History Recap / MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS6E17TheTimesTheyAreAChangeling

* FiveSecondForeshadowing: After absorbing the message of Spike’s song, Twilight is the only one who remains with a sad expression unlike the others’ {{DeathGlares}} for the remainder of it, hinting at her RousingSpeech which happens after it ends.

* FiveSecondForeshadowing: After absorbing the message of Spike’s song, Twilight is the only one who remains with a sad expression unlike the others’ {{Death Glares}} for the remainder of it, hinting at her RousingSpeech which happens after it ends.

** Similarly, the citizens of the Crystal Empire immediately accept Thorax without question after Spike and the Princesses speak up for him. Even Shining Armor offers his sincerest apologies for not allowing Thorax a chance to explain himself earlier. Given that Thorax himself hasn't actually done anything (not even during the invasion of Canterlot), [[JustifiedTrope, there isn't anything to forgive him for]].

* LiteralCliffhanger: The third time Spike visits the cave where Thorax is hidding, he's startled by the changeling having turned into a rock, and walks backward right into the chasm, hanging on the edge. He has to beg Thorax to help him, apologizing for not having stood up for him earlier.

** Similarly, the citizens of the Crystal Empire immediately accept Thorax without question after Spike and the Princesses speak up for him. Even Shining Armor offers his sincerest apologies for not allowing Thorax a chance to explain himself earlier.

* FreudianExcuse: One is provided at for at least ''some'' of the changelings. Thorax explains that he was ''reared'' by Chrysalis, and the scene implies this is the case with other changelings as well.

* HiddenDepths: Changelings apparently aren't limited into shape-shifting to ponies, as Thorax first impersonates Spike and later on a rock.
* IJustWantToHaveFriends: It's all Thorax wanted ever since he was a larva.

* NobleBigotWithABadge: Shining Armor and the Crystal Guards are this throughout the majority of the episode.

* VagueAge: Thorax's age is not even hinted at.

* WhamEpisode: Thorax's appearance opens a lot of new possibilities for the changelings in the future, confirms they can change.
* WhatNowEnding: Thorax is the very first changeling to have welcome residence in the Crystal Empire and to start learning about friendship. Though he states that one day he'll go back to his kind to share this knowledge, the future for him and the Crystal Empire is still beyond certain.

* WhamEpisode: Thorax's appearance opens a lot of new possibilities for the changelings in the future, confirms they can change, and probably means Chrysalis will be looking towards the Empire soon...

** The reason that the Crystal Empire fears that Thorax could be a spy, and for Shining Armor and Cadance in particular to be so hostile, is because the ''last'' time ponies encountered changelings, it was in the form of [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E25ACanterlotWeddingPart1 their Queen replacing Cadance and brainwashing Shining Armor]] in order to [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E26ACanterlotWeddingPart2 pave the way for a full-fledged invasion of Canterlot]]. Thorax himself was present during the attack on Canterlot, as we see during a flashback, and it marked the start of his HeelFaceTurn.

Though the Empire is on high alert, Spike fells guilty about what he said, and goes back to the cavern where he first met Thorax. Spike is surprised by Thorax, who is furious about what Spike said, and wants nothing to do with him. Spike apologizes, saying he should have stood up for Thorax in the first place, before falling again down the crevice. Thorax saves him again, realizing why Spike might have said the things he said. Still, Spike wants to make it up to Thorax. The two sneak back into the throne room, where Spike defends Thorax, saying that he made a mistake, and that Thorax honestly wants a chance to be good. After a moment, Twilight says that she's proud of Spike for being willing to throw away his celebrity status in the Crystal Empire if it meant sticking up for his friend. Moved by Spike's words and Twilight's speech and acceptance of Thorax, Shining Armor and Cadance say that they'll give him a chance, and Thorax is welcomed by the crystal ponies.

* TitledAfterTheSong: The title is a reference to the Creator/BobDylan song "Music/TheTimesTheyAreAChangin".

** Both Twilight and Cadance do their childhood "Sunshine,Sunshine" song once more [[TrustPassword in order to prove she is the real Twilight]].

** Both Twilight and Cadance do their childhood "Sunshine Sunshine" song once more [[TrustPassword in order to prove she is the real Twilight]].

* DefectorFromDecadence: Thorax was a member of Chrysalis' army during her attack on Canterlot, but upon seeing the Mane Six's friendship and desiring it for himself he defected.

* ExplainExplainOhCrap: This happens to the Crystal Ponies without actually "explaining" anything. They rush out to cheer for Spike as soon as he takes off his disguise, but when they see Twilight and Starlight they become paranoid believing either of them could be a changeling with no way to tell for sure. One of them then says that maybe this isn't the real Spike either and they all run for the hills, leaving the three of them alone once again.

* ColorCodedForYourConvenience

* LineOfSightName: Spike gives Thorax's pony name Crystal Hoof with the camera panning to a crystal followed by a closeup of Twilight's hoof.

* OneShotCharacter
** Thorax is the very first changeling in the show to have a unique identity and speaking role.[[note]]Kevin technically doesn't count as he was only named and given dialogue in the Trading Cards.[[/note]]
** Although unnamed, the yellow Pegasus Guard gets a prominent speaking role and makes a lot of appearances in the episode, making him an apparent second-in-command Guardspony to Shining Armor.
* OutOfOrder: This is the seventeenth episode in production order but is the ''sixteenth'' episode in broadcast order.

** [[spoiler]]Spike's song, "A Changeling Can Change", forshadows that, in [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS6E26ToWhereAndBackAgainPart2 the finale]], Changelings, and Thorax in particular, changed into iridescent beetle-ponies that no longer hunger for love.[[/spoiler]]

* ChirpingCrickets: To show how empty it is, a tumbleweed rolls by at the Crystal Empire train station, along with a hawk screeching.

* BabiesMakeEverythingBetter: Every since Flurry Heart's Crystalling the Crystal Empire has more love than any where else in Equestria. The love caused by it is also what attracted Thorax to the Crystal Empire in the first place. Flurry Heart herself is still joyful and accepts Thorax without any fear of him at all.

* LiteralCliffhanger: The third times Spike visits the cave where Thorax is hidding, he's startled by the changeling having turned into a rock, and walks backward right into the chasm, hanging on the edge. He has to beg Thorax to help him, apologizing for not having stood up for him earlier.

--->'''Thorax''': I've never seen true friendship like that and I couldn't just steal it and feed off its love. I wanted to share it.

-->'''Thorax''': I've never seen true friendship like that and I couldn't just steal it and feed off its love. I wanted to share it.

** Love can be shared, not stolen, as Thorax brings this up while telling his story. While Chrysalis raised her young to steal the love of their victims by impersonating their victims' loved ones, Thorax proves Changelings can be given love. If the Changelings can learn to mutually share the love, then both the Changeling and its "victim" can benefit.

** Both Twilight and Cadance do their childhood "Sunshine Sunshine" song once more in order to prove she is the real Twilight.

* ArmorPiercingQuestion: ''"Why can't we imagine a changeling can change?"''

* TragicBigot/TroubledSympatheticBigot: You can hardly blame Cadance and Shining for being paranoid and hostile to changelings after what happened at their wedding, especially now that they have a young child who Chrysalis would be more than tempted to replace and kidnap.