History Recap / MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS6E25ToWhereAndBackAgainPart1

* EvilHasABadSenseOfHumor: The changelings replacing Applejack and Rarity bursts into laughter when Starlight tells them she fled from the Sunset Festival in Our Town. This lack of empathy is a big hint of their true nature. They are also seen later mocking one of their own for being slapped around.

* MythologyGag: Before Starlight wakes her, Trixie is mumbling about peanut butter crackers in her sleep, a snack of which her ''[[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirls Equestria Girls]]'' self is also noted to be fond.

* MythologyGag: Before Starlight wakes her, Trixie is mumbling about peanut butter crackers in her sleep, a snack of which her ''[[Franchise/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirls Equestria Girls]]'' self is also noted to be fond.

* FreakOut:
** When the ponies of Our Town bombard Starlight with requests for her guidance, she screams "No!" and pushes them away with her expanding shield spell. Immediately after, she is shown lying on the ground, hooves over her eyes, trembling in anguish.
** Trixie is terrified of the changelings and panics the moment she hears about them. She doesn't even want to be close to Thorax, despite believing Starlight when she says that he is on their side.

* WrongGuyFirst: The "friends" that Starlight meets after returning from the village act nothing like themselves; it turns out they're changelings in disguise, and the real Mane Six have been captured.

* ADayInTheLimelight: Notably the first 2-parter that does not focus on Twilight or the Mane 6.

* OutOfCharacterAlert: Starlight notices this about the "Mane 6" after coming home, eventually discovering they're not her friends after all.

* WrongGuyFirst: The "friends" that Starlight meets after returning from the village act nothing like themselves; it turns out they're changelings in disguise, and the real Mane 6 have been captured.

** The changeling who had replaced Fluttershy is seen performing a SlouchOfVillainy on her throne; Starlight pulled a similar pose on the very same throne in "The Cutie Re-Mark – Part 1".

* {{Foreshadowing}}

* HopeSpot: Starlight suggests going to get Cadence and Shining's help, but Thorax reveals that they were captured already, and Sunburst sent him to get help from Twilight.

* MentorOccupationHazard: While Twilight is only kidnapped instead of killed, Starlight still has to save Equestria without her teacher's power, guidance, or any other kind of support.

* MythologyGag: Before Starlight wakes her, Trixie is mumbling about peanut butter crackers in her sleep, a snack of which her ''[[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirls Equestria Girls]]'' self is also noted to be fond.

* CharacterShilling: The episode pretty much starts with Twilight praising Starlight's development and even claiming it's all thanks to Starlight herself. Considering [[OffscreenInertia the limited airtime she's had during the season]], [[BrokenBase the mixed reception from the last episode focused on her]], [[EasilyForgiven and her still unaddressed topics]], reactions to such statements are mixed.
* CliffHanger: As is the case with the two-parters, this episode ends with the changelings having kidnapped several powerful ponies around Equestria, including the Mane Six and the Royal Family, meaning Equestria is virtually defenseless/leaderless now, and leaving Starlight and her team outside the Changeling Hive to rescue everyone, with Starlight scared of what to do next.

** Collectively, ''none'' of the changelings recognize Starlight or show any knowledge that she's Twilight's pupil. Even the fake Twilight never acknowledges her name or position. Queen Chrysalis later says she knows exactly who Starlight is and even considered having her replaced, making it rather odd that she didn't prepare her drones better for this mission.

* EasilyForgiven: Contrary to her fears and nightmares, The ponies of Our Town don't bear any grudge against Starlight Glimmer and want her to join in on their celebration. However, being easily forgiven once again only ''aggravates'' Starlight's [[BeAllMySinsRemembered anguish]], and she assumes a TroubledFetalPosition before running away.

** Thorax's new wings are also a big hint at what's coming.
* FourTemperamentEnsemble: The "unlikely heroes" that step up when the Mane Six are decommissioned. Starlight Glimmer is melancholic; Trixie is choleric; Discord is sanguine as always; and Thorax is phlegmatic.

