History YMMV / MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS5E1TheCutieMapPart1

* FridgeHorror: As some reviewers have pointed out, all of the foals present in Our Town are "blank flanks", meaning they hadn't gotten their cutie marks. This means they were likely born there or arrived with their parents soon after birth. Had the Mane Six not arrived and put an end to Starlight Glimmer's plans, it's likely that she could have indoctrinated the younger ponies into a fanatically loyal army ready to spread her ideology across Equestria.

* StrawmanHasAPoint: Starlight Glimmer's insistence that cutie marks are evil and removing them is the only way to guarantee equality is revealed to be little more than a means of feeding her own lust for power. However, there are quite a few [[FridgeHorror inherently creepy]] things about the concept of a cutie mark. If your Cutie Mark and special talent turns out to be something that isn't all that useful or conducive to supporting yourself or, even with it, you're still rather mediocre compared to others with the same gift? Worse still, if you don't even ''want'' your mark, or to be marked for a specific destiny in general? Suddenly that village starts to have an appeal. [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS7E22MarksAndRecreation It certainly would to one colt in particular...]]

* StrawmanHasAPoint: Starlight Glimmer's insistence that cutie marks are evil and removing them is the only way to guarantee equality is revealed to be little more than a means of feeding her own lust for power. However, there are quite a few [[FridgeHorror inherently creepy]] things about the concept of a cutie mark. If your Cutie Mark and special talent turns out to be something that isn't all that useful or conducive to supporting yourself or, even with it, you're still rather mediocre compared to others with the same gift? Worse still, if you don't even ''want'' your mark, or to be marked for a specific destiny in general? Suddenly that village starts to have an appeal.

FridgeHorror: As some reviewers have pointed out, all of the foals present in Our Town are "blank flanks", meaning they hadn't gotten their cutie marks. This means they were likely born there or arrived with their parents soon after birth. Had the Mane Six not arrived and put an end to Starlight Glimmer's plans, it's likely that she could have indoctrinated the younger ponies into a fanatically loyal army ready to spread her ideology across Equestria.

* StrawmanHasAPoint: Starlight Glimmer's insistence that cutie marks are evil and removing them is the only way to guarantee equality is revealed to be little more than a means of feeding her own lust for power. However, there are quite a few [[FridgeHorror inherently creepy]] things about the concept of a cutie mark. If your Cutie Mark and special talent turns out to be something that isn't all that useful or conducive to supporting yourself or, even with it, you're still rather mediocre compared to others with the same gift? Worse still, if you don't even ''want'' your mark, or even to be marked for a specific destiny in general? Suddenly that village starts to have an appeal.

* StrawmanHasAPoint: Starlight Glimmer's insistence that cutie marks are evil and removing them is the only way to guarantee equality is revealed to be little more than a means of feeding her own lust for power. However, there are quite a few [[FridgeHorror inherently creepy]] things about the concept of a cutie mark. If your Cutie Mark and special talent turns out to be something that isn't all that useful or conducive to supporting yourself or, even with it, you're still rather mediocre compared to others with the same gift? Suddenly that village starts to have an appeal.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: Some fans wanted to see Twilight or one of her friends knock out Starlight and take their cutie marks back by force, but this doesn't happen. The episode would've been cut short, but it would've at least looked cool.

* TheyWastedAPerfictlyGoodPlot: Some fans wanted to see Twilight or one of her friends knock out Starlight and take their cutie marks back by force, but this doesn't happen. The episode would've been cut short, but it would've at least looked cool.

* StrawmanHasAPoint: Starlight Glimmer's insistence that cutie marks are evil and removing them the only way to guarantee equality is revealed to be little more than a means of feeding her own lust for power. However, there are quite a few [[FridgeHorror inherently creepy]] things about the concept of a cutie mark. If your Cutie Mark and special talent turns out to be something that isn't all that useful or conducive to supporting yourself or, even with it, you're still rather mediocre compared to others with the same gift? Suddenly that village starts to have an appeal.

