Before you can talk about The Crystal Empire, you have to talk about toys. The show was concieved as part of a lineup for a new network called The Hub, and it was also created to sell toys. I think the early staff were very much at peace with this idea. In fact, part of the fun was watching them spin gold out of corporate mandates. Rarity exists because Hasbro wanted a fashion horse, and she ended up being one of the best characters. The balloon was there to promote a toy, but the balloon itself was used in a ton of creative and memorable ways.
A Canterlot Wedding existed to capitalize of the Royal Wedding that was happening at the same time. It was a story about a fairytale wedding between a pretty pink princess and her knight in shining armour.
And it still holds up as one of the best episodes in the whole show. On the subject of toys, I still remember how much the Chrysalis plush sold for…
I think A Canterlot Wedding was the swan song for the “Spin Gold out of Corporate Mandates” era. Meanwhile, you have a lost empire, a new species of pony, dark magic, and evil king, and…
The Crystal Empire doesn’t have lore. Lore is when The Changelings adopt a pacifist culture because they feel guilty about invading Equestria. Lore is when The Hippogriffs’ holiday involves thanking the ocean for protecting them. The Crystal Empire is just trivia.
A good example of dark magic done well is Oleander from Them’s Fightin’ Herds. Her decision to defy The Order of The Horn, make a pact with Fred and use dark magic is a reflection of her conviction, and her willingness to win at any cost. In The Crystal Empire, dark magic is just sort of there, and the decision to use it doesn’t carry any weight.
A Canterlot Wedding is a story about the fear that people you care about will change or dissapear. Queen Chrysalis is the personification of those fears. She’s also a foil to Princess Cadence and Princess Celestia, with regards to love and power, respectively. King Sombra is just sort of there.
Overall, this episode represents everything I’m dreading about eventually revisitng the show; it’s cryptic nonsense that will either never pay off, or it will just beget more cryptic nonsense.