If Your Time To You Is Worth Savin' [SPOILERS] · 1:48am Aug 22nd, 2016
I've fallen out of the practice of doing 'live commentary' on episodes, but given the nature of this recent one, I felt it was appropriate to record my reactions.
"Starlight, your work in Ponyville isn't going anywhere."
In fact, you're completely useless. You slacking layabout. 
Spike attempts to circumvent his own fame, with the most narcissistic tone of voice ever.
Intro Music
COUGHSCREWYOUTREECASTLECOUGH
Ahem, something stuck in my throat.
"It's like a ghost town!"
Given what last episode involved, I expect (neigh, DEMAND) a reference to bats and/or skeletons next episode, just to complete the theme.
Twilight quoting Star Wars
I'm gonna be honest here - maybe I would care more if there were actual named Crystal Ponies whose absence we would actually notice.
Wow, that solves that problem... and further undermines any theories that the Crystal Ponies have any level of intelligence.
And they're gone again, and my disillusionment grows.
Doing the Sunshine Sunshine thing in public has just invalidated its reliability in future situations. Still adorable though.
"Queen Chrysalis"
THEY MENTIONED HER BY NAME 
Flurry is still creepy AF, to be honest
Poor Sunburst, having to lug her around with his less-than-average telekinetic field
"Have you ever known me to run from danger?"
S1E24 Owl's Well That Ends Well comes to mind, and I know for a fact there are other examples
"ROCK! How do I know you're really a rock?"
Well if it responds, that'll be a big clue.
ICE CAVES
This is legitimately cool
And theeeere's the changeling
And he speaks!
For some reason the voice makes me think of 5.
Headcanon destruction commencing
That feel when you build up this whole big Changeling culture and such in your head... and then canon gives us this:
Ah well. 
Headcanon status - total obliteration
(Lol, don't care. I'll just slap an Alternate Universe tag on OR and keep on as planned. 
)
And Spike hopes his name will be enough to give this guy safe passage. I hope so too, but...
Thorax
Interesting name
Son, you have a condition.
Aaand they think he's joking. Natural, but still harsh
Shining is of course rather less amused
Crystal Hoof
We at last get a named Crystal Pony! Except not.
Derp
Montage!
Well, that fell apart fast
OH GOD DAMMIT SPIKE
The changeling could toooootally hide behind that tiny photo
THANK YOU STARLIGHT
"This is getting a little out of hand"
Don't you mean hoof?
I think I smell a musical number
Okay, this is legit
Twilight knows what's up
And that's that
Huh
Well, as episodes go, that was a pretty solid one. The turnaround at the end was pretty quick, but I can understand and forgive that, given the time constraints, and Spike's song was reasonably convincing besides. The whole conflict was handled pretty well, and Thorax is pretty likable. Fun times.
I'll have more detailed thoughts when I've had time to think about it more.
You caught that too?
4164070 Oh gawd, yeah, that kind of irked me. I mean, not to bitch, but like, all the people working on the show are conscious of this one conundrum, for many many years now, you'd think Tara Strong, of all people, would be like 'hey director, I'm gonna say 'hoof' instead, K? K.'
What sucks for me, as many other people I'm assuming, is that the only headcanons I really cared about were A. changelings aren't all birthed by the queen, B. they don't EAT love, but do otherwise consume it, and C. They don't have bug names.
God dammit.
On the bright side, SPIKE SONG! That was fucken awesome! Seems like Cathy Weseluck sang it herself as well.
4164110
My greatest fear was that they would do a bunch of stuff with Chrysalis trying to help/hinder whatever was going on, thereby affirming every Chrysalis apologetic, or triggering the hell out of them.
I'm so glad they excluded her and so really did neither.
4164135 Yeah that was nice of them.
4164070 Eeyup. I can only assume it's a slipup because of EQG
4164110
Agreed.
How do you mean here?
That one being jossed doesn't bother me as much.
It was a good one, yeah.
4164135
Is it weird that despite that I'm writing this whole big Chrysalis redemption fic, I hope she stays evil in canon? Not the moustache-twirling way the comics portrayed her, but still anti-pony and unrepentant to the last.
4164205 I'm guessing they're going to save her for the season finale.
4164245
I like to think that changelings eat food like any other animal. Probably omnivores. But the love thing is still a thing. They require love and for whatever reason (plot device?) cannot generate it on their own. So they steal it, and share it amongst themselves. It is not some magical liquid or whatever that's passed around at parties, it's just love. It's affection, an emotion that is felt. They love one another, but can't really love a non-changeling, because, well, they'd be giving back what they need for themselves. And if they don't have it, they become weak of body and slip into a pit of depression which will ultimately unhinge their mind and kill them.
Good shit, huh?
Actually I really liked that Thorax kind of lost his shit when there was too much love or kindness around him, that kind of confirms a tiny portion of my headcanon. That he's love-starved and starting to lose his mind.
I've been writing a lot of changeling shit for a couple years now and kind of perfecting my changeling canon. Unfortunately, I have not finished anything enough to publish yet. But I did race to finish one little fic, and got that out before this episode ruined everything, so there's that. Oh well, AU tag ftw.
4164332
Yeah, that's pretty much my theory as well.
Ah, I see what you mean.
Fun times.
Yeah, I like it.
Ooh! Let me know when you publish it!
It was a good one.
All fanfic is technically AU anyway. XD
4164245
There's a difference between redeeming Chrysalis and trying to twist her canon actions/characteristics in the interest of making her simply less evil. There are quite a few people who don't even realize they're doing the latter.
I kinda' hope she does get redeemed. After all, she's the only major villain who hasn't faced the EoH yet. (Well, two if you count GRAAAAAH!)
4164335
Huehuehue.
4164337
Ah, indeed. I'm annoyed by a lot of the fics that go 'no no her invasion is okay because she was abused as a child' or similar
Well and Starlight
But she still got redeemed, no rainbow lazer lightshows needed, so yeah...
4164344
Sure thing!
It was kind of expected. Chrysalis implied her people were living in poor conditions. But hey at least we get the Aaayliens reference (sorta).
But I'd prefer giving Changelings an eastern cultural civilization than that though.
4164389
Well, yeah. Still disappointing in a way, though.
That's one possible interpretation, but I think that takes some stretching of what she said.
Indeed.
Why eastern specifically, if you don't mind me asking?
4164439
I like giving changelings an eastern culture because of this.
img13.deviantart.net/9370/i/2013/343/6/e/an_imperial_changeling_family_by_jowybean-d6xd5s4.jpg
http://jowybean.deviantart.com/art/An-Imperial-Changeling-family-418838404
4165012 Ah, huh. Interesting.
Personally, I'm in favor of making up something completely new for them, (As I did in OR) but I guess I can see why some people would go with an Asian inspiration.