S03:E13 - Magical Mystery Cure

[WildCard 1,037]

I liked the episode, but it felt like an Epilogue to me. Something like in the end of a video-game, and had this feeling of "The show is over" altough it isn't.

But I think it's ok, because an era of Twlight's life is over and I am wondering how it will continue

[Noctix 73]

Well...

 

I got feels, I shed a tear, I laughed at Pinkie's waterglass joke, I felt incredibly sorry for Twilight, I had an amazing time watching this episode, I simply LOVED all the songs, (even though I saw some spoilers) I fell off my chair of joy when I saw Twilight's wings, I loved the visuals, I loved the animations, I loved the sounds, I loved the part where Twilight and Celestia look at all the progress Twilight had made when she first entered Ponyville, I was so happy at the end of the episode.

 

They did a heck of a job on this one and I can honestly say I enjoyed it more than the season 2 finale (which has been my favorite episode(s) so far) and it was simply AMAZING.

 

10/10 from me!

Edited February 17, 2013 by Noctix

[Shypony 10]

I really liked the songs. My fav was "What my Cutie Mark is telling me." Did anyone else notice that when Pinkie Pie sung she gained a country accent for two verses, but then dropped it?

 

 

 

There's something that I don't understand about the episode though. Was there memory of how they got their cutie mark changed? Rarity did say, "What are you talking about? I'm doing what I've been doing since I gained my cutie mark." That gives the impression that her memory of it changed.

 

 

 

Oh, before I forget,the episode was only part one of a three-part story. The other two will be shown in season four.

Edited February 17, 2013 by Shypony

[Lady Leopardess 393]

I love all those songs in the finale so much!! 

 

on thinking over it again ,the cutie mark problem felt a bit rushed but the rest of the episode was so amazing it doesn't matter.

I think it shows that twilight didn't change on the inside , only on the outside.

 

" Is there a book on being a princess ?" 

I've now seen the episode several times and I've come to the conclusion that I actually find it a very good episode. There are many implications made which I'm not overly keen on but as an individual episode, I liked it.

It might need the first episodes from season 4 to support it which might take the bitterness away pushing it up to a top tier episode imo.

I'm still very much looking forward to the next season.

 

Not sure if it's been mentioned, but a lot of the clothes just looked awkward on the ponies in this episode to me. Might just be me though.

yeah i think Celestia should have hired Rarity for her dress. Celestia's dress could have been prettier. Most of the mane 6's seemed to be rehashed versions of their gala dress. Except I thought twilight's gala dress was prettier. Luna's dress was nice though. Cadance's was horrible but could have been nicer.

[NavelColt 22,880]

I liked the episode, but it felt like an Epilogue to me. Something like in the end of a video-game, and had this feeling of "The show is over" altough it isn't.

 

I've been hearing from other people that when FiM started, they had two and a half seasons planned out, in order to play it safe money-wise since they, at that point, weren't sure how popular the show would be. As a business plan that makes sense, since you don't want to pay for 6, 7 seasons if you don't know how well the show will be received. If the show had been received badly, this -might- have actually been the end of the series. Now that we're past that point, I'm sure Hasbro and the studios know that they can simply keep going until the interest dies, or their own resources do.

[RockinRarity 1,605]

 

2.) I feel the moral that first half of the episode had (you know, the whole "you're in charge of your own destiny" one) was severely undermined by the fact that once Twilight helps her friends change their destiny (with no magic, might I add), she's instantly wisked away and told that she is destined to be a princess (and is then made one with no warning what-so-ever).

 

Again, from what I understand this is technically the first part of a three-parter, so I'm hoping (and fairly certain) that everything will resolve itself in the end, because I feel that "you're in charge of your own destiny" is a much better moral than "some people are destined to be great with little to no effort, while others have toil away to find that they may never achieve greatness".

 

 

But Twilight worked very, very hard to achieve her destiny. She worked very hard to achieve greatness. But she knows that she couldn't have done it without the help of her friends, who are achieving greatness in their own way.

 

All of the ponies want to be great. That's why they were in such distress when they had swapped cutie marks - they wanted to do a great job, but they were in despair because they couldn't achieve the greatness that they knew they were meant to have. The other five do not need to become princesses in order to do this. Twilight became a princess because she earned it, but for a very particular reason. Twilight can write her own magic. She "graduated" from being Princess Celestia's student to being a leader for friendship, and someone everyone can look up to. Being a princess is Twilight's next level of studies. The other ponies are exactly where they need to be, where they can always strive to be greater. And Princess Twilight can strive to be a greater princess.

