To Where and Back Again Part 2 S6E26 Review and Recap · 11:44am Oct 7th, 2016
Let the battle begin!
Discord acts like himself a bit, confused at why his magic didn't take them directly to Fluttershy. A great bit where he pulls off Trixie's hat and pulls another her from it, Sethisto just joygasmed six times. Discord conjures a pigasus and tries to ride over, but the being disperses at the cliff. Thorax explains Chrysalis' throne is carved from an ancient dark stone that absorbs outside magic, so only changeling magic works here. Props to the writers for this, this both keeps Discord from being a gamebreaker character and also explains how the changelings could be keeping the most powerful ponies in Equestria prisoner here. With Starlight leading the way the four decide to sneak in to destroy the throne.
The four walk to the hive, Discord bitching and moaning about how he misses his magic, and the four come up with a secret code to recognize each other, just in case. They reach the castle and get inside to find a shifting maze of doors and holes. Thorax explains the changeling hive shifts like they do, constantly changing form, and only changelings can navigate it. As Thorax leads them they discuss how to destroy the throne, but have no ideas. Discord and Trixie bicker over who has the biggest ego and Starlight shuts them down.
Up ahead Thorax is at a dead end - he's lost. Trixie moans they might as well wait for the changelings to find and drain them, and Starlight asks how often changelings feed. This discussion is to prompt the revelation that Thorax hasn't had to feed since he was accepted in the Crystal Empire, which is around the same time his wings changed. Discord lets out a shout that echoes through the hive, and a patrol begins to swarm the room. The group wonders what to do and Starlight has the idea to use Trixie's smokebomb vanishing trick to confuse the patrol and send them the wrong way, with a bit of help from Thorax disguised as her. Starlight points out she saw two of the changelings split off, and Thorax says they would have gone to tell Chrysalis about the intruder.
The group follows them and finds the entrance to Chrysalis' throne - in a neat comics nod here the changeling guards are wearing similar armor to the lieutenants in the comics. They wonder how to get past the guards, and a quip from Discord about how distracting he can be gives her an idea. Discord steps up to them and starts doing, of all things, a stand-up routine, luring them to chase him while the other three sneak in. Trixie lampshades "it's ridiculous how that worked."
Discord loses the guards in another chamber and hears Fluttershy's voice. He finds her with her tail stuck under a rock, but as he goes to free her he realizes how odd this is, running into Fluttershy, alone, just as he loses the guards. I would compliment Discord's intelligence here (really the highlight of the two-parter so far is how smart the heroes are all acting with regards to the changelings), but I also wonder how the changelings could know about Fluttershy's friendship with him. Apparently they do because suddenly the room is full of Fluttershys. The original gives the game - one of the trapped Fluttershys is the real deal, maybe. What shall Discord do? On the one hand this is diabolical indeed. On the other hand, Discord has no magic and there are obviously dozens of changelings here, what do they gain from pulling this trick over just attacking him.
The other three decide they can't wait for Discord now that the guards will surely be on alert. Starlight makes the crack we all have, that once he has his magic back Discord can take out all the changelings just by sneezing, so they need him. Discord reunites with them but fails the passcode phrase - it's not really him. Discord leads them down a tunnel and the group know it's a trap. Trixie volunteers to spring it to distract them, and Starlight panics she can't lose her along with Discord. Trixie gives a good speech here on how much Starlight has done already leading them here without magic but with cleverness and planning - she knows Starlight will be fine on her own. Trixie lets the fake Discord know the jig is up, and Starlight and Thorax run. In a very frightening scene, actually, the ceiling lights up with changeling eyes and they swarm Trixie. Thorax and Starlight split up in the pursuit.
Starlight wanders into a large room and finds all the captured ponies in cocoons on the ceiling over what is obviously Chrysalis' throne. Chrysalis emerges from the cocoons, doing some very unsettling disjointed movement including turning her head all the way around. Changelings surround Starlight and bind her hooves. They really pull the tired "you won't get away with this" "I already have" bit, ugh. Chrysalis says no one is coming to save her, and Starlight mentions Thorax. Chrysalis snaps at his name, clearly pissed at his betrayal. Chrysalis sees Starlight's eyes shine and recognizes what's been done - she blasts her and reveals Thorax; Starlight is trying to take a rock to Chrysalis' throne.
Chrysalis walks around the throne as Starlight hides inside it. Chrysalis also reveals the changelings work a bit like bees - they return the love they absorb to the hive for all of them to feed on, and replacing the most beloved and respected ponies in Equestria will ensure a bountiful harvest. Though it comes at Starlight's silly prompt of "what plan, why did you do this?" Is conquering Equestria not an obvious and good enough reason? Starlight sees Thorax's wings and asks if the changelings didn't need to feed. Chrysalis is furious at the idea and tosses her around, saying their hunger can never be satisfied. Starlight explains about Thorax and suggests sharing love instead of draining it may be enough. Chrysalis tosses Starlight around some more talking about how she is their queen and she knows what is best.
