Season 9 Discussion Thread [NO SPOILERS, DF airings only]

@ILoveMyoozik  
Oh yeah, she only did what’s best for the hive, she didn’t deserve to have it all being taken away. Totally not sarcasm
 
Let’s be real here, she had her chance to redeem herself with Starlight, but declined

Chrysalis is a being made of malice, okay? She was the least likely of all three to be reformed.

@LeoNero  
Not to mention Chrysalis was offered redemption and rejected it.
 

@LeoNero  
Which was for the better really

@LeoNero
 
I swear, it’s like people think Chrysalis is excused of all responsibility for the atrocities she gleefully commits for no reason at all.
 
…Almost like how she thinks actually.

A bit of a random question, but what time of the year you belive that the finale took place?

@GenericArchangel  

 
Yeah… for all that love she eats to grow strong, she feels none of it. An irony which should be embraced by everyone.
 
 
@kleptomage
 
She would’ve been a weaker villain if she reformed. It was for the best that she didn’t.
 
Having a completely unrepentant bastard or three as a villain in a family-friendly show is great.

@Twi Clown
 
So was Starlight, though… =/

@AC97  
Agreed. It’s important to illustrate that even in a show where friendship is literally magic, some beings are naturally evil and cannot be reasoned with or redeemed.

@Spinny
 
And then Starlight had a change of heart while Cozy was still an unrepenant pony.

@Twi Clown  
Remember that Starlight was a contrarian who only changed her mind after watching how the result of her actions would cause the end of the world, while Cozy only got a cheesy lecture from Twilight.

@kleptomage
 
I mean, when friendship is a quantifiable, literal, and magical thing then that’s when having being that are just plain evil makes more sense than most other fictions.

@Anonycat
 
Honestly, I’m inclined to believe that ultimately they made their own choices.
 
_{And Twily speeches are rather sappy all the time anyway.}

@Twi Clown  
They only did what the writers and direction staff wanted them to do. For what’s worth, the show’s document leaks from the other day revealed that originally Starlight was meant to be pushed as the seventh member of Twilight’s group and get a protagonic role on the series, so her redemption and crazy fast acceptance makes sense.  
If the same intention had been used with Cozy, she would have repented and received another redemption montage just like Starlight.

@Anonycat
 
Yeah, well, that’s beyond our control.

@Twi Clown  
Which I’m glad happened really

I liked the finale despite its missteps, but I’m going to address them, not because I want to nitpick or be negative, but because I think they are worth talking about.
 
So, we all knew Twilight was eventually going to replace Celestia as ruler of Equestria. Celestia had been grooming her to be a princess since the beginning. My problem is how the show built up to it. Since the premiere of this season, the royal sisters have been pushing her into the role too quickly without giving any good explanation why, thus it comes across like they want to retire for selfish reasons. Celestia and Luna really just want to ditch Equestria and everyone they know to go live in Silver Shoals (wherever that is)? I’m sorry, but that does not sit well with me. It would have been better I think if Twilight ruled side by side with Celestia and Luna until she got a good handle on her responsibilities.
 
Pony society is terribly weak if all it takes to drive them apart and bring the windigos is Chrysalis going around starting rumors. I mean, I believe it. Episodes like Fame and Misfortune show how quickly ponies are to turn against each other for petty reasons. Realistically though, it strains belief and speaks poorly of the average pony.
 
Discord’s actions and his explanations for them were extremely dumb. Enough said about that.
 
Pinkie can’t be the only one of the Mane Six who got married, right? They all deserved to find love and happiness. I want to believe their mates were offscreen because the implication of them still being alone in middle age is as heartbreaking as the final song.

@kleptomage
 
I think it’s that asylum that was visited in The Point of No Return.

@Mildgyth  
*retirement community
 
But that was in Seaward Shoals. Did the writers get the names confused?

@Twi Clown  
Her idea of her own skill, not that she actually is that good.

@kleptomage
 
@Mildgyth
 
Might as well have been Shady Shoals.  

 
But this brings me into my thoughts on Celestia and Luna’s retirement. I didn’t like them shoving Twilight into the role so quickly either. It was a bit out of character in my opinion, plus it makes them look like jerks for ripping Twilight away from Ponyville and the school she started by her own desire.
 
It’s still a fitting ending, but it was written and handled terribly. For me, it’s made Season 9 both great and horrible at the same time. The episodes were good, but it did not fit into the long-term continuity. Heck, I can’t even bare to use the continuity from Season 9 in my own writing.

@Mildgyth  
@kleptomage
 
Silver Shoals = Seaward Shoals, seen in PPOV. Different names for the same place.
 

 
Silver Stable = retirement community.

@T.S. Lightner  
The show has never been good at long term plans, partly because for a while it was unknown how long the show was going to run, but you know, Twilight’s journey from asocial bookworm to ruler of Equestria is the central arc of the whole series. I don’t like to say this, but it could have been handled a lot better and you’re right, it does kind of make Celestia and Luna look like jerks for never stopping to consider what Twilight and her friends wanted.

Luna and Celestia retiring is a bit weird since they didn’t age at all

@Broken Adam  
And because Luna has been a princess for like, what, 5 years ever since she came back from banishment? It’s kinda like retireing a day after you came back from vacation.