Season 6 premiere · 10:57pm Mar 26th, 2016
Okayyyy not going to go TOO into detail here but I'm just going to say some things that I liked and did NOT like about it because my opinion on it is sort of mixed.
So I'll start with the things I didn't like first that way I can end on a slightly higher note on the good things.
The Bad:
Surprisingly, unlike most people, I didn't consider baby alicorn Flurry Heart being a bad thing. Trust me, there's some things that are actually a lot more significantly worse. One, and this is a REALLY minor nitpick so I didn't count it TOO much against the premiere but...good god, Sunburst's voice is annoying to listen to. Literally to me, everything else about him was just fine but I HATED the voice that was given to him. And lucky me, I get to hear it for a lot of this premiere. Secondly what I found stupid was that Josh Haber seems to have not learned his lesson on Starlight at all. Again, main cast still shows no hesitation to having her around, which considering again, everything she did, is total bullshit. Starlight seems to be the only one that actually gives a shit about what happened, which if I could give them credit for one thing, they sort of got that portion right. Seriously, she even told the entire thing to Sunburst and here was his response:
"...You actually time traveled?"
Yeah just act like she DIDN'T just tell you she committed several atrocities. Can someone else PLEASE take up the mantle for writing Starlight because Josh here can't admit he did a bad job. I'm probably going to be coming out with a fic later that'll make some sort of attempt to make Starlight ACTUALLY redeemable and sympathetic (the Starlight "Dunked on" series SORT OF counts as one, but I'm going for a different angle for this) because I can't ignore this anymore.
To add onto that, he's also the editor of his own story. Unless you're like, REALLY talented when it comes to professional writing, you CAN'T do that. If you're seriously putting something on network television, you need to get a second, or even third opinion on your work for someone to edit it. If you're your own story editor, chances are you're going to think it's the greatest thing ever without giving it a second thought. You can only get away with that kind of thing if you're writing fanfiction or if you're actually really good at writing (which Haber has shown on several occasions that he is not.) Also Starlight's sudden mane change without any explanation (seriously it's just, never even addressed by ANYONE. Almost like they can't even see it.) I don't think the mane style is BAD really, it's just...give us a reason for it to exist.
The Good:
Okay, bitch and moan, bitch and moan, what was good? First of all, and this is a big one, CELESTIA AND LUNA WERE ACTIVELY BEING USEFUL. So many times we've had to deal with them being sacked off only for Twilight to do their jobs of protecting Equestria for them. Not the case here. Here, they're actually trying to help bide time for everyone else to do their part to help as well. My only complaint about this?...it took SIX SEASONS to get this right, at least in my eyes. Everyone else might have a different opinion, I don't know. Secondly, there's Sunburst. As I said earlier his voice is annoying as crap and he just seems to be weirdly oblivious to everything Starlight told him, but other than that, I actually found him enjoyable. The way he put things by saying "You don't know what it's like to study magic all the time but not be able to do any of it" it makes it sound like he actually had some kind of strange learning disability where he absolutely had to have the instructions to a spell in front of him if he was going to do it right, or just has trouble remembering complex things like that. Obviously he's very talented but that could lead to having a difficult time in advanced school. (notice how in pretty much every flashback with him as a foal he had to have a book in front of him.) So yeah, Sunburst is pretty great in my opinion. Now, I'd complain that all Flurry Heart did was cause problems, but she's a baby. She kind of can't help it.
So anyway, overall my opinions are pretty mixed on it. My only enormous gripe is that Starlight's entire mishap was STILL just treated like all she did was clog Twilight's toilet. Those sort of things are NOT something to just overlook. I guess the BIGGEST compliment I can give about it was that it's NOT as bad as the season 5 finale but, what more do you want me to say, it's...okay. 
I totally agree. Starlight Glimmer and how she is being handled is causing me to lose my suspension of disbelief for this story. It just doesn't make any sense.
3829335 They're basically just trying to make her a Sunset Shimmer clone (which is really not even needed because, you know...Sunset Shimmer already EXISTS) The only difference is that her backstory is awful and she's probably the only reformed character that I think really didn't deserve to be forgiven and didn't earn it.
I don't hate Starlight because "Bleeeech change." like people love to claim. I hate her on moral grounds that the show just seems to be blissfully unaware of.
