History Recap / MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS6E17TheTimesTheyAreAChangeling

* AnAesop: This episode shows that there is a fine line between Legally Right and Morally Right.
** While the exact legalities are not clear, the actions of the ponies heavily imply any changeling trespassing on their lands is automatically considered hostile and therefore, aiding and abetting them can be defined as an act of treason. Because of this, Spike hesitates to defend Thorax after he loses his disguise in front of the ponies as he is afraid of being reprimanded and declared a traitor by Equestria and the Crystal Empire, even though Thorax has saved his life and showed no hostile intents. Spike is soon ashamed of his reluctance which the ponies consider to be right but is actually wrong in his heart. (Legally Wrong, Morally Right)
** Starlight Glimmer is forced to question the extreme lengths that Princess Cadance and Shining Armor will go to protect the Crystal Empire from just ''one'' changeling trespassing on their lands. The fact that Princess Cadance doesn't agree with it either but considers it necessary means she knows that things are going a bit too far. (Legally Right, Morally Wrong)
--->'''Cadance:''' I don't know what else we can do!
** Love can be shared, not stolen, as Thorax brings this up while telling his story. While Chrysalis raised her young to steal and sustain themselves off the love of their victims by impersonating their victims' loved ones, Thorax proves Changelings can be given love by just being nice. If the Changelings can learn to mutually share the love, then both the Changeling and its "victim" can benefit for the better.
--->'''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's problem is almost parallel to what members of certain real life groups go through. He is an example of how not all changelings are born evil but still have to face hostility for his species' past transgressions, especially from those who had themselves suffered from said transgressions and thus feel justified in their prejudice. After witnessing the errors of Chrysalis' ways and being defeated in Canterlot, Thorax became a lonely outcast who considered himself unwanted by everypony, including his own kind, and wandered the lands of Equestria in desperate need of somepony who was willing to provide help with open eyes, open ears, and impartial judgement which is necessary to look past his species and see the true nature of his character.
** Speciesism/Racism can never be justified even by the deepest fears or the most righteous cause.

** Spike interrogates a rock in the beginning to make sure it isn't a changeling. Later, Spike turns over one to find Thorax, to find that [[Objectshifting he turned into one to hide]].

** Spike interrogates a rock in the beginning to make sure it isn't a changeling. Later, Spike turns over one to find Thorax, to find that he turned into one to hide.

* AntiClimax: Spike manages to resolve the conflict by singing a song that instantly makes ponies accept the changeling with open arms. This only results when Twilight is the first to step forward to accept Thorax, as the Princess of Friendship, and her speech convinces her sister-in-law and B.B.B.F.F. to overlook their past experience with Chrysalis and give Thorax a chance, complete with Shining Armor offering his apologies on his and Cadance's behalf for their earlier behavior.

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: Due to his [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E2TheCrystalEmpirePart2 prior]] [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E24EquestriaGames heroics]] in saving the Crystal Empire, the citizens see Spike as a national hero.

* FriendOrIdolDecision: Spike choosing ''not'' to defend Thorax after his disguise fails isn't blatantly one, but Thorax later describes it as one; to his credit, Thorax acknowledges that it wasn't fair to expect Spike to put his status as the Crystal Empire's hero in jeopardy for the sake of someone he's only known for a day or so.

* MoralDilemma:
** Spike must choose between staying honorable to his new-found changeling friend by standing by and defending him (and possibly setting up the Crystal Empire for an invasion as a consequence if it turns out this changeling is deceiving him and really '''is''' a spy) or [[MyCountryRightOrWrong remaining loyal to his adopted homeland and the Empire which hails him as their hero]] (by forsaking his new friend, which is a clear breach of his dragon code and will stain his honor). Spike chooses the former, and Twilight, seeing Spike put so much at risk to defend Thorax, is the first to take his side and offer Thorax her hoof in friendship.
** Cadance and Shining Armor are also in a very difficult position, especially when Spike testifies on Thorax's behalf. They will have to choose between not taking any chances and arresting Thorax (but will strain and potentially ruin their relationship with Spike) or listen and trust Spike's account that Thorax means them and their Empire no harm (which will then put the Empire in danger if the latter is indeed a spy). Twilight taking Spike's side and accepting Thorax herself as the Princess of Friendship following Spike's heartfelt song helps Cadance and Shining Armor choose the latter pretty quickly since if Twilight is willing to accept Thorax, then so can they.

* NotSoDifferent:
** During parts of "A Changeling Can Change", you can see Starlight reflecting on the lyrics and realizing that Thorax's situation isn't all that different from hers.
** Twilight also has a similar interaction as her expression changes from anger to sympathy during the course of the song as she realizes how much Spike is willing to risk losing his fame and his friendships with her, her family, and her friends, for Thorax. This could be due to being reminded of what happened with Trixie back in "No Second Prances". Twilight was about to make the same mistakes again with Thorax.

