@Daneasaur  
Really wished they utilized Nightmare Moon more.  
Not using some clone or alternate timeline/universe one, the REAL NMM.

@nightshroud96  
Right. That episode acts as if season 1 WAS actually all about Nightmare Moon torturing and tormenting all the ponies for a year straight. So does Nightmare Night.

@Daneasaur  
Such as the Tantabus episode acting like that?

@nightshroud96  
Oddly, the rest of the series still acts like Nightmare Moon was around for a long longer and SERIOUSLY tormented the ponies across equestria.

@Daneasaur  
Honestly I feel like Luna/Nightmare Moon got screwed there due to that.

@nightshroud96  
That she was to be the villain for ALL of season 1 and the closing episodes would have the 6 defeat her and purify her. Despite this not happening, Luna and the ponies act as if this DID happen.
 
Hasbro slapped her hand and said “No” and so, her entire villain plot was condensed into 1 episode.

@Daneasaur  
Kind of wonder what Faust intended for Luna too?

@nightshroud96  
No, though I have the screencap of Spike mentioning it:
 

 
And keep in mind, Lauren said she based a LOT of the lore off of Greek mythos. Had she branched out, she said that Discord would have been a Longma/Kirin since he was supposed to be a “unicorn dragon hybrid”, but she couldn’t find anything like that in Greek mythos.
 
By comparison, the Golden Apples grant either immortality or longevity in Greek mythos.

@Daneasaur  
Golden Apple Tree?  
Is there a link to what Faust had said?

@nightshroud96  
Likely because they forgot a key component to the lore, which was related to the three things Spike wanted to show off on “Best Night Ever”:
 
1: Show Rarity the crown jewels.
 
2: Show AJ the Princess’ Golden Apple Tree.
 
3: Show Pinkie his favorite doughnut shop.
 
The shop was the only one ever touched on before Lauren’s writing was removed, and it hurts because the Golden Apple tree was going to be how Celestia could live, un-aging for 1000 years. When she would step down, she would stop eating the apples and begin to age normally again.
 
Spike had access to the tree due to Lauren’s writing also indicating that Spike was raised by Celestia and, the reason Spike could access the Canterlot Elites and such is because he was basically a prince and had a 1:1 line to Celestia.
 
But, all discarded.

@Daneasaur  
Well that sucks..  
Its jarring how despite their dumb retirement stuff is what caused the whole season pretty much, apparently Luna and Celestia aren’t important enough to be shown how are they doing after the timeskip..

@nightshroud96  
Nope, nothing.

@Daneasaur  
Did the writers say anything about the Royal Sisters there?

@nightshroud96  
Yeah, in the final episode, when the rest of the aged Mane 6 show up, when Fluttershy came through the portal Discord opened and he hands her her lunch, the script originally said for him to kiss her on the cheek. It was cut to “leave it up to the viewers” as to their relationship.

@Daneasaur  
Was cut?

@VampireScratch  
Aye. Even Discord kissing Fluttershy was cut.

@Daneasaur  
I guess if youre not the mane six you dont get that though pinkie getting married and having kids kinda surprised me.

@VampireScratch  
Massive missed opportunity. of all characters, Spike would have been married by the time we got back from the timeskip.

@Daneasaur  
too bad nothing happens in the end of the series though.

@VampireScratch  
At the end of it, Rarity learns that Spike can’t be taken for granted and that she is running the risk of “missing her chance” with him. It is a mostly good episode.

@Daneasaur  
ugh i hated Father knows beast it just kicks you in the planetary nuts. Dragon Dropped was one ive not watched i kinda skipped it cause it wasnt that important to the main plot and just went to the end eps and It makes sense dude spent a good chunk of the series pining after her and finally was like “You know what its not worth it” poor gabby…of course once your used up for a plot youre forgotten ive seen countless characters in this series fall to this fate.

@VampireScratch  
Spike at your service: A rotten episode. Spike has a day off and is suddenly unable to do anything right. Lets have him mess up baking a pie, despite the fact that he regularly would take care of dishes and dinner for Twilight. lets have him destroy a sink, despite the fact he frequently washes dishes and does cleaning. Lets make him have the bogus idea of a life debt despite there being no precedent for him to have such a thing.
 
Power Ponies: A lukewarm episode. Spike knew how the others could use their powers, but he himself, in the book, was doomed to be nothing but an anchor and ruin everything. He had to fight against the “world bestowed” powers and actually became an effective asset to the group.
 
Gauntlet of fire: A very good episode. Spike got his itchy glow turned off and could leave, but after overhearing how Garble wanted to raze ponies if he won, Spike chose to compete JUST to prevent that from happening and ended up saving Ember due to his nature.
 
Father knows beast: This one was so damn bad… The plot of Dragon quest, but with an extra 12 layers of idiot on top of it as not only is Spike suddenly regressed back 5 seasons and made a moron, but the mane 6 are also completely incompetent.
 
Dragon Dropped: The only later season Spike focused episode that is any good. Spike stops following Rarity around all the time and is instead penning to Gabby the griffon and spending his time with her, someone who’s world revolves around Spike and not Spike orbiting someone who takes his attention for granted. Rarity’s vice, her greed, gets the better of her when Spike is no longer trailing her and her greed is focused on wanting Spike’s attention back, culminating in a scene that is basically Gabby walking in on Spike and Rarity “playing a game” and Gabby’s heart breaking at the betrayal. After which, Spike is shattered and he’s no longer enchanted with orbiting Rarity anymore as it’s just not the same.
 
It delves into a very adult concept of what a relationship really is.
 
But naturally, this means Gabby is never seen again for the rest of the series.

@nightshroud96  
He really does now that i think bout it.
 

 
@Daneasaur  
I cant argue with that really and now the series over its kinda like “Um ok”? Spike eps are kinda of a hit and miss really I cant stand “Spike at your service” cause i hate HATE that trope/plot just for sake of laughs,I mean in “Power Ponies” he was the one without superpowers,I mean “Gauntlet Of Fire” was pretty good actually,the spike dad ep made me want to punch a unicorn in the face,i didnt watch “Dragon Dropped”,but i do tend to notice male characters kinda get shafted a bit I get the “girl power” thing,but still i digress just reading this and as a spike fan kicks me in the face cause is alot you could have done with him…swear this shows sometimes all over the place.

@VampireScratch  
Well as I stated many many times before, Spike’s strengths and powers were not of the magical or physical kind. He wasn’t meant to be that sort of character. He had wit and knew the right and realistic thing to do. Times are a Changeling and Gauntlet of fire: Spike himself makes a decision to help another, to forge a friendship with them regardless of what may happen to him, because it is the right thing to do.
 
The writers frequently forgot this and when we said “we want to see Spike’s character grow/evolve”, they thought it meant “put wings on him and have him win a fight. Got it.”
 
What it actually meant was, “We want to see how Spike and Thorax’s friendship grows” and “what will Ember teach him about dragon culture?”
 
We got none of that. We got triple threat which ended with Ember and Thorax blaming Spike for their problems, and twilight and starlight blaming spike for doing what THEY OFFERED TO DO in keeping thorax and ember apart.
 
Spike never saw Thorax again and Ember got a “hi” two more times and ignored.
 
Had to make room for smolder to take over all possible dragon interactions with spike, but lacking any sympathy.
 
For crying out loud, Dragon Dropped, where Spike starts dating Gabby, was the most faithful-to-Spike episode we got because it wasn’t focusing on Spike growing appendages or fighting or saving lives, but a practical real life situation.