S07E10: A Royal Problem

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S07E10: A Royal Problem

Postby Wayoshi (?) » Wed May 17, 2017 5:25 pm

Starlight Glimmer is sent to solve a friendship problem between Princess Celestia and Princess Luna; when it's clear that the problem is that the royal sisters don't appreciate one another, Starlight impulsively switches their cutie marks!


This thread is for discussion of the episode. This episode airs on Treehouse TV in Canada at 11:15 Eastern / 8:15 Pacific on Saturday, May 20!

Official preview clips and images are okay to post, as is speculation about the episode.
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Postby Juju&Lulu (?) » Wed May 17, 2017 5:31 pm

Congratulations Princess Celestia fans, all your waiting and patience has finally paid off.

Celestial finally gets an episode.

To share with Luna...

... and Starlight
"Why does life have to be so IRONIC?" :milkshake:
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Postby The Doctor (?) » Wed May 17, 2017 5:50 pm

fans have wanted a Celestia Episode for years.

:ponynet: Let's make her share it with Luna.

:ponynet: And since we portray then as incompetent damsels in distress every time bad guys show up, lets make it so they're incapable of even dealing with a simple personal problem. Afterall, they we're separated for 1000 years. There's no way they would lean to appreciate eachother in that time.

:ponynet: and lets also show than as weak and have them put at the mercy of our OP writer's pet having yet another tantrum with her magic that will be instantly forgiven by all because all the characters have to love Starlight Sue.



:amazing: yeah, I'm really, really not looking forward to this one. Why the writing team refuses to let them solve a probelm rather than be a problem is bizarre. We be had enough of the squabbling sisters story.
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Postby PonyHag714 (?) » Wed May 17, 2017 7:28 pm

Image :speakest: Our cutie marks have been switched! This is a disaster!

Image Did I do that?
:speakest: The fun has been doubled!
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Postby SlateSlabrock (?) » Thu May 18, 2017 1:35 am

:excite: Ooh, ooh, I know the solution to this one!

Image Don't ruin this for me, Sparkle! You've already gotten your wings.

:speakest: Dear Princess Me, we have gained a new appreciation for eggs sunny-side up.

:dwi: Look at me, I get to sleep through all our disasters! I'm off to Aruba!
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Postby The Doctor (?) » Thu May 18, 2017 1:57 am

Less sarcastically angry, real talk:

I was thinking about ways this episode could work, and there's really nothing I can think of that doesn't alter the synopsis quite a bit.

Example. Celestia and Luna are having issues, and they themselves call Starlight to Canterlot to switch their Cutie Marks so they can try a day in each other's horseshoes. Shows them as competent, able to deal with issues, and in control of the situation, even coming up with a clever solution, but still allow for silly antics.

But in the end, we still have the fact the Celestia already appreciates Luna, having lost her for 1000 years and doing her job. And as for Luna not appreciating Celestia, we have the amazing Luna micro comic for that.
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Postby Aramek (?) » Thu May 18, 2017 2:03 am

This is gonna own.

Starlight is the best.
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Postby adiwan (?) » Thu May 18, 2017 2:41 pm

My main question now is: Will Starlight become a princess that episode?
Twilight switched the cutie marks of her friends back and forth and became a princess.

It's very probable that this won't happen.
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Postby Dexanth (?) » Sat May 20, 2017 3:36 am

I am going to love or hate this episode, and thus I am the epitome of nervicited.
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Postby The Doctor (?) » Sat May 20, 2017 3:37 pm

Well, that was just as bad as I thought it would be.

Celestia and Luna are idiots for the whole episode.
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Postby RudeCyrus (?) » Sat May 20, 2017 3:39 pm

A bit heavy on the exposition, but otherwise a great episode.
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Postby PonyHag714 (?) » Sat May 20, 2017 3:44 pm

This was pretty good. :speakest:

It was great to see the Princesses really flex thier acting and emotional muscles. I like how much this season has done to make both Celly and Luna more relatable.

Celly is best pancake maker. And I loved Twilight once again at her adorkable best, and as the music box.

Terrific dream sequence. It makes so much sense that Celly would have a counterpart to Nightmare Moon.

Funny scenes included the royal cheesy grins and Luna's teeth falling out. And nopony gets PO'd like the Princesses.

The map knows just who to send on a given mission, and that's cool too.

Well done Pony. Image
:speakest: The fun has been doubled!
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Postby The Doctor (?) » Sat May 20, 2017 3:45 pm

I wonder if we'll ever get an episode showing who raised the moon and ruled Equestira for 1000 years while Luna was banished since this episode basically retconned her into being an idiot who couldn't possibly have done that. :-/



And what do I do on my Bingo card?

Image

I either circle "Luna episode" for being a Celestia and Luna episode, and X out "No Celestia Episode"

Or I keep the "No Celestia Episode" free space, and x out the "Luna episode" since it wasn't focused on either...
Last edited by The Doctor on Sat May 20, 2017 3:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby Aramek (?) » Sat May 20, 2017 3:46 pm

Owned. Holy shit. Owned.