** When the ponies of Our Town bombard Starlight with requests for her assistance, she screams "No!" and pushes them away with her expanding shield spell. Immediately after, she is shown lying on the ground, hooves over her eyes, trembling in anguish.

* GondorCallsForAid: With the Mane Six, Spike, Shining Armor, and the Princesses captured, Starlight gets the help of Discord, Trixie and Thorax.

* LockedOutOfTheLoop: Save the Twilight impersonator, none of the Changelings seem to know Starlight ''exists''. Apparently they have not fully followed history since the Royal Wedding. Although the next episode reveals that Chrysalis herself is well aware of who Starlight is.

* PapaWolf: Discord is ''furious'' when told that the changelings captured Fluttershy.
-->'''Discord:''' They took ''Fluttershy''?\\
'''Starlight:''' Yes!\\
'''Discord:''' ''[angrily]'' '''''Where?'''''

* SlouchOfVillainy: The changeling posing as Fluttershy invokes this while sitting on her throne, putting its rear hooves up on the map table.

** Trixie uses her trademark exit method to get Starlight and herself out of the village, and it actually works: Trixie now uses a more powerful bomb so that the smoke stays for longer, both covering the exit much better than before and making the other ponies to cough and close their eyes for a few moments, and therefore Trixie is already far away when they can finally see again.

* VisibleInvisibility: Starlight uses an invisibility spell to hide Trixie and herself from the changeling impersonating Twilight and company. The eyes, and the outline of their bodies, are still slightly visible.

* WholePlotReference: The plot of this two-parter seems to be one for the premiere of the series, in which the main protagonist is a unicorn who leads a ragtag team to fight an evil force threatening the land.
* TheWorfEffect: The Royal Family and the Mane Six are put out of commission by the changelings. We don't see [[OffscreenMomentOfAwesome how]]; though it's heavily implied to have something to do with TheReveal of Chrysalis having a PowerNullifier throne which can block their magic that led to being kidnapped so easily.

* YouAreInCommandNow: Trixie, Thorax, and even Discord look at Starlight for leadership, something she definitely doesn't feel comfortable with.

** Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie's replacements make an effort to fake some of the tics of their originals and try to respond politely when Starlight talks to them, but the ruse eventually breaks down. The fake Applejack and Rarity burst out in derisive laughter when they hear of Starlight's genuine and painful friendship problem, while fake Pinkie doesn't remember Starlight's name and bails quickly on their conversation, whereas the real Pinkie has been repeatedly demonstrated to remember every friend she's ever met and is extremely talkative and extroverted.

** Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie's replacements make an effort to fake some of the tics of their originals and try to respond politely when Starlight talks to them, but the ruse eventually breaks down. The fake Applejack and Rarity burst out in derisive laughter when they hear of Starlight's genuine and painful friendship problem, while fake Pinkie doesn't remember Starlight's name and bails quickly on their conversation, whereas the real Pinkie has been repeatedly demonstrated to remember every friend she's ever met and is extremely talkative and extraverted.

** Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie's replacements make an effort to fake some of the tics of their originals and try to respond politely when Starlight talks to them, but the ruse eventually breaks down. The fake Applejack and Rarity burst out in derisive laughter when they hear of Starlight's genuine and painful friendship problem, while fake Pinkie doesn't remember Starlight's name and bails quickly on their conversation, whereas the real Pinkie has been repeatedly demonstrated to remember every friend she's ever met and is extremely talkative and extroverted.

** Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie's replacements make an effort to fake some of the tics of their originals and try to respond politely when Starlight talks to them, but the ruse eventually breaks down. The fake Applejack and Rarity burst out in derisive laughter when they hear of Starlight's genuine and painful friendship problem, while fake Pinkie doesn't remember Starlight's name and bails quickly on their conversation, whereas the real Pinkie has been repeatedly demonstrated to remember every friend she's ever met and is extremely talkative and extraverted.

