Line #24 YMMV/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS6E6NoSecondPrances


1	* AbandonShipping: For much of the series, Twilight×Trixie (Twixie) was one of the show's most popular ships. However, a combination of Twilight's controversial portrayal in this episode and Starlight's growing friendship with Trixie more or less dashed the once popular ship.
2	* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Several.
3	** Trixie went through with her performance despite Starlight not being her assistant anymore. Was she a show-business pro who stubbornly stuck to the time-honored tradition that "the show must go on," or was she [[DrivenToSuicide trying to kill herself with a dangerous stunt]] out of grief for losing her only friend? Or was it a last-ditch attempt to guilt-trip Starlight into coming back for her?
4	** The manticore.
5	*** Is it a tame one that was in on the act and would have spat Trixie out if she didn't get out herself? In which case it wasn't a suicide attempt so much as something that would lead to Trixie humiliating herself. Evidence for this lies in how the manticore makes no aggressive moves toward any pony near it, does not chew Trixie but swallows her whole (unlike the manticore in the flashback), and bows at the end of the performance.
6	*** Why was Fluttershy so afraid of the manticore, when she befriended one so easily in the pilot? Was she really afraid of the manticore or just playing along for the show? After all, [[FluffyTamer who got the manticore to participate in the first place]]? But who better to hype the fear factor than Fluttershy, that [[AnimalLover lover of all animals]] (except for big scary dragons). She certainly recovers quickly from [[FaintInShock fainting]] (hinting that it may have been a FakeFaint) and is happily cheering at the end despite the manticore still being there.
7	*** For that matter, was Fluttershy's reaction due to Trixie performing a magic trick that can easily kill her if not done properly, or is she more concerned about the manticore, who is being fired upon by a Trixie-loaded cannon? If this interpretation is true, maybe she ''was'' nervous and ''did'' faint and recover quickly, but not for the reason one might think.
8	** Celestia's behavior here and in "Gauntlet of Fire" seems to show exasperation and boredom at Twilight's antics. Is Celestia finally losing patience for Twilight's quirks and need-to-please? Or are these two isolated occasions where her behavior was contextually apt and it means nothing else? Or could it even be that since Twilight is now basically her equal/peer Celestia is more inclined to let go of her StepfordSmiler side when it comes to her, much as she is far from cordial with her beloved sister at times.
9	** Mrs. Cake's reaction to Starlight's magical cake potentially driving her out of business.
10	*** Is this an example of earth-pony aversion to magic or just an overreaction to Starlight magicking up a cake on the first try?
11	*** Another interpretation seems to be that Mrs. Cake does not take kindly to ponies who are better bakers than her or her husband.
12	*** A third interpretation could be Mrs. Cake's belief that cakes should be made not with magic but through hard work and love.
13	** The whole episode seems to (once again) be a subversion of the "friendliest town in Equestria" moniker, with ponies showing everything from jealousy to gossiping.
14	** Just how much of Trixie and Starlight's initial friendship was born out of Trixie intentionally being manipulative? Was she using her from the get-go, or was sticking it to Twilight truly "just a bonus" made worse by Trixie shoving her whole foot into her mouth?
15	* BrokenBase:
16	** A major contention with this episode is how everyone is portrayed. On one hand, you have the fans who believe that this is entirely in character for everyone and that this is just everyone dealing with lingering mistrust. On the other, there are some who believe that this portrayal is out of character for them or at least needed to be explained a little more (points go to Mrs. Cake's reaction to Starlight making her cake and Celestia's downright boredom at the dinner).
17	** The biggest point of contention with the episode concerns Twilight Sparkle and her characterization. You have fans who feel Twilight's characterization is in line with the rest of her appearances, especially when it comes to old foes and you have fans who feel that Twilight is acting out of character and should have been more accepting.
18	** The episode itself. A really nice episode with many character cameos and call backs and HeelFaceTurn for Trixie, or a downright ''ugly'' episode with a botched moral and unsympathetic, unlikable characters?
19	** Trixie's return and the cameos from Derpy and DJ Pon-3 sparked complaints of pandering. Others just liked seeing the characters again.
20	** Twilight not wanting Starlight to befriend Trixie. While some fans feel that her behavior is justified due to Trixie's [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E6BoastBusters past]] [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E5MagicDuel appearances]] and how antagonistic Trixie was upon meeting Twilight in the castle, others felt that it went against Twilight's role of being the "Princess of Friendship", ruining the episode for them. Others see it as at worst a minor bad judgment call from Twilight that was perfectly in character, while others jump to the deep end of thinking she needs to relearn her friendship lessons.
21	** Starlight's portrayal continues to be a bit of a crowd divider. Some were sympathetic about Starlight struggling to fit in with her magical powers while lacking in social skills and were glad that she wasn't simply being mopey all the time like in the season premiere. Others felt that Starlight's struggle with social skills was not interesting and nothing new since the absurdly-skilled-neurotic-wizard-without-social-skills niche had already been done with Twilight a few seasons ago
22	* DeathOfTheAuthor: Nick Confalone was quick to say that he did not intend Trixie going ahead with the trick to be a suicide attempt, though many fans digress since he fails to provide an alternate explanation for what it was meant as. It helps that [[https://derpibooru.org/1144156 Jim Miller himself was fine with this interpretation]].
