After the Fact: The Cutie Re-Mark

[@christinew1644]

"I'm sorry I keep breaking your stuff" killed me

[@mrroboshadow]

my dream is to have lauren faust actually respond to that

[@Emma-fu8mi]

It's like the two are siblings, silver being the younger, and luaren being the older

[@TrickyFox93]

I can't believe it - You actually managed to finish season 5 XD

[@nopenopenopenope4076]

Finally, right?

[@generalzeta7000]

Just 4 more seasons... Then the the first few he skipped.

[@mastermold10]

beter late then never

[@sarasamaletdin4574]

General Zeta, at least now we have more Silver Quill for years to come maybe... but you know he had a podcast MBS show review? I think he should advertize it more even though I like these videos much more since I do not like the other hosts.

[@TrickyFox93]

@@sarasamaletdin4574 I'm aware of it but frankly I'm simply not a big fan of podcastast in general and in general a scripted video will always make better points than an unscripted podcast - why would anyone bother to script something otherwise? XD

[@JaguarCats]

dang it Silver Quill quit breaking the universe! We're running out of scotch tape!

[@dragon1130]

*holding ducktape* oh...we're supposed to use Scotch tape?

[@GoldenPheonix123x]

Actually i think were using chewing gum and prayers at this point

[@kb3164]

At this point the only thing keeping the universe together is Ork logic, if you thing about it to hard it’ll stop working.

[@goldengifts3830]

Have you tried Flex Tape?

[@r3negadex]

If that's what we keep using to fix it, it might not be all Silver's fault...

[@darknessrising2453]

11:18 About Starlight's backstory, there's a little something that hints towards it in "The Parent Map". Here's an interesting thought user "AC97" brought up: Sunburst, after leaving town, his mother would write him letters every other day or so, and he, getting sick of it, started throwing them out. Starlight, let's say she didn't muster up the resolve to try writing until say, weeks or months down the line (believe it or not, that sounds like something I could definitely see myself doing.), but at that point, Sunburst was routinely throwing out letters that came from that place, automatically presuming they came from Stellar Flare. And that is why Starlight writing to Sunburst didn't end up working out.

[@christopherbennett5858]

That sounds like an interesting idea. However, I find that when people say there's "Hints" of development, I'm like "Well, why couldn't have they been made explicit?" The other thing is Stellar never moved from the town. Considering there's an education department of Equestrian government, that means, depending on the type of school, Sunburst didn't permanently leave.

[@MrMarinus18]

The big reason why Sunset's reformation was more accepted than Starlight's is because of the tone on which it ended. Sunset's ended on a harsh but hopeful tone. That Sunset is going to have to suffer because of what she did but that she will end up well. The mane 5 were clearly unhappy with her still and Luna smugly puts her to work. Starlight went out on a very happy tone and showing her already having been fully accepted by the mane 6. That was a much more drastic shift from her being hated as an antagonist to being fully integrated as a friend. Because it switched from one thing to the next so quickly it didn't feel earned.

[@bananaxoonana8131]

i agree with you but sunset reforming right after she almost killed the mane 6 sucked

[@Catalyst-trigger]

​@BananaXOonana yah but you must remember the elements or BGL hint hints.

[@MrMarinus18]

@xoonana8131 Sunset really sucked as a villain so really that wasn't a hinderance at all. With Starlight she was a great villain so asking to see her in a sympathetic light was a much greater ask. But I do agree with Silver that the main problem was her lack of development at this stage. They would develop her later and she is one of the most fleshed out characters of later season FIM but that happened afterh the fact.

[@perrilewis180]

Sunburst leaving wasn't the only event in Starlight's life. He was just a spark that she left to start the fire.

[@AmythestVaporeon]

"I'm sorry. I keep breaking. Your stuff." The way he said that just killed me!

[@itzlavender1364]

YOUR PICHER IS SO PRITTY

[@AmythestVaporeon]

@@itzlavender1364 ??? Thanks??? It's just... recolored official art I found... never bothered to change it from when I was 13...

[@martinj914]

Only took you 4 years, but then again, I'm pround for you. I also hope your future is full of great memories and less injuries.

[@oakenshadow6763]

But.. that's the best part? And he enjoys it! He screamed "Wohoo!" when he got blown sky high in one episode, and had no problem with spontainously combusting.

[@martinj914]

@@oakenshadow6763 We all Different tastes end of enjoy. Have a nice day to.

[@oakenshadow6763]

@@martinj914 Very true. No one likes the exact same thing, especulialy in entertainment. You have a good day as well!

[@shardinhand1243]

sigh like with the to short lived punk rairity, i often miss war vet rainbowdash... :v she had a damn metal wing... that proves scootalo could be given an artificial wing!... :v this must be cannon! i want to see adorable little pony fly at least once... before end of this series.... ;0; pls!

[@Next0gen0]

I think the point they were trying to get across was that even if Starlight changed the past to the point where she got her friend back, other's might experience the same pain she did. But she was so obsessed with her own views of right and wrong, she blinded herself to accepting the fact she could be wrong. In the end it's not much different from how Tirek's arrogance lead him to believe he was so powerful nothing could stop him. Power, in the end, make's you too arrogant.

[@arcsparkasriel]

And people forget that it doesn't matter if she felt sorry for her actions. She committed mass genocide and hurt so many people just because she was too lazy to try to make a new friend or keep in contact with Sunburst. She is a murderer, and the show expects us to just forget and forgive that. When we make costly mistakes like that, we must face the consequences for our actions. And she faced absolutely NONE. By stopping Rainbow Dash so many times, she caused these chains of events which leads to Equestria and everyone in it suffering.

[@Next0gen0]

@@arcsparkasriel In the end her action's were ultimately erased after the timeline was fixed. Leading to her getting a second chance before any major conseequence's could be incurred. If people Had realized it happened, that'd be another thing. But everyone ended up fine in the long run, and that's good or else this would be a very different type of series.

[@arcsparkasriel]

@@Next0gen0 I go to The Flash's Flashpoint event as a reference for my argument here. Just because things looked like they were changed back, doesn't mean they are exactly the same as they were before. Time can be broken and put back together, but they will still have those cracks in them because you can never exactly replicate the actions that created the original timeline in the first place. For all we know, things have been changed for the worse in certain aspects of their world. AJs parents could have been alive before, Cozy Glow would have probably never become a villain, Tempest Shadow and the Storm King probably would have never invaded Equestria, and many other changes to the timeline.

