The Freakout of the Alicorn · 7:53pm Jan 29th, 2013
Man, two blog posts in two days. I normally like to spread 'em out, but Big News regarding the show dropped today, and the Equestria Daily comments section is a black pit of wailing despair and gnashing of teeth. So I thought I'd try to foster a slightly less insane environment in which to discuss the topic.
SPOILERS regarding the Season 3 finale ahead, be warned!
Seriously, this is the last chance you get to go into things blind.
Okay?
Okay.
Apparently, Twilight Sparkle's ascending to princesshood, and getting her own set of wings as part of the deal. This is causing many people to become upset. Some believe it makes Twi too much of a Mary Sue, others say that it goes against the show's original feminist, anti-pretty-princesses stance, some are upset that it completely upends tons of fanon, and some think it's just kind of dumb. I don't necessarily disagree with any of those statements, myself. However, I'm not quite understanding where the sheer, vitriolic outrage is coming from.
First off, let's take a look at the episode descriptions we've got so far about the season's final episode.
"Magical Mystery Cure:" When Twilight casts a spell that switches the Cutie Marks and destinies, the only way to reverse the spell is by writing her own magic.
I think a basic outline of the plot can be guessed at just from this description. Twilight's having trouble accepting her limitations, casts a spell to help her, and ends up making things worse. She "casts a spell that switches Cutie Marks and destinies." That doesn't necessarily mean that only the Mane Six are affected; what if Twi accidentally ends up with Celestia's cutie mark, which is the cause of her newfound "royalty?" We won't know until the episode airs, but I think that sounds like a reasonable prediction.
Second, it's possible that the alicorn change isn't permanent. It may, instead, be sort of a power-up/Super Saiyan mode she can activate when needed. But that's just a wild guess, and not particularly important.
Third, if the change is permanent, that opens up a lot of potentially great adventure/world building episodes in the future. Imagine Twi touring Tartarus with Celestia and Luna, as they describe their past conflicts with the various villains imprisoned there as an introduction to her new responsibilities. Or maybe she and Cadance (and Shining, natch) set out into the world to follow in the Sisters' hoofsteps, confronting evil and making the world a little bit safer. Or, maybe Celestia and Luna are the ones who go all knight errant, leaving custodianship of Equestria to the newbies? All potentially really interesting, especially from a fanfic writer's point of view.
All I'm saying is, we don't know everything yet, and there are some really cool stories that could come out of the change, if it is in fact actually happening and not just a misleading bit of PR trolling. So don't start burning your brony T-shirts and cutting the manes and tails off your figures just yet, guys.
That said: what do you think about this whole shebang? If this thing is really happening, what kind of stories/episodes would you like to see come out of it? Do you think there's even any way the alicorning of Twilight could work without being completely terrible? Discuss, if it please you, away from the seething masses at EqD.
And, of course, your video for the day. It seemed appropriate.
[youtube=ZRzYAAY17LM]
(Oh, look, all of the Friendship is Witchcraft episodes are gone, too. Le sigh.)
Eh, its a kids show.
Let's not all let our jimmies be rustled.
Personally, I think everyone's just overreacting. People freak out every time they announce stuff, and how much of that turned out pretty well? I'm just gonna stick to my usual plan and withhold judgement until I actually see the episode.
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The only real reason I'm a little, tiny bit miffed is that I may have to finally put an AU tag on Appletheosis.
Alcorn Twilight is fine with me. I have a lot of faith that the writing team will handle it well, and if it opens us up for a more adventurous slant to future seasons then so much the better.
You get a gold damn star for your take on the idea of Twilight accidentally giving herself Celestia's mark, and therefore her powers.
Bravo, sir. Keep calm and pony on.
Truly, this man is rational beyond all measure.
I'm handing out Gandalf gifs to people that react in sane, rational ways to these news of alicorn Twilight. You deserve one too. Here you go. i.imgur.com/LZBnAYy.gif
767483 Sane? What is this "sane" thing? I've never heard of it.
767626 I wouldn't expect a psychopath to.
767830 He simply took his real name "Psycho" and turned it into "The Psychopath" as a play with words.
767840 ...Are you talking about yourself in the third person? Psycho.