 

I have never gotten the impression that the show is teaching us that life gets handed to you, and that greatness is easy. I don't think that is ever implied. Twilight became a princess because of the hard work that she and her friends have gone through. And with the series' continuation, there is more work that needs to be done.

[Dark Qiviut 22,402]

Season three has come and gone with Magical Mystery Cure. Initially, I said the episode was good, but its major pacing problems was why it was really weak. I rewatched it twice, and it's unfortunate to say that this episode is not only easily the weakest finale, but also the fourth out of five clunkers since Apple Family Reunion (even though it's easily the best of the four bad episodes).
 
Like I did with all of my other reviews, I'll display the strengths first.
 
1. The songs are incredible. Throughout the series, we've heard some amazing songs, and each one has yet to fail. The score is magnificent with various instruments and tones to create certain moods. Through each song, the plot progressed from one moment to another, creating a flow from one scene to another.
 
a. Life in Ponyville/Equestria (Reprise) dictates the happiness Ponyville tends to have as well as Twilight's close relationship she has with not only her friends, but the entire town, too.
 
b. What My Cutie Mark Is Telling Me has a conflicting, yet funny beat and score that hints to the audience that the mishap is hilarious.
 
c. I've Got to Find a Way, however, changes the tone completely. What was a hilarious sequence previously suddenly turns darker than previously thought. The music and lyrics are sad and powerful. I'll be writing a more in-depth review for this later on.
 
d. A True, True Friend returns the episode to optimism and hope, and the progression in the instrumental score — to triumphant and upbeat — in the background signals this.
 
e. Celestia's Ballad is easily the biggest shock for me, and it creates hope and passion for Twilight's more advanced work. A more in-depth analysis is coming up.
 
f. Behold, Princess Twilight Sparkle has a royal flavor in it with the grandiose style of the music.
 
2. Even though the cutie marks are switched, the characters are in-character. Fluttershy's attempt for laughter is forced. Rainbow Dash is lost in her ability to discipline the animals and cracked under pressure. Pinkie Pie's cheerful exposition is lost. Rarity tries to control the weather, but does it while keeping an eye on composition and pattern. Applejack is struggling to sew. Each character has a different cutie mark, and they're in a vicious dilemma.
 
3. A small, but very pleasant surprise.
 
4. The two songs, beginning with I've Got to Find a Way.
 
a. It's only a minute long, but it's easily the best one in the entire episode (and maybe the whole season). It's an amazingly dark surprise to an accident that, indeed, caused so much heartache. When Twilight inadvertently caused the cutie-mark-switching spell, all that they've known for was reversed, and Ponyville descended into chaos far worse and more tragic than what Discord could dream of. Ponyville was in despair, and the sadness in the lyrics, atmosphere, and score enhance the quality of the song. It's in character of the canon, but also transcends into something more personal and sincere. It's the most realistic song in the episode, and it's so refreshing. Unfortunately, it's only a minute long. I hope Ingram uploads the longer version soon!
 
b. Celestia's Ballad does one thing that the other episodes didn't do: character-study Celestia. I'm a big Celestia fan, but one of her biggest downsides is her lack of character expansion. This song really explored her as not just a mentor, but a character, too. Warm, sincere, and proud. It gives her tremendous depth, something not seen in some time. (That said, a [hopefully good] Celestia-centered episode someday, please!)
 
5. The pop culture references. The musical-esque episode reminds me of some of the musical-centered classics from the past. But given the title, it reminds me somewhat of Yellow Submarine (a cel-animated movie featuring the Beatles). "A True, True Friend's" handling of the cutie-mark-switching reminded me of the Beatles' song "All You Need Is Love" within that movie It's a nice touch. The meeting with Celestia and Twilight had "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" all over it, too, but never stuck out as bothersome.
 
6. The transformation to the Twilicorn (and "alicorn" is now cemented in the canon besides being an amulet! *yay*) is handled a hell of a lot better than I thought it would be. It's a reward for something one of the greatest magicians of all-time couldn't do, and she was able to get things right again. There needed to be a great reason behind the Twilicorn, and this makes some sense. I'll be writing more about this in a bit.
 
