The Round Stable

The villainous alliance unleashes their unified might on Equestria, and it’s up to the Mane Six to save the kingdom.

This thread is for discussion of this two-parter. The special airs at 8:00pm Eastern / 5:00pm Pacific on Saturday, October 12!

Official preview clips and images are okay to post, as is speculation about the episode. Spoilers from illegal leaks are NOT OK to post.

Early spoiler thread: http://roundstable.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=2045

I was hoping for something along the lines of Endgame, what with the Legends showing up in the commercial. Some big, "this is the end" type battle. But with the trailers showing Celestia and Luna cowering from a magic blast while Twilight protects them, I am expecting another big-dumb-threat-to-equestria story.

I go into this with the same low expectations I've had for any big battle episode.

Huh, I wonder why it's airing at night.

The night will last forever

RudeCyrus wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 09, 2019 1:47 pm

Huh, I wonder why it's airing at night.

I suppose Hasbro and DF wanted to go out big. This is the end, after all, so you might as well have at least one primetime airing.

Okay, only a couple episodes left.

One thing left undone.

Dash needs to *punch* an enemy right in the mouth.

It's too bad the calendar didn't end up such that today was a Saturday. It's the 9th anniversary of FiM's premiere and it would've been cool for the last episodes to air today. Still, at least they'll be on the closest Saturday.

The Long Ponyless Epoch approaches

Highbrow Dash wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 10, 2019 3:29 pm

The Long Ponyless Epoch approaches

October 13 will be day one of the ponyless eternity.

And then Hasbro will realize that it is more profitable to cancel a series and then, after a few years, to "soft reboot" to cash in on the nostalgia and desperation.

Adiwan wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 10, 2019 3:46 pm

And then Hasbro will realize that it is more profitable to cancel a series and then, after a few years, to "soft reboot" to cash in on the nostalgia and desperation.

It is going to be interesting to see how they approach G5, and if they go full reboot, or try to tie it in with G4 somehow.

Remember, that's what everyone thought FiM was going to be. '80s nostalgia was a big deal ten years ago and hopes were not high for this generation of MLP. The fact that Lauren Faust and the rest of the crew made something so good, despite assumptions, is what got the show the necessary publicity to kick off the fandom as we know it.

Barring a nuclear war or some other extinction-level event happening immediately after The Last Problem airs, this will absolutely not be the end of MLP. What remains to be seen is if Hasbro learned the lesson that a show driven by a creator with a strong vision and backed by a team that shares the same passion is far better than a show done solely as a cash grab.

Fingers crossed.

After Saturday, new G4 material will be solely in the hands of the fans. I've never seen a show inspire such incredible creativity, so it'll be interesting to see what people come up with going forward.

I work tomorrow and Sunday, so I'm gonna have to download them when I get home Sunday afternoon.

And then watch them alone and nobody will see me cry.

I hope we get the Theme Song Power-Up trope. Big final attack....

♬ MY LITTLE PONY!!!!!!!!! ♬

*crashes through bushes* I made it, I'm all caught up

*gets injured crashing through the bushes after HH* I made it too! I'm not caught up at all. I wonder what episode in season 4 I left off at so I can catch up again...

Everyone hates unicorns.

Headless Horse wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 12, 2019 11:21 am

*crashes through bushes* I made it, I'm all caught up

I was hoping to see you at the finish line!

Discord's role ever since Keep Calm and Flutter On has been a weird one. I remember a S4 episode where he seemed to be trolling but trying to help in a little kid type of way. The writers went all in on this concept this season by setting up Grogar as complete bait.

The issue is episodes 8 & 17 read to me, and many others, as setting up the opposite. The villain trio were beginning to see, slowly, the values of friendship. But no, it was all just thrown away for a perfunctory two-parter we've done a couple too many times now.

I didn't really care either way if they were redeemed or not, but seeming to write one way and then just writing them off the other way as an afterthought probably means you didn't write the arc all that well.

Also, how do you make a demented filly character and give her zero backstory over two seasons? Yet we get a throwaway line about Tirek's backstory?

Unexpected Tempest for the Bingo.

I kinda love that the big boss fight in this episode is generated by an actual friendship problem: Discord trying ill-advisedly to boost Twilight's confidence.

I really didn't care for this episode.

The twist with Discord being Grogar was interesting, but the reason why was just stupid. I was expecting an explanation along the lines of him wanting to try and reform the villains, by getting them to become friends. Him just screwing with Twilight was just really unsatisfying.

The princesses got defeated. again.

Then they got defeated again

Not surprised, but just really disappointed that they didn't do something new. Yeah, they got to turn the bad guys into stone, but it would have been nice if they at least got to participate in the big rainbow friendship beam.

