Why I wrote Look In the Mirror to Find the Truth and its sequel · 11:46am Mar 12th, 2020
Like a lot of people, I didn't like how they (initially) handled Sunset's redemption in the first EG movie. Like a lot of people, I was pleasantly surprised at how they handled Sunset's redemption in the second movie: she was still severely detested for her actions, even Twilight and her friends still were uneasy around her, and she had to prove she was a better person in the end.
But in Sunset's journey, there were several questions that were left unanswered.
WHY did Sunset become so remorseful in the end despite not showing even a hint of remorse throughout the whole movie? How did the Elements convince her to change for the better? Why was all her previous arrogance and cruelty pushed away so quickly? The Elements of Harmony seem to exist as some kind of Deus ex Machina and I wanted to explore what they do to make someone see the error of their ways.
I also want to explore how Sunset came to be accepted by her current friend group.
I didn't think it was realistic for the human versions of the Mane 6 to just welcome Sunset, even if the Pony Princess they knew for less than a week asked them to. I felt there would've still had a lot of lingering resentment toward Sunset, and that Sunset had to offer them an olive branch and show she wasn't faking in order for that resentment to even begin go away.
I wanted to add a piece to the journey of Sunset Shimmer that I felt was missing: her reasons for wanting to change, her initial punishment, and how she came to be part of her current friend group.
And my hope is that I've succeeded.
I wonder if a lot of EG's problems are due to the fact it's a series of movies and specials that have to keep things short rather then a full fledged series that can have proper arcs and whatnot.
5218791the
I believe the problem is that EG was something that both fan and writer didn't initially want. The first EG movie was, ironically, the very thing Faust was trying to prevent: a bland, predictable girly franchise that existed solely to make toys.
The writers initially didn't plan for Sunset to be important after the first movie. Apparently the first draft of Rainbow Rocks was just going to be a repeat of the old movie. It was only on the second draft that writers realized that Sunset's story would be a lot more interesting. In other words, the writers stumbled on the thing that brought the EG out of the gutter.
EG was something that the writers blundered through, because it wasn't really designed with any clear goal. It can explain why they never really committed to a full-fledged series.
5218842
Good points, at least they made manage to make something decent and do something good with Sunset because spinoffs like this can turn out really bad.
Yeah i think you’d do a good job exploring that
5218873
The reason why spinoffs like this can go sour is that they often are rarely born from artistic vision, but are often the product of executives who seek the bottom line. Because these creations are born from corporate orders, they often turn out terrible, because the writers are forced to make things they didn't want to.
An infamous example of a spin-off was Pinky, Elmyra, and the Brain. This was an attempt to force Elmyra Duff into the same show as Pinky and the Brain. As you can imagine, this didn't lead to a lot of possibilities, because it isn't something people have been asking for. In the opening credits, the writers admitted that the idea had been forced upon them.
EG was more or less the same thing: an idea drummed up by executives wanting to sell more of their merch. While EG has evolved into a decent franchise, its contrived creation prevented it from having an overarching story. '
Sunset's own personal growth is the only thing that has actually united the franchise.