S03 E13 - "Magical Mystery Cure"

[elsporko]

Rarity's talent is bringing out the inner beauty of things. Her spell is finding gems.

Rainbow Dash's talent is rainbows and dashing and dashing or rainbow related activities including rainbow dashing.

Each of their cutie marks and related talents brought them to where they currently are. Changing their destinies put somebody else into that role.

[P51Mustang]

Yeah I noticed that too. But it's definately possible that the cutie marks are themes and not necessarily driven by one specific talent. For Rarity, its her attention to detail. For Rainbow Dash, its her adrenaline rushes and joy of speed. Applejack got her cutie mark when she came back to the farm after visiting Manehatten. If she really did end up losing the farm to Flim and Flam, would she have lost her cutie mark? I don't think so.

Well for Rainbow Dash, it's a bit clearer on what her special talent is considering that she got her cutie mark after she did the sonic rainboom and won the race. So I think her special talent is being able to go really fast and when she reaches Super sonic speeds, she creates the sonic rainboom. None of which Rarity did during the Season 3 finale. Now Rarity's cutie mark is a bit more obscure. She didn't earn hers until after she designed the dresses for the school pageant with the gems that she found in the giant rock. However what is telling is the fact that Rarity's cutie mark is three diamonds or gemstone. Which kinda leads me to believe that her special talent involves finding gemstones, not making dresses.

Rarity's talent is bringing out the inner beauty of things. Her spell is finding gems.

Rainbow Dash's talent is rainbows and dashing and dashing or rainbow related activities including rainbow dashing.

Each of their cutie marks and related talents brought them to where they currently are. Changing their destinies put somebody else into that role.

Except in The Cutie Mark Chronicle Rarity's horn led her directly to a giant rock that held a ton of gemstone. However as I've said before she didn't exactly get her cutie mark till after the school's pageant. So her special talent could be up in the air, but I'm about 90% sure that it involves gemstone given the incident with her horn and her cutie mark design. As for Rainbow Dash, she got her cutie mark after she went super sonic, created the sonic rainboom and won the race. Her is more cut & dry.

[weesh]

The cutie mark change fundamentally changed each character mentally. But it is not clear that it railroaded them down a specific path, as much as it pushed them towards the character whose mark they had. Perhaps Rarity sees Dash's cutie mark as all things Dash, and started emulating her perception of Dash. In this case, she probably things of Dash as a skilled flyer and the local weather guy, but being unable to fly, defaulted to weather. All subconscious of course.

A similar case can be made for Applejack, who isn't often around on Rarity's gem missions, and couldn't do it anyways.

[TheColtofPersonality]

This is my latest PMV called "Into godhood"

Its a very simple PMV in the end but the charmer is thge song...

Well three songs, "The Mad man in a box" "song of captivity and freedom" and "song of freedom.

All are wonderful works of Murray Gold

This was a challenge as there was not just one song I wanted but sort of an opus, combining three sonngs into one.

Like a new beginning, something of wonder and life.

This is my gift to you fellow bronies.

[TheInvisiblePony]

Well. I can honestly say I didn't like this episode. Oh, not because of the whole new alicorn on the block thing, I'm completely fine with that. Heck, if anything I can say I was never really surprised when I caught wind of the news. Really, it seemed a bit inevitable in retrospect, and all I have left to say on the matter is that I will still always think of Twi as a unicorn, mainly out of habit at this point.

No, what bugged me was the pacing, and a few other issues. But for now, lets start with the pacing. With all the music quite literally every two minutes at some points, this episode seemed a bit... forced, really. As in, I could have been fooled into thinking it was a twenty minute music video rather than an episode. Oh, and the plot was so glossed over it left me in the dust in a few places, which really is a shame, because the whole swapped destiny idea really intrigued me. But the cause was glanced over, the cure was glanced over, the morale implications were glanced over, and the doubt of royally (pun-intended) screwing up again were glanced over. This is the one episode that I think really, and I mean really, needed to be a two-parter.

The other thing I didn't like was how they handled the cutie-swaps. That in particular was a plot element that needed to be fleshed out. It should have gotten legitimate scenes, and not just a song. It should have been explored, but as it was I don't think this was nearly the biggest event Twi's been through. She's beaten a literal embodiment of chaos, and finishing a spell is what got her crowned? I question that, but mainly because Celestia's scene was barely looked at. From what I understood, Celestia was celebrating how far she had come, and that she was going to be a princess. I guess I can understand that the spell was specifically a culmination of all she had learned about friendship, but it just wasn't emphisised enough.

Oh, and why was Starswirl working on a spell to turn himself into a god princess alicorn in the first place?

It wasn't all bad though. I mean, the songs were good, even though they took the place of, you know, development. I did like Shining Armor's quote about liquid pride, which I may have to start using, and the overall message they were intending to get through was respectable enough. Just, too much to handle in the span of 20 minutes.

[Dessa]

Starswirl's spell isn't what transformed Twilight, it was Celestia. As soon as Twilight finished the spell, Celestia summoned her.

If you'll recall in season 1, Twilight tried to cast a Cutie Mark spell on Apple Bloom and it failed repeatedly. She explained that such a thing was completely impossible. But here, she completes it -- a spell which can alter a pony's destiny itself. That's major, dude.

[starswirlthebearded]

The spell to me seemed to be one to reach the ethereal plane, which Celestia (and perhaps princesses in general?) has access to naturally.

[TheInvisiblePony]

Starswirl's spell isn't what transformed Twilight, it was Celestia. As soon as Twilight finished the spell, Celestia summoned her.

