Changelings are easy to ferret out for sociable ponies, and there are spells to scan out shapeshifters or forcibly break illusions. V situation ain't happening.

Chrysalis just started her tumblr, let's go poke fun at her

@ Kyler, exactly, no matter what there will ALWAYS be something you can nitpick about if you try hard enough, the question, why try that hard if it was enjoyable? Why intentoinaly try nd find something to take away from your enjoyment? And then come up with the most pessimistic explantion that requires a metric ton of assumption?

Just smile and relax :D MST3K Mantra, lol.

Wow, what an ending for the case. I just knew that the evidence rules would come up some time.

@ Keyaka, except what is "reasonable" depends on ALL possible variables, until you re certain of what each and every single possible variable is that may influence a person/ponies decision, you can't say said decision was unreasonable, without knowing every single reason that went into said decision.

Doubt that will stop authors from making it happen.

For the record I thought SA not letting Twilight know about the wedding was believable and made for a nice bit of character interaction when she got to Canterlot.

edited 22nd Apr '12 7:20:38 AM by Mio

@ Ace: That's what I try to do with each episode.

Because nothing is above criticism? Besides, I'm am NOT trying very hard here.

Actually, I think the problem is that for whatever reason, Kayeka didn't like the episode and we did. Really, all the explanations we've given are based on assumptions, but if you just DIDN'T like the episode, then of course you're going to be inclined to side with the negative assumptions.

yes but when the criticisms are all based on assumptions of how stuff happened off screen that we have no knowledge of, it's stretching.

If there is a perfectly valid reason why something makes sense (and we've come up with plenty) there is no reason that that isn't just as valid as the (just as asumption filled) negative ones your coming up with

I'm still thinking all the iron traditional horseshoes in Ponyville are an anti-Fae contingency plan.

So then Shoeshine's special talent is...

I did not start the assumption-making. I poked at holes in the plot, and you guys came with explanations, and I dismissed them.

But that is all besides the point. Even if there is a perfectly logical explanation for everything to be set up the way it is, it doesn't change a thing if we have to come up with it ourselves. The show did a shoddy job of introducing these characters, and not even an internet filled with fanon can change that. THAT is my criticism.

edited 22nd Apr '12 7:28:58 AM by Kayeka

So in case 4 you fight a vampire, and in case a lightning elemental? What next?

Given the lyrics of the Changeling Queen's song, she's apparently wanted to take over an entire city and drain everyone living there since she was a child 0_0

... well it's nice to have dreams I guess

@Whatshisgame: well, she has a talent for anti-fae tactics. And plays a mean game of horseshoes.

@yeller: Iron's not for lightning elementals, not unless you like being zapped

edited 22nd Apr '12 7:30:58 AM by AceOfScarabs

@ Ace: Have we ever seen a spell that breaks illusions?

The episode is about two things:

1.) Twi fearing that the people she knew when she was younger aren't how she remembered them anymore

and

2.) The queen draining SA and influencing his mind.

Given these two things is it really unreasonable to assume that SA wouldn't have written her a letter? I don't think so

And this is why I never get into nitpick discussions. They always seem to bring the bad in us.

@Badwolf: If Want It Need It was originally a Fae Glamour spell, Celestia's dispel effect at the end of Lesson Zero would be the counterspell.

Impressions...

the Cold Open waas kind of awkward. Her brother's getting married, the normal response would be either elation or surprise. Not looking like she's been deeply insulted. So Twilight's reaction being just that is kind of a jolt, without an immediate follow-up. Granted, we get an explanation as soon as the next scene starts, but... yeah.

Some of the song numbers start kind of awkwardly, I think. I mean, I'm a bit of a fan of musical numbers, so it's not like I have an aversion to characters suddenly breaking into song. But sometimes the way it starts up feels kind of weird. I don't know why.

The fight with the changelings was pretty well-done. First off, it puts the battle-of-the-clones scene in context, which is a relief considering the previews had me pretty worried. Fluttershy stays true to character and doesn't actually fight, instead opting for a pretty impressive Bluff check. Finally, I like the twist where instead of pulling some sort of Big Damn Heroes moment, they actually fail and get captured instead.

And then there's all the interaction between Twilight and Shining Armor, and Twilight and (fake) Cadence, and the falling out between Twilight and Shining Armor, and then Twilight finding the real Cadence. In other words, it's got all the character-based drama that I pretty much love to pieces.

@ Ace: Why? Much more reasonable that the spell is based of Cadence's special talent, like Twilight's shield spell is based off Shining Armour's spell. Not the Changeling's magic. And even if it was, seems like only powerful magic users like Celestia can pull it off. And she couldn't against the Changelings.

edited 22nd Apr '12 7:38:37 AM by Badwolfwho

I did not start the assumption-making. I poked at holes in the plot, and you guys came with explanations, and I dismissed them.

except every one of you dismissals was based on your own more negative assumptions. Yes the story didn't serve up the answer to every little possible question on a silver platter, GREAT I love that, it makes it feel more real and less like a story. I LOVE that it bucks traditional narrative contrivances. It doesn't tell us everything, but it's enough that we KNOW there is more to the story that we just aren't seeing. As long as we don't know for a fact that there isn't a good reason, it means one could exist. And I love the show runners for stuff like this. It makes it feel les like we're just being told a story and more like we're actaully seeing what the Mane 6 are doing. It just makes it feel more real to me (yes yes real+cartoon ponies=does not compute, but whatever)

@Kyler I love how you can tell when a musical number is about to start, you always can

I thought Twi's reaction in the cold open was a good way of building a bit of intrigue, because you're right, she DIDN'T react how one would expect her to react, and we want to know why.

but that's just me

@badwolf: good point, but I still believe Celestia knows a Dispel Illusion spell of some kind, and Twi's attempt at a Failsafe Spell in Return of Harmony was an attempt to use that spell that was unsuccessful.