MLP FiM: 'The Crystalling:' A Review

Huzzah! It's a new season of MLP!

Though I admit that I initially went into the new episode a little...miffed. All because Hasbro, yet again, in it's infinite wisdom, tries it's hand at teasing the upcoming season, and wound up, instead, as usual, spoiling more than teasing, more than I'd particularly care them to about certain details.

You know. Like a certain baby of Cadance and Shining Armor's...

I mean, true, it's not like it was any great surprise the kid was going to be an alicorn. In fact, I had totally predicted as such. I mean, it made sense, the kid would be inheriting alicorn genes from her mother, so there was at least a fifty-fifty chance.

What I'm miffed about is the fact that Hasbro decided to just...blab it all out to the world before it could be revealed in the episode itself, where the reveal is best rigged for it. So what if it wasn't really that big of a surprise? It was key to the episode, and until then we didn't have confirmation of whether or not that'd be the case. They totally could've played it out the suspense on that. Would the kid would be an alicorn or not? Watch the episode to find out! Next time, only on the Hub! no wait...it's not the Hub anymore...

But that being said...I did enjoy the episode regardless, which despite the spoilering proved to have a great deal more to tell than I had been giving it credit for.

First of all, something I knew I could at least look forward to was that, as the kid is an alicorn, this would shed additional light on the true nature of alicornhood, and just how it works. More specifically, what sort of alicorns Celestia and Luna are, and why they don't seem to be quite like the others. We know the two sisters have basically eternal life, but it's been continually getting implied that, as alicorns go, they're unique. It's been stated by the show's crew that Twilight has not been granted eternal life, and though I'm not aware of it being publicly stated anywhere, Cadance is presumably in the same boat. Plus, the show and the comics have increasingly been suggesting there have been other alicorns in Equestria's history, but they don't seem to be around anymore, meaning that something happened to them. It would seem that becoming an alicorn didn't necessarily grant eternal life at the same time, so what makes Celestia and Luna different? My theory was that maybe it was because they were born alicorns, and thus were of a special sort of alicorn. At the very least, I was thinking Flutter Heart here being born as an alicorn was going to shed light on that whole subject.

Well, it certainly did that, but in the complete opposite of what I was expecting. Apparently ponies being born an alicorn is entirely unheard of, with Celestia and Luna stating they had never heard of such a thing before...the implication of this meaning that Celestia and Luna achieved alicornhood in similar manner to Twilight and Cadance, and confirms that, excepting the new kid, alicornhood isn't made, it is earned (implying, for the record, that Twilight's own ascension was all on her, and Celestia was only there to congratulate her and sing a solo). This then begs the question; what were Celestia and Luna before alicornhood, and just what was it they did to achieve alicornhood, if they weren't already born into it?

Or are they maybe lying? Or at least concealing details? They do have a past reputation of being very hush-hush about their past. But...why would they hide the truth, if that's the case? What would they earn from it?

Basically, something I had hoped would resolve questions about alicorns ended up presenting more still, and now I'm really wishing the crew just go ahead and dedicate the time to revealing Celestia and Luna's tale in full already.

Maybe they could do that instead of more Equestria Girls, which frankly is starting to feel like they're beating a dead......tree.

But alicorn or not, I like the new kid. Though she seems a little mature for a newborn, at least in comparison to how newborns have previously been portrayed on the show (it did not escape my notice that she's got actual pupils when the Cake twins, who have got to be about a year old by now at least, do not still. What gives?), she's got a spunk, and she knows which one is the fun pony (Pinkie Pie). I think we haven't seen the last of her driving her parents up the wall.

And oh heavens, sleep-deprived Shining Armor was a hoot! Normally we see Shining be fairly well composed at all times (except at weddings), so to see him act a little more silly and overly-stressed than normal was a fun change. Though I did find it odd that he was that loopy while Cadance was not, even though she was reportedly just as sleep-deprived, and actually the one who gave birth, a process I imagine is plenty more exhausting (being male and single, I wouldn't know).

But enough about the kid, because the real star of the episode is really more Starlight Glimmer.

I confess after last season's finale, I was left on the fence about her, and unclear on where the show planned to take her next. Dialogue suggested Twilight intended to take her into her tutelage, but it wasn't clear, or so I felt, so I wasn't sure what her future was, or if she would even appear again, so I was taken a little by surprise when the first scene of the new episode was all on her as I wasn't expecting that. Also a little jarred by the fact that after the last episode we spent looking at her as a villain, the episode treats her like she's a friend and ally now, a full about face from before. Which, I know, was to be expected, but the transition still feels sudden and a little jarring. I feel like the crew could've given a bit more of a transition for that, to better set the scene for it.

I was also still unsure how I felt about her being a student or reformed at all, but after getting over that aforementioned jarring moment, and I did so fairly quickly, I quickly got a feel for the character again and the show's new approach to her, and I like what I am seeing. They've given Starlight a very "newbie" feel in the group's interactions, something that can be very fun to do if done right, and thus far they're on the right track. I think it's an idea that's going to work very well for the show and I am interested to see where it'll get taken next. I also found myself really liking her interactions with Spike in this, and they feel like equals. I don't know if that was planned, but I hope that they continue with that approach in future episodes, as I like that friendly dynamic they've found with the two. I also hope they continue to explore the idea of Starlight being unable to navigate Twilight's castle for a few episodes too, as I think that'd make for a fun running gag.

Speaking of gags, I also suspect Starlight's little remark about how Twilight's castle appears to be bigger on the inside was the crew's way of poking fun at themselves at the castle's design and how they've been very inconsistent with it's layout. I also suspect the Whovians among us are going to latch onto that line and run with it, as it will no doubt remind them of something else that is known to be bigger on the inside (although I should point out that Twilight's castle is still rather large on the outside still by several stories and square feet and certainly isn't inconspicuous, and doesn't that sort of defeat the point of a TARDIS, where the idea is for it to appear to be small and easy to hide? And I know Clara made off in a TARDIS disguised as a whole diner, but that's not the same as a big whopping castle!), but I digress.

I also liked Sunburst, both as a character and in personality, as I think he's a very good soul that's just lacking in confidence. I hope we'll see more of him in the future.

In conclusion, the episode was very nicely rendered and written, and is a very well rounded tale, and feels like all the major characters get equal time, even Celestia and Luna. It tells a wonderful little tale that hits on all of MLP's best trademarks and was very enjoyable to watch, and I actually wouldn't mind taking the time now to watch it again (but I won't, unfortunately I have other things I ought to do this evening).

And Twilight's parents actually do have voices! Imagine that!

And yes, whole review posted on dA this time around, and no links to some other site. I decided I can't be bothered to muck about with that anymore.