767862 No. I just adopted my character's name after taking an adoration to him.
767874 Oh. So you're not psychotic at all? Not even a little bit?
767896 Oh, I wouldn't say that. I do represent the herald of the World of Illogic.
767896 767924 Damnit Rarity, don't look so happy about it, insane people are people too! You were meant to look like this!
767924 Oh good.
not sure why everyone is making a big deal about. shows changes all the time. just look at Sitcoms.
Well...if it makes you comfortable she'll be the second pony-sized altered-better-to-sell-more-toys Alicorn, where Cadence takes the first prize for this kind of practice, like in the link below.
Link
If anything, it shows that Hasbro is willing to move forward to actually change the show the flow of time and to make things interesting. Do you remember ReBoot where little Enzo was banished from his home where he changed from a kind, innocent boy to a cruel, vengeful boy? Or how about Beast Wars where Optimums dies and is killed off from a time til he is revived once more. Or maybe in like Dragon Ball Z where new heroes and villains pop up where even the mightiest of heroes at their time has fallen (recall how Goku lost to Perfect Cell?) where of characters must taken the mantle to save the day?
If anything, it shows that Hasbro has some balls to create something new to show a pace where it proves that time is fluid and things...well move on. I applaud for the effort and I hope that they executed the episode well, like all things should, as it will change the world forever as soon things will be in the past... Time doesn't stand still no one at all.
So if you don't like it that's fine, you have no commitment to love every little thing that the show does, just don't all it to overwhelm you. So cheer up mates, and move forward. MLP only dies if we, the fans, believe it to be and leave the show to have it suffered a slow and painful death. Would be rather anti-climatic to what the community has been put though to show our love for the franchise and let it end just because one episode has proven too much for people to handle.
Replace upset with slightly irritated, and that's my opinion. It's the show's job to introduce stuff like this, and the fans, in reality, have very little say in major plot bits like alicurn Twilight. I'm a bit irritated because of how much I read fanfiction, and how many stories it will render totally invalid in their histories. (FoE, Aegis Shield's 'Luna's Story', your fics, etc). To be honest, all them little brony nuggets who are going crazy-twi over this are overreacting. We'll make do with what we're given. The show's done an incredible amount of things we wanted (i.e. Derpy Hooves, Dr. Hooves, etc), so we shouldn't flip our shit when they do something we don't like. We'll get used to it, eventually.
767268
Huzzah! I shall treasure this gold star always. Unless I'm totally proven wrong, in which case I'll delete that prediction from this blog post and pretend I said something else.
767356
Zork splat eggnog tipzangong.
767483
Head-bobbing Gandalf? For me? I'm truly honored, my friend.
768475
I suspect--and I have absolutely no evidence to back this up, but I suspect--that some of the outrage might also stem from the abrupt (apparent) cancellations of Young Justice and Green Lantern: TAS yesterday, ostensibly to make way for more toy-friendly shows. Seeing as toy-selling is clearly a motivation here, well, nerves were perhaps a bit more raw than they would have been otherwise.
Alternatively, today was Impersonate Rarity or Twilight Having a Mental Breakdown day, and a bunch of us weren't told. "Of all the worst alicorns that could happen, this is THE! WORST! POSSIBLE! ALICORN!"
768597
Amen. And it should be noted that a freakout similar to this contributed to the loss of Ditzy Derpy Doo Hooves this season, which is a far greater tragedy than Twi getting promoted to godhood.
767483 That GIF. . .
It stares into my soul.
769254
Yeah, it's sad enough that show's like Ulitmate Spider-man exist in favor of The Spectacular Spider-man, hopefully It won't live long enough to have a 3rd season.
Pfft, clearly you haven't you mind upon to the darkness long enough as there are worst alicorn ideas besides the other Mane6. Imagine, if you will, if you were to witness Prince Blueblood ascension to Alicornhood, perhaps Snowflake, or maybe a certain drunk pony...
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