Trade you! (Or why I don't think I liked the finale) · 4:13pm May 10th, 2014
Spoilers, obviously.
I think the finale, for me, was making a bunch of trades that nobody asked me if I wanted.
"Hey, you know how Discord's savvy, egocentric and brash? Why don't we take him, find him a nice heavy idiot ball, and make him a needy supplicant instead. Isn't that so much more relatable?"
"Well, okay, but I don't-"
"You know how you loved the ponies rainbow power of magic form being tasteful and minimalist, but still downright badarse?"
"I-"
"Well, I'll take that, and I'll give you something that makes the Cutie Mark Crusader's 80's glam band costumes look tasteful!"
"Why would I ever want that, mysterious Hasbro entity?!"
"It's better! We say so! And it sells new toys."
"What?"
"Nothing! Okay, okay, how about we take the treehouse-"
"No."
"And we-"
"Nope."
"Replace it with a soulless Crystal Empire transplant. Say, where are you going?"
"I'm leaving."
"But we haven't even covered how there's just too much personality in Luna's character! Hello? You still there?"
"Wait, what are you doing to Luna?"
"Great, so, we're taking that and giving you a Celestia wannabe. Oh! And remember the songs we used to play?"
"... okay, I heard mention of the songs. This Day Aria is still one of the best pieces of-"
"Which is why we've traded you those clever lyrics and double meanings with something you don't have to think about, some hollow 80's beats that you can tap your foot to but completely forget why the second it's over.
"DAMN it Hasbro entity!"
"Oh, come on, Numbers, just smile and wave! Be a good sport!"
They did a lot of things right with this episode, but, I have to say, I'm walking away from this one feeling hollow and disappointed. It just felt wrong to me.
Eh, Discord's always been immature. Was immature when he was the Tyrant of the World, too.
2095876
Immature, yes, but I've made the comparison that it's like plying an alcoholic with chocolate.
The big defining thing about Discord has been, in a word, his ego. It's what makes him paint targets on his chest, feel like he's above making friends and, really, it's who and what he is.
Tirek offered him an equal partnership at a point where Tirek needed Discord, and Discord was eager to help. Eager to help a being weaker than he was become a being more powerful than he was, something that's already against his nature on so many self-serving levels, so that he could... what? Why?
He had freedom. What stops him from acting out is solely his friendship with Fluttershy. If Tirek had so swayed Discord, a being who is focused on his own ego and power more than even chaos, why didn't Discord just go Return of Harmony on everyone's arses? The Elements don't exist anymore, after all!
Because shut up, the story doesn't work if he does that, I guess.
It was just frustrating to me.
I think Discord becoming a "needy supplicant" worked for the arc they gave him. Deep down he knew he was betraying his friends he cared about dearly, so I think he had to try and make Tirek his friend to feel better about doing it. Came back to bite him big time, but that's how I saw it.
2095918
I agree, that's what I saw. Discord was very much interested in his freedom, but he was still eager for friendship. He fell short of outright saying it to Tirek, but the implication was strong in my mind. That explains away the otherwise unnecessary supplication, in my eyes. But I'll be the first to admit that even that is a stretch.
Also, I feel you on the Luna thing, Numbers. But maybe she was just worried enough that she decided that a no-nonsense approach was the right one?
I blame the Rainbow Power design on the Tree of Harmony. It's a tree. It has no eyes. The only thing it knows how to do with color is attract pollinators.
I am really going to miss the old library. Honestly I have a thing for crystals, so I don't hate the new one, but Golden Oaks was just so cool.
I definitely have to agree on the songs. They... Left me pretty cold, honestly. They were okay, but that's it. Okay. High isn't what I want out of a mega two-part season finale. (This Day Aria remains my favorite.)
I'm actually surprised at how many people saw the obvious point that Discord did not need Tirek for his freedom, all he needed was to betray Fluttershy, and did not pick up the obvious corollary.
Discord thought Tirek was his friend. He wasn't going to use the word, because that's sappy. But the entire reason he betrayed Equestria was he thought he could have both friendship and the freedom to use his magic. Tirek's the one who despises the concept of friendship (but plays the role well enough to sucker Discord). Note that Discord betrays the existence of Twilight after Tirek gives him something of apparent emotional significance. Discord doesn't need a bauble, he can make one anytime. It's the emotional value of it, the fact that it's a symbol of loyalty and gratitude -- friendship, by any other name -- that means something to him. Note also that the image of Tirek with a sword and Discord with a sandwich, while funny, is also obviously symbolically representing what Discord thinks is a friendship between himself and Tirek. They're not posed like mere allies.
He thought he could have both friendship and free reign with his magic, and he lost both. It was never that friendship was unimportant to him, it was that he thought he could freely interchange friends... which doesn't work, of course. He helps Tirek because he wants a friend who will appreciate his chaos and not stand in his way or judge him for being bad. He's a needy supplicant at the end because he's emotionally vulnerable -- he trusted someone as a friend and they betrayed him, just as he did to his friend.
I wish the show had made it clearer that the choice wasn't between friendship and freedom, but friendship without freedom and friendship with freedom. They don't want to confuse the issue of friendship being unilaterally wonderful by implying that bad guys can have friends, so I know why they left it vague, but I think it would have made Discord look a lot less idiotic to the people who weren't reading between the lines and noting that Discord obviously thinks Tirek is his friend.