[@Next0gen0]

@@arcsparkasriel Could've, but no evidence to the fact it Was. Remember, Starlight wasn't the Only one who utilized time travel. It was invented by Starswirl, and could have been easily abused based on the fact that twilight has herself.

[@ShadwSonic]

"Equal" and "same" are two very, VERY different things: Equal is everyone being treated as if they are just as valuable as a person as anyone else. This is a good thing, and should be encouraged. Same is everyone having to be at the same level of ability, wealth, looks, etc. as everyone else, for fear of someone being jealous. This is a very BAD thing, and should be shut down with extreme prejudice. Those who don't recognize this difference become extremely horrible people, discriminating against anyone they see as "privileged" in the name of fighting against discrimination. i.e., Hypocrites of one of the worst types imaginable.

[@Jaydove2387]

Exactly

[@christopherbennett5858]

I can see where you're coming from; Equality vs Uniformity. However, Starlight's town was based on a more baseline level of uniformity where everything was bland in an absolute. The whole "how can you have nightmares if you can't dream" line in the Our Town song is a big suggestion of that. What Starlight made was a cult. One that everyone wanted to leave when they saw individuality in practice.

[@Worldbuilder-o1k]

Ahh, the tongue in cheek humor. Nice to have you back Silver

[@shardinhand1243]

sigh like with the to short lived punk rairity, i often miss war vet rainbowdash... :v she had a damn metal wing... that proves scootalo could be given an artificial wing!... :v this must be cannon! i want to see adorable little pony fly at least once... before end of this series.... ;0; pls!

[@ambermargheim5726]

I... j WHY???? WHERE IS DISCORDS WORLD....... oh in forgot his rule was before this. But WHY NOT USE HIS AFTER FORM????.... oh I guess the crusaders wouldn't have been fighting. .... man im defeating myself!!!!!!!

[@ambermargheim5726]

Oh yah!!!! He is there!!!!!!!! I haven't seen it in over a year..... so I forgot ...... I'm dumb today. ....

[@MilotheChreature]

YOU FINALLY FINISHED SEASON 5! I'm so proud!

[@brysonturner6019]

Starlight's face in the title card is priceless. Also, Doctor Who reference!!!

[@Raxian]

Yes i love that connection.

[@eldergeek6077]

Kudos for using a lesser known Doctor in your review.

[@eldergeek6077]

Also, kudos for using a lesser known Doctor in your review.

[@dragonstouch1042]

16:50 you fool! Some of us are still recovering since that war!

[@seanmcfadden3712]

And there is a worse one in the RWBY fandom. Blacksun vs Bumblebee is very toxic. The last few episodes of season 6 still have me feeling really off, considering Yang had waifu status for me due to how well she dealt with losing her right arm, which shows an emotional strength that I find very attractive.

[@dragonstouch1042]

Sean McFadden I think Digimon has it beat because of the sheer number of viable ships. I still have the nightmares. Plus Blacksun v Bumblebee isn’t that bad

[@seanmcfadden3712]

@@dragonstouch1042 Fair enough. I think I might just be feeling it more due to a crush on Yang, having a "forever alone" relationship status (due to social isolation that is outside my control), and a larger than comfortable string of women that I've found attractive only to find out they're in a same-sex relationship. No issue with the relationships, just finding the situation very awkward and uncomfortable.

[@JazzyWaffles]

Why does that icon look familiar...?

[@SweetCaptain77]

Dude, your version of the Season 5 Finale is a LOT better than the original. I'd watch it.

[@kuro_neko5863]

I don't think it's fair to say Starlight is more powerful, or even more skilled, in magic than Twilight. When you compare Starlight and Twilight I think the consideration has to be split into at least three sub-categories: power, control, and aptitude. In terms of raw power I think we can safely say Twilight wins handily, even as a unicorn. We've yet to see Starlight do anything to the power level of levitating the Ursa Minor and water tower simultaneously in Boast Busters. There's also the fact that Twilight could tank Starlight's blast at the end of The Cutie Map part 2 with ease. Yes Starlight is on the upper end of the power scale for unicorns, but in my opinion still not equal to even unicorn Twilight. In terms of control, they both seem to be about equal in casting complex spells. In Starlight's favor she's mastered the self levitation trick which we've seen few unicorns use. In Twilight's favor she managed to get a handle on all the alicorn magic in Equestria quickly and master it well enough to use in battle against Tirek. I think we can call them even in this, though debatably the win could go to Twilight. Now we come to aptitude. This is the category where I think Starlight has the clear advantage. She uses magic much more creatively and flexibly than Twilight does. This isn't to say she knows more spells, or even more about how magic works. Twilight has the benefit of an above top tier education, whereas Starlight is mostly self-taught. While this likely means Twilight has a greater understanding of the underpinnings of magic, it's a strong mark in Starlight's favor that she can match Twilight despite the lesser education. Regarding their fight in The Cutie Re-Mark: Twilight is zipping around throwing blast after blast of powerful magic while tanking whatever Starlight throws at her, then popping off to deal with alternate futures only to come back and resume the fight. In contrast Starlight is moving the minimum required to dodge Twilight's attacks (never tanking them) and only attacking just enough to prevent Twilight from controlling the tempo of the fight, and she gets to rest while Twilight is dealing with alternate futures. But in the end they're both equally exhausted. Another example is Twilight in Twilight's Kingdom. Yes, she had all the alicorn magic at that point, but even divided by four that's an enormous amount of power. Can we truly say that if Twilight cut loose with that sort of firepower Starlight would stand a chance? The problem in the Cutie Re-Mark is two-fold, the first is she doesn't want to kill or even seriously injure Starlight and probably isn't really sure how much she can take, and the second is she's trying to keep it low key as to not disrupt Rainbow's sonic rainboom. There's also that Twilight just doesn't have the right temperament to be a good fighter. If you wanted to say Starlight is the better fighter, then I could get behind that. Hell, both Rainbow and Applejack are better fighters than Twilight. But more powerful? I don't see it.

[@beastmanfirefox1719]

My thoughts exactly!

[@everfree4175]

Here here!

