@The_Mungoman
I’d like to go over these points one by one since they’re all valid elements with differing perspectives:
She kicks Chrysalis and her army out of Canterlot
She does, after Twilight rescues her twice. The problem I had with this was that the show kept telling us that these two were deeply in love, but since they never got actual screen time beforehand I couldn’t buy into it. It felt more deus ex machina than a true testament to their feelings.
She maintains the shield over the Crystal Empire
Also true, yet the image I saw was a princess sitting on her thrown and looking glum while waiting for someone else to come in and solve the situation for her. If she can interact while maintaining the shield, should she have enlisted help from some of the locals? She’s keeping the status quo, but not being proactive.
She regains the Crystal Heart and places it where it belongs and she motivates the crystal ponies in order to destroy Sombra
This is the biggest tripping point for me. Twilight goes through the struggle to find the Crystal Heart and Spike takes the risk to return it. Cadance swoops in at the last moment and enjoys the glory. She does motivate everyone with a quick speech, but I saw that as capitalizing on the Crystal Heart’s return rather than her own leadership skills.
All in all, when I think of Cadance I think of the image of the ideal princess. She enjoys adoration, but never seems to accept responsibility. Somepony else gives her a victory and she basks in the credit. It’s frustrating to see since this is the ideal being promoted to kids. I’d really like to see Cadance be more proactive in future episodes.