Since when was DT popular among the students to begin with? Also like #97D9 said, it was because DT shut SS down for no reason other than her own ego is why she turned around.

Silver Spoon didn’t abandon DT because she lost her popularity. She abandoned her because DT actually turned on Silver Spoon first. Rewatch all their episodes, that’s never actually happened before.
 
They did make up pretty fast, too, so I don’t think SS is that kind of pony.

First of all like, buck you! And second of all, you’re not worth a second of all.

@Crystal Neighybánya  
I agree. I think at the very least they should have split the election into it’s own episode where they could focus on things like Silver turning on Diamond. In fact, play the whole thing a bit like the end of One Bad Apple, intentionally making the audience laugh at Diamond being abandoned like the bully she is by the end…
 
Then subvert the whole thing by following up with the whole issue of Diamond’s mother and Diamond’s her disillusionment with her life. Bonus points if it could have been tied into a finale involving Glimmer because who wouldn’t want to see the filly who’s decided she hates her cutie mark and her family expectations team up with the one pony (so far) shown to be capable of removing cutie marks?
 
And then to top that with the whole thing being resolved with the help of key actions of the three fillies who didn’t (yet) have a cutie mark in the first place?
 
… I dunno. I just think that something as series-altering as the CMC completing their crusade should have happened in or around the season finale as it would either round out an end of series or it’d leave longer for the writers to consider how to use the CMC in future.

@Background Pony #D9C1  
Well its a good thing that DT chose redemption then going back her old ways.

@Background Pony #A6DB  
No one’s irredeemable. Some people just refuse any chance at redemption.

Well I don’t know about you guys, but this episode put to an end of the “Silver Spoon is redeemable, Diamond Tiara is not!” fanon to the garbage.
 
Thank you Amy Keating Rogers :)

Honestly, this is probably my only problem with the episode. It was so fast paced that important plot points like Silver Spoon becoming disillusioned with Diamond Tiara, the introduction of Spoiled Rich and the Cutie Mark Crusaders trying to befriend Diamond Tiara all seemed to come out of left field. If it’d been a two-parter, we could’ve gotten some buildup.

 
It’s low quality bait, sir, but bait nonetheless. Should I react?

implying she was ever actually popular

@Background Pony Number 17  
I highly doubt that, she’ll likely be friends with them.

So, is Silver Spoon going to pick up the mantle as the CMC’s nemesis from here out?
 
“Sorry, Diamond Tiara, but you’ve gone soft.”

No, SS abandoned DT because DT didn’t listen to her and lost the election as a result.
 
@PonyPon  
It’s because Family Appreciation Day foreshadowed that Silver Spoon had a nicer side to her. Silver Spoon was starting to grow up and realize that the whole “mean girl” deal wasn’t sustainable, hence her suggesting that Diamond Tiara show that she cares. It was Diamond Tiara shutting down Silver Spoon’s advice despite them being friends, and that then costing her the election, that was the last straw.

There was already conflict shown between DT and SS before, when DT stole SS’s milkshake. In fact, it is highly likely that this particular scene is SS finally being done with putting up with DT’s shit. Also, she didn’t bail on DT because she was losing popularity. She ditched her because DT treated her like crap in front of the entire school, and that could not slide. So really the hat is on the wrong filly here. Diamond Tiara is the one who had one friend, and couldn’t manage to give that one the faintest modicum of respect.

@CogWeaver  
It’s kinda implied that she’s no longer evil.

@martianmister  
Technically her voting was part of it, since she didn’t vote for DT. She just didn’t TELL DT until after the vote.

@TheOtakuX  
Well, she waited untill the end of voting.

It seems rather redundant to call out scumbag-behavior for a character that’s already antagonistic material.
 
Plus, as a villain/antagonist, y’gotta know when to jump a sinking ship and head to the lifeboats. I mean, are we gonna call out Tirek with a scumbag-hat-meme for turning on Discord, who at the time was being a helpful lackey? No, because that’d be stupid and redundant.

This is clearly bait.

@PonyPon  
She’s an opportunist, I guess.

She didn’t abandon her because she ‘lost popularity’. She did it because she was mean to HER.

Yeah, that was a bit weird.
 
I understand not voting for her, but it seems strange after such a spotless lackey record for that to be the last straw.