History YMMV / MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS5E25TheCutieRemarkPart1

** Who was it to stop Nightmare Moon in the alternate timelines?

* RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap: While the comics had already rescued him, this episode does it for Sombra in the show, showing just how much of a threat to Equestria he really is. Without anypony to oppose his return, he forces the Crystal ponies to become his soldiers (wearing kickass armor to boot) and declares war on Equestria. While he does meet resistance, it's clearly a war of attrition, with it taking all of Celestia's forces, supplies, and morale to keep him at bay.

* MemeAcknowledgment: "Flutterdash" is the most common PortmanteauCoupleName for Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash shipping. When Applejack uses the term in the episode, it gets lots of eyebrows rising.

** Not to mention how cool it would have been if the villains of the show were all in one alternate universe and battled each other for world domination.

** The idea of either a BadFuture set DuringTheWar or Applejack and Rarity having {{dark and troubled past}}s due to being war veterans has been explored in multiple fanfics. The Sombra timeline has elements of both.

** On the second trip into the past, Twilight attempts to get Rainbow Dash to do a Sonic Rainboom even though the race had been averted by Starlight talking down the bullies. Since Fluttershy was still in Cloudsdale at the time, the ForWantOfANail aspect could have been more meaningful if Twilight had succeeded.

** The Rainbow Dash of the future in which Sombra reigns, due to her more [[FutureBadass badass]] look, including a [[ArtificialLimbs cybernetic wing]], an [[RuggedScar eye scar]], and a piece of her ear missing.

* CrossesTheLineTwice: Twilight trying to get young Rainbow Dash to perform the Sonic Rainboom involves her following Rainbow around, eagerly trying to convince her to do something she doesn't want to do and at one point making very suggestive bedroom eyes at her. [[MistakenForPedophile Dash's clearly creeped out reaction]] [[BlackComedyBurst is what sells it]].

** The SuspiciouslySimilarSong that sounds like Warner Bros classic Powerhouse theme could also be done without, when Twilight gazes into the factory. You almost expect a goofy white glove contraption to come out.

** There was simply no way they could've made "CUTIE MARKS FOR CUTIE MARKS!" sound compelling.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: The Rainbow Dash of the future in which Sombra reigns, due to her more [[FutureBadass badass]] look, including a [[ArtificialLimbs cybernetic wing]], an [[RuggedScar eye scar]], and a piece of her ear missing.

* FanficFuel: Who was it to stop Nightmare Moon in the alternate timelines?

** [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS5E11PartyPooped "Party Pooped"]] was centered around the mane six trying to prevent a war with Yakyakistan. Throughout the episode, their fearful reactions are PlayedForLaughs and for the most part it's a light-hearted comedy that's all about highlighting how ridiculous the whole situation is. Then this episode comes along and shows that even an army made of mistreated slaves using military tactics a thousand years out of date, albeit one lead by King Sombra, can fight '''all''' of Equestria on equal terms and that's '''after''' they reconvert nearly the entire country to fight the war effort. Suddenly, the mane six's desperation to prevent a war with a modern military power, one that they (presumably) can't just use the Elements of Harmony on, takes on a more serious tone.
* HilariousInHindsight:

** A lot of the [[BadFuture Bad Futures]] and stakes would've worked a whole lot better if the show didn't use the [[StockSoundEffect Stock Sound Effects]]. It's hard to take the war sequence seriously when FutureBadass Rainbow Dash flies away with the usual cartoony "weeoosh" sound effect the show loves using.

** Many fans have snarked at the yak's war declaration in [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS5E11PartyPooped "Party Pooped"]], saying that Celestia alone could make the war a CurbStompBattle. But in this episode we find that, at least when fighting against Sombra and his forces, even with Celestia directly involved in combat, Equestria is barely keeping up with the Crystal Empire. Course it helps that Sombra is a extremely powerful being and on the frontlines himself.
** A previous episode, [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS5E11PartyPooped "Party Pooped"]], was centered around the mane six trying to prevent a war with Yakyakistan. Throughout the episode, their fearful reactions are {{Played For Laughs}} and for the most part it's a light-hearted comedy that's all about highlighting how ridiculous the whole situation is. Then this episode comes along and shows that even an army made of mistreated slaves using military tactics a thousand years out of date, albeit one lead by King Sombra, can fight '''all''' of Equestria on equal terms and that's '''after''' they reconvert nearly the entire country to fight the war effort. Suddenly, the mane six's desperation to prevent a war with a modern military power, one that they (presumably) can't just use the Elements of Harmony on, takes on a more serious tone.

** A previous episode, Party Pooped, was centered around the mane six trying to prevent a war with Yakyakistan. Throughout the episode, their fearful reactions are {{Played For Laughs}} and for the most part it's a light-hearted comedy that's all about highlighting how ridiculous the whole situation is. Then this episode comes along and shows that even an army made of mistreated slaves using military tactics a thousand years out of date, albeit one lead by King Sombra, can fight '''all''' of Equestria on equal terms and that's '''after''' they reconvert nearly the entire country to fight the war effort. Suddenly, the mane six's desperation to prevent a war with a modern military power, one that they (presumably) can't just use the Elements of Harmony on, takes on a more serious tone.

* SuspiciouslySimilarSong: The music playing during the apple canning scene sounds similar to the middle section of Raymond Scott's "Powerhouse", as heard in many Warner Brothers cartoons.

** A lot of the BadFutures and stakes would've worked a whole lot better is the show didn't use the [[StockSoundEffect Stock Sound Effects]]. It's hard to take the war sequence seriously when FutureBadass Rainbow Dash flies away with the usual cartoony "zip" sound effect.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: While the {{Bad Future}}s looks bleak and awful, some would've preferred to see Starlight TakeOverTheWorld in an alternate timeline.

** The war scene in the Sombra timeline would've been a lot grimmer if the actual fighting didn't consist of [[https://derpiboo.ru/1032144/ this.]] Justified, however, because it's a kid's show and anything involving ''actual'' war would most likely be censored.

* FridgeHorror: With the war of attrition against Sombra's forces, one can imagine how many ponies fell in battle along with those who didn't appear on screen.

** The war scene in the Sombra timeline would've been a lot grimmer if the actual fighting didn't consist of [[https://derpiboo.ru/1032144/ this.]]