@OtherFritz  

 
Thing is they didn’t even need to be reformed. For example if we saw them in Tartarus in cages where they are complaning with each other whose fault it that they failed (keeping their dynamic from Frenemies) I would be perfectly happy with that. But how it happend in finale? No… just no.

It was nice to see some disagreements within the group, chrysalis usually came up with the plans but tirek actually had the right idea about searching for twi and destroying the windigoes. Chrysalis was getting into gloat mode and its usually when she losses to the protagonists, tirek is more grounded and doesn’t let chrysalis make decisions that will hurt them or will not be beneficial in achieving their goals.
 
Their dynamic was one of the best if not the best parts of the season, they got character development and actually worked together(its pretty cool when a few major villains work together and non of them are minions of the other).

@Background Pony #164E  
@Background Pony #A01A  
My sentiments exactly! After dedicating several episodes to their development and the growth of their relationship, explicitly demonstrating that they can be rehabilitated, planting the seeds of that idea as early as Season 6, suddenly reversing all of that and throwing in a handful of Kick the Dog moments at the last minute to portray them as irredeemable was an utterly baffling move and a colossal waste of potential. Honestly, what were they thinking?

@Harshie83  
Chrysalis did propose that she along with Tirek and Cozy would eventually destroy the Windigos to be seen as saviors. Personally, I think they should have had something else in mind regarding the Windigos in order to make them seem unstoppable even if its to boast at the heroes. Alas, this kind of fanatical and wasted idea only exists in my extended headcanon. (I’ll be happy to share if you want though!)

@Bunny-CarrotHunter  

 
Well maybe. In Frenemies we saw her talking to the log, but in The Summer Sun Setback she was perfectly stable and able caming up with a plan. In the finale is pre-Frenemis all over again.
 
I think finale would do itself big favor if it just put trio back to Tartarus (I would be fine with that) instead of this whole stoning thing.

@Bunny-CarrotHunter  
Frenemies mean 3 and Ending of the End mean 3 feel like totally different characters. I guess it’s the power going to their heads, and the writers REALLY just wanted the final battle to be against old villains. It does just feel so strange they tried to make us like them in Frenemies, and then skim over their defeat so quickly. Effectively brushing them all under the rug for good without exploring them at all. To Twilight, they’re pests. To Discord, they’re pawns. To the writers, they’re tools to drive a lame narrative, nothing more. They didn’t stand a chance. They were done so dirty.

@Background Pony #164E  
That’s a common complain I see about the Mean 3 in the finale, that they were made more vicious and bloodthirsty? I love them but even I didn’t notice that. I want to say it had something to do with their power ups. With Chrysalis I can kinda see but I just thought it was because she was going unstable.

The things one does for self-gratification, from impersonating a Princess, to rubbing it in to Twilight nopony will find her in a cavern, to gloating about the deception, to attacking a city in broad daylight, to wanting ponies to be grateful to their Savior Queen, that the decadent Princesses wouldn’t save them when she would.
 
Tirek was wise, Cozy was at least initially against it, dunno for sure who she’d side with.

@Background Pony #164E  
I agree with you.

@Harshie83  
Season 9 was a mess. They let us spend time with the Mean 3 so we got to like them, then wrote them as even more vicious and insane to justify punishing them so harshly at the end. I wanted to see these three reform, personally. At the very least, have Chrysalis talk to Thorax and Ocellus. She doesn’t even comment when her own former subjects show up to beat her.

I think Chrysalis was pretty much at her worst there - willing to let the Windigos freeze Equestria to gain power.