But despite the many good things here, this episode is the best of the four bad episodes this season has (the other bad episodes being Games Ponies Play, Spike at Your Service, and Just for Sidekicks).
 
1. The pace was way too fast. Keep Calm and Flutter On's lone issue in the entire episode was exactly this, but the pace was even faster here. Despite the slower songs, the pace itself did nothing except speed up abnormally from the very beginning to the end. Season three's finale had no time to calm down and physically slow down the pace. There were two episodes that desperately needed to be a two-parter. This is one of them. Each main point of the plot progressed unrealistically quickly.
 
2. The songs are fantastic, but they made the story so condensed that the little details and "foreshadowing" got quickly lost. I've been to many Broadway musicals over the years, and the ones that tend to go bad are when characterization and plot progression are hidden or lost via a barrage of songs. (This is why Phantom of the Opera, Rain, and Chicago are bad musicals, and it's also one of the biggest reasons why the second act of the West Side Story revival sucked.) Good musicals offer a balance between character interaction and character/plot-driven songs, as they share a variation of pace and good characterization. Having a musical be almost entirely of songs makes the plot whiz by. For a twenty-minute episode, it makes the finale even more abnormally rushed. For a twenty-minute episode, at most three would've been best (Life in Ponyville, I've Got to Find a Way, and Life in Equestria are my choices). The seven songs are plain overkill.
 
3. The foreshadowing got shoved in very inorganically. As a storywriter and analyst myself, one important point in foreshadowing is to hint it, but have it not stick out. Star Swirl the Bearded's book was shoved in extremely quickly (one moment, it was the chaos; then Spike asking; and finally a flashback), and the inclusion of the Elements of Harmony within the protected glass (a callback from Keep Calm and Flutter On) stuck out.
 
4. The concept of the Twilicorn in the season finale. I said it before, and I'll say it again. This concept got shoved in by the marketing department of Hasbro as a means to sell toys to little girls (a very poor excuse at that; kids may eat some things up, but Hasbro has a pattern of taking kids' intellect for granted). This is an idea that had literally no momentum from The Crystal Empire, Part 2 onward. They were adventure/slice-of-life episodes, and then BAM! The concept drops in unannounced. This concept is factually stupid, and nothing will change that. I posted my anti-Twilicorn editorial several times already; but if you want to read it, head over here.

5. The in-canon reason for the Twilicorn was strong, but its path was shoddy, leading to a so-so first impression. Because of the episode's significant rush, it made the progress feel very inorganic. There was only one way for the Twilicorn execution to be entirely sold: The plot must be so well-done that it masks Hasbro's meddling immediately. Unlike A Canterlot Wedding with Cadance and Shining Armor, this was something that has the danger of altering a very close dynamic, even though the final minutes don't dictate this. There had to be NO gray areas or mishaps. The in-canon reasons were <i>okay</i> at best, but the plot mishaps were aplenty. That's not how to successfully sell a first impression to your audience. Instead of solving questions, it opened up to more confusion, and it felt more like a poorly done series finale instead of a season finale. Exploring it in season four's premiere isn't good enough: First impressions carry more weight than subsequent appearances. Twilight Sparkle is her own brand identity, and altering it is an extremely risky task unless executed perfectly. Twilicorn's first impression is extremely faulty, and you don't want that at all.
 
It would've been easily better if it were two parts to not only calm the pace down, but also spread out the songs to balance out the characterization and genuine interaction. A rough draft I have is as follows:
 
Part 1:

