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S03:E13 - Magical Mystery Cure


NavelColt

  

155 users have voted

  1. 1. Did you like it?

    • No, I hated it >:(
      16
    • I didn't like it.
      9
    • Meh. It was ok.
      14
    • I liked it!
      36
    • I LOVED IT! <3
      80


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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...
  • 3 months later...

This episode is weird, it still feels like the finale of the show even after other 78 episodes and 4 movies (and this is episode 65!), I heard someone saying that after MMC the show didn't need more episodes, that it had already done what it had to do, and tbh I agree, but I won't complain about the extra love we're getting, specially since I think the show has improved. If MLP doesn't get a proper finale I'll come to re-watch this one (which I already have done a lot of times). There's something very personal about this, it's like a celebration of everything MLP is (and continues to be) and it makes me feel good about liking this show and being in this community, that is really beautiful. It's a timeless episode.

 

It's also weird because I'm aware of its logical problems, and if it were a normal episode I'd be complaining about it; however, given the nature of this episode I don't think it needs to "make sense" to work, of course it can't be just random nonsense, but this episode doesn't focus on telling its own story, it's more like a conclusion to all the 64 episodes before it. It's a little hard to explain, but I think Mr. Enter and Digibro do a good job expressing what I feel about this episode, so go check their reviews if you want.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Still no other episode which infuriates me like this one does. If this were the show's finale, it'd be a slap in the face, talking so much about Twilight's achievements when she really hasn't achieved much more than her friends. What about those friends, huh? They were just as instrumental in saving Equestria, and they've come just as far. Her ascension feels unearned, and what makes it worse is the episode's tone-deaf use of predestination as a thematic device. The way characters' lives seem to be dictated by their cutie mark, the way it seems Twilight was always "meant" to be a princess, it comes across to me like these ponies have no control over their own lives. It's not inspiring to me so much as horrifying, and I feel like Twilight suddenly being given extra appendages and the extra responsibilities of a princess feel to me like they should cause her stress and anxiety more than anything. The soaring, emotive songs and epic tone of the episode make it hard for me not to have an extreme emotional reaction to the episode, as I feel like it wants me to feel extreme pride and joy for her, but I don't. It doesn't feel earned, and it barely feels like something you would want to earn. So the only response I'm left with is anger. I hate this episode so, so much. 

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  • 1 month later...
  • 1 month later...
  • 10 months later...

personally, for me, this episode is alright,not good or bad and I'm really not affected about Twilight being an alicorn now and to me it didn't really change the show I think it just opened more things for the mane 6 to do.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I loved this Episode! Its easily my favorite one as of now! It really feels like a closure Episode and the whole Musical Numbers, give this Episode a more Movie like feel.

The Songs were fantastic and the final was really emotional. So, now i finally watched the so called controversial episode. XD And i have the same reaction, as with that one controversial Family Guy Episode about Brian, i dont care. I like change, and its great that Twilight has a new job now.

Maybe all this Songs in this Episode should prepare everyone for the Equestria Girls Movie, which i guess is also more of a musical and came after this. Well, im gonna watch that next, so i will see.

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7 minutes ago, Luna Moon said:

I loved this Episode! Its easily my favorite one as of now! It really feels like a closure Episode and the whole Musical Numbers, give this Episode a more Movie like feel.

I think it would have been nice to see what the writers would have done if they had had an entire full-length season to work with, and no pressure to wrap up the story by giving Twi her wings - the song was great, and indeed, the whole episode was great - but I would have liked it better I think if it had just been another step on Twi's path to her princesshood, rather than the sudden transition (ok, it was hinted at in the Crystal Empire double episode, but it wasn't really fleshed out in the rest of the season, it just suddenly happened.)

Edited by CypherHoof
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  • 1 month later...

I don't think Larson is a great writer, but he knows how to structure a story, and even he wouldn't make something this obviously terrible. As far as I'm concerned, this is a disaster, so incoherent in both pacing and content that even a number of catchy songs can't save it, and that's not even getting into the totally unjustified idea that Twilight's growth was somehow more significant than anyone else's, or the fact that Twilight was just declared a princess without anyone asking if that was something she wanted. How did she even earn that? What did she do that was so special? Was it the spell? Could we have any sort of emotional grounding for that, or is it just going to be one of the many things in this episode which just sort of happen? 

So much which happens here makes zero sense. What did that spell do? If it altered the past, why aren't the mane six competent at their "new" roles? And how does Twilight remember anything? If it just altered their memories, how didn't they realize that their alleged special talent was suspiciously ineffective? Aren't cutie marks supposed to be an extension of the self? And that's not even getting into the Twilicorn stuff, which is totally lacking in buildup, totally unearned, and feels totally bolted on at the end. And as a series conclusion, this would have been totally offensive, because this does absolutely nothing for anyone but Twilight, and even for her it does something totally random without a whole lot of buildup in the past. Would have been better to get no grand sendoff at all. 

