YMMV / My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic S8 E11 "Molt Down"

• Alternative Character Interpretation: Is Parental Abandonment really what happens to every molting dragon? Or is Smolder, a known Jerk with a Heart of Gold, just Trolling Spike? Or is it possible that molting dragons who stay indoors suffer health complications and her phrasing was just for the sake of Troll? If it really is abandonment, is it a choice that someone could opt out of if they want to, or are they physically and/or mentally forced?
• Fanfic Fuel:
  • Smolder has a brother. What was her life like with him or a normal dragon family in general?
  • What were Torch, Ember, Garble and Smolder's own molting experiences like?
  • Spike's new wings themselves. The fact that he can fly now opens up a wide range of possibilities for the little guy.
• I Knew It!: For years, fans predicted that Spike would get wings at some point in the show. Their dreams finally came true with this episode.
• Salvaged Story: A criticism the show has been facing is that it doesn't really portray older dragons in a very positive light. For example, "The Secret of My Excess" has Spike undergoing a growth spurt that turns him into Rent-a-Zilla, "Dragon Quest" showed that most of the other dragons are jerks, and certain dragon characters like Ember and Smolder, while definitely nicer than Garble and his gang, still have their moments of being jerks now and then. This episode shows that Spike doesn't have to go to any of those extremes and grow up as normal.
• They Wasted a Perfectly Good Character: Peewee returns from his Long Bus Trip and reunites with Spike, but his presence is just to introduce a subplot about Rarity using phoenix feathers for a dress. The episode could have connected Peewee to the main plot in numerous easy ways: relate his maturing to Spike's, have him get abducted by the roc and Spike saves him, have him and Spike fly together, possibly to fight the roc together. But he never appears again after the opening scene.
• Unexpected Character: A grown Peewee shows up in the opening scene.

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