End of the chapter or end of the story?

[Ashton]

Just a little speculation thread about wheather this last episode ("crusaders of the lost mark") was intended to be the final CMC episode (obviously they'll still show up in the series, being sisters of half the mane cast, but this would be the final episode focusing on them) or wheather this is just the end of their insanity over getting theri cutiemarks and a new path for them will emerge (which has been laid out in the episode) 

 

Looking at it from a story perspective, everything has been setup perfectly to bring the cmc's story to a close now. They resolved the last issue at the school (the bullies), they have their marks, and they have a clear path ahead of helping others ( L)earn their own marks. It even finished with bookends (the cmc started at DT's cutecenera, and they finished at their own).

 

Looking at it from a popularity(money) perspective, it would be complete insanity for hasbro to end it here with how popular the CMC are in the fandom, though this leaves the question open now of wheather future stories will be written "for the plot" and be good or just "for the money" and be nothing more than pointless money-grabbing-filler

 

Thoughts?

 

(And yes, I know there are some points not completely resolved like scootaloo's flying or what they will do int he "far-future" as adults since this kinda leans them away from their individual jobs most people forsaw --- but that could be resolved as a subplot to a M6+sister-episode or simply left open to debate like most of the history of equestria)

[SteelEagle]

The chapter of the trio trying to discover who they are is closed. The next chapter has a possible path, but IMHO it also finally allows them to move beyond this stage. Everything they've done has been on account of them being blank flank CMCs. We love them here, but the reason for a long time that they were some of the least popular characters is that they were almost always one note. With some rare and notable exceptions, an Apple Bloom/Sweetie Belle/Scootaloo/CMC episode is about the fact they are blank flanks, either directly or indirectly.
 

Now they aren't. They have an identity beyond "CMC and sister of___". This new identity can now be explored.

[RarityDash]

It certainly isn't the end. Much, like the introduction of the cutie map, what we have simply gotten out of this is a new storytelling device. We will now see the CMC getting out there, being proactive and trying to help others on a personal level. Where the Mane six, guided by the map will tackle larger scale problems rooted in a community, the CMC are set to tackle the smaller problems which maybe don't extend much beyond the pony they're trying to help.

 

But that will just take the place of plots where they actively try to get their cutie marks--I'm sure there will be plenty of staightforward slice of life episodes dealing with their relationships with their friends, families and each other as there always was.

 

Frankly, I think there is a lot more story potential in this general setup than in the one it replaces. The theme was discovering who you were, and yet who the three were was made all too obvious from very early on.