Starlight Glimmer- What is the opinion of her still?

@Philweasel  
Meghan did show how Tirek defeated all the ponies with the help of Discord, which I loved, instead of it happening off-screen. Would you rather Tirek show up near the end of part 1 all buffed up already instead of showing his progression in strength?

@Josh103
 
The difference there is that Discord’s betrayal and how Tirek gets stronger are important aspects of the plot.
 
Because TWABA is entirely from Starlight’s point of view and it’s her story, the actual details of how the cast were taken is less important than the fact that they were.
 
Again, it’s still a criticism and I wouldn’t blame anyone for thinking that showing it would’ve been better, but I think that the situations there aren’t identical.

@Josh103  
It’s a difference in story structure and where the meat of the conflict is. TK is about Tirek growing in power and them finding a way to defeat him. TWABA has the kidnapping as the inciting incident, and the conflict is the characters realizing that the other characters were captured and replaced, and finding a way to rescue them.
 
It’s like people asking why ACW didn’t show Chrysalis kidnapping Cadence and taking her place. Kind of ruins the dramatic reveal.

@Goobington  
Sorry, that was rude. I apologize for that.

@Sunset’s Minion  
It’s all good.

@gingerninja666  
@Goobington  
The difference is that they didn’t need to show Tirek growing in strength and Discord. It was very creative the way they did it. Yet they chose to, by some cutaway scene. and it made it much more effective to me, it showed how menacing the combo of Discord and Tirek were. We were supposed to care about their threat, and the scenes certainly showed it.
 
A simple little flashback could’ve sufficed. Yet, there wasn’t one because we’re not supposed to care how it happened, only that it did. But it leaves me questioning about how she did it.
 
Imagine if the first time Tirek appeared was at the end of Twilight’s Kingdom part 1 and he’s already fed, and most of part 1 was just the mane six trying to find him with Discord just popping in to them on occasion to gloat to them how powerful Tirek is becoming. Could it have worked? Sure. But to me, it’s much less effective unless there IS a cutaway scene where they show him growing in strength, such as Tirek remembering how easy it was to defeat the ponies, or something similar. In Chrysalis’ case, there wasn’t any, and to me, it suffers as a result.
 
We only have hints which don’t exactly satisfy me. But who cares what I think, eh?
 
Between this and the Sunset thing, some might think I’m nitpicking too much. But clear explanations are very important to me. It isn’t spoonfeeding, I just like explanations and visuals, because I don’t think they cut the imagination part out.

@Josh103
 
Another reason I think they needed to show Tirek was because Tirek taking Alicorn magic was an important plot point. It was his entire shtick. There’s a payoff to him draining magic in that way, so they chose to build it up.
 
The method behind how Chrysalis took the cast isnt as important because it doesn’t come back at all. It’s just a means of inciting the events of the episode as Goob mentions.

@Josh103  
Well, like I said, it’s also about story structure. The rising tension in TK comes from Tirek steadily growing stronger, whereas the rising tension in TWABA comes from The Reformed Four realizing it’s up to them to save the world, then the throne making things more difficult, then them getting picked off one by one.
 
The changelings can turn into any inanimate object or any character, they have cocoons that can contain Celestia, and after Trixie gets swarmed by changelings, she wakes up in a cocoon. I’m not sure what they could have shown that the audience couldn’t have just inferred. That being said, I’m not completely opposed to the idea. They might have Princess Celestia sleeping in her room, then suddenly every inanimate object in the room turns out to be a changeling, and they swarm her. I guess I like the ambiguity because we don’t know how easily the characters were captured.

@gingerninja666  
@Goobington  
They don’t even show it in A Canterlot Wedding. All of her plans just… happen without a hitch until the end. I think Chrysalis managing to capture ALL the important character is a pretty important plot point. You mean to tell me it’s not important just because they want the focus on the 4?
 
I still ain’t buying it. All I ask is that they showed one scene of it happening. A flashback, Chrysalis gloating, anything. Even a lampshade by a random Changeling could’ve worked. All I ask, but apparently that doesn’t matter because… just take our word for it.