[@beastmanfirefox1719]

Plus its the fight had plot armor... Without it starlight would have been R.I.P.

[@thetaminus2334]

So what's ya saying is that Starlight has street smarts in Magic, while Twi got the obvious booksmarts.

[@benlowe1701]

Raw Magical power isn't everything. I would go so far as to say that the most powerful Unicorn - outside of Alicorns, Starswirl, and the like, isn't Pre-Ascension Twilight, Starlight, or Sunset, but actually Shinning Armour. His Shield Spell is *Colossal*. Capable of protecting an entire city. Others have been shown to be overwhelmed by lasers. But he doesn't have the same *skill* or practiced knowledge that Twilight has. Nor apparently the ability with any other kind of spell. He can do one thing, really really really well. I think what Starlight has on her side is creativity. She has similar levels of power to Pre-Ascension Twilight. For some reason, I imagine her as having been mostly self taught. At the other end of the Scale, you have Sunburst, someone who is extremely well versed in magical knowledge, but lacks a lot of the raw talent to make it work. He has to work hard to achieve any of his magical power - something he relates too with Trixie: Both comment that they enjoy stage magic, because the only obstacle is practice. There is no ceiling to stage magic that can't be overcome by work. practised

[@sunjian5458]

Colonel: "Silver what have you done? You changed the future! You've created a Time Paradox!!"

[@tristanmilner9511]

"Full on threat." Bwa ha ha ha ha ha! That's a good one.

[@donnythedingo]

I always felt that it would be more fitting if Rainbow's rainboom caused Starlight to fail her own entrance exam (the way it helps Twilight pass hers) Starlight never finds out who caused the explosion until Twilight's presentation, and that's her motivation to change history. This would also explain why she was never recognized and enrolled for her magic ability, and why she struck out to form a society where ponies aren't judged based on their special talent.

[@dreamcatcher5917]

Silverquill: I'm sorry I keep breaking your stuff... Me: Are you?... Are you really???...

[@joshuaking3731]

To your point about the issues with the alternate timelines, and if anyone stopped the previous villains before that timeline Twilight ends up in. They do show that, yes, these villains were stopped. It's very quick, but when you see the Discord timeline, Celestia and a reformed Luna are trying to stop him. This implies that Celestia was able to stop her sister when she returned, and reform her. This also implies that Celestia was the one who stopped the villains when they rose up. Which also implies that her power is enough to stop big villains, yet not reliable as she failed sometimes, but succeeded others. This actually becomes an interesting topic maybe deserves a supplement video. Was Celestia simply failing to stop major threats so Twilight could step up? If she had the power to stop these villains in alternate timelines, then why didn't she show this power before? Or any time on screen?

[@christopherbennett5858]

Probably because it's a quick story threat escalation to have this powerful character imprisoned or incapacitated. Sadly, they've done it a little too much.

[@theotakubrony7635]

Warning! If using headphones, turn down the volume before the end.

[@Dark_Tale_2077]

Should have read the comments before watching the video. x_x

[@alexatkin]

Spoilt an otherwise excellent video for me. I have tinnitus and that simulated tone makes it 1000 times worse for hours after.

[@KanaTokisho]

@@alexatkin Same XD Problem is not just that tone but any long singular note can actually set mine off and it's just annoying as all hell

[@gc6096]

Phew thanks I was almost at the end.

[@gc6096]

ow even at the lowest point it still hurts. x.x

[@johngervais230]

Twilight in the title card-"Oh Celestia, he can time travel..." Starlight in the title card-"AND THEN THERE'S *THIS* HORSEAPPLE."

[@honorscroll8437]

Spike: Why do you humans like watching this guy's late uploads

[@johngervais230]

@@honorscroll8437 Cause Silverquill is best Hippogriff.

[@kennethhescott4720]

I never really realized it with the theme from the main cast from saving the world to near secondary characters saving the world. I didn't like the season 5 finale back then but I was interested in the alternate futures what would've happened if the villains succeeded or have no one stopping them.

[@MrConredsX]

The old man Silver Quill was from a far future in which he finished reviewing S6

[@Aereto]

I thought it was G6.

[@MrConredsX]

@@Aereto nah he is that slow

[@brendancorey7831]

To be fair, he'd mix in both seasons together, like how he is now

[@rgilbert2951]

MrConredsX that time shouldn’t exist because silver said that after S5 he’d skip to S9

[@Doughboy123x]

I remember RarityDash once saying that Starlight's single bad moment leading her to resent cutie marks is supposed to tie in with the theme of changing even one event in the past can lead to drastic differences in the future. The butterfly effect I believe it's called.

[@MrMarinus18]

5:20 I actually can see Fluttershy saying things like that. She deeply cares for others and so in times of war she would do whatever it takes to protect the ones she loves.

[@amethyst_dawn]

Get Smart was a huge part of my childhood, the fact that you used that clip made my day. Oh, and good job on the video, too. I don't entirely agree with how people dislike the handling of Starlight's motivation and reformation, I thought it was done really well and gave all the information needed, but I can agree that the version you offered is better.

[@Krueger_ai]

4:28 yet none for Trixie? That’s disappointing. It would’ve been cool to see Twilight end up in an alternate timeline where Trixie is feared by everypony, is unhinged af, and has Equestria at its knees.

[@The0ptimus]

Congratulations Silver! I'll be around to watch your phenomenal reviews until youve finished this entire series!!!

[@battlecross8540]

4:32 Gotta admit it was nice to see Nightmare Moon again. She was always kind of cute. *Smacks Nightmare Moon on the flank with no fear of consequence*

[@mephilisthedarkelijahramat182]

No none of that shame on you

[@icarusthefoxkidd]

Your work is always fantastic Silver you delightfully dubious dove!