All the faces were great.
All the vocal performances were great.
All the designs were great.

Holy shit.
This was amazing.
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Postby Aramek (?) » Sat May 20, 2017 3:50 pm

I cannot conceive how anyone could watch this and not find Celestia and Luna way better, cooler, realistic, and more interesting than before.

This ep made the Princesses better.
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Postby The Doctor (?) » Sat May 20, 2017 3:51 pm

Aramek wrote:I cannot conceive how anyone could watch this and not find Celestia and Luna way better, cooler, realistic, and more interesting than before.

This ep made the Princesses better.


Because some of us wanted to see them solve a problem for once and not be the problem? They're shown as weak and helpless every time danger shows up, least we could get is an episode where they don't need the Writer's Pet to solve their problems.

Showing them as idiots who learned absolutely nothing after 1000 years of separation does not make them better.
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Postby Dexanth (?) » Sat May 20, 2017 3:52 pm

Aramek wrote:I cannot conceive how anyone could watch this and not find Celestia and Luna way better, cooler, realistic, and more interesting than before.

This ep made the Princesses better.


Gotta totally agree on this. I was afraid they would get it wrong, but this one was done really really well, and super fun.

Pancakes? Just the start of the day :dwi:
:milkshake: Image ImageImage Image
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Postby Adelor Lyon (?) » Sat May 20, 2017 3:59 pm

Image

This one owned. A little heavy on the exposition, especially in the beginning with the music box joke, but otherwise it was great.

...has anyone not had a nightmare where their teeth fall out? That part was brutal.
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Postby Aramek (?) » Sat May 20, 2017 4:03 pm

I've never, because I don't get nightmares.

Closest I get are dreams with monsters in them, but I'm usually fighting the monsters.
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Postby SlateSlabrock (?) » Sat May 20, 2017 4:05 pm

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Postby Juju&Lulu (?) » Sat May 20, 2017 4:20 pm

DJ Flurry Heart was the best

Also Luna confirmed to hate poor school ponies. I read it in the paper
"Why does life have to be so IRONIC?" :milkshake:
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Postby SlateSlabrock (?) » Sat May 20, 2017 4:34 pm

DerFurShur wrote:DJ Flurry Heart was the best

:lol:

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Postby The Doctor (?) » Sat May 20, 2017 4:42 pm

More lengthy thoughts:


This episode would have worked so much better with a simple change of having Celestia and Luna recognize their problem, and call Starlight to perform the spell, knowing she can do spells with Cutie Marks. Would have shown Celestia and Luna as competent leaders, able to recognize a problem and come up with a creative solutions. And it would have allowed Starlight's magic to, for once, be used in a productive way that doesn't totally disregard the ponies she's casting it on.

Problem is it once again shows Starlight being totally incapable of dealing with others and forcing magic upon them to try and make things conform to what SHE wants. She's a psychopath with little regard for anyone that isn't doing exactly what she wants. And once again facing no consequences for her actions.

Still would have gotten the silly antics. Still would have gotten the "trot a mile in anther's horseshoes" story. But it would have allowed for all the characters to come out better.


Think I'm going to go re-read this story done right.

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Postby Wayoshi (?) » Sat May 20, 2017 5:06 pm

Look at these beautiful dreams.

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Postby The Doctor (?) » Sat May 20, 2017 5:10 pm

That's a Discord appear. Once more and my "3 or more discord appearance" square can be marked on the bingo card.
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Postby Highbrow Dash (?) » Sat May 20, 2017 5:15 pm

This was great. The nightmare sequence went a little overboard but everything else was super good :allears:
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Postby Nicotico (?) » Sat May 20, 2017 5:16 pm

Well we got a sneak peak of Applejack's parents in that dream bubble.
Thought it was a pretty good episode overall.

Also pancakes.
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Postby Wayoshi (?) » Sat May 20, 2017 5:23 pm

Oh dang, I totally posted without looking at the thread first. :v:

Have a few faces so I actually provide new content:

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Postby Wayoshi (?) » Sat May 20, 2017 5:40 pm

So, Doctor has a point. As far as lore goes, this episode kinda blatantly ignores a lot for the sake of telling this story. Sisterly squabbles are fine, but didn't Celestia have to do Luna's duties for 1000 years? The wise sages Celestia/Luna were kinda built up to be as demigods has slowly deteriorated. They should know well what their other job entails, etc. Back in S1-2, we would say that Starlight should have been shot to the moon, for real, for such an "offense".

I also can't really find myself to care much about inconsistent lore. It's S7 now, not S2. I prefer they tell good, well-done, funny stories over perfect lore consistency. Starlight is a psychopath? Maybe somewhat, she's very impulsive and with her magic forces her opinion literally on others too much. But that's what makes her a pretty interesting character, and she's instantly regretting / questioning herself on these impulses a lot this season, so there's some growth there. Since it's always hilarious and opens up some batshit crazy plots like this, Starlight might never fully grow out of it, but I think many would say that's an indispensable part of her character at this point. :pinkieshrug:
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Postby Dexanth (?) » Sat May 20, 2017 5:42 pm

Nicotico wrote:Well we got a sneak peak of Applejack's parents in that dream bubble.
Thought it was a pretty good episode overall.