@Josh103  
You’re not alone, I prefer explanations too. I’ll take a single in-depth thing being added to lore over multiple things with no detail any day. Compare Celestial Advice and Shadow Play’s attempts to expand the list of dragon customs. CA mentions 3 customs, The Feast of Fire, the Dragon Bowl, and Claw-chella. It explains absolutely nothing for any of them. SP mentions only 1 custom, gorge surfing, but bothers to show us what it is. To me, that is infinitely better. Considering this show moves at a snail’s pace when it comes to giving any detail, I’m not expecting CA’s customs getting more detail any time soon. There is an absurd number of locations on the map that have been there for years that we still haven’t been shown. Trottingham, Baltimare, Vanhoover, etc.. As far as I’m concerned, until we’re shown them, they’re as good as non-existent and may as well have their names removed from the map until they’re shown.

@Background Pony #66BA  
We’ll probably see Manehattan ten more times before we see Vanhoover, etc.

@Josh103  
I think we’ll have to agree to disagree here. More detail about how they were captured would have improved the episode, but I don’t think it’s absolutely necessary.

@DarkStars  
If the ponies went everywhere there was to go, the show would be a boring travelogue. It’s driven by characters and plot. There needs to be a plot involving Vanhoover for them to go to Vanhoover. But what plot would that be?
 
If they follow their human-world counterparts, Manehattan has 3 times the ponies of Vanhoover in 1/5th the area, and generates about 12 times the economic activity. It also has about 260 years more history (more than a quarter of known pony history, based on everything interesting happening “1000 years ago”) with the attendant huge numbers of museums, galleries, theaters, restaurants, etc.. Manehattan probably has museums that are older than the entire city of Vanhoover. There’s a reason Rarity has a boutique there, and many reasons for the ponies to go there. Applejack has relatives there, and even lived there for a while. Vanhoover’s probably a very lovely place with lots of nice ponies. But why would any of the mane cast have any reason to go there? On the other hoof if you can’t come up with a reason to go Manehattan it’s probably because you live under your bed and make Fluttershy look outgoing by comparison. What does Vanhoover offer that Manehattan doesn’t offer more of? Sure, you could do it backwards, start with “I want them to go to Vanhoover just because” and then contrive a plot to make it happen, but that always shows; things like that are the neon signposts demarcating the very worst fanfics. There is simply no organic plot which starts from the ponies we know and love and ends with them in Vanhoover. Add into it, if ponies go there on screen they have to draw sets for it, and that costs money. Manehattan has already been largely designed.
 
So yes, because the show crew are not stupid, they will probably go back to Manehattan several more times, but will likely never go to Vanhoover. Or Baltimare, which is even smaller than Vanhoover. Just like they haven’t drawn every single street in Manehattan, they’re not going to draw every single location that appears on a world map just because it’s on the map.
 
I would like to see them go to Saddle Arabia and Maretonia, but because that flows from the show, not from some background filler graphic map. Those two countries have been shown to be important by the meetings of their delegates with Celestia in Canterlot several times.

@Ferrotter  
You have to admit that seeing the same place over and over again gets boring, or that the writers could still at least try to expand the map a little.

@DarkStars  
Yes, I’d always like to see more. I’m very glad they went to Southern Equestria recently. I’d like them to go back to Somnambula (village) again, maybe help Somnambula (pony) solve a friendship problem there. And like I said, I’m still hoping for a Saddle Arabia episode in particular, and maybe a Maretonia episode.
 
But look how much we already have: Ponyville of course. Canterlot, where the show started. Cloudsdale. The Everfree Forest. Appleloosa. Manehattan. The Crystal Empire. Rainbow Falls. Dodge Junction. Griffinstone. Starlight’s village. The cajun swamp, maybe two of them (the chimera’s and Meadowbrook’s, if they aren’t the same) and Froggy Bottom Swamp. The Dragonlands. Las Pegasus. Ghastly Gorge. The Hooffields and McColts feud area. Yakyakistan. Ahuizotl’s jungle. The Changeling Kingdom. Somnambula (village). Flashbacks to the Kirin area Mistmane is from. Twenty-two (maybe twenty-three) locations just for the mane show, an average of more than three per season. Plus the desert, Klugetown, the Hippogriff queendom (Mt. Aris), and its temporary home in Seaquestria, if you count the movie. The human world consisting of two high schools, at least one town, and a camp, if you count EqG. Two of the main show locations (reformed Changeling Kingdom and Somnambula (village)) and a flashback third (Mistmane’s kingdom) are new just this year, and the Changeling Kingdom itself was new just the season finale before.
 
