No Second Prances, various thoughts · 7:24pm Apr 30th, 2016
This is an episode that had me worried since last week when I was surprised by its announcement. I've been waiting for Trixie's return, ever since the wait for Season 5, and I was happy to learn she'd return for this episode, but for that synopsis.
Well, I've just watched it, and it was... all right? Certainly not a rehash of S05E22, with legitimate, compelling writing for the most part. Stronger characterisation. It wasn't... bad, and I did enjoy the delightful bittersweet, so I suppose this makes this a victory for me. Unto the thoughts!
—I hope this episode more we'll be seeing more of Trixie, especially when bonding with Starlight, or interacting with her former enemies. She has so much potential to become a recurring character, now that this season may be focusing more on Starlight and the former protagonist has taken a bit of a backseat. Trixie was given depth. She truly did regret her past, and it seems she did sincerely want to be Starlight's friend. Although it seems she's been retaining issues that have made her a rather toxic sort of friend initially. (What with guilt-tripping your new friend into going against one of her other friends.) This episode does give me the impression Trixie isn't the most emotionally stable pony nowadays. Which makes sense when your entire career and livelihood ends in an instant. I feel this conflict between Twilight and Trixie has been somewhat addressed.
—Trixie mentioned how she always wanted to surpass Twilight. That suggests she knew Twilight before they met in Boast Busters. Is this credence being given to the theory that she was an aspiring student of Celestia, who Twilight inadvertently had shown up when she was selected as the Princess' personal pupil?
—Starlight has reached the point where she can make jokes about her former antagonist status. That's adorbs.
—The strangest thing about this episode is how Starlight and Twilight were going to let Trixie do something incredibly dangerous that could easily prove fatal. Leaping into, let alone being shot into a Manticore's mouth is nothing short of suicide, and these two ponies were going to let her do that, when she was clearly in a state where she really couldn't care less about how the trick would go. That... concerns me a tad, and I don't think I'm able to suspend my disbelief that far. Because holy crap, that scene is unsettling and tearjerking. Other than the two somehow not hearing her self-deprecating spiel, or being too riled up to recognise what it would mean, I'm going to chock it up to unfortunate writing. (Though I Trixie did seem to have faith in Starlight to save her, at least.)
—Twilight seems to have been holding a grudge against Trixie, considering how utterly unwilling she is to give Trixie a chance from the get go. Surprisingly, I'm far more okay with the episode for having Twilight do something so blatantly out of character than I should be. Must be the drama causing belatedly coherent thoughts. (Being vindictive, going against what she knows of giving everypony a chance to redeem themselves. Seeing as other than being somewhat obnoxious Trixie hasn't done anything that should have concerned her, it makes Twilight's reaction extremely odd. Precisely what I had hoped the writers wouldn't have done, but it seems there has been less damage made than I had feared there would be this past week.)
—Celestia must have had a really bad day before joining Twilight for dinner, considering how irritable she was.
I like how Vinyl has no concept of good manners and never takes of her headphones to listen to ponies talk to her. And she's still mute, so she either still has that laryngitis or really is mute. Interesting.
—Twilight seems to have forgotten what she learnt in the season opener about giving Starlight the space to make her own decisions. And she's so caught up in how bad an idea a friendship with Trixie is without properly communicating her concerns that she is completely oblivious to Starlight's emotional state. Or doesn't know how to handle it. Yeah, this episode suffers due to Twilight's characterisation this episode.:/
—There is a bit of a continuity error with Big Mac surprised at his sudden eloquence. This is not new. Big Mac has a sizable vocabulary, if Brotherhooves Social is any indication. Also, his Doctor Whooves is showing
—Why exactly is Mrs Cake angry at Starlight for being a good baker? If anything, she could hire Starlight and their income would rise to the sky. I'm going to assume she has mood swings due to being pregnant again.
— Angel likes Starlight. That's odd. He is annoyed by everypony, including his caretaker who he seems to care about.
—I think Fluttershy actually really wanted to spend some time with Starlight. Oh my gosh, why do you not communicate that you're thinking of leaving Starlight that makes me so sad 
—Still with the expressions. Wow. Particularly Rainbow.
—Awwwww, the pate and growerful Trisky poor Trisky
—Of course Rarity can dress herself while walking behind a folding screen without breaking her stride.
—Either Starlight DID make a mistake with magic dropping that cake on Mrs Cake, in a bout of negative self-reflection, or she intentionally did so indignantly.
—On the topic of magic, Starlight said "if only you could use REAL magic". Suggesting Trixie doesn't have much magic power normally, or that it's highly specialised toward illusions. In other words, when Trixie "teleports" she may just be making herself invisible, manifesting herself when no longer invisible. Interesting.
Exactly how I felt, it certainly wasn't a bad episode, and it was great to see Trixie. The episode itself however was ehhh... Definitely on the lowest this season, but this season has been a major improvement over season five, and I'll take an all right episode over garbage.
3908030
I don't quite agree with you on that, but your mileage may vary. Personally, it was was Season 5 that made go back and appreciate the past seasons more, and the Season that really rekindled my enthusiasm for the series. It's been looking back with new eyes, giving voices and faces to those in the far background. There are so many episodes that season I really loved, which made me love this series so much.
Vore and Attempted Suicide... you know for kids. I did like some of the issues that this story brought to the table however. Agressive magic on other ponies being another one of them.
3908036
To be fair, this show has never ever been "for kids." The intended demographic is kids and their respective guardians. So, pretty much all ages up is what the aim was.