[@NoArtisticLimitation]

13:24 - On the topic of discord, I’d say that his shift over Fluttershy’s friendship makes a lot of sense to me, because in a way, Discord is a lot like me... Explaining everything would take forever due to certain similarities and complexities, so moving onto the part that matters: Discord appears to not have had any friends prior to Fluttershy (or we haven’t seen any info to the contrary) and as a result, he is extremely protective of that friendship, nearing obsession. He doesn’t want to lose that friendship, even if it means changing himself. Why is that? Presumably (using my own experiences) because in a way he knows he’s different, that he’s hard to get along with, and now that he has others that actually care about him - or at the very least, are willing to try - he doesn’t want to lose that feeling; it’s like a drug to him, and even if he tried to ignore it, he’s different now... In short, he’s felt friendship - true friendship - and he’s terrified of losing it. Thinking about it, Starlight makes sense in a way too. She lost a friend, and - knowing what we now know - that fear of losing someone else prevented her from making another friend. Are those entirely healthy ways of life? Of course not! But that’s the thing - fear isn’t always a healthy feeling. Is it good? Of course! It’s there to protect you... But there are also the fears that don’t make sense. ... I really should stop getting into analising things in the comments section. It always turns into a massive comment XD I’m honestly protective of discord, really XD

[@AidanRatnage]

I don't think Diamond Tiara was ever a villain and she's not reformed, she's a bully who's grown up.

[@BBBHuey]

2:55 Given how she struggles to find her way around the castle during the following season, I'm amazed she managed to find the throne room before Twilight arrived xD

[@ShadyDoorags]

"Twilight wasn't the element of magic because of her raw power." No, but she still does have raw power. Her talent is still magic. She was the best student at the best magic school in all of Equestria taught by one of the greatest magic users in all of Equestria. Even if Starlight is another gifted unicorn, there's no logical reason that she should be on par with Twilight who has ascended to alicorn level, let alone be better than her.

[@7Seraphem7]

Because it doesn't matter how much raw power you have if you aren't good at using it for the task you are doing. Twilight just plain sucks at fighting, her entire move set is "Blast it in the face with magical lasers till it stops moving". Starlight meanwhile studied Twilight and planned out exactly how to counter her. She fought smarter then Twilight did, all while goading her and keeping up the trash talk to keep Twilight off balance, upset, and not thinking clearly. Watch the fight, Starlight relied on dodging Twilight's powerful, but slow and very telegraphed blasts, while Twilight could just shrug off anything Starlight threw at her that wasn't a sucker punch while she was winding up her haymaker, or a stealth attack she never saw coming. Combat is about more then just some arbitrary 'power level'.

[@ShadyDoorags]

​@@7Seraphem7 At the risk of using the God of the Gaps fallacy, let me ask this... Twilight should understand magic on levels that Starlight has never experienced given her studies and resources, so why would she only use these primitive moves when she has an arsenal of magic behind her brain? She studies all kinds of magic nonstop, it is both her occupation and her hobby, so she would logically have the knowledge for any situation even one she isn't instantly prepared for. She has had to be creative in the past to defeat her opponents (off the top of my head, Magical Duel). What is stopping her from using more creative means to fight Starlight other than that's just what the writers wanted for the occasion? And even if the reason is, "she just didn't think of it at the time," what is also stopping her from learning in the fight that these primitive moves don't work and switching to more advanced ones?

[@7Seraphem7]

@@ShadyDoorags Because she sucks at fighting, how many times has she ever done more then 'Shoot lasers at it' when confronted by a threat? The exception is Magic Duel, but that was explicitly that, a Magic Duel where being creative was the whole point, and the second time through she had time to plan. In this case, part of it was Starlight herself, her constant smack talk and goading worked wonderfully for keeping Twilight off balance and too focused on "Twilight Smash!' to take the time to try and come up with an actual plan. Twilight just does not seem to have a mentality that readily realizes her vast array of spells she knows or can come up with have applications in combat, aside from those explicitly made for combat. She far too 'by the book' to readily or easily get creative on her own.

[@ShadyDoorags]

​@@7Seraphem7 She doesn't have the mind to be creative with her spells? Boast Busters begs to differ where she used her array of knowledge not to fight, but to stop the problem at hand. How about Bats, where she didn't fight the bats but hypnotized them? Multiple occasions where she uses freeze spells to STOP fighting and other crazy situations. The only thing Twilight tends to be limited on is knowing how effective her spells tend to be as they are usually much stronger than she anticipates. The fact that Twilight felt she had to fight in this circumstance is, in itself, out of character for her. Like you said, she isn't a fighter, so that should not be her goto and it certainly shouldn't have been a reocurring strategy for her. The fight, altogether, just seems like a way to make Starlight seem like an adversary Twilight couldn't stop with brute magic, which considering how impressed Starlight was that Twilight was able to stop a spell Starlight had studied for years, that seems highly retconny.

[@7Seraphem7]

@@ShadyDoorags I said she wasn't good at being creative in combat, under very specific circumstances. And while Twilight is not exactly skilled at fighting, she never shies away from doing so when she feels it's necessary. It's just that when she does she's a straight up slugger and goes full force in trying to overwhelm her foe as quick as possible. Look at her track record, aside from a few monsters like the Tatzleworm, Twilight does not have a very large 'win' column from straight up brawls/ Sure she could fight an uber powered Tirek to a standstill, but that was a straight slugger v slugger match until he changed the game. Twilight has never demonstrated any particular skill at combat, relying on brute force to overcome her foes when she does need to fight. Starlight just took advantage of this.

[@animeknight8958]

i know this might be a little late but you forgot to mention how this episode connected to "Friendship Games" when Twilight appeared and apologized for not answering the book as she explained that she was caught in a time loop

[@silvercrystal2009]

i started following your channel from your last review of season 4 and waited weekly for your early season five episodes.... now u've finally finished season five, I'm so happy

[@IsilionNELE]

No mention of Makise Kurisu from Steins;Gate? She refused the opportunity to change/correct something in her past because "my mistakes are part of who I am"

[@Jaydove2387]

The Clockwork Consequence on Fimfiction is a great Nightmare Moon timeline story.

[@TheTravelerww]

In School Raze Starlight was basically trapped in a bubble of ALL of Equestria's magic including time magic and this could explain why she is so powerful. She was probably thinking something along the lines of "If only I had been more powerful I could have stopped Cosy Glow" and the magic responded by making here more powerful in the past fro average unicorn to twilight level. Basically creating a time loop where: because she was so powerful she became a villain then twilights pupil leading her to get trapped and in the position to make her past self more powerful.

[@everfreebrumby8385]

Another Silver Quill video! It must be my B-day. 😎

[@OtomostheCrazy]

Another Silver Quill video? It’s not even my birthday? (Yay references)

[@DariusKetchum2010]

Happy Birthday!