• Prologue: Celestia and Luna discuss Star Swirl the Bearded's book, and they flip through to seeing an incomplete last page. Celestia told Luna that, if Twilight can complete it, she'll be rewarded to the next level of her studies. Luna asks her about what happens if Twilight writes the spell wrong, but Celestia reassures her that she'll be fine.
• Act 1: Twilight and the rest of the Mane Six discuss the adventures they had together and how much they grown since being conjoined by the Elements of Harmony. Following a quip about how happy Ponyville looks and is, "Life in Ponyville" commences (only without an interruption of Rarity accidentally dumping rainwater on top of her). When they're done, the Mane Six laugh. Suddenly, Spike burps, and a letter plus Star Swirl's book appear before her. Everyone oohs, especially Twilight, who was responsible for finishing the spell. Everyone wonders how to finish it, but one asks who Star Swirl the Beared is. Twilight Sparkle explains who he is and his legendary. Some of the spells (like the aging spell Trixie cast on Snips and Snails from their duel) came from him. He was one of her idols when she was a filly, and it was his greatness as to why she yearns to be the best magician alive today. If she could finish the spell, she evolves to a new level of her studies.
• Act 2: Twilight returns home and begins researching Star Swirled and reads his book of spells, starting from the small ones to the aging spell. Then she came across the incomplete spell again. Forgetting that the Elements of Harmony were behind her, she began to chant the spell, but nothing happened. So she changed it by completing it, not knowing that the Elements of Harmony altered in color (all but her). Next morning, she hums Life in Ponyville again, only to have water dumped on her. Rarity's cutie mark was Rainbow Dash's lightning bolt. Twilight asked what happened, but Rarity doesn't remember anything prior. Cue "What My Cutie Mark Is Telling Me."
• Act 3: Twilight panics and tries to convince her friends to remember what they did, but they couldn't. They didn't even remember what happened yesterday. Twilight races back home and looks at the book again and Star Swirl's past history again. Then she looked at the Elements of Harmony. All of the colors altered. And Twilight realized that what she did resulted in her friends' livelihoods being altered, and harmony quickly turned to despair. And she looked at the results. Carousel Boutique was being boarded. Sweet Apple Acres became desolate. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy felt hopeless. Rarity slunk into a corner crying for what she did. Twilight's mood saddened and felt even more hopeless. Cue "I've Got to Find a Way." End Part 1.

Part 2:

• Prologue: Recap Part 1.
• Act 1: Twilight researches her books and kept looking at the spell she enacted. She tried to white it out and rewrite it, but each time she attempted, it got blocked. Frustrated, Twilight throws her book down hard on the ground, frustrated. For the first time since her discordance, she felt hopeless. A tear sheds, landing on the book. Celestia appears and consoles Twilight. They disappear into Canterlot, where Celestia brings her into a room where all of Twilight's memories and accomplishments are kept. An altered version of Celestia's Ballad commences, reminding Twilight of all the hardships and triumphs she underwent. She reassures Twilight that she can and will fix the spell and not quit. It's still not too late to make things right. Follow your dream and your heart and put it out in Ponyville. Twilight was inspired and realized that, if she can't rewrite the spell, she can fix it by reminding them of their true talents.
• Act 2: With the Elements of Harmony gathered, Twilight finds Fluttershy and tells her that only she can help Rainbow Dash and make things right again. So they visit the cottage, where the animals held a mutiny against her. Fluttershy was able to successfully communicate with them and, with help from her Element, got her true talent back. Commence "A True, True Friend." The Mane Six group-hugged and was very happy to see them back to themselves again. And here, she was able to think of a way to fix the spell. They looked at Star Swirl's book one final time and noticed a pattern of attempting to live a life and evolve further, but the spells felt negative and cold. Twilight was able to connect the idea of maybe evolving into something more important and greater. And the spell was a method to conclude it. Instead of rewriting the spell from the paper, Twilight rewrote it from scratch, but changed the final lines. Suddenly, the Elements of Harmony charged, engulfing Twilight into a ball of light. When the light fades, everyone gasps.
• Act 3: Twilight wakes up and unfolds her wings, revealing to be an alicorn. Everyone was shocked, but excited. Twilight was surprised, but worried about how all this can happen. Celestia appears and explains Star Swirl's past about not being able to understand friendship. He was a powerful unicorn, but was always alone and worked on his spells solo. His legacy didn't begin until long after he passed away. He wanted to be great, but Twilight did something no one ever did: complete Star Swirl's magic of alicorn evolution, a concept that's never been thought of before. Furthermore, Twilight evolves into a Princess of Magic, surprising everyone. Twilight wondered how to do her duties, but Celestia reassured er that everything will be okay, and all of her questions will eventually be answered. Twilight reluctantly accepted it, but took a look at her wings with some doubt. Cue "Behold, Princess Twilight Sparkle" and her coronation. In her speech, she thanked all of her friends for helping her grow into the pony she is today. After a group hug, "Life in Equestria" commences. At the end, Twilight asks Celestia if everything will be fine, and Celestia happily winked, and Twilight smiled hopefully. End Part 2 (with Twilight NOT flying towards the screen).

(This idea is only a draft. If I were to write a script or story for it, I'll definitely be refining the idea more so it genuinely flows and makes it plausible.)
 
