The Crystalling S6E1-2 Recap · 4:11pm Mar 26th, 2016
Season 5 left me on an uneasy note for shaking up the status quo this way. Season 6 then turned a lot of folks sour at the idea of another new alicorn. So how did it go?
The opening sequence confirms Starlight has permanently joined the cast: she's living with Twilight as her student and has been added to the opening credits. Again, I am not fundamentally opposed to this idea, it's just that Starlight didn't capture my interest well enough for me to be invested in seeing her more. But the premiere is a chance to fix that.
As Twilight considers what Starlight's first friendship lesson should be, the rest of the cast is preparing to head to the Crystal Empire for Flurry Heart's birth. We learn here the Crystal Empire celebrates births with a "Crystalling" celebration where the couple imbues a shard of crystal with the love they feel for their newborn and add it to the Crystal Heart to boost its power. I like this, cool bit of worldbuilding that ties nicely into the canon. Though, they also imply the Crystal Heart was created for a reason other than Sombra. In comics continuity I don't recall if they specifically said the Heart holds the Umbrum back, or if it just happens to do that and was made for another purpose. But this makes me hopeful for yet more worldbuilding.
Twi gets her invitation to the Empire and the group sets off, the birth also deciding Starlight's first lesson for her: reuniting with Sunburst, who lives at the Crystal Empire. Starlight is obviously hesitant about this and tries to talk her way out of it, to no avail. They arrive at the Empire and meet Shining Armor, who absolutely steals the first part of the premiere with his performance. Starlight and Spike takes Twilight's lesson plan for meeting Sunburst (because of course she made one) while the Mane Six go to see Flurry Heart. Detractors of the idea of a new alicorn should be placated that it's acknowledged in universe as something very odd; even Celestia and Luna didn't think alicorns could just be "born," they thought it had to be earned like Twilight and Cadance did. The kid is super-strong, teleporting, firing magic blasts, and flying freely already.
Starlight reunites with Sunburst and basically he's Moondancer with an added dash of unachievement, and he and Starlight very awkwardly bond over tea. Meanwhile, the Crystalling is about to begin, but the baby bursts into tears and shatters the Crystal Heart. Without the Heart, the endless winter of the northern mountains begins to creep towards the Empire. Celestia and Luna go to hold back the storm (so they can do something, while Applejack, Rainbow and Fluttershy keep the crowds busy and everyone else goes to the library in the hopes of some spell to restore the Crystal Heart. Starlight meanwhile gives up on Sunburst and goes to the library, too. They find a spell that could reform the Crystal Heart, aaaand a stray magic blast from Flurry Heart destroys it. Fortunately Twilight remembers the spell enough to rewrite it, being awesome and all.
Shining Armor comes clean to the Empire's citizens about the Crystal Heart, and they run off to evacuate. Meanwhile Starlight tries to get Sunburst to help, thinking he's a strong wizard, but he refuses and admits he isn't a wizard at all. But, when Starlight mentions the Crystalling, he has an idea and grabs some books. At the Empire, we find out Celestia remembers Sunburst, and he explains the Heart's power needs more than just a relic-rebuilding spell; it needs its own unique magic from the Crystalling. Celestia, Luna, Twi, and Starlight combine their powers to reform the heart as Shining Armor and Cadance perform the Crystalling with Sunburst, and the energy of the ceremony reforms the heart and drives back the winter. We end on a VOICED cameo by Twilight's parents, Starlight and Sunburst say farewell (pairing name "StarBurst" coined by me, the chat logs will prove I said it first!), and Flurry Heart's magic is now contained by the ceremony.
Let's discuss Starlight first, obviously. I'm actually thinking this can work now. She isn't just Sunset Shimmer in terms of post-reformation characterization, she still has a few sly moments and some moments where she gets annoyed or upset, and she's also very adorkable at times, especially in part 1 where she's trying to find her way around the castle. Twilight in turn gets to be a bookhorse more now that she has a student to teach. Though, I'm not feeling Starlight's new hairstyle. I dunno why they changed her design but it just doesn't work for me. I'm overall hope though that her inclusion can work. I'm still angry that Sunset wasn't given the same chance, though. It's a matter of principal.
Otherwise, there's some very funny moments with Shining Armor, including some cool new animations used for him and Cadance. It's nice to see these two get focus. Flurry Heart is adorably cute. I'm not one of those people that goes all goo-goo at the sight of a baby, in fact I mostly don't care for the cute kid thing, but Flurry Heart works. She's a lot of fun to watch in these episodes, especially with the accidental magical destruction she causes. Sunburst is okay, but we actually don't find out a lot about him. I wouldn't mind seeing him more, which we may, but for now he didn't really grab me and was just sort of there.
The worldbuilding is also awesome. Sombra doesn't factor into things at all here, but they do namedrop him once or twice for obvious reasons, and we get more backstory on the Crystal Empire and the Crystal Heart. Part of me is disappointed they didn't work some of the comic canon into this, but I don't expect that to ever really happen.
Overall, a strong start to the season with lots of potential and promise.
Starlight has potential to become something else other then a Sunset-copy. This is what I like, and the fact that Celstia and Luna both said that an Alicorn has never been born before, meaning they were born something else.
I look forward to what this season brings.
You forgot that certain couple talked for the first time.
3828030
Flurry Heart is the new Gohan.
You know why Sunset hasn't been included. The folks at Hasbro need her to sell Equestrian Girls. If Sunset left Canterlot high equestria girls ends. They need to enhance their pockets. Also I kinda like the new Starlight look. She doesn't look like a bitch.
Starlight is excessive. That's all I'm going to say on the topic.
As for Sunburst, he kind of reminds me of Mike Wazaowski from Monsters U, in that while he doesn't have the talent he is extremely knowledgable and well-read, proving once and for all that studying is in itself a skill. I kind of wish he proved more powerful, however. Starlight's flashbacks made it seem like he was really going to become a great unicorn wizard, maybe a new Starswirl the Bearded....but nah. Like Drakey said he's basically a male Moondancer.
Not crazy about Flurry Heart. It's the good ol' "Everyone's a Super Saiyan" trope. Kids today don't know how to work for things. Now they're just born with it. And does she look anything like Shining Armor?
More historical feedback on the Crystal Empire. That vase Spike used to describe the Crystalline was very Greco-Romanesque. It sort of felt like the pegasi had some cultural influence in the empire before it disappeared. Anyone else get that feeling?
I really hope we see NEW locations this time. According to my DVR, Rarity and Pinkie are heading to Manhattan next week . Ugh! I'm sick of Manehattan. I'm sick of Canterlot. When are we going to see Fillydelphia or Las Pegasus. Hell, I'd settle for Vanhoover!
3828094 Nah, she's probably the new Goten. By the time Goten came around, everyone was surprised at how easy it was to become a super sayian. Just like how Flurry Heart had everyone surprised at her being an alicorn.