[@itzlavender1364]

Today is my b-day

[@DariusKetchum2010]

Happy Birthday to you too. It's also my nephew's 5th birthday.

[@ghastlyghifin4029]

Huh. I didn't notice the Timeline Tints the first time around. Neat effect. Whelp, only 3 going on 4 seasons to go!

[@soaringblaze]

Woah!! I caught this on the same day it was posted! Yaaay!! Another excellent addition, SQ! I always enjoy your content :D

[@PatRex11]

*eyes start burning when I notice Silver's coat*

[@Rognik]

Peter Davidson is very disappointed in you.

[@PatRex11]

@@Rognik Why is he dissapointed that I find Colin Baker's technicolour nightmare coat one of the top 8 worst things created by humanity?

[@Rognik]

@@PatRex11 Because my Old Who knowledge is very very rusty.

[@PatRex11]

@@Rognik Fair enough. For future reference Davison's the one with celery in his jacket.

[@TheDanishGuyReviews]

@@PatRex11 "Ooh, l'm the Doctor, l can save the universe with a kettle and some string. And look at me, l'm wearing a vegetable!"

[@MDWolfe-ks5fu]

I think the change of review is necessary and good. Although, I'll admit I'm going to miss the recap with your shenanigans.

[@theotakubrony7635]

How long have we waited for this?! Wooooooo

[@cygnetsong7908]

2:55 This is too funny! 😂. I never thought of Starlight awkwardly waiting for Twilight to return

[@doobie_mouse2083]

You always bring the best context with your presentations. I absolutely adore your videos, Silver. And you left me with two really neat original thoughts to ponder. I had always accepted Dash's reaction to the mention of Celestia to be fear of the reaction Luna would have and not a fear of being outed. As the element of loyalty I thought it odd she would renounce Celestia at all. Or because her cutie mart was altered would she no longer be loyal. You have given a wonderful new interpretation to that scene. Secondly your alternate take on how the finale COULD have been written is marvelous. That is some quality work you have there. Best wishes to everyone as we enter our final chapter of pone. May we end on the highest of notes. And I hope to see you all at BC this year. Later friends

[@aaronatherton7431]

Actually Old Quil took care of the universe by combusting...thoughtful of him. Mst3k: It just a show relax. But . .

[@MrMarinus18]

11:00 There is also the thing of the narrative to keep in mind. I think the problem here is that people were not willing to go along with it because the shift from antagonistic Starlight to friendly Starlight was too rapid and too drastic.

[@christopherbennett5858]

I think someone mentioned another thing on this aspect. We only see one instance of Starlight losing friends because of Cutie marks when she was very young and that's it. If we saw her reaction from getting her own or, even better, more people leaving her over the years, her cult creation and obsession would make a bit more sense. You also have the town she subjugated rushing to hug her during the montage when that could have been its own episode. I'm sorry but even Superboy would be like that's too soon and he married the woman who literally tried to assault his mind without consent 3 years after it happened.

[@MrMarinus18]

@@christopherbennett5858 Indeed. The narrative asked a rapid shift from people and Starlight's backstory was not strong enough for most to do that.

[@christopherbennett5858]

@@MrMarinus18 I think the finale was trying to juggle way too much. It did do something interesting though. In most stories where a villain changes history and the present, we see them in the alternate timelines, usually as the ruler. The Cutie remark pretty much fails to do either in that regard. Not only do we only see how Twilight goes through each alternate timeline but there is no place where we see Starlight's. What makes the reveal worse is that they are there simply to be shown and told Starlight's "Freudian excuse" of a reason behind her ill intent. If she could travel through time, why didn't she alter this moment? If anything, season 8 has proven that this reasoning has not aged well. In the episode where Starlight and Sunburst go back to that village, we see that the parents never left. Considering Sunburst was a child, he would've gone back home for the holidays. If anything, this doesn't show Starlight as sympathetic. It shows us a child who never gave themselves the chance to grow up. At least Moondancer had other things to try and get lost in... and also didn't start a cult.

[@MrMarinus18]

​@@christopherbennett5858 I think they should also have just picked 1 alternate line. The multiple ones go by so fast that they barely do anything. I wouldn't mind them sticking to Nightmare Moon's timeline as she didn't get much screentime. After all in the pilot they had to introduce the mane 6, show the world of equastria, introduce the elements, have Twilight accept friendship and a whole bunch of other things.

[@christopherbennett5858]

@@MrMarinus18 True. And again, no Starlight timeline. If you really wanted to see her as the main villain of the episode with a plan, her seen winning would have been the best way

[@vertx6186]

Itsgreat to have you back

[@madzman7214]

for the flim flam brothers are perfect for a lorax future with them always taking and scamming anyone they plz while doing shortcuts

[@Raxian]

Very good analysis. Minus the Tone at the end, it was well thought out and involved.

[@justinriley]

Despite the slightly faulty ending, this is a very good, ambitious, and thought provoking season finale.

[@shadowwriter4538]

I heard that Starlight was a latchkey kid too so that might have played a role as to why Starlight was so attached to Sunburst.

[@7Seraphem7]

3:00 how bad do you think Starlight had to go to the bathroom by the time Twilight got there? 4:07 I still hold the Ponies were holding back and fighting like that because they knew SOmbra's forced were innocent victims being forced to fight against their will. 5:45 A lot of the villains make sense. Discord would have no issue with any other threat, and his timeline is also the only one we see Luna, so in no other timeline did the Mane 6 take up the Elements to reform her. Possibly Celestia's Plan B for not having Twilight was to reinforce the seal before she was freed, or defeated her herself in all but the NMM timeline, thus no breaking the seal on him. Plenty of ways small things could snowball from there. 7:48 yes she could, she started being able to self-levitate in season 3, but after that no point given she had wings now. Starlight just had a reason to refine the skill. 8:30 But she is still the highest raw power. The issue is she sucks at fighting. Note how in that fight, Starlight had to dodge all Twilight's shots, while Twilight just brushed aside all of Starlight's. The only time Starlight could score a hit was either a sucker punch while Twilight was winding up her magical lazor haymaker, or taking her by surprise. This is people not getting the end all and be all of combat is NOT some arbitrary 'power level'. Eventually, Twilight likely could have worn Starlight down through sheer power, but not without messing up the Rainboom anyway. 13:55 Eh, yeah the ending was a bit rushed, but let's face it, that's par for the course for this show. 16:00 Eh, rarely like the ides of "but what if the story was totally different!" Go with what is actually there, not some vague idea of what you might like better when it requires rewriting so much. 19:10 Pfffffffff, so only another12-15 years till you are done with all the episode? Great fun review, and glad you are still plugging along on these.