Starlight gives a bit of a forced speech here. She's been a leader who ruled by fear and ordered around others, but a real leader doesn't force subjects to deny who they are, she celebrates their uniqueness. Chrysalis once again shoots down the motion and begins to drain Thorax of his love. Thorax protests he can't resist it, and Starlight tells him not do - share his love with Chrysalis as he has with his friends. Thorax lets it go and a burst of love energy knocks Chrysalis into her throne, which begins to crack.
A glowing cocoon surrounds Thorax and the stunned guards let Starlight go up and touch it. It bursts to reveal a transformed Thorax, bright green with an entirely different design. This is the major misstep of the episode. The concept is well and good, sharing love transforms them into symbiotes and not parasites. But Thorax's transformed design is simply awful. Starlight tells the changelings this is what sharing love does to them, and they give their love to Thorax. In a burst of power Chrysalis' throne shatters, the room shatters, and the changelings transform. In the rubble everyone is freed, the changelings are all in their new forms, and the individual friends reunite. Luna compliments Starlight on what she's learned, when the ruins of Chrysalis' throne move.
Chrysalis emerges and hisses, and finds herself staring down the entire swarm, all four princesses, the Mane Six, and Discord. She of course kinda loses her edge. Starlight approaches Chrysalis and tells her she ran off swearing revenge when she was defeated, but Chrysalis doesn't have to. She can do as her subjects have. Starlight reaches out her hoof, and we get a good moment where Chrysalis actually seems to be considering it, but she ultimately bats it away. Chrysalis swears vengeance on Starlight and escapes, flying away. Why they don't chase her is my question but okay. Celestia addresses Thorax as the new leader of the changelings (dunno when that was decided upon but works for me) and says she looks forward to discussing relations with them. Discord calls for some celebratory tea at Fluttershy's house, but Starlight has an idea.
Starlight goes back to her village, explains herself, and shows she brought the others sans changelings, including Thorax. The group heads into town while Discord and Trixie get a callback to when he insulted her tricks. He actually liked some of them and offers to help Trixie in her act sometime. "When pigs fly." "Your wish is my command!" Discord puts the two of them on pigasuses (pigasi?) and slaps Trixie's on the butt, sending it flying off for him to chase. The Mane Six watch and Rainbow ends us off with "somepony is gonna have to catch us up on what we missed."
So, overall, I would rank this as second-best finale. The major reason it falls short of #1 is the resolution. The idea of Thorax revealing a new evolution to changelings from giving love is kinda lame, I would have spun it as the magic of friendship being more powerful than love, which it is. Beyond that though they don't build up to this reveal at all, Thorax's new wings come from nowhere and he otherwise looks the same, then he turns into something only barely recognizable as a changeling. I would have given him some more design oddities here and put the transformed wings back in his debut, to foreshadowing his evolution.
I'm not opposed to the changelings as a race reforming by finding a better way of life thanks to Thorax, it's a great idea. The problem is the sudden plot device of how it happens. And again, Thorax's transformed design is terrible, vivid yellow and green main body with orange highlights and purple wings and tail. The other changelings look okay, they're basically palette swapped into brighter yellow-orange-green colors, lose their holes and fangs, and keep the same basic body shape and eye shape otherwise. They look like good changelings - Thorax is just ugly. He's obviously meant to be an alicorn-like changeling, as he's larger than them and has white markings around his neck like a necklace, but it just doesn't work.
But beyond that the episode is solid. The comparisons between Starlight and Chrysalis are a bit forced, but I'm a sucker for the Evil Counterpart trope and it works well here for the reasons why, comparing and contrasting the two to highlight the key differences in them in ways otherwise not done. Chrysalis' refusal to reform is fine with me and leaves her open to return, her threat level is significantly diminished now that she's alone but she's still dangerous. The reformation of the changelings also opens up tons of story potential, of course.
Trixie and Discord are utilized well as characters, they banter well and are funny, and get their moments to all shine. The heroes all act smart, which is very nice. They know how to use their unique strengths to get by even without magic, they come up with some good plans, and they ultimately prevail through wits and planning. They use a passcode for recognition in case one of them is secretly replaced by a changeling, and after being separated and reunited they use it to make sure the others are who they say they are. Also a note I didn't add in my last review, it may just be the video quality but the disguised changelings sound a bit off. I noticed it again here with the fake Discord, their voices sound a little too high. Assuming it's deliberate that's a nice, subtle touch.
