Fillies, Gentlecolts, and foals of all ages, welcome once again to another edition of the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic recap/review. Well, here we are. At the end of another season. And we have to cover what has definitely been built by many bronies to be a very controversial episode. But is that concern validated? Or are we leaving season 3 on a high note? Let’s find out with “Magical Mystery Cure”.
Destinies in Jeopardy
The episode opens with Twilight Sparkle embracing a new morning in Ponyville. Everything is going as it normally does. All except one major difference, and that’s Rarity working the weather. And to make matters stranger, she’s now possessing Rainbow Dash’s cutie mark. When Twilight tries to get an answer from Rarity, she acts as if this has always been her job.
And if that wasn’t bad enough, it appears all of the cutie marks and destinies of the ponies have been swapped around. Rainbow Dash is now living in Fluttershy’s cottage, now has Fluttershy’s cutie mark and is having a hard time taking care of animals. Fluttershy has Pinkie’s cutie mark, and is unable to make ponies laugh. Pinkie Pie has Applejack’s cutie mark and is unable to do any farm work. And finally Applejack has Rarity’s cutie mark, and is unable to make dresses.
Everything's back to normal
Twilight soon realizes what has happened. The previous night, she was given a book by Princess Celestia that contained the final unfinished spell of Starswirl the bearded. When she read it out loud, she unkowingly swapped the destinies of her friends. At first Twilight doubts herself, but soon realizes that the only way to fix the spell is to try and get the other ponies to realize their true destinies.
Twilight does just that, going from pony to pony, helping them to remember their true calling. And one by one, the rest of the mane six return to their normal selves. Twilight writes the final page of the spell into the book, which suddenly causes the elements of harmony to blast her, seemingly evaporating her.
But she actually winds up in a strange limbo world, where she’s greeted by Princess Celestia. Celestia tells her that she’s been watching her mature and become a better pony ever since she first went to Ponyville, and now it’s time for Twilight to fulfill her destiny. Twilight is teleported back to Ponyville, only this time she now has gained a pair of wings. Yes, Twilight Sparkle has gone from unicorn to alicorn.
Princess Twilight has arrived
As if the new evolution for her wasn’t enough, Princess Celestia also informs Twilight that she is now a princess as well. And despite no longer being Celestia’s student, the princess will always be there when she’s needed. We then go to the coronation ceremony, where Twilight is presented as a princess to the world for the first time. She tells her new subjects about how the magic of friendship was responsible for all of this, and that she considers herself the luckiest pony in Equestria. And so the episode ends with Twilight taking flight, telling the viewer that everything is going to be just fine.
Well, this was a mile a minute season finale, but did it deliver the goods for the last episode of the season? Let’s filter out some pros and cons
PRO
This entire episode was a musical, and as expected at this point, all of the songs were great. Daniel Ingram managed to give us 7 (one being a reprise of the first song) original tunes, each having a different tone to them, and each really feeling amazing. If there’s one thing I’ll never fault from the show, it’s definitely the music, and this delivered.
I like the design of the newly alicorned Twilight Sparkle. While I’m still a bit tepid on this new change, knowing the main reason for it is to sell more toys, I would be lying if I said I didn’t find the new look for her to be any good. It’s just a shame we have to wait several months for more.
Derpy Hooves is alive and well, appearing several times in the background of the episode. Despite constant worry that the beloved background pegasus was doomed to be banished from the show, the fact that she did show up was a treat, and definitely one worth waiting for.
Lots of references to old episodes. Everything from the quills and sofas shop, to the multiple cure spells we’ve seen in the history of the series. I love references to older episodes, and the ones here were spot on. Nothing felt shoehorned in that aspect.
CON
The first con is that this episode should have been a two parter, or at least two separate episodes. The first plot feels like it’s handled with so fast that all the entertaining potential for it never gets off the ground. And then suddenly without much warning we’re thrust into another plot involving Twilight’s evolution in character. There’s just too much going on in one episode that it never feels as strong as it should for what are two interesting ideas.
The second con is that this episode feels too much like a series finale in how it wraps up so much, and adds a sense of finality with Twilight’s ascension. And yes, this was the intended finale Hasbro was going for as the show now is in the infamous 65 episode position, a number that often means a show’s end. But with the massive success the franchise has undergone, Hasbro is not going to kill their cash cow… err, pony. And so the show has been picked up for what appears to be a full 26 episode fourth season. And that in the end really hurts this episode for me. With so much tied up now, what can they possibly do with season 4?
“Magical Mystery Cure” is a top notch season finale. While I do have some issues with it, I can’t deny that it was a fun episode, and a positive way to end what many consider to be a mixed season in quality. Season 4 is at least 8 months away. And we exit strong once more.
RATING: 9 out of 10
Next week, it’s time once again to wrap the season up as we take a final look at season 3. What worked? What flopped? And how does things truly look as we head into season 4? Find out next week.
Until next time everypony!