S03:E13 - Magical Mystery Cure

[Pinkie-Guy 563]

Twilight's promotion just doesn't make sense.  It feels contrived.  Maybe if Magical Mystery Cure had been a two parter, we would see something that would make sense of it.  I think it's something the show really dropped the ball on.

[Dulset Tarn 441]

You know, everyone says that if it were a two parter it would have been okay, but I honestly think that's just undue idealism.

What you mean to say is that if it actually made sense and were filled with events that lead up to the ascension, then it would be okay. But there are two problems with that. One, they could have done that with one episode, they just chose to fill it with nonsense and songs because they weren't willing to try and make it reasonable. Which goes into the second problem, everyone assumes that if it were a two parter, the extra time would be filled with exactly what the episode needed to work. That's a very big assumption people don't realize they're making, and if the writers couldn't be bothered to make sense out of one episode, why would anyone expect them to suddenly pick up their game in two episodes?

[Pinkie-Guy 563]

You know, everyone says that if it were a two parter it would have been okay, but I honestly think that's just undue idealism.

What you mean to say is that if it actually made sense and were filled with events that lead up to the ascension, then it would be okay. But there are two problems with that. One, they could have done that with one episode, they just chose to fill it with nonsense and songs because they weren't willing to try and make it reasonable. Which goes into the second problem, everyone assumes that if it were a two parter, the extra time would be filled with exactly what the episode needed to work. That's a very big assumption people don't realize they're making, and if the writers couldn't be bothered to make sense out of one episode, why would anyone expect them to suddenly pick up their game in two episodes?

 

I'll give you that being a 2 parter wouldn't necessarily make everything work out better, but I just don't think 22 minutes is enough time to cover everything properly.  It's more than just plot and exposition; it needs to be given weight.

 

I don't know how a 2 parter would work, but I know that the writers are good enough to do it well if they wanted to.

[Dulset Tarn 441]

I'll give you that being a 2 parter wouldn't necessarily make everything work out better, but I just don't think 22 minutes is enough time to cover everything properly.  It's more than just plot and exposition; it needs to be given weight.

 

I don't know how a 2 parter would work, but I know that the writers are good enough to do it well if they wanted to.

I think a much better idea would just be to make it happen later. Give it even more episodes of weight, like a whole season, rather than trying to cram it in where it doesn't belong. How's that?

[Pinkie-Guy 563]

I think a much better idea would just be to make it happen later. Give it even more episodes of weight, like a whole season, rather than trying to cram it in where it doesn't belong. How's that?

I can agree to that.  As a whole, the promotion to alicorn seemed a little early to begin with.

[CandyStrike 603]

I loved it.  It moved me to tears, it was so beautiful.  I love Twilight Sparkle and was so happy for her!

[Pinkie-Guy 563]

The OP, @, in this thread, http://mlpforums.com/topic/50201-rewriting-episodes-your-way/ , describes a way to to turn it into a 2-parter.

Edited February 1, 2015 by Pinkie-Guy

[TailsIsNotAlone 3,694]

You know, everyone says that if it were a two parter it would have been okay, but I honestly think that's just undue idealism.

What you mean to say is that if it actually made sense and were filled with events that lead up to the ascension, then it would be okay. But there are two problems with that. One, they could have done that with one episode, they just chose to fill it with nonsense and songs because they weren't willing to try and make it reasonable. Which goes into the second problem, everyone assumes that if it were a two parter, the extra time would be filled with exactly what the episode needed to work. That's a very big assumption people don't realize they're making, and if the writers couldn't be bothered to make sense out of one episode, why would anyone expect them to suddenly pick up their game in two episodes?

Excellent points. Furthermore, if the writers really could think of a good way to make Twilight an alicorn, and if they had any meaningful things to say with this episode...why wouldn't they have ensured it was a two-parter to begin with instead of a single episode with 10-15 minutes of songs? It's damage control. The reason they don't leave any time to explain what's going on, is because they can't explain what's going on, because the premise wasn't even their idea. This is less an example of a rushed TV episode than an example of why marketing needs to stay out of the writers' room.

