Triple Threat (spoilers, etc.) · 12:22am Aug 23rd, 2017
Okay, considering the rant/temper tantrum I went on about all this, I figured I should do some kind of followup now that the latest episode has aired.
First off, I do have to admit that, goddammit, Thorax is kind of growing on me. His design is still horrendous, though. Lose about half the colors and cut the size of his antlers in half, and then you've got something. Also, no matter how grudgingly I accept him, I will never say that everything he does wouldn't be ten times better if he were a black changeling with holes. Imagine this episode, except he looks like an original changeling of about the same size he is now. Better, right? Also, holy crap is he wimpy. Like, worse than Fluttershy season one wimpy. Honestly, that was really, really annoying.
Okay, now random thoughts about the episode, the majority of which I will tie together at the end.
Thorax mentioned being stressed when Spike asked him how he was doing, which was also his response when he was asked how running a kingdom was going in the first episode of the season. I think there might be a theme developing here.
The 'renegade changelings' thing was really interesting to hear. So it's not just Pharynx, there's multiple changelings who agree with him. Also, they want to feed off love because "that's how they've done it for hundreds of years". Pretty much confirmed that Chrysalis is as immortal as the Princesses now. I mean, she did sit on a bomb as it exploded and then stood up afterwards like it was nothing, but still nice to have a little more confirmation.
And what was up with Thorax referring to the changelings as his "pack"? Are they not a hive anymore? And he did say my changelings, so maybe Chrysalis still has her own, and the synopsis about Changing a Changeling just meant Pharynx was the last of Thorax's changelings not to transform? Not the first time a synopsis would be unclear or inaccurate. Actually, thinking about it again—were the dragons referred to as a dragon 'pack' at some point in the first Ember episode? Maybe he was just trying to use a term she was familiar with? Probably reading too much into a few meaningless words here, to be honest.
And finally, at the end of the episode, Ember's advice was to "yell at the changelings, tell them firmly that what you say is the way things are going to be, and if that doesn't work, turn into a bear and physically threaten them". So... rule them like Queen Chrysalis did?
Main takeaways from all this:
The comments about renegade changelings are interesting. On one hand, it gives me hope. Because the fact that he would make this comment in this episode means that this is all planned out. There's some story line they're working on here with the changelings, and I see that as a positive. Because that means (at least in theory) that Pharynx's episode will actually mean something. It's not just something a writer came up with because they needed an episode and said "well, the changelings just transformed, I guess we can do an episode about one that didn't want to, but then by the end he will". It means there's an overarching narrative here, at least a little bit, and I can only see that as a positive.
Honestly, given how much of a role the changelings have had this season, I'm starting to think they might actually play a very large part in the finale, more than I had originally thought. And that means now I'm starting to seriously think Chrysalis might be making her reappearance soon. I, and I think a lot of people, had been kind of assuming she wouldn't be back until season eight or later. But now I'm starting to wonder.
On the other hand, the fact that he refers to them as renegades is something I see as a negative, because it's obviously a negative term. So there could easily be a "they're bad and they have to change no matter what" narrative being built up here. And that, sadly, is somewhat common of a theme on the show. I know it's supposed to be for kids, but I really wish there were more episodes where the moral was more gray than black and white. That's what makes me nervous here, that the renegade changelings are being set up as 'the bad guys'. And that means they have to change no matter what.
Although, on the other other hand, as the Discordant Harmony review I mentioned in the previous post said, a lot of the episodes lately have been focusing on how the differences between people can make friendships stronger. Hell, that was largely part of the theme of this episode. So maybe we will get that lesson that being different doesn't necessarily make you bad.
And random thought: it sounds like the changelings are arguing about what to eat. Which is exactly what they were doing in Twilight's fantasy in the first episode, right? So maybe real life Starlight will do what fantasy Starlight did and work out a compromise between them, rather than just saying "this side is right and this one is wrong".
Also, I feel compelled to point out that Thorax and his changelings are technically the renegades here. The changelings he's talking about would be more properly called loyalists, or traditionalists.
