because it is! aw c'mon! u want a season to end with a blast don't u? and that's what all the viewers want too...
For what my budding Brony opinion is worth I didn't mind the Twilicorn thing.I kind of think the idea is an appropriate point in her particular character development. Now while I wouldn't call magical mystery cure the best episode, (mainly due to my affection for Dashie and Scootaloo's episode ) it was still a good episode. Its definitely in my top 3 for the season. I will also say that I think they would do well to include another song heavy episode in season 4.
As a general rule, the finale is the best episode of the season in any series (if the producers know what they're doing, anyway). This is so that if the series is unexpectedly cancelled, they can say they at least tried to give the show a decent ending.
Doesn't quiiite hold up but we have had some very enjoyable finale episodes. Season 1 Finale was fun. Season 2 Finale was amazing and memorable. Season 5 Finale was bonkers and full of surprises that makes me love watching this show, making me wish they'd pepper a few more elements like the scene of the Crystal Ponies being enslaved as soldiers. I was genuinely freaked out by that scene. Season 4 Finale had a fight between two super powered character that seemed like a Dragonball Z fight had broken out for a few minutes. Which I approved of. The spanner in the works is Season 3, which I could honestly talk about it's flaws for days. You can tell it was intended to be more incredible and amazing than it was, it's failing was in execution. Actually, let's try listing as many reasons that episode fails that I can think of. Pacing was rushed leaving a story that felt squashed. The songs weren't hugely memorable compared to others from the show. The idea of Cutie Marks being swapped around wasn't explored thoroughly enough and felt squandered. Character moments were shallow and short, focusing mainly on Twilight when they probably ought not to as much because she's not the most interesting element of the episode, the Cutie Mark swapped characters are. In fact, a better version of this episode would have the mark swapped characters spend a day in each other's roles. The 'fixing' of each character isn't given much room to breathe and so doesn't feel all that earned or cathartic when Twilight just manages to solve the problem almost effortlessly. It actually undercuts the possible menace the spell might have had. Having all five of the other Mane Six ate up far more time than was necessary to explore the effect a Cutie Mark might make on a pony when only swapping Cutie Marks with two ponies would have been more tightly focused for a roughly 30 minute show. Any significance or theme of being influenced into doing something you're not suited is never addressed or explored. There is a weak link between the events of the main storyline and Twilight's transformation into an Alicorn making them feel like they were forced together to bulk out an episode. The transformation into an Alicorn is never fully explained. It has something to do with Starswirl and Friendship, apparently. Anything further and I have no idea. The transformation into an Alicorn is never hinted at or brought up again. Couldn't someone else attempt this? The transformation only raises more and more questions on where Celestia, Luna and Cadence came from, that probably won't be answered (if we can't get an answer about Applejack's parents, we're not getting an answer about the origins of the Alicorn). Celestia's presence in this pocket universe is never explained. Where the bloody Nora are they when they finally transform Twilight?! Since when could magic transform ponies into Alicorn? Starswirl is powerful, sure! But where did he get the knowledge for it? Pacing of the scene is also rushed, crushing the magic and majesty the scene was supposed to convey by making it come out of left field. While Celestia has hinted at clearly having a plan for Twilight, it's never been hinted exactly what that plan was. Was this always Celestia's plan or did this just happen to work out nicely? Celestia hasn't schooled Twilight in governance or social dealings at all. Is princesshood a good idea for a completely unprepared magical student? Twilight turning into a Princess is never hinted at, suggested or even slightly within the likely realm of possibility that it screams more of a Hasbro mandate to sell toys than an organic progression of the show. The episode could have easily been made into two separate episodes, but wasn't for reasons. The amount of influence over a pony Cutie Marks have when they're swapped is never fully shown. Are ponies heavily compelled to follow the associated skill, confused and miserable or can they fight back with willpower? Clearly the new Cutie Mark seems to affect memory as Rarity seems to be rather non-plussed that she's suddenly on weather duty when she shouldn't. But why did she decide that the clouds needed to be in a quilt and not do what a weather pony is supposed to do and arrange the weather? Does she remember her skills as a seamstress and designer still? Has she not seen weather ponies work? Wouldn't she know that she ought to bust or move the clouds? Rarity isn't stupid. Why doesn't she just do her job reasonably, correct Cutie Mark or not? The others make sense to suck at their new profession because they take genuine skill or talent that they clearly don't have but Rarity has no excuse to suck at weather control. (Yeah, yeah. This one's nitpicky...) Give me a bit and I might think of more...
11, 14, 17, and 18 really just seem like questions that have yet to be addressed as opposed to actual flaws... to me at least. I don't know if the likelyhood of them being answered is really an issue with the episode itself as some plot holes from previous seasons have taken a few years to be filled. As for 19, I think we can count those reasons as pressure from Hasbro since they basically cut S3 in half so DHX could work on the EqG movie and get it out quickly to promote the toy line. I guess it was that or essentially have a 9 episode regular season with 2 at the start and 2 at the end. I see it as more of a business decision that was out of the writers' hands.