Scenes and songs just crash into each other, with little regard for a natural flow or even letting any recognizable human emotion sink in. It's an episode so focused on telling you how to feel that it doesn't actually let you feel it. There are no character moments in this, just emotional shorthand which doesn't actually signify anything. This is a work made by people who do not care about their audience. It's insulting. Admittedly, this watch was somewhat better because I wasn't bothered by the "destiny" thing this time, but it's still garbage.

The problem isn't just that this episode makes no sense - it makes less sense than most episodes, but I could get over that. It's that the songs exist in place of emotion or even plot, slamming into each other in increasingly exhausting fashion. It's that the episode is so intensely emotive that the lack of even basic emotional coherence, of even a single earned moment, makes the whole thing fall flat. If there was a flow here, with suspense and jokes and personal moments, maybe the lacklustre narrative logic would have been easier to deal with, but instead the episode just lays there, straining itself to get you to feel something without ever giving a sensible reason why you shouldIt's infuriating. 

The worst episode of the show. It exists because the writers wanted to sell toys. It's a single episode because the network couldn't be bothered to order a full 26 episodes. It's a trainwreck. 

Score:

Entertainment: 3/10

Characters: 2/10

Themes: 1/10

Story: 1/10

Overall: 18/100

While I'm at it, I've always perceived Twilight's "friendship lessons" as an excuse for her to go outside and interact with other ponies, so I'm bummed that's been disproven, and to apparently no end whatsoever. 

And I still think the "destiny" thing implies nobody in this world actually has any agency, but that reads more to me as narrative incoherence now than some sort of depressing unintended message. 

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  • 3 weeks later...

I think as a lot of people agree, that this episode was a mess. The fact that the ending was spoiled before the episode was released makes me believe that Hasbro had both hands in the mess in order to push new Princess Twilight toys. That’s all they cared about. 

 

Did Twilight deserve the wings? Yes, she was able to complete a spell that Starswirl was not able to because of her understanding of friendship. It should have been done as a two-parter in order to give it more emotional weight. Instead, they jammed a weak plot along with too many songs into a single episode.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 2 months later...

This episode is a beautiful mess. So much here represents the best and worst of the first 3 seasons. On the one hand, the animation and music are the best they've ever been. On the other hand, the pacing is atrocious and the story makes no sense. This episode runs on emotion instead of logic so your enjoyment of the episode depends on if you buy the emotion. For me, I loved this episode. The songs were powerful and everything made this episode seem like the end of an era. The entirety of the first 3 seasons were building up to this moment. I get chills every time I watch the end of "True True Friend".

Score: -10/10 (negatives mean guilty pleasures)

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  • 2 weeks later...

I enjoyed this episode, but I do feel the story needed more detail. It also helps that I’ve seen enough future episodes to see the result of this. Back when I first saw the episode, when my son was watching the show, but I really wasn’t, I admit I did a bit of eye rolling when Twilight got wings.

The others having the wrong cutie marks had no much potential in itself. That really could’ve been an whole episode. It would have been fun seeing them learn to do their new jobs well, but with their own methods. Twilight getting wings after a final test that she barely struggled with is also disappointing. Both stories suffered by having to share one episode.

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  • 4 weeks later...

It feels like so much was left out of the episode. A lot of stuff was brushed aside and never explained. Like how the apple farm went to hell just because Pinkie was working there. What happened to Big Mac, Grannie Smith, and Apple Bloom? Did they leave or stop working? We’re there no other Pegasi to handle the weather? Was everypony in Ponyville jerks to each other until Pinkie showed up?

What was Starswirl’s spell supposed to do? It’s just an unfinished spell that messed with the destinies of the elements. What is the finished spell supposed to do? At the least the writers admit is should have been a 2-parter. 

Edited by Twilight Luna
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  • 1 month later...

This episode was terrible. Even with Twilight becoming an alicorn aside, the task was solved so easily! :lostit:

It would have felt much more logical if she transformed at the finale of season 2. Back then, she actually did something amazing, and saved the whole kingdom! Of course the writers wouldn't have been preparing such a transition back then, but this finale was sooo rushed. Music was nice but because of it, the actual story was rarely shown. This definitely should have been a 2-part episode.

I'm not as mad at the transition itself, but still think that it was totally unnecessary. The mane 6 had 2 unicorns, 2 earth ponies, and 2 pegasi, perfectly balanced. I thought this was something intentional, since the CMC also had one of each. Every pony had their unique ability, and used it to tackle problems in their own way. Not having wings didn't mean being inferior, it just meant that you had different abilities. Now it just feels as if having wings means being superior than others. I know that's not what was intended, but I can't help but feel that way.

