22 minute episode.  Think about it; Twilight gets beaten, driven out of Ponyville, trains to learn how to overcome Trixie, figures out how to overcome Trixie, returns, saves Ponyville with the help of her friends.  That's essentially TDKR, and THAT, my friend, that right there is impressive. 

[Jammo 986]

Yes and no.

It would have benefitted the story BUT-

Too many multi-part episodes would clog up a season. Not everything needs to be an epic. I feel this ep worked good enough. It worked, but should it be stretched out just because it could possibly work better? I dunno. This wouldn't be such a question for me if this season had more episodes.

[duidamasterXD 9,626]

I know what you mean, and you know what I just realized that makes the pacing as it was a bucking miracle? This episode's plot was essentially "The Dark Knight Rises" general plot ponified and condensed from almost 3 hours into a 22 minute episode. Think about it; Twilight gets beaten, driven out of Ponyville, trains to learn how to overcome Trixie, figures out how to overcome Trixie, returns, saves Ponyville with the help of her friends. That's essentially TDKR, and THAT, my friend, that right there is impressive.

Holy crap, I never even thought about that. This episode WAS essentially The Dark Knight Rises. That literally just blew my mind. Thank you, my mind needs to be blown more often.