Unpopular opinion time

@Broken Adam  
The Flim Flam part being bullshit? Because they never got any sort of redemption of any kind, and were probably only there because for some crazy reason the staff loved using them so much. The spite part? I was half joking and half serious. People bugged them so much about Lighting Dust it took them until S8 to bring them back. And then people bugged them about not redeeming her so they probably got sick of dealing with it

@AC97
 
“You’re not seriously expecting me to risk my hide for anypony else, are you?”

@GenericArchangel  

 
Page break’d.

I wish Trixie ended up with Hoofar  
Why? To piss off Yurifags because Trixie’s entire character revolves around Starlight so much that even a split second portrait of her family with him on her office would make her feel less of a Jannetty sidekick to Starlight

@Kiryu-Chan  
The FlimFlam knows that letting the world get taken over is bad for business.

They should have gotten ahold of the alicorn amulet.
 
And Twilight should of had a nightmare flsh of every villain all at once.

@Kiryu-Chan  
Pragmatic villainy.

I’m sure LD was just in the hospital after a flying accident - that is, if she ever recovered after that last one.
 
“I missed the biggest battle in modern Equestrian history, a chance to really show that rainbow-maned idiot what I’m made of? Maybe skimping on safety isn’t always the best move…”

@Latecomer  
A full wing-&-body hoof cast drinking through a straw.

@Vivace  
It baffles me that that was not the ending in any version of the script.

@Vivace
 
@Latecomer  

@Kiryu-Chan  
Yeah, this. (where’s the straw, though?)

@GenericArchangel
 
Lol, yeah, I believe I’ve heard about that.
 
She is essentially a version of Rainbow Dash with no loyalty.
 
In any case, you should probably never trust her with your life. Never. Trixie would be a lot better for that, and sure enough, she showed up to help save them (although I’m fairly sure that Trixie didn’t actually dislike any of the heroes by that point, or at least, not Twilight).
 
 
@Meanlucario
 
In and of itself, it’s arguably suicidal to let any of those three take over, when you could’ve tried to help stop them, because none of them are exactly known for their benevolence (the name “Chrysalis” at least is something that we know probably could’ve spread around, given Fluttershy mentioned it in public, and probably some of the Friendship School students, from Trixie or Starlight; all they’d have to do is ask Trixie “who was that yelling for Starlight,” if they didn’t know already, and Trixie was reading that scroll too, sent to Starlight, so she could conceivably know about the exact other two villains, from what was written, presuming that information was included).
 
(How did that turn into a bit of a “information source” tangent? Oh well, lol)

@GenericArchangel  
I feel like it’s unfair to blame her for choosing to not involving herself in an incident, considering the track record of the princesses doing the same and how staying out of an emergency where you’re unable/unqualified to help is the wise decision lest you become a casualty yourself. Firefighters tell you not to run into burning buildings for a reason :P

@Badumsquish  
Fair point.
 
Counterpoint: she tried to join a military organization and was recognized as highly skilled by said organization, only being discharged due to her recklessness. She then formed a similar group of what can be described as mercenaries, and again gained recognition for her skill. If the Wonderbolts showed up, the Washouts should’ve too.

@GenericArchangel  
The Washouts are poorly written and have been so since the writers killed any greyness they had since the end of their debut episode, since the writers are pro establishment for some reason

@Broken Adam  
The Equestrian establishment is generally pretty positive - it is a discount utopia after all. However if you’re speaking of the Wonderbolts, they’ve hardly been shown untarnished.
 
As for the Washouts, they seemed well written enough to me. This is always a show that has used fairly broad characters.

Lightning Dust is the closest there ever was to an evil pony.
 
Well, except Sombra, of course.

@Spinny
 
There’s Cozy too.

@Latecomer  
I mean, almost all the Wonderbolt episodes had the moral of “Hazing is good”, “your boss yelling at you is good” “the only alternative to the establishment are child murderers”

@GenericArchangel  
I don’t think she could be called a mercenary. She’s a daredevil like Evil Knievel now. Besides, key point is “tried” to join Equestria’s fighting force. They chased her away because they changed the rules to disallow what she was doing and made it pretty clear they don’t want her around :P
 
@Latecomer  
I think that world has way too many problems to be called a utopia. Discord’s whole “create a conflict to make the new leader look good” stunt alone probably disqualifies it from being called “utopia” :P

@Badumsquish  
I admit I’m indulging in alternative interpretations, but if the Wonderbolts are military then a copycat organization is mercenary. Even disregarding that, she and her team are clearly skilled fliers and could’ve- and should’ve- helped. It’s one thing to say “this is too dangerous, I’ll stay out of the way.” It’s another to say “oh it’s that chick, fuck her I hope she dies.” Especially when “that chick” is the ruler of your nation. It’s treasonous.

@GenericArchangel
 
Counterpoint number 2: Derpy showed up to help (and she did so), and so did Terramar, Silverstream’s younger brother.
 
I don’t think you can say Lightning Dust’s excuses would be that great, even if it involved her being quadriplegic or something, because that would still be all her fault, especially if it resulted from something in S8.
 
(Also, worth mentioning, regarding recovery [if it’s not paralysis, or even if it’s needed]: if even a third of those tally marks are actual days, that’s a lot of recovery time, especially considering that presumably started from S8’s finale, and this was at the beginning of the season)

@Broken Adam  
There were also eps like Rainbow Falls, ere Dash showed up the Bolts for their lack of loyalty.
 
 
@Badumsquish  
Discord is a fly in the ointment. It’s his nature.

@Mildgyth
 
Cozy “gleefully taunts prisoners with imminent executions before Chrysalis tells you they should linger” Glow.
 
Cozy “fuck you and your friends who loved me, I’m tricking you into Tartarus” Glow.