Twilight already had a super powerful ability, magic. Are wings really necessary for her? Can't Fluttershy or Rainbow Dash use their abilities when flying is needed? This transition thing just feels like a stupid way to make new Twilight toys, and nothing more.

Edited by qwerE
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  • 3 weeks later...

i am conflicted about this episode because this really raises questions of free will, and the whole idea of leaving behind the simpler times of season 1-3 when she wasn't a princess.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

This episode feels like two episodes shoved together. There's the story of the cutie mark switching and the story of Twilight becoming a princess.

Starting with the cutie mark switching, it's trash. There's no way to defend something so completely nonsensical.

First of all, it completely butchers the basic idea of a cutie mark. So apparently cutie marks aren't just something that you like to do and a metaphor for growing up. No, cutie marks are destiny. They completely drive your life and, even if its something you don't like, you have to do it for the rest of your life. It makes it so ponies don't have free will which is uncomfortable to think about. There's a lot of stuff about destiny and I don't think it should be taught that destiny is a real thing. It's not.

Second of all, it doesn't make sense how the spell Twilight casts works. The spell is unfinished which makes it confusing how the spell could even be casted. But ignoring that, how does the spell effect everything? Did everyone's lives completely change? How could Applejack even have a boutique if she's so bad at making dresses? What are the rest of the apple family doing while Pinkie is running Sweet Apple Acres into the ground? Why is Rarity controlling the weather when Rainbow's cutie mark is based on speed and going fast? What are the rest of the pegasi doing while Rarity was ruining the weather? What's the point of pegasi when weather can be controlled by unicorns? Does Ponyville really completely rely on Pinkie to be happy in any way? The question on what the point of pegasi is leads into even more questions like why the other races didn't just let the pegasi starve before Hearth's Warming when they didn't need to rely on them to change the weather. And that leads to questions on what the point of earth ponies is when any other race can farm too. I wouldn't be asking these questions if this episode didn't bring them up.

Lastly, the pacing is terrible. The conflict begins before the theme song leading to no time for worthwhile exposition or any time to linger on any emotions or moments. Right after the comedic song, the super sad song comes up and it clashes hard. And then Twilight immediately comes up with a solution to the problem that isn't given enough time to have any explanation. And then everything is fixed before I could care. If this story was the only thing in the episode, it would be a 0/10. It's miserable and the worst story of the show. What a mess.

The second story is Twilight becoming a princess and while it is rushed, I like this one a lot more. The episode itself doesn't justify Twilight becoming a princess, but Twilight becoming a princess is completely removed from the context of the episode and is more part of the context of the show as a whole. The entire series has been building up to this moment and in that sense I think the change is earned. Celestia's song is the only song in the episode that gives time for the audience to care and it's effective. This part of the episode has much better pacing and it it went unchanged in a better episode, I wouldn't have a problem with it. On its own, I'd give it an 8/10. The destiny question doesn't bother me as much here since it does look like Twilight likes the change and she has been shown being a leader of her own free will before so it seems more based on that than destiny.

Overall, It's awful. I know I said I really like the Twilight becoming a princess bit, but I said that when divorced from the context of the episode since the episode itself doesn't justify the change at all. The Crystal Empire had her do something more impressive than what she did in this episode yet this is the episode where she earns her wings. That said, some of the songs are really good and the ending is emotional. If only it was in a better episode.

Score: 2/10

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  • 5 months later...

This season's finale watching it. Yes, it did leave me crying in the end, but I NEVER expected Twilight to turn into an Alicorn. All those years that Celestia guided Twilight paid off it looks like. Celestia singing though was what made me cry the most honestly speaking, but I haven't stopped since the end of the episode

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  • 4 weeks later...

Well, this episode is complicated, the episode is rushed and twilight becoming an alicorn really shaked the fandom, however I think it was for the best. I was not really touched and the song in the end was not a favorite of mine but the rest of the songs were pretty good(what my cutie mark is telling me is a great one). The plot was nice but it was not executed perfectly and this episode made a huge mess out of the cutie marks, it just doesn't make much sense, how all the other ponies did not notice it and pointed it out?  Anyway it was an enjoyable episode but it had quite a few problems. 6.5\10

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  • 11 months later...
  • The topic was pinned

I have to say it, I must express my sadness over what this episode did to the Bronies. It changed everything.

 

The episode was really great. It's presentation stunk! Miss America justifying why it is great being a princess (and so should you!), and the spoiler what happens to Twilight showing in the mid commercial break of the live episode! :eww:

 

Songs were great! Animation was fantastic for Season 3 standards.

 

But it marked an end of the Brony-era, as being unique and at the top of everything Internet at the time. I was there, I was watching Season 3 live at the time, and I saw the decline within 2 weeks.
 

But give the rest of the Seasons a chance, the show heals slowly but by Season 5 and Season 7, the fans that were left got what they wanted!

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