Just Some Odd Thoughts on the Season Finale

"But you haven't done any episode thoughts since Triple Threat!"

I'm well aware of that. Sadly, life happens and I have more energy for art and stories in my free time than for episode opinions, plus with it being October, I was doing some Halloween-themed things like costumes, decorating, and drawing some spooky stuff.

That said, I do have a few things to say about Shadow Play (and headcanon things).

~Okay, I'm not a big fan of the Tree of Harmony's origin. Having it grow from a seed made up of magic from six ponies honestly made it lose some of its mystique for me, and giving it an origin is just as unnecessary as explaining the Force (I don't think the SW prequels are that bad, but I understand that complaint). I've always preferred the idea of it having always been there, with a mind of its own and its roots spread out across the land, sensing the magic of all who lived above those roots.

~On another note, as much as Starswirl's pride and not-so-understanding nature could have influenced the story of Wayer Rune and his fall in my fanfic 'verse, I'm afraid I have to throw Starswirl back a few centuries and give Wayer a different magic teacher here. Starswirl's the easiest part of the headcanon to fiddle with, and fiddling with other elements (Dream gremlins' mischief being an indirect cause of the Minotaur War, the desperation that drove Wayer to create the Wolf Plague, Mara the Dream Demon attacking during said war, leaving Luna ill and unable to dreamwalk, contributing to the transformation into Nightmare Moon) might cause a lot of problems for me. Unless one of you has a better idea.

~The Pony of Shadows could have done more to establish its threat in the modern day. I like the whole conflict on banishing him vs. talking to him, but I would like to be shown that the villain can actually back up what they threaten to do instead of having being told about it.

~Regardless of my gripes here, I did enjoy this Season Finale. I might have enjoyed Twilight's Kingdom more, but all in all, I think this was a pretty good episode. It at least had better buildup to Stygian's moment of redemption compared to the other reformed villains (most felt like a big whiplash of switching sides because reasons and any hints were either nonexistent or just a little too subtle to pick up; at least a couple of reformed villains still had processes, but their key moments were just... what?).

~Also, I find it really funny that Starswirl and Stygian look like they could be related. Heck, they look like father and son, even though they're probably not related and their colors are just a coincidence.

~At least one (two if you count the comics) of the cast of the past have descendants, and I want to see them meet said descendants.

Well, I guess that's all I've got to say. I better get back to writing the rest of the next BBT chapter (having a little trouble figuring out how to start the next half of the chapter).

Comments

[FanOfMostEverything]

Oh good, I'm not the only one who thinks the Tree feels a little midichlorinated. Still, I hold by my body-soul dualism hypothesis. The spirit inhabiting may very well be older than the crystalline plant itself.

[Wolven5]

TBH, I wasn't all that cracked up over the Tree of Harmony's origin either; it made it seem less... significant. I mean, if six random strangers can come together and plant a seed that grows into a great power- WHAT?!

It's disappointing, really.

I mean, in my story-canon (which I tagged 'Alternate Universe' for this exact possibility) I wrote that the Tree of Harmony came to be when a Star fell and its pieces seeded themselves in that cave and grew into the Tree of Harmony - Not to toot my own horn or anything but THAT kind of origin would have maintained the Tree's feeling of mystery in the show

Star Swirl turned out to be close to a way I've portrayed him in my own work, his arrogance, thinking he knows best, and disregarding others' perspectives and taking a no-chances approach, as well as his quick to judge and condemn Stygian without even trying to hear his side of the story or give him a chance to explain

The rest of the Pillars were as guilty, but I think if Star Swirl hadn't been so quick to judge they would have heard Stygian out; but it was cool to see them brought into the show in the modern era

Still it's kinda sad, because it turned out the limbo they endured for over a thousand years could have been avoided and now all of them have lost the lives they knew and the family they had (except for Meadowbrooke) and they're just like Luna; ponies out of their time in a whole new Equestria

I can understand Stygian feeling useless and unimportant; we've seen Spike undergo similar doubts and problems, but Stygian should have been honest and open with how he felt instead of going behind the Pillars' backs

The Pony of Shadows felt like the Equestrian equivalent of the Marvel villain Venom and yet I see potential for him in my own work

All an' all, I give it a 7.9

[Phantom Dragon]

I don't mind the tree of harmony having an origin. It could been a better origin because the EOH are more powerful than Discord. They were seed from random ponies...What? Maybe the elements were like really powerful beasts were reborn into jems.

Still it's kinda sad, because it turned out the limbo they endured for over a thousand years could have been avoided and now all of them hav lost the lives they knew and the family they had (except for Meadowbrooke) and they're just like Luna; ponies out of their time in a whole new Equestria

Well again consider the time, at time those ponies were around. There was no reasoning or redemption. Thevillians was just bad. Think about it Discord, Sombra, Tirek , the Sirens those were all bad who only cared about being bad. and nothing else