The Cutie Map Review

Hey folks, how's it going? :D You didn't think I was going to stop episode reviews, were you? ;)

With today being the long-awaited premier of season five, it's a great time to get back into the world of MLP and to look at what this two-parter has to offer! Spoilers will be present...

So now that Twilight has her castle, she's left wondering just what it all means. The answer comes in the form of a magical map, which activates when they all sit in their respective thrones. It points them to a place within Equestria, though they're not sure why that is. But they hop the train and arrive in this... strange town. Where everypony is constantly smiling, acting cheerful, and just having a grand old time.

It's a place where all the ponies are equal, right down to sharing the same cutie mark! A place where no one is better or worse than each other. A place where everyone is happy and welcoming. A place where all seems to be at perpetual peace!

But... all is not as it seems!

Let's just say that this a VERY different kind of premier. It seems to follow the formula in some way, yet it takes a couple of little twists away from what we're used to. Usually there's some kind of a grand adventure, some kind of an overarching villain to watch out for, and all that good stuff! This time, however, it's much more low key. There are stakes at hand, as well as a threat, but it's all handled so differently.

While the episode isn't as grand and huge as the premiers can be, it's actually quite dark. It takes a much more slower, more atmospheric approach to everything and building everything up quite a bit. Somewhat like in The Crystal Empire, except a bit more low key and slower paced.

The setup is familiar with the idea of someone enforcing equality... to the extreme. To where everyone is pretty much the same. The removal of their cutie marks is a huge part of it, as we all know that cutie marks are what sets everyone apart. This way, they all live in a perpetual state of...existing. And that's it. Nothing more. Nothing less. Just...there. Sure, everyone's nice and cheerful, but it's not real. It's all just a sense of existing with no emotion beyond being so happy. A community of ponies who believe that the only way to be happy is to remove all differences and-

Oh my God. It's The Community!!!

Or no, wait! The Twilight Realm!

No wait...

Oh, forget it. XP We all know what the premier was doing. It was playing on the ideas of dystopia and equality, someone creating the kind of world they'd want to live in. A world of equality and sameness. While they themselves retain who they truly are so they could REALLY bask in it. Therefore, being a huge hypocrite.

This brings us to our villain, Starlight Glimmer. What's so interesting is that this is so unlike the other villains we would see in a premier or finale. She's more on the same lines as Sunset Shimmer, in that she's an average pony and is inflicting her desires at the cost of others. But unlike Sunset Shimmer, she just wants all the ponies to be equal. Completely equal. To have control and pretty much prove her point in how equality is the way to go.

Speaking of, I think I can see the parallels to the idea of the fact that she's leading a cult. And, yeah! This is very much a tale about a cult. Starlight Glimmer is essentially a cult leader! The shout-outs in this episode pretty much make you think "You know, for kids!"

That's one of the interesting things about the premier and what adds a darker and edgier factor. We're not after some kind of a laughing, maniacal villain who's out to take over the world. Nope! We have a pony with the power to remove your cutie marks and enforce equality. That in itself is admittedly quite chilling!

And at the end, she escapes. She runs away! What happened to her? Where is she going? What's going to happen now? Will she make a comeback? Is it really over? Well, all these questions are what's left! It's interesting because the villain, if you want to call her that, isn't defeated. But was she really a villain if not simply an antagonistic foil to the Main Six? What does it all mean?

Well, overall... dang! This premier was DARK! At least, as dark as MLP could possibly get. There have been some dark moments in the show before, but they were never truly on the forefront like they were here. It presented these very mature issues in such an interesting way, you can't help but feel sucked in. The dark elements were used really well, the other characters were likable, the location was very eerie, and just about everything was unsettling. But in a very good way. It was still a really fun episode and I enjoyed it. ^w^

It's great to be back in MLP! ^w^

Comments

[Violet Runner]

It was a pony version of a crossover between the book A Wrinkle In Time and The Legend of Korea Season One.