 

Clearly a lot of other bronies enjoy this episode on an emotional level and that's great, just don't try to tell me that the whole Twilicorn concept makes any sense. (Old King Q explains in great detail why it didn't.) I'll tell you one thing, the transformation suggests that Celestia has had all of this planned for a long time. From the moment she saw Twilight's magic exam on the grounds of Canterlot Castle, she decided that kind of power had to be controlled. They can dress it up all they want by calling Celestia a "mentor," but she's not so much teaching Twi as keeping her on a leash and making sure she moves in the direction she wants. That's not my idea of destiny.

 

Everything I saw from Twilight Sparkle in the first three seasons told me: "highly intelligent, good heart, somewhat introverted, kind of a nerd, makes order out of chaos, can't handle uncertainty...figurehead yes, catalyst yes, most powerful of the Mane 6 yes, just not a complete leader." Nothing I saw told me, "future ruler." That's a leap the size of Ghastly Gorge.

[Dulset Tarn 441]

Everything I saw from Twilight Sparkle in the first three seasons told me: "highly intelligent, good heart, somewhat introverted, kind of a nerd, makes order out of chaos, can't handle uncertainty...figurehead yes, catalyst yes, most powerful of the Mane 6 yes, just not a complete leader." Nothing I saw told me, "future ruler." That's a leap the size of Ghastly Gorge.

The sad part is that she never bothered to ASK Twilight, or hint at this to her. "Hey just forget everything you thought about how your life would go, you're a princess now." Even more sad is that Twilight now actually believes she chose this.

[Drakkon 362]

Everything I saw from Twilight Sparkle in the first three seasons told me: "highly intelligent, good heart, somewhat introverted, kind of a nerd, makes order out of chaos, can't handle uncertainty...figurehead yes, catalyst yes, most powerful of the Mane 6 yes, just not a complete leader." Nothing I saw told me, "future ruler." That's a leap the size of Ghastly Gorge.

 

I respectfully disagree. The idea that Twilight will become the princess was clear-cut obvious to everywhere I've been to prior to Season 3 (even during Season 1!). The ideas of when and how were the subject of debate: final episode in the show? Celestia's peer? Celestia's replacement? There were many fan-theories, but her exceptional magical abilities, and she being Celestia's personal student all pointed to her being a very special pony, though most people I've interacted with imagined her as Celestia's successor, rather than a peer.

 

Even Lauren Faust had admitted at some point that this was indeed her goal, if I remember correctly. Twilight becoming a princess was not unexpected and the show makers had imagined it from the beginning; it's just the climax and build-up to it were not really R+L=J kind of buildup. The "official" buildup started and climaxed during the shortest season ever - half the size of the standard season - so it is indeed quite sad that there was not more to it. It did, however, spur people who considered the idea of Twilicorn to be pure myth into intense worrying when a strange poster of Alicorn Twilight was leaked around the time of Season 3's release, and they claimed that if this is true it would herald the decline of the show. In my opinion, it did not.

 

In the end though, in large, show-changing events such as these, there is little the writers could do considering their target audience. You will note that all of these kinds of changes (Shining Armor, Twilicorn, Twilicastle, to name a few of the big ones) were not "up-to-snuff" for many people, leading to their controversial status. Magical Mystery Cure didn't really struck me as a particularly 100%-satisfactory way to develop core factors of the show, but I didn't find it disappointing as the writers have never been able to pull something like that off. And I personally think Magical Mystery Cure in its current state is superior to a super-serious one-episode finale; the second is doomed to fail as well, but it would not have the redeeming qualities of a musical episode.

 

I understand that incorporating elements, new major characters, and other matters is difficult for a show for little girls with adult critics. It bears very, very little matter with me how they incorporate; the importance for me is how they use it. Cadence and Shining Armor, let there be no doubt, were shoved in. Twilight suddenly has a brother? Another princess, of what now, Love? (Hasbroooo!) However, from the comics detailing how they met, to their appearances in Crystal Empire episodes, I find them to be a strong, good addition to the show. Similar arguments for Twilight Sparkle's ascension to Princess, as it has created a new source for content and prevented the show from becoming stale.

[Dulset Tarn 441]

@

As stupid as the idea was, I actually will admit, it really was obvious from the start.

In the exact same way that it was obvious Harry would marry Hermione, Luke would kill Darth Vader, and Naruto would be the Fourth Hokage's son.

[GuillermoGage 246]

@

As stupid as the idea was, I actually will admit, it really was obvious from the start.