In the end, this really didn't feel like it was much different from any other 2 part, big-threat episode.

I thought the finale wasn't bad, but it definitely didn't end the way I expected or would have preferred. I was led to believe by episodes like Frenemies that the villains would reform in the end, or at least admit they were friends with each other. I could see Chrysalis saying something like "Our friendship is better than pony friendship. Let's not let it corrupt us." What happened at the end felt more like a zap the bad guys cartoon cliche, and I've come to expect better from Pony. I feel that an opportunity to really drive home the show's core message for 9 seasons, friendship is magic, was missed.

Discord. I have a huge problem with his both suggesting the punishment and then executing it. He brought them there in the first place, they were no threat until he did so. And he gets a free pass? That really didn't sit well with me. His smugness at the end made it even more annoying.

I'm a Chrissy fan, so I would have liked to see her reform most. That would have made the episode a home run for me. Having said that, I know she was the architect of her own fate by being too stubborn for her own good, including in Frenemies. Continuing to run her mouth after the villains were clearly defeated probably didn't help any. At least she went down swinging, and made sure no one would ever forget her.

People throw around the words "forever" and "all eternity" in connection with the villains' petrification. I disagree, and Discord himself is the proof. If Twilight found a way to get them to buy into friendship and not be a threat, I think she would free them. I feel that even in her traditional friendship speech at the end, she was giving them one more chance to change ("those who find the light"). She is the Princess of Friendship, and she's also in charge. I just hope Chrissy and the others are in a state of suspended animation, even though Discord said he could hear while trapped in stone. I think thier minds or conciousnesses at least are intact, and it would be awful to be awake and aware and stuck like that. As to how long they'll be petrified, I'll just say forever...for now.

But with that said, I'm not sure what else they could have done with the villains. Clearly they had to get the book thrown at them, and Tartarus probably wouldn't be an option because what if they got out somehow. Chrissy's threat about them always coming back might have been an empty, defiant one but I can understand that Celestia and the others had to take it seriously. They had to stop them somehow. Someone said Discord might even have saved thier lives by suggesting petrification, because Celestia was probably ready to kill them after Chrissy's rant. Again, I wish things had worked out differently, but it is what it is.

So I wasn't completely satisfied with the finale, but Pony has batted 1.000 up until now. A .999 average to finish isn't bad.

Wayoshi wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 12, 2019 8:53 pm

The issue is episodes 8 & 17 read to me, and many others, as setting up the opposite. The villain trio were beginning to see, slowly, the values of friendship. But no, it was all just thrown away for a perfunctory two-parter we've done a couple too many times now.

Yeah, I figured they'd reform and Grogar would turn out to be the Big Bad. And even after seeing how things turned out I thought Cozy was gonna turn around, pick the bell and the final episode would be about her

The final battle wasn't great, and making it a three-parter would've gone a long way towards fixing that... But then again the epilogue was gold, bittersweet and great, so I'll take it.

You know, something I'd always wondered about since Hearth's Warming Eve is whether the windigoes were real or just a piece of legend. I've joked now and then about their possible return being something that all ponies would need to remember should things ever truly go to hell, but in the back of my mind I still thought that perhaps it wouldn't come to be. For me, seeing them here truly underscored the fact that shit had gotten real.

Discord as the helpful trickster is something I've always enjoyed and I'm glad the show went all in on it in the end. But I definitely didn't expect him to have orchestrated this whole scheme as Grogar. I'll have to reconsider all those episodes in that light whenever it comes time for me to rewatch this whole series.

The rest of this was an incredible rush, but I dearly loved how it went out on a callback to The Best Night Ever. Of all the show's endings, that episode felt most like the experience of six friends staying together despite everything, so to see that hold true through everything else that happened from season 2 onward was a joy. I managed to not cry throughout all this, but that was the closest I came.

I'll need a lot more time to decompress from everything, but this was a decent final story. They definitely pulled a pretty wild twist, and I'm not sure if I like that more or less than playing it straight. Having Grogar really strut his stuff would've been cool. But I liked bringing everything back to a message of friendship and unity, and bringing in all the other friends, students, and races was the right way to win. I also think they telegraphed the distrust just enough in earlier episodes without making it stand out in the non-season arc episodes.

Two small complaints: Twilight, in the early seasons, was always the last one to give up hope. She's the leader because she believes in friendship. I'm glad her friends trust her no matter what, but she should have more confidence by now. And the Pillars... just never really did much. Ever.