[@sethmoss8671]

You said *Equestria Games wasn't about the games. It should've been about the games. The story would've happened anywhere else". How is that different from Silver Quill's rant about what should've happened?

[@7Seraphem7]

@@sethmoss8671 Scope and context. The issues with Equestria Games were not the narrative in and of itself, which was pretty damn good for a Spike episode at that point, but how it fit into the larger context of the Equestria Games arc.

[@sethmoss8671]

@@7Seraphem7 I see then. Why do you not have your own mlp review channel?

[@7Seraphem7]

@@sethmoss8671 Lack of equipment and time to really do anything that would produce anything even remotely worth watching mostly.

[@beastmanfirefox1719]

Did she really use a self levitation spell in season 3? If so what episode?

[@BugsyFoga]

I honestly wished we saw more of the sombra future , cause that was BADASS 😁👌

[@Kartoffelkamm]

I write fanfictions over on DeviantArt. _Maybe_ I´ll humor that idea some time. I actually wanted to try and figure out what Twilight was doing in those alternate timelines. Maybe she and Starlight were friends in one of them.

[@jaywatson8054]

Thanks, once again, Silver for the great insight to some of our favorite characters. I always enjoy listening and learning something new you have to share with us, it's helped me out a lot. :)

[@labadf]

I'd be interested in reading your complete rewrite of the episode as you proposed it. It seems to have a lot details that could make Starlight's reformation much smoother than it was. Thanks for taking the time to do this episode.

[@FrostTheHobidon]

You finished Season 5, great now 3 more seasons to go, take your time.

[@garthdavis2502]

The alternate future thing still would've been more interesting if the Pillars never banished the Sirens.

[@SpyroTheEternalNight]

very well-thought-out, insightful, entertaining stuff as always, Silver Quill! i always appreciate your perspective. one thing, though: you've echoed something a lot of other people have said, that it's difficult to understand and relate to Starlight since we only have that one moment where Starburst leaves her behind. having... honestly pretty severe social anxiety, dealing with a lot of betrayal in my own life, i've always been very sympathetic toward Starlight and her feelings in that moment, and don't find it difficult at all to relate to her. ............ this is a thought i literally just had right now, but i wonder if there were people who felt they weren't being as well-represented as other personality types in the show (shy people --> Fluttershy, "nerds" --> Twilight, etc), and if perhaps Starlight was meant to be that representation for them. to show people who deal with cynicism, fear, bitterness etc that they can make friends, too.

[@MrMarinus18]

That's kind of what he does. It's the reason he calls his reviews "after the fact". He is more so talking about the fandom's reaction and the episode's impact rather than the technical quality of the episode itself. I felt Twilight was a really good representation. She was indeed a nerd but she was also driven, devout, loyal, charismatic, irritable, slightly aloof, dignified and all other things. Twilight wasn't shy or overly awkward. Her lack of social skills come from disinterest rather than inability. The biggest issue with Starlight though was the speed of her redemption. People had to go from hating her to feeling bad for her very quickly. A sudden shift in the audiance like that requires a very powerful moment or motivation and Starlight's just wasn't strong enough. If you compare it to Sunset there were a couple of important differences. Firstly she was more a bully than outright evil. When she became a demon she was crying and clearly not in complete control of herself. Secondly she was presented more as pathetic than sympathetic. People already didn't think highly of her so this wasn't such a drastic shift in thinking to make for them. Thirdly her redemption was painted in a much harsher light with Luna smugly putting an exhausted Sunset to work and the mane 6 being apprehensive and somewhat spiteful towards her. This painted the image that while she was going to be fine it was going to be a tough road ahead. With Starlight she was in full control of her actions at all times and even pushed her philosophy. She also was presented as more sympathetic, that it was a real motivation for her. Finally she was immediately accepted with smiles and forgiven by her town.

[@arcsparkasriel]

People forget that it doesn't matter if she felt sorry for her actions. She committed mass genocide and hurt so many people just because she was too lazy to try to make a new friend or keep in contact with Sunburst. She is a murderer, and the show expects us to just forget and forgive that. When we make costly mistakes like that, we must face the consequences for our actions. And she faced absolutely NONE. By stopping Rainbow Dash so many times, she caused these chains of events which leads to Equestria and every living thing in it suffering! And she continued to do horrible things even after her so-called reformation! That brain manipulation thing she kept doing for one!

[@RedfurredPikachu]

Look I won't act like this finale was perfect because it's not, this was haber's first two parter and it does show in the episode. However I do think Starlight's reform was handled well, Amending fences showed us how something as small as missing a party can have huge consequences for someone's emotional state. So it didn't seem like a stretch to me that Starlight would become like this over cutie marks. For that to happen would mean she kept those feelings in and ignored them until they just festered into bitterness and anger, she never allowed herself to say what she really needed to say. But Twilight starts pushing her to say it. You can see as she finally let's out all of her fears and frustrations that she softens more and more. I never saw a problem with the way this went down cause you can see it through her expressions as it's happening. I also disagree with the notion that she interacts with the mane six just through montage. Seasons 7 and 8 have shown her hanging out with or talking them more and they've allowed her to be in more episodes even if she's not the focus. That's why I consider to be a new main character because episode count wise she's been equaling the other main characters in terms of apperances after season 6. I had no problem with her getting the spotlight for the finale because it was apart of a character arc that does pay off in that finale. The only other thing that was left to do was to put Starlight in a position where she's the one that needed to be saved, and School Raze did that. Now there's no doubt in my mind that the writers see the mane six and Starlight on equal ground. Which is a good thing when you consider that season 9 is the last one and they'll need to work on giving satisfying endings to everybody who was important to the show.

[@shardinhand1243]

sigh like with the to short lived punk rairity, i often miss war vet rainbowdash... :v she had a damn metal wing... that proves scootalo could be given an artificial wing!... :v this must be cannon! i want to see adorable little pony fly at least once... before end of this series.... ;0; pls!