Personally, I'm not a fan of Starlight as Twi's personal student, period. She feels just like she's a Sunset Shimmer clone shoe-horned in for no reason. Look, it's the redeemed bad guy worrying nobody will like her, so walking on egg-shells. And hey, she gets a ton of camera time, instead of eight other members of the main cast. Why exactly? If that's the story they want to tell, start up an Equestria Girls spin-off show, focusing on Sunset Shimmer and her six friends (and maybe a pointless talking dog). But for FIM, if they want to expand on a new character, giving that character a life and friends of her own, how about doing it for an existing one that has been sorely neglected in that regard? You know, that Spike guy who has no friends that aren't borrowed from Twi and wasn't even allowed to keep a pet.
Heck, even if want to give Twi a student, use the CMC, who could use more episodes that aren't related to cutie marks (despite their guidance councilor cutie marks). Or use a character that isn't a Sunset clone, but could breath a lot of life into scenes, be good at triggering reactions from Twilight. Say, Trixie.
So, basically, Starlight in one episode per season, fine. But ship her out of town the rest of the time.
She got a hair-cut from a pony with an actual talent for hair-styles, as opposed to a member of her cutie-mark/talent-stripped cult? But seriously, people get new hairstyles all the time. And I'd be willing to bet it happens more often with certain life changes, like a new job (or leaving the old one). If this was gen 3, I'd expect them to comment on hair (and tea parties and such), but well, it isn't.
3829401 Honestly the hair thing was just a nitpick of mine, it doesn't add or take anything from the episode, it just kind of bugged me that not even Rarity of all ponies even acknowledged that anything was different about it whatsoever.
But...there were things more worth complaining about than that.
3829379 My only real problem is that I feel that the Mane 6 are being ignored. I feel that the Twilight's 5 best friends are being taken for granted. I mean they are a team and sometimes it feels like they didn't get anything out of all of their many contributions. Also, I would much prefer Sunset Shimmer come home and reconcile with Celestia than have this traitor who has committed numerous atrocities and has paid no penance to earn her redemption. Also, her totalitarian communist philosophy is complete and total BS.
3829423 This is more than likely going to be a thing I write. Hopefully I manage to salvage Starlight's character a little bit.
If you want Starlight getting punished by Twilight, go read the "Starlight gets Dunked on" stories...though it'll be best if you've played Undertale before reading those.
3829413 I think it has a lot to do with when she got the style. I'd imagine that Rarity (and probably Spike, knowing him) did comment on it when she (or he) first saw it. It just wasn't an on screen moment, or within the episode's time frame.
3829432 Reading about justice in fanfiction is nice but not what I want. It is the show it self that I am concerned with. I am finding it very hard for the character interactions to remain plausible in my mind. Especially, concerning Starlight Glimmer.
3829444 Oh yeah it's always better to have that sort of thing in canon, of course. Though if I've learned anything from looking at the way the show's been done lately, it's that the writers refuse to ever admit they've written badly, which is a horrible attitude to have creativity-wise. Unfortunately it's very obvious in this case because Josh Haber who wrote not just this premiere, but also the season 5 finale (as in, probably the most hated season finale to date) still thinks he reformed Starlight well and thinks she already earned her forgiveness.
She didn't.
3829462 Man, if only we could bring Lauren Faust back to fix this Train wreck in the making. Infallible douche bags often lead to problems like this in creative venues. Disney for example was nearly ruined by out of control CEO Michael Eisner. Checks and balances are needed.
3829444 I think it is worth noting that ponies care more about rehabilitation than they do about punishment/payback.
From our perspective, yeah, that doesn't fit. We want "You do the crime, you do the time" or "eye for an eye". You must pay for your actions. Plus we would fear the false atonement, resulting in "I'm sorry, judge," and off to mug some other poor sap. For ponies though, well, they don't seem to have that mindset or that issue. Somehow, they seem to know when the lesson learned is genuine, at least in the cases we've seen. And then they move on. Harmony, friendship is magic, all that jazz.
Overall, such a system would be better for society, since it means you have people being productive rather than being a drain on resources. Provided you can accurately determine whether or not someone is truly on a better path, of course.
We do have at least one example where punishment happened, that being Hearts and Hooves Day, when the CMC were given extra chores. So it is possible that offenders are doing things to atone, just off screen. Maybe it is community service. Or maybe they've been assigned to assist and learn from Twilight Sparkle... a parole of sorts.
That said, the real reason behind it is that it is a show for little kids. You want kids to fess up when they do wrong, rather than try to cover things up for fear of punishment. So there's zero focus on punishment (beyond the occasional statueing, blowing up, and the previously mentioned chores).
Edit: And as an example of focusing on rehabilitation rather than punishment and now it can be beneficial, consider Texas, of all places: https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/11/27/tough-texas-gets-results-by-going-softer-on-crime/ They cut costs by having less people jailed, while at the same time reducing crime and repeat offender rates. And they did it by shifting the focus for certain crimes away from punishment and toward rehabilitation/redemption.
