S06E17: The Times They Are A Changeling

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Re: S06E17: The Times They Are A Changeling

Postby Just Scuds (?) » Thu Aug 18, 2016 7:35 pm

The Doctor wrote:
So, her minions are named after Minions?

Aaagh. I never saw those movies. I guess they now have names like Thorax, Mandible, Proboscicus, etc.


:shock: A changeling? Here? Princess Celestia must know about this at once! Spike, you've met him in person, can you write up a report?

:dearcelestia:
"Things haven't been too good for us changlings after the Queen went splat," hissed Thorax regretfully as he fangoriously devoured the quiche I'd offered him.

:facehoof:
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Postby SlateSlabrock (?) » Thu Aug 18, 2016 8:59 pm

Scuderia Ferrarity wrote:But sure, for all her scheming, :evil: had limited imagination in naming her brood.

:evil: :"Let me introduce the family: Phil, Ted, Mark, Cheryl, Bob, Kevin, Jane..."

Image Have I told you the story of the green changeling queen who had 23,000 broods, and she named them all Gene?

Image Well, she did. And that wasn't a smart thing to do. You see, when she wants one and calls out, "Buzz buzz, come into the cave, Gene!" She doesn't get one. All 23,000 come on the run.
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Postby Soft Snow (?) » Fri Aug 19, 2016 2:22 am

Thorax? That is a rather obscure Space Ghost Coast to Coast reference, don't you think?
:v:
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Postby Mechanical Ape (?) » Fri Aug 19, 2016 6:44 am

Like Chrysalis, it's more bug jargon. A thorax is an insect's midsection. :spike101:

It would be the equivalent of a human named Torso. Or Chesty. :smirk:
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Postby Fizzbuzz (?) » Fri Aug 19, 2016 2:04 pm

At least it's better than being named Abdomen.
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Postby Aramek (?) » Fri Aug 19, 2016 7:10 pm

Hootie McBoob.
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Postby Soft Snow (?) » Sat Aug 20, 2016 3:57 am

Mechanical Ape wrote:Or Chesty. :smirk:

:v:

Gosh, new episode tomorrow? I've been waiting so long for this and it's almost here. Like an early Christmas.
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Postby The Doctor (?) » Sat Aug 20, 2016 4:33 am

:v: Whoops
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Postby WandereringPony (?) » Sat Aug 20, 2016 5:16 am

Changelings are literally repelled by love in large amounts (while ponies aren't), so reacting like that to kindness makes sense.

It'd explain their separation from other races.
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Postby Marimo (?) » Sat Aug 20, 2016 3:33 pm

Synopses got Sunburst mixed up with Starlight.
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Postby Wayoshi (?) » Sat Aug 20, 2016 3:34 pm

You know, it wasn't confirmed Starlight was in this episode until just now. I thought it made no sense she wasn't around, so good.
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Postby Mr. Big (?) » Sat Aug 20, 2016 3:41 pm

The Groucho Marx mirror gag with the Changeling. Yes, good :gotcha:
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Postby The Doctor (?) » Sat Aug 20, 2016 3:41 pm

:allright: Only one way to test if Twilight is a changeling. Do the rhyme that only Twilight and myself would know.

:wingsright: Great idea, sis.




:evil: You know you did that rhyme right in front of me once, right?
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Postby Ragnar (?) » Sat Aug 20, 2016 3:46 pm

He sounds like a Kevin, though.
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Aramek wrote: :eyebrow: Hmmf, Ragnar the Red indeed.
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Postby Wayoshi (?) » Sat Aug 20, 2016 3:53 pm

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Postby Octavia (?) » Sat Aug 20, 2016 3:57 pm

Spike got a song!
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Postby Adelor Lyon (?) » Sat Aug 20, 2016 4:01 pm

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Holy crap Principal Cinch became a pony.
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Postby The Doctor (?) » Sat Aug 20, 2016 4:02 pm

:3: I like that episode.

Though, I could have done without Spike turning on Throax at the end there. Felt like the episode came up short on time and that was tossed in to pad the runtime.
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Postby RudeCyrus (?) » Sat Aug 20, 2016 4:03 pm

Yeah, pretty good ep. Spike got a song and bughorse was cool.
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Postby Marimo (?) » Sat Aug 20, 2016 4:03 pm

The Doctor wrote::evil: You know you did that rhyme right in front of me once, right?

So? She still didn't have the full context of it, and I doubt she memorized that one chant and dance that she didn't show much care about.
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Postby Just Scuds (?) » Sat Aug 20, 2016 4:03 pm

Tabs as Flurry Heart. :smirk: :ohrarity: Grannies to babies and everything in between



Here's hoping we haven't seen the last of Thorax. Image
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Postby PonyHag714 (?) » Sat Aug 20, 2016 4:05 pm

Spike song! :here:

And huge props to Spike for sticking up for Thorax in the end. He has indeed grown as a character.

The ladybug dance was a good way to identity Twilight. :butt:

I liked the views of the Changeling hive and Chrissy looking at Thorax, I guess knowing he was different.

Starlight didn't have much to do, but it was nice seeing her, as well as Cadence and SA.

If the ponies don't watch out, they won't have any enemies left. :spoiler:

Very good episode and one of the best Spike eps. :dearcelestia:
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Postby Wayoshi (?) » Sat Aug 20, 2016 4:07 pm

I want to like this episode a lot, but a few things precluding me from doing so:

-Song lyrics weren't that great
-The conflict was really fast and kinda out of nowhere for me. Like, I didn't actually expect Spike to chicken out at the end of Act II like that, and was a bit disappointed in his character that he did initially do that. But I guess it was for the plot in a way.
-No one in the song looks moved except Twilight, then Twilight gives her Friendship Seal of Approval (TM) and everyone is hunky dory since the episode needs to end.