The exciting thing about this episode is that it kind of looks like they're building up a narrative that I've speculated about before: that Thorax is a bad leader.
Maybe not bad, exactly, but inexperienced. And I don't mean that he makes bad decisions, I mean he's bad at implementing them. He's a bad leader in that he seems incapable of actually getting the people he's supposed to be leading to do what he says. Which is kind of a big part of being a leader.
And that's exactly what I've said before. Queen Chrysalis might have been a tyrant who made her subjects do exactly what she said or else, but she got things done. Thorax can listen to his people and try to do what they say all he wants, but it's just as bad if he can't get them to actually do these better ideas.
Chrysalis and Thorax together make up one decent leader. Thorax is kind enough and empathetic enough to listen to his people and understand what they want and need before making a decision, and Chrysalis is firm enough (and enough of an evil bitch) to make sure they actually follow that decision.
Honestly, at this point I'm expecting the shadow-whatever ponies in the finale to be attacking the changelings, and Thorax is running around trying nicely to get them to listen to him as they panic and ignore him. And finally Chrysalis just goes "Oh, for the love of God!", pops out of whatever disguise she's in, and takes command of the changelings again. Then at some point she tries to make them do something, but Thorax has a better way and manages to stand up for it enough to get the changelings to do it. Then it becomes obvious that Thorax's way was better, and that Chrysalis's way would have gotten them all killed. And then, there you go: reconciliation, Chrysalis and Thorax ruling the changelings (of both types) together.
I mean, obviously this is just me writing a mini-fanfic, but I do find it compelling that Ember's advice was literally "act like Chrysalis". And Thorax might have been able to act a little more assertive at the end there, but like Fluttershy said, you can't just change everything about yourself after one lesson. Obviously, given the plot of Changing a Changeling, Thorax hasn't changed enough to be able to get the 'renegade' changelings to do what he says (actually, that just gave me a thought. Maybe Thorax is the changeling that has to change? Fits in with what I've been saying about him having to accept that Pharynx wants to stay the same. Would be a nice swerve on our expectations based on the episode title.). But maybe he has learned enough to stand up to Chrysalis when he has a better idea about how to rule the changelings.
In any case, it was a decent episode. I didn't mind it, even if I do still mostly hate Thorax. And yes, I've calmed down a bit. I tend to have pretty extreme mood swings, it's just that you never noticed because I didn't start making blog posts until all this started after the last season finale. Normally I just wouldn't say anything until I feel better, but now I have this great public forum to yell on. And getting this stuff out really does help, so thanks for reading. Nothing I said in the last post was untrue, though, and I'm still going to be very upset if all this ends with wiping out the original changelings. But at this point I'm just going to say I'll take things as they come and make decisions as things happen.
I've argued that there's always been at least a few unchanged (unimproved?) changelings the whole time, after all, what happened to the ones that replaced the Princesses, the Mane 6, etc? Well, Vavcung (spelling?) has an answer, but that's NSFW.
Really, there's a certain combination of things that make someone a "bad" leader, and neither Chrysalis nor Thorax meet them.
Thorax, for example, is perhaps too empathetic and listens too much. Because he worries too much about how others feel and spends too much time trying to keep everyone happy, he's not able to make decisions — particularly hard ones — and then stand by them: He is obviously caring and charismatic as a leader, but he is ineffective.
Chrysalis, in contrast, is too apathetic and doesn't listen enough. Because she doesn't take the feelings of others into account often (if at all) and spends too little time taking feedback, she makes decisions — including hard ones — and stands by them based solely on her own goals, which occasionally aligns with the wants and needs of others: She is obviously an effective leader, but is not caring or charismatic.
Sure, it could be argued that the changedlings would line up behind Chrysalis again based on her past success, but that depends entirely on her goals lining up with their wants and needs, which I don't believe will be the case any longer.
To go back to your earlier point, that actually would have been somewhat entertaining had he still been fearsome looking. Well, more entertaining, anyway.
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