** In addition to the LiteraryAllusionTitle to ''Literature/TheHobbit'', the concept of a rag-tag group of heroes and anti-heroes traveling to a mountain belonging to their joint nemesis also borrows from ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', with the Changeling Kingdom being a decent {{Expy}} of Mt. Doom.
** The arrival of Derpy parodies some classical ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' lines:

%%* SmugSnake: Despite not being a villain anymore, Trixie greatly enjoys rubbing the fact that Starlight chose her over Twilight in the princess's face.

** Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie's replacements make an effort to fake some of the tics of their originals and try to respond politely when Starlight talks to them, but the ruse eventually breaks down. The fake Applejack and Rarity burst out in derisive laughter when they hear of Starlight's genuine and painful friendship problem, while fake Pinkie doesn't remember Starlight's name and bails quickly on their conversation, whereas the real Pinkie has been repeatedly demonstrated to remember every friend she's ever met and is extremely talkative and extroverted.

** Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie's replacements make an effort to fake some of the tics of their originals and try to respond politely when Starlight talks to them, but the ruse eventually breaks down. The fake Applejack and Rarity burst out in derisive laughter when they hear of Starlight's genuine and painful friendship problem, while fake Pinkie doesn't remember Starlight's name and bails quickly on their conversation, whereas the real Pinkie has been repeatedly demonstrated to remember every friend she's ever met and is extremely talkative and extraverted.

* OutOfCharacterAlert: The changelings replacing the Mane Six show varying levels of skill in impersonating them.
** The worst are the replacements for Rainbow Dash and Spike, who act like straight-up {{jerkass}}es and show none of the traits of the characters they impersonate. They seem to hate their job, though fake Spike has good reason to as he is the ButtMonkey of the group.
** Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie's replacements make an effort to fake some of the tics of their originals and try to respond politely when Starlight talks to them, but the ruse eventually breaks down. The fake Applejack and Rarity burst out in derisive laughter when they hear of Starlight's genuine and painful friendship problem, while fake Pinkie doesn't remember Starlight's name and bails quickly on their conversation, whereas the real Pinkie has been repeatedly demonstrated to remember every friend she's ever met and is extremely talkative and extraverted.
** The changeling taking over Princess Twilight's role does the best job, successfully faking her way through a conversation with Starlight and [[HandWave hoof-waving]] away the others' odd behavior. She even offers some confident friendship "advice". The only thing odd about her is the advice itself, in that she tells Starlight to forget her old friendships and simply find new ones to replace them, whereas the real Twilight Sparkle encourages determination and maintaining friendships even through difficulty.
** Collectively, ''none'' of the changelings recognize Starlight or show any knowledge that she's Twilight's pupil. Even the fake Twilight never acknowledges her name or position. Queen Chrysalis later says she knows exactly who Starlight is and even considered having her replaced, making it rather odd that she didn't prepare her drones better for this mission.

* BroadStrokes: The comic series, which has always had an uneasy relationship with the show regarding its canon status, has its biggest brush with the show's canon so far here. It had depicted another encounter with Chrysalis where she was imprisoned, but then a later issue had her escape and get her power back. None of this is referenced here, but given that she ended up back where she started, the fans are free to imagine it all happened or not as they prefer.
** On top of that, the Changeling Kingdom presented in this episode is definitely different from the one in the comics. Given the latter was more a temporary base of operations for Chrysalis and her army, however, it can be assumed that ''this'' Changeling Kingdom is meant to be the changeling species' homeland.

* CharacterShilling: The episode pretty much starts with Twilight praising Starlight's development and even claiming it's all thanks to Starlight herself. Considering [[OffscreenInertia the limited airtime she's had during the season]], [[BrokenBase the mixed reception from the last episode focused on her]], [[EasilyForgiven and her still unaddressed topics]], reactions to such statements are mixed.

* MoralityPet: Fluttershy remains this to Discord, he only reacts to the changeling situation when he learns that she was taken.

* NotWhatISignedUpFor: Trixie has a major freakout when she and Starlight just barley escape being caught by the changelings and says she can't deal with 'princess-level stuff' because she is just a performer.