* SadisticChoice:
** Spike must choose between staying honorable to his new-found changeling friend by standing by and defending him (and possibly setting up the Crystal Empire for an invasion as a consequence if it turns out this changeling is deceiving him and really '''is''' a spy) or [[MyCountryRightOrWrong remaining loyal to his adopted homeland and the Empire which hails him as their hero]] (by forsaking his new friend, which is a clear breach of his dragon code and will stain his honor). Spike chooses the former, and Twilight, seeing Spike put so much at risk to defend Thorax, is the first to take his side and offer Thorax her hoof in friendship.
** Cadance and Shining Armor are also in a very difficult position, especially when Spike testifies on Thorax's behalf. They will have to choose between not taking any chances and arresting Thorax (but will strain and potentially ruin their relationship with Spike) or listen and trust Spike's account that Thorax means them and their Empire no harm (which will then put the Empire in danger if the latter is indeed a spy). Twilight taking Spike's side and accepting Thorax herself as the Princess of Friendship following Spike's heartfelt song helps Cadance and Shining Armor choose the latter pretty quickly since if Twilight is willing to accept Thorax, then so can they.

* MoralDilemma:
** Spike must choose between staying honorable to his new-found changeling friend by standing by and defending him (and possibly setting up the Crystal Empire for an invasion as a consequence if it turns out this changeling is deceiving him and really '''is''' a spy) or [[MyCountryRightOrWrong remaining loyal to his adopted homeland and the Empire which hails him as their hero]] (by forsaking his new friend, which is a clear breach of his dragon code and will stain his honor). Spike chooses the former, and Twilight, seeing Spike put so much at risk to defend Thorax, is the first to take his side and offer Thorax her hoof in friendship.
** Cadance and Shining Armor are also in a very difficult position, especially when Spike testifies on Thorax's behalf. They will have to choose between not taking any chances and arresting Thorax (but will strain and potentially ruin their relationship with Spike) or listen and trust Spike's account that Thorax means them and their Empire no harm (which will then put the Empire in danger if the latter is indeed a spy). Twilight taking Spike's side and accepting Thorax herself as the Princess of Friendship following Spike's heartfelt song helps Cadance and Shining Armor choose the latter pretty quickly since if Twilight is willing to accept Thorax, then so can they.

* {{Adorkable}}: After Spike makes up the phony excuse that Crystal Hoof/Transformed Thorax is his pen pal from the Crystal Empire, Twilight is overjoyed and says he could have been using her "pen pal quill set" complete with an excited flapping of her wings.

* IAmAMonster: Thorax refers to himself as “the evil changeling.” He also is implied to dislike his natural changeling appearance, as he said nopony could trust someone who looks like it.

** Once again, Spike comes up with a LineOfSightName, as he did for Ember in "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS6E5GauntletOfFire Gauntlet of Fire]]".

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

* ArmorPiercingQuestion:

** ''"Would you say I'm a hero, glorious and brave, if I told you something you wouldn't believe?"''

* {{Foreshadowing}}: A small bit when Spike is interrogating a rock under suspicion of being a changeling, despite past appearances implying they could only change into ponies. Thorax later proves that changelings can in fact shapeshift into non-living objects like a rock.

* AesopAmnesia: Averted. One can be forgiven for believing that Twilight could relapse once again to not accepting a redeemed villain like she did with Trixie, but thankfully, her experience with said mare factored into her accepting the changeling and convincing her sister-in-law and B.B.B.F.F. to do the same.

** Spike must choose between staying honorable to his new-found changeling friend by standing by and defending him (and possibly setting up the Crystal Empire for an invasion as a consequence if it turns out this changeling is deceiving him and really '''is''' a spy) or [[MyCountryRightOrWrong remaining loyal to his adopted homeland and the Empire which hails him as their hero]] (by forsaking his new friend, which is a clear breach of his dragon code and will stain his honor). Spike chooses the former, and Twilight, remembering what happened with her and Trixie in "No Second Prances" along with seeing Spike put so much at risk to defend Thorax, is the first to take his side and offer Thorax her hoof in friendship.

** Twilight also has a similar interaction as her expression changes from anger to sympathy during the course of the song as she realizes how much Spike is willing to risk losing his fame and his friendships with her, her family, and her friends, for Thorax. This is mostly due to being reminded of what happened with Trixie back in "No Second Prances". Twilight was about to make the same mistakes again with Thorax.

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

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

* RousingSpeech: Twilight gives one just after Spike’s song ends, explaining he’s right all along and someone who appears bad can do their best to be good.