If you'll recall in season 1, Twilight tried to cast a Cutie Mark spell on Apple Bloom and it failed repeatedly. She explained that such a thing was completely impossible. But here, she completes it -- a spell which can alter a pony's destiny itself. That's major, dude.

I guess your right. Really, I just need to go back and rewatch the episode. Still, I'd like to know the details of this spell, like how exactly it affected the ponies. I just want to know how they thought they earned the fake cutie mark once the swap had happened.

[tacobob]

Re-watching the episode, one bit got me thinking..Where Fluttershy is trying to amuse the ponies in Sugarcube Corner, I could picture Mr or Mrs Cake sticking their heads out from the bakery, "Ah Flutters, that register an't gonna ring itself up! Mind using it?"

[FlammingHeart]

I really do not agree wih the theory of it is Celista giving Twillight Sparkl wings Celista does say you archieved what nopony ever archieved before. Just becaue Twillight succesfully casted the spell does not mean it is instant wing. She goes to this magical place and then she gets her wings properly with Celistas gudiance but she could propely done it without her help.

[Rosewind]

My interpretation is that Twilight herself evoked her own change and destiny. You'll see right before her transformation, a bit of magic/power/whatever emerges from Twilight's chest and surrounds her, not from Celestia casting a spell -- she was just mentoring her through the change and explaining the reason why it was happening.

[Hippo]

"achieved what nopony ever archieved before"

The problem is that not everyone can take this to the bank. Twilight might be the only one who's ever achieved new magic. Just like Celestia is the only pony with wings and a horn, just like Nightmare Mon isn't Luna but somepony else, or like Spike was a real hero in the Crystal Empire, even though all he did was grab the crystal heart, take a few steps and trip down a tower towards King Sobra's wrath. Not everything in this show is going to line up George Lucas style. You kind of have to go at it with the idea that the cartoon is going to improvise itself from time to time. It's just the way it is.

[FlammingHeart]

I do not think your giving the writers enough credit now. I see many times that the story line makes perfectly sence and pics up from what happened before. What Twillight Sparkle arhieved that nopony ever befor archieved was becomming an alicorn. The others princesses where born with it.

She did not archieve a spell she archieved becomming one with friendship and thereby magic hence friendship is magic.

[Hippo]

The others princesses where born with it.

See, its those kind of assumptions that the fandom makes about the episode. I went in being ok with the expansion of the alicorn thing. But we are still in the dark about alicorn origins, what it means, and why it exists. We're still not even sure if it grants immortality. And until we get a CANON description about alicorn origins, then the season finale doesn't make perfect sense. I think this is why Meghan McCarthy felt the need to explain that this episode could be considered the first of three parts. Until we see those conclusions, we can't make full heads or tails of everything that involves Twilight as an alicorn. This story isn't even half over.

[weesh]

The conclusion of the episode has me torn.

For one, it is fun to see her flying.

But how could would it have been to watch her learn to fly?

[Rosewind]

The conclusion of the episode has me torn.

For one, it is fun to see her flying.

But how could would it have been to watch her learn to fly?

It could still happen! I guess we'll find out next winter!

[elsporko]

Just because Twilight flew for dramatic story reasons it doesn't mean we can't have an episode about her how to learn how to fly properly

[weesh]

It could still happen! I guess we'll find out next winter!

Just because Twilight flew for dramatic story reasons it doesn't mean we can't have an episode about her how to learn how to fly properly

I guess she could still have trouble landing...or taking off. Maybe Shining Armor had to throw her... : )

[Hippo]

I guess she could still have trouble landing...or taking off. Maybe Shining Armor had to throw her... : )

tbh, a 'learning how to fly' episode seems sort of lame. I would rather have the lessons Twilight learns be more about her responsibility rather than her anatomy. The only episode that I can recall in which Twilight struggles with her abilities is Boast Busters. And that episode was more about how one should be proud of her strengths than be afraid to flaunt them in front of their friends.

[weesh]

tbh, a 'learning how to fly' episode seems sort of lame.

Agreed. I don't want a whole episode on that either. But there are tons of ways that flying could be incorporated into an episode well.

Off the top of my head:

1) using flying as an analogy for her new roles and responsibilities

2) if flying is instinctual, it could be related to some other struggle that Twilight can't solve just by thinking it through.

3) if there is something stressful happening, flying lessons could be her one chance to escape and process her new life (similar to "the princess bride" or "brave")

4) what if flying lessons inspire a desire to investigate her new earth pony nature?

I really hope that they don't miss such a neat opportunity.

[Hippo]

4) what if flying lessons inspire a desire to investigate her new earth pony nature?

And miss a perfect opportunity for a Applejack-centric episode?!?

NEVAH!!!!!!!!!!

[weesh]

And miss a perfect opportunity for a Applejack-centric episode?!?

Say what? I was thinking about Applejack when I wrote that one. I certainly wasn't thinking about Pinkie Pie helping her get in touch with her earth-pony-ness.

[Hippo]

Say what? I was thinking about Applejack when I wrote that one. I certainly wasn't thinking about Pinkie Pie helping her get in touch with her earth-pony-ness.

*pets weesh*

Good boy.

[weesh]

*pets weesh*

Good boy.

What did you think I meant?

And as far as flying goes, it would be interesting if Fluttershy was better at teaching the basics than Rainbow.

Either either either way, this conversation gives me hope.

[RegalSteel]

I went in being ok with the expansion of the alicorn thing. But we are still in the dark about alicorn origins, what it means, and why it exists.

I'm hoping that we get an episode that; much like when the CMC were asking the mane 6 about their cutie marks, has Twilight being told the story of each Alicorn from them.