On that whole Season 3 Finale thing...

Since I've yet to see any other blog posts on this just yet (and oh yes, I know they're coming), I thought I'd record my reaction here first...

Well... yeah.

So, I have to hand it to M.A. Larson for writing an excellent episode. For 22 minutes they managed to squeeze in 6 songs plus a reprise, which will keep the music makers in our fandom happy for several months during the hiatus. And I really did like the songs!

And yes, seeing Derpy in the background right there at the end made me squee a little.

Does anypony else feel like mourning a little, as well, though?

I mean, Celestia herself basically told us that the relationship Twilight now has with all of them is now irrevocably changed. I mean, yes I understand the need to embrace change: Static life is dead life. But it really feels like the end of Friendship is Magic as we know it. So, I feel like our worries were confirmed: Twilight becoming an Alicorn should really have been the end of the series. (And sadly, even though it doesn't sound like they're changing the name, in many ways it is.)

Heck, in the end they had to cram the message "everything will be fine" (clearly aimed at the fandom) down our throats...

I guess, then, we'll have to see what kind of show they try to sell us in this new series.

Two other notes:
* The pacing was certainly rushed. I mean, effectively 7 songs plus a plot and character development in 22 minutes? Are you crazy? I really wonder how long the first draft of this story would have been, and how much editing it took to take it down to 22 minutes.
* This mythology around being a princess... should definitely give the fanfic authors in our community a lot of fodder as they scramble to come up with an awesome enough back-story for Princess Elephant in the Room,.... er.... Cadence for her being a princess to make sense. Especially so far back in her history that she was foal-sitting filly Twilight... (And I'm sorry, Skywriter, that your ideas there may have just gotten jossed. Maybe a rework can salvage things?)

Comments

[Skywriter]

Meh, it was always a risk. I'm an excellent tap-dancer. I'll make it work, and if I can't, well, no real shame in joining the ranks of the Jossed, is there?

[SR Foxley]

833543 Well, if anyone can make it work, you can, eh!

[Impossible Numbers]

I hate to feel like the sour grape among a bunch of rosy apples, but I wouldn't agree that the episode was excellent. It had some great scenes that, on their own, would be excellent content for the finale. In many ways, it could have been a lot worse, and I suppose the compactness of the episode was a result of factors beyond the writers' control. However, the extremely fast pacing of the episode, coupled with the missed wonderful opportunities for comedy or drama and the overload of songs, really did not do it for me. They made what could otherwise have been an awesome finale a bit painful to watch.

Certainly a lot has changed now, but I think season four still has a lot of status quo to work with. Applejack and her Apple family still work on the farm while Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie will go back to their lives in Ponyville. Rainbow Dash is now taking Scootaloo under her wing (and potentially becoming a Wonderbolt), but otherwise will probably have her old weather job for some time yet. Episodes can still continue without needing Twilight around, and of course there's always the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Zecora, Cheerilee, the Cakes, and many other regular cast members. Even if Twilight is now a princess, that doesn't mean she can't continue her studies or live at the library. Cadence was a princess when she took a babysitting job, so it's probably not going to be too much of an impediment. About the only thing I'm wondering is what kind of antagonists the show can admit. With Discord converted and Twilight having gained some power, it seems like the next villain is going to have to be one heck of a doozy.

At least we now know where alicorn princesses come from - modified unicorns who discover or create new magic - so it's an acquired characteristic, not an inherited power. This at least fits in with the fact that Celestia has unicorn relatives (i.e. Blueblood). I'm rather pleased with this development, as now it not only puts Celestia, Luna, and Cadence into perspective, but also adds some information on the nature of ponyverse magic and biology too. I rather like this development...

Honestly, I don't feel particularly like mourning. Despite many nostalgia moments in this episode, it didn't feel particularly climactic to me; if anything, it feels like one thread has been resolved but many more remain untouched. Besides, I've long since felt that this show has barely tapped into its own potential for expansion, and this new change might be a herald for future development of canon. Most of season four will probably be like season one again; with Twilight developing and adapting to a new status quo while being guided by her friends. And we can still go back to the earlier episodes whenever we want.

In summary:

1. While the episode had some excellent scenes, I felt it was compromised too much by terrible pacing and far too many missed opportunities. Therefore, I'd call it good or above average rather than excellent.

2. There will be a lot of change, but not so much as to alienate us from the series. I think there's still plenty of status quo to sustain season four.

3. Really liked finding out how alicorns come into being. About time that was explained.

4. I don't think a sense of loss is totally justified, firstly because of point 2, and secondly because I think the series is due an expansion that this latest development can provide, and thirdly because the old episodes are at least recorded for posterity.