This is the official thread for "Forever Filly", which is airing in Canada tomorrow!

If you are not watching the early Canadian episodes, you'll want the Fluttershy Leans In discussion thread instead.

So, we don't actually know who the writer for this one is yet. That's one of disadvantages of watching 'em early. Let's just pretend it's MA Larson, though it won't be, unfortunately.

I'm gonna say that in this episode, Sweetie Belle ascends and becomes an alicorn! Researching, Twilight finds out that not only does this make Sweetie Belle immortal, but she'll also never age past her current age and stay a filly for the rest of time. The rest of the episode is Rarity trying to cope with the fact that her sister will never grow up and always be a filly.

That's actually probably about opposite what'll happen, but it'd be interesting!

So you can discuss this episode here, since this'll be the official thread for it. You can discuss the episode on Discord too. Since last week, I created a channel for early episodes, since otherwise you might have conversations going on about two episodes at once, and one would be spoilers for the other.

--Sweetie Belle

5936293 I say it's better to go into the episode not knowing wrote it.

This should be an interesting one. I like the idea for it.

5936293 Best episode of the season. I liked that part where Marty went back to the past to meet Star Swirl the Bearded and convince him to make a friend, thus skewing Equestria into an alternate timeline where instead of Celestia and Luna ruling over Equestria. is is now ruled by Sunset Shimmer and Starlight Glimmer instead.

5936293 And thus Sweety Belle learns to fly!

Wait has anyone seen Scootaloo? Oh she is over there by that bridge. Preparing to jump. Don't do it Scoots!

Also Rarity does not grow older. She gracefully matures.

It was a bit on the cliche side, but it executed the idea fairly well. I liked the little insights into Sweetie's personality.

5936506
I'm gonna have to watch it again, because the streaming website decided to block the stream with full size ads several times, including the climax of the episode. What I saw was good, though. I'm gonna have a new collection of "Sweetie Belle is not amused" pictures after this...

And yeah, the episode idea itself wasn't too original, but something that's not original but still done well can be good.

Wonder who the writer was? I'll check on the rewatch.

--Sweetie Belle

5936293

It isn't even half bad; not only did we get a good moral about "things change" but we did get some character development from Zipporwhill.

5936533
Yeah. I wasn't expecting to see her again, and was happy she showed up. Her puppy sure is a lot older now.

I did like the moral, and the speech to Zipporwhill about it.

Oh, and the writers turn out to be Michael P. Fox and Wil Fox, who did "The Gift of the Maud Pie", "Applejack's 'Day' Off", and "Pony Point of View".

--Sweetie Belle

5936293 As a Canadian I have every right to watch this exactly when it comes out, but it'll be so weird as the gap grows. I'll have to be careful what I say for half a season.

This is my favorite episodes this season. It's a grounded slice of life story, and MLP is so well-suited to these stories. Few cartoons ever approach this issue, and the episode was super cute. I like how in the final photo Sweetie Belle looks the same size as rarity. It's a neat touch.

(SPOILERS!)

Friendship is Magic has changed a lot. Characters have garnered new roles (student to princess, as one example), acquired new abilities, suffered loss (the Golden Oaks Library, the closest to an actual death in the show), and what every living being goes through:growing up.

This episode is about the last one. Of the cast, the Crusaders have arguably developed the most. The once bright-eyed fillies, whose role used to be getting their cutie marks and overcoming bullies, now run their own business dedicated to helping others. Though they are (presumably) unpaid for this work, it is still substantial enough for them to need binders to keep track of those they help. Even their voices have changed significantly, as their voice actresses have grown into adulthood.

I admit feeling sad reflecting on these differences. It is not because I don't like change (after all, I champion Crusaders of the Lost Mark), but because change is difficult. The series has grown up in more ways than one.

Filly Forever begins with Rarity and Sassy Saddles (its been awhile since we last saw her) working in their Canterlot Boutique. Sassy is out of sorts trying to get tasks done on time, while Rarity has everything sorted out before Sassy even asks. But Rarity's demeanor changes upon seeing photographs of her and Sweetie. She realizes its been months since she and her sister have spent time together, which causes her to break down. It ends with a joke of Sassy thinking Rarity is crying because of something she said, but it does little to alleviate the overall somberness.

The rest of the episode is Rarity spending a day with Sweetie Belle, treating her to activities that Sweetie used to like, but has since grown up from. Things like puppet theater, and balloon animals. This lack of understanding culminates in the two getting in a tiff, until Rarity accepts the fact that her little sister is no longer little anymore. They still enjoy spending time together, of course, only now with different activities. It's a heartfelt message that will resonate most with adults.

The episode is not without problems. The sister's falling out and resolution is rushed. There is also a b-plot of Applebloom and Scootaloo trying to help Zipporwhill reconcile with her dog, which feels unnecessary. Parallels are drawn between the two stories: both are about characters learning their younger sibling/puppy is grown up, and having to accept it. Both tie together at the end. But the b-plot is just as somber as the main story, when it really should have brought more levity.

As it is, Filly Forever is a good episode that is perhaps too good for its own sake in being sad.

I'm bumping this post for the US showing this episode tomorrow!

It's gonna get tricky to remember which episode is the US one airing as they get further and further off Canada...

--Sweetie Belle

Probably the best episode of the season so far, and I think the Fox Brothers finally managed to tell a good story. I guess maybe they just needed to be left to their own devices rather than have someone else step in and try to help them out. And for those who saw in the episode on Discovery Family, was it just a fault on my end, or did Discovery Family cut the credits sequence after the episode?

5946563
I don't know, Rarity seemed a little out of character. Not totally out of character, but was too exaggerated. I did like the subplot of trying to figure out the cutiemark problem. I will last week's Rock Solid Friendship was a rock solid episode, pun intended.

Dreadnought

5947514 Uh, "Rock Solid Friendship" was two weeks ago. Last week was "Fluttershy Leans In".

5947516
I humbly admit my error. I was underwhelmed by last week's episode, Fluttershy Leans In. This week's episode had a good premise, but came up a little short on execution. Don't get me wrong, it's a good episode, just not a great episode.

Dreadnought