Magical Mystery Cure brought us an array of one really good idea and one horrid one. This episode is an extremely risky one because of all the dangers and paths they carry. M. A. Larson did what he could to execute the Twilicorn concept well into one twenty-minute episode, but it didn't successfully deliver as it should. Liking the episode is fine, but calling MMC good is hyperbole. This episode tried its hardest to get things right, but it ended in a strikeout (yet didn't whimper like a lamb like the previous three bad episodes this season).
 
And this concludes season three's analyses. To copy-and-paste from my review for season three:
 

 

Overall, season three's episode quality is a mixed bag. There were so many great episodes in the first half, but of the last five episodes, only Keep Calm and Flutter On can be called good, and even that was greatly flawed. To put it bluntly, the biggest flaw in season three was its brevity. Seasons one and two progressed in several baby steps, but season three, due to its order of sixty-five episodes, attempted to perform bigger and more grandiose. Some episodes did a fantastic job (Wonderbolts Academy, Magic Duel), but it failed in others (Magical Mystery Cure). It felt like a final season in a series rather than a continuation for several seasons. So the team attempted to put forth more radical ideas that would make much more sense if given more time to foreshadow everything, especially the horrid Twilicorn concept that Hasbro forced onto them. Season three forced itself to go bold on such short notice, and it's evident by the really wavering quality of the episodes and subsequent ideas.
 
Nonetheless, I still have a lot of faith in the team. With season four having twenty-six episodes, there are many possibilities for the series to progress into deeper, more whimsical, and more thoughtful territories. I trust the writers and storyboard artists in getting the job done for season four. Who I have no faith in, however, is Hasbro: They're notorious for inserting some very stupid, series-altering ideas in the canon for no other reason than to sell toys. The results have been mixed, so I patiently wait for the subsequent quality of the upcoming episodes in season four.
 
———
 
So, with that, here's my list of season three episodes (from most favorite to least favorite regardless of quality):

•  
• Magic Duel
• Sleepless in Ponyville
• Wonderbolts Academy
• Apple Family Reunion
• The Crystal Empire, Part 1
• Keep Calm and Flutter On
• Magical Mystery Cure
• Too Many Pinkie Pies
• One Bad Apple
• The Crystal Empire, Part 2
• Spike at Your Service
• Just for Sidekicks

(I'm not putting in Games Ponies Play because I haven't watched it, but that only determines whether I'll like it or not. But I read the transcript; the characterization is bullshit.)

Edited February 17, 2013 by Dark Qiviut

[Justin 16]

So there was something about this episode that I both loved and hated.

 

I was honestly surprised as to how fast paced this episode was, considering most of the story was told in song. Honestly, I loved the musical episode they had with this; Danial and M.A. must have had a field day composing and writing this. It was a rather interesting episode, but for some reason, I feel as if I just can't bring myself to completely love this episode.

 

Don't get me wrong, holy crap was it an amazing finale - much different than others. But I feel as if much more could have been done. Oh well - we still have the rumored "other two parts" season 4 will hold.

 

The music was also nice - lots of musical-play vibes. The "What My Cutie Mark is Telling Me" and "A True, True Friend" has been stuck in my head all day, including the accompanied visuals.

 

Overall, this season was a rather good one. Season two will remain my favorite so far, but the episodes they had for this one was rather a surprise, as we got a lot more twists such as Discord, Trixie, and others. I'm pretty stoked to see season 4 now and what they plan on doing with AliTwi, princess and all. Perhaps now that Twi has discovered her true calling, we might either see adventures of AliTwi and friends, or maybe even the other ponies rising to their destinies, such as RD and the Wonderbolts and Rarity achieving Canterlot stardom.

 

Also, anyone else notice the choices of marathon episodes that led up to the finale? Apparently, it contained the pilot, the season starters, and some episodes such as "Winter Wrap Up" and "Magic Duel" - both mostly focused on Twi and her abilities and/or learning more and more about the wonders of friendship. Interesting.

Also, did I mention I got some feels from this episode? Knowing that many of us have watched since the start, it was truly amazing to watch our beloved character rise to her destiny. It was like watching your own child do something amazing. Dang.

Edited February 17, 2013 by Justin

[Tacutiemark 27]

I think it was great the music was good, every thing that twilight had ever done lead up to that part of the plot, and overall a good episode. Some people weren't happy that she's an alicorn, but I'm neutral- let the writers do their thing.

