Crusaders of the Lost Mark Review · 1:15am Oct 11th, 2015

You know what I love about MLP sometimes? They give such vague summaries of the episodes and the EqG movies, and yet there's more to it than that. It was always a nice approach to me, especially since they can usually take us by surprise!

A Canterlot Wedding is a good example of that for sure! On the surface, it looked like a typical wedding kind of episode to a show. Especially since it was an homage to the Royal Wedding that took place the year before at the time. So, typical! Planning it out, getting everything ready, things going wrong, and all kinds of comedic hijinks ensue. Heck, right up until the end of part one, that's exactly what it was looking like! But imagine my surprise when it took a very interesting and dark turn! Wow!

So that being said, this episode took PC and I completely by surprise. And I'm here to tell you why!

Our surface summary of this episode was the CMC helping Pip Squeak run for class president. Okay, that's a standard! So the episode will be about getting Pip's campaign out there, proving how much of a better candidate he is than Diamond Tiara? Okay, well we can-

Wait, he won? Oh, okay! That can happen too! So it'll be about the CMC helping Pip now that he's class president? That's nice! They can help him write the letter to the school board, maybe they'll find ways to restore the playground? That should be very-

They're going after Diamond Tiara? O-kay? Well, hey! Nice! We're getting character development from her? Wow! Didn't see that one coming! But okay, this is nice too! The CMC will help her to feel better about herself, how to be a better pony and make her own choices. That should be-

Wait, what's going on? Why are they-

OH MY GOD THEY GOT THEIR CUTIE MARKS!!!!

O.O

Wow. I didn't see that coming! What an unexpected but amazing surprise! I guess the fact it had as much musical numbers as Magical Mystery Cure should have been a hint! And not only that, but their cutie marks are so brilliant! They look very similar and hold the same theme, helping others discover the true meaning of their talents! Just as they had to go through all this time. Yet it was nice to give Apple Bloom an apple, Sweetie Belle a musical note, and Scootaloo a lightning bolt. A unifying theme with a sense of individuality.

Looking back, the build-up to this episode really does work! Even just going back to Bloom In Gloom and Appleloosa's Most Wanted, they practically foreshadowed the fact that this was going to happen soon! And yet we wrote it all off as just a simple part of their stories! Wow.

Where do I begin?

~Diamond Tiara... I know a lot of folks have a vendetta against her, and I can see why. She really has been a one-note unlikable bully with little reason given. I for one felt more inclined to be less hostile toward her. She's just a kid, and sometimes there are kids like that. I'm not saying it's right nor am I justifying her behaviour. But sometimes kids grow up and learn a certain way and don't know any better.

I always felt it was odd, especially since Filthy Rich is actually a nice guy. Loves money, but the way he interacted with Granny Smith back in Family Appreciation Day was very nice. Especially since it was meant as a loving tribute to his family roots! But then I and I'm sure many others speculated that it may have had to do more with her mother. And we were right!

Wow. That mother was such a jerk! I mean, insulting children, no less! I couldn't believe it! Okay, it's one thing when children are calling each other names. It's another thing when adults are calling each other names. But when a grown adult does that to children? That is just... no. It's no wonder Diamond Tiara ended up like this. Her mother is obsessed with winning and said it was perfectly okay to treat non-rich folk as second class citizens.

Although I felt Diamond's development was a bit rushed, I did like that she was conflicted along the way. It actually worked since her development at least took a little time to happen in full. And this can just be the first step! She has a lot to do, but it's a good start for sure. Aside from that nitpick, I was so thrilled to see this happen! YES! Finally!

~Pip Squeak was adorable. And it was interesting how his little bit wasn't the main focus! But rather, a setup. Same for Diamond!

~That ending...

I was so taken aback, but so thrilled that we actually got a mention of Applejack's parents! It was really cool to get a confirmation that they had passed away quite some time ago. Apple Family Reunion had a very subtle hint, but now we know for sure. And it was a perfectly legitimate time to bring it up! But it was also a very nice nod back to Bloom In Gloom, showing that Apple Bloom had nothing to worry about. Her family would be proud of her no matter what her cutie mark was. <3

Rainbow congratulating Scootaloo was adorable! It was nice to see their sisterhood having developed this season!

Rarity's little moment with Sweetie Belle was just... d'awwww... Adorable!

I liked that overall, having their sisters being right there along with them for it! Same with the rest of the Main Six, that was pretty cool!

And you know, I could be wrong, but I get the feeling that the CMC are going to be called by the Cutie Map at some point! Now that they have their cutie marks, it might be high time for them to go along! Ah, we'll probably see that in season six. X3

Overall, wow! This episode was incredible. It took me by complete surprise! But it concluded this chapter of the CMC's story very nicely. I'm so happy they got their cutie marks! It wasn't what I expected, but it the theme works very well for them. The fact it's a unification theme has pretty much been foreshadowed since day one! Maybe not with that intent, but the writers were definitely smart in connecting all of that.

Loved it! It played out very nicely, and like with Magical Mystery Cure, I do kind of wish it was a two-parter. But that's okay! What we got still worked very well and I'm so thrilled. :D

Next week, we'll be getting into some fun with Pinkie! And that episode was written by... G.M. Berrow? O.O Wow! That's the author who wrote most of the MLP tie-in novels! Interesting...

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