[SPOILER] Crystal Empire, yay! · 8:45pm Nov 10th, 2012
So, I have now seen the S3 premier, having managed to avoid the previews and much of the spoilers from earlier. This blog post, however, is spoilery as heck, so if you haven't seen "Crystal Empire" yet, I suggest you stop now.
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Overall, I really, really liked it! CE may not be the kind of an outstanding, expectation-smashing wonder like A Canterlot Wedding, but it's still very good, very fun, very exciting episode and a fine start for the new season. Cadence and Shining Armor return, and get some beautiful moments of love and awesomeness; the Mane Six are good, and Spike gets to shine; there's Luna and Celestia and lots and lots of interesting worldbuilding bits and hints to all sorts of mysteries about Equestria's history, magic and more.
I've heard some people getting mad about King Sombra and how he was handled here. Obviously, people will have different tastes and their mileage will vary, but I think this is something of an overreaction. Sombra is portrayed as a very different kind of a villain to the ones we've seen: Nightmare Moon is Luna gone around the bend with jealousy and loneliness; Discord is a chimerical chaos spirit and a mad, cruel trickster; and Chrysalis is a manipulative, emotion-eating succubus-fairy-bug. Sombra, in turn, is a shadow of evil and an elemental force of evil, who manifests as clouds of darkness and warped, dark crystal spires.
And I'm absolutely certain that this is not the last we are going to see of him. Seriously. If you watch the episode carefully, I'm surprised if you don't come to the same conclusion. This is not the end; this is just the beginning.
Yep, gotta agree with you, King Sombra was kinda hoofs off, but that just means all sorts of different approaches to who/what he is will be approached in the fan fiction.
Yeah, I noticed the horn surviving too. He'll be back. As it is, I greatly enjoyed the episode, especially luna and celestia conversing in the beginning. And of course, the animation/effects were gorgeous. I did feel like the pacing was off a few times though, and there were a few things I couldn't really get into (such as twilight's nightmare scene--really didn't have an affect on me, as much as I've imagined something like that happening). But it was still a real good episode, and has made me super intrigued about what celestia and luna have in store for twilight.
I also loved all the time spike and twilight got, with spike getting to be the hero.
That and there's so much promise in the upcoming episodes I can't take it.
I'm going to have to disagree. He regained his physical form as he approached the Crystal Heart, something that surprised even him. Then he exploded. His horn may be intact, but he exploded. I could see someone else using it, but he seems kinda dead to me.
Also? EPIC WIFE TOSS.
I have'nt seen it. could you send me a link?
I never get to see the episodes when they first air, because Saturday is my volunteerism day. I can't wait until Monday when I can watch it!
It's almost as much fun watching the fandom react as it is watching the episodes themselves!