3829566 Fair enough. I am just saying their are limits to seems reasonable or in this case equitable. Why does Starlight get away with major atrocities that even if were not what was intended as was only due to negligence would result in at least many years of prison. Yet a misunderstood rebellious girl who has made efforts to atone and appears to be better person cannot go home to make up with her teacher and see her family. I can get that somehow the ponies can tell when someone is reformed yet that didn't go so well with Discord did it? And, yes I agree if the ideal were actually possible in real life it would a very good thing. However, even if "punishments" in pony society are very mild compared to ours; should they not be equitable? Where is the sense of justice? They should have just had Sunset Shimmer come home. Also, I like her personality way more than Starlight Glimmer.
3829668 I don't think it is that Sunset can't go home, but rather that she's an EG character and they want to continue using her there. Or if you want an in world explanation, it's a mix of guilt, a feeling of the need to atone, and that she has friends there. Plus we really don't know the full extent of her rebellion against Celestia... she might well be more than the typical rebellious teenager.
As to Discord, well, it has pretty much worked so far, even if his road has been rockier with his siding with Tirek and a few other issues. Long run though, it makes sense. Look at what happened when Discord broke free, how easily he could have won if he'd just dropped some big enough anvils, turned ponies to stone (which he could, but doesn't do), or shipped the elements off to the bottoms of various volcanoes. If that happens whenever the elements are unbound, that's big trouble, big risk. Reform him, though, and you end the threat permanently, as well as gain a potential ally against future threats. Call it a calculated risk on Celestia's part. Just like she's gambled with Twi stopping Nightmare Moon, saving the Crystal Empire, and other such things. With how many of those moves she makes, you almost have to figure she has some sort of ability to see into possible/likely futures.
Two things to consider there.
First, what is equitable is dependent on society. You could get hard labor, corporal punishment, community service, a fine, or regular jail time for the same crime, just depending on what country you committed the crime in. Or potentially be free to do something in one country, while getting the death penalty elsewhere for that same thing. Heck, within the same country, selling secrets can have greatly different penalties, simply due to whose secrets you are selling (corporate vs government secret). So maybe Equestria is more lenient by our standards, but that doesn't mean that it isn't equitable. Just not by our viewpoint. Just like our viewpoint could be seen as too harsh or too light in other parts of our world.
Second, who is to say that Equestria's punishments are lighter than ours. They might use corporal punishment, indentured servitude, hanging, jail time, and/or exile, for a punishment that matches or exceeds the severity of our own. But that's for those that don't sincerely atone, that show no remorse, that are a threat to the public welfare if not punished.
But what we see are the exceptions, the ones that wish to redeem themselves or at least won't be likely to offend again. And the Equestrian legal system knows this is the case because they've got some potion, earth pony empathy, or a unicorn spell that verifies it. And so those get parole, possibly with a nice dose of community service or some other form of restitution. And that's why Starlight is serving as Twilight's student. It's part of her punishment/community-service/parole.
Restitution to society, rather than retribution by society. It's still justice. It just isn't focused on the punitive.
3829768 overall I see what you are saying. But by equitable I was saying that it seemed that Sunset was being punished more harshly than Starlight. I do realize that the idea of the punishment should fit the crime is based on social mores of our society and would be different than the ponies. Who knows maybe cake thieves are hanged by royal decree.
3829786 Yeah, understandable.
I do think that Sunset could return to Equestria if she wanted to, now that she is reformed. I just think she doesn't want to. EG is more her home now. That's where she has friends and a life. And possibly the Equestria she would return to wouldn't be the one she left, due to time passing differently between the two worlds (hence why she and Twi are about the same age, yet Twi doesn't know her from before, even though both were Celestia's prized pupil). Though really, it all comes down to the show runners wanting to keep Sunset in the EG world as a main character.
It'd be nice to see her make a pony appearance sometime in season 6 though. She's more interesting than Starlight for sure.
3829799 agreed
Give them a break, they're trying to make her look cuter. So you'll forget that she psychologically tortured ponies for years.
And as usual, people forget that ponies aren't humans, they are less violent, more or less, and are far more forgiving than humans have a history of being.
3830174 That train of logic doesn't work when seriously every other antagonist (or at least the well written ones) has had to face the consequences but Starlight is treated like a special snowflake when she deserves it the absolute least.
Nobody was asking Starlight to be burned at the stake, just to actually atone for her crap and EARN her forgiveness. In a show like this, that is NOT out of the realm of logic at ALL.
3830176
Most of the antagonists were literal monsters. Starlight was/is a normal unicorn who had "One Bad Day" as such.