[@Adamkalb1]

Then what happened to Party Favor, Double Diamond, Sugar Belle and Night Glider? They're still relevant, danger! And I will never give up on writing more scripts with them and all the characters on Earth that Star Butterfly left behind! March 25, 2019, 10:51pm

[@Adamkalb1]

It is my hero's duty to write more and more scripts for Friendship is Magic to sell (which I have been doing since 2016) to keep them in business until they have reached 300 episodes. I will never give up or surrender! March 25, 2019, 10:53pm

[@Springtime562]

And it shows that starlight didn't have many friends so she clung to the one friend

[@spiderpool8634]

@@Springtime562 I think it's also worth noting that her mother does not seem to be present in her life seeing as in season 8 she's not there and there was no mention of her pre series finale or post finale in any comics to my knowledge.

[@Hybridragons11]

16:49 A mlp theorist that knows about Digimon? My life is complete.

[@Nephalem2002]

Hello God of Awesomeness good to see you again.

[@BNuts]

I still think Starlight's massive leap in power could be most easily explained by her being replaced by a Changeling. A member of a different Hive, not Chrysalis's. One where they have a ability so powerful the Changelings are convinced they are who they are pretending to be.

[@jf_kein_k8590]

Maybe a bit late, but about the Flim Flam brothers future. They are essentially doing what humans do, taking earths resources for profit without moderation and leaving behind only wasteland. Which can result in harming the planet to the point where even magic can't fix the damage. In all the others timelines (sans the very last one), nature was alive, and only one part, the ponies, were suffering. The brothers not only do immediate damage, but also lasting one.

[@victorhernandez8723]

I found it funny that were wearing the 6th Doctor’s outlandish outfit!

[@jennifersmith7766]

Victor Hernandez mhm! Yay another whovian I think

[@RealCoolstriker64]

I feel that Twilight wasn’t “making a connection” more she was going “please please don’t end the world!!! Please!!!”

[@noahweathers4408]

17:21 I don’t believe it. I didn’t have a problem with the season five finale, but the idea you just pitched sounds incredibly impressive too. I wish we could get a different story portraying that sequence of events as well. Thank you for suggesting that idea.

[@lostonessoul8435]

1:17 ok silver as the doctor......yes, yes yes, ALL THE FREAKING YES IN THE MULTIVERSE!!!!!!!!!!! "I'm sorry I keep breaking your stuff....." Put this on a shirt.

[@Yinyanyeow]

Now you're only 3 Seasons behind. On this video though, I still think that you are right. They should have done it a different way than how it was in the show. I mean... repeating the exact moment so many times can be boring and repeating it is a chore. Also... with how you put it, would mean that there would have been ripple effects like losing certain aspects (wings, magic... spike!) until reaching said point.

[@v-r-gmorningmoon6733]

I love these videos. They give such insightful ideas about these episodes. And another surprise appearance of the Faust!

[@battleaxe9145]

18:45 Why is it that a paradox only takes effect the moment we acknowledge it?

[@aceofflames4572]

I was watching one of your videos when I got this notification.

[@LaskyLabs]

Stopped watching the show recently. But thank God he's reviewing episodes from back when I watched the show.

[@Dark_Tale_2077]

Considering the next season is the final, you should consider jumping back in. It sounds like we have an old villain returning.

[@NonStopKnocks]

@@Dark_Tale_2077 no one cares about sombra

[@christopherbennett5858]

His reform was supposed to be good in the comics. Can't wait to see how bad it is now.

[@Springtime562]

"I stayed here and never made another friend because i was to afraid that another cutie mark would take them away too" to me that summarized starlights reasoning more then any episode. Being betrayed so many times i dont go outside my social comfort zone im terrified of being hurt again. 14:42 actually. It doesn't. The main six were the only ones coming with twlight. And that was because twlight knew what was up. If she didnt go into celestias school and be forcedt to go to equestrias to meet the main 6 the elements would still be in those rocks

[@FoxofMaysville]

The best part of your videos is that they are well thought out. As well as fun. I like the plot line you came up with, & maybe something like that will happen. It is a time travel episode after all. But, the best joke still has to be you saying your sorry of braking Faust-a-corns stuff.

[@JCBro-yg8vd]

You went crosseyed at the end there, Silver-Quill. I guess you didn't know from Metal Gear Solid 3 how dangerous it is to create a time paradox. Also, if you're big into time travel, might I suggest an interesting two season show called "Timeless"? It offers a different approach to time travel, history has already been changed by another organization and it's up to a group of three individuals to minimize the damage, but some shifts and changes are inevitable.

[@TheStarryArcher1213]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us, Silver! The title card was a nice touch. Also, it's nice to see the return of the shoulder Demon Quills. ^_^ Your alternate episode scenario is intriguing. Especially the part with Twilight realizing that Sunburst helped her in the past. Similar to the Mane Six's cutie mark connection, Sunburst would connect Twilight and Starlight with the two not realizing until later. The episode does seem to portray the Element bearers as Equestria's last line of defense. However, it's more likely that we were shown the worse alternate timelines to add tension. There could've been a timeline where everything went ALMOST the same as in canon and the Mane Six managed to vanquish every villain. Starlight believes that cutie marks are the root of her misery, but the REAL issue is that Sunburst CHOSE to leave her behind, albeit without bad intentions. Starlight probably blames Sunburst's cutie mark more than Sunburst himself because she believes that his special talent made him care more about his goals than their friendship. I don't think Starlight actually cares about "equality". She just wants to keep her "friends" from leaving her for "selfish" reasons. If Starlight hadn't been so fixated on cutie marks, she might have used a "reformation spell" to "convince" her "friends" to stay with her. Interestingly, Starlight's cutie mark spell makes ponies "equal" by making them BELOW average rather than average. Sugar Belle's terrible baking abilities and the Mane Six's slowness can attest to that. Did Starlight intend to weaken the ponies that much, or was her spell just too strong? Both are definitely plausible. P.S. After a little more thought, I realized that Starlight's true aim might have been DEVOTION, not "equality". It makes sense if you consider how unhappy Starlight becomes when Sunburst doesn't pay her enough attention in "Uncommon Bond" or when the villagers turn on her.