23	* HarsherInHindsight:
24	** Back in [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS6E1TheCrystallingPart1 the season premiere]], Starlight Glimmer expressed doubt and insecurity over her HeelFaceTurn, and Twilight [[EasilyForgiven easily forgave]] her, quickly dismissing her concerns and making for a heartwarming scene. Now it's not so heartwarming anymore, as it appears that in this episode, Twilight Sparkle ''does'' have her doubts about Starlight when she [[ToxicFriendInfluence befriends Trixie]], who Twilight isn't on good terms with, which [[WhatTheHellHero doesn't go unnoticed by Starlight]]. Ultimately, Twilight's doubts about Trixie are proven to hold some water, but she's able to mend things up quickly between the three of them.
25	** Starlight criticizes Twilight for not trusting her enough to make her own friends, and unfavorably contrasts Twilight with Princess Celestia: "Well, you did say anypony, and I just assumed that you’d trust me to make my own friends the way Princess Celestia trusted ''you''." Yet [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS7E1CelestialAdvice "Celestial Advice"]] revealed that, before Twilight left for Ponyville, Princess Celestia more-or-less had the rest of the mane six already hoof-picked (in her mind, at least) as Twilight's future friends. And Celestia still worried so much that she waited to send Twilight away until the last possible minute. Celestia ''didn't'' trust Twilight that much. And now Twilight is just unintentionally following in her mentor's hoofsteps.
26	** [[SilentBob Big Mac]] becoming [[MotorMouth incredibly talkative]]? Hilarious! At least, it ''was,'' [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS6E23WhereTheAppleLies until...]]
27	* HilariousInHindsight: A [[http://wadusher0.deviantart.com/art/Stars-and-Wands-525058017 comic]] drawn a year before season 6 features Trixie trying to become friends with Starlight (albeit much to her displeasure), after the latter gets thrown out of her town.
28	* IKnewIt: Going by the episode synopsis, several fans guessed Trixie would make a return as the "former bad guy", since she is one of the few characters to fit the criteria of "fellow formerly-bad pony" and really the only one who Twilight wasn't good friends with. Sure enough, she does.
29	* InformedWrongness: Starlight Glimmer calls Twilight Sparkle out for not trusting Trixie and by extension, not trusting her. But Starlight had recently (this was her second lesson since) committed the most dangerous and seriously-played evildoing in the series such Starlight herself doubted she deserved to be so EasilyForgiven, and showed in this episode and subsequent ones to still be prone to abusing magic and struggling with basic concepts of right and wrong. Regardless of how unfair or not she was distrusting Trixie, Twilight would have been well within rights not to wholly trust Starlight.
30	* LesYay: The Starlight×Trixie ship has set sail with full wind after this episode. If you wanted to stretch it, one could even see [[LoveTriangle subtext in their interactions with Twilight]], particularly with Twilight being upset that Starlight stood her up to spend time with Trixie.
31	* MemeticMutation: The scene where Starlight touches her nose with her hoof became a meme known as "[[https://derpibooru.org/tags/glimmerposting glimmerposting]]."
32	* RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap: Starlight Glimmer won a lot more favor and sympathy from the fans for her humorous interactions with the Ponyville citizens, being pulled in between Twilight and Trixie's petty squabble, her interactions with Trixie, and overall being the most (if not the only) sympathetic character of the episode.
33	* RonTheDeathEater: Twilight Sparkle received numerous fanworks bashing them over her behavior this episode, blaming her for breaking Starlight and Trixie's friendship, questioning her morality, or calling her a hypocritical idiot for [[AesopAmnesia forgetting an aesop]] to outright demonization as a KnightTemplar. These overlook Trixie [[NotHelpingYourCase was acting like]] her HeelFaceTurn hadn't stuck ([[TookALevelInKindness unlike Starlight]]) and gloated they befriended Starlight just to one-up Twilight thus was responsible for their ensuing breakup as opposed to Twilight who's behavior [[BecomingTheMask up util that point]] was [[JerkassHasAPoint proven (half-)valid]]. Also overlooked it that as soon as they saw Trixie was [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone genuinely remorseful]] Twilight immediately and on her own accord helped them reconcile and owned up to and apologized to her prior actions.
34	* SugarWiki/SheReallyCanAct: After Creator/KathleenBarr's previous performances as the {{Large Ham}}s Trixie and Chrysalis, Trixie's deeper characterization here allows her to give the character a larger range of emotion.
35	* TaintedByThePreview:
36	** After Trixie's HeelFaceTurn (supposedly) at the end of "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E5MagicDuel Magic Duel]]", followed by her subsequent characterization in "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicIDWIssue21To22 Manehattan Mysteries]]", some fans were worried about what her ominous introduction in this episode's teaser may mean for her CharacterDevelopment and whether or not it will be undone [[CanonDiscontinuity or simply ignored]] for the sake of plot. Fortunately, come the actual episode this was averted.
37	** There were also some fans worried that this episode would be a complete rehash of "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS5E22WhatAboutDiscord What About Discord?]]", a previous episode where the plot centered on Twilight not trusting a "former" villain, and didn't win a lot of fans for handing Twilight Sparkle the IdiotBall and use of TheComplainerIsAlwaysWrong so the story could work. Unlike the previous entry, this turned out to be the case, though this time, Twilight [[JerkassHasAPoint was right about Trixie's motivations]] ([[BecomingTheMask at least at first]]).
38	* UnexpectedCharacter: Most everyone figured out that Trixie would make her return here, but no one could have foreseen DJ Pon-3, Derpy, and ''especially'' Cranky Doodle Donkey to show up as well.
39	* TheWoobie: Both Starlight and Trixie become this when they burst into tears after they have their falling-out.
40	-->'''Trixie:''' [[BlatantLies I am not sad at all! I definitely]] ''[[BlatantLies don't]]'' [[BlatantLies feel like my heart is breaking into a million pieces!]]

Context YMMV / MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS6E6NoSecondPrances