In the exact same way that it was obvious Harry would marry Hermione, Luke would kill Darth Vader, and Naruto would be the Fourth Hokage's son.

I dunno about the other two because I just rapidly watched the Original Trilogy as a kid without thinking about what would happen and I don't follow what the Hokage is exactly in Naruto, but Harry and Hermione?

 

No, I never suspected that. I suspected Ron and Hermione since age 9 in the year 2000 like any normal Potter fan that is not a shipper.

 

 

If I'm following you correctly, Luke killing Darth Vader was a realistic belief for someone seeing the first Star Wars and awaiting the sequel, so it is like you are saying that, while Princess/Alicorn Twilight was realistic, it was never inevitable just like the other three things were not inevitable.

 

Except that Harry and Hermione was not even remotely inevitable to me. I don't even think romance-loving girls reading the first two books thought about Harry and Hermione together.

 

And probably the main reason why AliTwi/Princess Twilight was not an inevitable thing was because the show getting more than two seasons was not an inevitable thing from a pre-S1's release production standpoint.

[Dulset Tarn 441]

If I'm following you correctly, Luke killing Darth Vader was a realistic belief for someone seeing the first Star Wars and awaiting the sequel, so it is like you are saying that, while Princess/Alicorn Twilight was realistic, it was never inevitable just like the other three things were not inevitable.

That's the more tactful way of saying it. My point was that there are always really obvious predictions that anyone could make about a series right from the start, but that doesn't always mean it's inevitable. A smart writer will tend to avoid those obvious routes to make something more interesting. But there's a big difference between something being guessable from the start, then actually coming true, and something being actually obvious from the start, which people erroneously claim about Twilight.

[TailsIsNotAlone 3,694]

I respectfully disagree. The idea that Twilight will become the princess was clear-cut obvious to everywhere I've been to prior to Season 3 (even during Season 1!). The ideas of when and how were the subject of debate: final episode in the show? Celestia's peer? Celestia's replacement? There were many fan-theories, but her exceptional magical abilities, and she being Celestia's personal student all pointed to her being a very special pony, though most people I've interacted with imagined her as Celestia's successor, rather than a peer.

Oh, I agree that they were at least hinting at it. What I meant is that I never thought making her a princess (and/or an alicorn) was right for her character. At all.

 

Shining and Cadence were okay with me (except for going against Lauren's plans and making Cadence an alicorn), but a permanent change to one of the show's most loved main characters that doesn't make sense is something else again.

[iMac 65]

I love the scene of "I've Got to Find a Way" and "Celestia's Ballad" expecially the screens with the life of twilight... 

[Zoraxe 546]

I imagine if your parents did something like this to you, you would not not be very happy with them.

 

"oh hay son, I see you put out the fire that engulfed you and your friends houses and saved the day. I knew you would since I'm the one that sent that box to you, the box that when opened started the fire in the first place, but I'm going to let you keep blaming yourself for that because you opened the box. Also, because you saved the day I decided to enroll you in a University and also decided what major you will be doing, you're special"

Edited February 14, 2015 by Zoraxe

[quinsonhon 15]

I just don't get it. Why does everyone hate Season 3, especially Magical Mystery Cure? The story is fine for Season 3, and the songs in the season were pretty good.

 

WHY?

 

(no offence, I know there are people who are okay with or like the episode)

Edited February 18, 2015 by quinsonhon

[Pastel 7,627]

I just don't get it. Why does everyone hate Season 3, especially Magical Mystery Cure? The story is fine for Season 3, and the songs in the season were pretty good.

 

WHY?

 

(no offence, I know there are people who are okay with or like the episode)

Well, you can read the previous pages and the other topics of this season.

Here's my opinion:

 

This is my least favorite episode of the whole show so far.

The end is awful; so random and doesn't make a lot of sense.

I'm not against Twilight becoming an alicorn, but the way it's introduced is just bad.

It also has too many songs, but the "What my Cutie Mark is Telling me" song is really nice.

Celestia's behavior was mainly for plot convenience. But that made her a terrible character here, I think this episode is the best to describe Trollestia.

Of course, if Celestia had intervened, Twilight wouldn't have become a princess, and this episode would have lost its interest.

No, it was just poorly written, they should have done something else, I like Twilicorn (certainly because I got used to it), but the way it was introduced was awful.