The plot device of the throne is excellent, they don't delve too much into it but don't have to, I can roll with the idea of it negating magic. It explains how they can keep the others trapped, keeps Discord in check, and also allows for great storytelling. Starlight is a character who has always been defined by her magical abilities - she used powerful magic in her plans, she practices magic with Twilight, bonded with Trixie over magic, and is quick to resort to magic to solve her problems. Depriving her of her key trait here forces her to grow into the role of mediator and ultimately leader of the group, since she out of all of them has no unique strengths - Trixie has her illusions, Discord has his humor, Thorax has his shapeshifting. And then Starlight has her clever thinking.
Again, aside from how sudden and poorly done Thorax's transformation is, this is a very, very good finale, number two for me, just above Season 4 and below Season 5. We get great worldbuilding, the return of characters old and older, character growth, adventure, and the status quo of Equestria is shaken up in a big way. What more could we ask for?
Yeah, if Spike had been included with the group and arrived to save the day with Ember and the dragons, this would blow every other finale out of the water. But maybe she'll return in Season 7.
I didn't hate the changelings transformation but I didn't fully like it either but the implications of the finale are what get me interested. Starlight has her own villain now she's learned a lesson about true leadership and has shown to be resourceful with or without magic. I see good things for her in the future
I think King Thorax looks magnificent, personally, and I like that the Changelings all have different carapace and eye colors now, like ponies. This finale blew me away. It's not my favorite finale (that's still S4), but it went a long way towards making up for a lot of S6's flaws.
4244412 Looking at screencaps, I think it's the antlers. They just look bad, a more conventional horn would probably help.
Also gives me bad memories of Root of the Problem.
4244428 King Thorax's stag horns are my favorite part of his design! He's gone from being Creepy Bughorse to Magnificent Deerbeetle.
Granted, he kinda looks like a Pokemon now, but...
4244440 orly?
Description - Bug/Dark to Bug/Fairy.
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If I remeber correctly something very similar to the Changelings transformation happens in Thadius0's story, 'Shifting Melodies' where Chrysalis turns into a Flutterpony who can turn other changelings into Flutterponies.
Honestly, the throne bugged me a lot. Couldn't Chrysalis just walk around with a chunk of it and never have to worry about anything anymore? Also how did no-one notice a giant expanse of dead land with ONE gigantic spire sticking out of it? It's not exactly inconspicuous. Also did Discord just not notice the throne back when he was ruling Equestira? Did he just not give a damn that there was an area his magic couldn't reach? Why does the throne not negate changeling magic? It seems awfully specific/convenient that it doesn't.
Thorax and his exposition made me a bit sick (I don't think he had a single normal conversation in the episode). Starlight was okay (minus the ending) I just feel that every episode she's in I'm watching a different character. Speaking of Starlight's speech, why did it trigger thorax's transformation? Wasn't he already sharing love by being friends with ponies? Did he just need a reminder of 'Oh yeah, I can explode into giant rings of love and become a Pokemon'? Why did all the other changelings transform as well? They never made any friends and thus didn't 'share' love. Was the whole transformation thing to sell toys (probably)? If not, could they have done this at any time and just decided not to? Why did the love released destroy the throne? Why would the hive be constantly changing? How is that a practical living arrangement? I bet changelings die trapped in there all the time. Why is thorax a bug alicorn? Bugicorn? Alibug?
HOW WAS EVERYONE CAPTURED BY THESE TERRIBLE IMPERSONATORS THAT CAN'T DO MUCH ELSE IN THE FIRST PLACE?
HOW DID THIS TAKEOVER HAPPEN IN SUCH A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME?
Seriously, the changelings are terrible at pretending to be ponies. Actually, they are just bad at being changelings in general.
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On the other hand, I'm glad that (but also fairly dissapointed) that discord couldn't just snap the problem away. I think it would have been better if the episode played up the ability of changelings to change shape and deceive rather than resort to the throne McGuffin device. That is just my opinion though, so I don't know for how much that counts.
Trixie and Discord where by far the best parts of the episode, the two have a lot of entertaining chemistry together and I'm glad we got to see them interact as much as they did (I wish the entire episode was about them but eh, what can you do?).
I'm also really glad Chrysalis didn't reform. I only wish that the majority of the changeling didn't reform either.
To say I'm only feeling ambivalent towards the episode is being generous. Anyway, rant over.
Agreed, Thorax's new design is just ugly and looks so uncanny. Don't know if they could've done more to tweak the design to look better, but it doesn't aliennate me from the character and maybe they'll fix it like they did Flurry Heart's excessive brightness in the premiere (they dulled her down a bit when she reappeared in "The Times They Are A Changeling").
4244299 Le'ts hope so, they really shouldn't have waited until now to sell us on her as a protagonist. Even if they wanted to save her big character growth until now, there was no need to make her be defined by magic and remarks about her past, you can give those traits to any character.
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Oh hey it's Virizion