* HilariousInHindsight: Hoofball is confirmed to be canon several months after we see the Mane 6 promoting Super Bowl XLIX. Also hilarious to note that Fluttershy doesn't seem to like hoofball and yet [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E7Dragonshy owns a hoofball helmet]].

* NightmareFuel: "In Our Town" has its share of lyrics that, if you take them at face value, are downright creepy. For example: "''You can't have a nightmare / if you never dream''"

* StrawmanHasAPoint: Starlight Glimmer's insistence that cutie marks are evil and removing them the only way to guarantee equality is revealed to be little more than a means of feeding her own lust for power. However, there are quite a few [[FridgeHorror inherently creepy]] things about the concept of a cutie mark, ''especially'' since they've [[{{Retcon}} been changed]] from a symbol of someone's talent to [[YouCantFightFate something completely different]]. How ''would'' things turn out without all the fatalist implications that cutie marks have?
** Actually, the episode "Bloom & Gloom" reveals that cutie marks are just a representation of a pony's true self; not something that determines their destiny.
** And if your Cutie Mark and special talent turns out to be something that isn't all that useful or conducive to supporting yourself or, even with it, you're still rather mediocre compared to others with the same gift? Suddenly that village starts to have an appeal.

* RewatchBonus: When Starlight Glimmer refers to the Staff of Sameness as "one of the great mage Meadowbrook's nine enchanted items", Twilight's expression changes from amazement to confusion, and her eyes shift as though she's searching her memory and realizing something is amiss.

* FridgeHorror: There are [[WouldHurtAChild fillies]] in the town too.
** They also don't have cutie marks. [[ForTheEvulz So what was the point of brainwashing them?]]
** So that as soon as they got them, they'd be willing to give them up.

* RewatchBonus: When Starlight Glimmer refers to the Staff of Sameness as "one of the great mage Meadowbrook's nine enchanted items", Twilight's expression changes from amazement to confusion, and her eyes shift as though she's searching her memory [[spoiler:and realizing something is amiss]].

* CounterpartComparison:
** Starlight Glimmer shows deep parallels to Amon from ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', as both claim a philosophy that everyone is better off having equal abilities, and those with special powers/talents should have them stripped away; cutie marks in the case of Starlight, and elemental bending in the case of Amon. Furthermore, both Amon and Starlight [[spoiler:secretly maintain the very abilities they seek to take away from everyone else, and in fact, use those abilities to "equalize" others]]. Going even further, both are outed by having a disguise washed away by water; Starlight's [[spoiler:equals-sign mark]], and Amon's purportedly-firebending-caused facial scars.
** There's also some comparing her to pre-HeelFaceTurn Sunset Shimmer due to being yet another Twilight Sparkle EvilCounterpart with a similar name. Whether she ends up like Amon or another Sunset Shimmer depends on whether she leans more towards a WellIntentionedExtremist [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans genuinely]] [[TotalitarianUtilitarian fighting for equality]] or a vain DarkMagicalGirl respectively.
** Starlight Glimmer is the leader of a town of ponies who she essentially forces to act the same [[spoiler:[[{{Hypocrite}} while maintaining her own individuality]]]]. And, she wants to assimilate other ponies from across Equestria into her cult while not understanding (or even caring) that forcing everyone to be the same is a bad thing. Sounds a lot like the [[Franchise/StarTrek Borg Queen]], doesn't it?
** One could draw comparisons between her and Dolores Umbridge as well; both are soft spoken sociopaths who think their way is the only way, often have a sickeningly sweet demeanor that hides their true, evil natures, psychologically torture their subjects into submission and [[{{Hypocrite}} don't practice what they preach]].

** Also, Trixie's cutie mark appears as one of the many marks trapped in the vault.

* HarsherInHindsight: A seemingly happy town full of creepy ponies who think cutie marks are bad. [[VideoGame/StoryOfTheBlanks Sound familiar]]?