Edited February 18, 2015 by Blobulle

[Ice Fox 1,145]

If Twilight is glad to have become an alicorn, then I'm glad for her. But for the most part, I feel sorry for her. Ugh. Becoming a ruler is just about the worse thing that could happen to me...

 

Anyway, it was a good episode. Not as good as A Canterlot Wedding ( it's hard to top that! ) but still good. I dunno if I ever would've seen the alicorn thing coming if I didn't know it existed, and even then I had figured it happened in season 4.

 

 

Biggest hint I remember is during season 3's opening, some of Celestia's words near the start seemed a tip off. But then, I already knew about the promotion at that time, so who knows..

[TheGamerLuna 2]

i don`t know something if Twilight become an alicorn because she finished a spell its  ok.

But whats with Shining if he now a prince in S2E25+26 why he don't have wings im very curios 

[IceBeerG 55]

i don`t know something if Twilight become an alicorn because she finished a spell its  ok.

But whats with Shining if he now a prince in S2E25+26 why he don't have wings im very curios 

 

Wings are prevelegeous for princesses. Remember blueblood.

[draconictome 10]

I have discovered something in this episode that may have SERIOUS IMPLICATIONS! 

Depending on what you think of it...

 

I present my evidence!

 

 

Twilight's cutie mark, as seen here, is one six-pointed star in the middle with 5 others surrounding it. This represents the elements of harmony and specifically her friends. Hers is the middle one.

 

However, they show her cutie mark a couple times in the episode... with some small changes. I don't know whether the change was on purpose or not, but if it was it has SERIOUS IMPLICATIONS. Pretty freaking serious. 

 

Here is her cutie mark as shown through the windows to her soul, her eyes, after she realized what she must do in order to restore her friends' marks.

 

 

Here is an image of her cutie mark blazing across the sky in all its magical glory.

 

 

And here is the other final image, of the symbol being bore on the shoulders of the flag bearers at her coronation.

 

 

Can you spot the difference?

 

It's the stars.

On her normal cutie mark, there are five. 

In all 3 of these pictures, there are six.

One in the middle and six around the edges.

seven total. Not six. Seven.

 

Does this mean there is another element of harmony?

Is this her "true" cutie mark?

If this is her true cutie mark, why does it differ from her normal one?

Did this happen specifically because she became a princess? Because she did the eye thing before twilicorn happened.

It is also on the flags, so did celestia also know about the change? About twilight's true cutie mark?

How did twilight not notice the flags did not have her actual cutie mark?

WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON?!!

 

is sunset the seventh element of harmony?

Are they just trying to include spike?

Do they show this at any other points in season 4?

If twilight is not represented by the centre star, what does it represent?

 

This last thought has some more evidence to support it. When celestia is speaking to twilight about being a princess, she says "You've displayed the charity, compassion, devotion, integrity, optimism, and of course the leadership of a true princess."

As she says these things, she scrolls past the mane 5 and then twilight.

Do the six stars show the 6 elements of... princesshood? wat?

 

maybe...

 

I have no idea what is going on. Someone please talk to me!

The people who animated the scene probably just forgot to make Celestias horn glow. So this doesn't prove anything. 

Also may I point out in regards to this argument that cadence had a similar effect when she achieved her destiny.

 

If you go back and rewatch the crystal empire part 2, you will see this effect.

 

 

It is the same color as her unicorn magic, and is centered around her cutie mark.

 

Twilight's little glowy thing also was the same color as her normal magic, except hers behaved differently- It came out of her chest, like her soul was the thing doing the upgrading.

 

Her destiny was being fulfilled. Alicornation is her destiny.

Edited March 22, 2015 by draconictome

[Pinkie-Guy 563]

 

 

It's the stars. On her normal cutie mark, there are five. In all 3 of these pictures, there are six. One in the middle and six around the edges. seven total. Not six. Seven.

 

I kinda think it's an animation error, but it would be interesting if it wasn't.  Let's see if they show something to further your suspicions in season 5.  Otherwise, I don't know if the writers would do that long of an arc without feeding it a little along the way.

[Zoraxe 546]

Its a confusing animation error, did at some point somebody create an alternate cutiemark for Twilight, and why?

[TheGamerLuna 2]

Wings are prevelegeous for princesses. Remember blueblood.

But whats with the changelings like except chrysalis every changeling a male [i think] and they have horns&wings so...