In other words, some of the usual bugaboos of pony episodes cropped up here, mainly not condensing the content into 22 minutes in the best way. Still, the rest was really good
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Postby RudeCyrus (?) » Sat Aug 20, 2016 4:11 pm

To be fair, Spike is a kid and it's easy even for adults to succumb to pressure. At least he knew he did wrong.
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Postby Fizzbuzz (?) » Sat Aug 20, 2016 4:14 pm

The Doctor wrote:Though, I could have done without Spike turning on Throax at the end there. Felt like the episode came up short on time and that was tossed in to pad the runtime.

Really? I appreciated it. Spike was under a huge amount of pressure there, after all. Even good people have a tendency to break under pressure, under that kind of conflict. The fact that Spike made up for it and made up for his panicked lie to Shining Armor earlier makes him that much better of a person, in my opinion.
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Postby Applepie (?) » Sat Aug 20, 2016 4:17 pm

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As other are guessing the Changelings could be in the season finale.
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Postby Fizzbuzz (?) » Sat Aug 20, 2016 4:19 pm

Wayoshi wrote:-No one in the song looks moved except Twilight, then Twilight gives her Friendship Seal of Approval (TM) and everyone is hunky dory since the episode needs to end.

I'll need to rewatch this episode and get some screenshots, but while it was airing I thought that Starlight looked doubtful and almost sad. I mean, she too was the beneficiary of mercy and forgiveness, so she more than anyone else had reason to consider what Spike was saying.
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Postby die Fledermaus (?) » Sat Aug 20, 2016 4:19 pm

hug bugs
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Postby Wayoshi (?) » Sat Aug 20, 2016 4:24 pm

Fizzbuzz wrote:I'll need to rewatch this episode and get some screenshots, but while it was airing I thought that Starlight looked doubtful and almost sad. I mean, she too was the beneficiary of mercy and forgiveness, so she more than anyone else had reason to consider what Spike was saying.

I'm seeing comments elsewhere saying this, can't say I looked at Starlight closely.

However, Shining Armor, Cadance, guards definitely heelturn
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Postby Factory Factory (?) » Sat Aug 20, 2016 4:30 pm

Scuderia Ferrarity wrote:Here's hoping we haven't seen the last of Thorax. Image


How would we know it was him, and not another changeling disguised as him??
There is no guarantee that the wizard selling you that bag full of magic sand is wearing pants underneath his robes.
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Postby Fizzbuzz (?) » Sat Aug 20, 2016 4:33 pm

Wayoshi wrote:However, Shining Armor, Cadance, guards definitely heelturn

I can understand their trepidation. After all, Cadance and Shining Armor were the two who were the most personally affected by Chrysalis and the invasion. Would it be unreasonable for the two of them to be concerned about changelings coming after them again, as well as their baby?
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Postby Wayoshi (?) » Sat Aug 20, 2016 4:37 pm

Fizzbuzz wrote:I can understand their trepidation. After all, Cadance and Shining Armor were the two who were the most personally affected by Chrysalis and the invasion. Would it be unreasonable for the two of them to be concerned about changelings coming after them again, as well as their baby?

Not at all. That's why SA's very nice line at the end is kinda "eh, ok ep's over gotta generalize now and no nuance"
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Postby die Fledermaus (?) » Sat Aug 20, 2016 4:39 pm

the entire point is even if you genuinely did have a bad experience that doesn't give you the right to assume every member of a group is like the worst you've seen
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Postby Aramek (?) » Sat Aug 20, 2016 4:46 pm

shotgunbadger wrote:hug bugs

I WANNA HUG HIM SO BAD, AUUUGH.
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Your MRI results have shown total infection to now be approximately one fifth of the full mass of the tissue.

"So you're saying..."

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Postby SlateSlabrock (?) » Sat Aug 20, 2016 4:50 pm

Fizzbuzz wrote:I'll need to rewatch this episode and get some screenshots, but while it was airing I thought that Starlight looked doubtful and almost sad. I mean, she too was the beneficiary of mercy and forgiveness, so she more than anyone else had reason to consider what Spike was saying.

She has a little soul-searching moment at the end of the song.

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In other news, apparently even the Crystal Empire has a not-winter season:

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Postby Ransom (?) » Sat Aug 20, 2016 5:04 pm

So in terms of new things learned about Changelings:

They are born as larvae. Chrysalis oversees them.
They start to starve and become aggressive without love or kindness to eat. Like a starving vampire.
They can change to non pony forms (Spike) or even inanimate objects like the rock.
They can lose control of their forms when especially hungry.
According to Thorax, they could, in theory produce love from themselves to be self feeding...they're just mostly jerks.
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Postby SlateSlabrock (?) » Sat Aug 20, 2016 5:07 pm

This episode is hard for me to judge fairly because nothing has gotten as much fan attention over the years as changelings. There have been some really good stories about them (and plenty of terrible ones), but 22 minutes really limits what they can do.

In general, I think it was good, with the usual caveat that things got a little rushed at the end. But my one criticism is that they leaned really heavily on the "woe is me, the unlovable changeling" angle for Thorax, even while they're making him hiss and snarl and freak out around love. Woulda-coulda-shoulda, push some explanation for that down into the previous act so we the viewers can be a little more at ease around him as well.

Also, bug babbies

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Postby Gloomy Rube (?) » Sat Aug 20, 2016 6:50 pm



kawaii :3:
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Postby Lhet (?) » Sat Aug 20, 2016 7:08 pm

A "changeling can change" in kinda a weird line.
But it was a good episode. :evil:
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Postby Gloomy Rube (?) » Sat Aug 20, 2016 7:10 pm

Note: I'm not going to consider a changeling episode to be good until chrysalis gets a redemption episode. :-I
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