They’re not exactly boring me with a lack of locations as it is. Not even this season, with its spot-on-average three new locations. Maybe an above-average four if Meadowbrook’s swamp is not the same cajun swamp the chimera was in. Indeed, I would say the problem now might even be the opposite. They’re disappointing me with how little we see of the show’s beloved past. I’d like a return to Rainbow Falls for example (bring back Lilac Sky and Spring Step), and more time in Manehattan (bring back Molly, Azure Velour, and Flashdancer, _{and Plaid Stripes I guess}). It’s not that they’re really neglecting the past, either. We had a return to Starlight’s village, and the Changeling Kingdom, and the Dragonlands. They’ve paid attention to the show’s past as much as they’ve introduced new places. It’s just that the more they have the less attention each one gets. Can possibly get. At this point they could fill a whole season with just re-visiting existing locations, and that would be boring as yay!, so they can’t possibly visit everywhere I’d like to see every single season, and get in a few new locations as well.
 
If they made a Vanhoover or Baltimare episode I wouldn’t mind. I just hardly see those two as a priority. It may even be better if they don’t show up in animation ever, anyway. What could they offer (narratively) that Manehattan doesn’t offer more of already? They’re probably nicer left to the imagination than they would be drawn out in all their mundane “glory” for a disappointing comparison to what we already have. Trottingham might offer more promise; it would be more different from Manehattan at least, though at a risk of being too close to “Ponyville with an accent” considering Ponyville’s architecture is nearly all Tudor already. (Which is downright hilarious in its own right, if you’re familiar with period half-timber/wattle-and-daub construction.)

I wish she had her old hairstyle.  

Though this may sound off topic, I just want to say, Starlight isn’t my most hated character anymore, I don’t like her still but I don’t hate her as much as I used to, though she frustrates me. If anyone wants to know my top 2, I’ll let ya.

@Seiya-Meteorite  
I would like to know. You can PM me if you want about it.

@Sunset’s Minion  
I’ll just say it, Twilight Sparkle and Tempest Shadow. Twilight used to be my favorite along with Pinkie (now it’s Fluttershy) and I’m sad to see what’s happened: Twilight’s just become an unlikable asshole with anger issues (like No Second Prances, when she accidentally stepped on someone’s hooves, sarcastically apologized and YELLED IN THEIR FACE, the “PRINCESS OF FRIENDSHIP”, EVERYONE!! And that fiasco with the movie was what killed her character for me), she was a terrible teacher, and with Tempest (spoilers so no one gets the movie spoiled), her backstory was still kinda weak, it didn’t explain why she was enjoying what she did (and at least in some other films like The Care Bears Movie, I could feel for Nicholas who was possessed by a spirit because at least he was showing some concern and such for his actions, like “I-isn’t there another way?/I can’t do it!!”), her story felt too similar to Starlight’s in fact, and just like with Starlight in season 5, Sombra in that shitty comic, and the Changelings in season 6, there was no reason why she needed to be redeemed after all the crap she did, she got off scott free with no consequences (reoccuring theme now), and even if you look past that, she’s just a bland, one -note villain.
 
That’s just me though.

@Seiya-Meteorite  
I agree on Twilight’s case 100%, but Tempest I have very mixed feelings for, though.

@Sunset’s Minion  
I’m getting sick of all these villain redemptions though, it’s just annoying.

@Seiya-Meteorite  
Yeah. They really need to stop.

@Sunset’s Minion  
Or at least get better at them.

@Seiya-Meteorite  
If Chrysalis gets redeemed, I don’t want her to get her new form yet. I also prefer if Starlight isn’t the catalyst for her redemption.