Also pancakes.


I just saw that and omigosh that is at once adorable and sad given what AJ is dreaming about
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Postby Aramek (?) » Sat May 20, 2017 6:03 pm

Dexanth wrote:
I just saw that and omigosh that is at once adorable and sad given what AJ is dreaming about

Or OR...that's her parents dreaming of her from horse prision.

===

Celestia only did the physical moon part of Luna's duties for those 1000 years. The dream realm part was clearly tied to Luna's powers not responsibility, so that was all new to Celestia.
Starlight is a psychopath? Maybe somewhat, she's very impulsive and with her magic forces her opinion literally on others too much.

Starlight only fixes those who are wrong. If they wouldn't be incorrect, she wouldn't need to fix them.

Checkmate.
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Postby PonyHag714 (?) » Sat May 20, 2017 6:12 pm

:here: Don't worry about those bags under your eyes, guys...Rarity has them all the time!

:wat:


Image So if our cutie marks are switched...

:speakest: I get to raid your snack cupboard for a change!

Image I'll get you for this, Starlight.


I would have liked to have seen a sequence showing Celly actually making breakfast. It'd be nice to think she did at least some of it by hoof, rather than using magic. Image
:speakest: The fun has been doubled!
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Postby Nicotico (?) » Sat May 20, 2017 6:13 pm

Wayoshi wrote:So, Doctor has a point. As far as lore goes, this episode kinda blatantly ignores a lot for the sake of telling this story. Sisterly squabbles are fine, but didn't Celestia have to do Luna's duties for 1000 years? The wise sages Celestia/Luna were kinda built up to be as demigods has slowly deteriorated. They should know well what their other job entails, etc. Back in S1-2, we would say that Starlight should have been shot to the moon, for real, for such an "offense".

At most Celestia only Raised the Moon in the night sky, she never had her sister's dream powers. Given the thousands years Luna spent in the moon it might be understandable if she doesn't know what her sister has to do nowadays. Especially if she's a deep enough sleeper to miss the Changeling Invasion of Canterlot.

While Faust might have written Celestia as God Princess, subsequent episodes brought her more down to earth, even in Season 1.
But then again, Season 1 Fandom brings to mind a certain New Lunar Republic...
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Postby Daring Do (?) » Sat May 20, 2017 6:34 pm

So Celestia makes pancakes for loved ones... interesting. *takes down notes* More stuff to add to my "Blueblood material headspace".
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Postby The Doctor (?) » Sat May 20, 2017 6:46 pm

Nicotico wrote:At most Celestia only Raised the Moon in the night sky, she never had her sister's dream powers. Given the thousands years Luna spent in the moon it might be understandable if she doesn't know what her sister has to do nowadays. Especially if she's a deep enough sleeper to miss the Changeling Invasion of Canterlot.

While Faust might have written Celestia as God Princess, subsequent episodes brought her more down to earth, even in Season 1.
But then again, Season 1 Fandom brings to mind a certain New Lunar Republic...


Well, the show has done a steady job of knocking them down a peg pretty frequently.

I don't think expecting them to occasionally live up to their title is a bad thing. I don't think making that touching reunion in the pilot between the two mean squat is a good thing. I'd like for these two to eventually chalk up a win on something.
Last edited by The Doctor on Sat May 20, 2017 7:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby Rainbow Crash (?) » Sat May 20, 2017 7:36 pm

Daybreaker. What a cool name
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Postby Aramek (?) » Sat May 20, 2017 7:57 pm

Rainbow Crash wrote:Daybreaker. What a cool name

Almost as cool as Daymare Noon.
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Postby SlateSlabrock (?) » Sat May 20, 2017 8:03 pm

Rainbow Crash wrote:Daybreaker. What a cool name

Champion of the Sun!
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Postby Captain Rufus (?) » Sat May 20, 2017 8:04 pm

Yeah the IDW comics did the DO MY JOB FOR A DAY thing a bit better but it was a fun episode overall.

Plus Tsparks had more spazzing time here. Princess of Friendship? More like PRINCESS OF NEEDS QUAALUDES. I can empathize yes.
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Postby Marimo (?) » Sat May 20, 2017 8:52 pm

The Doctor wrote:And what do I do on my Bingo card?

Image

I either circle "Luna episode" for being a Celestia and Luna episode, and X out "No Celestia Episode"

Or I keep the "No Celestia Episode" free space, and x out the "Luna episode" since it wasn't focused on either...

I don't think it's accurate to say that it wasn't "focused on". The episode just had multiple characters to focus on like other map episodes. Celestia was a focus, Luna was a focus, and Starlight was a focus. Particularly I think it was more heavy on Starlight in the beginning during the set up, then after the cutie mark swap it shifts more and more towards being on the sisters and their POV, with Starlight just sort of following around in a supporting role.

So I'd go with circle Luna episode and X out No Celestia episode.
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