 

Anyways, did anyone notice a distant derpy at  6:22? I'm not completely sure, but the coloring looks it. Bottom right corner.

[Amethyst42 6]

Animation-ey things I loved about this episode.

• Pinky's pause-and-pour spit-take. Pure animation genius
• the ponies eyes rolling like a slot machine when they recalled their true selves. If I was at home with better equipment, I'd go through it and pick out the individual scenes in their eyes.
• Rainbow Dash's expression of "wow that worked???" after she kicks here first cloud
• Pinky trying to push the plow backwards

There's more, tell me what you liked!

Also, when everybody choruses "Pinkie!" when she tell them she wants to see them smile, I start crying. EVERY TIME. And I've watched it at least six times now!

Edited February 17, 2013 by Amethyst42

[immblueversion 331]

EVERYONE! I think I figured out why the Apple family didn't seem to help when Pinkie was working on the farm:

It's because PINKIE was working on the farm.

Her logic-defying powers are so extreme that she ran the whole farm into the ground in a manner of minutes. Her failure at farmwork was just so epic that the other Apple family members just couldn't keep up, or put up, with it all.

[Shypony 10]

yeah i think Celestia should have hired Rarity for her dress. Celestia's dress could have been prettier. Most of the mane 6's seemed to be rehashed versions of their gala dress. Except I thought twilight's gala dress was prettier. Luna's dress was nice though. Cadance's was horrible but could have been nicer.

 

 

I think I can explain the dresses for Celestia and Luna. The way I see it is that those dresses were common for Princesses to wear during a event like that when Celestia and Luna were kids, or even older. Just like the princess hairstyle that Cadance had to have for the Pony Games, they couldn't change it.

 

 

1000 years from now Twilight might have to wear the same dress she wore to the event.

[Twinhead B 482]

But Twilight worked very, very hard to achieve her destiny. She worked very hard to achieve greatness. But she knows that she couldn't have done it without the help of her friends, who are achieving greatness in their own way.

 

All of the ponies want to be great. That's why they were in such distress when they had swapped cutie marks - they wanted to do a great job, but they were in despair because they couldn't achieve the greatness that they knew they were meant to have. The other five do not need to become princesses in order to do this. Twilight became a princess because she earned it, but for a very particular reason. Twilight can write her own magic. She "graduated" from being Princess Celestia's student to being a leader for friendship, and someone everyone can look up to. Being a princess is Twilight's next level of studies. The other ponies are exactly where they need to be, where they can always strive to be greater. And Princess Twilight can strive to be a greater princess.

 

I have never gotten the impression that the show is teaching us that life gets handed to you, and that greatness is easy. I don't think that is ever implied. Twilight became a princess because of the hard work that she and her friends have gone through. And with the series' continuation, there is more work that needs to be done.

 

I just felt that Twilight's "reward" for completing Starswirl's spell was a little extreme. I'm sure Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash learned and know just as much about friendship as Twilight, so why aren't they Alicorns?

 

I'm all for progression, but Twilight's not the only pony to create a spell (truth be told, she didn't even do it all herself), but she is the only pony who became an Alicorn for it. I just don't feel that her ascension was justified, and the fact that she was apparently destined from birth to become a princess was totally against the would-be moral the first half of the show had.

 

Again, I'm not codemning the episode, it was masterfully written given the time constraints, I'm just not satisfied with how they handled her ascension. Perhaps the Season 4 opener will elaborate on the idea, but right now I'm left with a slightly sour taste in my mouth.

[Metemponychosis 1,261]

Animation-ey things I loved about this episode.

• Pinky's pause-and-pour spit-take. Pure animation genius
• the ponies eyes rolling like a slot machine when they recalled their true selves. If I was at home with better equipment, I'd go through it and pick out the individual scenes in their eyes.
• Rainbow Dash's expression of "wow that worked???" after she kicks here first cloud
• Pinky trying to push the plow backwards

There's more, tell me what you liked!

 

Also, when everybody choruses "Pinkie!" when she tell them she wants to see them smile, I start crying. EVERY TIME. And I've watched it at least six times now!

I was going to mention the ponies chorusing "PINKIE!!" I loved it.

Another thing I liked was the distress the ponies were suffering trying to do those things and just not knowing how. Special mention to AJ's tearful eye during the True True Friend Song. My heart almost stopped.