[@funcoolfunfun]

This is my favorite finale of the first five seasons, and Starlight's redemption is one of my favorite things in the entire series

[@Askre5]

This was my favorite season finale until Season 6 decided to top itself with To where and back again. I personally had no problem with Starlight's reformation mostly because I didn't think it was rushed at all compared to few other villains I could name and in the end we got an entire season where they continued with that reformation. Seriously, after season 5 I haven't disliked a single episode, as far as I'm concerned the show has just gotten better and better and I think they started that positive change by bringing Starlight in.

[@MrMarinus18]

The issue for many is how her reformation was presented. If it ended on a bittersweet tone like Sunset's did I don't think people would have minded as much. I also would have liked that they had picked just 1 alternate future and stuck with it. To really flesh it out. The obvious one would be Nightmare Moon who didn't get a lot of screentime in the pilot. I don't blame Lauren Faust for this as she had to cram a lot in that first episode. However NMM can use a lot more screentime.

[@WhiteNightDream]

I'll be honest - this is the episode that disheartened me about the show's direction as a whole. I kept watching for awhile, but nothing could ever quite wash away the bitter taste this episode left behind... But MAN if they had gone the direction you proposed by revealing that an interaction with Sunburst set Twilight on her current path, adding all the more weight to Starlight's choice... that is so good! Would have saved the episode for me, I think. Thank God for your wit and insight, Silver!

[@titanhades4331]

As someone unbiased, I can say that this episode saved the show and made it even better. It's kind of sad that there are so few people that understand that everything in this episode made sense if you actually understand the material. Anyone who thinks losing a friend is a poor reason, should be smacked due to the fact that it is believable and pretty much better then any other villains explanation for villain. And the complaint that the reformation was rushed? It was done far better then every other one in the series. So it's kind of funny to see people picking on the most believable one in the series.

[@rebelwolf39]

Nice review Silver, just in time for Starlight Day too! Your OC looks really nice in the 6th Doctor's outfit! ^^

[@angstmuffinofdoom5094]

Entertaining as always. I especially liked the end. "I'm sorry I keep breaking your stuff."

[@averagehelper]

Sunburst helped Twilight in a critical moment at school... Headcanon accepted!

[@averagehelper]

XD I’m literally just getting to this vid. Great job, SQ!

[@starbolt86d77]

Great review Silver. Insightful as always. I hope you keep to your more classic style. Part of what I enjoy in your reviews is in that style: the nearly flawless blend of humour, analysis and the way you approach each episode. In particular, I enjoyed the use of Jungian archetypes in exploring the psychology of each character. If you stop doing this, I think many of your fans, this one especially will be disappointed. I'm not saying don't continue to refine it, only that you should keep what sets you apart from the other reviewers on youtube. I hope you will also continue reviewing episodes even after the show ends in April of this year. As to Flim and Flam being the penultimate doom for Equestria, I'd say it is perhaps not obvious except to people who study economics and politics: They represent that final doom that comes with unhindered, unregulated capitalism without any ethical restraints. Just profit for its own sake. Such a scenario ultimately becomes 'survival of the richest' with the richest pony becoming a dictator like Nightmare moon (or a small group of the super rich do, essentially a plutocracy) with the one(s) with the gold making the golden rules. Theoretically, even Celestia could not stop them because with money comes the power to buy loyalty, including the loyalty of influential people like politicians. While I largely agree with you in your 'two worlds' video where you compare Celstia's benevolent dictatorship to a dystopian night under Nightmare moon, I think there is room for nuance. A world where Celestia is willing to proactively do what is needed to stop threats like Flim and Flam *before* they become a Chrysalis/NMM/King Sombra level threat without becoming a tyrant like Nightmare moon is, in my view, a better solution than Celestia's rule, which takes her 'hooves off' approach to the point of complacency. Again, I need to stress that I *like* Celstia's rule and I agree that it is a testament to her character that she can so effectively run a country while giving her charges the freedom to be themselves, I just think a slightly more proactive approach to certain people who are obvious threats would be better than her current style.

[@paulrasmussen8953]

I found this finally badly written. You have been fun to have Twilight and Starlight stuck in the Nightmare timeline. They tried to do too much in an hour.

[@erinchappel1359]

Great job as always. Always enjoy your videos. They make me feel better when ever I am feeling down.

[@stephenlecrone7096]

The twin shoulder demons bit was priceless!

[@maxharter5716]

(looks at thumbnail) ..... Someone's been watching Weird Al's music video for Tacky.

[@Rognik]

Someone isn't familiar with The Fifth Doctor.

[@deathxanamon7211]

@@Rognik 6th Doctor

[@AlexiSonic]

I really like this alternate scenario you proposed and the end made me burst out of laughter. ^^

[@Loldude66671]

Coming back to this video after KH3 has been out for a while really drives home the whole "Being Zapped good" that Silver Quill brought up at 13:22 since Sora effectively beats the Depression and Evil out of a Corrupted Aqua, you literally have a single fight against "Anti-Aqua" and after hitting her with the Pirates of the Caribbean ride you drag her home and she just instantly gets over being alone in a hostile world for 12 FREAKING YEARS (yes I know in Re-Mind they show that she has PTSD from it but she lets go of the anger and loneliness in an instant)

[@beedolphin1]

I am glad you waited on doing this review. looking back on it now, after seeing the next few seasons, have changed the meaning of the episode. For me that is. It makes equestria a more developed place when you look at time events from the past and put it into the future.

[@SuperHurricane]

It's not just the cutie marks, she just didn't want anyone to leave her or the town she made. Thus the imprisonment and the brainwashing and so forth. Though I am surprised no one made a big deal of Twilight being a alicorn in the past besides Dash.

[@RBComics]

appreciated the fan art post. This is RBComics25

[@ErikButterworth]

Great work with finishing Season 5, Silver Quill. Take a rest from doing Seasons 6 through 8 and get ready for Season 9.

[@Frostmourne86]

The penultimate future is where there is virtually nothing remaining - just rock, sand and wind. Its where Twilight takes Starlight and convinces her to undo her plan. And the part of Twilight being the Element of Magic - its not just her friending potential, its her "knowledge" of spells and magic - not power - that makes her that; remember she can remember and perform spells after only giving them a cursory glance.