The villains were consistently great, and Starlight got to shine, briefly. The staff even managed to surprise me with the cupcake -- that was the biggest laugh of the episode for me. Ultimately, I'm glad the message of cultivating friendship not just because it feels nice, but because it brings everyone together when they need it most, was displayed prominently.

"It took all season, but I finally found the spell! It's this one, with the pictures."


Villains discovering hand-holding leads to Equestria's downfall.


Mwa-ha-ha!


Guess we'll never know what that amulet did.


Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!


The bell's GONG is pretty good.


Discord scampering away is good animation.


Hauling the extra throne away to make room for a basket for Spike


...or I guess it's big enough for two.


These are premium, organic, imported tumbleweeds.


Unicorns: bad farmers.


Pony racism.


"Do NOT go in there!"


I guess they can take down the fans, and the brick walls, and the geese.


"In fairness, you decided to release me from my statue, so this is partly your fault!"

Afrienders, assemble!


Chrysalis sure gets a lot of upgrades with that magic. Still cheese legs, though.


Golly!


All that power and still just a rook...


This is our biggest battle! I hope you five guards are up to the task!


...because the other six weren't.


Tirek: The Last Earthbender


Rockhoof is apparently only big, even now, because of magic.


"You missed, Silverstream."


Aww.


Hiss!


HISS!


HISS!


Other ponies' magic goes, "Tchiiing". Starlight's goes, "Vweee!"


Cool mares probably shouldn't walk away from explosions.

pew pew pew pew


Golly!



She's just having too much fun.


My first act as ruler of Equestria would be to melt down every artifact that steals magic.


*fweeee*


Well, it seemed like a good hiding spot.





I hope nopony was in that half of the castle.

You dare give Tirek the raspberry?!


This is what you get for planning surprises.


Villains doing what villains do best.


Now you fucked up!


pew ping whoo zip


I'm glad we got some fun magic combat stuff in these episodes.


"I give you ALL ze big raspberry!"


HONK


Discord throwing rocks at Chrysalis is one of the best comedic moments in this episode.


This property is a blight! Think of our property values.


Lots of familiar faces in Ponyville.


Huuuugs!


Prepared for every occasion.


PEPE SILVIA

Scootaloo? How did you get up there?


"I told you we should've been teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts!"


It's a little odd that the CMC never speak up in these rabble meetings.


"There's never gonna be a time when everything's perfect! But that don't mean you quit trying!"


"I probably know more about being scared than anypony!"


Alas, Cadance can't get her hooves dirty this time.


I think it's supposed to do that. Just ignore it.


Usually bugs don't like the cold.


There! That smudge on the horizon!


Cozy Glow's magical girl transformation


Alicorn final form: Cherubim


Action! Action! Action!


Tell our contestant what she's won!



Awww.

SlateSlabrock wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 13, 2019 10:14 am

It's a little odd that the CMC never speak up in these rabble meetings.

I think the theme there was to demonstrate the payoff in Twilight Sparkle having founded her school. Without it, ponies would not have remembered the importance of harmony even in dark times. The CMC pointedly weren't admitted, but the thing with them was that they're such masters of friendship that they never needed to learn the school's teachings in the first place. Other ponies did, so by featuring them here, the school worked.

We've been rumbled! Cheese it!


Old pony, new tricks


Teamwork


Rope! Nooooo


Even in a pretty violent episode, this is rough.


To light our darkest hour


Oh no, the ponies were inside a snow globe this whole time!


Hey, it's those guys!


And Zecora! And Little Strongheart!


And Gilda! And Autumn Blaze!


And Gabby!


hey who's that


And Bulk Biceps!


Changelings transforming into the Mane Six again for old time's sake


Yaks doing what yaks do best


So many raspberries.


Maximum pew pew.

We're kind of awesome.


Sandbar's power revealed: He's good at standing on soapboxes.


She gets a line!


TO WAR


The ciiiircle of liiiiife


We would look totally rad as an army!


Hi, Princess Skystar!


These bad guys really bug me!


whoops time's up


Then the fire nation attacked.


Group photo


'Til all are one.


O-oh...


I guess even Pinkie can't handle that much chaos.


Harrumph!


See ya in Gen 5!


A nice callback.




All's well that ends well.

SlateSlabrock wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 13, 2019 10:34 am

And Zecora! And Little Strongheart!

lmao

I wish Celestia and Luna were part of this attack. This kind of goes back to when the Legend's were introduced. They really want to ignore that Celestia and Luna also had deep ties to the Tree of Harmony.

Thorax looking all badass

All the bugs, really

Nice that he had a line in the final battle though.

Sadly I don't see Fat Kid. Where did he go? Was his fez game too strong?

Ms. Harshwhinny didn't appear either.