Random Thoughts: Bloom and Gloom · 10:52pm Apr 18th, 2015
Warning: Spoilers abound. Proceed with caution.
Well, I didn't think we'd have one of these episodes this early in the season, but here we are. I've got a lot to say about this one, and it's best not to waste any time. Let's get right to it, shall we?
1. I think we all expected an episode like this to come sooner or later. But personally, I didn't expect the conflict to be more deep and complicated than "Oh no! I got my Cutie Mark before the others! What do I do?!" Kudos to Josh Haber for catching me off-guard like that.
2. Babs Seed earned her Cutie Mark offscreen. If that isn't an open invitation for fanfic writers to go to town, I don't know what is. That or people are going to complain about it, in which case I'll probably have to write my own take on things just to shut them up.
3. I honestly had trouble watching Apple Bloom getting shunned by her friends and family. Seriously, that was pretty uncomfortable. 
4. Am I the only one who thought it would've been kinda cool if it turned out Starlight Glimmer was amplifying Apple Bloom's fears from the shadows? I understand why it didn't happen, but the building blocks are right there. We have a villain on the lam who allegedly hates Cutie Marks and a trio of fillies trying to earn their Cutie Marks. The connection is pretty easy to make, people.
5. Speaking of Shadows, I get the feeling Josh Haber was playing a lot of Persona when he came up with this episode. 
6. Funny how Octy and Vinyl made it into Sweetie Belle's dream. She must be a fan of K-COLT.
7. On a related note, I'm still holding out for a Sweetie Belle singing episode.
8. I don't know if it's a sign of the CMC getting more mature, but it appears that our little heroines know what they want in terms of Cutie Marks. Well, subconsciously, anyway.
9. Imagine this episode airing in Season 4, when people were still in a tizzy about Twilight becoming an alicorn. I think this episode's moral handily deals with the criticisms people hurled at that little incident, don't you?
10. Luna is still Equestria's greatest psychoanalyst, despite not doing a whole lot this time around.
So, final thoughts. I'm gonna be on the lookout for two kinds of fics: Babs getting her Cutie Mark, and Luna being shipped with this guy:
I apologize for any disturbing images such a pairing might have given you, but what can I say? My mind is a crazy place sometimes. 
If this and the premier is anything to go by then the series might get into the moral implications of the cutie mark. And yes I thought it might be Starlight as well.
I honestly thought that the creepy voice in the woods was Starlight Glimmer to, although that would be extremely difficult considering it was a dream. Setting aside the fact that it was Apple Bloom's "shadow," in order for it to be Starlight Glimmer, it would involve her somehow invading the dreamscape and manipulating it (something that we've only seen Luna capable of doing thus far).
I'm actually writing a story about Babs and Apple Bloom exchanging letters and talking about events since Babs introduction in season 3. I'm going to write about Babs new cutie mark soon, but I still have some aftermath of the season 4 finale to deal with first. You can read it here if you're interested.
Have you seen Apploosa's Most Wanted yet? Sweetie actually uses her magic.
3056081 Yes, I have. And no, that's not that surprising at this point.