 

Another thing I really liked was the overall animation during the songs, Celestia's part and the way their friendship heals each pony. True. It was rushed as hell, but the idea got to me.

[RetroDash 42]

But it is/was her destiny to become an alicorn. therefor it has been her destiny to be able to naturally fly when she became an alicorn. you don't need to read a book to something that comes naturally to you (in this universe.)

I may be wrong or i may be right (i was a bit rushed and didn't look over the post)

9.9/10

Nope Nope complete Horse Apples!  <_<  Even in this universe where the impossible becomes possible, NO. 

[Icy Wonderbolt 34]

I don't think this is the end of mlp because they just released the Pinky Pie toy and the mlp app for apple devices.

[immblueversion 331]

I don't think this is the end of mlp because they just released the Pinky Pie toy and the mlp app for apple devices.

Well, considering a fourth season, a TV movie, and a spin-off series (the latter two of which may or may not be directly intertwined) are currently in development, I'd be convinced this isn't the end of the series too. Edited February 17, 2013 by immblueversion

[concertoldham 140]

Yo. I know I'm a little late to the party, but I'd like to share some thoughts on the episode as well.

 

Things I liked:

- The songs. They were all just amazing.

- Voice acting. I cried at least twice.

- Twilight being an alicorn. I actually approved of it more after I watched the finale.

- Celestia in general. She had such a good part in this and it was nice to see her sing!

- The raw emotion. Watching the mane 6 (minus Twi) struggle with their mixed up cutie marks was absolutely heart breaking.

- DERPY IS THAT YOU?

 

Things I didn't like so much:

- Poor pacing. I know everyone's been saying it but it's true. 

- Seeing Twi fly right away. I thought it would be cool to see Flutters and Dash give her some awkward flying lessons.

- It seemed like Twi kinda gave up quickly with the whole cutie mark problems. It was weirdly out of character and even though she did end up trying again, it was strange how she kinda took a depression break after failing once.

 

These are my thoughts, and again, sorry for being a little late. I DID watch it on the premier date but I wanted to watch it a few more times before sharing my feelings on it.

[moduz94 78]

Apparently, getting the right cutie mark is as easy as reminding somepony about their special talents, or more blatantly just pointing it out. Twilight should go tell Sweetie Belle that shes a good singer, then she can have a cutie mark too. 

 

The only redeeming thing about this episode was some of the background ponies being in the crowd, otherwise it was a piss poor way to end the season. 

not quite, to "earn" your cutiemark you have to discover your talent yourself

 

to "get back" your cutiemark you need to re-discover your talent, it's not like twilight simply told them, she made them do what they were supposed to do and so they remembered ( by the way I loved that "slot machine" effect on their eyes when their memories revamped )

[JH24 385]

Magical Mystery Cure:

 

Not bad, not bad at all. From what I heard I was expecting something pretty
bad but in the end I definitely enjoyed this one.

The songs were great, each pony of the Mane 6 got some very nice moments, there was some pretty funny scenes as well and the ending... well, I think they did the best they could with
what they had to work with. It's great to see that Twilight still stays humble and
knows how she only could have gotten this far with her friends.


I can't believe though the third season has already ended. It feels like yesterday
I first came to know about this series. It was a scene on Youtube with Spike and
with Pinkie Pie questioning him. (From the episode "Party of One") Loved the
seven-hour bubble bath reference by the way.

If I had to make a favorite episode list based on season 3 it would probably look
like this:

1. "Wonderbolts Academy"
2. "Sleepless in Ponyville"
3. "Magical Mystery Cure"
4. "Keep Calm and Flutter On"
5. "Just For Sidekicks"

---- (Considerable gap with the other episodes)

6. "One Bad Apple"
7. "The Crystal Empire" (part 1/2)
8. "Magic Duel"
9. "Apple Family Reunion"
10. "Games Ponies Play"
11. "Spike at Your Service"
12. "Too Many Pinkie Pies"

 

[moduz94 78]

It'll be interesting to see how the show carries out alongside MLP; I must say I am very excited for that. I just got into the show last Saturday (not yesterday, the week before) out of sheer curiosity, and watching it instantly made me question why I have not watched it before. The characters are lovable and compelling, the script is funny and clever, the music is stellar- pretty much nearly all of the good things about MLP.

