@Evowizard25  
Not anymore!
 
Though those “fights” in the finale were somewhat comical. You know, besides the war Dash.

@Background Pony #EB18  
Well except the CMC but that episode was made to look like a finale, it could’ve easily replaced season 3’s.

@The Smiling Pony  
Because Trixie wasn’t in a finale, can’t have big changing things without a finale.

@The Smiling Pony  
Power makes any defeated opponent a possible Equestrian Asset.

@Background Pony #259B  
I don’t think anyone’s saying that she wasn’t hurt, but she still fucked up hugely. Like, she did worse than Trixie did during Magic Duel, but she doesn’t have the excuse of being mind corrupted by a cursed object, and even so Twilight barely forgave Trixie while she rushed to forgive Starlight and invite her to the club.
 
Then again it’s not like we don’t have Discord as a precedent for this sort of thing.

Look, they wanted to have a great group shot for the end of the season, that could only be with a song, it’d be hardly appropriate to have a song if it was for nothing so they instantly made her best friend so we can have a happy groupshot.
 
Like, seriously, I honestly think that’s part of the reason for this rushed conclusion instead of doing this in season 6.

@Background Pony #259B  
We know that already that was the reason the show gave us for her actions.
 
Also HOW DARE YOU SPEAK UNLESS SPOKEN TO!

…  
A-Am I allowed to say something..?  
Maybe Starlight made an equal town because she was really hurt? I mean, they stated in the episode, that she didn’t want to make anymore friends, because she feared she would lose them to a cutie mark…  
PLEASE DON’T KILL ME! D:

@Background Pony #9D10  
They weren’t really, though. They learned who eachother were and how to work together, but future episodes showed that they barely knew eachother until this or that happened. See how Dash could barely tolerate Pinkie until the end of Griffon the Brush-off or AJ and RY being like water and oil until the end of Look before you Sleep.
 
The montage has the M6 laughing and playing with Starlight and frolicking across a meadow with a smile from ear to ear; they just skipped explaining why the different M6 characters suddenly accept and like her so much and just told us they do.

@The Smiling Pony  
They were all friends with each other by the end of episode two; that’s the whole concept of the elements of harmony. Just because they were able to become closer friends later doesn’t mean that they were only acquaintances before.

@Pagan  
No, I got it the first time you said it. What I’m saying is that the Mane 6 thought her contrition, her repentance was enough. You don’t. My stance is that in the middle. But whatevs.

@drumpowa  
Considering Luna pretty much did exactly that for four seasons, yeah maybe.
 
Considering Twilight barely accepted Trixie’s self-initiated apology, yeah maybe.
 
Considering Rainbow “Element of Loyalty” hated Gilda’s guts up until she saved her ass, yeah maybe.
 
Twilight went well out of her way to not only “guide Starlight into the light”, but then redeem her and make her everyone’s buddy-buddy.

@drumpowa  
You I am beyond done responding to you can’t comprehend anything and it’s getting frustrating.
 
No they needed to not be best friends right away after what just happened.
 
There I just dumbed it down as much as I could to help you understand take your time letting it sink in.

@The Smiling Pony  
Again, I’m attributing it to the fact that ponies are a far more emotionally driven race as well as having a much stronger need for companionship than we humans do. At the end of the day, they aren’t human and we can’t just hold everything we believe to be right or wrong to them.
 
Heck, their versions of wars and such have pies and vegetables.

@Evowizard25  

 
What, you think I haven’t bitched about that? Mate, I’ve written books on the subject.
 
The show is absolutely abhorrent and arbitrary at dealing with terrible acts and redemption.

@Pagan  
The episode can’t gloss over anything if the villian who did the action making it plain and simple that she did something wrong. Does she need to be self-flagellated and self-crucified for forgiveness??

@The Smiling Pony  
Mind rape children for a tardy assignment? A tiny slap on the wrist.
 
Really, going back, I’m saying it again. I like Starlight Glimmer, backstory and all. Perhaps we should leave it at that.

@The Smiling Pony  
This is silly. The only ones who knew of Starlight were the Mane 6 and the Equal Four.

@drumpowa  

 
I wasn’t talking about you I was talking about the episode doing the glossing.
 
 
@The Smiling Pony  
This.

@Evowizard25  
Yeah, no  

 
Lie about taking down a magic bear = Reputation and livelihood destroyed
 
Forcibly brainwash a town, attempt to change history, try to murder royalty = hugs and becoming a hero

@Pagan  
I’m not glossing over anything, the fact that she realities her actions (timeline changing) and the motives behind them were out of line she wanted punishment. Twilight gave her clarity after all of Starlight’s blinded rage. Unless you have less of a beef with her (which you seem to have large cow with her) and more with the Mane 6. Friendship as I said before is a legit power in their world. It’s been shown enough times.
 
Look, why did Starlight do the Equal Thing? Because her backstory with Cutie Marks. How much you buy into it is irrelevant; this is her motivation.
 
Why did Starlight go back in time? For revenge for ruining her space of equality. However jacked up it may be. And it was fueled by everything that happened then and back in her past.
 
Now don’t get me wrong, I was in the camp of not having her reformed and I’m still am, but I not upset about what happened and I still think this was my favorite finale.

@Evowizard25  
Well I’ve said my peace I still didn’t like this part of the finale but I liked the rest before it and I still don’t like Starlight at least not yet there may come a time but not now, for now I’m just going to push it from my mind and enjoy the previous episodes of S5 and speculate on S6.

@Pagan  
Or perhaps ponies aren’t as aggressive as humans so redemption and forgiveness comes easier. It would explain a lot given previous antagonists and even the main six.

@drumpowa  
I didn’t see any community service just cheerful activities.
 
And again your focusing on the wrong point it’s less about punishment and more about her motives and previous actions being instantly glossed over like nothing happened and they are suddenly best friends, it’s more about the writing and the way it was handled than anything.

I’m going back to the end of the episode and Starlight looks contrite and willing to accept punishment. It was through a deliberation of the Mane 6 that decided to put her two essentially rehab. Even AJ alluded to not letting her off scott free. So basically…it was this:
 

 
The Mane 6 chose community service. That apparently ruffled some feathers.