Doctor Perseus Reviews: MLP S6E25&26 "To Where and Back Again" · 11:33pm Apr 19th, 2017
Continuing my review montage with a look back at the Season 6 finale.
I'm one of those people who has loved each finale more and more since Season 4. I know a lot of people may probably disagree with me on that given the divisive reputation that The Cutie Re-Mark has developed since it aired. But I still personally love that finale and this one managed to even top that one for me. I've made it obvious in the past that I love this finale.
Much like the Season 5 finale, Starlight remains to be a pretty divisive character for the fanbase. Some hate her. Some are indifferent to her. Some love her. While I admit that I do have some issues with her backstory, I am very much enjoying her presence on the show. There's yet to be an episode starring her that I've come anywhere close to disliking. Plus it all lead to this great finale so I'm pretty content. Starlight was great in this episode and I really enjoying seeing her round up all of these ex-villains in order to help save Equestria. I really am looking forward to her future on the show from here on out.
Trixie, Thorax and Discord were all great additions to the episode. Their interactions were a lot of fun. The dynamic between Trixie and Discord was great. I could honestly just watching a show about them and I'd be happy. Speaking of returns, it was great to see Chrysalis make her official return to MLP proper. She's been in many of the comics but whether or not the canon of the comics is tied to the canon of the show could be debated for eternity. Either way, it was great seeing her back. Plus, it was nice to see her escape the reformation chopping block. If there's any villain on the show I'm happy to see not get reformed, it's her. Besides, we have the Fluffle Puff shorts to fill our curious needs for reformed Chrysalis stories.
A common complaint I've seen about this finale is how Twilight and the others were pushed to the sidelines. Personally...I'm okay with that. Hey, these characters have had six (eventually eight) seasons of development and time in the spotlight. I don't think it's the end of the world if Twilight and the girls aren't the ones to save Equestria for one finale. Basically, it's similar to how I felt about the Mane 6 being put into the background for the 100th episode and not stopping Starlight in the Season 5 premiere. Sometimes, it's nice to see someone else save the day.
If there's anything I felt unsure about, it was the Changelings' redesign. I didn't hate it but I wasn't all that on board with it either. Now, however, some time has passed and I've grown to accept it. I'll go into further detail in my review of the Season 7 premiere.
So, overall, I was very happy with this finale. I don't think this finale has garned as much of a divisive reaction as the Season 5 finale but it probably has its naysayers. And that's fine. People are free to think what they want about whatever they wish. But, for me, this was an awesome finale that closed Season 6 with a bang.
What did you think of To Where and Back Again?
This season finale also has the distinction of being the first to not have any songs whatsoever. I mean, season premieres tend to go back and forth when it comes to songs but every season finale up until this point has at least one song that is played.
* S1. The Best Night Ever: 3 (At the Gala, I'm at the Grand Galloping Gala, & Pony Pokey)
* S2. A Canterlot Wedding: 3 (B.B.B.F.F., This Day Aria, & Love Is In Bloom)
* S3. Magical Mystery Cure: 7 (Morning in Ponyville, What My Cutie Mark Is Telling Me, I've Got to Find a Way, A True, True Friend, Celestia's Ballad, Behold, Princess Twilight Sparkle, & Life in Equestria)
* S4. Twilight's Kingdom: 2 (You'll Play Your Part & Let the Rainbow Remind You)
* S5. The Cutie Re-Mark: 1 (Friends Are Always There For You)
Well, you did read my review for this episode. And certainly, it and others of my blogs influenced your phraseology here. Of course, you know already that I had a number of issues with the finale and found it to be on the weaker side.
I will add though that when it comes to my problem with seeing the Mane 6 sidelined, the fact that they've already saved Equestria so many times and have spent all these seasons in the spotlight is irrelevant. The Mane 6 and those associated with them are the focus of MLP. They have been from the beginning. That's the nature of MLP. To remove them means that MLP ceases to be MLP. What that would be probably isn't bad, but it's not MLP. And MLP is not not MLP; it's MLP.