 

The thing is, the show isn't nearly as popular for a couple of reasons. 1) It is a rather new show, despite it being popularized due to the fact a handful of MLP staff work on it. 2) Most of the hate it unfortunately generates is from some people refusing to watch it because they probably think it's just a copy/knock-off of MLP. I say it's a perfect redemption of one of Hasbro's iconic franchises. It has its own mini-fandom going on right now, with art, music, small communities, etc. But in due time (not to say a little mini-project me and a few other staffies are probably working on ), the LPS community will burst into a well-deserved full-sized fandom. It will most likely never reach the pulse MLP has generated, but I hope with every fiber in my being that LPS gets to be up there as one of this generation's great fandoms.

 

being 100% honest here, I gave that show a try just like I did with MLP.

 

The only thing I like about LPS is the opening theme ( I just loved Ashleigh's voice to begin with ) and the VA's, the rest I'm genuinely scared, no seriously the whole design of Blythe is more scary than an Amnesia's monster to me, I don't know why they look so horrid to me XD, the only exception is Zoe, that thing is awesome :£

[corvusbhax 3]

I was initially surprised that this episode turned out be be a practical musical.  I enjoyed most of the songs and had nothing to complain in that department.

 

I have no issue with Twilight becoming an alicorn and am welcome to the idea.  The transformation sequence was amazing with the alternate reality bit.  It was very beautiful.

 

Twilight becoming an alicorn princess will bring interesting developments in the long run for the show and I am more excited than ever for the upcoming season 4. 

[Dashie25 13]

I've never been a big fan of songs in television shows, but this is now one of favorite episodes of the show. They really outdid themselves with this episode. I just blows my mind that they manged to fit so much in to one 22 minute episode. Also, I think Twilight looks awesome as an alicorn and I don't want them to change that.

[DATAIRSOFTBRONY 13]

First let me tell you that this will be my most extensive
review of a MLP episode. It happens to be my first complete season (I began
watching the show towards the end of season two). This episode also had to be
the first one to actually make me emotional (say what you want, it’s what I felt).
I have always liked Twilight and I was proud to see her grow. Anyway on to the
review.

The Episode:

The beginning was a little confusing at first but it quickly
made the reason clear shortly. It was a little funny despite the apocalyptic
tone. Twilight’s sad song was heartbreaking and was fitting for the situation
and it became my favorite song of the episode. When Twilight finally figures
out how to cure her friends, the whole “flashback in the eyes” was an amazing
touch of detail. The song as well was fitting and upbeat, it brought the
happiness back. When all her friends blasted Twilight with their Element Rays,
and she was left a smoldering cutie mark on the floor totally surprised me. The
next scene totally reminded me of the scene in “Transformers 2” when Sam “died”
and met the Primes. Twilight was blasted into “another realm” (that’s what I’ve
been calling the unknown place). Princess Celestia’s ballad was my second
heartwarming song. It reminded me that I’m a father and I will see my son grow
before me and I’d be watching him seeing how he’d handle the worlds situations preparing
him for his next level of his life. Twilights Transformation was the next
emotional part for me. Likle I said before, I had watched Twilight grow
throughout the series and I come to like her. Seeing her become an Alicorn was
a great sight. When Princess Celestia announced that Twilight was now a
Princess…I bowed my head instinctively out of respect for her. Princess
Twilight’s ceremony was nice as well, with her family and the Three Princess’s;
Celestia, Luna and Cadence present. Her final remark was a good sign to come.

Review:

Pros:

• 
  I like the musical style of the episode, it felt
  like an old Disney movie.
• 
  The overall plot was a good story, and it referenced
  previous episodes as well.
• 
  I liked the emotional setting of the story. It is
  the first episode to make me emotional.
• 
  I liked to see Twilight grow up and be ready for
  what’s to come.

Cons:

• 
  The episode felt rushed. It would have been
  better if it was in two parts.
• 
  The beginning was confusing at first.

To me this was the best episode so far. I didn’t really have

a favorite one, and I guess I still don’t. but if I did, this one would be my
favorite.

 

[Firewhirl Chaser 10]

I must agree with a lot of you here about the episode being rushed, However!!, It was beautifully done.

Pros:

• Decent storyline/plot
   
• Beautiful heartwarming songs/music
   
• Friendship/friendship/friendship!
   
• Shining Armour saying "Leaking liquid pride"

Cons:

• Rushed Episode (could have at least panned it out over a couple of episodes)