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I think one of the things I liked about this episode is that it DID use a few plot elements originated in the fandom... and then subverted them at the end. Rule 63 ponies, for instance.

 

I think the episode may have been a bit too callback-heavy, though, and I feel the pacing was a bit frenetic. For example, the Arabian Horses only had time for a brief scene at the end. And there wasn't even a friendship report! It doesn't mean I didn't like this episode, but I certainly wouldn't want them all to be like this.

 

I liked how Twilight used illusions in general. That was clever and showed her intellect was superior to some old amulet.

 

Still something felt up about Twilight. The anger she felt when first seeing Trixie did seem out of place and her cockiness during the second duel was kind of annoying. It would have been cool if they took that further and made a lesson out of her behaving as poorly as Trixie, but I guess that would have been the same as the last episode.

 

Come to think of it this was the first episode without any sort of friendship lesson addressed to Celestia. Though there were still some important themes oh friendship and forgiveness and all that good stuff.

 

And is it wrong if the AJ "genderbend" was my favorite part? :B

I liked how Twilight used illusions in general. That was clever and showed her intellect was superior to some old amulet.

 

Still something felt up about Twilight. The anger she felt when first seeing Trixie did seem out of place and her cockiness during the second duel was kind of annoying. It would have been cool if they took that further and made a lesson out of her behaving as poorly as Trixie, but I guess that would have been the same as the last episode.

 

Come to think of it this was the first episode without any sort of friendship lesson addressed to Celestia. Though there were still some important themes oh friendship and forgiveness and all that good stuff.

 

And is it wrong if the AJ "genderbend" was my favorite part? :B

"One Bad Apple" had no friendship report in it, even though it had an obvious lesson delivered at the end. Likewise, I imagine the reason there was no friendship report in this episode is that it would have been redundant after Twilight already expressed the episode's lesson to Trixie (essentially, that friendship is the most powerful kind of magic).

 

On the other hand, it would have been excellent if Twilight had offered for Trixie to give Celestia a friendship report. That would be the ultimate way of offering an olive branch right there.

On the other hand, it would have been excellent if Twilight had offered for Trixie to give Celestia a friendship report. That would be the ultimate way of offering an olive branch right there.

 

Oh man that woulda been perfect. ;o;